Randy Now’s Man Cave Is About to Rock Hightstown, NJ

Hightstown is a city with a wealthy historical past. There are names on the buildings and streets that also have descendants dwelling right here. John and Mary Hight can be happy with how their little group has grown. So, it’s actually not too stunning {that a} enterprise that’s all about preserving a time in historical past, like catching lightning in a bottle, would discover the outdated Victorians lining the downtown streets close by an ideal location.

The Man Cave, now situated at 119 Ward Avenue in Hightstown, NJ, is the brainchild of Randy Ellis. Ellis is a fourth-generation Bordentown resident. His resume is eclectic; former mail provider, DJ, membership promoter and band supervisor earlier than including the title of retailer proprietor in 2012 in his hometown of Bordentown. And like his resume, the tales Randy has from every chapter are equally attention-grabbing.

Please Mister Postman

Randy was a mail provider from the ‘70s to the ’90s. He started his route in family-friendly downtown Cranbury after which was moved to the Clearbrook route—principally retirees. He can inform you in regards to the day a person walked two alligators down Essential Avenue in Cranbury, or maybe you’d moderately hear about all of the mail the lady that was President of Engelbart Humperdinck’s Fan Membership despatched and needed to ship again out within the days earlier than the Web. 

It sounds very very like Randy loved each second of his day by day routine interacting with the residents wherever he was posted. The one adverse remark he made about his mail provider days was he wasn’t allowed break day to go to the Heatwave Live performance at Mosport Park in Toronto in 1980, billed as “Punk Rock’s Woodstock.” I informed Randy that as one of many 50,000 folks that attended–he actually missed an incredible present.

Trenton, NJ Rocks

Randy might have missed the present at Mosport, however there’s a complete world of music that he had a entrance seat for. In his tenure because the promoter and reserving agent for Metropolis Gardens throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was capable of introduce Central Jersey to a variety of punk rock, rockabilly and new wave music because the sound on our radios started to shift to new songs. 

The Ramones, Nirvana, Jane’s Dependancy, REM, Pink Scorching Chili Peppers have been all bands that performed this Calhoun Avenue Membership in Trenton, New Jersey. Sinead O’Connor performed her first American Present at Metropolis Gardens. If a band was booked in Philadelphia and New York Metropolis–there’s probability Randy lured them to Trenton throughout this time interval.

Telling Tales

Randy has tales! Oh, the tales he may inform! However being Randy, he’s additionally considered in what he shares. After I requested him which band was the largest jerks, he didn’t hesitate. Motorhead was booked and tickets had been bought. The group was eagerly ready for them to take the stage. However Motorhead refused to go on and by no means did carry out.

 What went mistaken? In 1973, the consuming age was lowered to 18; in 1980 it was raised again to 21. Metropolis Gardens tried to have “dry exhibits” in order that the music-loving children below 21 may attend the membership. This meant no alcohol on stage too. Motorhead refused to go on and Randy narrowly prevented a riot. I consider Jon Stewart (sure, THAT Jon Stewart) was working on the nonalcoholic bar that night time.

Burning Down the Home

When REM performed Metropolis Gardens, all they requested for of their rider was a six-pack of beer and 4 clear towels. New Order remarked that the metropolis of Trenton reminded them very a lot of Manchester, England. The Buthole Surfers practically burned the place down with their pyrotechnics at their all-ages present. The primary time UB40 performed Metropolis Gardens, the group was 40 followers. Randy says that Jello Biafra of the Useless Kennedys is among the nicest folks he is aware of.  

I did handle to search out out which band he thought was extremely overrated–Pearl Jam; and probably the most under-appreciated band in his opinion is Sparks. If you wish to take a deep dive into the punk music scene at Metropolis Gardens you really want to learn, “No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes” by Amy Yates Wuelfing and Steven DiLodovico. There’s additionally a film that captures this period, “Riot on the Dance Flooring, ” which is in its third repressing.

Metropolis Gardens in Trenton, NJ by way of Flickr

Shiny Joyful Individuals

As somebody who was fortunate sufficient to be of an age that Metropolis Gardens was part of my rising up, I may perceive why Randy hesitated and acquired a faraway look in his eye once I requested him for his observations on what it was about Metropolis Gardens; the time, the place, the music, that even whereas we have been dwelling it you knew it was particular and couldn’t final without end. His statement was spot on. You may stroll into the membership any night time and discover a punk rock mohawk child with a rockabilly child and a hippie child and everybody simply acquired alongside. There was time, area and tolerance as a result of all of us simply cherished the music. 

It wasn’t like several place else in New Jersey at the moment.

The Instances They Are A-Changin’

Randy started his music-oriented profession in 1979 as DJ Randy Now doing 90-cent dance nights at Metropolis Gardens. By the point he left in 1996, the membership had booked over 4,000 exhibits and among the present and future prime names in different rock had come by the doorways at Metropolis Gardens. After Metropolis Gardens, Randy labored over on the Cherry Hill membership Emerald Metropolis for a time. He labored for the Bordentown File Collector, he delivered newspapers and he skilled some well being points.

When Randy Met Mary

Again in 1982, younger Mary Lang attended her solely present at Metropolis Gardens. She went to see Lene Lovich together with her photographer boyfriend. The music was too loud so Mary went to sit down within the again the place it was rather less frantic. For 2 hours she chatted with Randy as he tried to select her up. Mary went again to her educating job in Monmouth County and proceeded to stay her life preferring the Quick Lane scene and the E-Avenue Band. 

Quick ahead about 20 years to a newly divorced Mary and a lately single once more Randy and the wonders of Match.com. Unbeknownst to this pair, they’d a earlier encounter which lastly got here out after Randy noticed all Mary’s Beatles posters within the background and the dialog turned to a shared love of music. They have been married in 2012 and are presently dwelling fortunately ever after.

To the Man Cave!

It was the union of their two households that introduced in regards to the genesis of Randy’s Man Cave Store. Mary’s dwelling was extra Victorian-style and Randy’s bobblehead assortment simply couldn’t appear to search out the proper location. It was then he had his epiphany to take his assortment, and another memorabilia and open a store to share his love of music and related gadgets. The shop would fulfill his dream of bringing in bands, promoting data, having snacks and memorabilia from the golden age of punk, and can be a strategy to earn a dwelling too.

Transferring On

The Man Cave opened in downtown Bordentown, NJ in 2012 and for a very long time, Randy was capable of finding artistic achievement operating his store. After 10 years, Randy is prepared for the following chapter; he merely outgrew his Bordentown area. His new store in Hightstown has tons of free parking and over twice the sq. footage. The area is what Randy appears enthusiastic about; room for displaying these cool vinyl data in fact, but additionally extra space for patrons to maneuver across the store and work together with merchandise. 

The placement is de facto key right here. There’s a bit of triangle on the town that homes an exquisite handmade crafts retailer, an attractive store that refinishes furnishings, a comfy luncheonette and the native brewery which has began internet hosting stay music some nights now. There’s an power on this a part of city that appears the right match for uncommon gadgets and music.

Making Plans

I requested Randy what his plans are for the brand new location. He has allotted a whole lot of area to vinyl data as a result of if you happen to didn’t know–vinyl is again! In 2021, vinyl document gross sales alone elevated 61 % and income is now one billion. And that doesn’t embody CDs, which will even be within the store. File Retailer Days are large. Two- or three-times yr producers launch about 600 new releases and repressings solely to shops that take part in File Retailer Day. The following one is slated for June 18 so that you would possibly wish to get in line earlier than the shop opens.

Randy can be excited to deliver again stay music. Though nothing is presently booked, his connections are nonetheless sturdy and I think we are going to see some top-named expertise in Hightstown fairly quickly. I heard the title Marshall Crenshaw tossed round, even put in a request or two of my very own.

What Will The Neighbors Say?

As an area, this transfer is definitely private. I wished to get a way of how the neighbors felt, so I requested a few the outlets close by for suggestions. Mark Fenton of Hand Made Artwork Studios put it greatest, “the spine of any small enterprise is connections. The Man Cave will deliver a various group of individuals to city which is the lifeblood of a thriving downtown. The enterprise group in Hightstown is certainly increasing and it feels just like the daybreak of a brand new period. The Man Cave goes to be an amazing addition to our native enterprise group.”

Lee Stults of Outdated Hights Brewing Firm additionally sees the synergy between these neighboring institutions. Lee stated, “Along with nice beer, Outdated Hights enjoys sharing nice music with our prospects. In actual fact, our group contains musicians and music academics so we’re excited to have Randy Now’s Man Cave subsequent door. He’ll undoubtedly entice folks to Hightstown for the primary time who will hopefully then stroll a couple of steps over to get pleasure from our beer. As we strategy our two-year anniversary in June, we all know our prospects will get pleasure from visiting the Man Cave. We want him the perfect of luck and welcome him to our rising, artistic nook of West Ward Avenue in Hightstown.”

There’s Extra in Retailer – The Grand Opening of the Man Cave

The store had a mushy opening the primary weekend of June. The Grand Opening was held June 11 and Randy experiences this was his second-best gross sales day ever! Along with all the thrill of opening the brand new retailer, the Ellis’ have much more happening. Mary has written a kids’s e book popping out simply in time for Christmas. It’s known as, “Fritz Lang: A Fairy Story of Metropolis Gardens.” It’s the fictional story of a mini-wirehaired dachshund actually being the brains behind Metropolis Gardens. I think Randy may have a number of copies within the Man Cave for the vacations, too.

Hightstown started in 1721 with a purchase order of three,000 acres of land. Via the centuries it has grown and attracted all sorts of companies to this one-mile sq. city. I feel the Hights can be proud to know that their land has change into a house for the dreamers and entrepreneurs like Randy Ellis. After I requested Randy what he was most happy with, he didn’t hesitate. He stated (on this order), marrying Mary, his position at Metropolis Gardens, creating the Man Cave and his picture exhibit of Metropolis Gardens photos which is housed on the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame. 

Randy stated, “I want I may have labored for a music firm. I used to be discovering all the brand new bands earlier than they may discover them.” This boy from Bordentown has proven the world that this mail provider was able to not solely delivering the mail–however spreading his love of music to a wide-ranging viewers. Thanks for the present of music, Hightstown is fortunate to have you ever.

Will you be visiting Randy Ellis’ Man Cave? Tell us within the feedback!