After eight years of wonderfully layered, thoughtful folk-pop and rock, River City Extension plays its final show Nov. 25 in Asbury Park
TOMS RIVER -- Artistically, "Deliverance" was River City Extension's masterstroke.
The folk-pop outfit from Toms River had never slaved over a record like this, and in what felt like a natural shift toward bounding indie-rock, the album marked "intellectual and emotional steps forward," singer Joe Michelini says.
"It was the happiest I've ever been with something that we've made," the pensive frontman adds in a recent interview. "I've never been so proud of something."
But commercially, "Deliverance" was doom on a disc.
Despite positive reviews and the band's popularity within alternative circles across the country, River City's third LP simply didn't sell -- an all-too-common occurrence in a culture that hardly buys music anymore.
The Shore-centric group -- one of the scene's few acts to break from the local threshold and develop a bonafide national following -- was in trouble, and to compound the issues, listeners were confused by the change in sound.
"Even fans who had been with us for a while didn't know what to expect from us live anymore," Michelini says.
The band's record label backed out, and after a headlining national tour in support of the album, River City's April return to New Jersey was met with uncertainty -- and the sort of questions that afflict any band following a financial failure.
"We all sat down and said 'what do we do now?' " Michelini says. "We went up against very unfavorable odds putting that record out, and we lost, essentially."
The consensus, from the group of 20-somethings who comprised what was perhaps their scene's most significant local act this century, was to cut its losses.
They would forgo the meticulously layered, folk-pop tracks, which siphoned the whimsy of Dirty Projectors and wrapped it in Tom Waits' bohemian grit, to pursue opportunities as individuals.
"Our breakup wasn't an emotional reaction, it wasn't anything less than a calculation, and the right decision," Michelini says. "We felt like our work was finished, and dragging River City along any further would have become very difficult to us, and would have turned it into something we all would begin to resent."
After eight years of relentless gigging, the band leaves behind an undeniably impressive rock passport, stamped by name-brand festivals (Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, SXSW and even Warped Tour), overseas performances and major U.S. tours supporting rock favorites Brand New, Manchester Orchestra and The Get Up Kids.
Brandon Asraf, singer for Asbury Park bass-and-drum duo Brick and Mortar -- another band that's seen national success and helped re-energize the local scene -- will open River City's final show, at The Stone Pony Wednesday.
River City Extension. (Pat Furey) "(River City) is a piece of history now," he says. "A few years back, if you were up-and-coming, you'd see them as a hard-working band who was touring, and that would get people excited."
As River City established itself in Asbury Park, playing regularly at local joints like Asbury Lanes and The Saint, the group's rise began to mimic the city's rapid revitalization.
"I'm so grateful for the people of Asbury Park, who have come to shows, or let me sleep on their couch, or served us food," Michelini says. I'm very grateful to that community."
The group's Wednesday Pony show follows tradition -- River City has played the iconic venue's coveted Thanksgiving Eve slot the last six years.
"They've had a great, original sound that's a mix of Americana and indie, with heartfelt lyrics people could relate to," says Stone Pony promoter Kyle Brendle. "And they were always likable guys, which is important getting a band off the ground. They were humble, real and accessible."
River City Extension celebrates the release of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger" by performing at Maxwell's. Hoboken, NJ 5/30/12 (Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger) But nice only gets you so far. Even when it was signed to XOXO Records -- The Gaslight Anthem's first label -- and backed by a management company, River City was in the same boat as any other yet-to-explode group, playing and writing constantly to make ends meet.
"In River City, it wasn't that we were pissing money away -- there was no money," Michelini, 27, says. "There was never any real money, especially with eight people."
Fifteen members have fallen under the River City banner at one point or another, and led by Michelini's on-stage bravado, the group rocked Jersey stages hundreds of times, in between four full tours of the U.S. and conquering festivals in Australia.
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At its largest iteration, the band that released the fluid folk debut LP "The Unmistakable Man" in 2010 was an imposing production, complete with trumpet, cello and violin.
But the lineup scaled down to record "Deliverance" with a more traditional, five-piece rock lineup.
After the last notes ring out Wednesday, Michelini will return to his new home in Philadelphia, where he's recently moved to write material for a new project.
"We will not stop making music," he says. "I'm not going to stop making music."
Frontman Joe Michelini of River City Extension. (Danny Clinch) Other members will have no trouble keeping busy, either. Drummer Shane Luckenbaugh has already released a new, singer-songwriter EP under the name Shane Luck. Former guitarist Nick Cucci now fronts another popular Asbury duo GayGuy/StraightGuy. Guitarist John Muccino also writes on his own.
Current and former band members will gather Wednesday for the band's final curtain, and in what the singer describes as "three acts" they will try to tell the band's story in one, last night.
"I have zero interest in looking like a rock star at this show," Michelini says. "That's never what the band was, that's not what the Absury Park music scene is, and not the relationship we've ever had with The Stone Pony. We want it to be very personal, like a family get-together."
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.