Trashcan Sinatras returning to Highland Lakes

VERNON — The Trashcan Sinatras will return to Highland Lakes on Saturday, Sept. 30, to perform as a three-piece acoustic lineup on Seckler Stage during their upcoming U.S. tour celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band.
The show will consist of two unique sets built on over 100 songs written from the band's 1990 debut, Cake, through last year’s Wild Pendulum, and fans should expect to hear some covers, too. Although the band often delves into its back catalog for obscurities, particularly during acoustic tours, many songs have never been played live. And others may never be played again.
“We will be playing some songs live that we have never attempted before, so in some ways, it’s a tightrope walk for us” says drummer Stephen Douglas. "But these songs are what we have done with our lives, so I accept the challenge and will try to not look down."
The very fact that the band is still playing together now 30 years after its inception is remarkable to Douglas.
“Back then I never thought long-term,” he says. “It was always the next song, the next cigarette… I had occasional dreams of making records and that became a real possibility when I met [vocalist] Frank [Reader] and [guitarist] Paul [Livingston]. We decided pretty early on that our dissatisfaction with the music our peers were making was something we could quell by writing our own songs. We all agreed on the basic ingredients: good lyrics, good melodies, and full of our own character.”
The band benefits today from the retrospective wisdom gained over the course of an enjoyable dance across the decades on and around the pop charts, but Douglas says he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“The years have been good to us in many ways,” he says. “The songs we have written make up a good body of work. The early years of the band coincided with the last years of an affluent and organized music business, so we got to work with world renowned producers and record in the finest recording studios. Additionally, our records were released and promoted worldwide, and the band’s name and work is known in most corners of the globe… all without a major hit single. In today’s world that would be miraculous.”
The band is looking forward to its return to Highland Lakes’ intimate Seckler Stage sandwiched in between shows in Toronto and New York City.
“We enjoy the venue and the Concert Series staff, and the enthusiastic crowd—playing there stuck in my mind because of the friendly, family atmosphere. Everyone was very so kind to us, with volunteers doing the various little things that for make a great night.”
Sounds like a perfect setting for another memorable Trashcans show, and given that the band is celebrating its 30th anniversary together, these types of opportunities to see them need to be seized because you never know how much gas the band has left in its tank, literally and figuratively.
“It’s hard to predict what we’ll be doing in five years time, but interesting to ponder,” says Douglas. “I hope we are still making music together. When i write something, it’s first port of call is with my fellow band members. No round of applause anywhere comes close to when they connect with something I’ve created, so if my health holds and madness keeps it’s distance, I hope we are still on the road and running on a full tank.”
Tickets are available now for $20 for members-in-good standing and their guests, $25 for non-members. To purchase tickets, contact the Club Office (973) 764-4366, the Concert Series (973-271-9780), or go to www.eventbrite.com/e/trashcan-sinatras-live-in-highland-lakes-nj-tickets-36807459101.