Thanks to Maxwell’s and Frank Sinatra, Hoboken has made a name for itself in the music industry. Few people realize, however, that beyond popular venues and charismatic crooners, the mile-square city is also home to several successful recording studios. On Sunday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m., the Hoboken Historical Museum will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry when they present a free tour of Water Music (931 Madison St., Hoboken), one the area’s premier recording studios. Rob Grenoble, the studio manager and owner of Water Music, will lead the tour.
Grenoble, a former member of the now defunct band Cries, opened Water Music 21 years ago. Located in the industrial district of Hoboken, Water Music contains two studio spaces – the largest room is the size of a high school gymnasium – and a bounty of vintage equipment. Over the years Grenoble has acquired a 48-imput Eve 8088 console (only 11 were ever made), a Hammond organ, and a wide assortment of vintage amplifiers, including Vons, Marshals and Fenders. He has also procured plate reverbs that were used by John Lennon.
But what really sets Water Music apart from other recording businesses are the studio’s residential lodgings. Attached to the studio are two separate residencies where out-of-town musicians and their producers can live while the work on their album. Water Music is the only residential recording studio in the entire New York metropolitan area. Apparently, John Popper wrote his solo album while living in the loft.
Other Water Music clients include Dave Matthews, Evan Dando, Ben Folds Five, Jawbox, Shudder to Think, The Ramones, Matthew Sweet, Spyro Gyra, and Yo La Tengo.
The Historical Museum’s tour of Water Music is the eleventh event in a yearlong series exploring the history of invention, manufacturing, artistry, and craft in Hoboken. The series, entitled "Made in Hoboken," is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. – JS
The Hoboken Historical Museum’s Tour of Water Music will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. at the recording studio, 931 Madison St., Hoboken. For more information or to make a reservation, call 656-2240.