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Archive for the ‘Asbury Park, NJ’ Category

The War on Drugs / Shakey Graves / Lucius / Steve Gunn (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, August 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Lucius, Shakey Graves, Steve Gunn, The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, The War on Drugs on August 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 18, 2023] The War on Drugs / Shakey Graves / Lucius / Steve Gunn

My wife and I saw The War on Drugs as our first show after the pandemic.  And it was wonderful. We were seated in a terrible seats at The Met, but the show was chill and mellow and we sat far away and the music swept over us.

I wasn’t sure if we’d want to go to this show, though because Stone Pony Summer Stage is a questionable proposition.  It’s a lovely venue but depending on the crowd, it can be terrible.  Plus, I know that standing around for four bands can be exhausting.  Especially since I wanted to see Lucius, but not necessarily Shakey Graves.

Steve Gunn is a musician who I thought I didn’t know, but I have seen a Tiny Desk of his.  He plays a kind of slow acoustic guitar with an eastern-style drone. It’s slow and addictive but I don’t think I’d want to stand to hear it.

Lucius is a band that I’d like to see live but somehow keep missing, as they play every stage that I’m not going to.

Shakey Graves and Lucius were both at the Guster festival this past weekend.  Which is kind of crazy.  I had said that I didn’t want to see Shakey Graves, but when I re-read my thoughts about his Newport Folk performance from a few years ago, I remembered that I thought he’d be fun to see live–he’s great at getting the crowd psyched up.

But, honestly, we were happy to stay home on a Friday night.

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The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, July 9, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage on July 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] The Head and the Heart / The Revivalists

My wife and I saw The Head and the Heart at the Met Philly in 2019.  Here’s what I wrote:

I had quite possibly the worst concert experience of my life at this show.  And I want to reiterate it had nothing to do with the band.  There may have been a song or two in the middle that I wasn’t too excited about, but overall, they sounded great, played some really fun songs and seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them again to make up for this show, but I probably won’t.   I also feel like I never want to go to the Met Philly again.  I feel like it attracts the wrong crowd–rich people who are looking for a night out rather than fans of music.

Re-reading the review I spent 2/3 of it complaining about the people around me. They were loud talkers and drinkers, completely louder than the band at times.

I would like to see The Head and the Heart again, I think.  Although it turns out they released a new album last year and I didn’t even know it.  So, I guess I won’t miss them that much,

I just checked and this show is sold out, so I guess they won’t miss me either.  And it really sounds like an event I don’t want to be at.

The Revivalists are a band that get some airplay on WXPN.  I do like one of their songs but overall their vibe is a little too retroey for me.  They are probably a very good fit with The Head and the Heart, although I feel like they veer in a direction I don’t enjoy as much.

 

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Trey Anastasio Band (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, July 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio Band on July 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 7, 2023] Trey Anastasio Band

I’ve seen the Trey Anastasio Band twice and each time was a fun event.

Try plays originals and Phish songs and his band is always top notch.

It’s also one of the few ways to see Trey up close, since I can never get close at a Phish show.

Trey had announced these few shows in July, but I didn’t really want to go to the Stone Pont Summerstage to se see his band.  Although I do love watching Cyro Baptiste on percussion.

I reconsidered going a couple of weeks ago, but it had sold out.  So good for Trey.  And besides, I have Skating Polly to see.

 

 

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The Used (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, June 12, 2023)

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Don Broco, Girlfriends, Pierce the Veil, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, The Used on June 15, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 12, 2023] The Used

I didn’t know The Used at all.  Which is crazy since they’ve been around for 20+ years.

My son told me that he was excited to see them as well–there were a few of their songs that he really liked (and he bought a shirt).

Pierce the Veil went off the stage around 7:45 and The Used came on around 8:15.  It seemed like a lot of the (younger, female) crowd left after PTV, but the crowd for The Used was loud and intense as well.

Their stage setup was adorned with flowers–including “picture frames” of flowers that surrounded their amps and drum set.

They came out on stage and lead guitarist Joey Bradford (who joined in 2018) was wearing a butcher’s apron.  Bassist Jeph Howard (who has been with the band since the beginning) seemed to be wearing a pith helmet (or a bucket hat).  I enjoyed his look which to me was quite nerdy and then he would scream some really growly vocals.   Drummer Dan Whitesides (been with the band since 2006) played loud and furious.  (more…)

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Pierce the Veil (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, June 12, 2023) [THE USED]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Don Broco, Girlfriends, Pierce the Veil, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, The Used on June 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 12, 2023] Pierce the Veil

After everything I’d seen, I was fairly certain that Pierce the Veil was the headlining act tonight.  They seem to have been the headliner on most of the shows of this tour.

So, when the recorded music stopped playing and the stage lights went on, I assumed we’d be getting The Used.  Then a recording of (what turned out to be) El Rey the Vicente Fernández song started playing.  I didn’t think The Used would be playing a Mexican song, but what do I know?

After a verse of so, out came Pierce the Veil and in came all of the other people who thought The Used were up next.  It was like a swarm around us.

By this time the rain was coming down in buckets, and I think everyone was super excited to jump around.

Pierce the Veil has their first new album out in seven years, so they were clearly going to focus on this album.  But when I looked up the setlists, I saw that they were only playing for an hour–ten songs in total, so it couldn’t be all new songs.

They opened with a new song, “Death of an Executioner” which got everyone rocking out immediately.  It was very cathartic.  Then they followed it with a massive crowd pleaser.

“Bulls in the Bronx” is one of the first songs I’d heard by them and I loved everything about it.  The vocals, the catchy chorus, the intensity of the loud parts and, best of all, the lovely Spanish/acoustic guitar part in the middle.  Which they did play live (although not quite as acoustically as it could have been.  But it still sounded great.

Pass the Nirvana plays really nicely with the loud/quiet sounds and the repeated intense screams of “I Can’t Hear You” is a fun part of the song.  And the crowd absolutely loved screaming that super loudly.

Vic Fuentes asked if anyone had brought their emergency contact with them during weather like this–a nice intro their song “Emergency Contact.”  It was at this point that I realized that the woman who had just moved in behind me was screaming every word very loudly.  Pretty much right in my ear. (more…)

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Don Broco /Girlfriends (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, June 12, 2023) [PIERCE THE VEIL/THE USED] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Don Broco, Girlfriends, Pierce the Veil, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, The Used on June 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 12, 2023] Don Broco

Tonight’s show started at 5PM.  FIVE.

PLUS, there was a massive thunder and lightning storm heading into Asbury Park at right around 9PM.

Without any updates on social media, the schedule had changed.

We walked into the grounds around 6:45.  I felt like the timing of he show (that Girlfriends would go on at 5), seemed not right mathematically.

I knew that The Used and Pierce the Veil were each getting an hour.  Don Broco couldn’t be getting more than 40 minutes and Girlfriends would get 30 minutes max.

So this seemed likely:
5-5:30 Girlfriends
6-6:45 Don Broco
7:15-8:15 The Used
8:30-9:30 Pierce the Veil

I thought maybe we’d catch some of Don Broco after our chimichangas.

But when we walked in I asked a woman in a Don Broco shirt if they had played yet and she said yes.  The whole show had been shifted because of the potential storm.  No Girlfriends.  Don Broco went on earlier (but really, how much earlier?  5:30, maybe?)

At any rate, we missed the first two bands.  I would have liked to have seen a little of Don Broco as I’ve heard their live show is full of tremendous energy.

Maybe someday.

 

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Girlfriends (The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, June 12, 2023) [PIERCE THE VEIL/THE USED] [DID NOT PLAY]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, Don Broco, Girlfriends, Pierce the Veil, The Stone Pony, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, The Used on June 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT PLAY: June 12, 2023] Girlfriends

Tonight’s show started at 5PM.  FIVE.

PLUS, there was a massive thunder and lightning storm heading into Asbury Park at right around 9PM.

Without any updates on social media, the schedule had changed.

Girlfriends would not be playing this evening (although apparently they were there and were selling merch).

I’m glad that we stopped off at Oaxaca By the Sea for delicious chimichangas before going to the show.

So I’ll never be able to know what Girlfriends sound like live–although I still like their recorded songs.

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Turnstile / JPEGMAFIA / Snail Mail (Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park, NJ, October 6, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Park, NJ, JPEGMAFIA, Snail Mail, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, Turnstile on October 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 6, 2022] Turnstile / Citizen / Ceremony / Ekulu / Truth Cult

I was planning to see Turnstile back in May, although the overall bill–5 heavy bands–seemed a little too much.

This new show, just a few months later since they are always touring, had a much more interesting bill.

But, once again, this show was the same night as Cate Le Bon, who tours less frequently than Turnstile, so Cate won out.

JPEGMAFIA is a rapper and producer who I know more from his remixes than his actual music.  He draws from noise and punk and, frankly, sounds like someone I would really like and like someone I would really have liked to see live.

I have been wanting to see Snail Mail for quite a while.  Indeed, I was supposed to see her back in April, but I decided to stay home.  So I’m missing out on her once again.

This bill, though–a quiet folkie indie rocker, a noise rapper and a punk band was pretty interesting.

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The Beths / Rosie Tucker (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, August 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Rosie Tucker, Set in New Jersey!, The Beths on August 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 26, 2022] The Beths / Rosie Tucker

I wonder what it is about Asbury Lanes.  This is what I wrote about Nada Surf when they played here:

I had just seen Nada Surf in November and didn’t really need to see them again.  But never pass up a chance to see a great live band, right?

November to July = 8 months.

So I’ll say the same about The Beths.  I had just seen them in February.  And here they were 6 months later playing Asbury Lanes.

Never pass up a chance to see a great live band.  Yes.  Unless, of course, you already have tickets to Peter Hook & The Light AND you are going out to concerts the two days before and the day after.

But seriously, The Beths are amazing live, and I would see them as many times as I could.

Back in January, Rosie Tucker was supposed to open for Best Coast.  But that tour was cancelled.

I wrote:

I didn’t know Rosie Tucker until Friday when I listened to her album because it was highly recommended on NPR Music.  I really liked her blend of quirky pop, enjoyable lyrics and kind of garagey sounds.  Her name sounds like she’ll be a country singer, but she’s far from that.  I hope to see her some time in the near future.

And maybe I still will.

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Nada Surf / Hurry (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, July 29, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ, Hurry, Nada Surf, Set in New Jersey! on July 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 29, 2022] Nada Surf / Hurry

I had just seen Nada Surf in November and didn’t really need to see them again.  But never pass up a chance to see a great live band, right?

Well, it turned out to be the same night as my rescheduled King’s X show.  I have seen King’s X more often than Nada Surf, but I hadn’t seen King’s X in five years and they are getting up there in age.  So I opted for King’s X.  I think I made the right choice as I’m not sure if I’ll need to see King’s X again, but I’m sure Nada Surf will be back again.

I was supposed to see Hurry open for Restorations back in 2020 but COVID cancelled that show.  Here’s what I said about them then:

Hurry is a band from Philadelphia, originally the solo project Matt Scottoline.  They are described as 90’s rock revivalists and all of their influences are bands I like.  Some of their songs online are a little slower than I expected, but they do have some uptempo ones as well.

At this point I hope they open for someone else I want to see.

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