Concerts, Clubs, Radio & Music
especially Jazz & Blues in the Monmouth County, NJ area. This document
last modified April 16, 2010.
Local Clubs, Concert Venues and Music Organizations
Local Radio Stations
Local and Regional Artists
Concert Search Databases for finding concerts
and performances throughout the country and the local region.
Music & Lyrics Databases -- Can't remember
the name of that great song? Want to know the best recordings from a particular
artist? Look here.
Local Clubs, Concert Venues and Music Organizations
The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation
is a local non-profit group dedicated to preserving and promoting these
two great American musical forms. They lost me as a member when they started promoting
commercial/smooth jazz, but the music calendar on this site is still a great place to plan
your weekend.
The Stone Pony I'd be remiss
if I didn't mention the Stone Pony at the top of this list. More great
acts have been launched out of that
place than any other that I can think of. Locals like Bruce Springsteen
and Jon Bon Jovi played there when they were nobody, and
still drop in pretty regularly. Southside Johnny is still "havin' a
party" there on a pretty regular basis.
The Stone Pony has been hurt by host city Asbury Park's socio-economic
situation of the past few decades. It was actually
closed for a few years, then resurrected, then sold to the current
waterfront developers. The jury's still out on the future of The Pony, and (partially substantiated)
rumors have been floating around for years that the developers want to level the place
to make way for more condominiums. Until then, though, check the schedule, as some great acts can
still be seen and heard there.
The Wonderbar -- For a while, this was my favorite club in Asbury for listening to local music. Then someone made a decision to partner with Live Nation, and really damaged the spirit of the place. Supposedly, that business relationship is weakening, if not completely dissolved by now. We'll see....
The Saint -- Great
little club! Get up close and personal with some great acts!
Asbury Lanes is probably the most fun place in the area to hear live music. People watching is taken to a high art here, as there are more interesting characters per square foot than at any other club in the area. And did I mention that the bandstand is right in the middle of a live bowling alley? (Yes, really - there's bowling on either side of the band!)
The Brick Wall Tavern and Dining Room. "Fair to poor" food, but a great place to hang out. Occasionally gets some good local music, but almost always so stupid-loud that there's no sense in sticking around.
The Turning Point
in Piermont, NY is one my favorite clubs. It's only fifteen minutes from
where I used to live in north Jersey, and has regular national blues and
folk acts. Good food in a great little town, too.
The Old Bay Restaurant in New Brunswick
lives up to all the great recommendations I've heard for it. The
Bourbon Street Cafe is the blues club inside the restaurant, and they
keep getting some top-rated, national blues acts. Maybe I'll see you there!
The PNC Bank Arts Center has
all sorts of top rated artists of all genres. I still can't get used to
the new name. (was the Garden State Arts Center)
The Count Basie Theatre
in Red Bank has everything from Broadway to the Allman Brothers.
The Stanhope House - self-proclaims
itself as New Jersey's Premier Blues Club. Judging from the acts that they
get, I think they might be right.
Mulligans Pizza Bar & Grill. Not "right next door to me," but
worth a trip for some decent music, decent bar food and a nice place to hang out.
Mexicali Blues Cafe
is another club in north Jersey, fairly close to my old home town. I've
never been there, but from time to time I check out the schedule and I'll
find that some notable act is coming around. One of these days, I'll check
the place out.
Lehigh Valley Blues Network is another
great organization dedicated to keeping the blues alive.
Gone! These clubs have closed their doors or changed ownership:
Jason's Jazz & Blues Club
has closed its doors for the last time.
Cross Roads *had* some of the kickin'est blues acts in the area.
Harry's Roadhouse was a great venue, with good food and spirits offered
up by some of the friendliest staff you could ever meet. I even met
The Boss there, just
prior to the Christmas concert that he hosted there in 2004.
The Cadillac Ranch Saloon
is a fairly new club in Asbury Park, right on the boardwalk. Besides having the best
dancing-cowgirl-bartender show since "Coyote Ugly," I've been pleasantly surprised to find
that they've been booking some of my favorite local bands from my years at Jason's. On top of that,
they've introduced me to some really outstanding Jersey-Shore-Rock cover bands. This is arguably the
most fun club on the Jersey Shore, and they're just getting started. And -- lucky me! --
this place is just about walking distance from my home!
No sooner than I wrote those words, above, about the Cadillac Ranch that I heard
that the club was closed on a Friday night (10/3/03). This was of great concern to me, as I had been
telling people about what a great time I've had every single time I had been in there. I thought
that the closing might have something to do with the boardwalk renovations that were going on at
the time, but after stopping by the club on Saturday morning, I got the scoop from Kevin and John.
I'll defer to their impending press release about the reasons why, but it certainly wasn't through
any fault of their own. This is a sad day for Asbury Park, and for music lovers throughout the region.
But watch that web site, as I'm sure that the Cadillac Ranch will be opening again nearby,
hopefully very soon.
Local Radio Stations
WBJB/90.5FM This station is the gem
of the airwaves, at least within Monmouth County. In early 2000, they went
and changed their format from popcorn jazz (light, with no nutritional
value whatsoever) to the best combination of modern rock, blues, folk and indie
that I've ever heard! (Really!!!) It's a rather eclectic mix, but it works
soooooo
well that the usual comments that I hear, whether at work or in local clubs
or even within Jazz and Blues Foundation
meetings, are "I love that station," "I keep it on all day long," and "much
better than their old format, and I'm a jazz fan."
And, finally! -- they exorcised all of that National Public Radio propaganda from the schedule, only a portion of which was really news programming.
WBGO/88.3FM gets a tie vote for "my
favorite radio station." (The only reason it's not listed first in this
section is because most of you web surfers aren't jazz fans.) Classic jazz,
blues, even latin jazz. If you want to know why I'm so hooked
on the Blues, check out Bob Porter's Portraits in Blue on Friday
Nights at 7:00. Gary Walker's weekday morning show is a fun way to start off the day, too, and Michael Bourne's "Singers Unlimited" show every Sunday is great accompaniment to brunch at home.
WJLK/94.3FM - Known locallly
as "The Point," WJLK is about the only local alternative to waking up to
National Propoganda Radio on WBJB. You get hit after hit from the 80's
and 90's, until you have to get out of bed to turn it off.
Q104/104.3FM - The 10 in a
Row Classic Rock Station! Lots of great, old rock-and-roll, but just how
many times a day do you want to listen to the same songs?
The New Jersey Radio Guide
just might help you find another good radio station in the area.
Local and Regional Artists
Just a few notable acts that I make a point of seeing when they're nearby. I'll add more over the coming weeks.
Billy Hector Band. Billy is without a doubt the best blues guitarist in the area. (I've heard many people call him the best on the east coast -- that would be tough to argue with.) If he's playing near you, just go. You'll get your money's worth!
The Sonny Kenn Band always delivers some of the best blues in the area.
String Bean and the Stalkers is fronted by one of the nicest guys in the local music scene, and he happens to be a phenomenal harmonica and guitar player, too.
The Chuck Lambert Band is another great local act.
Matt O'Ree has won regional awards for being the best blues guitarist in the area, but I consider him more of a rocker than a blues musician. That's not a put-down by any means -- I'm just trying to recognize his popular appeal. He's one of the most technically proficient guitarists I've ever seen, and he's a helluva nice guy, too.
The VooDudes -- If you look up the word "fun" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of The VooDudes. NJ musicians cookin' it up Cajun style. (zydeco/blues)
Rick Fink and the Gas House Gorillas
The Castle Browne Band
The Fins Blues Band adds some swing and "jump blues" into the mix.
The Tonemasters
Willie Mitchell Collaboration
Hubert Sumlin is one of Billy Hector's friends and mentors. This guy goes back to some of the biggest names in blues, and he hasn't lost any of it.
The Jazz Lobsters -- if you want to hear about two dozen of the finest jazz musicians in the area playing the best of the Big Band tunes of the 30's, 40's and 50's, then go catch the Jazz Lobsters!
Concert Search Databases
POLLSTAR - The Concert Hotwire
WWW.NJCOAST.COM Music & Event
listings for the New Jersey Coast
New Jersey Clubs - New Jersey's
Best night life and Night Club Entertainment Website
New Jersey Blues
Find out what's going on locally. Has listings of clubs, bands, radio programs,
etc.
New Jersey at Night Not just
concert dates, but dancing (blah!) and racing as well.
Beef Stew's Blues Playground
contains information about: Blues Music, Blues Societies, Blues Record
Companies, Blues Bands, Blues-L Members, Blues Publications, Shows, Connecticut
Area Blues, Rock Music, Television, Audio, Recording, Reviews, Music, Sound,
Movies, Humor, Fun, Drums, Guitars, Magic, Science, Arts, Education, WCCC
Radio and, um, other stuff.
New York City Music Archive Internotes
New Jersey Rocks has just about
anything that has to do with Rock & Roll in New Jersey.
Music & Lyrics Databases
The All Music Guide is a very impressive
database of biographies and discographies for artists in all genres of
music.
The International Lyrics Server
- Find your favorite song lyrics!
Lyrics.com