Asbury Rocks!: Summer Music Preview

Asbury Park is the undisputed music capitol of New Jersey, and not just because it was ground zero for the start of Bruce Springsteen’s career in the early Seventies. Asbury has gone through some rough patches over the past four decades, but it has never rested on its lofty laurels as the place to rock out in the Garden State.

Now, with the city undergoing a revitalization in the past few years, there’s never been a better time to experience everything from classic and modern rock to jam bands and rockabilly at Asbury’s five main venues along Ocean Avenue: the iconic Stone Pony, The Wonder Bar, Convention Hall, the Paramount Theater and the Summer Stage in the Stone Pony parking lot.

With Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, we offer a preview of the best Asbury has to offer this weekend ... and beyond.

You can spend every night this Memorial Day weekend at the Stone Pony, starting on Friday with high-energy rockers The Parlor Mob. The band is a two-time winner of the Asbury Park Music Awards Best Live Band category. Formed in Red Bank in 2004, the group was originally called What About Frank? and later made the wise move to change its name to a more serious moniker. The Parlor Mob released its sophomore release, the highly-recommended “Dogs,” in October.

Saddle back up at the Pony on Saturday for another great night of rock with Collective Soul. The hit single machine – “Shine,” “The World I Know,” “Heavy,” “Counting the Days” to name a few – is a powerful live act. But if the Soul’s not your thing, or if you prefer to support a local band that’s been around since the mid-Sixties, you can check out The Doughboys at the Wonder Bar. 

The Union County-based garage rockers were formed in 1964 by lead singer Myke Scavone and drummer Richard X. Heyman. Though the group opened for artists such as Neil Diamond and The Beach Boys, and served as the house band during the summer of 1968 at Greenwich Village hotspot Café Wah, the band never released an album and broke up later that year

Fast forward to 2000: The Doughboys reunite. 2007: The band finally releases its debut album, “Is It Now” and receives high praise from garage rock’s most high-profile supporter, Springsteen guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt. 2012: Still going strong, The Doughboys are ready to rock the Wonder Bar.

Close out the long weekend on a mellow note back at the Stone Pony on Sunday with Grateful Dead tribute band Splintered Sunlight and saunter back to work with a weekend of music still buzzing in your ears.

There’s plenty more jam band rock on tap at The Stone Pony. San Francisco psychedelic country rockers New Riders of the Purple Sage stride into the Stone Pony on June 8 while Gov’t Mule and .moe join forces for a night of free-form rock on the Summer Stage on June 22 and 23. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, led by the Black Crowes singer, describes itself as “Psychedelic Filling In A Folk Blues Pie.” Take a bite on June 28.

The Counting Crows play The Pony on June 9, the Wallflowers take the stage on July 25 and rockabilly legend Robert Gordon performs at The Wonder Bar on June 8. Modern rockers Fuel headline the inaugural “Rock Out Knock Out” tour at Convention Hall on June 2. The shows also features several Mixed Martial Arts fights.

Tool/A Perfect Circle singer Maynard James Keenan brings his Puscifer project to the Paramount Theatre on June 16. On July 3 Asbury staple Southside Johnny performs on the summer stage.

The summer music schedule in Asbury Park would not be complete without Springsteen connections. On June 1 Nick Clemons, son of the late, legendary E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemons, brings his band to the Wonder Bar. And on June 29, cover band Tramps Like Us will play a special set at the Stone Pony, recreating the Boss’Aug. 20, 1984 concert, the final show of Springsteen's historic, 10-night sold-out run at the then-Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands.

For more information on these shows and more, contact the venues at the web sites and phone numbers below: 

IF YOU GO: The Stone Pony: www.stoneponyonline.com or 732-502-0600. The Wonder Bar: www.wonderbarasburypark.com or 732-502-8886. Convention Hall and Paramount Theater: apboardwalk.com/venues or 732-897-6500.