Asbury Lanes

I've got many thousands of shots from Asbury Lanes. I just picked the one that's on my wall.

The Happiest Place On Earth

It's September. Summer's ending. As we get into the fall, we get closer to the announced closure of Asbury Lanes for "renovations." There have been discussions of liquor licenses, boutique hotels, and  -- according to the PR piece placed in Condé Nast Traveler -- a "careful refresh" of Asbury Lanes. What that all adds up to is that, once we get to October, we don't really know what happens to Asbury Lanes. We've heard assurances that there will be bowling and that the site will remain a music venue, but that doesn't really tell us what a carefully refreshed Asbury Lanes will be.

I've only been doing CoolDad Music since 2012. Prior to that, I rarely went to local shows. I always loved live music, but I didn't pay much attention to what was going on in my own backyard. In the three and a half years that I've been an avid local show-goer, Asbury Lanes has become, simply, one of my favorite places to be. Not only because of the amazing show experiences I've had there -- King Khan, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, Dentist, The Battery Electric, Hot Blood, The Surf Music Festival, Full Of Fancy, Brick Mower, River City Extension, Laura Stevenson, Nightbirds, Smalltalk, Beach Slang, The Loved Ones, OFF!, Shellshag, The Baseball Project, The Julie Ruin, of Montreal, and on, and on, and on -- but also because of the amazing love and support the staff at Asbury Lanes have shown for my little vanity project.

And that's what has saved my life over the last three years. What Jenn Hampton and the staff at Asbury Lanes have given me over that time is something I can never repay. They welcomed me, a newcomer, into their community and made me feel like a part of something in a way that I've never felt outside my family before.

I'm an adult. I know how the world works. Businesses aren't charities. Corporations like to earn the best possible returns on their investments. Publicly-held corporations are legally obligated to do so. But there is just something so sterile about all of those places run by big, national promoters whose main concern is turning a profit. The shows can be great, but there's something missing.

In the summer, Asbury Lanes is hot. In the winter, Asbury Lanes is freezing. Currently, only a few of the lanes are functional. The place needs some renovations for sure. Year-round, though, Asbury Lanes is a place that welcomes me and hundreds -- thousands -- of other people into a community.

It's not just a place to see a show like some corporate-run room in the city. It's a place where you get a hug with your wristband. It's a place where you sit at the bar with Mike Mills and Peter Buck. It's a place where you spend an hour talking to Shell and Shag about how much they love those kids in Screaming Females. It's a place where you know you'll see friends at any show, no matter the genre. It's alive. It has a beautiful, beating heart and a sweet, sweet soul.

If those things get renovated away, then, yeah. We'll have a shiny music venue with bowling alleys. People will, ultimately, still go to shows there no matter how much they initially grumble about the changes. There will still be a sign out front calling the place "Asbury Lanes," but we'll know the truth.

I've got my fingers crossed. I'm hoping that, when we come out on the other side of whatever happens, what we end up with is still the place that took me in, helped me find out who I've really been all these years, and played a huge part in showing me what it feels like to be a whole person.

When I interviewed James Alex of Beach Slang before his band's headlining slot at Asbury Lanes a couple of months ago, he had this to say about the place:

"It's punk rock heaven. It is. I've met, hung out, bowled my lifetime high, played my dumb heart out, drank way too much, and laughed a whole lot more with the sweetest hearts in the whole world there. It means too much to too many. And those things have a way of sticking around."

Let's hope he's right.

Thank you, Jenn and everyone at Asbury Lanes. For everything.