I started going to the Home for the Holidays shows a couple of years ago. From that first time, I felt the amazing sense of community fostered by The Bouncing Souls. I think one of the members of one of the opening bands in 2012 said something like, "Who else throws a multi-day party like this for all of their friends?"
I can't imagine that anyone does.
Scotch LaRock and I wrote about how great the Home for the Summer weekend was back in July, and last night at The Stone Pony was just one more example. Seaside Caves played to a surprisingly large early crowd. One of the reasons -- in addition to all of the friends I heard shouting for them from the crowd -- was probably all the people who'd come out to see Frank Iero. Frank Iero and The Cellabration did a set that was basically non-stop energy from start to finish. Jesse Malin was dripping with sweat following his own set, which included a cover of one of my favorites, "If I Should Fall from Grace with God."
The Bouncing Souls followed Night 1's "pre-2000" set and Night 2's "post-2000" set with a career spanning roll call of greatest hits. At various points throughout the night, The Souls brought up fans to take over drums, vocals, guitar, and bass. For the first encore, all four guests took the stage to cover "Hopeless Romantic" as Greg Attonito summersaulted into the crowd and surfed throughout the song.
Who else does that? Who else engages their fans like that? I haven't seen it too often.
After the show, many of us trundled over to Asbury Lanes to catch the last two sets of 2014's Home for the Holidays. White Wives' Roger Harvey and his band The Wild Life started things off just after midnight. I was trying to place their sound, turning to someone and mentioning The Mountain Goats, I think. Then they closed their set with a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone." I bolted for the stage mid-conversation, so that I could sing along. Great.
Lauren Denitzio and her band, Worriers, were next. I hadn't caught up with them since February's Don Giovanni Showcase, and I was happy to see them on this year's after party schedule. "Cruel Optimist" and "Precarity Rules" were two of my favorite songs from last year, and it was great to hear them live again.
Things ended a little after 1 AM, and another Home for the Holidays was in the books. It just seems to get better every year. And I'm pretty sure you don't have to be a Bouncing Souls superfan or true believer to get it. It's just a great weekend celebrating some great New Jersey music. Everyone's invited. Everyone's included. It's the happiest time of the year.
Here are some of the pics I got from last night. The rest are at Flickr.
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