What's Going On: 5/14, 5/15, 5/16 & 5/17, 2015

Smalltalk are back at APYC on Friday.

Feels Like Summer

A couple of hot days this week and a whole bunch of festivals, shows on the boardwalk, and outdoor events make this weekend feel like summer is really kicking into gear. As the calendar gets more and more packed out, it gets harder and harder for me. I'm a wily veteran now. Just like an aging ballplayer, I find that I need the occasional off day or, maybe, a day as DH. Anyway, I'll do my best.

Brave Baby come to Asbury Lanes on Thursday where they get help from local favorites Deal Casino and Only Living Boy. Shady Street Show Band hit Brighton Bar with The Funky Feel Goodz. The Court Tavern in New Brunswick has Where Is My Spaceship, The Cartwheelers, Heavy Flow, and Puddle Splasher. Superchunk frontman and Merge Records co-honcho Mac McCaughan plays WFMU's Monty Hall in JC. The Saint has two Thursday-night shows: The Silverhounds, Turnbucklers, Monster Rat, The Zamborys, and Wolfasaurus Rex early; Fear Nuttin' Band late. The free and absolutely bursting Jersey Shore Music Festival kicks off with its opening party at Spicy's Cantina in Seaside Heights.

Friday night brings the Through Being Cool Emo / Post-Hardcore / Pop Punk dance party to the Lanes. Our friends and Vinyl Heart contributors in Smalltalk play a free show at APYC. Next door, Sammy Kay and Corrina, Corrina do the same at Langosta. ROMP, Ghost Camp (née Osaka), The Off White, Hodera, and Bobby Mahoney are at Court Tavern. Deaf Rhino play a sold-out record release with King Neptune and The Battery Electric at Maxwell's Tavern. Surfer Blood are back to their DIY / indie roots and are back at The Saint for a show with Turbo Fruits and Wreaths. Jane's Addiction play a sold-out Starland. There's a WHTG reunion featuring Richard Barone and Jeffrey Gaines at Wonder Bar. The free Jersey Shore Festival rolls on, and The Stone Pony opens the Summer Stage with Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless.

Let's hope the weather holds on Saturday for all of its outdoor events. It's the first day of Skate & Surf on the Asbury Park waterfront headlined by Dropkick Murphys. The Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery holds its annual Pushing Up The Daisies fundraiser with our friends The Rock n Roll HiFives kicking things off at 1pm. Cicada Radio, Black Wail, Hey Anna, and more play that one too. Agent Orange come to Brighton Bar with help from The Off White and more. Musicians On A Mission hold their annual MOAM-A-PALOOZA fundraiser in Farmingdale. Jersey Shore Music Festival continues. Still free. Wonder Bar has this month's Asbury Unplugged with full bands this time featuring The Battery Electric, Semiotics, Long Faces, Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son, Chris Brown, and more. Wreaths play APYC for free with Life Eaters and Sunshine and The Rain.

Skate & Surf concludes on Sunday with the likes of The Gaslight Anthem, Cloud Nothings, The So So Glos, The Front Bottoms, Beach Slang, and Modern Baseball. The Jersey Shore Festival also winds up for the weekend. GayGuy / StraightGuy, Chemtrail, The Cryptkeeper Five, Reese Van Riper, and Eric Vitoff hit Arlene's Grocery in the city. Eagle Daddy, Professor Caveman, The Antics, and Seoul Delhi are at Court Tavern in New Brunswick.

I've been going since Tuesday, and I could conceivably be somewhere out there every night this weekend. We'll see if I can handle it. We should all try.

THURSDAY (5/14)

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Brave Baby / Deal Casino / Only Living Boy, 7pm, $8

The Brighton Bar (Long Branch): The Shady Street Show Band / The Funky Feel Goodz, 7:30pm, $8

Clash Bar (Clifton): Bask / Dead Channels / A Film In Color / Forever Losing Sleep / Thera Roya

Court Tavern (New Brunswick): Where Is My Spaceship / The Cartwheelers / Heavy Flow / Puddle Splasher, 8:30pm

The Meatlocker (Montclair): Frogg Party / Zymotic Youth / Anticitizen / The Damn Longhairs / The River Rats, 8:30pm

Monty Hall (Jersey City): Mac McCaughan, 7:30pm, $12 adv, $14 door