What's Going On: 5/21, 5/22, 5/23, 5/24 & 5/25, 2015

We're Ghosts Now kick off the holiday weekend with a benefit for Camp Jinka at Asbury Lanes on Thursday.

Memorial Day Weekend

It's the "Unofficial Start of Summer" and the weekend when we honor those who have given everything in the service of our country. Unsurprisingly, just about every day from now through Monday is packed out with stuff to do.

Thursday night, Asbury Lanes hosts a benefit show for Camp Jinka, a free summer program for kids whose lives have been impacted by a loved one's diagnosis of a brain tumor. The show features We're Ghosts Now, Jeff Luke, Borrowed Arts, The Chambrays, and our down, dirty, denim compadres in The Battery Electric.

Also on Thursday, Life On The Sideline, Corrina, Corrina, ROMP, and Boys In Crop Tops all pay a visit to Aidan's place in Sea Bright. Creeptones do a repeat performance with Pat DiNizio at APYC. Grey Goes Black, Control, Johnny Neutrino and The Order Of The Crawling Hand, Jake Simmons and The Little Ghosts, and Dentist hit the Court (Note: AP-area folks, be on the lookout for the jerk(s) who stole Emily's bike.). Homeless Apians and We Used To Cut The Grass play Langosta. The Off White and Psychiatric Metaphors head up to New Brunswick's PussyPad for a show with Velocicopter and The Mad Doctors. The Saint hosts The Ian Bamberger Trio, Blisstique, Jodi Valentine, Doug Zambon, and Bird Hotel. Our friends in The Planes release Evacuation Kit at Shea in Brooklyn with help from The Jeanies, Shivery Shakes, and Big Huge. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and Dave Slomin play a WBJB members-only event at The Pony. Jersey Rock begins their Bands on the Boardwalk series with Francis Lombardi and Those Mockingbirds playing for free at Long Branch's Pier Village.

On Friday, Primal Scream come to The Stone Pony with help from local greats Acid. As of yesterday tickets were going for $10 with offer code SCREAM (Just checked. Still good.). An absolute steal for a legendary band. Asbury Lanes hosts the after-party for that show. Gringo Motel are back at APYC. Main Man Records host their annual spring fling at The Brighton. Don Giovanni / Sister Polygon recording artist, Priests (who are awesome) play one of the final two nights at Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Cake Shop holds a sold-out 10th anniversary celebration, bringing Hoboken to NYC with Condo Fucks, Antietam, and Speed The Plough.

Also on Friday, The Clydes release Hiding from the Summer at Rahway's Rail House with The Paper Jets, Hostage Crisis, and Twins. The Wonder Bar gives us an all 1970s covers show with Amy Malkoff and The Moonshines as Led Zeppelin, Creeptones as Queen, King Mosquito as Tom Petty, Feathers In The Shade doing a whole bunch of 70s stuff, and Lowlight as Bob Dylan (check a preview of that here).

...coffee break...

OK. Saturday. The Pixies (sans Kim, of course) come to The Stone Pony Summer Stage with TV On The Radio and John Grant. Asbury Lanes hosts what is absolutely not the after-party right after. Black Flamingos play for free at Anchor's Bend. Perfect Pussy play the final date ever at Brooklyn Night Bazaar with Big Ups, Vulture Shit, Nine Of Swords, and Nonsense. Crying, LVL UP, and Pebbles are at NB's Cooler Ranch. The Court Tavern has Fire Is Motion, From Fragile Seeds, The Great Depression, Milkmen, and A Film In Color. Silverbird play Maxwell's Tavern with Bounders. The PussyPad in New Brunswick has Subtitles, Man Dancing, Heavy Flow, Bird Hotel, Southern Queers, and Terrible Terrible. Our good friends The Everymen celebrate their 5th birthday at Moonlight Mile recording with help from The Brooklyn What, Décir Desir, and NJ's rockinest band, The RocknRoll HiFives. Hot Blood journey to Philly to play Phrameless Records Fest at The Fire with City Limits and more.

Yet another release show takes place at The Saint on Saturday. The Color Atlantic celebrate their new, self-titled EP with help from Thee Idea Men, The Machines, The Bunks, and ~~Prehistoric Forest~~ Garden State Line.

Black Pussy come to Asbury Lanes on Sunday. The Great Depression officially release their great new EP (more on that later) sux at New Brunswick's Pigeon Pad with El Americano, Meridian, Pinch Hitter, and NY in 64. Steve Burks, Those Corn People, Corey Clark, Johnny Ott, Jersey Drive, and Mike Regrets are at Rahway's Rail House. John Eddie comes back to Wonder Bar. A House Named Virtue in New Brunswick has Gnärds, Secret Lover, The Whips, and Misty Paternoster side project Bad Canoes.

Finally, Memorial Day sees Atlas Bloom, Abscissors, A Film In Color, and Other Masquerades play New Brunswick's Banana Stand. The proprietors of that space will be in Asbury that day as Semiotics, Goodbye Tiger, Control, Cook Thugless, Howlish, and Jesse Elliot play The Saint with a 4:30 start. Happy Mondays doesn't take the holiday off. Instead, Underwater Sounds, Reese Van Riper, and Cranston Dean are at Wonder Bar for the weekly free show with cheap beer.

Phew... Tons of stuff. Enjoy your weekend. Take a minute to remember those who gave every last bit of themselves for you. May your summer live up to all of your wildest dreams. And don't forget: No more free parking in those two lots in Asbury.

THURSDAY (5/21)

Aidan's Garage Palace (Sea Bright): Life On The Sideline / Corrina, Corrina / ROMP / Boys In Crop Tops, 6pm, $5

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Camp Jinka Benefit: We're Ghosts Now / The Battery Electric / Jeff Luke / Borrowed Arts / The Chambrays, 7pm, $8 (ALL AGES)

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Pat DiNizio / Creeptones, 8pm, FREE

The Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Bombshell Renegades (EP release), 6:30pm, $10 adv, $12 door (ALL AGES)