What's Going On: 12/17, 12/18, 12/19 and 12/20, 2015

Dark City Entertainment's Christine Feola, The Vansaders' Doug Zambon, and Brittney On Fire at the 2014 Asbury Music Awards

Music Awards and Some Big Birthdays at CDMHQ

Things are getting serious now. The Force Awakens is opening up. Christmas and New Year's are right around the corner. We've got the Asbury Music Awards. And Birthday Season at CDMHQ gets underway.

The big event takes place on Thursday night when the 23rd Annual Asbury Music Awards take over The Stone Pony. CoolDad Music and I received nominations in a few categories this year, and I'm extremely grateful for that. I'm also excited that a couple of things that I worked on with friends this year -- Dentist's video for "Over and Over" and the "Sundown at the Carousel" series we presented with Little Dickman Records and Arcade Radio -- also got recognition. There are way too many friends to name who received nominations, and the show features lots of great bands including Dentist, Lowlight, Chris Brown, The Shady Street Show Band, Taylor Tote, Pat Dinizio, and more. A friend of mine today referred to it as our Asbury Park company holiday party, and that's not too far off. I hope to see you there.

Also on Thursday, The Banana Stand hosts Professor Caveman, LKFFCT, and steve. Court Tavern celebrates The Force Awakens with Batting A Thousand, We're Ghosts Now, Wyland, Small Planet Radio, and Experiment 34.

On Friday, Underwater Country Club play APYC for free with Doug Zambon. Steve Burks plays the first of two shows with Bryan McPherson in Bradley Beach with Chris Brown and Sam Maynard before heading up to Clifton to play with McPherson, Chris Skel, and Brian Rothenbeck at The Harp & Bard. The Dickies are back at Brighton Bar with Night Birds and Jon Caspi & The First Gun featuring Dez Cadena. Darlene Love plays a holiday show at Count Basie. The Roadside Graves make a rare and welcome appearance when they play Court Tavern with Dentist, Lowlight, The Vaughns, and Delsea for the SIMGE holiday show. Elf shows for free at The Paramount. Quincy Mumford and The Shady Street Show Band hit the Pony. Overlake, NGHTCRWLRS, and Rocky Catanese & The Chapter play The Citizen in JC.

Also on Friday, Taking Back Sunday play the first of two nights at Starland with Beach Slang and Modern Chemistry. Our buds in dollys head to Brooklyn for a show at Muchmore's with Cachabacha, Gypsy Wig, and Matt Goletz.

AND ALSO ALSO ALSO ON FRIDAY, IT'S COOLDAUGHTER #2's 9TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

Saturday brings Deck the Hall to Convention Hall in Asbury. That free show features Lyons, Stained Glass, Volt Direction, I Have Been Floated, and Noice. Also free, Ba Babes and Long Defeats play APYC. Mad Feather Group do their holiday show at Langosta. Deaf Rhino hold their third annual holiday "Mega Party" at Maxwell's Tavern with Wyland, Bounders, and Annabel Lee. Teenage Halloween celebrate their EP release at Red Bank Rehearsal Studios with Corrina, Corrina, Have A Good Season, Mikey Erg, Casual, and Brook Pridemore. Taking Back Sunday are back at Starland, this time with Frankiero and The Cellabration. Dark City hosts their annual Toys 4 Tots drive at Wonder Bar with The Big Drops, The Amboys, Threat to Chesney, and Julian Fulton.

It's an all-day pop punk holiday show at Brighton Bar with Bad Case Of Big Mouth and more on Sunday. Sunflower, Early Morning Adventure, Arcways, Boys In Crop Tops, and Friends In Distraction play for free at Scarlet Pub.

A busy weekend for a busy time of year. Good luck to all the AMA nominees!

Oh. One more thing. Monday is CoolMom's birthday. She's the best and I love her.

THURSDAY (12/17)

The Banana Stand (New Brunswick): Professor Caveman / LKFFCT / steve., 7pm

Court Tavern (New Brunswick): STAR WARS NIGHT!! ft: Batting A Thousand / We're Ghosts Now / Wyland / Small Planet Radio / Experiment 34, 8pm, $8

Stone Pony (Asbury): 23rd Asbury Music Awards ft. Lowlight / Dentist / Chris Brown / The Shady Street Show Band / Pat Dinizio / UFOTOFU / more, 7pm, $15 adv, $20 day (ALL AGES)

FRIDAY (12/18)

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Underwater Country Club / Doug Zambon, 9pm, FREE

Bradley Beach (Ask): Bryan McPherson / Chris Brown / Sam Maynard / Steve Burks, 6pm

The Brighton Bar (Long Branch): The Dickies / Night Birds / Jon Caspi & The First Gun (ft. Dez Cadena) / After The Burn / Bomb Shelter Dropouts, 7pm, $12 (ALL AGES)

Clash Bar (Clifton): Blackout Stereo and Friends

Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank): Darlene Love, 8pm, $39-129

Court Tavern (New Brunswick): The Vaughns / Lowlight / Roadside Graves / Dentist / Delsea, 8pm, $10

The Harp & Bard (Clifton): Bryan McPherson / Chris Skel / Brian Rothenbeck / Steve Burks, 8pm

In The West (New Brunswick): Youth Exploder / Sun Young / Pressure Care / Flustered Or Something w/ Comedy Chelsea Moroski / Jordan Manglona / Chris Sicoli / Pip, 8pm

The Kremlin (New Brunswick): Secret Mountain / Fake Boyfriend / Curtis Cooper / Lunch Ladies, 8pm, $5

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): PJ Rasmussen 25-piece Band, 9pm, FREE

Muchmore's (Brooklyn): Cachabacha / dollys / Gypsy Wig / Matt Goletz, 10pm

Paradise: Lost (New Brunswick): Coolshark / Old Hands / Heavy Flow / The Rizzos, 7:30pm, $5

Paramount Theatre (Asbury): "Elf," 7pm, FREE

Roxy & Dukes (Dunellen): Star Wars Party, 9pm, $15

The Saint (Asbury): McLovins / Waiting On Mongo / UFOTOFU / Salmon Jam, 7:30pm, $10

Starland Ballroom (Sayreville): Taking Back Sunday / Beach Slang / Modern Chemistry, 6:30pm, 29.50 (ALL AGES)

The Stone Pony (Asbury): Quincy Mumford and The Reason Why / The Shady Street Show Band, 7:30pm, $12 adv, $15 door (ALL AGES)

The Wonder Bar (Asbury): Ricky Byrd & Deuces Wild, 7:30pm, $10