What's Going On: 8/17, 8/18, 8/19 & 8/20, 2017

Strummer Summer

CoolMom and CoolDaughter #1 leave for a big, 15-day trip to Southeast Asia this weekend. That means that CoolDaughter #2 and I will be spending some time together before she heads off on her own little trip with CoolGrandma next week. We'll take in the eclipse and maybe go to an amusement park or something. This is also an extremely busy weekend of shows with lots of friends and a Joe Strummer tribute / benefit show.

Things kick off on Thursday when American Trappist and Earth Telephone play Asbury Park Yacht Club. Wesley Stace headlines the Songwriters on the Beach series in Belmar. The Vansaders continue the celebration for their latest release, No Matter What, when they head up to NYC's Bowery Electric for a show with The Killing Floor, Hey Zeus, and Hey Guy. The Frights come from California to play Brighton Bar in Long Branch with King Shelter, On Drugs, Trustfall, and Garage Sale. Psychiatric Metaphors play Brooklyn's Cape House with The Unders, Vvuumm, and Headless Mantis. The Porchistas continue their conquest of Asbury with a show at Dark City Brewing. Sarah Shook & The Disarmers are back in BK with a show at Skinny Dennis. Sharkmuffin and Wild Moon continue their tour at Tralfamadore in Philly with Haunted Homes and Tarintino.

On Friday, Dentist and The Rizzos serenade you by the waves at Anchor's Bend in Asbury. Bryan McPherson, Chris Brown, T. GUNN, and Chris Skel are at AP Brewery. Out Like Lambs hold a release party and video screening for their new Fingers Crossed at The Baronet on The Asbury Hotel's rooftop. Asbury Park Music Foundation hosts The Bunks, Deaf Rhino, Shoobies, and Ernest. Cranston Dean celebrates his latest release with a show at Langosta that also features Tara Dente and Ashley McKinley. The Off White are at Muchmore's in Brooklyn with Ted's Dead, Funcrusher, and No Honeymoon. Surfer Blood return to The Saint with Good Luck Spaceman. Cook Thugless, The Vaughns, and Original Text featuring Invisible College do the Friday Scarlet Pub thing in New Brunswick. Chris Robinson Brotherhood are on the Summer Stage.

The Off White head down this way on Saturday to play Anchor's Bend with The Tide Bends and Creamer. Ragged Lines, Brackish, Greg Mendez, and Prim play AP Brewery. Big Bliss come home to Brooklyn following their tour with a show at Cape House that also has New Myths, Monograms, and Low Anxiety. The Cold Seas and Frank Lombardi join Rachel Ana Dobken for Saturday afternoon's installment at the Transparent exhibit in the Asbury. Dentist head over to New Hope for a show at John & Peter's with The Paper Jets, Jesse Elliot and The Falconaires, Tara Dente, and Jenny and The Felines. Toy Cars, Retirement Party, Subtitles, and Ken Depoto are at Stosh's in Fair Lawn.

Also on Saturday, it's the "Summer Strummer Jam" at The Stone Pony to benefit Music & Memory and The Joe Strummer Foundation. This one is headlined by Jesse Malin and also features The Vansaders and Matty Carlock. There will be a special Joe Strummer birthday tribute set featuring Brian Fallon, Craig Finn, Patrick Stickles, Ted Leo, Richard Barone, and more.

Music & Memory "help(s) people in nursing homes and other care organizations who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music," while The Joe Strummer Foundation "provide(s) opportunities to musicians and support to projects around the world that create empowerment through music." These are two extremely worthy organizations. The show features some of our favorites around here. And Joe Strummer's own message and activism is something we really need to continue, especially right now.

It's an extremely busy Sunday with The Capitalist Kids, Mikey Erg, Erotic Novels, and Wild Rice at AP Brewery. Deal Casino return for the first of two Sunday nights at APYC. Teenage Halloween head up to Brooklyn's Silent Barn for a show with Told Slant, LOONE, and CUTTERS.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you at at show.

THURSDAY (8/17)

The Anchor's Bend (Asbury): Roots Of Creation, 6pm, FREE

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Open Mic, 8pm, FREE

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): American Trappist / Earth Telephone, 9pm, FREE

Belmar Boardwalk (Belmar): Wesley Stace / The Howling Tongues, 7pm, FREE

Bowery Electric (NYC): The Vansaders / The Killing Floor / Hey Zeus / Hey Guy, 7pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): The Frights / King Shelter / On Drugs / Trustfall / Garage Sale, 7pm, $12

Cape House (Brooklyn): The Unders / Vvuumm / Headless Mantis / Psychiatric Metaphors, 8pm, $7

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Kevin Daly, 7pm

Dark City Brewing (Asbury): The Porchistas, 6pm, FREE

DC's Tavern (Hoboken): Worldsucks / Twin God / DJ Everyshow Joe, 8pm

Gutter Bar (Brooklyn): The Planes / Dead Painters / Oceanator / Pando, 8pm, $7

House of Independents (Asbury): Live Band Karaoke, 7pm, FREE

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Brackish / Rebuilder / Choke Up / The Up Up Ups, 9pm

Pier Village (Long Branch): Danny V's 52nd Street, 7pm

Roxy & Dukes Dunellen (NYC): NYDM Annual 2017

The Saint (Asbury): Matt Dubrow and The Captives / Chris Dubrow, 7:30pm, $5

Skinny Dennis (Brooklyn): Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, 8pm

Tralfamadore (Philly): Sharkmuffin / Wild Moon / Haunted Homes / Tarintino, 6:30pm

FRIDAY (8/18)

10th Ave Burrito (Belmar): Behold The Brave, 8pm

73 See Gallery (Montclair): Bluffs / krissanthemum / Norman & Ezra Lowrey / Wizard Brain, 7pm

The Anchor's Bend (Asbury): Dentist / The Rizzos, 7pm, FREE

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Bryan McPherson / Chris Brown / T.GUNN / Chris Skel, 7pm, $7

The Asbury Hotel, Baronet (Asbury): Out Like Lambs Fingers Crossed Record Release Screening, 7pm, $10 (includes vinyl)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Pepperwine / Hambone Relay / Hot TimOllies, 9pm, FREE

Asbury Park Festhalle & Biergarten (Asbury): The Sunday Blues, 4pm

Asbury Park Music Foundation (Asbury): The Bunks / Deaf Rhino / Shoobies / Ernest, 7pm, $8 adv, $10 door

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Yacht Rock Night, 10pm, FREE

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): AristoCants / After The Burn / Bionic Monkey / Little Vicious / Canine 10, 8pm, $8

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Cold Weather Company, 9pm

Clash Bar (Clifton): Torrential Downpour / Tusko / Beast Modulus

House of Independents (Asbury): Dave Attell, 8pm, $35-$50

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Cranston Dean Band / Tara Dente / Ashley McKinley, 10pm, FREE

Meatlocker (Montclair): Shred Flintstone / The Lounge Act / Howardian, 9pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Spoken Nerd / Third Times A Charm / Alien / Me / Googie GoHard / Real Rude Dude Girl, 8pm, $6

Muchmore's (Brooklyn): Ted's Dead / The Off White / Funcrusher / No Honeymoon, 8pm, $6

Paramount Theatre (Asbury): Jessie's Girl (80s covers), 7pm, $30-$75

Roxy & Dukes Dunellen (NYC): NYDM Annual 2017

The Saint (Asbury): Surfer Blood / Good Luck Spaceman, 7pm, $15

Scarlet Pub (New Brunswick): Cook Thugless / The Vaughns / Original Text ft. Invisible College, 8pm, $5

Secret Loft (NYC): Shy Shape / C.R. and The Degenerates / Tura Lura / LKFFCT, 8pm, $5 adv, $8 door

The Stone Pony Summer Stage (Asbury): Chris Robinson Brotherhood / Donovan Frankenreiter, 5pm, $29.50 adv, $35 door

Wonder Bar (Asbury): Darenots / P-Funk North, 8pm, $10

SATURDAY (8/19)

The Anchor's Bend (Asbury): The Tide Bends / The Off White / Creamer, 7pm, FREE

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): The Constant, 9pm

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Ragged Lines / Brackish / Greg Mendez / Prim, 7pm, $5