I tend to have a lot of bands on my radar if you have not caught on to this yet. It's a phenomenon brought to me by streaming services that pick out music for me to listen to through robots and stuff. Sometimes, I think all of the new technology is going to just kill us all by making us lazier and dumber. When it comes to music, technology has expanded what I listen to and gets me to a ton of shows. I owe the robots today as much as I owe the music gods.
Slothrust is one of the bands that the robots and algorithms picked for me. They started to appear in my suggested mixes sometime last summer. "Crockpot" was the first song I ever heard. Between the grungy progressions and funny lyrics, I was sold. It was an instant match. They have been on my radar since then, and it finally became the time to see them live.
It was my second visit to Asbury lanes in two days. It was my first "Sunday Funday" in a while as well. I just wanted to rock out and get some photos in the process. I took the ride to the Jersey shore, got some good Mexican food, and propped myself in the front as usual.
As a photographer, I was pushed into using social media more despite my resistance to it. One perk I tend to forget about is making friends with other photographers virtually. Every once in a while, they become human and walk right up to you and say "Hi" at a show. I met two of my virtual friends, and it was great to see them in human form. Keep it up guys as I enjoy looking at your amazing photos!!
Someone else definitely there in human form was Summer Cannibals. They have a familiar grunge sound to them which I am very happy to hear in 2019. "Simple Life" was one of the songs they played which resulted in me I playing it on repeat throughout the week. The audience gave them a lot of love and yelled out funny banter which the band was quick to respond to. If you have not heard their stuff, it's time to add some to your summer playlists.
Summer Cannibals
Summer Cannibals
Summer Cannibals
Summer Cannibals
Slothrust came on next as the headliner. The crowd sang along to every song which made for a night where everyone at the Lanes was comically connected through music. There was a young fan with a Nirvana t-shirt screaming out every lyric and head banging to every beat. Leah Wellbaum delivered on every lyric and guitar riff. They played a lot of tunes from their latest release, The Pact, including "Double Down" and "Peach." I was happy to hear them also play "7:30 AM" live and that they chose "Crockpot" for the encore.
Slothrust
Slothrust
Slothrust
Slothrust
Slothrust
It was a great night, and Slothrust has made my list of best bands to see live this year. The year is still young, but the list has begun. I look forward as always to more robots sending me great music to infiltrate my music loving brain.
Asbury Lanes has a special place in my heart for different reasons. Many of us went there when it was an old bowling alley with a stage right smack in the middle of the lanes. I remember going there to see a band (I have no idea who) and thinking, "What a cool place! A bowling alley that has remained untouched since the 60s with live music."
There was this one time during one of Asbury Lanes' renovations or closures where I drank free beer at the bar with a few friends. We knew the guy who cleaned the beer lines and thought we were super cool and connected. It was dark and gloomy; and I remember thinking, "I hope they get this place back up and running."
Many of us feel conflicted about the changes in our old neighborhoods or stomping grounds. I am a very nostalgic individual, so the conflict always resides. As for Asbury, the new changes are hard to swallow sometimes, but I'm slowly embracing going there to see bands that I love. Change is unavoidable and I am always trying to not be so fixed in my ways. I try to be open to new possibilities that come into some of our cities as the generations come to pass.
Girlpool brought me to the Lanes on Saturday for the first time since its last update. I have heard various accounts of the new look and sound, but I was ready to walk in and develop my own feelings about it and try to do it with an open mind. Girlpool was a great introduction to the new, happening venue.
I pulled up, took a deep breath, claimed my ticket and went in. At first, I could not remember what it looked like before; and I could not make out what changed. It was a completely different venue. It has a pretty hip look to it, and the stage is pretty roomy. It was hard to absorb that the stage was not sitting in the middle of the lanes. The place itself was polished and brand new. The American flag made up of bowling balls was a sweet touch. The makeshift brick walls might have been an attempt to to preserve some of the original edginess, but it was very consistent with the new facade.
Ok, back to the actual show. Teenage Halloween started the set off with they describe as "flaming queer pop." Their sound definitely has a hint of angst that gives their songs a punk flavor, which I can always appreciate. They put on a good show much like my past experiences of seeing them. I do find some of their lyrics endearing and relatable.
Teenage Halloween
Teenage Halloween
Teenage Halloween
Teenage Halloween
Hatchie was a group I actually never heard before entering the lanes Saturday. I am also learning specific genres like "Dream Pop" which Hatchie labels themselves as. It's very reminiscent of 80s "New Wave" with the synths in the backdrop. The song "Stay with Me" stuck out the most to me as the melody literally stayed with me. I know. That's kind of corny, but it's true. I swear!!
Hatchie
Hatchie
Hatchie
Hatchie
Girlpool took on the Lanes as the main act and gave us plenty of love and funny banter as singer Cleo Tucker commented on the peculiarity of hearing people bowling while performing. They played a few tunes that I became familiar with before the show like "Cut Your Bangs" and "Hire." I was happy I got really into their music a few days before the show as it gave me a better appreciation for their live performance.
Girlpool
Girlpool
Girlpool
Girlpool
Girlpool
Girlpool
Girlpool
All in all, I was impressed with the renovations to Asbury Lanes. The lighting is great for photography. There's a photo pit, and the sound was pretty good. The combination of bowling ball crashes and rock music was reminiscent of the good ol' days, and the ambiance still consisted of the Jersey Shore feel to me. These might all be biased interpretations coming from a photographer and from someone who is showing some grays underneath the beanie. Maybe younger me would not have approved. Change is unavoidable, and I think I am OK with this one for now.
Sit Down; Eat an Ice Cream Cone, and Be Glad, Right Now
By Matt Chrystal
William Elliott Whitmore, an Iowa farm-boy by day, an alt-country troubadour by night, has long been known from coast to coast for his authenticity, DIY work ethic and his prowess as a singer-songwriter. But on his latest album, Kilonova, he has, perhaps, just made his most punk rock move of all: Performing a collection of other people's songs.
Kilonova, a collection of ten cover tunes, finds Whitmore colliding head-on with his influences to the point where both the songs and the man sound like something new. "My brain opened up during this album and put me in a different spot than I usually am," he recounts of the experience.
Mr. Whitmore speaks with the utmost reverence of the artists that influenced him, a heterogeneous hodgepodge of heroes that are highlighted on the album, including the likes of Bad Religion, Johnny Cash, Bill Withers, and Captain Beefheart. Mr. Whitmore also speaks with the utmost sincerity when he makes it known that, when he does a cover, he wants do it in his own voice and own style and make it his own.
Hearing artists like Waylon Jennings cover other artists like Billy Joe Shaver led William Elliot Whitmore down a rabbit hole of discovery, and he hopes Kilonova will do the same for his listeners.
I caught up with Mr. Whitmore, while he was on a break between legs of his current tour. He answered my call from his grandmother's farmhouse in Iowa. From there, we got to talking about his career in the music business and the making of his latest album. He shared some of his philosophies on life and his love for astrophysics.
Uncool Uncle Matty: Your new album, Kilonova is made up of ten cover songs. I am assuming these are your Top 10 favorite songs. Was it difficult to narrow your selections down to just ten?
William Elliott Whitmore: Yeah, it was really difficult. Out of the thousands and thousands of great songs out there, to take it down to ten was hard. There were some that were always going to be on there, some that I have done live for years like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Don't Pray On Me."
It was a winnowing process to narrow it down, but it was also just super fun. It was like the old days of making mix-tapes. I mean, I still make mix-cds for friends. That seems like such an old school thing to do now. I guess it's all about playlist now. But, whatever format it is, it's just fun to curate a little list of songs for someone, maybe a girl you like, or whoever.
UUM: Were there any songs you regret having to cut?
WEW: There was a John Prine song called "Sam Stone" that I was maybe going to put on there. It's just a really great song. There's also "Sally Bangs" by J. Roddy Walston and The Business that I have done live. I was going to put that on there and then didn't. Those are just a couple examples of songs that either didn't fit in with the rest or just didn't make the cut.
UUM: You pay homage to artists ranging from Bad Religion to Bill Withers to Captain Beefheart. And, now, you are also talking about John Prine and J. Roddy Walston. That is quite an eclectic sampling.
WEW: Like most people who are into music, I have a really diverse record collection. And I do collect records. Sure, I have some cds and mp3s but I love vinyl records. I look through them, and I see the Monks, and then I see Thelonius Monk, and there is everything in between. I wanted this album to reflect that diversity.
UUM: The title of the album is Kilonova. I haven't seen this discussed much so I wanted to ask about it. Kilonovais an event where two stars merge with a black hole. Is this an accurate metaphor for how this album came to be?
WEW: I became really interested in the kilonova phenomenon. Apparently, one of those happened that scientist were actually able to observe. It was about a year or two years ago. I heard about it in the news. That word, "kilonova," just came into my brain. I have always been fascinated by space and celestial happenings and all these things that are going on in the universe that are just so hard to wrap our minds around, they don't hardly seem real.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson has this great book called Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and it really breaks things down for a dummy like me or maybe for dummies like most of us that don't quite understand all that stuff. So, anyways, that word was stuck in my brain the whole time I was working on this album.
To me the word represents two stars coming together and making a black hole, but it's also where all precious metals are from. Like millions or trillions of years ago, there was a kilonova that made heavy metal. It made gold, silver, and platinum. I mean, however far away those stars collided, they made this dust, this essence made it here. Any piece of gold you have ever held in your hand is here because of stars exploding. Stuff like that just trips me out. So, really, for this album, it represents two things coming together to make something else. Two stars collide and their lives are done, but they came together to make something else. That energy didn't just go away. It changes, and it moves, and that dust floated through the galaxy and became the gold wedding band that was on your mother's finger. I just love stuff like that.
UUM: Whoa. I feel like I was just talking to Neil DeGrasse Tyson for a moment.
WEW: That's high praise; he's a hero of mine. And to stretch this metaphor out even further, think about your parents, right? Those are two people who came together to make you. Things come together to make something else, right? So, that's why the cover of the album is of my great-grandparents holding a fishing string between them. I deliberately chose that photo because of that theme. Those two people got together to make my grandpa, who got together with my grandma and made my mom and so on down the line. Nature is just full of those examples. I started to think about that musically, like what had to come together for me to make these songs and give them to the world.
UUM: Speaking of things coming together to make gold, you recently signed to Bloodshot Records. You are an artist known for punk rock influences and an alt-country sound, so it sounds like BSR is a label that was tailor-made for you. How did it take six albums and fifteen years into your career for you guys to find each other?
WEW: When I first started out, I was on Southern Records out of Chicago. They were mostly known for weird, artsy rock. The woman who ran Southern saw me at a show and offered to sign me up. She rolled the dice on a guy playing banjo who didn't fit in. I was playing shows opening for hardcore bands. I never played punk. I was just a big punk fan, but I loved playing country. I didn't come up in the coffee-house scene. I was playing country music in the middle of DIY punk scenes.
I did three records with Southern then got involved with Epitaph Records. That's the label started by Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz. They had this thing called Anti Records for the more oddball stuff so I got involved with them as just a natural progression. I felt at home between Nick Cave and Tom Waits.
I've stayed on good terms with all these labels and people but it all just ran its course and it was time for me to do something different. Then Bloodshot Records offered me a slot on their 20th Anniversary triple album of people covering Bloodshot Records songs. I did this cover of an old Neko Case song, and that was my foot in the door. One of the guys at Bloodshot used to work at Southern Records and asked me if I wanted to work together again. It was a case of something coming back around to me fifteen years later. That's a long story of how I got here, but it just had such a natural, organic way of happening. It is the perfect home for me. Bloodshot is the nexus of rock and punk and country. It was a long path to get here but it just makes sense that I got here.
UUM: You are currently touring with your label mates, Murder By Death, can you share how that experience has been so far?
WEW: It's been great! We were just on the West Coast. I got a little break and now we are heading East. It's been really fun. I've toured with them before. We started out together and I remember playing a show in the singer's [Adam Turla], basement in Bloomington, Indiana. They stuck out immediately to me back then. They had a cello! They had this gothic, western, folky, chamber music that became rock n roll. It's been a few years since I toured with them, though. It just so happens that they have a new record out and I have a new record out, so we thought we should work together on a big tour and fly the Bloodshot flag! The folks in Murder By Death and I have been touring a long time, so we just know what we are doing out there, there's no weirdness. It's just professional and that just makes it more fun.
Murder By Death by Tall James Photography
UUM: Getting back to Kilonova for a moment, most of the songs were originally recorded with full band accompaniment; and, on your record, there are some moments that find you with a back-up band. How do the songs change again when it's just you and your banjo on stage?
WEW: There's been times in the past where I had a band. My friends would come along with me and play. But for almost my entire career on the road, it's just me. All of my records have at least a song or two with a band, and it's a real struggle for me about how much to do that because when you come out see me live, it's just me.
I try not to drench the albums with too much instrumentation; but, sometimes, it's just fun to bring my buddies into the studio. Just know, that no matter what the album sounds like, if you ever come see me, it will usually just be a stripped down thing. Hopefully, people can dig too.
I have had that push-and-pull for years about how much to add to each record. With Kilonova, I wanted plenty of songs with just me but some of the songs like "Ain't No Sunshine" just needed a funky backbeat. These records will be around long after I am dead; so, if it's going to be repeated forever, then it should live in a certain way on record. There's the immediacy of the moment in a live show, and then there's that long term thing with a record.
UUM: Speaking of getting together with your friends, you have a new video for the Harlan Howard-penned song, "Busted." It is similar to your video for "Healing to Do," where it's just you and a couple buds hanging out and jamming. Is that a pretty regular scene back on your farm in Iowa?
WEW: That's exactly it. The "Healing to Do" video was actually shot in my grandmother's house. She passed away, but her house is still here with all her stuff in it. It's kind of like an open house. We keep beers there and just all get together there. After she passed, I just felt like I should make a video in her house. I feel like she would have loved that. It was super fun. The video for "Busted" took place at a friend's farm, but it had the same vibe. We just wanted to get together like we do anyways. Just play and film it. I wish I was better at coming up with ideas for music videos, like maybe try and come up with some creative narrative or something. I mean Kendrick Lamar videos are like little movies, but I don't have the budget or creativity to do something like that. Yeah, just film us playing.
UUM: Is that your dog in the video?
WEW: Nope. That was my friend's dog, and that was his cool '57 Chevy. It wasn't my house, dog, or car. It was just some trickery to make me seem cooler than I am.
UUM: We have talked a lot about cover songs, so I'm wondering which of your own songs have you heard covered that really stuck out to you?
WEW: I take a lot of pride in my songwriting, so it was kind of weird for me to do an album of all covers. I can think of two top notch examples of my songs getting interpreted in a beautiful way, and it just happens to be by my friends.
I have also seen kids covering my songs on Youtube and that gets me emotional. That is just so nice. There wasn't Youtube when I was a kid, but that is what we did. We would sit and play Johnny Cash songs or Pearl Jam songs. I learned to play guitar by playing the songs of my heroes. It's such a satisfying thing to hear someone else play my songs. I hope people that I am covering now feel the same way when they hear me.
UUM: Have you gotten any feedback from any of the original artists?
WEW: Brett Gurewitz from Bad Religion told me he loves my version of "Don’t Pray on Me." He liked how I made it a folk song. It was really touching to hear that he liked it.
UUM: You brought up having so much pride in your own songwriting. So do you already have plans for a follow-up album, or are you trying to just live in the moment?
WEW: The whole time I was working on Kilonova, I was writing for the next one. I try, to varying degrees of success, to write every day or at least think of stuff to write. My brain opened up during this album ad put me in a different spot than I usually am. That helped me with writing my own songs. Maybe I will record that new shit next year. I want to give time to this tour and enjoy this current album and, when that ends, just move on to the next thing. There's always part of me that is working on the next thing, and then there's part of me that wants to just sit down, eat an ice cream cone, and be glad, right now.
UUM: Sit down; eat an ice cream cone, and be glad, right now. Words to live by.
WEW: Well, I won't say to live like each day is your last because, sometimes, you have to live like you have many more days left, because you probably do. So maybe eat an ice cream cone and be glad, but make sure you also have some groceries in the fridge for tomorrow.
UUM: Last question is actually about today and tomorrow. The collection of songs you put together on your Kilonova mixtape work well as a soundtrack to the world around us. With that said,what are your thoughts are on today's America and your hopes for the future?
WEW: Oh, man. There's a cynicism and a hopefulness that coincide in my brain. There's a strange comfort in just knowing that we have all made it this far. I have always had some sort of unsettling feeling of disillusionment when it came to the state of the world. Now, it just seems to be more heightened. I just have to remember that it was ever thus. On the other side of my cynicism and disillusionment is optimism. It's not rose-colored glasses optimism, it's a sense that I know people every day that are cool and nice and loving and are just as sick of this shit as anyone else is. It like there are always two opposing football teams out there. Red, Blue, Republican, Democrat? It's all an illusion, we are all just people.
I have friends on both sides. I have relatives I disagree with, but we are all just trying to figure out what's for supper and trying to live the best we can. We are all just people. We will make it through! We just need to be a lot cooler to each other.
Unless, of course, if you are some Nazi extremist piece of shit then sorry. I can't get with you, dude. Those people gotta go to hell.
This past weekend, we officially announced our 5th anniversary party. It takes place on March 25th, 2017, at The Overlook in Asbury Park's Convention Hall. Playing for us are Shellshag, dollys, Smalltalk, and The RockNRoll Hi-Fives; and the whole celebration is a joint production between CoolDad Music and The Asbury Lanes Family. I haven't been this excited about something in a long time, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun.
5th Anniversary Design by Alex Rosen
On March 4th, 2012, I headed over to The Stone Pony with three other cooldads. We saw Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females, and Diarrhea Planet on that Sunday night. The next morning, I got up and wrote my first-ever post for this site. The first four words ever written on CoolDadMusic.com were "I love Asbury Park."
At the time, I was writing as someone who had grown up in the area and pretty much knew Asbury Park for its beach and its boardwalk. I'd definitely seen my share of shows at The Stone Pony or The Fast Lane over the years; but, until 2012, I hadn't really immersed myself in the Asbury Park music scene. I had, after all, spent a good chunk of my "prime show-going years" living in places like New York City, Hoboken, and Seattle. Now -- after five years of some pretty heavy immersion -- I can say that those first words I wrote at CoolDad Music are as true today as they were back then.
That's why I'm so happy to be able to throw this party in Asbury Park with the people who made Asbury Lanes one of my personal sanctuaries. Jenn Hampton and the staff at that venue welcomed me with open arms for around four years; and they made me -- a newcomer -- feel like a member of the family. It's not an exaggeration to say that there is no CoolDad Music without Asbury Lanes, and I hope that we're able to transfer some of the vibe that existed inside those four walls to our show on March 25th. I'm confident we can do it as the feeling there was never as much about the building as it was about the people inside.
Each of the bands playing the show (like countless others in our fertile Tri-State Area) continue to inspire me here at the site. If you do a search here (or over at Speak Into My Good Eye where I wrote for a time), you'll see their names pop up often. dollys so expertly craft classic pop music that it's almost easy to miss the meticulous attention to detail that goes into every one of their songs. They're also as dedicated to a DIY ethic as they are to making great music. From Smalltalk's earliest efforts, I've been a fan of their romantic and jangly "Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore." Their sound takes me back to a time when I was just discovering that there was music beyond the Classic Rock I listened to into my teens. The RockNRoll Hi-Fives have become great friends of mine, and it's appropriate that it happened through music. Dad Joe, Mom Gloree, and Kids Eilee and Evren play exuberant rock that shows how music can connect people; and they inspire me to be a better dad. Finally, Shellshag should be an example to us all. For over twenty years, the duo of John "Shellhead" Driver and Jennifer Shagawat have done what they've wanted to do exactly how they've wanted to do it; and that's kind of what we're all about here.
So, I hope you'll come help us celebrate at The Overlook on March 25th. Everything starts at 7:30. The price is $10, and anyone 18 and over can join us.
You can get tickets in advance at this link right here.
It seems strange to call them this, but Lost In Society are veterans. They've been at it for over 10 years now playing shows on just about every corner of the map with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, The Bouncing Souls, Bad Religion, and more. Tonight, Lost In Society celebrate the release of Modern Illusions, an album two years in the making, with a show in front of a hometown crowd upstairs in Asbury Park's Convention Hall.
Lost In Society recorded Modern Illusions with The Bouncing Souls' Pete Steinkopf and started streaming the record this week over at Idobi Radio. Like the band's live show, Modern Illusions takes off at a breakneck pace and never lets up. Current live set staples like "Not Afraid" come across with just as much energy on the album as they do live, and it should be something to see them performed once again in front of an Asbury crowd.
Joining Lost In Society on tonight's bill and releasing their own LP are New Brunswick's dollys. low yearis a compilation of all the singles dollys have released since recording their debut Oh, Please. I premiered a pair of the songs here last year, and I think I've discussed just about every one as they were released. I won't say too much more other than to point out that having these tracks collected in one place really illustrates the brilliance of this band. Unconcerned with current styles or trends, dollys continue consistently releasing songs that deserve to be pop classics. And live, dollys continually deliver special moments -- from the emotional performance of "cornerstones" in front of friends and family at the Oh, Please release show to the audience screamalong that accompanied the same song last month at The Saint.
Rounding out tonight's bill are Asbury psych / garage rockers gods, Kyle Trocolla, and OC45's Derek Rossi. Lost In Society were part of what stands right now as the last show at Asbury Lanes, so it seems only fitting that everything is being presented tonight by the beautiful people who staffed that venue. Doors are at 7:30 and $10 gets you inside.
On August 20th of last year, CoolMom and I headed over to Asbury Lanes to see Seaside Caves. I've really grown to love their dark and moody new wave. It reminds me of my youth here on the Jersey Shore; and it's right in CoolMom's wheelhouse, too.
It was a Thursday night, and it was one of those cool nights at Asbury Lanes where the bill was packed with other bands I'd been meaning to see for a while: Philly's Year of Glad and Ohio's The Sidekicks and All Dogs. It ended up being a great bill from top to bottom, and I came away really liking everyone, especially All Dogs. "Sunday Morning" from All Dogs' excellent Kicking Every Day even made it onto my "Favorite Songs of 2015 (So Far)" playlist for what that's worth.
The band released a video for "Sunday Morning" this week, and it got me thinking. I get lots of emails about bands and releases every day. It's hard for me to sift through all of them, but sometimes something catches my eye. Sometimes it's something sent to me personally from one of the members of the band. Other times, I go, "Oh. I like this band." Often, that's followed by, "I think I saw them at Asbury Lanes."
As Asbury Lanes fades further into the past, that happens less often. We don't get that up and coming, poppy, punky touring band from Ohio on a Thursday night like we used to. Without Asbury Lanes, I may have blown right past the announcement that All Dogs had released this video. I may not have shared it with you. And then you might have missed this great song that reminds me, for some reason, of some of the stuff Evan Dando did with Lemonheads when he started letting his pop and country inclinations shine through. I don't know.
Along with releasing the video, All Dogs announced several tour dates. There's no New Jersey or Asbury Park on there. I can't help thinking that, if Asbury Lanes were still around, we'd be getting another chance to see All Dogs around here. I guess you'll just have to head to Philly or wait for some NYC dates if you'd like to catch them. In the meantime, check out the video for "Sunday Morning."
ALL DOGS TOUR DATES
3/5 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Chrch
3/7 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
3/8 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
3/9 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle (Back Room)
3/10 Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover
3/11 Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo's
3/12 Houston, TX @ Walter's Downtown
3/14-18 Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/18-20 Dallas, TX @ Spillover Music Fest
3/22 Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St Collective
3/23 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
3/24 Wichita, KS @ Welldone Skateboards
3/25 Denver, CO @ Club Scrum
3/26 Salt Lake City, UT @ Loading Dock
3/27 Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
3/28 Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
3/29 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
3/31 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
4/1 Santa Barbara, CA @ Fun Zone
4/2 Pomona, CA @ VLHS Warehouse
4/3 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
4/5 Tempe, AZ @ 51 West
4/8 Omaha, NE @ Milk Run
4/9 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Philly's Beach Slang played the last set at Asbury Lanes before it closed for renovations.
Thanks
Friday, October 2nd, 2015
He had big plans. The rain was really coming down, and the wind was howling. It was a perfect evening to listen to some records and dig into that new bottle of whiskey his wife just bought him. A couple of beers with dinner had gotten him started when he got the message: "Brick + Mortar playing tonight."
He'd seen the band a few times, and he knew they really brought people out. It was the next-to-last night at the place, a good chance to see everyone one extra time. He stopped 3/4ths of the way through his second beer, packed up his camera bag, and got in the car.
Wow. The rain was vicious. He could feel the wind buffeting the car as he drove. "The gods are angry. They don't want anybody messing with the place." He thought that was pretty clever and tried to think of a way to work it into whatever he was going to write.
There was one last spot right out front. Bob and Jenn greeted him as he walked in. "You made it in time for Super Dad!" He thought that was pretty funny -- and appropriate. "Super Dad."
Super Dad was Josh from Snack World, the guy with all the great t-shirts, the guy who would skateboard around on the hardwood floors of the lanes after shows. Super Dad was comedy, music, performance art all rolled into one. Super Dad smoked. Super Dad stripped from a bathrobe and pajamas down to a pair of briefs emblazoned with the place's logo. Super Dad climbed onto the bar in the lounge where the set took place. Super Dad threw his body into the spectators. Super Dad burned a dollar bill and almost set his clothes on fire. Super Dad gave him a pretty hard bite on the shoulder. It was funny. He could feel a lump forming in his throat.
Gentleman Jim showed up, disappointed at having missed the surprise performance by his friend and co-worker. He talked with Gentleman Jim about their kids and the school. He talked about the little spark of activism rising in his daughter over her indignity at the sexism of the school's dress code and felt himself feeling kind of proud of her. He thought about all the times he'd spent talking with Gentleman Jim about the place. He thought about how they wouldn't have it to talk about anymore. Gimme Drugs started in the lounge.
A few more people had filed in by this time, and the lounge was more crowded. Jenn sat cross-legged on the floor. He got a spot from where he could snap a few pictures, but he didn't take as many as he normally would have. It was dark. There were other photographers. Even Zak brought his camera. Pete took videos on his phone. This was a reunion for Gimme Drugs and it was his first time seeing them. He'd seen Michael Jackson & The Beetles before, but never Gimme Drugs. They were good.
He floated around, mostly hanging and talking with Gentleman Jim until Brick + Mortar came on. They're a popular band who don't play locally too often. He'd see Brandon or John at shows sometimes. May have even spoken to them once or twice. He presented them with an Asbury Music Award once, but they didn't really know him. Brick + Mortar packed out the lounge. There were projections. There were unicorn puppets. There were big "HEY" signs. He thought he saw some crowd-surfing, or at least shoulder sitting, after he wormed his way out of the crowd.
When it was all done, he talked with Zak and Gentleman Jim for a while. Gentleman Jim appeared a little down about not being slated to work the show the next night. He had a feeling Gentleman Jim would find a way. He headed out to the car, happy to find that the police didn't appear to feel like writing tickets in the rain.
Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
The next day had a weird feeling about it. The weather was still terrible. The gods were still angry. The girls slept in, and his oldest never even put pants on all day long. She's turning into a real teenager. His wife ribbed him a little bit about his desire to get there so early like she always does.
They walked up the steps past Brian, Deaglan, Matt, Nick, and a few others. As they walked in, they spied Gentleman Jim hard at work. It was going to be a long night, and he didn't want her to be uncomfortable. They staked out a space in the lounge and chatted with Jeff for a while. Eventually, Emily came in. They talked and had a couple of drinks. He didn't meet Emily, Justin, Andy, Nick, Matt, and Rudy at the place; but they shared some good times there. He was happy and grateful that they were his friends.
Sammy Kay started his solo set. The crowd was pretty big for it being so early. As usual, several people stayed by the bar while some -- Including him. Always including him. -- moved up front. Sammy asked everyone to put away their phones for the night. It was a futile but thoughtful request. Somewhere in there, Scott tapped him on the shoulder.
"No Tim?"
"No." Apparently, young Tim wanted to rest up for his pee wee football game.
Sammy climbed down from the stage and unplugged for a campfire-style sing along at the end of the set. The people at the bar probably couldn't hear much. He loved it.
He weaved through the crowd. Hugs. Chit chat. They hadn't eaten. His wife ordered a grilled cheese from Snack World. Jalapeño and tomato.
He moved up front again for Lost In Society. There were lights tonight. Rare for the place. Mostly from behind the performers. He got lots of silhouette shots. So many that it would become obvious he just couldn't handle the lighting and wasn't being arty. Lots of photographers now. Climbing all over the place. Flashes. He stayed put. No flash. Like usual.
Lost In Society were all over the stage, constant motion. The people loved it. Brownie found him; shook his hand. Zach climbed on top of the monitor and jumped back to the stage. Chris was there pumping his fist and singing along.
He found his wife and friends again. Offered to get drinks. Was gone for a long time as he talked to people in the crowd. Kiley hugged him.
Back up front for The Holy Mess. The Philly portion of the evening had begun. They were funny. Personable. He liked the music. Punk / pop punk / rock. K8 tore up their setlists, laughing, throwing them back at the band. The pieces mixed in with the confetti that Carrot Topple was throwing around. A mosh pit started up. The band confirmed that Beach Slang were the special guests. He'd known, but his excitement built.
He didn't leave the front of the stage after their set. He didn't want to give up his spot. Yes. He's still a grown man, husband, father of two. His wife found him and stayed.
"Will I be ok here? Am I going to get thrown around?"
He thought she'd be fine. Emily pushed her way up with them, too.
James, Ed, Ruben, and JP took the stage and James said something like, "We're just the background music. Just do what you're doing and we'll be up here making it loud." Then James giggled in that nervous way he does. It made Emily and his wife laugh. They started their set. "Filthy Luck."
He screamed the lyrics. He snapped pictures. He started to sweat. His eyes got watery. He looked over at his wife getting jostled and squished. He felt the crowd at his back. By the time he was singing, "I'm screaming out my lungs with my best friends!!" he was a ball of sweaty emotion. His wife had had enough of the stage diving and jostling, so she took a few steps back. He was disappointed when he didn't see her anymore, but he got it.
The crowd wanted more. Beach Slang didn't have any more. James suggested someone come up and play while they convened to figure out what they would do. Deaglan, Matt, and Brian from Corrina, Corrina were goaded into going onstage. So nervous. "Boxcar." Nervous banter. Gentleman Jim on the PA giving them a hard time. "Can't Hardly Wait." Ruben came out and played lead guitar with them. They were over the moon. So much fun.
The bassist from The Holy Mess came out and did Against Me!'s "Joy" solo. Nice. Beach Slang came back. The crowd wanted more covers. "Game of Pricks." Then they did all-time Jersey classic "Anything, Anything," and the place went bananas. He was pinned to the stage and thrown from side to side. He tried taking pictures. Topple, Ed the Punk, Jason all dove off the stage at some point. The band closed with a new song from their upcoming record. That was it. The last set.
"The last set," he thought.
He found his wife again. "I want to get a picture of Gentleman Jim at the board," he said. Alex was over there and showered him with kisses. He did a little series of shots with Alex -- Gentleman Jim, Corrina, Corrina, Emily, Scott, selfies. He really loves that guy.
His wife was spent. He wanted to stay and say his goodbyes, take more pictures; but the crowd was so big. Quick snaps of Ed the Punk, Leeann, Nikki. An emotional hug from Dave. Bob not sure what he was going to do with his weekend evenings from now on. Handshakes and hugs with Chris and Amy. Texts from Allyson. Texts from the other Bob. "Where R U?"
He was driving home with his beautiful wife. They'd probably be spending a lot more evenings together doing something other than going to shows now. No small thing, that.
The Aftermath
The next day felt so strange. Sunday. 9:30am Jets football from London. They won.
He had fatherly commitments that kept him from heading down one, last time. He never quite felt like he had as much of a claim to the place as other people. He'd been going to shows there for less than half the time they'd been throwing them. He loved it so much, though. Sold-out shows. Shows with 12 people in the crowd. It didn't matter. It meant so much to him. It took him in like he'd been there all along. It saved him at a time when he was lost.
It surprised him, how much difficulty he had sleeping that night. He felt weird. Maybe he was worried he'd get lost again. He didn't know, but he was pretty sure that the place had helped him build something in himself that made that impossible.
Maybe the gods put a scare into the powers that be. Maybe they'll do the right thing.
A few tears rolled down his face when he wrote about his last two nights at the place.
You can go to Flickr to see shots from the last 2 nights at Asbury Lanes.
Back when I started CoolDad Music, last night would have been a no-brainer for me. I would have gone to the big show featuring the international touring band at The Stone Pony. While I never spent much time listening to Ride, I am an absolute shoegaze nerdling; and I've been meaning to check them out on this tour. Choices have gotten more difficult for me, though, as I've become aware of all of the great local music we've got around here.
I love dollys. They put out, maybe, my favorite record of the year so far; and they keep cranking out solid pop tune after solid pop tune. They were releasing two more of those at Asbury Lanes last night with help from some other really good bands in The Cold Seas, Goodbye Tiger, Hodera, and Bradley Cooper. dollys were also about to embark on a 3-week tour, and this was their send-off party. I made the decision to skip Ride and head to Asbury Lanes pretty much in the car on my way down to Asbury Park. Someone did call me a local freak for choosing the Lanes, but I have no regrets.
Bradley Cooper, featuring members of Deal Casino and dollys opened things up. Billed as a "hard rock" act, they fell more into just the "rock" category as far as I was concerned. They turned in an extremely fun set, their first in a long time apparently, as several people in the crowd were particularly excited for the band's return. At the end of their set, frontman JoeP said that it would probably be at least five years or so before we saw Bradley Copper again.
Goodbye Tiger have been busy lately. I feel like I've seen them on some bill almost every week. The constant playing pays off in the form of a tight and cohesive set of their somewhere between groove and prog experimental sound. They featured songs from their recent The Pixelated Soul.
Asbury Park's The Cold Seas had just released their Afterglow EP prior to last night's show. The band have a sound that's retro and modern at the same time. They play in that psychedelic, indie rock space of bands like Tame Impala; and I've really enjoyed them every time I've been able to catch a show. The fog machine was in full effect last night; and, while it swamped drummer Nash Breen a couple of times, it worked well with The Cold Seas' vibe.
A few months ago, I reviewed Hodera's 2014 Reset To Default. In that review I said, "The entire set gives the impression that a Hodera live show could be a pretty impressive experience." I'm just gonna say, I know my stuff. I'd missed a bunch of chances to see Hodera live before, so last night was my first time. Even with frontman Matt Smith recovering from an illness, the band tore through an ultra high-energy set that touched on that 2014 EP as well as the band's current release, United By Birdcalls.
I'm not sure what else to say about dollys at this point. They're just really incredible every time. From Jeff Lane's guitar work, to Erik Romero's bass, to Natalie Newbold's joyous drumming and vocals, they just consistently bring it. My one complaint might be that their sets always seem too short, but that's the mark of a band that knows how not to overstay its welcome and always leave them wanting more, I guess. The two new songs that dollys released yesterday -- "I Know" and "Imitator" -- sounded great live and fit in seamlessly with the rest of the band's set.
There is no doubt in my mind that Ride put on a great show and that I would have loved every minute of it. But I can't imagine its being any better than last night's show at Asbury Lanes. That's not a knock on anyone. It's just an observation about how incredibly lucky we are to live in such close proximity to so much great music.
Pics from every set are up at Flickr. You can click the links below to check them out.
I've only been doing CoolDad Music since 2012. Prior to that, I rarely went to local shows. I always loved live music, but I didn't pay much attention to what was going on in my own backyard. In the three and a half years that I've been an avid local show-goer, Asbury Lanes has become, simply, one of my favorite places to be. Not only because of the amazing show experiences I've had there -- King Khan, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, Dentist, The Battery Electric, Hot Blood, The Surf Music Festival, Full Of Fancy, Brick Mower, River City Extension, Laura Stevenson, Nightbirds, Smalltalk, Beach Slang, The Loved Ones, OFF!, Shellshag, The Baseball Project, The Julie Ruin, of Montreal, and on, and on, and on -- but also because of the amazing love and support the staff at Asbury Lanes have shown for my little vanity project.
And that's what has saved my life over the last three years. What Jenn Hampton and the staff at Asbury Lanes have given me over that time is something I can never repay. They welcomed me, a newcomer, into their community and made me feel like a part of something in a way that I've never felt outside my family before.
I'm an adult. I know how the world works. Businesses aren't charities. Corporations like to earn the best possible returns on their investments. Publicly-held corporations are legally obligated to do so. But there is just something so sterile about all of those places run by big, national promoters whose main concern is turning a profit. The shows can be great, but there's something missing.
In the summer, Asbury Lanes is hot. In the winter, Asbury Lanes is freezing. Currently, only a few of the lanes are functional. The place needs some renovations for sure. Year-round, though, Asbury Lanes is a place that welcomes me and hundreds -- thousands -- of other people into a community.
It's not just a place to see a show like some corporate-run room in the city. It's a place where you get a hug with your wristband. It's a place where you sit at the bar with Mike Mills and Peter Buck. It's a place where you spend an hour talking to Shell and Shag about how much they love those kids in Screaming Females. It's a place where you know you'll see friends at any show, no matter the genre. It's alive. It has a beautiful, beating heart and a sweet, sweet soul.
If those things get renovated away, then, yeah. We'll have a shiny music venue with bowling alleys. People will, ultimately, still go to shows there no matter how much they initially grumble about the changes. There will still be a sign out front calling the place "Asbury Lanes," but we'll know the truth.
I've got my fingers crossed. I'm hoping that, when we come out on the other side of whatever happens, what we end up with is still the place that took me in, helped me find out who I've really been all these years, and played a huge part in showing me what it feels like to be a whole person.
"It's punk rock heaven. It is. I've met, hung out, bowled my lifetime high, played my dumb heart out, drank way too much, and laughed a whole lot more with the sweetest hearts in the whole world there. It means too much to too many. And those things have a way of sticking around."
Let's hope he's right.
Thank you, Jenn and everyone at Asbury Lanes. For everything.
Yesterday was a crappy day for me. I have those sometimes. For no reason really. Bad chemicals maybe? Who knows? I was just lethargic and irritable and couldn't really get myself going. CoolMom, CoolDaughter 1, and I took CoolDog on a nice walk in the park which was ok. Then I just came home and kind of dozed by the pool and never really got my ass in gear. I wasn't even going to go to the of Montreal show at Asbury Lanes. I've gotten better at pushing through days like that, though. So I showered; ate dinner; and headed out.
There were only two bands on the bill: Mothers from Athens, Georgia and their neighbors and compadres, headliners of Montreal. When I walked in at about 7:45, there was already a group of fans two rows deep pressed up against the stage. That's how you can tell when a lot of people have come from out of town for a show at the Lanes. The regulars tend to mill around and push up front when a band takes the stage. Young out-of-towners always do that festival thing of staking out a spot hours before the headliner comes on. I could tell that taking pictures would be a challenge.
Mothers are on their first-ever tour and played to a packed out floor in front of the stage. That's one benefit of the early lineup thing. Openers get to play to almost the full audience.
Mothers are riding a bit of buzz created by the recent release of their only publicly available recorded output, single "no crying in baseball." Guitarist / vocalist Kristine Leschper sits somewhere in the space between a haunting wail and spoken word, and the rest of the band creates swirling soundscapes around her. They've got a full-length due in 2016, so watch for that.
It was a while between the end of Mothers' set and when of Montreal took the stage. That gave me a chance to hang with a few of Asbury's coolest in the lounge. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the floor got more and more packed; and when the red-masked master of ceremonies came out to introduce the band, I started worming my way to stage left. I'd end up kind of stuck there for the whole set, but it allowed me to take in just about everything -- from the costumed dancers to the psychedelic light show.
While I love almost everything that has come out of Athens's Elephant 6 collective, I'll admit to being less familiar with of Montreal beyond their biggest songs. That didn't matter. The band's 19-song set was an almost non-stop barrage of sights and sounds with frontman / mastermind Kevin Barnes leading what felt, at times, like a joyous religious revival meeting.
Light, shadow, large-breasted poodle boxers, cattle-skulled apparitions, projections, and of Montreal's wild psychedelic sounds whipped the sweaty mass into a frenzy. Barnes was like some strange mix of Lennon, Wilson, Bowie, and his own secret ingredient. There were kisses from masked dancers. There was weeping in the front row.
I took a ton of pictures from my spot at the side of the stage. There were plenty of times, though, when I just did my thing of closing my eyes and letting the sounds wash over me. Even through my clamped eyelids, I could sense the flickering projections and feel the pulsing of the crowd. Following the final song of the evening, Barnes unplugged his guitar, climbed down from the stage, and moved past me into the audience towards the back of the room.
I gathered my stuff together and felt like I'd just gotten a dose of the most effective anti-depressant out there. I'd sung along with "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)," "Coquet Coquette," and "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider;" and I'd just been carried along for the rest of the set. My shirt stuck to me as I made my way out into the evening. It was only about 11.
CoolMom was still awake when I got in, and I'm happy she got to see a better side of me before she turned in for the night. Whatever it is that crawls up inside my head sometimes and makes me tough to be around, it's nice to know that the cure is musical and not chemical.
Here are some highlights from last night. The rest of the pics are in the Flickr galleries.
