Summer Weekend of Stokedness with The Bouncing Souls, Beach Slang, Cayetana, Rocket From The Crypt, The Vansaders, Colton Kayser, Lowlight, and More, 7/28-7/30

Stoked and Stacked

3 nights. 15 sets. 14 different bands. I got tired. My feet hurt. I went through a few camera batteries. It was that kind of exhaustion, though, where you feel fully satisfied. The kind that follows something like Thanksgiving Dinner. From Thursday through Saturday, I got to see some of my favorite bands for the umpteenth time; and I got to see several other bands for the very first time. Each night felt like a celebration.

Thursday, 7/28: The Bouncing Souls, Beach Slang, Cayetana at The Stone Pony

What: "The Bouncing Souls Stoked for the Summer: Night 1"

Why: It was the eve of The Bouncing Souls' album release. Simplicity is the band's 10th studio album, and they planned two days' worth of shows in Asbury Park to celebrate.

Favorite Moments: 

Running into Beach Slang before the show and getting to chat with frontman James Alex about how excited he was to be playing that night, for the band's new record, and for their upcoming European tour.

Cayetana's entire set. I just love this trio from Philly. They played a few new songs set to appear on their upcoming record, and I can't wait for it.

Beach Slang's appearing almost "professional" during their set. I think there was only one deviation from the setlist with James Alex shouting, "OK. 'Dirty Cigarettes' for that guy over there!" Afterwards, bassist Ed McNulty brought Alex over to his own copy of the setlist and jabbed his finger at what was written.

Just the overall sense of family and community of every Bouncing Souls set. This culminated when the band brought a young girl -- 4 or 5 years old, maybe -- onstage to sing "Lean on Sheena."

Seeing all the familiar faces from Asbury Lanes and around the city. Getting to chat and catch up at the end of the evening.

Pictures: 

Stoked for the Summer, Night 1

Friday, 7/29: The Bouncing Souls, Rocket From The Crypt, The Explosion, The Flatliners, Creeper, Restorations, The Vansaders at The Stone Pony Summer Stage

What: "The Bouncing Souls Stoked for the Summer: Night 2"

Why: Celebrating the official release of Simplicity, celebrating friends and family, celebrating Kate's birthday

Favorite Moments:

Being pleasantly surprised by British horror punks, Creeper, whom I'd never heard before.

The incremental ratcheting up of energy with each successive band. Toronto's The Flatliners have a solid Asbury Park following. The Explosion were making a rare live appearance, and the crowd up front were obviously thrilled.

Rocket From The Crypt. I know several people who are deeply devoted to this band. They have the tattoos and everything. I'd never seen them. They blew me away. Ass kicking showmanship and rock and roll. Amazing.

Again, the love and camaraderie that just oozes from the stage and from the crowd during a Bouncing Souls set in Asbury Park. There must have been 100 or more friends and family members onstage with the band. Frontman Greg Attonito led the entire audience in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Kate Hiltz, the hardest-working person in all of rock music.

Getting to hear "Ghosts on the Boardwalk" and "Moon Over Asbury" while standing "where the city meets the sea" in Asbury Park.

Sticking around for the after-party inside The Stone Pony with Restorations and The Vansaders. Both bands were great, and The Vansaders absolutely brought it in front of a big crowd of friends.

Pictures:

Stoked for the Summer, Night 2

Saturday, 7/30: Colton Kayser, Lowlight, Cranston Dean Band, We're Ghosts Now, Cold Weather Company at Wonder Bar

What: Record release party for Colton Kayser's Place to Settle

Why: see above

Favorite Moments:

Colton Kayser is absolutely one of the nicest people in the Asbury scene, and it was great to see a packed out Wonder Bar for his record release.

All of the bands turned in excellent sets. Cold Weather Company and even Colton Kayser in a full-band configuration were firsts for me. The Cranston Dean Band and We're Ghosts Now both energized the crowd. I love Lowlight, plain and simple.

Watching Colton Kayser just enjoying every moment of his band's set while friends and family sang and danced along.

Pictures:

Colton Kayser at Wonder Bar

I'm going to admit, with so many sets from so many bands, I had brief moments where taking pictures at all of these shows and then going home to edit them felt like work. But they were fleeting. Mostly, I just found myself thinking about how much I love doing it. More than a photographer or a blogger or whatever, I'm a fan of live music; and just being there for all of this over the weekend was really as much as I could have asked for.

Click on all the links above to check out the pictures. I'll also dump them over on the Facebook page if you prefer that.

Hey, where you been?

Rocket From The Crypt, Photo by Scotch LaRock

So if you've been wondering...

Hey, where you been? We haven't seen you 'round. What'cha been up to?

Yeah, the last few weeks have been, been... Ah, it's been tough to put pen to paper, finger to keyboard, thumb to text, whatever you kids do these days to communicate. Skype, you guys Skype, right? Wait, was just told I should FaceTime by my son. “Or maybe you should tweet it," he added.

Well, I haven't put down the social media entirely, but I've definitely found it difficult to write. I really wanted to write something special about the two nights I spent with my all time favorite, Rocket From The Crypt. I went to two out of three local shows -- Brooklyn and Philly. Stood right up front because every time could be the last time. I got to see some old friends -- Joey, Tim, Hillary, and that group of people that you see at shows that you just recognize by face because you've all spent time together pushing your way to the front. I wanted the words to flow out of me like (insert your favorite writer here) and I'd have conveyed the magic that I feel and have felt over the last twenty odd years. I wanted it to come together. I tried. There were at least 5 versions. One even started with the chorus to Peaches & Herb's “Reunited." Yeah, I just couldn't get it to come together, struggled for a month now.

I couldn't get past the part where those days, those thoughts, those feelings were tied to another moment. So, I will tell you this. I attended those shows with a heavy heart. My family suffered a loss. Stephanie was a daughter, sister, mother, cousin, friend... She fought hard when she arrived early in 1972, and she fought hard until the end in 2014. Lucky to have known her along the way. In the words so often used by Rocket From The Crypt, long live the dead.

“...in the process of getting home”

I'm currently in the throes of Damon Albarn's Everyday Robots.  There are no Blur guitars, no bounce of Gorillaz. Just sad songs rolling through the battle between nature and technology. I'll wager a guess Roger Waters approves on this rainy day.

Greg Dulli is well up there on my list of favorites. Do To The Beast is the first Afghan Whigs record in roughly forever. Now look, slap whatever name you want on it, The Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins, or Harry and the Kentucky Wildcats, I don't care. Also, I made that last one up. My point is that Greg Dulli does what Greg Dulli does: His ever evolving interpretation of rock guitars and soul grooves. We are exploring the seedy underside, the crime, the drugs, the affairs of those in the dark corners. That's just the way I like it.

Record Store Day came and went. I made one purchase. Well I had some huge help, so a hat tip to Tim for taking one for the team. I bought the Sunny Day Real Estate / Circa Survive split single. Some minor history first. Back in February of 2013, Music Radar posted an interview with Nate Mendel; and he punctuated a reunited Sunny Day Real Estate's recording with this statement: “It just fell apart. So that was probably the end of that band. If we couldn't make any new music, what's the point?" Well, Record Store Day provided us with one last song. SDRE are one of my favorite bands. Their make up / break up history only adds to the passion. I'll hold onto hope, there's always room for hope. This song makes me hopeful.

Other things currently in rotation, currently tied to the 90s and six degrees of Jon Wurster:

Split Single

Jason Narducy, Britt Daniel and Jon Wurster

The Both

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo

It just looks like I'm rolling through my 90s obsessions at a breakneck pace in 2014. I can't help it if some of my favorite artists from my youth continue to make records. Plus, I don't get out much. I'm still championing the cause for bands like Gates, The Hotelier, and Modern Baseball, all of whom are touring. Go see them.

I should.