The Vogel a new venue in Red Bank, NJ part of The Count Basie Theater has become a new hot spot for social distanced live shows during a time where not much is happening.
Colossal Street Jam performed to a socially distant sold out show. The venue during normal operating times is an 800 capacity venue with a beautiful view from the balcony.
This year was anything but wonderful so it seems. Telegraph Hill Records has been very active during the pandemic and hasn’t allowed it to slow them down in putting together live shows, livestreams and organized charity events. What a Wonderful Year has been going on for a few years now so Telegraph Hill Records was not about to throw in the towel for 2020. Drew The Recluse, Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son, Des and the Swagmatics, Candy Cavity, Daughter Vision, 8dayzstr8, Truly a Simone and Whodat, Jarod Clemons and the Late Nights, Pollyanna, The Foes of Fern, Patty C and Cranston Dean, Mandancing (Solo), Chill Smith, Little Hag, Jackson Pines, Kate Dressed Up, Bryan Hansen and Matt Cook, Mark A. Tappan, Malibu, Avery Rose, Blaise and David Ross Lawn, Taylor Tote and Nick Ryan were the acts that performed live at The Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery and Asbury Lanes.
I spent the whole weekend photographing all the acts that played at Asbury Lanes while other photographers covered The Danny Clinch Transparent Galley acts. The event was livestreamed and setup as a charity event for the Asbury Park Music Foundation. As of right now they are still auctioning off signed posters and other things to raise more money for the foundation which helps less fortunate kids from Asbury Park be part of music programs.
The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ has utilized the indoor dining restrictions to their advantage by having some live music return to their stage. Local favorites like Eddie Testa, Vinny Pastore, Dave Alen, Jarod Clemons, Dentist, Emily Grove and Almost U2 have already done some great socially distant live shows. The venue has followed the covid-19 guidelines extremely well. Because their outside setup was already in place they have been able to keep the scene going for some time now. With so many businesses struggling to stay a float it’s nice to see some have found a way to make it work without defying the rules. I support them %100 on how they have made it work.
I can’t wait till we can go back to a better place with more human interaction but for now it’s the best we can ask for.
Michael Martocci performed his Frank Sinatra holiday show at The Vogel. The Vogel is a new venue that was supposed to open up back in June 2020 but covid-19 delayed the opening. The Vogel is an addition to the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ. They opened up with four live shows over two nights with Grace Potter and have a full schedule going forward. Mainstream and local musicians as well as some very well known comedians will grace this amazing new venue so we can enjoy some safe socially distanced performances.
Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park, NJ has started bringing live music back to their stage. Due to covid-19 the restaurant has struggled to keep customers and live music a thing. Lately they have been able to bring live shows and dinner back in a very small capacity following all state guidelines. The Black Flamingos, New Attitude and Levy and Lou from Levy & The Oaks have performed with more going forward. I really hope venues like this can continue to do business so we can go back to loving the scene as much as we always have.
The Springwood Sound dropped a new ep called “Electric Luau”. The Springwood Sound is an original acoustic/electric indie rock band made up of Michael Mendina (vocals/Uke), Johnny Knight (electric/acoustic/bg vocals), Clive Williams (bass/bg vocals) and John DeMan (drums/bg vocals).
Their new ep has 4 tracks that really defines the upbeat tempo as well as the raw intention this band can create. They decided to make this ep back in January to be released in March 2020 when you know what, Covid-19 happened which delayed things a bit. The band was booked solid all thru the year but the pandemic put a damper in that plan. They decided to take the positive road and release the ep which can be found at
Paint The Pony Purple a charity event for Epilepsy awareness is usually held every March at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Due to the pandemic the event was rescheduled for Nov. 7th, since The Stone Pony still wasn’t allowed to open the event was going to be virtual until Michael Martocci from Big Blue Travel stepped in and asked Mj’s in Bayville, NJ to host the event outside. They graciously said yes and the weather couldn’t have been any better. 70 degrees in November with a beach as the backdrop made for an awesome day. Four bands performed with an amazing array of originals and covers to wow everyone. Of course the event is for epilepsy awareness put together by The Family Resource Network who did an outstanding job.
The Bilsby Brothers put together a live stream for the charity The Wonderful Food Pantry of Monmouth County. The Family Tree and Mojohand also performed along with The Bilsby Brothers guest Lori Davis. The Saint is a venue that caters to so many mainstream and local acts located in Asbury Park, NJ.
Westar Productions had another great day recording live sessions for some awesome local bands inside the carousel building in Asbury Park, NJ. Each band had two songs recorded in this historic building filled with art from multiple artists part of the Wooden Walls project. I am very fortunate to be able to work with so many talented people/artists and musicians from all over.
The bands that were included in these live sessions were:
The Mike Montrey Band, The Pete Tonti Band, Kuf Knotz, Backhouse, The Foes of Fern and The E Street Shuffle
For the last couple of months I have been doing some behind the scenes photos for Westar Productions. They are a non profit video production company doing live stream shows for charities around Asbury Park. They have been utilizing most of the venues in the area to help bring donations in by having the bands playing promote the live streams on their social media pages. The fans can also vote to have the top band have a music video or live session recorded by Westar for free at a later time.
Rock'n New Jersey 