For as long as most of us can remember, Asbury Park has been New Jersey’s music city. After decades as the songwriting and concert capital of the state, Asbury Park is now home to a major national music festival: Sea. Hear. Now. Read below to find out how our city by the sea has grown and changed from an important jazz town to an international influence, and enjoy photos of the first two years of the East Coast’s newest music event, Sea. Hear. Now.
In July of 1930, the first of the city’s many entertainment venues opened as the Paramount Theater in the brand new Convention Hall.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci 89 years later, the Paramount still hosts events, concerts, and shows all year long, and the famous Convention Hall is one of New Jersey’s most recognizable landmarks.
From the 1930s through the 1960s, Jazz and R&B were considered the sound of Asbury Park. Springwood Avenue was home to Big Bill’s, the Turf Club and Cuba’s - legendary venues that drew huge crowds for famous acts like New Jersey native Count Basie. Unfortunately, riots on July 4, 1970, destroyed much of the area and the West Side never quite recovered.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Asbury Park’s music scene seemed to be thriving. The Stone Pony, opened in 1974, was quickly making a name for itself. Behind the scenes, though, the city was struggling. When the Palace Amusement Park closed in 1988 and the famous Carousel was sold in 1990, it seemed certain that Asbury Park was done.
By the early 1990s, even the Pony was at risk of closing. At a time when the music scene in Asbury Park was declining, it made no sense to open up a new venue - but Asbury Park isn’t a city that has followed many rules. On November 18, 1994, a small room opened up and The Saint hosted its first show. Many credit this tiny bar with keeping music in Asbury Park at a time when it was truly at risk of losing the culture that for so long held the city together. Shortly thereafter, the community rallied to support the Stone Pony, and a revitalization movement began to take hold in Asbury Park.
It had been nearly 60 years since Asbury Park established itself as the rock and roll capital of the state, but it was only recently that the town had begun a renaissance.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci Last year, the Asbury Park renaissance was truly put to the test. A world-class music festival was put together, surprising local music enthusiasts. Despite some resistance from locals who were concerned about crowds and safety during their “local summer,” the inaugural Sea. Hear. Now. went off without a hitch, and thousands turned up onto the beach to watch surfers and listen to musicians like G. Love and Special Sauce, Highly Suspect, and Jack Johnson.
After the success of the 2018 festival, locals and festival-goers embraced the event wholeheartedly.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci The city is no stranger to festivals - in fact, it seems like there is always something happening when you walk around on a weekend - but the Sea. Hear. Now. Festival was ambitious. It was not a simple gathering of music fans, but rather a major two-day event featuring a surf competition, local artists, and world-class touring acts.
Part of the success of Sea. Hear. Now. was in the way the festival embraced Asbury Park’s lifestyle and culture.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci The city is far from just a music town, and in recent years, has become a destination for artists, foodies, and historians alike.
Art has always been one of the cornerstones of Jersey Shore culture, and Sea. Hear. Now. has embraced that wholeheartedly. In a city full of murals, artists were invited onto the beach to share their interpretation of life in the Music Capital of New Jersey.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci Festival goers laid down their towels in the shadows of artwork that was installed on the beach, with panels showing off parts of the city that have left an impact.
Sea. Hear. Now. Festivals featured many of the bands that have relied on Asbury Park to establish their careers. The Menzingers, who headlined in 2018, sing about the Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar, despite being a Philadelphia-based band.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci The punk bands that have played Sea. Hear. Now. are part of an underlying do-it-yourself movement that has existed in the city for decades. The Saint and the Stone Pony are far from the only influential venues in this city. In the 1960s, Asbury Lanes began hosting live music to entertain bowlers who hung out downtown. As time went on, ‘The Lanes’ became a bit of an underground DIY-style venue, and in the early 2000s, there was a thriving garage-band punk scene in the area. A few years ago, The Lanes was purchased and renovated back to its former glory. The new building has brought a lot of attention to Asbury Park since it re-opened in 2018.
For 2019, Sea. Hear. Now. was one of the biggest music festivals on the East Coast. The Festival drew in international touring sensations like the Struts, Dave Matthews Band, Dropkick Murphys, and Dispatch - while still sticking to Jersey roots.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci One of the headliners, The B-52s, perfectly represented the Jersey Shore. Fred Schneider’s “Homecoming King” sash reminded the audience that he was in his own backyard, and you can’t beat “Rock Lobster” as a beach concert anthem.
The result of careful curation and the intertwining of beach culture was a unique festival environment that almost felt like a vacation.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci Even the typically rowdy Dropkick Murphys crowd embraced the relaxed vibes of the beach. Despite extra security, a crowd that would normally fold into a mosh pit seemed to be mellowed out by the ocean air.
It’s clear that a festival of this caliber, with some of the world’s most in-demand artists, wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the wheelings and dealings of Danny Clinch.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci Clinch, one of rock and roll’s most famous photographers, is the New Jersey native who co-founded the festival. He was seen on stage and in his art gallery with many of the acts, driving home the importance of a world where connections can help make or break an event. Clinch’s influence was clearly a big part of the festival’s lineup curation, and one reason this brand-new festival was able to start off with such a strong lineup.
Asbury Park is no secret to those of us who live in New Jersey, but with the success of Sea. Hear. Now., music fans across the country are paying attention.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci Is New Jersey’s oceanside music city the next rock and roll capital of the world? With a well-established history, a renewed interest in investment and development, and now a world-class music festival, it seems like the sky is the limit.
After such a strong second year rockin’ Asbury Park, the festival has already begun planning for next year’s event. If you’re a music lover, this is one festival you don’t want to miss. For more information about the Sea. Hear. Now. Festival, visit its website and stay up-to-date on its Facebook page.
Photo Courtesy of K. Magaraci
89 years later, the Paramount still hosts events, concerts, and shows all year long, and the famous Convention Hall is one of New Jersey’s most recognizable landmarks.
From the 1930s through the 1960s, Jazz and R&B were considered the sound of Asbury Park. Springwood Avenue was home to Big Bill’s, the Turf Club and Cuba’s - legendary venues that drew huge crowds for famous acts like New Jersey native Count Basie. Unfortunately, riots on July 4, 1970, destroyed much of the area and the West Side never quite recovered.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Asbury Park’s music scene seemed to be thriving. The Stone Pony, opened in 1974, was quickly making a name for itself. Behind the scenes, though, the city was struggling. When the Palace Amusement Park closed in 1988 and the famous Carousel was sold in 1990, it seemed certain that Asbury Park was done.
By the early 1990s, even the Pony was at risk of closing. At a time when the music scene in Asbury Park was declining, it made no sense to open up a new venue - but Asbury Park isn’t a city that has followed many rules. On November 18, 1994, a small room opened up and The Saint hosted its first show. Many credit this tiny bar with keeping music in Asbury Park at a time when it was truly at risk of losing the culture that for so long held the city together. Shortly thereafter, the community rallied to support the Stone Pony, and a revitalization movement began to take hold in Asbury Park.
Last year, the Asbury Park renaissance was truly put to the test. A world-class music festival was put together, surprising local music enthusiasts. Despite some resistance from locals who were concerned about crowds and safety during their “local summer,” the inaugural Sea. Hear. Now. went off without a hitch, and thousands turned up onto the beach to watch surfers and listen to musicians like G. Love and Special Sauce, Highly Suspect, and Jack Johnson.
The city is no stranger to festivals - in fact, it seems like there is always something happening when you walk around on a weekend - but the Sea. Hear. Now. Festival was ambitious. It was not a simple gathering of music fans, but rather a major two-day event featuring a surf competition, local artists, and world-class touring acts.
The city is far from just a music town, and in recent years, has become a destination for artists, foodies, and historians alike.
Festival goers laid down their towels in the shadows of artwork that was installed on the beach, with panels showing off parts of the city that have left an impact.
The punk bands that have played Sea. Hear. Now. are part of an underlying do-it-yourself movement that has existed in the city for decades. The Saint and the Stone Pony are far from the only influential venues in this city. In the 1960s, Asbury Lanes began hosting live music to entertain bowlers who hung out downtown. As time went on, ‘The Lanes’ became a bit of an underground DIY-style venue, and in the early 2000s, there was a thriving garage-band punk scene in the area. A few years ago, The Lanes was purchased and renovated back to its former glory. The new building has brought a lot of attention to Asbury Park since it re-opened in 2018.
One of the headliners, The B-52s, perfectly represented the Jersey Shore. Fred Schneider’s “Homecoming King” sash reminded the audience that he was in his own backyard, and you can’t beat “Rock Lobster” as a beach concert anthem.
Even the typically rowdy Dropkick Murphys crowd embraced the relaxed vibes of the beach. Despite extra security, a crowd that would normally fold into a mosh pit seemed to be mellowed out by the ocean air.
Clinch, one of rock and roll’s most famous photographers, is the New Jersey native who co-founded the festival. He was seen on stage and in his art gallery with many of the acts, driving home the importance of a world where connections can help make or break an event. Clinch’s influence was clearly a big part of the festival’s lineup curation, and one reason this brand-new festival was able to start off with such a strong lineup.
Is New Jersey’s oceanside music city the next rock and roll capital of the world? With a well-established history, a renewed interest in investment and development, and now a world-class music festival, it seems like the sky is the limit.
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Address: Asbury Park, NJ 07712, USA
