All pictures taken by Thunderbird Ranch with my lousy camera

Asbury Park, NJ may just very well be the most musical city in the world… for its size. If I were to create a music tour of the northeast, it is a must hit destination.


At every turn the culture is steeped in music, and bands line up to play its clubs all week and year long (even during winter).


The new Asbury Lanes connected to the newish Asbury Hotel hosted The Hold Steady Saturday night (July 27, 2018) and lured me in when the show was first announced, but it was the late night seven piece funk band called Waiting Mongo at The Langosta Lounge and the Johnny Cash-singing trio at one of the the boardwalk bars that shook this fanny most. The guys in Waiting Mongo were mad entertaining, especially the talented Jack Black-like sax man.

Waiting Mongo having fun! All pictures taken by Thunderbird Ranch with my lousy camera

With The Stone Pony and Wonder Bar as ground zero, Asbury Lanes and The Paramount Theater provide a big stage for bands with large followings, while The Saint, Langosta Lounge and House of Independents (the Squirrel Nut Zippers are playing Aug 7!!) are more intimate and book terrific acts, too.


My personal favorite is inside at The Stone Pony (not a fan at all of their outdoor summer stage) and Wonder Bar, which both reek rock and roll. NOTE TO STONE PONY: Please get some decent tequlia. 


The new Asbury Lanes was a little hollow for my tastes (like Brooklyn Steele), but serviceable no the less. The Hold Steady show kinda felt like the party scene they were featured in on HBO’s “Billions”.

With a new piano man that seemed a bit out of synch (I will cut him slack) and annoyingly sang along to every song, the Hold Steady didn’t pop like they normally do (see Brooklyn Bow story). I was in my usual stage right front rail spot. I actually introduced my girlfriend to the band (she was a trooper), who was entertained by the “old guys” onstage and crowd surfing audience.  Unfortunately, Craig Finn and boys didn’t play my favorite Hold Steady song (Southtown Girls) that I had been singing over and over during our ride down. The band did an interesting thing I’ve never seen before by bringing out one of their crew to sing on his 33rd birthday (a theme in Hold Steady tunes)… very authentic and fun.


Here is full set list.

Maybe my tude would have been different if we were not so dazzled by the trio of bands the night before (The Weight at Stony Pony, Mystic Bowie at Wonder Bar and Waiting Mongo at Langoosta Lounge).


Of the hundred songs we heard, 10 were great… the absolute best was the horn-driven Allman Brothers cover “Whipping Post” by Waiting Mongo… yes I know again with this band, but I was smitten (for a bit).


Nonetheless, the total live music and music-focused wares at the shops in town added up to quite the experience.

Great wall of music at Asbury Hotel All pictures taken by Thunderbird Ranch with my lousy camera

As our dear patron saints in The Band sing, “Go on out and catch the Show… there will be saints and sinners, losers and winners, all kinds of people you’ll want know…”


Keep flapping rancheleros.