Four years strong

related items

Rick Barry's finest hour

Songwriter in top form on latest CD

Quincy Mumford headlines at Stone Pony

Allenhurst singer-songwriter tops historic gig

If you've been meaning to get to Asbury Park to experience the notably buzzed about cultural rebirth and the musical renaissance that has pervaded the City by the Sea, you might want to pop by this weekend and see for yourself what's creating this swell of revivification.

After months of planning and organizing, Asbury Park's burgeoning independent music community, along with Jersey Shore Metromix.com and Miller Lite, are set to host the fourth annual Wave Gathering Music Festival, June 19-21.

The three-day festival, which boasts an array of musical genres, will showcase more than 180 artists in 23 venues. Panels and workshops highlighting all topics of the music industry will also be held.

On Saturday, from noon till 6 p.m., Cookman Avenue in downtown Asbury Park will be closed to traffic from Main Street to Grand Avenue for a free outdoor street festival. Several of the award-winning restaurants along the route will be participating festival style from tented sites. Along with numerous vendors, representatives of festival co-sponsor Miller Lite will be selling their beverage to attendees of legal age.

The many unique shops, galleries, boutiques, and antique stores along Cookman Avenue will be open throughout the festival.

Finding a member of the Asbury Park music community who doesn't have his or her heart and soul invested in the cultural and economic growth of the City by the Sea is a challenge.

Lindsey Miller, 27-year-old singer songwriter, Asbury Park resident, and member of local bands Divine Sign and The Sunday Blues, had this to say about the festival, "Being part of the Wave Gathering really is what being part of our community is all about. We all look forward to it and each year it gets better. It's also a very important networking weekend for us. It gives us the opportunity to meet bands from out of state and possibly develop working relationships with them, for trading shows in each others areas and telling our friends and fans about each other."

Another outstanding member of the music community and Asbury Park resident as well, artist Rick Barry, also 27, said, "The Wave Gathering Music Festival is all about community. The artist community here in Asbury has been thriving and growing throughout the city's redevelopment. We've been supporting Asbury Park since before they tore down the old Skeleton building to put up the new one. Ideally, we'll be able to continue to preserve the artistic disposition that has kept this town alive culturally in the past, while also assisting in the economic growth and rebuilding of Asbury Park, meaning both sides of the tracks, East and West, not just Cookman and Ocean avenues."

Christine Martucci, the playful, crowd-pleasing and gutsy Jersey Girl rocker, along with her band, will set the tone for the day on Saturday opening the Metromix Miller Lite Day Stage at noon. A host of local favorites and touring acts will follow. Rising artist Val Emmich, with his brillianty balanced between pop and indie rock style, will be also performing.

Emmich, a Jersey native as well, has paralleled a flourishing music career with the highly successful acting work he's done this past year. Last season he played a recurring role as the musician love interest of America Ferrera's character, Betty, on ABC's hit show, Ugly Betty.

Red Wanting Blue, the startlingly powerful Ohio-based underground alternative rock band, will undoubtedly be taking the stage to the uproarious cheers of those in-the-know Asbury Park scenesters who've caught the touring band when they've played The Saint.

The anticipated crowds of thousands will in be in for a thrill when drummer Jay Weinberg, fresh off his European tour with Springsteen and The E Street Band, takes to the stage with his alternative post-hardcore punk rock band, The Reveling. The apple doesn't fall far, and the Mighty Max's son packs a provoking power punch that is sure to leave festival goers invigorated for days.

Local blues rocker Matt O'Ree will be displaying his extraordinary guitar prowess with his well-built Matt O'Ree Band, and the buzz-worthy Stone Pony house band, Outside The Box, should also delight.

The widely and wildly popular Asbury Park rock band, Status Green, will close the afternoon at 5 p.m. Friday night, Saturday night and all day Sunday there will be indoor performances held around the city from the Boardwalk to Main Street.

Many of Asbury Park's most highly touted talents will be performing in the various participating venues.

Up and coming tri-state area bands will be joining other emerging artists from across the country and around the world on the stages of Asbury Park all weekend.

Ken Sorensen, a 25-year veteran musician of the Asbury Park music scene who will be playing the Wave Gathering alongside Miller and Barry, reflected on the progressions that the music of Asbury Park has made in the time he's been around.

"Asbury Park has always been a hot bed of music. Has been since the early 1900s when it was a developing resort town. There was a big peak with Springsteen, but things have always come in cycles here. Now is much better than I've ever known it to be. The variety of music being played is incredible. There's always something going on. The Wave Gathering is a great way to showcase local talent and to help the music community grow. I really think that the Wave Gathering could become as big as the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, TX, and potentially help Asbury Park to become a national destination for music lovers much like New Orleans or Memphis."

Co-founders and organizers of the Wave Gathering, Gordon Brown, of All Hour Entertainment, and Scott Stamper, co-owner of The Saint, would rather you pay attention to the music being played than wonder about all the magic it takes to put the festival together. I did, however, get the answers I wanted to a couple of key questions I had for the two.

I asked Gordon Brown how the idea for the Wave Gathering was born, and what it was that inspired him to put the festival together.

"After being a songwriter, a touring and recording musician for the last 15 years, and now working with many talented new artists, I felt we needed to have something that represented our area's diverse music community," Brown said. "Together, Scott and I felt the need to create an event for all the artists that work so hard to do this. When you play in a band, write songs, and perform, you need to have a music community that supports what you do. We are lucky enough to have that here in Asbury Park. The festival helps bring that community together and gives everyone a chance to learn about the music industry. I went to my partners with the idea and we all came up with the right name and concept."

In not so many words, I asked Scott Stamper exactly how long is it that he's been The Wizard, the man behind the curtain of the Asbury Park music scene.

"I started in 1989 at T-Birds Café' (Asbury Park). My first show was with Dash Rip Rock (New Orleans). The first time I saw them was at my first South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival earlier that year. I started to book at T-Birds Café' full time in 1991. I opened The Saint along with Adam Weisberg in the fall of 1994. The Saint has gotten stronger every year. We are the longest running music venue in Asbury Park, marking 15 years this fall. Other music venues in Asbury Park have closed and re-opened over the years, while we have not skipped a beat presenting live original music 5-7 nights a week. The Saint is very proud of that milestone. We take pride in being here for the local musicians and we are very proud to be part of the Asbury Park Music Scene, The Saint and the Wave Gathering Music Festival."

It takes a ripple to create a wave. This weekend the Asbury Park music community will be riding the crest.