Asbury Park Music Foundation Concert Summer Series Announced
The Asbury Park Music Foundation will once again host free concerts three days a week throughout the summer. Three separate series offer diverse styles of music appealing to all music lovers. Music Mondays at Springwood Park features a broad range of music that includes soul, funk, R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. The Asbury Park Live series on Wednesdays showcase emerging rock bands. Also, every Thursday the Asbury Park Concert Band will deliver a big band sound. These 28 shows are supported by generous sponsors, who bring the community together for free live music while also raising money for youth music education.
Music Mondays at Springwood Park
This free concert series takes place at the Springwood Avenue Park located between Atkins and Union Avenues every Monday from June 25th through August 28th (the final show is a Tuesday). The headline performers include local favorites Ray, Goodman & Brown, The Soul Cruisers and many others. Supporting acts all have roots in the Asbury Park community. Last year’s series attracted over 4,000 attendees for 10 weekly shows and this year’s lineup is sure to surpass those numbers.
The newly renovated Kula Café located adjacent to Springwood Park will be open for dinner and take out service on Monday nights throughout the concert series with patio seating available.
Shows begin at 6 p.m., and free street parking is available. The park is a short walk from the train station or downtown. Asbury Park, Complete Streets Coalition, will provide a free bicycle valet service. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. In the event of rain, shows will move to the Asbury Park train station (announced on the APMF Facebook page).
The series is part of Asbury Park Music Foundation’s goal to unite the community, support local musicians and inspire youth through live music. Our sponsors, committed to these same objectives, include Interfaith Neighbors, Asbury Park Press, Madison Marquette, NJ Natural Gas and the City of Asbury Park.
7/16 Xol Azul
7/23 Soul Project/Hip-Hop Institute
7/30 Special Show to be Announced
8/6 PJ Rasmussen & Boardwalk Jazz/Anya & PJ
8/13 Louis Prima Band/Lakehouse Music Academy (Sponsored by Gia Maione Prima Foundation, Inc.)
8/20 JT Bowen & The Red Bank Rockers/Lil Asmar Band
8/28* Sensational Soul Cruisers/Mayors Players (*Tuesday show)
Asbury Park LIVE
Wednesdays will be filled with live music on the Asbury Park Boardwalk at the First Avenue Green located next to MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos and Watermark. The series features fan favorites along with emerging bands. Each show opens with a youth band from Lakehouse Music Academy, many of which feature scholarship students supported by the Asbury Park Music Foundation.
Sponsors include MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos, Watermark, Pepsi, Ansell Grimm & Aaron, Stone Pony Summer Stage, Lakehouse Music Academy, Asbury Park Food Collective, Ocean First Bank, Asbury Park Distilling Company, Pucker, and Crepe Shop. The generosity of these sponsors provides not only free concerts but also a donation to APMF. Last year, the sponsorships funded an upgrade to the Hip-Hop Institute with a new sound booth and computer. This year funds will support a new Latin Experience Youth Music Camp being held in the summer at Lakehouse Music Academy.
There is also a special benefit show in advance of the summer series on June 14 at the APMF space on 621 Lake Avenue. This show features Sonic Blume, Yawn Mower, Sentient Moss and Not UR Baby. Funds raised will be added to donation to the youth programs. The schedule below is what I received for writing this article.
7/18 Long Neck/Ragged Lines
7/25 Waiting on Mongo/Tula Vera
8/1 ManDancing/Sugar Trip
8/8 LEEDS/The Do-Rights
8/15 [No show due to Summer Stage event]
8/22 Good Luck Spaceman/Earth Telephone
8/29 Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son/Levy and the Oaks
Asbury Park Concert Band
The famous Asbury Park Concert Band will entertain visitors for its 73rd season with musicians from the entire state participating. Each show is themed, including Broadway, patriotic, and big band jazz music. Another feature of the band is the special Children’s Concerts performed throughout the summer where talented students play with the group for part of the concert. Special seating on the Boardwalk is provided courtesy of Madison Marquette.
These free shows are held on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in front of Robinson Ale House. This series is sponsored by Investors Foundation, Robinson Ale House, the American Federation of Musicians Performance Trust Fund, and donations from community members.
Thursdays starting at 7 p.m.
7/19 Now on Broadway
7/26 Many Colors
8/2 Movie Time
8/9 Dorian Parreott’s All Stars
8/16 Great Entertainers
8/23 Another Openin’ Another Show
8/30 Salute to the Armed Forces
About Asbury Park Music Foundation
Asbury Park Music Foundation, a New Jersey 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides music education programs for under-served youth and promotes local events, musicians, and venues to unite the AP community, improve the economic well-being of residents and preserve AP’s legacy as a destination where music lives and music gives. Funds raised by APMF support youth music programs, including the Hip-Hop Institute at the Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, in-school music classes at Hope Academy, after-school music classes at Lady of Mt. Carmel School and Asbury Park public schools, and scholarships for under-served youth to attend the Lakehouse Academy.
