COMING ATTRACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: PROPRIETARY HOUSE ANNUAL GHOST TOURS WITH JANE DOHERTY(night #2) Saturday October 26th 2013  by Calvin Schwartz

Jane Doherty is most amazing. She was a guest on our NJ Discover Radio Show a few weeks ago. Many of you may have heard her sense the presence of a departed spiritual ‘soldier’ in our studio with us. It’s much too long of a story now, but she was so hauntingly right on. So when I heard about her Proprietary House Annual Ghost Tour, it was an instant given for me to be there and experience it and add it to our Coming Attraction and Recommendation Feature here at NJ Discover.

You can find Jane Doherty on Facebook and for each event like  Saturday October 26^th you can find a separate Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/386895938089034/?previousaction=join&source=1

THE ANNUAL GHOST TOURS!!!!

FEATURING WORLD RENOWN PSYCHIC JANE DOHERTY TO LEAD THE WAY! Does the ghost of a little boy remain to play around with visitors? Does a lady in white solemnly walk the hallways, waiting for her long-lost love to return? Just how many ghosts are there at the Proprietary House? Join us for our world-famous annual ghost tours, just in time for the spookiness of Halloween! Tours are approximately one hour long and each tour leaves precisely on the hour. See where the past and present collide, the hauntings we have experienced, and the history behind them!

Proprietary House Museum

149 Kearny Ave, Perth Amboy, New Jersey 08861

View Map · Get Directions

Admission is a $10 donation per person. Reservations not required unless you have a group of 8 or more. Email us at info@theproprietaryhouse.org for more information.

**PLEASE NOTE: Friday tours run from 7-11pm. Saturday tours are 6-10pm, as to accommodate younger visitors. There is a different event page for each tour, so make sure you realize the times for the date you are coming.**

 A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROPRIETARY HOUSE:

Welcome to one of the most historic buildings in the United States!  Completed in 1764, The Proprietary House has served as a residence to New Jersey’s last Royal Governor, a stylish hotel, a private mansion, a retirement home, a boarding house, and now as office space and a museum. A true survivor, this building has seen war and peace, fire and storms, neglect and restoration, to stand as a witness to 250 years of American history.

The Movie Documentary ‘Destiny’s Bridge.’  A Movie REVIEW and OCEAN COUNTY PREMIERE on November 7^th.  And Notes on my Personal Journey to Involvement.   By Calvin Schwartz  October 18 2013

I need to say firstly that this amazing documentary by filmmaker Jack Ballo, ‘Destiny’s Bridge,’ where he spent a year of his life recording the lives of the homeless in Lakewood, is having its Ocean County  premiere at AMC Loews Seacourt 10 Theater on November 7th 2013

More Info on November Ocean  County Premiere:

Thursday, November 7, 2013Movie @ 7pm,  Q&A to follow. AMC Loews Seacourt 10 Theater

635 Bay Avenue   Toms River, NJ 08753

ADVANCE TICKETS ONLINE:   www.brownpapertickets.com/event/483381

Tickets may be purchased at the door while tickets last.

(The last two screenings were sold out in advance.)

CALVIN’S REVIEW:  DESTINY’S BRIDGE

I’m not a Siskel or Ebert. On the other hand, I have evolved over my tech noir years of ‘Casablanca,’ ‘From Here to Eternity,’ ‘On the Waterfront;’ where perhaps I’m now a contender to talk about movies. Part of the evolution side effect is a bit of snobbish attitude to viewing movies; can’t waste time watching ineptitude in film making and storytelling. Movie making is an art form and a great gift. The works of quintessential movie makers fascinate me. I’ll notice eye-brows moving and the wispy windy sounds of a tree next to a window as two characters are staring at the moon. I take it all in; pure cinematic absorption. I need to learn, emote and feel. Looking back, motion pictures have helped congeal my views of the world and changed my life. Watching ‘Casablanca’ for the 44th time some years ago formed the basis of my first novel.

So when I previewed the movie ‘Destiny’s Bridge’ a few  months ago, I found myself instantly riveted into the world of Tent City. My emotional ties developed quickly with the residents; sensitive caring humans looking for dignity and respect in a cold world. Jack Ballo seamlessly weaves their stories and interconnectivity of existence; how they depend on one another. I can say it was beautiful film making; vivid photography heightened the stark reality. You will learn about the harsh human condition of homelessness from this documentary.

Yes, it is an exquisite film which means sensitive, emotional, real and poignant.  Back to my being a snob about movies; I’ve since watched it again. You may need to do the same; the film delivers a powerful message about homelessness and Minister Steven Brigham’s vision for a future. Then Jack Ballo’s treatise on the lives of some of the people; you grow fond and bond with them, maybe wanting to reach out and help. You care about their lives. The film is beautiful because it makes you feel something inside. It evokes. I love when I’m evoked to emote by a film.

It was a painstaking meticulous project for Ballo; a year of his life for the desire to make a difference. I look at myself right now at this point in time somewhere in a universe. ‘Destiny’s Bridge’ has innervated and moved me; therefore a brilliant work. There’s sadness in the final scene looking down from high above; in some ways leaving that homeless world below but also heralding an awareness that much needs to be done.  All my above criteria for good movie making have been met; I call it a contender. Here’s thanking and looking at you Jack Ballo.

MY PERSONAL NOTES ON TENT CITY:

Calvin Schwartz

Journeys to sensitivity and understanding sometimes begin innocently with little fanfare and symphonies. On Easter Sunday 2012, I attended a concert of awareness for the people of Tent City in Lakewood passionately put together by Rosemary Conte. With my son, we filmed the event for NJ Discover. I had no concept of what Tent City was and the fact that around 100 humans were living in tents for years without electricity, heat or basic amenities because Ocean County has no shelters for the homeless. Tent City was 24 minutes from where I’ve lived for 24 years but that didn’t register in my frontal lobe. While listening to the music close to the staging area, a bus of Tent City residents arrived at the far end of the plaza for food and clothing donations. Minister Stephen Brigham brought the tent residents in his yellow school bus; that scene was still far away from me in several ways. I stayed with my son but saw people holding empty plates waiting on a food line. An image of President Herbert Hoover’s Great Depression flashed across my unsympathetic retina. Close to the musicians I remained.  It seemed the thing to do. When I got home that night, I forgot about the hungry homeless and talked to my family about the special Jersey musicians I heard for the first time.

Cut to January. Hurricane Sandy relief concerts were happening all over the Garden State. My past written words of support and admiration for Rosemary Conte and her wondrous musical and life contributions caught up to her; we became friends. She invited me to cover a Sandy benefit concert at McCloone’s in Asbury Park for NJ Discover. I interviewed her and then came an introduction to Sherry Rubel, concert organizer, photographer extraordinaire and Tent City activist.

Now it’s February. I’m at a place for coffee and conversation on a busy highway in East Brunswick, N.J with Sherry Rubel. Two weeks later on a very cold sunny day, Tara-Jean Vitale (NJ Discover producer) and I met Sherry across the street from the entrance to Tent City in Lakewood. We were packing TV cameras and microphones for our day in a new world. Patches of pure white snow from the night before looked like special effects. The dirt road was frozen; so was I emotionally. A thin veil of disbelief at my surroundings settled subtly around me. It was numbing; humans in the second richest state in America existing like this. Then I met Angelo, an endearing eloquent resident who invited me into his tent, briefly excusing himself, while I stood immobile and incredulous on how cold it was in the tent.  He went outside to chop wood for the wood burning stove which was not warming the tent well.  His bed was made perfectly. At that moment, in such brutal cold, where humans sleep and exist in the Lakewood winter, I thought about never being quite the same again. And I’m not. Something inside me aches (a soul?) from being overwhelmed. An hour later we interviewed Minister Steven Brigham, a twelfth generation American. Illuminating and inspiring to us, he’s been devoting much of an adult lifetime to the cause of ‘Destiny’s Bridge;’ a journey to finding suitable and dignified housing in a self-sustainable community of homeless humans. I like using the term ‘humans.’

It’s not within the scope of this article to do self-intestinal excavation and journalizing my time at Tent City.  But a few months later, I was back there with filmmaker Jack Ballo and had a chance to meet residents and talk and listen. Uncovering his wealth of character and poignancy, I met Michael, a long time Tent City resident with his wife Marilyn. He was able to bring a piano from his home before it was lost and kept it under a tarp like on a baseball field in a rainstorm. He played Beethoven and Procul Harum, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ for me. Enamored and drawn to his depth and warmth, I drifted far away standing close to Michael; I was still numb from months earlier at Tent City. It was cloudy and mild this day; easier for Michael and all the residents to sleep at night. But it is all hard; a very hard rain. I need to yell; maybe it will help me understand how and why in 2013 here in New Jersey this exists. Everything I saw that day after listening to Michael play the piano was visually a whiter shade of pale; hard to explain.  It’s still hard months later.

SO MUCH MORE THAN A SPECIAL FIRST ANNUAL 5K RACE ON OCTOBER 20^TH: ‘THE BUTTERFLY CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. ’ REGISTRATION FOR RACE STILL OPEN  By Calvin Schwartz

Life is mystery, synchronicity, purpose and journey. Two years ago in a random act of connectivity and social media networking, I was in a far away place and met a new friend, Eddie F. on line. In a matter of minutes, we bonded digitally (he lived in Arizona) and soon after, Eddie told me about an amazing New Jersey woman, a Gold-Star military mother who lost her son in Iraq when he was only 20 years old. Energies of the universe move quickly and decisively. I became friends with Ida Gonzalez and nearly two years ago at Christmas time, we met on Route 18 in a real Jersey diner and sealed a beautiful friendship.

I learned about her son Spc. Michael L. Gonzalez and all that she does to give back to so many in her son’s memory. Out of the memory of Michael, Ida started the ‘Butterfly Circle of Friends’ which is a non-profit organization to assist those in need both locally and worldwide. “Michael was in Iraq to make a difference in other’s lives and we want to continue his legacy.”

In my journalistic world, I was so moved by Ida, her husband Pedro and son Troy that I went to hooplaha.com (an upbeat national website) and helped produce an amazing short video about Ida and her son Michael. The video was acclaimed by many who’ve seen it; a very special poignant emotional few minutes about love, caring and devotion. Here is that link to the video:

http://www.hooplaha.com/a-mothers-journey-to-light/

Now I’m thrilled to cover and announce another special event in honor of Spc. Michael L. Gonzalez as part of the ‘Butterfly Circle of Friends’ continuing commitment to give back and make aware. All the information is contained below in the flyers. Hoping to see you at the ‘First Annual 5K Race/One Mile Walk/Kids Race on Sunday October 20^th.’

INFORMATION BELOW TO REGISTER FOR RACE!!!!

Calvin Schwartz

 A Major FREEHOLD LIVE Music Event to Celebrate BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S Birthday: THUNDER ROAD THURSDAY.  Acoustic Lounge @American Legion Post-54           62 W.Main St. Freehold, NJ.  Thursday September 26^th 7 PM.  Many Performers.    By Calvin Schwartz

I live two traffic lights from downtown Freehold and for a quarter of a century I’ve been pondering the relationship between music, Bruce Springsteen’s hometown, Freehold (the county seat of Monmouth County) and the plethora of cool hip restaurants and the fact there just isn’t that overwhelming essence of live music that bespeaks the ambiance of this historic (Revolutionary War) quaint town. (I think this was a run on sentence but I needed to make a point) Point being; live music is finally setting up shop the way it was pre-destined and now the evolution, revolution(almost)by the visionaries and pioneers( Jimmy Arcoleo & Gene Walk) that have brought the Acoustic Lounge to Freehold. Indeed. I am excited by the prospects and energies of acoustic live music in a town two traffic lights from where I have a bowl of oatmeal every morning.

As far as Thursday September 26^th and The Acoustic Lounge and Bruce Springsteen’s Birthday Celebration and THUNDER ROAD THURSDAY; I am so excited about the night that I cancelled a doubles tennis match of significant consequence which is personally evident of my intention to be at the American Legion and Acoustic Lounge early and I never cancel tennis.  Here’s to that first time and looking at you kids, about to join us for a special night.

As of this writing (Friday 9-20-13  1022 AM) here is a retrieved collection of notes about the performers in chronological performance order:

Gene Walk, Jimmy Arcoleo, Albert Cestero, Joe Heumiller, Virago, Alliance Singers, Tommy Byrne, Eddie Testa, Lee and Sheri, Lori Gilmore, Acoustic Step Aside, Chris Daniels, Eddie Mac, Michael Heumiller, Willie and John, Nikki Briar, Pat Roddy, Strumberry Pie, Taz, Joe Cartwright, Neal DeSimone, Jo Bonnano.

Once again the address: the Acoustic Lounge@ the American Legion Post 54, 62 W.Main st. Freehold, NJ

CALVIN SCHWARTZ

COMING ATTRACTIONS: “Party on the Patio…. the Retirement Edition”!!  Long Branch NJ  September 28 6 to 10 PM

As I continue to look for poignant, interesting events over NJ Discover’s territorial claim here in central Jersey, this retirement (they are always bittersweet) party caught my eye and especially since ice cream and music are involved, I thought mentioning it would be appropriate; any reason to visit the Jersey shore is appropriate.  Have fun.

Calvin Schwartz

After 14 years of making the BEST ice cream you’ve ever enjoyed, Muriel & Dan Wilson are hanging up their ice cream scoopers!
In honor of their 14 years of operating Wilson’s Home-Made Ice Cream, a retirement party to end all retirement parties is happening on Saturday, September 28th from 6 – 10:00 p. m. at Wilson’s Home-Made Ice Cream at the Ursula Plaza {444 Ocean Blvd. North} in Long Branch, NJ!

Join us for our LAST “Party on the Patio… the Retirement Edition” as Muriel & Dan spin some more of your favorite flavors! Jimmy Givens, your “OLDIES MAVEN” will be spinning the “OLDIES”… taking your requests & dedications, games, trivia with lots of souvenirs and surprises!

So come on out and wish Muriel & Dan all the best on the beginning of the next chapter of their lives as we PARTY… ALL NIGHT LONG {at least ’til 10}!

As a thank you to their loyal customers, Wilson’s will be selling their ice cream at 50% off from September 19th to the finale… September 28th!

Sussex County Sunflower Maze – Aerial Video
Maze Address is 553 County Route 565, Augusta, NJ
1/2 mile North of Ross’s Corner
Now Open for the 2013 Season

Produced by NJ Discover Productions.

Hours Tuesday – Sunday -10 am – 6 pm!

Our Season is very weather dependent, we hope to be open thru September
Welcome to The Sussex County Sunflower Maze TM.

Visit the NJ Sunflower Maze and see

The Largest Sunflower Field on The East Coast.

Over 1.5 Million Flowers Planted!

Located 1/2 mile north of Ross’s Corner in Augusta, NJ, on Route 565.

The address is 553 Route 565, Augusta, NJ.

Please be sure to Visit Roseline’s Farm & Bakery for the best Farm Fresh Goodies you can get!

Want to know what this years Maze Design is? Like us on Facebook to be the first to see it!

All 3 sections of the maze are now open! There are over 3 miles of walking trails ans 70 acres of scenic vistas!

We post current daily pictures on our Facebook page and the progress and state of the blooms!

The entire field now has blooms! The plantings have been staggered so we can extend the bloom time for the longest period of enjoyment

New for 2013
Scare Crow Contest!

Bring old, worn, or stained clothes and accessories, we will supply the straw! Build your own scare crow, take a picture of it and post it on our Facebook page to Enter the contest. Winner will be selected on September 30.

The Kids Scavenger Hunt is now in place and better than ever!

Coming Attractions and Recommendations: 2nd Annual BELMAR Music and Arts Festival!!  Tues Aug 27th

On a personal note, I went to the First Annual BELMAR Music and Arts Festival last year. Of course I love the music of Danny White. I love listening to the legend, Jerry Pashin taking on two trumpets at a time. I love Belmar, NJ. Some folks know about my strong attachment to this special Jersey shore town. I’d even go as far to say that it approaches nirvana to be sitting on the beach, the ocean a few hundred feet behind you, the setting sun glistening in your face, music on the boardwalk with gentle breezes stirring. (Hey, I’m a writer so I’m supposed to be describing things like this )  It’s a great setting and an even better way to usher in the Labor Day weekend and summer’s slow slip sliding away.  Calvin Schwartz   11:54am 8-20-13

Tuesday August 27th 2013  from 6 to 9 PM

ASBURY PARK COMEDY FEST WEEKEND Aug 23, 24 and 26th  (Aug 24th BIG Comedy Show at Paramount Theatre) BE THERE!!!!

On a personal note:  last year’s first Comedy Fest in Asbury Park was a magical hands-on (Vincent Pastore running around outside on the Boardwalk and Mike Marino being the NJ Bad Boy of Comedy) amazing fun time.  A lot of laughs of course and surprises. Same with next week for the 2nd ANNUAL ASBURY PARK COMEDY FEST.   I also like the night before the Paramount Show at the Wonder Bar (Aug 23rd) to unwind and let loose. I love the notion of comedic surprises at the Paramount. I love/need laughing for a few hours non stop. As a local  writer these past few years, I always seek the words to move, motivate and extricate folks from the confines of their sedentary sofas to come down to the shore. There are too many reasons for you all (yawl) to get to Asbury Park next weekend. Hey it’s the shore, NJ strong stuff, plenty of restaurants and art galleries and eclectic electric comedians and hosted by Mike Marino.    

Calvin Schwartz  1:11 pm  Aug 16th 2013

l

Tent City in Lakewood. The Movie Documentary ‘Destiny’s Bridge.’  A Movie Review and Personal Journey to Involvement. Premiere August 7^th at Two River Theatre in Red Bank   By Calvin Schwartz  August 1^st 2013

Right off the top of my frontal lobe, I need to say that this amazing documentary by filmmaker Jack Ballo, ‘Destiny’s Bridge,’ where he spent a year of his life recording the lives of the homeless in Lakewood, is having its world premiere at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey on August 7^th.

Journeys to sensitivity and understanding sometimes begin innocently with little fanfare and symphonies. On Easter Sunday 2012, I attended a concert of awareness for the people of Tent City in Lakewood passionately put together by Rosemary Conte. With my son, we filmed the event for NJ Discover. I had no concept of what Tent City was and the fact that around 100 humans were living in tents for years without electricity, heat or basic amenities because Ocean County has no shelters for the homeless. Tent City was 24 minutes from where I’ve lived for 24 years but that didn’t register in my frontal lobe. While listening to the music close to the staging area, a bus of Tent City residents arrived at the far end of the plaza for food and clothing donations. Minister Stephen Brigham brought the tent residents in his yellow school bus; that scene was still far away from me in several ways. I stayed with my son but saw people holding empty plates waiting on a food line. An image of President Herbert Hoover’s Great Depression flashed across my unsympathetic retina. Close to the musicians I remained.  It seemed the thing to do. When I got home that night, I forgot about the hungry homeless and talked to my family about the special Jersey musicians I heard for the first time.

Cut to January. Hurricane Sandy relief concerts were happening all over the Garden State. My past written words of support and admiration for Rosemary Conte and her wondrous musical and life contributions caught up to her; we became friends. She invited me to cover a Sandy benefit concert at McCloone’s in Asbury Park for NJ Discover. I interviewed her and then came an introduction to Sherry Rubel, concert organizer, photographer extraordinaire and Tent City activist.

Now it’s February. I’m at a place for coffee and conversation on a busy highway in East Brunswick, N.J with Sherry Rubel. Two weeks later on a very cold sunny day, Tara-Jean Vitale (NJ Discover producer) and I met Sherry across the street from the entrance to Tent City in Lakewood. We were packing TV cameras and microphones for our day in a new world. Patches of pure white snow from the night before looked like special effects. The dirt road was frozen; so was I emotionally. A thin veil of disbelief at my surroundings settled subtly around me. It was numbing; humans in the second richest state in America existing like this. Then I met Angelo, an endearing eloquent resident who invited me into his tent, briefly excusing himself, while I stood immobile and incredulous on how cold it was in the tent.  He went outside to chop wood for the wood burning stove which was not warming the tent well.  His bed was made perfectly. At that moment, in such brutal cold, where humans sleep and exist in the Lakewood winter, I thought about never being quite the same again. And I’m not. Something inside me aches (a soul?) from being overwhelmed. An hour later we interviewed Minister Stephen Brigham, a twelfth generation American. Illuminating and inspiring to us, he’s been devoting much of an adult lifetime to the cause of ‘Destiny’s Bridge;’ a journey to finding suitable and dignified housing in a self-sustainable community of homeless humans. I like using the term ‘humans.’

It’s not within the scope of this article to do self-intestinal excavation and journalizing my time at Tent City.  But a few months later, I was back there with filmmaker Jack Ballo and had a chance to meet residents and talk and listen. Uncovering his wealth of character and poignancy, I met Michael, a long time Tent City resident with his wife Marilyn. He was able to bring a piano from his home before it was lost and kept it under a tarp like on a baseball field in a rainstorm. He played Beethoven and Procul Harum, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ for me. Enamored and drawn to his depth and warmth, I drifted far away standing close to Michael; I was still numb from months earlier at Tent City. It was cloudy and mild this day; easier for Michael and all the residents to sleep at night. But it is all hard; a very hard rain. I need to yell; maybe it will help me understand how and why in 2013 here in New Jersey this exists. Everything I saw that day after listening to Michael play the piano was visually a whiter shade of pale; hard to explain; perhaps a perfect segue to review the documentary, ‘Destiny’s Bridge.’

REVIEW:  DESTINY’S BRIDGE

I’m not a Siskel or Ebert. On the other hand, I have evolved over my tech noir years of ‘Casablanca,’ ‘From Here to Eternity,’ ‘On the Waterfront;’ where perhaps I’m now a contender to talk about movies. Part of the evolution side effect is a bit of snobbish attitude to viewing movies; can’t waste time watching ineptitude in film making and storytelling. Movie making is an art form and a great gift. The works of quintessential movie makers fascinate me. I’ll notice eye-brows moving and the wispy windy sounds of a tree next to a window as two characters are staring at the moon. I take it all in; pure cinematic absorption. I need to learn, emote and feel. Looking back, motion pictures have helped congeal my views of the world and changed my life. Watching ‘Casablanca’ for the 44^th time some years ago formed the basis of my first novel.

So when I previewed the movie ‘Destiny’s Bridge’ a few weeks ago, I found myself instantly riveted into the world of Tent City. My emotional ties developed quickly with the residents; sensitive caring humans looking for dignity and respect in a cold world. Jack Ballo seamlessly weaves their stories and interconnectivity of existence; how they depend on one another. I can say it was beautiful film making; vivid photography heightened the stark reality. You will learn about the harsh human condition of homelessness from this documentary.

Yes, it is an exquisite film which means sensitive, emotional, real and poignant.  Back to my being a snob about movies; I’ve since watched it again. You may need to do the same; the film delivers a powerful message about homelessness and Minister Stephen Brigham’s vision for a future. Then Jack Ballo’s treatise on the lives of some of the people; you grow fond and bond with them, maybe wanting to reach out and help. You care about their lives. The film is beautiful because it makes you feel something inside. It evokes. I love when I’m evoked to emote by a film.

It was a painstaking meticulous project for Ballo; a year of his life for the desire to make a difference. I look at myself right now at this point in time somewhere in a universe. ‘Destiny’s Bridge’ has innervated and moved me; therefore a brilliant work. There’s sadness in the final scene looking down from high above; in some ways leaving that homeless world below but also heralding an awareness that much needs to be done.  All my above criteria for good movie making have been met; I call it a contender. Here’s thanking and looking at you Jack Ballo.

Important Links:  http://www.destinysbridge.com/

http://www.ultravisionfilms.com

https://www.facebook.com/DestinysBridge

INFORMATION ON MOVIE PREMIERE:

ORDER TICKETS HERE ON LINE!! REALLY ALMOST SOLD OUT!!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/412674?date=859361

Advance online tickets for the film premiere of Destiny’s Bridge are nearly sold out!!

Best you order yours before the end of today. ($12 at the door) Wed. Aug. 7, 7p.m., Two River Theater, Red Bank. So much art & culture for such a low price!!

6:30 – lobby exhibit of photography by Sherry Rubel

7:00 – showing of this beautiful and important documentary “Destiny’s Bridge”

8:20 – Q & A; Introduction to the audience to filmmaker Jack Ballo, Univision Films; Minister Steve Brigham, and residents of Tent City featured in the film. Emcee is Dr. Michael Paul Thomas, Monmouth University.

8:45 – Reception, wine & cheese, piano music by Michael, a Tent City resident.

Photos for all on the Red Carpet.

COMING ATTRACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Half Way 2 Mardi Gras at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park on Wednesday, July 31st ,2013  by Calvin Schwartz

Here’s how my “Coming Attractions and Recommendations” column at NJ Discover receives energy, vibes and participatory inclinations. I’m like a rocket tethered to life support systems about to take off. I need the energy. And then an event comes along that I get excited about; it launches me into word seek, like now.

Edward Maier from ElmThree productions contacted me last week about ‘Half Way 2 Mardi Gras: From the Big Easy to Asbury Park’ and told me about the event, the performers and venue, Asbury Lanes on July 31^st.  I’ve written in the past about heading back to the future at Asbury Lanes and I know about the magic music of Bonerama, Eric Lindell and The Sunliners and Soul Project.

Indeed the venue, Asbury Lanes, is special and time-warped and the flavor of Mardi Gras can magic carpet (rocket) anyone down south instantly.  Then after I posted a notice on my Facebook wall, I got a message from a good friend from Owings Mills, Maryland (near Baltimore) about how much he loves Eric Lindell, suggesting he’d even travel up 95 for this event; therefore enough energy for me to recommend and urge readers at NJ Discover to get thee to Asbury Lanes on July 31^st. And even better, Sandy Mack is the emcee for the night.

Calvin Schwartz   July 21, 2013

The Saint and ElmThree Productions present Half Way 2 Mardi Gras at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park on Wednesday, July 31st ,2013

July 21st, 2013 (ASBURY PARK, NJ) – The Saint and ElmThree Productions are pleased to present Half Way 2 Mardi Gras at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park on Wednesday, July 31st at 8:00 pm (7:00pm doors).  Tickets are available through Ticketweb and at the door the day of the show.  Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day of the show at the door. Tickets are also available at The Saint at 601 Main St., Asbury Park. 

http://HalfWay2MardiGras.com

Half Way 2 Mardi Gras is a powerhouse night of New Orleans based rock featuring Bonerama, Eric Lindell & The Sunliners and The Soul Project.  We are pleased to have Asbury Park’s own Sandy Mack as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Even in a city that doesn’t play by the rules, New Orleans’ Bonerama is something different. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song. Bonerama has been repeatedly recognized by Rolling Stone, hailed as “the ultimate in brass balls” (2005) and praised for their “…crushing ensemble riffing, human-feedback shrieks and wah-wah growls” (2007). Bonerama carries the brass-band concept to places unknown; what other brass band could snag an honor for “Best Rock Band” (Big Easy Awards 2007 and 2010)? Co-Founders trombonists Marc Mullins and Craig Klein were both members of Harry Connick’s band.

Eric Lindell writes music that is as at home on your front porch on a summer evening as it is in a hot sweaty club on a Saturday night. It is southern soul music, infused with R&B and a touch of New Orleans funk. It is blues music, glazed with a taste of country. It is simple, heartfelt song writing; melodic guitar solos and energized live performance. Eric has been writing and recording songs for over 15 years, and is now touring behind the strength of his latest release I Still Love You. His band’s rhythm section, Myles Weeks on upright bass and Will McMains on drums, have been with Eric for over three years, making their performance on I Still Love You, as well as their live shows incredibly tight and intuitive. Both players are young, but have a swing feel of much more seasoned musicians.

Returning to New Jersey is The Soul Project.  Digging deep into the soulful grooves dug by O.V. Wright and Wilson Pickett, the funky moves of James Brown and Maceo Parker, the old school cool of the Meters and The Neville Brothers, and the feel good fuel of the Crescent City itself, the Soul Project brings New Orleans soul with them wherever they go.  Displaced by Hurricane Katrina, this group described as a “…hip group with horns…” spent 7 months building a following on the Jersey Shore and Tri-State area before returning to New Orleans to help and be part of the rebuilding process.

Asbury Lanes is a nightclub located at 209 4th Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712.

For further information or to schedule an interview, contact Ed Maier at (732) 948-1834 | ed@elmthree.com or Scott Stamper 732-245-0135 | saintnj601@aol.com.

For more information, contact:

Scott Stamper                                                             Edward Maier

The Saint                                                                     ElmThree Productions

732-245-0135                                                             732-948-1834

saintnj601@aol.com                                                    ed@elmthree.com

http://www.thesaintnj.com                                         http://ElmThree.com