MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS: THE JERSEY SHORE  July 9^th 2015   bY Calvin Schwartz

It’s the old proverbial; who better to write an article on memories of the Jersey shore. My ‘involvement’ begins before I was born, when my parents went to the Buena Vista, a Belmar hotel, for the weekend as WWII was slowly winding down in late 1944. They stayed in the attic; nine months later I arrived. When I was ten, my parents started renting a bungalow in Belmar for August. That first summer of ’55, I discovered the pinball arcade, navigating the dust underneath the machines for lost coins, the Shark River Jetty, its meditative properties and the olfactory sensations of the boardwalk, in part, which smelled like a telephone pole back in Newark.

The essence of the shore begins about six to ten blocks away from the sand and beach.  Somehow only in Jersey, with the flatness of the geography of shore towns, from a distance, you can see the end of New Jersey and America; the vast blueness of ocean and sky meeting. That view is priceless and exciting. It’s that first shore sighting; a giant window to memories and new daily beach badge experiences. Yes, the beach badge, with its convoluted pin affixed to bathing suit. If only a season badge someday.

As I interviewed a diverse group of Jerseyans, many mentioned unique shore smells. Author Karen Kenney Smith, remembering a summer week spent at Asbury Park’s Atlantic Hotel liked the “musty smell of the tired carpet.” Moist ocean air everywhere contributed. Rock on Radio personality Danny Coleman focused on the panoply of boardwalk smells. They were pure Jersey food on boardwalk smells but, “Pizza aroma was everywhere.”  Musician Carmen Cosentino still loves the smell of “peanuts on the boardwalk.” He explained somehow it mixes with the salt air of Jersey’s Atlantic Ocean and has this additive effect of making you want peanuts even more.

I’m not sure how I started talking about the hair-do of the Jersey shore but maybe we have our own home-grown style. Insurance industry analyst Susan Michelle’s grandmother’s friends always had their hair in a net sitting on the beach with cigarettes dangling from lips. A card game was always going on. Carmen’s thought on hair, “Jersey women had the strangest hair-do; it looked like a bee-hive.”   Kathy Sinnott’s grandmother left the beach every day at 3PM to prepare for happy hour.

“And what happened when you left the Jersey beach to go back to your houses?”   Kathy showered outside in the backyard in unique wooden showers with plank floors. It was to get rid of the sand fast. Susan used outside showers too or sometimes just a quick hose down on the back lawn covered with neatly manicured weeds and occasional crab grass.

I drifted into a serious line of questioning; parents and kids. Yes the Jersey shore fostered a special life-long bond and memory pool with relationships of kids to parents. Back then, people knew you as a kid and who you belonged to. Kathy remembered long talks with her Dad sitting on a porch or backyard before heading to the boardwalk. You always saw kids with parents hanging together. The shore was built for kids and parents. Retired Pharmacist Jack Cobin told about grandmothers sitting on benches and watching kids carefully and mother’s telling you not to go into the water for an hour after eating. “Kids in the neighborhood hanging out was like the Wonder Years; a naïve innocent time,” Kathy added. Writer and blogger Kevin Cieri thought, “Family time was playing Skeeball together.” Billie Jo McDonald, with more recent memories of the shore, would walk her children to the beach in November and wait for storms. For the homeschooling kids, they’d spend the first day of school on the beach.  “It got to be that the kids could read the riptide. The Jersey beach was a grounding spot.”

Food is Jersey definitive. Everyone remembers. It was the Good Humor ice cream truck. For me in the 50’s, it was a bakery truck driving up and down the beach streets with bread and cake stuff out of the rear.  I heard recollections about Syd’s, Vic’s, Zelbe’s, Max’s and The WindMill for hot dogs.  Despite the admonition of Thomas Wolfe that you can’t go home again, The WindMill is still purveying hot dogs today.  Also mentioned as a memory were soft-shelled crab sandwiches and salt water taffy right out of the local ocean; it tasted better indigenous. Kohr’s Custard in a cone; Karen once dropped her cone and to this day it’s always in a cup for her. Sandwiches were always taken to the beach, sometimes packed in shoe-boxes. French fries came in brown paper bags with small wooden forks and vinegar instead of ketchup.

Amusements on the beach boardwalk were endless; every town from Asbury Park to Point Pleasant had pastimes. For me, if I behaved during the week and watched my infant sister Hildy, the family would go to Asbury Park on Saturday. The merry-go-round was mostly magical. I never grabbed the brass ring.  Pinball in the arcades was prolific on boardwalks, Ocean Avenue or in memory. Today, the Pinball Museum in Asbury Park captures the particulates with vintage games like the Gottlieb and Williams machines. And back to the future with an original game, the baseball pinball where you can even adjust the pitch speed. Susan remembers the ‘Grabber Machine’ which she played all summer long trying for that elusive big prize; one year she won and still talks about it. Ironically, the other day, a local television news story focused on that machine. They reported the machine is programmed (fixed) to not yield a winner until all the prizes inside were paid for. Bingo had its fans in Bradley Beach. And of course Palace Amusements and Tillie and Seaside stirred memories.  Music wise, it’s easy for me to write about The Upstage Club in Asbury Park, open from 1968 to 1971 (I’ve been researching it) where the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Vini Lopez and Steven Van Zandt started out. And you played volleyball on the beach even under the light of the silvery moon.  Film maker Chris Eilenstine remembers, “There was always something to do.”

There is a life cycle to the Jersey shore. Many towns had pavilions where little kids hung out, sometimes with arts and crafts. Then teen dances sprung up in those VFW or religious halls after a day of listening to transistor radios on the beach. Jack reminded that Loch Arbor beach, adjacent to Asbury Park, became a college hang out.  Shore towns sometimes mirrored different ethnic enclaves. Humorously, Carmen told me that his father bought a house in Bradley Beach and when he dated a Bradley Beach girl, he was instructed by the date to hide his crucifix under his shirt; a scene right out of the movie ‘Goodfellas’ (celebrating a 25^th anniversary) Chris, to this day, says “I love the diversity, the great culture play, small town feel and originality of the Jersey shore and you can hop on a train and be in New York City in an hour.”

Pondering a good visual to portray the Jersey shore when I was listening to the Everly Brothers sing ‘Bye Bye Love’ in 1955, I just thought of the movie ‘The Summer of ’42.’ Jersey shore was small towns, simple beach structures, like on the island in the movie. Stores were basic and general. Painted paper sale signs hung on windows; beach chairs and umbrellas on the sidewalks creating impulses to buy. Movie theaters boasted they had air-conditioning, were mostly double feature and had that beach dank damp smell.  I want to say I saw ‘Now Voyager’ starring Bette Davis down the shore one summer.  Some towns were regal with their Victorian architecture; I’m thinking Ocean Grove and Spring Lake. Jersey shore is old and historic.

There’s a paradox to the crowds and long lines of summer; the solitude and introspection of the winter months at the Jersey shore. Some towns turn off traffic lights in winter. Back in college, I used to get the key to my friend’s beach house in Bradley Beach and go there to study. It was cold but eerily quiet and productive. David McMahon, from 40 Foot Hole Studios, would rent a shore house for the winter for its ultimate peace and solitude. “I love the winters down there. I’d just bundle up and sit by the ocean.” That’s the other side of the shore; the down winter time; something which provides a unique identity. You can be in a state with eight million neighbors but find this spiritually special desolate shore place in a world all by itself with few winter neighbors and even fewer year-around pizza establishments.

And finally what is that common denominator that makes the Jersey shore unique, memorable and passed down from generation to generation?  It’s the people of Jersey who’ve won their independence from New York and Philadelphia these past years. New Jersey is hot culturally and media wise. Just look at national pop culture; The Soprano’s, Boardwalk Empire, Jersey Shore, Jersey Housewives, Garden State, Jersey Boys; and of course Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi globally. What really is that bond that puts the whole state together then and now; that matrix of shared pride and experience; that place we all rushed to re-build after Sandy and showed our resilience to the world? It’s the Jersey shore. And I still remember it like it IS yesterday.

It’s heavy. It’s not my brother or a hard rain but the old Upstage Club in Asbury Park, NJ, USA  A Memorial?    April 12, 2015       By Calvin Schwartz

This op-ed or whatever it is, structurally, is best designed to be that stream of almost absurd consciousness that I’ve grown accustomed to these past few literary years. Suddenly, last summer, I heard The Everly Brothers singing ‘Bye Bye Love’ in a pinball amusement place on Ocean Avenue in Belmar, New Jersey. It’s 1957 and my parents rented a bungalow for August. If I behaved all week, watched my three year old sister Hildy, walked her in a stroller around the block every weekday morning, then when my father came down by Jersey Central rail train on the weekend, the family would go to Asbury Park’s boardwalk on Saturday night. My first experienced love of the city.

I’ll get to the Upstage. What I’m doing now is creating the background to suggest I am eminently qualified to deliver all kinds of coinage (two cents) about the city of Asbury Park and this special place on Cookman Avenue that launched a thousand musical ships, future careers and dreams. Well maybe not a thousand. Let’s cut to four years ago. Suddenly, during the summer of 2011, I became a journalist covering all aspects of Monmouth County life. The epicenter of that life for me was Asbury Park. I’ve covered the President visiting the boardwalk, Zombie Walk, Jersey Shore Dream Center (food pantry & kitchen), NJ Hall of Fame Induction, Light of Day, Hurricane Sandy, Asbury Lanes and Dr. Sketchy, all the historic music venues, Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation, Asbury Park Comedy Festival, Bamboozle, Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Jersey Shore Arts Center (the old Neptune High Building, hmmm?) and have spent countless days and nights, seemingly full-time becoming a denizen of the boardwalk.

As much as four or five times a week, I absorbed music all over the city; even a collection of indigenous drummers, percussionists and hula-hoop purveyors on the boardwalk, before police would chase them away, all reveling naturally in self-expression before a setting summer sun. Yes, the ingredients of a real music city.

A few years ago, I got off a tour bus in Asbury Park, part of the Springsteen Symposium at Monmouth University, and heard local historians/journalists(Jean Mikle and Stan Goldstein) talk about Bruce, Convention Hall and the Stone Pony. Later, we stood in front of a building signed ‘Extreme,’ (back in 2001, the first floor was a shoe store) the top two floors, windows extant but covered over with concrete, like deliberately sealing a part of its past; a sarcophagus perhaps. They explained the hidden floors were the old ‘Upstage Club,’ founded by visionaries Margaret and Tom Potter, where Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Little Steven Van Zandt, Vini Lopez, Garry Tallent and Danny Federici were all regulars from 1968 to 1971 until it closed permanently. The door was padlocked and the last four decade history was explained to the group. Actually there is no history just endless abandonment and rumors that it might be torn down for condos. Back then, it was an almost all night (no alcohol) club where creative young musicians performed and explored until early morning hours. It was all for music’s sake; a brilliant concept and launching pad of expression and destiny. How synchronistic; the granddaughter of Margaret and Tom  Potter, Carrie Potter Devening, published this wonderful book, ‘For Music’s Sake’ giving the history of the Upstage Club.  I was haunted standing there, looking up, imagining what it must’ve been like all those years ago with incredible musical talent that has gone on to the global stage. This was my first ‘Upstage’ exposure and the early particulates of the molecular energy that birthed my love affair with the building, its history, founders and supporters.

I was smitten with sentimentality and history. On several occasions, over the years, around midnight,(like the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere)  I went to Asbury Park on a meditative sojourn, stood outside the Upstage Club, looked up to a snow flurry or a starry summer sky and dreamed what was and what could be. I took pictures of the silence of the building and posted on social media. That’s when Carrie Potter Devening saw my posts, pictures and we became friends.

My dream collection process was accelerated; why couldn’t Asbury Park take its place as an international music destination so that one day it would be impossible to find a parking space on Cookman Avenue in the dead of winter; the city would be frenetic and alive with the sounds of music and the Upstage Club would again become that creative purist musical mecca. If you want to make it in New York, you have to make it at the Jersey shore first. If the club was crowded, I’d even sit on the floor, stare at vintage art on the walls and dreamily listen to music until 4 am, with just a cup of espresso. The music closed my eyes to dreams. I remember Robert Kennedy’s quote, “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” The streams of consciousness remind me of a scene from Henry Fonda in ‘Mister Roberts.’ What’s this I hear, that so many in the Asbury Park concentric circles of commonality, are letting the concept of Margaret and Tom Potter, musical creativity and even the brick and mortar of the Upstage Club disappear.

More streams. There’s a skeleton of a building, concrete pillars and a make-shift fence surrounding the massive property; a project started and quickly abandoned years ago. It’s on Ocean Avenue, a few blocks from Convention Hall. Of course, it’s an eye-sore, but for me it dramatizes a part of the Asbury Park experience. On several occasions, I conducted tours of Asbury Park and explained to foreign visitors, this was actually a commissioned sculpture depicting the future rising of Asbury Park. I can’t remember if I ever finally told them the truth. It doesn’t matter. The only truth is there are so many circles (‘interest’ groups) that want Asbury Park to finally arrive, but with so many different agendas on pastel brick roads.

It’s really not my place here to talk about the haunting history and emotional evocation of this magical place, The Upstage Club; so much has been said, written, talked about on radio or in restaurants up and down our Jersey shore. It’s the lighting of a fire, somewhere (someone) and installation of commitment to keep the concept within the city alive (or perhaps a block away?). Carrie Potter Devening has been tirelessly working for the past ten years to keep it alive; perhaps make it a museum and night club (without alcohol) again. There are efforts to raise money to buy the building, petitions to all those circles rolling around.

In 2012, on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, was the Asbury Angels first induction ceremony. The Angels are people who’ve passed, but contributed much to the rich musical history of the city going back way before Margaret and Tom Potter, who were also inducted that September day.  Music came to Asbury Park basically from the day it was born in 1871. From John Phillip Sousa and the city’s own Arthur Pryor, one of the greatest trombone players, to the clubs along Springwood Avenue on the city’s Westside where the likes of Billie Holiday (who would’ve turned 100 as I’m writing this) Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and many other jazz and blues greats performed, to the Upstage, and right up to today, music is Asbury Park.

I met Carrie at the Angels Induction Ceremony, after her book, ‘For Music’s Sake’ signing in Convention Hall Arcade and later she facilitated my first visit to the Upstage Club. The building owner had graciously opened (for a few) the top two floors, left absolutely intact since 1971, with the walls still replete with unique psychedelic art. In the men’s room, I saw scrawled on the wall, ‘Steel Mill 1971.’(Springsteen’s early band).  There was a strange silence walking around; one of those hard to explain moments. I stopped in front a brightly painted psychedelic wall and posed for a picture by a photographer who took the same picture of Bruce Springsteen just a year earlier, when he stopped by for ostensibly the last time. Sentimentality crosses barriers of time, space and people.

Walking around in the sounds of silence of the Upstage, I asked questions of a few who were there when it mattered. Tom Potter wanted a place with no peer pressure, where you can refine your skills and play music if you were too young to play at bars; the beauty of a non-alcoholic stage and the fact the Upstage was never a business just a club. I wonder who wrote the book of love and if all the ‘circles’ realize this. Jam sessions would seemingly never finish. Vinnie Roslin once started a song and it lasted 140 minutes. Things happened fast at the young club. Sometimes before a band could come up with a name, the band broke up. But those days are long gone. Things are different now; sound, technology, smart phones, fracking and internet.

My impulse as a sentimental journalist (oxymoron?) is to find a way to save this part of Americana and musical history. ‘You Can’t Go Home Again,” by Thomas Wolfe rings in my ear like a troublesome tinnitus. Perhaps you really CAN get home despite his admonition; so I’d like to believe. That’s why I’m doing this writing. Then slowly I turned around, came full circle and an epiphany (it was that strong) slapped sense and sensibility which means inevitability and probability. I heard what one of the E-Street Band members said that The Upstage is only brick and mortar and the memories last forever; some truth and maybe not an evasion. But what’s really important is the future of Asbury Park, NJ, USA. The concept of the Upstage Club must never fade away like an old general. The spirit must endure so today’s young musicians have something to propel Asbury Park into the future and a place where they are nurtured. And the future is slowly getting there. I have that dream of seeing Asbury Park as a global musical destination. Another ingredient is a first recording studio which is now here.  So to my ‘now’ epiphany, if its only brick and mortar, that’s alright ‘Mah’, we just have to keep the concept alive. The Upstage could find a different format if or when all the ‘circles’ decide to let the old tired walls come down.

Sometimes I ask myself, whom I’m going to call now. Ghostbusters or all those ‘circles’ I know of? A few weeks ago, I received an invite to presumably the last walk through of the Upstage. Then the best; I went back to the future when Vini Lopez, Paul Whistler, Joe Petillo, Rich Gulya, Jon Sebastian Brice and Sharon Lasher took the stage with all the holes behind them, paint was peeling from ceiling and walls and they jammed for a last time like there is a tomorrow. A box of plaster pieces for souvenirs rested to stage right; we stuffed our pockets with history; a Berlin wall?  I closed my eyes for a few seconds while the band played on. I dreamed again. Being there fueled my writing this piece. I’ve now said my peace.  One final thought as the clock on my computer approaches 4:44 AM Sunday morning. There’s a wonderful historic building a block from Asbury Park that used to be the old Neptune High School a long time ago. Now it’s the Jersey Shore Arts Center.  I wrote a feature article about them for NJ The Shore Thing last September. Yet another Calvin epiphany hit me a year ago; a new Upstage Club? And I wonder who really wrote the book of love.

Post script:  Watch for acclaimed director Tom Jones’ film about The Upstage Club to be released next year

Carrie Potter Devening book link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/For-Musics-Sake-Asbury-Parks-Upstage-Club-and-Green-Mermaid-Cafe/127404970667418?pnref=story

GoFund Me to raise money to buy the building: http://www.gofundme.com/6d1l6k

Sign the Petition at change.org to save The Upstage Club: http://chn.ge/1aGM1Zs

NEW JERSEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT ASBURY PARK’S ICONIC CONVENTION HALL ON NOVEMBER 13, 2014     By Calvin Schwartz

The New Jersey Hall of Fame announces the 7th Annual Induction Ceremony and Red Carpet will be held at the Asbury Park Convention Hall on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 7:00 PM.  The event will honor 12 of New Jersey’s most distinguished citizens as new inductees into the New Jersey Hall of Fame family, including: Brian Williams, Governor James Florio, Alice Waters, and The Shirelles.

As of 3:30PM November 6th:  Press Release:

The New Jersey Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Dionne Warwick, the legendary five-time GRAMMY Award winning songstress, will be in attendance as a presenter and performer at this year’s 7th Annual “Red Carpet” Induction Ceremony.

A New Jersey native, Warwick was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013, and will make her return to the stage this year to honor the new class of inductees. The famous “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” singer perfectly complements the musical lineups planned for this unique award ceremony. “We’re thrilled that Dionne Warwick will be performing at this year’s event. It’s going to be a very memorable tribute in honor of the new class of 2014,” said Gail Gordon, Vice Chair of the Hall of Fame Commission and the event’s co chair. NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will also be in attendance as a new inductee at this year’s ceremony. John Graham, Gordon’s co-chair added, “We’re more than pleased to welcome Brian Williams into the New Jersey Hall of Fame family, and we’re very excited that he will be able to share in this special night with us.”

There will be a special tribute to new inductee James Gandolfini from David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, and several cast members from the celebrated show, including Vincent Curatola, who will also serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.  Additionally, #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben, a New Jerseyan himself, will have the honor of inducting legendary writer Dorothy Parker.

“This year’s NJHOF Induction Ceremony will be the best one yet, featuring live musical performances, moving tributes, and plenty of special surprises,” stated Bart Oates, Chair of the Board of Commissioners and former New York Giant.

“We wanted an upbeat awards show with an emphasis on music, which is why we brought the show to Asbury Park this year,” said Gail Gordon, Vice Chair of the Hall of Fame Commission and the event’s co- chair.  John Graham, Gordon’s co-chair added, “We expect a great turnout of over 1,000 people, including special guests, sponsors, and members of the media.  The event is anticipated to raise over $200,000 for the educational mission of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.”

Established in 2006 by the NJ Legislature, the New Jersey Hall of Fame honors New Jerseyans who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world, helping to inspire state pride in the young people of New Jersey through powerful local role models.   The organization selects inductees based on five categories: Arts & Letters, Enterprise, Performance Arts, Public Service and Sports.

Since 2008, some 70 notable New Jerseyans from 15 fields of human endeavor have been inducted including: Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Woodrow Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, Tony Bennett, Martha Stewart, Whitney Houston, and Yogi Berra.

The ceremony will keep with the “taste of the shore” theme, offering food stations reflecting the best of Jersey Shore food and beverages to be sampled by sponsors and guests.  There will also be an opportunity for attendees to meet this year’s inductees and celebrity guests.

Induction Ceremony tickets and premium sponsorship packages are available through NJHallOfFame.org. Performance Only tickets are $50 plus fees and are on sale via Ticketmaster or the Stone Pony box office in Asbury Park.

This year’s inductees are: Dorothy Parker, Brian Williams, Howard Katz, Alice Waters,
Dizzy Gillespie, James Gandolfini, The Shirelles, Governor James Florio, Peter McGuire,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Patrick Ewing and Maud Dahme.

For more information on the 2014 Red Carpet Induction Ceremony, please contact Karen Geisel at karen@princetonscgroup.com or 518.421.3435.

About the New Jersey Hall of Fame

New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF) honors citizens who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world beyond. Since 2008, some 80 notable people from 15 fields of human endeavor have been inducted including: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, Toni Morrison, Buzz Aldrin, Frankie Valli, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Tony Bennett, Queen Latifah, Carl Lewis and Yogi Berra.

The Hall of Fame reinforces the message to children that they can and should strive for excellence in any endeavor of their choosing. By presenting significant and powerful role models and teaching young people about the voting process, the Hall of Fame is a source of learning, inspiration and hope for children. The New Jersey Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization with two collaborating boards working jointly: the New Jersey Hall of Fame Board of Commissioners, administered by the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, and the New Jersey Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Trustees. For more information on the NJHOF and a full list of the inductees, go to www.njhalloffame.org

NIGHTMARE IN JERSEY
Although I love the idea of Halloween and dressing in outrageous outfits, I am not usually a big fan of being scared. Maybe it goes back to my childhood when my sister would race me up the stairs at bedtime and hide somewhere in my room or the bathroom waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump out and terrify me. But this year, with the help of my courageous 11 year old, I decided to see what the fright craze was all about in NJ.

Our first visit was to Asbury Park on the evening of the Zombie Walk. Some have called it the largest Zombie gathering in the world.

I decided I would dress in a CSI ball cap and sneakers, prepared and ready for a quick escape if necessary. Upon arrival I realized that I would be able to blend in with the hundreds of spectators mixed among the thousands of zombies, which relieved me. I was fully aware that zombies have a tendency to target fearful victims and I didn’t want to be their next meal. My sidekick and I stepped into the slow zombie crawl towards Cookman Avenue alongside an old decrepit man dragging his bloody leg. Looking in either direction I realized that I was surrounded by zombies with bloodied, half eaten faces, dragging their legs and arms and other body parts down the boardwalk.

The event was not just for the wild and outrageous lovers of gore, but it was also a fundraiser for brain cancer through the Gray Matters campaign and a blood drive with Central Jersey Blood Center.  I recently learned that over $3000 was raised for Brain Cancer Tumor Center and Camp Jinka – a free summer program offered by the David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center for kids and teens whose lives have been impacted by a loved one’s diagnosis of a brain tumor. The evening was a little surreal, and the experience I can take away from this event mostly was the unsettling feeling of what it could be like to actually live through a Zombie Apocalypse. As the sun set on the avenue at Asbury Park the zombies began to spread across the town and meander into some the stores. Bloody old women and half eaten children were standing on lines for cheese fries or a warm pretzel. The sidewalks could not hold all the zombies and they began spilling into the streets, slowly struggling to move in their tattered clothes and face prosthesis. Everywhere we looked decaying groups of people were sluggishly looking for their way home. An eerie night over all, both my little 11 year old and I decided next year we would dress as Zombie warriors and come back to join the crawl.

The following weekend I brought a small group of witches, cats and zombies with me to the Witches Ball in Mount Holly NJ. This event is referred to as wickedly cool and amazingly enchanted. Rather than experiencing the future omen of the apocalypse, we found ourselves propelled into the past within moments as we entered under the archway leading to the Historic Mill Race Village.

As we ambled through the darkly lit streets the atmosphere of magic and mysticism enveloped us. The town had transformed into an old witches haven, with fortunetellers, artists, musicians and vendors. My mood relaxed as I meandered amongst witches and goblins, and men and women of gothic, fantasy, medieval and horror. It almost seemed as though we were all out for an eerie moonlight stroll. After listening to the great sounds of Midnight Mosaic, a local NJ band, we gathered our broomsticks and headed for our next excursion.

The Casola Haunted Hay Ride in Marlboro, NJ on Rte 79 was our final stop for the evening.

Although there were many times I have taken afternoon hayrides through the cornfields, it could not have prepared me for the terrifying darkness that awaited us through the torch lit woods. As the rickety wagon with very little protection slowly waddled down the winding dirt road zombies, ghouls, and axe murderers threw their bodies against the sides of the wagon and clamored on board. They were moaning or screaming or laughing uncontrollably as they moved slowly through the horrified wagon looking for huddling passenger to petrify. Although my little sidekick was shaking in her boots, I felt that I could maintain my composure amongst all these horror film villains. After all, I knew that there was only one figure that could cause my skin to crawl and shatter my bravery. Specifically it was the little demon girl who wore the decaying antique nightgown and used her long dark stringy hair to hide her decomposing face, she was the character from the movie “The Ring”. Luckily, the ride seemed close to the end. Strangely, I sensed a quietness. As I lifted my head from the safety of my daughter’s hooded shoulders, I peeked a look around to see if the eerie villains had abandoned the ride. As I turned to my left I spotted something white and small that seemed to be slowly floating a few feet behind the wagon in the darkness.

As I looked closer my eyes focused on the silhouette of a little girl with long hair wearing a long white night gown following the wagon in her bare feet. My heart stopped. From her pace I was sure she could never catch up to our rickety old wagon. That’s when the wagon came to a halt. I looked at my brave little 11 year old and said, “They have got to be kidding.” Sure enough the little faceless child with the bloody nightgown and dirty feet climbed on board. Not sure how she knew, but she went directly over to me and sat beside me and began to creepily hum a twisted nursery rhyme.

Well…that was all she wrote! I was done and ready to go home.

That experience was, after all, my last Halloween adventure for this year. On my list of places I was to visit are some of the scariest and most terrifying in NJ:

Six Flags Fright Fest in Jackson

Brookdale’s Haunted Theatre in Lincroft

Asbury Park’s Haunted Hall

Brighton Asylum in Passaic

Field of Terror in East Windsor

Camp Evans Base of Terror in Wall

Ghost Tour of the John Fell House in Allendale

Corn Field of Terror in Egg Harbor City

Fear in the Forest in Browns Mills

Hollowgraves Haunted Manor in Keansburg

Evil Spirits Woods at Emerald Acres in Monrow

Nightmare at Gravity Hill in Jackson.

I hope you can choose a place to visit off this year’s October “To Do” list that will help you reach you scare limits this Halloween. Thanks to the creepy little faceless girl in the long bloody nightgown I will be holding off until next year, spending the next hundred sleepless nights regaining my courage.

So, maybe next year I will start with a ghost tour or and haunted asylum (or maybe not).

Happy Halloween!

And post your favorite spine chilling Halloween experiences.

TaraJean McD., NJDiscover.com

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS FOR A CAUSE: 8th Annual Holiday Party at Stone Party Sunday December 15th  1:30PM 

Last year I went to Beach Music Studios Holiday Party and had a special poignant time; they were collecting toys for kids in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Some things today are still the same with respect to needy kids and the aftermath of Sandy. Since I’m a huge fan of Danny White, his music, energy and caring, this party becomes one of those special occasions to attend on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a lot of frenetic fun and great music in the middle of historic Asbury Park at the Stone Pony.  And all the toys will be donated to Manna House and Belmar children still affected by Sandy.

Calvin Schwartz   12-6-2013   39 degrees outside.

Dr. Sketchy is a world-wide franchise of LIVE model art events, mostly themed, like vampires, roller derby or ‘Big Lebowski.’ Often held at Asbury Lanes, these events are artistic, fun, cultural and even part pay it forward.
TUNE IN for a fascinating glimpse into the world of art meets modeling:

(Monday Nov 11th) 8 PM NJ DISCOVER LIVE RADIO SHOW: with hosts Tara-Jean Vitale and Calvin Schwartz with SPECIAL GUESTS: Dr. Sketchy (Tim) Asbury Park and “friends.” (Stephanie Wolter and model/actress Missy Heather)

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Hal Sparks! Up Close & Personal! NJDiscover’s backstage interview –  from the Annual Asbury Park Comedy Festival.

Stay Tuned at www.ArtistNationTV.com for more interviews to come!!!

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

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COMING ATTRACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: WonderBar Asbury Park USA Friday June 14: Dana Fuchs Band, Gedeon Luke & the People, Christine Martucci.   “A Rocket Launch” By Calvin Schwartz      June 10, 2013

Often to motivate myself, I think of an old Saturn rocket ship sitting on the launching pad at Cape Canaveral (Cape Kennedy) in Florida. Steam is rising from the hookups of fueling and life support. The countdown begins. Countdown stops. Then it begins again. There’s a small window when they must launch the manned mission or else scrap the launch. Then the launch. With limited rocketry background, I do know the most amount of energy is needed to just lift the rocket those first few feet off the launch pad (sofa).  Then it gathers speed. Then the rocket disappears from visual and audio range. Then the exhaust trail in the upper atmosphere disappears.

So why do I talk about rockets and energy and visible trails in the atmosphere introducing a very special  concert on Friday June 14^th at the WonderBar?  I suppose I’m drifting into the world of music metaphors. A tremendous amount of energy is going to be released this Friday at the WonderBar with three ‘rockets of musical energy’ not to be missed.  I mean it. Metaphors aside, it’s going to be one amazing night. Dana Fuchs Band, Gedeon Luke & the People and an acoustic performance by Christine Martucci; All three will be  there with the ocean across the street and each possessing more musical energy and dynamism then you can imagine. Here’s the thing. If you miss this Friday night, the vapor of energy expenditure in the upper atmosphere will be gone and you would’ve passed on one incredible night.  Hopefully, I’ve expended enough verbosity here to lift you off your launch pad(sofa).

Calvin Schwartz   6-10-13

“Like an old school Tent Revival this will be a funky, sweaty, insane night of hand clapping, foot stomping and body shaking music when each of these amazing talents takes the stage and spreads the gospel of Rock & Roll.”  Sammy Boyd Productions

Dana Fuchs Band: Star of Sony Pictures ‘Across the Universe’   From her role as “Sadie” in the blockbuster hit “Across the Universe”, to the lead off-Broadway in “Love, Janis”  and now her new album “Bliss Avenue”, Dana is bringing her soul rock sound to Asbury Park.  Imagine a sultry, more emotive Janis Joplin backed by a higher-energy version of the late-’60s Rolling Stones…Rock & Roll doesn’t get any better than Dana Fuchs.

Dana Fuchs – vocals   Jon Diamond – guitar, Jack Daley – bass, Rich Monica – drums, Pete Levin – keys

http://danafuchs.com/

Gedeon Luke & the People:  American Idol Semi-Finalist

“At just 23, his music possesses a maturity that belies his age. Boundless in its energy and message of peace, love and hope it is music that only an ‘old soul’ with an untempered spirit could create with such captivating brilliance.”  Bill Hurley

http://gedeonluke.com/

Christine Martucci:  “Christine Martucci is renowned for her soulful tenacity, kind-hearted interaction and emotional songwriting, pulling heart strings and opening minds all across the country. Raised in a musical family, Christine has music in her soul. She has her own grass-roots following dubbing themselves the “Tucci Train”. Martucci’s bunch literally made it possible for her to outdraw headlining national acts by showing up in droves to cheer her on and support her newest projects.”

http://www.christinemartucci.com/index.php

Linda Chorney: Her new book “Who the F— is Linda Chorney:” a Review and Invitation to the  Book Release Party at Watermark in Asbury Park Wednesday June 5^th, 2013  By Calvin Schwartz     May 31, 2013

I’m certainly not the New York Times or Kirkus Reviews but here I am about to say a few words about ‘Who the F—k is Linda Chorney.’  Riveting is a good word to begin with. Anyone with molecular attachments to our American music world is going to be riveted; therefore that means a must read.  Music companies, industry insiders and some journalists are not necessarily nice. I never knew the extent until Linda excited my optic nerve with her home grown writing style.  Often when reading, I stopped, closed my eyes and Linda was in the room with me carefully narrating in diary form her anguish and adventures taking her to the Grammy award ceremony. “She’s so funny, “I thought about her imaginative often silly usage of names of some of the adversaries; a gentle word. I’ll leave Linda for the colorful alternatives. I think I shall never see anything quite like a tree or look at the business side of the music world the same ever again.  Shame on them.

Linda lit my fire and brought me to think that it seems like old times; it’s the 1950’s and the word payola made headlines as the traditional music establishment was reacting against newcomers. Linda is an Indie and damn proud; same as a newcomer.  Deja-vu just lassoed me.  Good gosh, nothing has changed. Linda has exposed this not nice industry and media friends of it. Bravo to a courageous and talented musician. And I loved her dirty words utilization and commentary; purist Chorney colorful.  She was talking to me. She reminded me of John Dean (a hero) with her powers of perfect recollection. And  I love pictures and she used them; another evocation of my smiling all throughout the read.

I love hip shooting. I just shot from there. Linda’s ‘Who  the F—k is Linda Chorney,’ is  a must read with or without music proclivities. She’s tough and honest and warm and funny; the essence of memorable memoir literature. Her book is even a great beach read, under an umbrella or boardwalk. I loved it.

The Book Release party is on Wednesday June 5^th at the Watermark in Asbury Park. Hey, you’re all invited. She’ll sing, and talk and make you laugh and other emotions.

“The book “WHO THE F**K IS LINDA CHORNEY: A CINDERELLA STORY”, exposes an industry that tried to undermine her nomination and destroy her career with accusations of cyber cheating to actual death threats. Delivered with her unique brand of charming musical irreverence and hilarious vitriol, the show is PART CONCERT, PART READING, PART Q & A. FREE ADM/AFTER SHOW BOOK SIGNING with purchase of the book ($20, avail at door). $10 admission w/o book. (Have the book? Present at door, get in free, enjoy the show and get it signed!!)”

FOR OTHER NORTHEAST DATES: http://www.lindachorney.com/tour.php

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

7:00pm until 10:30pm

Watermark Asbury Park

800 Ocean Avenue, Second Floor, Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712