The Wonder Bar is a special venue. It’s played home to national touring acts on their way up. Remember when a young Frank Turner sold the venue out in five minutes back in the early 2010s? Or how about when a young scrappy rock band called The Struts packed the joint for an early Sunday summer afternoon? It’s also been the home of the Asbury Park stalwarts like Nicole Atkins who make their annual sojourn home to blow the doors off the joint.
Yet, more importantly, it’s been a bastion of for original music. Whether it was Shore Alternative’s famed Tuesday night show, the crazy shows Christine Feola and Dark City Entertainment threw in the mid-to-late 2010s, the famed Happy Mondays which are still running to this day, or even our twice a month residency back in 2012 and 2013 — Wonder Bar has been a haven for local bands.
Starting tonight, The Wonder Bar will play to three massive shows featuring the best of the best of the Asbury Park Scene.
What A Wonderful Year is a traditional that began a few years ago when the boys in The Burns (or at least I’m going to give them credit for it) gathered some of the best bands in the scene for a two day jam at Wonder Bar.
This year Telegraph Hill Records is driving force of this show, and it’s going to be a large one. The label will be filming and recording the show “so we can remember this night forever.” The show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $20 at the door. This is a 21+ show.
Performing this year on the main stage will be:
The Cranston Dean Band with Patty C
Connor Bracken and the Mother Leeds Band
Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son
Natalie Farrell
Jarod Clemons and The Late Nights
There will be a side stage featuring performances by:
Beautiful Scumbags
Rachel Ana Dobken
Bulletproof Belv
Devon Alana of Fake Pockets
Katherine Quintana
The show will be hosted by 90.5 the Night DJ, journalist, and local music tastemaker Megan O’Shea.
What A Wonderful Year Night Two takes place on Friday December 27. The gang at Telegraph Hill will be running the show and recording the event.
The show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $20 at the door. This is a 21+ show.
Music on the Main Stage Features:
Lowlight
The Foes Of Fern
The Mercury Brothers
Drew The Recluse
The Extensions
Music on the Side Stage Features:
8DAYZ
Ashley McKinley
Martin Howth
Blaise
Tara Dente
The show will be hosted by 90.5 the Night DJ, journalist, and local music tastemaker Megan O’Shea and the hilarious comedian/activist Jess Alaimo.
A portion of the ticket sales and sponsor contributions for both shows will be donated to the Asbury Park Music Foundation to support youth music education.
Both nights are sponsored by: The Asbury Park Music Foundation, Telegraph Hill Records, Live Music Loyalty, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, MOGO, and Makin Waves.
December 27 will be a big day for Telegraph Hill Records as well. The label will be dropping Telegraph Hills Records Sampler Volume 2. The sampler features excellent new singles from Natalie Farrell (“Glowing”), Levy & The Oaks (“You’ll Fly), and The Abbey Road All Stars. Follow their social media for links to streaming, downloading and purchasing the sampler.
Closing out the weekend will be a special performance by The Abbey Road All Stars — who perform on Sunday at Wonder Bar. The band is comprised of members of Levy & The Oaks, Des & The Swagmatics, The Exenstions and other players in the scene. The band features Chris Colon on lead guitar. Colon has work with some of the top Beatles tribute bands around the world. He’s performed their tunes on Broadway, at Disney World, and cruises spanning the world over.
ABBEY ROAD ALL STARS is my new BEATLES tribute band and we will be performing at WONDER BAR on Sunday 12/29. We will be performing the ABBEY ROAD album from beginning to end along with a special encore set of your favorite beatles songs. Doors at 7pm, 21+. The band includes members of Des & The Swagmatics, The Extentions, and Levy & The Oaks. Chris Colon is our lead guitarist and has worked with top Beatles tribute bands all around the world from Broadway, Disney World, and has been hired to perform on multiple cruise lines throughout the past decade. For tickets, click here.
