Words by Bill Bodkin | Photos by Bill Bodkin and Maxwell Barna
Last Thursday, Feb. 2, Pop-Break.com presented its first ever music event, the Shipwrecked At The Shore Showcase, at famed Wonder Bar on Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, N.J. In words and photos, we’ll recap a night that feature a trio of dynamic, electric and simply amazing original rock ‘n’ roll bands.
Don’t forget: The second show is coming up Thursday, Feb. 16, at The Wonder Bar featuring Chris Brown & Last Night’s Disasters, Root Glen and Pop-Break.com co-founder Brent Johnson’s band, The Clydes.
CROBOT
When the Harrisburg, Pa., quartet known as Crobot stepped onto the stage at The Wonder Bar, they were virtual unknowns to the Jersey Shore music scene. Forty-five minutes later, completely drenched in sweat, Crobot emerged as a new favorite band of everyone in attendance. Their absolutely dynamite set evoked memories of The Parlor Mob, Clutch, Queens Of The Stone Age and all the great fuzzy stoner metal from the ’70s. These guys are an absolute, with equivocation, must-listen-to band.
Check out Jeanne Crump’s interview with Crobot on Pop-Break.
THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS
How can you not love a band that shouts out the late pro wrestling legend “The Beast from the East” Bam Bam Bigelow (an Asbury Park native)? Those Mockingbirds provided an absolutely electric performance, and it was extremely cool how this band who deftly taps into the vein of vintage grunge can incorporate a violin into their sound so effortlessly. Again, this might sound like hyperbole and in-house hype, but if you miss really good songwriting and really awesome musicianship, you need to check out Those Mockingbirds.
Read Jason Kundrath’s interview with Those Mockingbirds.
ONLY LIVING BOY
The main eventers for the evening were a band that I personally have really grown to love over the past year or so. Only Living Boy‘s whiskey-soaked bluesy hard rock is just beautifully electric. They’re heavy and melodic, free wheeling and focused. And I swear if this band doesn’t get national recognition in the next few years, there is something wrong in the musical world. And I really have to give it up to these guys for not only shouting out Crobot, but Saturday after this show they put them on a bill with them at their hometown bar in North Jersey. That’s just pure class all-around.
Read Maxwell Barna’s interview with Only Living Boy.
