The Doughboys

Hey Hey, My My

I listen to so much punk and pop/punk that sometimes I forget how much I really like other kinds of rock... like, for instance, garage and 60's pop. So when I was invited to emcee a show with three garagey bands at Asbury Lanes, I jumped at the chance. For one thing, I love Asbury Lanes, but since it's a 2-hour trip for me (and things at the Lanes usually run past the time when the last train leaves back to NYC,) I don't get to as many shows there as I'd like. But this was a bit of a special occasion, so I made arrangements to crash nearby for the night (thanks Mick!) and jumped into the night feet first.

And man, did I have fun. First of all, Asbury Lanes has to be the coolest venue on the planet - a vintage 60's bowling alley with working lanes, tons of kitschy art all over the place, a friendly and welcoming staff, dirt-cheap prices at the bar... And it's not going to be there forever; the block it's on has already be rezoned for condo development, and it's only a matter of time until the place either gets bought out and paved over by developers or simply seized by eminent domain (and then paved over.) Either way, word to the wise: Enjoy this place while you can.


Third Of Never

The band that put the whole night together and asked me to host is called Third of Never, and features Kurt from the Gripweeds on vocals, Chris and Vinnie Grogan on guitar and bass (two guys I've known since the mid-80's, when as teenagers they played in a garage combo called The Phantom 5,) and Jon on guitar, a Southern transplant with a aw shucks, y'all drawl and lots of twangy licks. With lots of psychedelic 6T's harmonies, big bright guitars, and powerful melodies, Third of Never impressed from start to finish, including a driving rendition of the Who's "Seeker" and an incandescent cover of REM's "Driver 8."


The Gripweeds

The Gripweeds have been bringing the sounds of Haight-Ashbury to the NJ/NYC rock scene for quite a while now, and never disappoint (last time I saw them was ironically also in Asbury Park, when I played on a bill with them at the Saint.) The band has been around long enough to release their own Greatest Hits album, which is full of wall-to-wall pop tunes that bring back echoes of everything from The Mamas And Papas to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd.

The big surprise of the night were the Doughboys - no, not the Canadian hardcore band from the Nineties, but a New Jersey quartet that started out back in - get this - 1964. You might wonder what a bunch of guys in the Sixties are doing play rock clubs in 2009, but hey hey, my my, rock and roll never dies, and these guys can still rock with conviction and panache. Granted, the crowd they draw tends to be a little long in the tooth, but draw they do; I wish I could bring this many people to a club consistently when I book a local-band show. Imagine the Rolling Stones circa '64 or '65 blasting out a bluesy classic like "Little Red Rooster" and freeze that in amber; now bring that energy, precision, and authenticity to the present and you get an idea of the wallop that the Doughboys still pack. They in fact ended the set with a Stones cover, then absolutely brought the house down with an electrifying stomp through "Bo Diddley," with frontman Myke Scavone and ageless drummer Richard X. Heyman on floor toms pounding out that syncopated beat and trading off on vocals. It was jaw-droppingly awesome.