Bruce Who?

I've said this before but I'll say it again - anytime I've ever been involved in anything you could really call a "local music scene," there was one constant - people in bands turned out in numbers to see other bands. It happened in Hoboken in 1980, ABC No Rio in 1990, it's a hallmark of NYC's Pop-Punk-Message-Board scene, and it's very much a part of what's going on in Asbury Park.

So it was heartening last night to see so many familiar faces at the release party for Rick Barry's new EP, "This Antediluvian World." There was Joe Harvard, Anthony Fiumano, Gordon Brown, as well as Val Emmich and Allie Moss (who sing on the record and added backup vocals onstage last night;) and a bunch of other local musicians whose faces I know, even if I don't their names. But it wasn't just band dudes who showed up - the Saint was packed, from the front of the stage all the way to the rear of the club, and pretty much for the entire night. Bravo.

And if you weren't there, well, you missed it. It seems like every time I see Rick and his band the New Rick Barrys, I leave saying it was the best Rick Barry show ever, and that was true again last night. Impeccably tight and beautifully nuanced, the band showcased about ten of Barry's intricate folk/rock compositions with a masterful command of dynamics, from whispered ballads to full-bore rockers. Guitarist Ron Haney (also of the Churchills) was nothing less than stunning, with his array of effects pedals and subtle use of ebow; he wrestled so many different sounds out of his guitar, it was like having a second synthesizer in the band.

The piece de resistance came at the end of the set, when Michael Ghegan (who tours with Justin Timberlake and Cirque du Soleil) came onstage for the epic rocker "All Of Your Mistakes Have Names," adding a very Clarence Clemons-like tenor sax that hammered home the message that we were indeed watching the future of Asbury Park. And he followed that on soprano sax with tender, mellifluous melody lines on Barry's brilliant metaphorical take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, "Atlantis."


The Frank Bressi Trio


The night opened with the official debut of The Frank Bressi Trio, a distinct departure from the post-pop-punk of Bressi's last band, the Chilling Details. With stand-up bass (both sonorously bowed and percussively picked) and twangy lap steel guitar, the trio gently rocked through a collection of tuneful country-flavored ballads that proved pleasantly and unexpectedly toe-tapping, especially given the absence of drums.


The Bloodsugars

The ostensible headliner, the Bloodsugars, came to Asbury from Brooklyn with a cheery, upbeat dance-pop sound reminiscent of 80's new-wave hitmakers like Wham! (and if you can believe me, I mean that in the nicest way possible.) Big smiles and layered synth fills propelled the group through an ingratiating and enjoyable set.

You can check out the photo set here.