SEA.HEAR.NOW. FESTIVAL REVIEW

Over the weekend, an eclectic group of bands, artists, and performers graced the beaches of Asbury Park, NJ for the annual Sea.Hear.Now. festival headlined by Hozier (Night 1) , and Pop Punk kings, blink-182. (Night 2) The two day festival was a safe, creative, and fun environment for fans of all ages, with more than just a little something for everyone. 

 

First things first. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the absolute stellar job by the security team, staff, paramedics, and everyone involved. Everyone was polite, cracking jokes, and always made sure everyone was hydrated. Special shout out to the front of stage security that handed out boxes of water between every set. Kudos all around. 

 

Night Two Headliner blink-182 stole the show with an hour and a half set featuring songs from their latest record “One More Time” all the way back to “Buddah.” There were some nice deep cuts and songs I haven’t ever heard performed live like “Online Songs” , “Turpentine” , “Wishing Well” , and more. There were even a few that I hadn’t heard live since 2001, including an all timer in “Roller Coaster”, “Anthem Part 2”,  and their cover of The Descendents “Hope.” Of course the pop punk trio hit all their proverbial signature moves with “All the Small Things, “What’s My Age Again”, “The Rock Show” , and “Dammit.”  

 

Honestly, it’s crazy seeing all my favorite bands get really really polished after twenty plus years. Travis Barker has always been one of the tightest and best musicians on the planet, but the entire band has really honed their respective craft after all this time. Bassist Mark Hoppus after beating cancer and learning how to play bass and sing all over again. I highly recommend his book Farenheit-182. Tom Delonge who has on more than one occasion left the group really is in his final form, playing and singing the best he ever has. I’m honestly surprised how big the sound was for the three piece on Sunday Night, and I’ve seen this band over a dozen times. The entire performance could not have been better. 

 

A nice moment during the set was when guitarist Delonge got hit with a wave of emotion immediately after playing “Stay Together for the Kids”, stating that when he sang the chorus lyrics of “So when you’re dead and gone….” that it made him think of his dad who had passed, as the song was about his parents divorce during his childhood. It was a rare moment where Delonge really opened up to the crowd and Hoppus didn’t flinch, getting his best friend’s back in telling the crowd to show Tom some love. Tom stated that we all go through the same “stuff” in life, and blink-182 was about forcing fun. And it really always has been. I think that’s why a lot of us were on that beach on that night in Asbury. 

 

Before blink Lenny Kravitz performed on the Surf Stage with an as expected, guitar driven set. Lots of riffs and solos during every song. Kravitz performed “Fly Away” , “American Woman” , “Again” , and more.  Kravitz is definitely a vibe, great for the Jersey beaches. 

 

Speaking of driving guitar solos and riffs, ZZ Top were absolutely fantastic on Night 1 of the festival after 50 years of performing. The first song I had ever learned to play on the drums was “Gimme All Your Lovin” off of Elminator. The live performances of that song was incredible. The band also performed fan favorites “La Grange” , “Legs”, and of course, “Sharp Dressed Man.” Billy Gibbons has such a unique voice which strangely enough reminded me of Lemmy a bit live. His guitar playing is like no other, and he makes it look easy. I’m so glad that I finally got to see this band and their stage show is really fun with all of the different guitars and basses throughout the set. These guys still got it and are forever all time greats!

 

Trombone Shorty was an act that really caught a lot of people's attention. A phenomenal set with driving drums and a brass section like no other. I learned a lot about Troy Andrews over the weekend as he has been giving with his charity efforts and even has a children’s book out. This is an act I hope to see again soon. 

 

UB40 was the perfect chill beach day band. It was a whole vibe as they played “Red Red Wine” , “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You” and more crowd pleasers.

 

Inhaler was an act that I wanted to see as Elijiah Hewson, the son of U2’s Bono is the front man. Much like second generation professional wrestlers, I needed to see his first hand if the apple did indeed fall far from the tree. On the contrary, Hewson was very talented and Inhaler has carved out their own unique rock sound. 

 

I was unable to see Sublime with another lead singer’s son at the helm, but I am very curious to see the new incarnation of the group. 

 

Bands like Public Enemy and De La Soul brought that old school hip-hop feel that was another perfect fit for the beach. I feel these acts added so much to the festival as a whole, and it was great to see Flava Flave pop up during blink-182’s set on the main stage. 

 

Sea.Hear.Now. was an absolute grand slam and a proverbial buffet of all styles of music. One of my favorite things about diverse festivals like this is being able to discover new bands, even if they’ve been around for some time. As a first timer I look forward to this becoming an annual tradition for the BCP crew.