Tune In, Turn On
When winter has you down – and let’s be honest, it’s been brutally cold at the shore of late – one quick way to lose those chilly weather blues is to think about all the great live music that our friends at Tony Mart Presents have planned for the 2026 Concerts on the Beach.
Carmen and Nancy Marotta just delivered some big music news with the confirmed booking of Tom Hambridge, who will be performing on the beach in Somers Point Friday, June 12.
Hambridge – producer, singer-songwriter, and performer who plays drums and sings – just took home a 2026 Grammy, with blues icon Buddy Guy, for Best Traditional Blues Album for Guy’s excellent 2025 recording, “Ain’t Done With the Blues.” That’s no small feat with the multitude of great musicians competing for the music industry’s top honors.
“He (Hambridge) will perform not just the blues, but also rock ‘n’ roll, outlaw country and even more of his songs that he wrote for the world-class musicians recording at his studios in Nashville,” said Carmen Marotta. “We are ready to bring Somers Point audiences 13 shows starring Bonerama, the Dane Anthony Band, Dead Zep, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (which wrote the soundtrack and recorded the music for ‘Eddie and the Cruisers)’.”
Also returning: Rock icon Mitch Ryder, who will release a new live CD/DVD, “Songs From The Road,” on Ruf Records Feb. 20.
“Fans will enjoy the return of Melody Trucks, the Allman Brothers family legacy band, with the Fitzkee Brothers and Vaylor Trucks; and a return performance of “The Girls Can’t Help It” to bring the season into its finale on Sept. 11.”
“In between you’ll see some of the very finest tributes, including E Street Shuffle, New Jersey’s best Springsteen tribute; The Weeklings’ rock-star tribute to The Beatles and their own Beatlesque music; and of course, our perennial rock and soul guitar hero, Billy Walton with the Billy Walton Band and guitarist Anthony Krizan, formerly with the Spin Doctors,” added Marotta.
If you love music, live in the area, and enjoy free outdoor summer concerts featuring nationally renowned acts, mark Friday, June 12 on your calendar, as Tom Hambridge is a ticket that would normally fetch a hefty price, but thanks to Tony Mart Presents, there’s no charge. Before or after the concert, there is an array of fine dining and drinking establishments all up and down Bay Avenue in Somers Point to grab a bite and enjoy the night.
Get ready for a terrific summer concert season with Tony Mart Presents, and we haven’t even told our readers about some of the shows planned for their Mardi Gras Concerts on the Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza in Atlantic City. We will soon.
Tune-Ups
Diana Krall at Ocean Casino: Valentine’s Day is this weekend; if you’re looking for a nice concert to fit the mood of romance, may we suggest Diana Krall, appearing at Ocean Casino Resort’s Ovation Hall Saturday, Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day). Krall is an outstanding Canadian jazz pianist-vocalist and two-time Grammy winner who was named Second Greatest Jazz Artist of the Decade from the period of 2000-2009 by Billboard magazine. Tickets start at $60. Info: https://www.theoceanac.com/diana-krall.
Stay warm out there and remember: Friday, March 20, the first day of spring, is only five weeks away.
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com
