Tune In, Turn On
By Doug Deutsch
Mother’s Day Music Fest:
Of all the important holidays, can we all please agree that Mother’s Day ranks at or near the top in importance?
On that note, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall will present a Mother’s Day extravaganza Saturday, May 13 of cool R&B/soul on a bill featuring Fantasia (former 2004 “American Idol” winner), Ne-Yo, and Kenny Lattimore (available via Ticketmaster).
Also at Boardwalk Hall: 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Mixtape Live, Saturday, June 17, with quite the lineup: DJ Jazzy Jeff (who along with Will Smith, a/k/a The Fresh Prince, received a Grammy in 1989 for the playful hip-hop ode “Parents Just Don’t Understand”), Doug E. Fresh, Melle Mel, Roxanne Shant’e, Kurtis Blow, Cold Crush Brothers, MC Shan, Stetsaonic, Craig G, and Treach (from Naughty By Nature).
Coming to Boardwalk Hall Sept. 29: NY State of Mind Tour 2023 featuring hip-hop heavies Wu-Tang Clan and Nas. 2301 Boardwalk http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.
EKS Marks The Spot, Let’s Rock!: Emma Sanborn Presents is now eks.marksthespot booking. The Shore-based promoter presents a multi-genre indie alt-rock show at the Anchor Rock Club on Thursday, May 18.
“My birthday is next week and I’m not having a get-together. Instead, I’d like all my friends and anyone who cares to come to this,” said the effervescent Emma. “I’m turning 25 and that’s just crazy to me because I really thought I wouldn’t make it past 17. The music scene and (my) animals have been literally the only things keeping me going so here we are.
“This is a flow-friendly venue and this lineup is really dreamy and groovy, so please come out and dance with me.”
The lineup (with a short synopsis from Emma on each) features the groups Fae Mountain (‘synth-pop solo project from Sweetwater meshing guitar tracks with synths’); Wall Carpets (‘energetic indie punk-rock trio from New Jersey’); Fernway (“created by New York natives in 2017 by like-minded musicians looking to redefine the sonic landscape of traditional rock’); and OM53 (‘New Jersey band who’ve spent the past three years finding their sound, inspired by a wide range of influences like The 1975, Tears For Fears, Dayglow, Her’s, Boy Pablo and more; released the album “Defender” in 2020’); and Saturn Dave (‘also an NJ native, psych-rock artist whose atmospheric textures and contagious melody will grip your soul and pull you up into space’). Tickets: https://www.tixr.com/groups/anchorrockclub/events/fernway-68875
Hammonton Arts and Music Fest: Thanks for the heads-up from another local Shore promoter, MariBeth, about a cool event happening on Saturday, May 20, Hammonton Arts and Music Festival.
A band with a buzz performing there (at 3 p.m.) are The Looms (pictured), self-described “Anarcho Folk-Punks occupying the Imperialist territory known as South Jersey!”
Check out their 2022 release “Ashes of the Old” for a good sonic take on this rousing quartet (Jimmy C. Tolbert – vocals, banjo, guitar, harmonicas; Corey Siegel – vocals, bass, guitar; Nicholas Bongiorno – guitar, mandolin, vocals; and Anthony Bongiorno – washboard. Also catch The Looms on June 1 performing at terrific Philly venue, Underground Arts.
“This one-day-only block party is filled with live music, art vendors, live demonstrations and skill shares, and representatives from our local arts organizations! Featuring performances by The Looms, The Chris Rockwell Collective, Zeelo and Friends, and more,” says their promotional material. It will take place at Horton St. between Bellevue and Orchard in Hammonton. https://linktr.ee/artclubhammonton
Coming Soon: Features on the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival (June 3 and 4, Atlantic City’s Bader Field) with more than 100 breweries plus live music by big-time rock acts Dropkick Murphys and 311, plus a slew of area/regional acts on the Acoustic Stage (Ryan Zimmerman, Don’t Panic, many more), presented by Ocean Casino Resort. Info: www.acbeerfest.com.
Adjacent Music Festival (May 27-28); and an interview with 12-year-old local music phenom Kobi Reese, whom we experienced performing for the first time last weekend at Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall’s day-long “Can’t Stop The Music” Festival.
See you next week, and if we happen to run into each other while out and about, please feel free to wish me a happy birthday May 15.
