Tune In, Turn On
A sure way to tell that summer is almost in full bloom at the Jersey Shore is to look at the spate of big-name music acts coming to town, and as it was noted in this column last week, it’s not just about the casinos.
The always-exciting Tony Mart 2026 Summer Season kicks off June 12 in Somers Point with a free performance by Grammy-winning artist Tom Hambridge. Local blues-rockers Twisted Livin’ will open the show, having just dropped their debut single, “6 Feet Under Ground,” on Organic Recordings. TL will also play the Anchor Rock Club June 13.
Speaking of the Anchor, the Atlantic City-based live music venue will present the Atlantic City Riff Fest Saturday, June 6, featuring a multi-band lineup of Atomic Bitchwax (New Jersey-based stoner rock band that have been in existence since 1992), Shovelhead, Black Horse Pike and Solace.
Tune in Turn On recently chatted with Justin Skyler Daniels, who plays guitar in Solace, just back from an extended European tour. Daniels is a Mays Landing resident by the way.
DD: How has Solace managed to stay together all these years?
JSD: Tommy Southard is the only original member left. I joined almost 25 years ago. We just don’t know how to quit. I can’t imagine not making music with these guys. Tommy and I have been playing guitar together for so long that we can complete each other’s sentences when it comes to creating music.
DD: What was it like playing live for the music fans in Europe and all the countries Solace just visited?
JSD: It’s always fantastic getting to play over there. Europeans seem to be more open and appreciative of independent and underground heavy music. Super enthusiastic crowds and always super nice folks. There are more venues and the promoters tend to treat bands like artists. It feels like a thriving scene.
DD: If you could do a tour with several other bands, whether they’re still performing together or not, who would they be?
JSD: In a dream world? Black Sabbath. Which is funny because Godspeed, the band that Solace grew out of, did actually tour with Sabbath back in the ’90s. That was before my time. I’d love the opportunity to play with Metallica, since they’re the reason I ever picked up a guitar. Corrosion Of Conformity would be a great fit for us on a tour.
DD: How do you feel about being back in A.C. and performing at the Anchor Rock Club?
JSD: I LOVE that venue. (Anchor Rock Club promoter) Greg (Mungan) and company really put something special together there. The vibe is stellar. We’re proud to represent South Jersey and getting to play in our backyard for all our friends always feels fantastic!
DD: What’s next for Solace?
JSD: Our new album “Fading, Failing, Ruin” drops July 3 on Magnetic Eyes Records. We spent last year recording and just released a music video for the single “Spiral Will,” shot right here in the Pine Barrens. We have a few more festivals booked here in the States to finish out the year. Hopefully the record does well enough to get us back across the pond in 2027.
You can see the Atlantic City Riff Fest featuring Solace, Atomic Bitchwax, Shovelhead and Black Horse Pike, June 6 at Anchor Rock Club, 247 S. New York Ave., A.C. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.07. See www.anchorrockclub.com.
Tune-Ups
Blues Legends, The Blues Project, Coming to Lizzie Rose Music Room: Older readers who have been following music through the years are likely familiar with The Blues Project, an innovative rock and blues group that formed in Greenwich Village, New York City, way back in 1965.
“The Blues Project was one of the first trailblazing jam bands with ‘guard rails’ in 1965,” Roy Blumenfeld, 82, the group’s drummer and one of its longest-tenured members, told Tune In Turn On in a recent interview. “We brought together the place where the mind, heart, spirit and soul intersect and bring inspiration, nourishment and joy to the celebration of life.”
The band was one of the earliest to integrate the rock and blues genres. Sixty-one years later, amazingly, they’re still going strong – releasing a new album, “Live 2025,” last year, and continuing to tour, with a show at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St. in Tuckerton, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 5. Tickets are $45. For info see lizzierosemusic.com.
Also Noteworthy: This Saturday, June 6, rap-rock breakout star YUNGBLUD is performing at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in A.C.
Enjoy this first week of June and please support live music. Peace out.
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
