Tune In, Turn On
With Doug Deutsch
The Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival, planned for 12-11 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, is known for not only offering some of the world’s finest brews – including many local and regional breweries – but also some of the biggest cutting-edge rock groups.
Performers have included The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Descendants, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, Everclear, and Dropkick Murphys. The latter performed during the festival’s 2022 show at Bader Field, our first year living back at the Jersey Shore, and what a wild show that was!
Now in its 19th big year of being presented by Jon Henderson and his Good Time Tricycle Productions, this year’s headliners include Senses Fail, Hidden in Plain View, Flycatcher (First Session, 12-4 p.m.); and the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Second Session, 7-11 p.m.) All are big-name acts that will have the Convention Center rockin.’
A little less known and certainly not afforded the same fanfare as the headliners are the bands playing the Beer Fest’s Acoustic Stage.
“The Acoustic Stage hasn’t always been a part of The Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, but it has always been about local, independent, original music,” said Stephen Weiss, a longtime AC music promoter who, along with Noranne Thompson, oversees the Acoustic Stage performers.
The festival featured unplugged artists for the first time in 2014. NorStep, the music agency owned/operated by Weiss and Thompson, assumed the Acoustic Stage booking responsibilities in 2019.
“Booking acts from both South Jersey and the Philadelphia area, NorStep has taken bands that were more known for their electric instruments, and stripped them down to the core, replacing electric with acoustic, and (playing) bongos and cajons instead of drums.
“Unlikely bands such as punk rockers Bad Mary, pulled the plug and, for the first time, played their racy punk tunes with acoustic instruments. Amazingly, no energy was lost in the transition. Now in NorStep’s seventh year hosting the Beer Fest’s Acoustic Stage, karaoke has also been added this year,” added Weiss.
This year’s Acoustic Stage lineup: First three bands play Session 1, latter three perform at Session 2.
Max Davey (indie folk-pop from Philadelphia), Wave Break (female-fronted pop-punk from Asbury Park), and Good Look, Sigourney (alt-rock from the Jersey Shore).
Separatr (female-fronted synth-pop from Asbury Park), Backyard Superheroes (‘nerd-wave’ ska from Marlboro, NJ) and Stateside (rocking reggae from Montgomery County, Pa.).
The Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival, Saturday, March 29, Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Convention Blvd. AC. Tickets/info: www.acbeerfest.com.
Creative Local Ladies at The ‘Rose: Anyone that reads this column regularly knows we have a fondness for female-fronted bands/solo artists. To that end, we’re pleased to plug the Creative Local Ladies show this Friday, March 21, at Lizzie Rose Music Room in Tuckerton, announced as “a special evening celebrating talented women in the arts in celebration of Women’s History Month,” according to press info we received from one of the night’s performers, Amy Elizabeth. “This event showcases amazing female artists and musicians, highlighting their unique talents and contributions to our local arts scene,” she adds. Performers include Emerson Woolf & the Wishbones, the Amy Elizabeth Band, Allison Stella, and Space. The following night, March 22 at the ‘Rose there’s a blues-roots double bill featuring Bees Deluxe and Twisted Livin’. Ticket/info: www.lizzierosemusicroom.com.
Coming next week: Preview of the “Experience Hendrix Tour,” Friday, April 4, at Ocean Casino’s Ovation Hall featuring stellar guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Samantha Fish and more!
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 also hàs experience writing for the one time shore-based weekly publication, Whoot! He also was a team member with Chip Braymes Advertising. Doug loves bicycling and aspires to bring the Blues to Atlantic City. He can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/dougdeutschpublicity.
