This year, the summer flew by, and winter came much too soon. So naturally, I daydream about that last weekend of the summer, the weekend of Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park, NJ. The feel of the sand beneath my toes, sunshine on my face, warm breezes coming off the water, and the sound of incredible live music on the beach. It’s just as Stevie Nicks told the audience in her closing set on the first night, “to have a festival right on the ocean is pretty spectacular.”
And it was more than spectacular. Three artists from the festival are now Grammy nominated; Wet Leg, IDLES, and Afro-Cuban funk band, Cimafunk. Not to mention the rest of the stellar lineup: Green Day, Billy Strings, Cage the Elephant, Gary Clark Jr., My Morning Jacket, Boy George & Culture Club, The Backseat Lovers, Courtney Barnett, FLETCHER, The Head and the Heart, Tai Verdes, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Skip Marley, Celisse, Shakey Graves, and many more.
With the bands spread out on the three stages, two on the beach and one in the park, it allowed fans to wander by the ocean and on the boardwalk. There was also yoga in the morning on the beach, professional surfers competing on the water, and even some surprise performances at Danny Clinch’s Pop-Up art gallery tent near the Park Stage.
Clinch, a rock photographer/filmmaker/musician, is one of the founders of the festival and his Transparent Pop-Up Gallery tent brings a unique experience for festival goers. There’s featured artwork by some musicians and surprise performances by Danny and the artists in a very intimate setting.
Singer and guitarist Jim James, from the band My Morning Jacket, was one of those surprise acts at the gallery and had a very moving set. The last time he played in Ashbury Park was for an event in 2013 to help raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief, but it left an impression on him. “It’s a magical place,” said James. “I feel like every time I’ve been there, I’ve had some contact with some other, beautiful spirit that I don’t know how to describe even… We’re just so, so excited to come back.” I also can’t wait to go back. Mark your calendar for September 16-17, 2023, and sign up for text alerts for upcoming tickets. https://www.seahearnowfestival.com I hope to see you on the sand next year.
