Chris Jordan
| Asbury Park Press
Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes at the Basie Center ‘Drive-In Live’ concert
Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes at the Basie Center ‘Drive-In Live’ concert July 11, 2020 at Monmouth Park, Oceanport.
Chris Jordan, @ChrisFHJordan
Concert stages were quiet, theaters were empty, nightclubs were closed.
But that didn’t stop the creative spirt in New Jersey. Sure, the coronavirus outbreak, which began in March, put a damper on how the arts usually operate in New Jersey, but other non-traditional outlets of expression were found, and artists and fans found new ways to engage.
In September, theaters and nightclubs in the state were allowed to reopen with capacity limits. That presented a new set of challenges, but we’re persevering.
Here’s our list of the Top 10 Jersey entertainment stories of 2020:
10. Mooby’s opens in Red Bank
Come for pop culture irreverence, stay for the food.
A real life Mooby’s restaurant opened in Red Bank for a week in September. If you’re not familiar with the Kevin Smith universe, the fictional Mooby’s made its debut in the 1999 Smith film “Dogma,” and there’s been references to it ever since in his films.
“It’s kind of been this go-to background noise in a lot of our flicks and I never thought I’d see it in real life,” Smith told the USA Today Network.
Mooby’s took over Gianni’s Pizzeria, and you could get both burgers and vegan fare there.
The pop-up has moved on to other locales in the U.S. and Canada, but Smith, a Highlands native, hosted a drive-in show with actor Jason Mewes at Bell Works in Holmdel, also in September. Coming up, Smith’s comic book store in Red Bank, Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, is scheduled to move from 35 Broad St. to 65 Broad St. on Dec. 28.
We assure you, they’re not closing.
Take a look: Inside Kevin Smith’s pop-up Mooby’s in Red Bank
9. Vogel opens at the Basie
Not only did the show go on at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, but a new venue opened there, too.
The Vogel, a two-tiered hall that can hold 800 standing in normal times, had its debut on Oct. 22 with a Grace Potter concert. It was a seated, socially-distanced affair.
“Thank you for masking up and I am so honored to be a part of tonight,” said Potter from the stage.
The Vogel is named after Colts Neck philanthropists Anne and Sheldon Vogel. The new Basie venue is part of an ambitious, years-in-the-making, $28 million expansion for the Count Basie Center for the Arts that includes spaces for performance, teaching and community outreach.
Full story: Count Basie Center’s new venue The Vogel opens with Grace Potter
8. Whitney Houston goes into Rock Hall
The star of the late Whitney Houston was as bright as ever in 2020.
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A mural comprising more than 1,000 pounds of hand-cut glass mosaic in the Central Ward of her hometown of Newark was dedicated on Dec. 16, and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 7.
“I’m so very, very proud that Whitney is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said mom Cissy Houston during the Rock Hall ceremony. “She wanted to be something – not anything. She worked hard at it, too.”
Houston’s life ended tragically short when she was found dead at 48 in a hotel bathtub on Feb. 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California, on the eve of that year’s Grammy Awards.
Upcoming is the official Houston biopic, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” It’s a collaboration between the estate of Houston, headed by Houston’s sister-in-law Pat Houston, music executive Clive Davis and others.
NJ legend: Whitney Houston star is bright as she posthumously goes into Rock Hall of Fame
7. Livestreams take the night
Alone, we were together.
More than 30 musicians, mostly from the Jersey Shore and one in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, participated on the “NJ Shore Musicians ‘Stay at Home’ Live Music” on April 4.
Previous story: Dozens of Jersey Shore musicians Stay at Home to stream a really big show Saturday night
While Jersey musicians had been live-steaming at the point in the outbreak as venues were closed, this was the first multi-artist endeavor, and it was organized by music fan James Casserly.
It was a hit, capped with an a cappella performance from Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, the founder of the E Street Band, from Florida.
He sang two “missionary songs” a cappella.
“I hope the songs that I sing will be pertinent to events now going on in our nation,” said Lopez before the performance.
They were.
6. Drive-in movies
Baby you can drive my car — to the drive-in movie.
Drive-in movies made their return to the state with pop-up showings in Berkeley Township, Brick Township, Jackson Township, Hillsdale, Northvale, Ocean Township, Sayreville and more. Even Bell Works in Holmdel got into the act.
Holmdel: Bell Works drive-in movies sold out first weekend
Of course, it was old-school for the Delsea Drive-in in Vineland, the state’s lone permanent drive-in.
They opened in 1949.
“Logic prevailed,” Delsea co-owner Jude DeLeonardis told the USA Today Network. “It should have prevailed sooner.”
5. Drive-in concerts
Baby you can drive my car — to the drive-in concert.
Drive-in concerts, outdoor shows where fans either sat in, sat on, or sat next to their cars, trucks and SUVs, were the thing this summer.
Concerts took place in a Monmouth Park in Oceanport parking lot, presented there by the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank; the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, presented by BergenPAC; the Fosterfields Farm in Morristown, presented there by the Mayo Performing Arts Center; Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson; the Rhythm and Reels Drive-In in Williamstown and more.
It was a unique experience, to say the least.
“There’s no audience to react to, it’s just cars,” said Southside Johnny from the stage at Monmouth Park in July. “But all of the bumpers look like they’re grinning so I’m happy with that.”
Monmouth Park: The Front Bottoms celebrate new album with drive-in concert
4. Jon Bon Jovi washes dishes
There was Jon Bon Jovi, in short sleeves and face in shadow, washing dishes at the Soul Kitchen community restaurant in Red Bank on a March 19 social media post.
“If you can’t do what you do … do what you can,” commented Bon Jovi on the post.
The picture went viral as it served as a representation of the challenges we faced, and still face. When a group of Chicagoans wanted to unify the city with a city-wide sing-along from their windows while Illinois was in a “stay at home” order, Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” was the song they chose.
Band members David Bryan and Everett Bradley both fought off the virus. A Bon Jovi tour was canceled and the band’s “2020” album was delayed. A new song was added, “Do What You Can,” inspired by the picture, snapped by Jon’s wife, Dorothea Bongiovi.
Bon Jovi became the rock ’n’ roll epicenter of the outbreak.
Dining: Bon Jovi Soul Kitchens in Red Bank, Toms River now offering outdoor dining, online pick-up
3. 50,000 people in New Jersey
When will we know this is over?
When “50,000 people will once again scream their heads off somewhere in New Jersey.”
Bruce Springsteen SiriusXM radio show: Lesser known bands appreciate Boss spins
Bruce Springsteen delivered that message of hope on his May 6 “Bruce Springsteen: From My Home To Yours” broadcast on SiriusXM’s E Street Radio, and it resonated with fans and Jerseyans. So much so that Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, a not-for-profit, sold “50,000 people” T-shirts to raise funds while its doors were closed during the outbreak.
The Boss provided the right degree of cautious optimism that someday we’ll be able to put all of this in the rearview mirror at a time when we really needed it.
2. Jersey musicians say Black Lives Matter
They said it, sang it, rapped it and marched it.
Jersey musicians, including local and national acts, came to the fore to emphasize the problem of systemic racism in the days following the death of George Floyd as he was being arrested May 25 in Minneapolis. In Asbury Park, Alexander Simone, the grandson of music legend Nina Simone, released the song “Fight the Fight,” and helped lead a Floyd protest in the city on June 1.
Bayville’s Chill Smith re-released his track “Reverse Racism,” and shot a new video for it, too. The Asbury Park rock duo Brick + Mortar released “American Reality,” a deceptively stark look at our American reality. National artists from Jersey including Halsey, George Clinton, Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen all spoke up and said Black Lives Matter.
NJ hip-hop: Bayville’s Chill Smith takes on MAGA hats in new ‘Reverse Racism’ video
1. Jersey arts remain strong
No, the world did not end on the second weekend of March 2020.
Music, theater, TV, movies and artistic expression did not stop that weekend. Creative types just found new ways to do it and their fans found new ways to enjoy. By doing so, the bonds of community among artists and fans were made even stronger.
‘Letter to You’ interview: Life, death and the code of the E Street Band
Jersey musicians like Williams Honor, Jarod Clemons, Emily Grove and Bobby Mahoney went online with weekly livestreams, the Ocean Avenue Stompers brought the music outside into the streets, and venues like the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, the Langosta Lounge and Tim McLoone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park, and Chubby Pickle in Highlands brought the music inside once the state allowed socially distanced shows starting in September.
Bon Jovi ‘2020’ album review: What kind of world are we leaving our children?
Big Jersey acts like Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Nicole Atkins found new avenues of expression, including radio, social media and variety shows. Plus they all released new albums.
Listen: The New Jersey summer music releases you need to hear right now
The new formats, many of which have been highlighted here, gave fans a new perspective on music and art makers. No, it wasn’t the same, and it’s not ideal. But the coronavirus outbreak proved that the creative spark of Jersey arts is very strong.
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.
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