The Stone Pony Summer Stage was the place to be on Wednesday night as The Tangiers Blues Band and Gary Clark Jr. brought the heat to Asbury Park, NJ. This beloved and iconic venue is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary currently and this show was certainly one for the books! The Summer Stage is a large outdoor space perfectly designed for these beautiful Summer nights. The weather was perfect, the crowd was enormous, and the energy in the air was truly electric.
Starting off the night was The Tangiers Blues Band, which features local legend and world renowned photographer, Danny Clinch, on the harp and vocals. I made sure to leave more than enough time on my two hour trek down the GSP to get to the venue on time to see them. The blues is definitely alive and well and they were here to show us how it’s done! King (vocals/guitar) kicked things off with I Wish You Would (David Bowie) and the momentum just kept building from there. The crowd was going wild for You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover (Bo Diddley) and one of the best covers of Fight for Your Right (Beastie Boys) that I’ve ever heard. The Tangiers Blues Band is the real deal and I highly suggest going to see them if you have the chance!
The crowd was fired up and the atmosphere was palpable. With confidence and swagger, Gary Clark Jr. took to the stage to weave blues, rock, soul and hip hop into a beautiful tapestry known to us as his latest album: JPEG RAW (an acronym for Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed…Rules, Alter Ego, Worlds). A true master of his craft, Clark Jr. is a man of many talents and he’s not afraid to pursue the sound he’s after. The set kicked off with Maktub and it’s infectiously catchy riffs followed by When My Train Pulls In (from Worry No More) which came complete with a face-melting guitar solo and Hyperwave.
Not only is Clark Jr. a guitar virtuoso, he is also one of the best lyricists around. This is featured prominently on What About the Children and This is Who We Are with the poignant lines ‘Uh a little bird told me I’m too loud // A little bird better shut their mouth // Uh, I walk by the side of the kings tonight’. Other fan favorites during the set included Bright Lights, Don’t Start (feat. Danny Clinch on harp, Habits and the killer finale of Funk Witch U, which had all of Asbury Park on their feet! The JPEG RAW Tour is just getting started and there are tons of dates coming up both in the states and internationally. Gary Clark Jr. is one of the best musicians of our time and I highly urge you to see him live and give JPEG RAW a spin!
