Sea Hear Now festival Asbury Park: Foo Fighters, Killers and more bands you must see
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
So many bands, so much sand — and hopefully a lot of sun, too.
The weather forecast looks good for the fifth Sea Hear Now music, art and surf festival on Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17, on the North Beach and Bradley Park in Asbury Park. The Foo Fighters, the Killers, Weezer, the Beach Boys, the Breeders, Living Colour and more are playing.
Sea Hear Now is produced by C3 Presents, the team behind Lollapalooza, and locals Danny Clinch and Tim Donnelly. Clinch is a Toms River native who has photographed the greats of music, from Bruce Springsteen to Tupac Shakur.
The North Beach Rumble surfing contest returns, with captains Cam Richards and Sam Hammer. Surfers Will Skudin, Cassidy McClain, Jamie DeWitt, Rob Kelly and Pat Schmidt are scheduled to participate.
Stoke Henge, located in the sand just off the boardwalk, will return, highlighted by the work of city artist Pork Chop. Pieces by Jersey Shore artist Jay Alders also will be on display, and the Transparent Gallery pop-up returns to Bradley Park.
Green Day and Stevie Nicks headlined last year's Sea Hear Now, which also featured performances by Boy George and Culture Club, My Morning Jacket, Wet Leg, Idles, Billy Strings, Cage the Elephant, Fletcher, and Gary Clark Jr. This year's musical performers are:
Sea Hear Now lineup: Saturday, Sept. 16
The Killers, Greta Van Fleet, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Sheryl Crow, Tash Sultana, Royal Blood, Bob Moses, Cory Wong, Oteil & Friends, Living Colour, Babe Rainbow, Surfer Girl, Snacktime, Quincy Mumford, and Yawn Mower
Sea Hear Now lineup: Sunday, Sept. 17
Foo Fighters, Weezer, Rebelution, Mt. Joy, The Beach Boys, The Breeders, Tegan & Sara, Stephen Sanchez, Joey Valence & Brae, Adam Melchor, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, Easy Star All-Stars, Sunflower Bean, Alexander Simone & Whodat?, and Waiting on Mongo.
So many bands raise the question of who to see. Here are seven acts of the 2023 Sea Hear Now that you cannot miss:
Tash Sultana, 6 p.m. Saturday, Park Stage
Tash Sultana's one-person show is arresting, thanks to the musician's voice, guitar, and use of loops and effects pedals. The Australian native, who is non-binary, battled against drug addiction as a teenager and started busking on the streets of Melbourne.
Viral videos, including nearly 50 million views for Sultana's song “Jungle,” has led to shows around the world.
The guitarist’s Asbury Park debut was in 2019, and there’s a new EP, “Sugar,” which includes the singles “James Dean” and “New York.”
The Killers, 9 p.m. Saturday, Surf Stage
When recently asked by Politico, Republican presidential candidates Chris Christie and Nikki Haley said they're fans of the Killers' 2004 hit “ “Mr. Brightside.
Christie, of course, is a fan of Freehold native Bruce Springsteen, who appeared on the 2022 Killers song “Dustland,” and the first Sea Hear Now in 2018 with Social Distortion.
Don't expect a Boss surprise at this year's Sea Hear Now as Springsteen is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease, and has postponed his September shows.
Alexander Simone and Whodat?, 12:15 p.m. Sunday, Park Stage
The greats of Asbury Park music, from Lenny Welch to Bruce Springsteen to Jon Bon Jovi, know how to work a crowd. City singer Alexander Simone knows how to work a crowd, too. After shows with his Whodat? group, fans invariably have a smile on their face and a lift to their step. Simone's sound, like his predecessors from the city, runs the gamut from R&B to rock to soul.
Simone has quite a pedigree, too: He's the grandson of the iconic Nina Simone. That was him on stage with Pearl Jam singing Bruce Springsteen's “My City of Ruins” at the 2021 Sea Hear Now festival.
Quincy Mumford, Yawn Mower, and Waiting on Mongo are also local talent ready to shine on the big Sea How now stage this weekend.
More: Karol G history-making Mañana Será Bonito Tour show enchants at MetLife Stadium
Stephen Sanchez, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Park Stage
Who's creating the most gorgeous melodies in music today? It's California native Stephen Sanchez, who is making hearts swoon with his lushly retro hit, “Until I Found You.”
Singer Em Beihold performs on a remix version, and both are great. Elton John is a fan — he invited Sanchez onstage at the Glastonbury festival in the U.K. to perform “Until I Found You,” which has been streamed more than 1.5 billion times.
Sanchez's debut album, “Angel Face,” comes out Friday, Sept. 22, on Mercury/Republic Records, days after his Asbury Park debut at Sea Hear Now.
More: Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band at MetLife: 6 magical moments you might have missed
Beach Boys, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Surf Stage
A note about the legendary Beach Boys and Asbury Park — this is not their city debut. The Beach Boys first played Convention Hall on the boardwalk in 1965 as part of promoter Moe Septee's “Summer of Stars” series at the venue, and in following years, too.
The Beach Boys shows were significant as rock 'n' roll was banned in the city following the 1956 Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers show at the hall, which caused a riot.
Concerts like the Beach Boys shows helped reintroduce rock 'n' roll back into the city's good graces. Nearly 60 years later, Asbury Park is still rocking — and the Beach Boys are, too.
Weezer, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Surf Stage
Weezer sure has come a long way since they headlined the Stone Pony in Asbury Park in December 1994. The band — fronted by Rivers Cuomo — has released 15 albums, hit singles like “Buddy Holly” and “Beverly Hills,” and have become the standard bearers for the modern pop-punk sound.
Cuomo is especially prolific, and there are no signs of him slowing down. A recent single, “What Happens After You” from the EP “SZNZ: Autumn,” shows his ability to write a catchy hook is undiminished.
Foo Fighters, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Surf Stage
The Foo Fighters have been one of the most compelling stories in rock 'n' roll. In 2022, the band tragically lost their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, hours before a show.
The Foos have soldiered on with Josh Freese now behind the skins. Frontman David Grohl knows the trials of losing band members before their time. He was the drummer for Nirvana, whose frontman Kurt Cobain took his own life at the age of 27 in 1994.
As for their Sea How Now performance, they're no strangers to the Asbury Park beach. The Foo Fighters headlined the Bamboozle fest in practically the same exact spot on the city's North Beach in May 2012. They did double time that day as they also performed on “Saturday Night Live.”
Go: Sea Hear Now, 12:45 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, and 12:15 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, 1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, verified resale tickets start at $195; seahearnowfestival.com.
Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene.
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Sea Hear Now lineup includes the Breeders, Living Colour, Sheryl Crow
