Frank Turner – The Wonderbar, Asbury Park, NJ

Review by Deborah J. Draisin

Frank Turner is one of those artists that my friends always get mad stoked on when he comes to town, but that I always hedge on for some reason. I never seem to remember how great a time I always have at his shows and how closely his lyrics mirror my life. After this night, I will not make this mistake again.

Frank brought his band, The Sleeping Souls and openers Ramshackle Army to my favorite spot on earth for the final stop of his tour, playing a sold-out show in the second tiniest venue in Asbury Park, the final resting place of good ol’ Tillie, the Wonder Bar (which I just now realized is German for wonderful, thanks to Rammstein. Shut up, I’m slow, okay?)

Doors were pushed up a half hour – thank goodness we were already in town! This caused a bit of stress, but only a bit. We all got our drink on as Ramshackle Army tuned up. We had had no prior idea who was opening, but boy did we get the surprise of our life as they blew the stage fucking up! A wild ginger fiddler chick stomped along to some of the most bruising Gaelic punk I’ve seen live since FloMo.

They were really fun – if you’ve never checked these dudes out before, I strongly suggest that you pick up some of their stuff. I know I will. Their set flew by; I rarely enjoy an opener quite as much as I did these guys. Very high energy, catchy jams.

There was a bit of a break in between their set and Frank’s. We used it to catch up with one another. We met a daughter and her two parents who have been following Frank together for years (they even have matching tattoos, and have recently hooked the eleven year old brother on Turner.) We met a lady who traveled with a broken foot to be there, wheelchair and all. We hugged friends who were there and toasted ones who weren’t.

Then the lights went down and the pit got tighter, and out came Frank, guitar slung behind his simple white tee and jeans, and with a wave to his band, the show began.

If you’ve never seen Frank Turner live, then allow me to try and explain this experience to you. It’s a bit like convening with old friends at a get-together, trading war stories, laughing, sighing at the memories. This is a show that you’re involved in from beginning to end. Frank is engaging, charming – like the one dude in school that everyone knew no matter which clique they traveled in. The sounds feel familiar and there are going to be at least a few songs that you relate to wholeheartedly.

Frank is an amazing storyteller, and the band, the Sleeping Souls, are so much fun to look at. They never stop moving, their faces are expressive, they encourage the crowd to sing along with them, to clap along with them. The camaraderie between the players is contagious and only a jam or two in, you feel as though you are one.

Along with songs that feel like old friends the first time you ever hear them, scream along till your heart breaks showstoppers such as “I Still Believe” (diehard tattoo fodder for sure,) “Photosynthesis” and “The Ballad of Me and My Friends,” the shows are now peppered here and there with new cuts off what looks to be an early 2013 release (one of which heralded those of us with inked skin) and a couple of covers (an absolutely mind-blowing version of “Somebody to Love” and the apropos “Thunder Road.”)

Frank whispered to us that Asbury has begun to feel like home to him – like playing a small pub in Wessex – and promised to be back in the fall.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, I strongly suggest that you be less stubborn than I have been and get yourself a ticket. Trust me, this man is worth it.

For more information on the bands, visit www.frank-turner.com and www.facebook.com/theramshacklearmy.

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