Up next was Frank Turner. This was the second time I have seen Turner, and I hope it’s far from the last; though I must say his style of music is definitely more enjoyable in the intimate setting of Asbury Lanes, as compared to the vastness of the Stone Pony’s Summer Stage. Turner opened the set with a solo piece (just him, his guitar, and his oddly Irish-sounding English accent), before he was joined by the rest of his band; he played a longer solo section midway through his set. However, even when the other four musicians were on stage with Turner, the band never lost the flavor of a singer/songwriter act. Their blend of folk, punk, Oi!, and traditional Celtic is phenomenal, even when they toss in a bit of American country twang. Only a “smattering” of the crowd had seen Turner before this show, but this did not stop Turner from making sure that his set had plenty of sing-a-long sections, and, with only a little coaching, the crowd went right along and loved it. A personal favorite was “I Still Believe,” a slightly politically charged song about the importance of music to the self and society. Frank Turner’s ability to take the intensity, frustration, and hope of punk rock and blend it with the sincerity, lightheartedness, and poetry of folk makes him more than just enjoyable; he is engaging. I can not wait to see him again.


Frank Turner

The Gaslight Anthem was up next, and they couldn’t come out fast enough for the motley crew of kids, ‘tweens, and seasoned vets of the shore scene which had assembled to see them. The Jersey pride was strong from the time they hit the stage as the boys felt “good to be home.” It was great to hear the band ripping on the” Jersey Shore” after acknowledging it was good to see some real shore kids (though I’m sure there were some Situation and Snooki wannabes in the audience). The crowd loved everything these guys did and sang along to every word. Gaslight sent their love right back by dedicating “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” to “all of us.”

They opened their set with “American Slang”, and proceeded to play about three quarters of the rest of that album. Afterwards they mixed together the rest with songs from The ’59 Sound and their “old stuff” (three years is old now?). The crowd loved every minute of the show with girls sitting on shoulders, fist pumping (the good kind), two steps, and oddly placed and timed mosh pits (seriously who moshs by the bar during the acoustic break down?). One particularly enthusiastic fan, Jackie O, insisted that I let all of you know that “The ’59 Sound” and “Great Expectations” rocked. While she is absolutely correct, I have to say my favorites were “Orphans” and “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”. The show was a blast, but some of the band’s great intros were lost. Similarly, Brian Fallon’s showmanship was lacking while he had his bulky acoustic strapped in front of him. When he put it down the band’s sound didn’t really suffer in the live setting, and he became much more engaging. Otherwise the only issue with the show was that, while it’s awesome for Gaslight, it kind of sucks to know not long ago I could have seen them at the Court Tavern twenty feet from the bar, as opposed to half a football field away.