photos courtesy - Asbury Music.com
Asbury Park
October 22, 2004
Jason Ringenberg returned to the Saint with a spectactular show that not only proved he's a great solo performer, but reminded everyone just how incredible the classic 80s band Jason & the Scorchers used to be.
Dark Marbles opened the night with a pure sixties - Gidget's-Dad-Straps-On-A-Guitar kind of feel. Led by a lead singer who bore an eery resemblance to Batman's Adam West, the band's music blended perfectly with the Saint's dollied up for Halloween stage. It sort of looked like a movie stage for one of those sixties beach movies when the kids all went to a dance hall to party.
If you want to hear a cool mix of rockabilly and sixties surf music definitely check out Dark Marbles. This was my first time seeing the band and I was very impressed. Comprised of Deb Stuppiello on bass, Tony Stuppiello on drums, Pete Quilla on guitar, and Yod Crewsy on guitar and handling vocals - the band has been banging around the area with shows at local venues like the Saint and Asbury Lanes. They have a CD available which was recorded from a previous show at the Saint.
Maybe Pete then took to the stage, just a few days after a highly successful set at the Asbury Music Awards Show at the Stone Pony. That set caught the attention of no less than "Mr. Living Legend 2004" (Al Muzer) himself. When Al arrived he was pleased to discover that he hadn't missed their set. He also joked about whether or not the "Living Legend" title meant he had to start changing his habits or act differently.
While holding a Pabst Blue Ribbon (the cheapo special of the night), Frankie gave his first impression of the night. If you guessed Vinni Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter, you win! Fans of Maybe Pete look forward to the various voices that come from Mr. McGrath during a show and this night was no different. But more than anything, the set was about the music. Ironically, for long-time fans of the band their songs have almost taken on a classic timeless quality. They've been playing many of these songs for so long now that the upcoming album could almost be considered a "Greatest Hits" collection. One of the highlights tonight was a new song called "Shooting Star" that featured a chorus of "sha-la-las." Frankie led the audience as they took over the vocals for a brief while chanting along. The song ended with a wonderful close that seemed to go on for at least two minutes, the kind of classic rock feel that few bands dare to write anymore. The song clearly is to long for radio, but creates a mesmerizing atmosphere.
Jason Ringenberg who once led one of the most popular "college rock" bands of the 80s closed out the night. This was my first time seeing him live since a Scorchers tour in 87 or 88. Back then, the songs sounded louder, the lyrics meaner, and he looked a bit sterner. It was quite a surprise to see the current Jason who seemed to have an ever-present beaming smile on his face throughout his set. Maybe it was his day job - he now sings childrens songs as Farmer Jason - but this definitely was a "kinder, gentler" Jason.
Ringenberg did a mix of acoustic songs from his recent solo albums including the big Farmer Jason hit called "Tractor." That children's song went over surprisingly well in a bar setting as the crowd eagerly belted out "DEERE" everytime Jason would sing, "and the tractor's name is John - " "DEERE!!!" - Somehow I think a rather crude drinking game was just invented. As for the Maybe Pete drinking game... maybe we'll go public with that game someday.
The night really took off when Maybe Pete joined Ringenberg on stage. Together they ripped through several Jason & The Scorchers classics and tore the roof off of the building. While Jason's current songs sounded great with him solo, his music goes to a new level with the full sound of a band. And it was clear that Ringenberg enjoys playing with Maybe Pete (this was the second time the band has backed him up at the Saint) because his energy just climbed a thousand percent. At one point he jumped on to the bar and strolled to the middle of the floor in front of the stage another time. The show's intensity just kept building song after song until it finally exploded in the finale - a rip roaring take of "Country Road." John Denver never rocked as hard or sounded so good! Another classic night in Asbury...
Gary Wien