I suppose there is something to be said for going to see a supergroup play in concert in Corporate Name of the Month Arena. Who doesn’t love tolls, parking fees, high-priced concessions and a view from above?
That is just not what I am interested in these days.
I remain a fan — as I have since I first set foot in a New Jersey rock ‘n’ roll bar in April 1978 (legally; the drinking age was 18) — of music that is made by people you can see, and feel, and speak with, and get to know.
There is something to be said, I think, for paying nothing, or maybe a couple of bucks, to enter a club where you are not familiar with the evening’s performer and to experience something that makes you go “wow.” That has happened to me many times over the years and it has led me down a path of watching and admiring local musicians who continue to entertain faithful audiences.
Most, if not all, of these artists will never perform in an arena or a stadium, they will not become millionaires playing music, but they will continue to do what they do, being rewarded by the people who listen to them and appreciate them, who can approach them during a break or at the end of the night and express their heartfelt approval for the performance.
I have done that many times, including two weeks ago. In recent months, American Legion Post 54 in Freehold Borough has started to offer performances on Thursday evenings in what has been dubbed the Acoustic Lounge. If I was the type of writer who regularly put flowery prose on a page, I could describe the Acoustic Lounge as an intimate setting where people gather to listen to the words and music of an eclectic array of artists, but who am I kidding?
Because I do not write flowery prose, I can best describe the Acoustic Lounge as an American Legion hall with a pool table in the middle of the room, where people drink beer in frosted mugs and listen to rock ‘n’ roll music.
This is nothing to be ashamed of or apologized for and, given Freehold Borough’s venerable musical history, one might make the case it is exactly what the town has needed for years.
The evening of May 29 found friends gathering at the Acoustic Lounge to honor drummer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez of Jackson on his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of the E Street Band. Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen as a member of the band on Springsteen’s first two albums in the early 1970s.
In a nod to what rock ‘n’ roll is, in the end, all about, Lopez’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame statuette occupied a place of honor all evening on the aforementioned pool table. Lopez’s friends and fans lined up to take pictures of what is likely the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame statuette to make its way to Main Street in the borough.
Cake and brownies were served, and a good time was had by all who made the scene. Try getting that at Corporate Name of the Month Arena for free.
Lopez’s current band License to Chill played a set before an array of musical guests took the stage.
Acoustic Lounge host Jim Arcoleo sang “Growin’ Up” from Springsteen’s first album, with Lopez on drums. At another point, Springsteen’s “Rosalita” was performed, again with Lopez on drums, reprising a performance he made four decades ago on Bruce’s second album. This is the stuff of which memories are made.
Later, I was in the back room of the American Legion hall watching the Rangers beat the Canadiens in Game 6, when I heard the sound of a harmonica coming from the stage. When I turned my attention to the stage, I saw a woman playing the heck out of her harp.
This went on for a few songs, and I found out it was local singer Laura Crisci on harmonica. A beautiful woman who plays harmonica? Life cannot get better than that. It just can’t.
If I may paraphrase author W.P. Kinsella in “Shoeless Joe,” Was this heaven? No, it was Freehold Borough. And in one of those moments you cannot get in an arena or a stadium, when Crisci came off the stage, I told her I thought she was awesome on the harmonica.
I subsequently posted a comment on Crisci’s Facebook page and she responded to me with a post of her own. Wow, that was cool. It is that type of interaction with people who do something every night that I could never do — get up on stage and entertain an audience — that has kept me interested and excited about the local music scene for more than 35 years.
I do not plan to quit the local music scene now, and judging by other “mature” rockers I see in clubs, many others share the same opinion of our local musicians.