Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net in Ocean Grove, NJ
Evidently this Sea.Hear.Now. Music. Festival sold 40,000 tickets which means that about 100,000 people showed up. Last time I tried to get in, two years ago, looking for a press pass, but they turned me away for not applying soon enough. They would not even allow me to go onto the boardwalk to take a few photos.
It continues on Sunday into the night. It is not technically a”rock” festival. The array of acts was amazing and encompassed a wide spectrum of popular music, and some performed by world famous groups.
The tickets cost $200.00 to $300.00, but that didn’t deter the mostly young crowd in attendance. Security was so tight that barriers were erected perpendicular to the ocean, so that no one could walk along the beach, as from the Grove, and walk right in. I doubt that would stand up in court since the ocean front and the boardwalk belong to the people not to the organizers.
The barricades were insurmountable, but some came by in boats dropping anchor in hopes of hearing the sounds. One boat from the Belmar fleet was noted, probably having charged money to bring people to the site without buying tickets
Older folks did attend, but when you reach a certain age, you don’t tolerate standing on your feet for hours in the sun cheering for groups that you never heard of. The crowd was huge, enjoying the music, but some people had passed out on the beach. Alcohol was being sold, and who knows about the drug scene?
A friend attended, but after a short period of time he was checking his watch and wondering what he would do if mass hysteria developed, as in a terrorist attack for instance. The bathrooms were a mess. No 17 year old would consider that sort of thing.
And the sound quality was reported to be quite good, depending on how the wind was blowing.
We live at the North End of the Grove, and a groaning noise could be heard from our porch at 10:30 pm. Some people were returning to their cars singing as they walked. A man walked by and a neighbor asked “How was it?”
He replied, “I can hear the music here better than there.”
Yesterday I turned on the Penn State/Auburn football game coming from Happy Valley. There were over 100,000 fans there, and the stands were a sea of white. No one was wearing a mask that I could see.
So, the fear of a super spreader of virus there seemed unfounded.
At the music Festival here, our reporter saw no one wearing a mask. And this morning, at the Hot Bagel Bakery in Oakhurst, there was a line out the door and a crowd inside–but only a few employees wore masks—not one customer but me, and I said, “fuhgetaboutit” and put mine in my pocket.
The whole mask thing continues to be confusing, but it seems that the communicability of the virus delta variant may be overstated.
This festival is remarkable, and I have nothing bad to say about it even though it contributed to Saturdays parking glut in the Grove. It is very special, but if Asbury were to become like Madison Square Garden, I would not be happy.
We need to fix our own problems here. Do you hear that “Better Parking Alliance” wherever you are?
Here is a Blogfinger post from last year. It contains a very good video. This was posted before they cancelled the 2020 event.
THIS IS WHAT BLOGFINGER.NET SAID IN 2019 (It was cancelled in 2020):
It’s interesting that this private extravaganza will shut down a large swath of north A. Park to the public. I was down there late Friday, and the security and restrictions are reminiscent of a third world country.
Why should this event close down large portions of the public’s beach, boardwalk and parks to the public unless admission tickets (wrist bands) are purchased? Where is the precedent for this at the Jersey Shore, and right in Ocean Grove’s backyard?
What happened to the civil liberties of all who don’t attend but who live around here? You can be sure that there will be gridlock parking in OG. When they have huge events in Central Park, such as Shakespeare in the Park, it is usually free except for rare benefits.
Anyone can photograph in Central Park, but at this Asbury festival they will not allow Blogfinger to photograph despite our press credentials. As of Friday, all press credentials are being denied. Freedom of the press on public property?? They do not want any professional photographers at the events.
Most of the people attending will be from out of town. There will be congestion in small areas. Many hotels in the region extending to Staten Island and Brooklyn are already sold out. This event has tied up the entire area, and to what end? Who benefits? Who gets the huge amount of money to be generated? Will some drop into the coffers of the City of Asbury park to benefit the citizens, the tax payers, the poor, the homeless, etc?
And what about the impact on the environment including the ocean and Wesley Lake?
I bet Bradley, the founder of AP would not approve. And Stokes would jump out of his chair. And the event will go on into the night.
Why is AP allowing and encouraging this? What is really the point of it? In 2012 they allowed Bamboozle, and that was a failure.
But Grovers, you might just want to go. It does look like fun, and some of you did go last year.
Why not move this thing to California or Woodstock–they have lots of space there.? Why not have it at some fairgrounds around here or some Woodstock style property. It’s because they want to make money by exploiting the public’s beaches and ocean.
Somebody tell them the way to San Jose.
DIONNE WARWICK:
Leave a Reply