Lyon's Record Release Party with The Cold Seas and Holiday!

When favorite local bands get together to play a show overlooking the beach on a Friday night in Asbury Park, you don't want to miss it, especially when it's a record release party, and there's albums for sale, live screen printing on t-shirts, and more music-centered, creative-minded happenings to fill the night! 

This Friday, June 16th is the last of this year's Asbury Park Night Bazaars in Convention Hall! Not only can you shop from handcrafted, artisan vendors and pick up something special for dad, the live music line up at The Anchor's Bend is going to be amazing too. Lyons will be celebrating their record release and playing with fellow AP bands & friends The Cold Seas and Holiday. Lyon's new record will be available for you to purchase, bring home and listen to over and over again, and their beautiful album art will be live printed onto T-shirts by Tribes Print and Stitch.  

We caught up with each band to hear a bit about their members, why they shop local, and their love for the music scene here in Asbury Park. Listen to their latest music here before seeing them live on Friday night!

Lyons

Lyons features Amy Malkoff on guitar & lead vocals, Sharon Stein on lead guitar & vocals, Lisa English on bass & vocals, Jenny Vickers Chyb on drums, and Charleen Artese Cucci on keyboard. 

When and why did you start your band?
"Jenny, Sharon and Lisa started writing and playing together early 2015. They convinced Charleen to learn how to play the keyboard around May 2015, and we played out first show out with Abby Hayden as our singer September 2015. Amy joined Lyons May 2016 and we've been going strong every since!"

What is your favorite part about playing music in Asbury Park?
"Asbury Park has so many amazing venues to play! One day you might be playing on the same stage that Bruce Springsteen, The Lemonheads or Coolio has played on in a dark bar with no windows- and the next month you might be playing on the beach. Not to mention all of the local supporters from photographers, writers, and other musicians. It feels like home!"

How would you describe the music scene here?
"There is never a day that you can't see live music in Asbury Park.  And all of the bands are so supportive of one another.  It's the best." 

If you've ever shopped at the Bazaar, let us know why shopping local, independent, and handmade is important to you.
"Shopping local keeps your money in your community. You can see the impact when that company grows and you create a relationship with the local artist and small business owners.  It gives you a sense of pride knowing that the money you worked hard for, went to a person who is pursuing their passions."

The Cold Seas

The Cold Seas is made up of Chad Sabo on vocals, guitar, & keys, Erik Rudic on guitar, keys, & vocals, Matt Castoral on bass, keys, & vocals and Nash Breen on drums. Nash was formerly the drummer of Armor For Sleep (Equalvision/Sire Records). Erik and Matt performed with Amy Malkoff in Amy Malkoff and the Moonshines. Erik also occasionally tours with Gedeon Luke and the People.

When and why did you start your band?
"The band came together after Chad Sabo sent some of his acoustic home demos to friend and former band mate, Nash Breen. Soon after, Nash reached out to friends and former band mates, Erik Rudic and Matt Castoral to solidify the roster. The band officially began when Nash, Matt and Chad moved together to Asbury Park in September of 2014. Just prior to moving to Asbury Park, Chad inked a publishing deal with Roc Nation and the band signed onto management the following year."

What is your favorite part about playing music in Asbury Park?
"Asbury Park is a town that offers a passionate, art-driven community for bands and artists to become a part of and grow in. It's been great being able to utilize all the cool venues and perform in front of some awesome crowds here over the past few years."

How would you describe the music scene here?
"The music scene here is extremely supportive. You see a lot of the same faces as well as new faces at shows, whether it's Monday night or Friday night. People here genuinely love live music and local acts and it's awesome to be surrounded with that kind of support."

Why is shopping local, independent and handmade important to you?
"We're not big shoppers, being the broke musicians that we are, but we've definitely bought a few items from recent Bazaars. There are some excellent quality goods available and the people who sell them, some of which are friends of ours, are hard-working, amazing people."

Holiday

Holiday features Brian Manser on guitar and vocals, Cory Ehrhardt on drums, Brian MacNamara on bass and Matthew Manhire on guitar and as general noise maker. You can also find Brian in Asbury Park based band Gods, Cory in Spinal Ramones, Staring Problem and Born Annoying, and Brian played in Philadelphia based band Lavis Blake. Matthew also plays in NYC-based band City and the Horses. His past bands include Lavis Blake and Philly based Pine Barrens. He is also an amp and pedal builder, repairman and genius witch doctor, who owns Rootbeer Audio.

When and why did you start your band?
"I started working on random songs and they have been sitting on reel to reel tapes in my basement.  Over the past year my friends and I have been playing them for fun and it kinda started taking its own shape. So whenever we get a chance and people ask us to play we are so thankful and happy to share our music.  We have a bunch of songs that will be coming out over the next year or so.  Our current album/demo called AGEWISE that is out on spotify, itunes, bandcamp etc . The Demos are the top 11 out of 30 songs that are passable recordings I did on my 8 track. Overall it's extremely lo fi.  We are going back and reworking the other songs but I'm also writing new stuff as we go.  We seem to change our sound every time we play and I love that about the band. The whole project is a great excuse for me to get together with my best buds and play music."

What is your favorite part of playing in Asbury Park?
"Asbury Park is an amazing place to play music especially right now. Its amazing how venues are putting up bands that are playing original music of any kind, the bands are treated well, the shows are free, they get great turn outs and the overall vibe is amazing because people are open to whatever is put in front of them around here. Its really something special."

How would you describe the music scene here?
"The music scene in Asbury Park is all over the place and that's what is great about it."

Why is shopping local, independent and handmade is important to you?
 "I always make it down to the Bazaar.  I can always find something unique and I love supporting my friends as well as all the other local talented vendors!"

Dad's Day Gift Guide: Asbury Park Bazaar

By Jenny Vickers Chyb

Father's Day is Sunday! Don't get him socks...stop by the Asbury Park Night Bazaar (last Night Market of the season) this Friday to pick up a unique, locally made gift that he'll cherish forever. Or better yet bring him out for a night of fun - we'll have bands, cold beers, and a beach bonfire. We've gathered up some cool dad-approved selections in our handy Dad's Day Gift Guide to help you on your way. See you there - we'll be in the Grand Arcade of Convention Hall in Asbury Park from 5-10 pm.

For the Outdoor Dad: #NJSpots sells apparel made in Boonton, New Jersey. The designs reflect their love of discovering new places to visit and see in New Jersey. They also provide guides for places in New Jersey - be sure to check out their Instagram to view the guides and photos they share from others across the Garden State.

For the Chef: The Kitchen Garden Series features apparel made from reclaimed materials: linen cross back aprons, chef's apron made from vintage seed sacks, and market bags made from vintage flour sacks. They also have an everyday line which includes reusable coffee and tea filters and produce storage bags, as well as an assortment of tea towels and napkins. 
 

For the spicy food lover: Outer Limits Hot Sauce features all natural, vegan and gluten free hot sauces. They also offer a line of spicy chocolate bars and shirts, koozies and pins featuring their logo. Owner Ed Martin started the company from his and his father's love of spicy food! They've been growing hot peppers since he was a kid. They have grown a lot since then and now grow a lot more peppers and have their own commercial kitchen.

Gifts any dad will love: Check out these amazing father's day sports coasters and camping mugs from Epoch Trading Post! They use photography to create little pieces of art you can use everyday - photo flasks, coasters, camping carabiner mugs, mini backpacks, cutting boards, serving trays, and trivets. Everything is handmade in Asbury Park, NJ!
 

For men who love jewelry: Jennifer Storks Designs features hand crafted jewelry for both men and women and gender less jewelry like this wishbone necklace, sterling silver cuff and hammer cuffs out of copper and brass, and beaded bracelets with accent beads. She also makes silver wire bangles and rings, bar earrings in 4 sizes in both sterling silver and plated in 18k gold, rose gold and gun metal, tassel and leather wrapped necklaces, and polymer clay earrings and necklaces.
 

For the Jersey Guy: The Lucky Honeybee offers eco-friendly candles and body products like this amazing "Jersey Tomato" candle. The candles are hand poured in small batches using soy & beeswax in Jersey City. LHB utilizes domestically grown wax from soybeans and beeswax sourced locally from New York State, both renewable and biodegradable fuel resources. Whenever possible, fragrances that are free of phthalates are used. 
 

For the new dad: Makicotton creates handmade children's clothing made with 100% organic cotton & pima cotton. Makicotton is committed to making baby clothes that are soft, durable, and healthy for babies. Using 100% organic cotton in infants is highly recommended - and it's also beneficial to our environment and health, as it is cultivated and grown in areas of fertile land and alive and is free of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.

For the Photographer: Tom's East Cost Photos offers beach, nature, and car motorcycle photography and Jim Abels Photography features hand made canvas wraps, prints and photo cards with a focus on landscapes, travel and night sky photography.

Be sure to stop by the Asbury Park Night Bazaar this Friday, from 5-10 pm, in the Grand Arcade of Convention Hall to pick up the perfect Dad's day gift. You can also enjoy food & libations, bonfire on the beach, and live music by Lyons, The Cold Seas and Holiday on the promenade of The Anchor's Bend. See you there!

Babes, Bazaar & Live Screenprinting

By Jenny Vickers Chyb

We're so excited that Babes in Business will be joining us at the Asbury Park Night Bazaar this Friday, June 16th! Come meet founder Jenn Chavez, who will be ready to network and give demos on how to join the Babes Slack team and take full advantage of its benefits.

There couldn't be a more perfect night to welcome Babes at the Bazaar! Lyons, an all female band, will be playing their record release show, and Jenn's husband Dave will be live screen printing and representing his business Tribes Print & Stitch. So you can plan to spend your Friday night shopping, enjoying live music, and picking up some pretty sweet shirts.

Dave will be printing both Babes and Lyons merch live so that you can customize the order as you choose. Between designing and printing shirts and custom surf bags and a background of on-site screen printing, Tribes offers a little bit more than just your average brand. 

"After years of printing other people's stuff, I wanted to do something for myself," said Sincox. "I started to invest in myself and started slowly buying my own equipment and turned my space into a full production print shop. I started Tribes as a concept to print others but then realized that I like the name so much why not try to brand it a bit."

In addition to custom screen printing with Tribes, you can also find out more about Babes in Business, which is not just your average kind of networking group. After a year of attending meet ups, they saw an opportunity to create a group of their own where one was lacking. One where all are welcome - even supporters of Babes.

"We want this to be a place where you can all come share ideas and network with one another, said Chavez. "A place where you can learn more about growing your business and get inspired. There are so many amazing, strong, bad ass business babes out there and we just wanted to put them all in one place - Because together we are unstoppable."

Be sure to stop by and check out all that Babes and Tribes have to offer. And be sure to pick up your own super cute custom screen printed shirts! Your support is why local bands and independently owned businesses like these can grow and become more sustainable.

Follow Babes and Tribes on Instagram. And don't miss the upcoming Babes in Business meet up on June 21st at the Asbury Hotel from 7-10:30 pm! There will be vendors and networking activities, and you'll get to hear from the following amazing speakers:

• Sarah Potter - founder and owner of SP Projects, an independent art advisory and consulting business based in New York.
• Abby Taylor - founding partner of Playa Bowls.
• Anne Hamilton - owner and founder of All Things Local

SEE YOU THIS FRIDAY FOR BABES, BAZAAR & LIVE SCREEN PRINTING!

Awesome Music, AP Moto Club, and New Vendors at the Asbury Park Night Bazaar Tonight!

By Kate Devine

We had so much fun last Friday at the Asbury Park Night Bazaar, and are counting down the hours until we can get back to it tonight! Come down to Convention Hall from 5-10 for a brand new line up of vendors selling handmade, original goods, live music from Plus Plus Minus, Tango Machina, The Roaches, and DJ Mike Merrell. We're hosting tonight's bazaar with AP Moto Club, and it's going to be a great time. Don't miss their booth featuring the newest Moto Club gear.

Plus Plus Minus, a rock band from Red Bank, NJ will take the stage at The Anchors Bend at 7 pm, followed by Tango Machina at 8. Tango Machina is a hard rock band based right here in Asbury Park. The Roaches play at 9 pm. Watch our video above to hear their latest music. DJ Mike Merrell will be spinning all night long.

It's going to be sunny and warm on the beach, there will be a full moon, a bonfire, food & libations, and we hope to see you all there celebrating summer nights on the Asbury Park boardwalk!

Siren Arts Crochet Jam in Asbury Park

We are seeking colorful fabrics for Siren Arts Crochet Jam! We need clean, no longer needed/wanted colorful t-shirts, sheets, and other relatively thin fabrics. You can drop off your donation at the Siren Arts Crochet Jam collection box at the Asbury Park Night Bazaar on Friday, June 16, 5-10 pm in the Grand Arcade of Convention Hall!

Don't miss Siren Arts Crochet Jam by visiting San Francisco artist Ramekon O'Arwisters on Saturday, June 24th, 10 am - 4 pm, in Library Park (1st & Grand Ave) as part of Asbury Park Day's All Things Art in the Park.

Crochet Jam is a public art-making event that embraces community engagement and inclusivity. Intended to be a meditative, liberating, and empowering community program, Crochet Jam encourages the public to think differently about the role of art within community and the power of art within society. Everyone in the community is invited to participate.

No prior crochet skills required. Materials will be provided. The work resulting from the Crochet Jam will be exhibited at Siren Arts' 529 Bangs Ave space, with community members invited to continue to build the piece throughout the summer.

Siren Arts is a new artist residency & exhibition program for emerging visual artists that Transformer is launching in Asbury Park, NJ. Siren Arts will pursue different, innovative residency formats each summer, with artists working within new curatorial themes each year. For this summer’s inaugural program, a diverse mix of more than 12 participating artists are invited to develop and create works that explore cultural, racial, sexual, and gender equality via short-term residency experiences. 

Operating this summer out of a storefront exhibition space at 529 Bangs Avenue, in Asbury Park’s historic business district located three blocks from the iconic Asbury Park Boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean, works will be presented via the exhibition Summer of Radical Love, highlighting a variety of innovative mediums.

Siren Arts is a direct result of Transformer’s successful 2014 pilot residency & exhibition Promised Land in Asbury Park, NJ, which brought together 12 east coast based emerging visual artists to pursue creative research related to the city’s history and culture.

Supported by a special curatorial grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Promised Land exhibition, presented in the 5th Avenue Pavilion of the Asbury Park boardwalk, highlighted a diversity of visual mediums including painting, video, installation, sculpture, performance art, sound art, and photography. Over its six-week presentation, the exhibition was visited by more than 5,000 audiences members, built substantial opportunities for the artists, and increased dialogue around new & best contemporary art practices.

For more information, visit: www.transformerdc.org/programs/sirenarts