Light of Day in Asbury Park: The week of hope and music

Taking the fight to Parkinson’s and related diseases with the power of music?

The Light of Day Winterfest has it covered. The fest drew big crowds at multiple venues in Asbury Park last week, including the Bob’s Birthday Bash Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park.

The Bash is the show when Bruce Springsteen often appears unannounced. He didn’t, but that didn’t diminish the energy of the long evening.

Several interesting cover songs in the night helped. Jesse Malin dedicated a crunchy “Janey Don’t  You Lose Heart” to the Boss and rocked a defiant version of the Clash’s “Rudy Can’t Fail.” Saxophonist  Eddie Manion delivered a jazzy mood on the Gene Pitney honker,  “Town Without Pity” and Willie Nile paid tribute to the late Lou Reed with “Sweet Jane.”

MORE: No Springsteen but music flows at Bob's Birthday Bash

But perhaps  the most poignant cover was the off -the-mic version of Clarence Clemons’ “You’re a Friend of Mine” by his nephew, Jake Clemons. Clemons, the saxophonist for the E Street Band, is a natural  frontman who stood on sound monitors and jumped into the audience at one point. He’s fun to watch, switching from an acoustic guitar to sax. He has a solid voice with a bit of a rasp and a nice set of rocking Americana songs. “Hold Tight,” from his new album, “Fear & Love,” and “You Must Be Crazy” were highlights.

Clemons was part of the show’s new generation of talent that included city rockers Battery Electric, who look like a millennial  Steppenwolf and have a sound rooted in the pre-punk of the New York Dolls. Frontman Ron Santee is someone you don’t take your eyes off  as you’re not quite sure what he’ll do next. That’s a good thing.

Anthony D’Amato of Remember Jones is another of the city’s new dynamic frontmen. His Remember Jones is a campy collective of ace players with a flair for presentation. They performed at the House of Independents on Thursday, the Paramount of Friday and Saturday and maybe a place or two I missed during the big fest. On Saturday, they lit up the room with infectious, showy soul pop songs complete of a cover of  the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” performed like you’ve never heard .

The week was like that. You didn’t know heat to expect when you walked into a room. There was everything from poet BJ Ward reciting a poem about New Jersey groundhogs at Toast on Cookman Avenue on Thursday  to guitar icon Albert Lee pickin’ up a storm at McLoone’s Supper Club on Friday.

The new Asbury Hotel became the place to go for this year’s Light of Day. Johnny Pisano, Matt Hogan and Bobby Mahoney rocked the lobby of the hotel into the wee hours on Friday night while at the Danny Clinch “Transparent” exhibit, on the Kingsley Avenue side of the hotel, Clinch and the Tangiers Blues Band hosted all comers on a makeshift stage. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez and Richard Blackwell, the coolest man in Freehold, according to Bruce Springsteen autobiography, “Born to Run,” were there on Friday.

There were cans of beer and cups of whiskey passing around. Lopez took it all in from behind the drum kit and broke out into an a cappella song about a misfortune with a burning newspaper.

Later, Clinch had a unique introduction for a new vocalist.

“We’re at the point where we don’t know who is up here but we love them,” Clinch said.

By Saturday, there was a line out the door to get into the Clinch exhibit.

The Light of Day began in Red Bank in 1998.

“Bob Benjamin (of Highland Park) started this organization 19 years ago when he was diagnosed with early stage Parkinson’s at the age of 38,” said Light of Day executive director Tony Pallagrosi from the stage of the Stone Pony  on Friday. “We threw him a party to pick up his spirits and he said, ‘Let’s pass the hat.’“

Benjamin attended many of the events over the week. His presence is a reminder of the mission.

MORE: Finding hope through music in Asbury Park at the Light of Day

The Asbury Park Press is a title sponsor. Pallagrosi acknowledged Press publisher Tom Donovan’s role in helping grow the fest. Press staff writer Jean Mikle is one of the founders.

More than 12,000 attended this year.

A group “Light of Day” and “Twist and Shout/LaBamba,” ended the Paramount show on Saturday, along with words of thanks from Benjamin and a Bob’s Birthday Bash tradition. A birthday cake.

At 1 a.m. it became clear. The crowd, still packed after seven hours of music, were not waiting for Springsteen. They were waiting to sing “Happy Birthday” to Benjamin.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com