The "Bob's Birthday Bash" Light of Day concert Saturday night raised thousands for Parkinson's Disease research
ASBURY PARK -- At the end of the day -- a very, very long day -- Saturday night's "Bob's Birthday Bash" Light of Day concert raised thousands for Parkinson's Disease research. And truly, that's all that matters.
But the means to that end, an eight-hour marathon of a show on the Paramount Theatre stage in Asbury Park, suffered without the mounting anticipation and privileged moments that accompany its usual special guest.
Bruce Springsteen, who had attended 11 of 15 Light of Day "Winterfest" main events, kicked off his new tour Saturday night in Pittsburgh, leaving seasoned Carteret alt-rockers The Smithereens to pick up the slack and step in as headliners.
While singer Pat DiNizio and his band were gracious and played their old tunes as sufficiently as one could expect, theirs simply wasn't a set worth waiting until almost 12:30 a.m. for (the schedule ran about 45 minutes behind). The crowd seemed ready to exit long before the band's 2 a.m. finish.
But like all other Light of Day concerts, the night still had its high points -- and Boss covers -- with annual rock returners Willie Nile and Jesse Malin both turning in spirited performances among the night's 18 acts.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Prior to the show, The Smithereens' set was billed as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of their 1986 debut LP "Especially For You." Although their offering kicked off with an "Especially" track "Behind The Wall Of Sleep," the set carried on as usual, with songs from all different albums.
But frankly, it didn't seem as though song selection would have made a difference to the crowd, who were lethargic by this point. Whether it was fatigue or a lack of response to DiNizio's performance style -- standing at the microphone stand, arms always at his sides, and singing with his eyes closed -- isn't completely clear, but orchestra level was more than half-empty before Smithereens were even close to finishing. Apparently, every Jersey rock fan has their limit.
- Joe Grushecky, the Pittsburgh journeyman whose Houserockers typically play backing band to Springsteen at Light of Day, punctuated his own performance with an inflated, extended version of Bruce's "Savin' Up." Members of other groups came out to sing the chorus, and Houserockers saxophonist Eddie Manion all but blew the place down.
- Willie Nile, the high-haired Light of Day flag-flyer and spirited New York rock veteran ignited the crowd with his chest-thumping style, particularly his staple "One Guitar" and a cool tribute to David Bowie with "Heroes."
- Fresh off two 2015 album releases, New York rock veteran Jesse Malin and his large band were wonderfully energetic, lifting the crowd from their seats for a few tunes. Though he's not exactly from the area, Malin's passion and pounding rock fit in seamlessly on the Asbury Park stage.
- Local blues-rocker Matt O'Ree, now best-known as Richie Sambora's replacement in Bon Jovi's touring lineup, brought his own outfit to the Light of Day stage earlier in the night. While the band's sound wasn't terribly original, O'Ree was a star in several inspired solos -- certainly a primer for what fans can expect when Bon Jovi almost inevitably hits the road later this year.
- Gritty East Brunswick hard-rocker and Asbury Park and Light of Day regular Bobby Mahoney was only on stage for 10 minutes or so, but his mix of acoustic musicianship and punk sensibility was refreshing. The 20-year-old's originals and his "Held Up Without A Gun" Springsteen cover were especially strong among a lineup almost entirely double his age.
- Kudos to Dramarama's John Easdale, who hopped down into the crowd after his Jersey-born band's set and personally thanked the first few rows for coming -- and gave out some cans of Tab soda. Why isn't Tab incorporated into more rock shows?
- No, this installment of Light of Day didn't have Bruce, but it did have an on-stage proposal, which followed the groom-to-be spouting several Springsteen lyrics, including "two hearts are better than one." Congratulations to the happy couple!
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.