Some Clubs to Consider
There are close to 700 Jersey bars and restaurants with many offering live music that can range from Jazz and Techno to Thrash and Rockabilly (and everything in between). I’m sure over time we’ll get to them all, but for fear of overwhelming we list a random sampling of the first ten you might want to explore.The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park) offers wide and varied live music listening with bands like Splintered Sunlight and We Came as Romans. This place is also fun for their Open Artist Night (with the first one in 2011 scheduled for January 20th).Maxwell’s (1039 Washington Street, Hoboken) offers great food and great tunes in a very hip environment that also occasionally sponsors art exhibits. How’s that for cool? The club’s menu has daily specials ranging from Shrimp Scampi to Louisiana Pecan Chicken and throws down a mean fried Brie. Drink specials and awesome music lineups make Maxwell’s a “must experience” stop when you’re next passing through Hoboken.The Brighton Bar (121 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch) has been a foundation of the Jersey music scene for over 20 years with offerings almost every night of the week. Weekday shows are an affordable 7 with weekend gigs coming it at 9. This spot is known as a “punk rock” haven of sorts and places a huge emphasis on promoting local bands. You can help, too, by making this one of your stops.Blue Moon (114 S. Broadway, South Amboy) is a great blues venue that offers up a great menu as well. The club has live jazz most Sunday afternoons and blues jams most Thursday nights. If you want blues, Blue Moon has them.