Hinge my boy, I just knew you were going to rant over Danny boys
anti-Soap rant. I read the article and I am not ashamed to say that for
all intents and purposes, I agree with Dan. A plaque on the boardwalk is
almost as big a pile of krap as the save tillie thing. Cutting that face
out of that building was as stupid as anything the city of asbury park
and asbury partners have done. Ranks up there with destroying the copper
peanut kettles they found in the old planters concession. What Danny boy
didn't say in his poignant rant was that the SOAP thing, although a
brilliant bit of promotion by 2 long forgotten bar band warriors, was a
rip off and a half. Without the "promises" that Bruce was going to play,
and the adverts and rumors were plain that he was going to play, I
seriously doubt that marks would pay 1500 bucks to get into the
crumbling smelly old stone pony.
Bruce was so in to the SOAP affair that he didn't show, but the very
next night, he and his bride enjoyed a marvelous hour and forty five
minute set by the queen of rockabilly, Wanda Jackson. The SOAP thing is
a such a pipe dream, these bands were cover bands and they covered any
song that the crowds would dance to, we danced ion those days. The blunt
reality is that without Bruce and his music fueling Asbury Park all
these years, the tillie lovers and the SOAP stars and many many memories
simply would not exist. It all starts and stops on Bruce's doorstop,
especially the careers of his band mates and Southside. Now maybe, just
maybe, one Johnny Bongiovanni may have also elevated Asbury Park to it's
international status as a musical mecca, but then the Pony would be long
ago tore down and The Fast Lane would be where all the German Nationals
come to take pictures.
I have to agree with Fred. The Stone Pony died the day Butch sold it, it
is a fire trap, uncomfortable, and yes, it needs to come down, but, it
will be replaced by a new and modern Stone Pony and that is a good thing.
Same deal with Tillie. As stupid as I personally believe the save tille
organization was, their persistence, fueled by Bruce, paid off
handsomely for Asbury Park 2 summers ago when Tille was saved. However,
tillie wasn't saved by cutting the face out of the palace, tillie was
saved by the events that followed that cutting. Because AP Partners and
the city made a deal with GMC to shoot a Chevy Corvette commercial with
the palace and the face of Mr. Tilyou in the background. Lo and behold,
when the director of the photo shoot hit kingsley and cookman, he was
mildly disappointed to fine tillie was out of there. As he slowly drove
his car down Ocean ave, tracing the route of what was once the circuit,
he spied the south end of the wonder bar and an idea hit him. He pulled
over and the manager of the wonder bar, Kevin Feehan, after a busy
night, was cleaning up outside the wb that morning when the director
inquired if he could paint Tillie on the wb and shoot his commercial.
It took 10 minutes of negotiating, but sure enough, by that afternoon 3
artists out of Keyport were busy atop scaffolding recreating Mr.
Tilyou's silly mug on the wonder bar. A couple days later we got a call
from the save tillie folks wanting to have a save tillie benefit at the
wonder bar. We agreed with one caveat. It wasn't a save tillie event, it
was a _*celebrate*_ tillie event. We did a mock new orleans funeral down
the boardwalk, complete with horns, and we had DaysAwake playing ion the
wonder bar when the procession hit ocean and 5th ave. The rest of the
day and night were memorable for many reasons, but the bottom line was
and is that Tillie, a new tillie, re-appeared in Asbury Park for the 1st
time in many many years.
And for some of us who have been here for these many many years of decay
and waste, having a new tillie lit up on ocean ave was the 1st positive
step in a long time for asbury park.
So, yeah, I agree, saving tillie was nonsensical, but then, who knew
saving Tillie would end up possibly saving the wonder bar and other
ancient treasures in the city of asbury park
Last thing while I am ranting. I am very impressed with the way the
waterfront is coming together. Though inconvenienced for a few weeks,
they got ocean ave done by the wonder bar very quickly, and the street
in front of the Berkeley is almost done. The work is non stop at the
Esperanza and both paramount and Westminster are moving along and
looking good. Around the rest of asbury, so many new projects are
closing in on finishing over the next 3-6 months, it is simply amazing.
How steel buildings are going up, how many new businesses will soon be
joining in the fray. Pretty soon, the only thing that will stand between
asbury and true success is a couple of parking decks. Without those
decks, asbury stands no chance as a retail location for anyone but locals.
Meanwhile, on the 200 block of 4th ave, this past weekend, all three
establishments, The Asbury Lanes, The Fast Lane, and The Baronet were
open for business. IT has been a long long time since that was the case.
Now, if we can only figure out how to make some money on 4th ave, all
would be good, all would be good.
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