Every year Asbury Park, NJ celebrates the holidays in their own fashion. Every year punk rockers and musicians flock to this area to watch a string of shows performed by the influential punk band the Bouncing Souls, a band from New Jersey who call this area home.
Each year the Bouncing Souls play a series of shows at the legendary Stone Pony. The shows start the day after Christmas, and with this being the eightieth year in a row, it seems like a tradition the band is going to maintain for years to come.
The band has numerous openers varying each night, but the fun does not stop after the shows. The band plans a weekend of activities before and after the evening’s shows. This year’s events include a punk rock flee market that hosts countless of vendors who sell vintage clothing, vinyl records, and all sorts of homemade artwork. Each day there is also a charity drive at the local tattoo shop located in Neptune, where Bouncing Souls bassist is an artist. Patrons can choose from numerous sheets of designs all for one hundred dollars, and half the proceeds go to local charities around the area.
The Bouncing Souls also understand that Asbury Park’s music scene is what truly brings the community together, that is why every night after the shows they hold after party shows with local bands performing at the Asbury Lanes, a neighborhood bowling alley, which has been transformed into an infamous underground music venue.
This weekend brings in people from all over, while one couple flew in from Mexico, others from South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and of course those from all over New Jersey came for one, two, or all three nights. The punk rock community is one that prides itself on its unity and acceptance and this weekend demonstrates the values that these fans have at work.
Photo: Via Facebook/The Bouncing Souls
