Red Bank’s StreetLife Brings Together Area Musicians

Red Bank’s StreetLife brings together talented musicians from across the region every summer Saturday night. Performances take place on the streets of Red Bank as beachgoers return from the beach, shoppers browse the windows and hungry people make their way to one of  Red Bank’s 83  restaurants, bars and pubs.

On a cloudy night threatening rain, I began my journey through the streets of Red Bank on Monmouth Street, the cultural and arts hub of Red Bank. The Wag played in front of a packed Dublin House front-garden and featured Brian Mowery on drums, Brian Ostering on Bass, Dan Corboy on Guitar and Alicia Van Sant on percussion.

On Saturday, The Wag played a varied list featuring everything from the Beatles to Cold Play and carried it all off with passion, enthusiasm, strong vocals and a crisp clarity that couldn’t help but make people smile. Their infectious enthusiasm drew people in and enticed them to stay for a while.

“We’ve been doing this a few years and we love to take part in it,” Bass player Brian Ostering said.

Next stop was the space between Pizza Fusion and Temple in front of Jonathan’s Hair Salon on Broad Street.

Playing at 93 Broad Street was "we are." the talented duo of Melissa Anthony and Moon Motel. "We are." is a quality pair of musicians that could easily be found while wandering around New Orleans. "We are." evokes an amazing feeling of classic New Jersey shore indie arts. Picture the best unknowns of Seattle’s music scene colliding with the best unknowns of the New Jersey Shore music scene late at night in an East Village bar and you have we are. Motel’s crisp guitar and Anthony’s sharp vocals ascended into a cloudy sky while cars idled on Broad Street, silver clinked from Temple and diners at Pizza Fusion put down their pizza to listen. "We are.’s" gentle, soulful evocations of a classic coastal Monmouth County sound highlight the fact that a new generation of musicians is picking up the mantle of New Jersey shore music and making it their own. "We are." plays Espresso Joe’s in Keyport on July 1 and are back at Red Bank’s StreetLife on July 16.   

A steady stream of shoppers, pedestrians and people looking for a place to eat accompanied me down Broad Street as I made my way towards Surf Taco to hear Avery Mandeville, a young performer from Lincroft. Avery is a soft-spoken singer and guitarist playing StreetLife for the first time.

“It’s pretty fun” Avery said.   

James Dunigan from Belford was tucked away in a quiet corner on White Street next to Dish. Dunigan is a professional singer/songwriter who has played throughout the tri-state area, including venues in New York City. Dunigan’s strong vocals filled an empty part of downtown Red Bank and began to tie together White, Monmouth and Broad Streets in a way only the arts and music can. Dunigan and his cover band, The Two Rivers Band, are performing at the Colts Neck Fair on July 2 and 3, and at MJ’s in Middletown on July 20.  Dunigan himself is back at StreetLife on July 20.

The New Jersey Shore’s Red Bank to Asbury Park corridor is hallowed ground where legendary musicians perfected their talent and found a place to unwind among kindred spirits. This corridor has traditionally brought together musicians from all walks of life who continue to create new and unique sounds generation after generation. Kids with guitars, up and coming musicians, local legends, cover bands, and legendary musicians themselves have all found space in Red Bank and help to keep the tradition alive.

From Count Basie to Clarence Clemons, Red Bank’s music tradition has paralleled that of it’s world famous neighbor, Asbury Park, and provides a quieter venue for musicians to work on their material and find new audiences.

For locals and tourists alike, Red Bank’s Saturday night StreetLife sessions are a chance to hear some varied local music while unwinding from the summer rush along the New Jersey Shore.

StreetLife takes to Red Bank’s streets again next Saturday from 6 to 9pm.