Tag Archives: Asbury Park

The Mystery of the Morro Castle

On Sept. 8th in 1934, that the passenger liner S.S. Morro Castle ran aground just a few yards from Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ. 137 passengers and crewmembers died aboard or while trying to escape from the fire engulfed ship. Many mysteries still surround the wreck of the Morro Castle, which remains one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history. Was one of the heralded heroes of that fateful day, radio operator George White Rodgers, actually the true villain of the catastrophe? Continue reading →

D.I.Y.N.J. Part IX: Breaking Waves–Asbury Park Surf Music Festival

I am flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi with America’s hottest band… and we are all about to die! Ok, you got me… I’m at an Aloha Friday party on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, enjoying my second, possibly fourth Asbury Boogie (rye whiskey, dark rum, pineapple, lemon and passion fruit) and hanging with the husband and wife DIY duo of Vincent Minervino and Magdalena O’Connell. Continue reading →

D.I.Y.N.J. Part VIII: Breaking Burly

Matt Chrystal interview Minnie D’Moocha, Viktor Devonne and Vonka, three sensational performers who are breaking bad and literally busting out of the garden state, has led me to the conclusion that burlesque performers and cosplayers are kinda like Transformers… yup, there’s more than meets the eye. I have some more research to do, so let’s hear it from these three movers and shakers (pun intended) as they answer my ten questions for D.I.Y.N.J. Continue reading →

D.I.Y. N.J. Part VII: Jeff Crespi Rocks!

If you’ve been to any musical event in New Jersey, whether a major concert or a small club gig somewhere, you’ve probably seen him, prowling around at the edge of the stage, in the thick of the action with one camera in front of his face and several others slung from his neck and shoulders. But who is that man behind the lens who seems to be omnipresent wherever Rock n Roll is taking place in our state? WNJ reporter Matt Chrystal catches up with the ubiquitous shutterbug and asks him 10 questions about just how and why Jeff Crespi Rocks. Continue reading →

D.I.Y. N.J. Part V: CoolDad Music

CoolDadMusic has become a champion of emerging bands such as Dentist, Lowlight and the RocknRoll Hi-Fives that are breaking out of New Jersey. He capturing them in action through his camera lens as well as capturing their sound through his reviews, which go beneath the surface to really give the reader a sense of what each band’s sound is all about. CoolDad’s influence even goes beyond the computer screen as he has also become a curator of live events in Asbury Park that helps introduce new talent to broader audiences. Continue reading →