What better way to commemorate a Jersey Shore summer than in Asbury Park, surrounded by music enthusiasts and the greatest bands and artists of our time? Sea.Hear.Now returned for its eighth music festival just this past weekend.
On Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, the Sea.Hear.Now festival encompassed Asbury Park beach and surrounding areas, welcoming over 35,000 guests to enjoy the beats. This festival is huge, consisting of three stages–Surf Stage, Park Stage, and a smaller stage called Sand Stage. These are spread throughout the festival, which encloses both the nearby beaches and the boardwalk.
On behalf of The Outlook, I had the honor of receiving a two-day media pass to experience this renowned festival, and I couldn’t be more grateful. From delicious food and refreshing drinks to shops and games to pass the time, and the live music roaring through the air, this festival truly had it all.
The festival began at 12 p.m. on Sept. 19 with Jardd Clemons, but I didn’t make it to the grounds until later that afternoon–that’s the best part about Sea.Hear.Now. With multiple stages and many artists playing at the same time and throughout the day, it’s a completely customizable experience. It has genres for everyone, and you have the ability to move between stages and curate your experience to your interests.
I began my day at 2 p.m. After collecting my media pass and making it into the festival, I inaugurated the afternoon with a Piña Colada from a slushie truck. With a refreshing drink in hand, I explored the premises. In front of the Park Stage were two rows of delicious food, from burgers to funnel cake; the smell wafting through the air was delicious and nostalgic.
Afterwards, I headed to Surf stage to catch the Australian rock band Men at Work at 3 p.m. With VIP entrance access, thanks to my media pass, I was able to get a spot at the barricade for the VIP section. With a close view and good vibes, this was an incredible set.
The Men at Work set was an hour long, and they played their classics, including “Down By the Sea” and “Who Can It Be Now?” The lead singer, Colin Hay, was absolutely incredible. Despite it being over 40 years since the initial release of their debut album, “Business as Usual,” their vocals were just as good. While most of the day was cloudy, the sun came out during this set. It was truly magical, and the excitement in the air as everyone began piling in front of the stage was palpable.
What made each set so enjoyable was not only the tunes but the etiquette of the festival. Whether you want to barricade, stand and sway with your lover, or set down a towel and relax on the sand in front of the stages, you get to enjoy the music how you’d like. Even if you aren’t directly in front of the stage, you can hear the music throughout the entire festival. When the set for Men at Work ended, I had an important decision to make. Both Fitz and The Tantrums and Tom Odell were playing on different stages during the 4 to 5 pm set. As a long-time Tom Odell fan, I decided to make my way to Sand Stage.
I was lucky enough to be in the front row of my section for Tom Odell, and after experiencing this set, it’s safe to say that Tom Odell had the best performance of the day. Odell’s music is incredibly emotional and raw. The Sand Stage might be the smallest stage at the festival, with no cameras or screens, but it was the perfect one for such an intimate performance.
You could feel the beat of each song echo off the stage and vibrate your feet. While most performers had guitars. Odell opted for his iconic piano, which fit perfectly with the more mellow vibes of his music. Such close proximity to Odell made this a tear-jerker, and he was not only an incredible singer, but a bit of a comedian. About halfway through his set, a technician had to join him on stage to fix the piano. Odell joked that he had gone too hard on the piano and offered to tell some jokes while we waited for it to be fixed.
He played a variety of his discography, including his hits “Another Love,” “Heal,” and “Black Friday.” His music encapsulated love, heartbreak, grief, and deep sadness. During this set, you could truly observe the power and connection of music. When playing his sadder songs, tears were spilling out of multiple eyes. During each bridge, there was cathartic screaming, and when playing his love songs, couples were swaying together.
There was nothing I wanted more than for this set to never end, and I could only hope that, much like his song “Heal” quotes, “tell me some things last.” Luckily, near the end of his performance, he promised to visit this part of the country again soon.
At this point, the cloudy weather and cool breeze had returned. Thankfully, there were merch stands throughout the venue, so I was able to quickly purchase a hoodie for warmth. With restroom and hydration stations spread throughout the grounds, the festival made it easy to fuel up before the next set at 5 p.m.
Next up was American Singer and Songwriter Chaka Khan at Surf Stage. With no one else performing at this time, this stage was packed. From people in the sand to families gathering on the nearby boardwalk, it’s safe to say that Khan had a large audience. During her set, the audience broke out in dance; while playing her classic songs “I’m Every Woman” to “Through the Fire,” it was impossible not to join in on the swaying and bouncing.
After her set ended, I picked up an order of funnel cakes and headed to Park Stage to see the iconic “The All-American Rejects.” This American rock band brought it all, from incredible vibes to an even better stage presence, and the crowd did not disappoint. There was a sense of connection throughout the audience, as we all screamed our favorite classic songs and connected through the music. It’s nearly impossible to encapsulate the absolute excitement in the air when they played “Dirty Little Secret.”
The night ended at 9 p.m. with the British folk-rock band Mumford and Sons. Surrounded by music lovers, screaming fan-favorite songs, this set was an absolute dream. During the closing performance, the iconic fireworks went off, signaling the end of an incredible day.
As sung by the band, “I will wait, I will wait” for next year’s Sea.Hear.Now lineup. This was an incredible and truly inspiring weekend, filled with good vibes and company. Despite the gloomy weather and rain forecast, it was a blast, and the excitement of the weekend was enough to warm me up.
