Yesterday and today.

It’s fitting that after the Sea.Hear.Now fest in Asbury Park on Sept. 29 and 30, there should be a day of remembrance for those who helped lay the foundation for the once-again vibrant city music scene of today.

Two events on Sunday, Oct. 7, will remember those who came before and who have passed on.



Joan Pikula, a former Asbury Park Press staff writer who was an early supporter of Bruce Springsteen and his pre-E Street Band groups and who was one of the first female rock critics in America; Reese Dupree, owner of the Roseland Cabaret, the biggest club on Asbury’s West Side in the 1920s; Richard Simonsen, owner of the Student Prince night club; John Shaw, an original member of the city group the Jaywalkers; and city musician Billy Thomson are the late figures being honored as Asbury Angels noon Sunday, Oct. 7, on the boardwalk at 2nd Avenue.

More:Bruce Springsteen surprise at Sea.Hear.Now fest: Boss on the Asbury Park beach

New York City deejay Scott Muni of WNEW-FM and WABC-AM fame, and Philly DJ Ed Sciaky of WMMR-FM and WIOQ-FM, will also be recognized as “Guardian Angels” of the scene.

Later at 2 p.m., member of Cats on a Smooth Surface will reunite to pay tribute to Robert “Butch” Pielka, the co-founder of the Stone Pony, with Jack Roig, in 1974, who passed away June 9 at the age of 71.

On the Road by Chris Jordan

Bobby Bandiera, Joel Krauss, Harry Filkin, Vinny Daniele, Glen Burtnik, Peter Schulle and more are coming back and there will be a “first ever” Bobby Campanell and the Shakes reunion featuring Vini Lopez. Lance Larson and more are also stopping by.

The day will recall the golden period of the Pony in the '70s and '80s.

“It was kind of a totem that no matter where went, even if you moved out of town for a long time, that was the first place you went to when you came back,” said Tony Pallagrosi, a concert promoter and former member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. “You knew it would be open because it was open seven days a week and there would be people you knew there. Not just knew, but people you had a lot of experiences with.”

The May 30, 1976, record release party for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes’ “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” broadcasted on multiple FM stations around the country, underlined the importance of the scene to the rest of the country. The music became known as the Sound of Asbury Park.

More:Butch Pielka, co-founder of the legendary Stone Pony of Asbury Park, has died

The Jukes were the Pony’s house band.

“Asbury Park was the old Wild West in those days,” Pallagrosi said. “There’s certainly an argument to be made that without Butch and Jack, there may not have been an Asbury Jukes and God only knows what wouldn’t have been if the Pony hadn’t existed.”

Pikula, who passed away February of 2015 at the age of 79, was no longer working for the Asbury Park Press at the time of the Jukes broadcast from the Pony, but her reporting was prescient regarding the talent of Bruce Springsteen and his pre-E Street bands.

“They were called ‘Child’ in the beginning and it was under that name the four-man rock group built a following like no other group before or since in the Shore area,” wrote Pikula in the Press before Springsteen had a record deal. “All the kids talked about last summer was Child; Child and that ‘wild’ guitar player, Bruce Springsteen; Child and that ‘way-out’ keyboard man, Danny Federici; Child and that fantastic drummer, Vini Lopez; Child and that bass player, Vinnie Roslin … They’ve got a new bass player – Stevie Van Zandt replaced Roslin — and they’re set to go.”

They went all the way to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“She was right on the money with Bruce,” Pallagrosi said. “She was a great supporter of that very young music scene. I always felt she saw the possibility of what was happening.”



A Tribute to Butch with Cats on A Smooth Surface and Friends Reunion

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7

Where: Stone Pony, Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Tickets: $25

Info: stoneponyonline.com

Remembering Big Nancy

Those whose paths crossed with Big Nancy Swarbrick will always remember her nurturing spirit and artistic passion.

Swarbrick, the legendary Piscataway harmonica player who was the foundation of the state’s blues music scenes, passed away Aug. 20, 2016, at the age of 61. Friends, family and players will come together Sunday, Oct. 7, at Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse in Dunellen to honor her legacy.

More:Big Nancy Swarbrick memorial set for Roxy & Dukes

Bob White and the White Boys, the Supreme Court, Coach N’ Commando, the Wet Bandits, Ross Griswold and the Second Line, the Magnificent Mancini Brothers, the Paul Nagy Band and special guests are set to play.

The day is presented by the Central Jersey Legacy of the Blues Fund, which seeks to support programs in music education as well as grants for musicians who may need a helping hand, according to a statement by the group.

“She was one of the kindest people out there who looked after everyone,” said Tony Shanahan, a Milltown native who now plays with the Patti Smith Band, previously to Gannett NJ. “She was the first one to organize a benefit for anyone.”

Remembering Big Nancy Swarbrick, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse, Route 28, Dunellen. $20.



The Seaside Heights music scene

What’s new with the Seaside Heights live music scene?

Find out 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Music Industry Networking Party presented by the Ocean County-based scene makers Motor Media. The scene in Seaside Heights, and beyond, are sure to be a topic of discussion.

More:Jersey Shore Family Vacation: Lunch in Asbury Park, homecoming in Seaside Heights

Reps from the Hatchery, Gig Records, Six Pack Sound, Muzio, the Jersey Shore Festival, the Mesa Music Festival, Wiser Time Music, the Musicians Rock Network, Entrolab Recording and more will be on hand.

Motor Media are the folks who produce the big Jersey Shore Festival in Seaside Heights each spring. DJ D-Bag will be spinning rock, metal, and alternative hits all night long.

Music Industry Networking Party, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, EJ’s Tap House, 919 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights. Free. www.facebook.com/ejstaphouse.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com. Twitter: @chrisfhjordan