The 2021 Porchfest in Asbury Park will be bigger than ever. Here’s what we know

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On the Road

Porches are hot stuff.

That’s the word from the Wall Street Journal, which stated that porches are making a “comeback” last year.

In Asbury Park, the annual Porchfest, where musicians play on porches across the city, is more popular than ever, said founder Jordan Modell. 

More than 110 acts will play on 23 porches and the kick-off at Springwood Park on Saturday, Oct. 2. It’s the Asbury Park Porchfest’s fifth anniversary.

“We have, by my count, 50 people who toured nationally and 30 people who toured internationally,” said Modell, the head of the Asbury Park Homeowners Association, organizers of Porchfest. “This year we’re breaking all insane records. We normally don’t sell a lot T-shirts in advance, but this year we’ve sold 150 even before Porchfest starts.”

Year five has been a charm so far.

“Someone remarked that it really takes five years to get your footing in the beginning,” Modell said. “Oddly enough when COVID hit last year, we were socially distanced and we followed all the governor’s mandates, but so many people turned out because they were so music starved. Then this year they remembered us from last year.”

The Porchfest concept was  founded in Ithaca, N.Y., in 2007.  It began in Asbury Park in 2016. There are Porchfests across the country, and the upcoming Jersey Porchfests include Lambertville, also on Oct 2; and Cranford on Saturday, Oct. 9.

Participating artists in Asbury Park include Bobby Mahoney, Chris Brown, the Cucumbers, Des & The Swagmatics, Drew The Recluse, Emily Grove, Jarod Clemons, Ocean Avenue Stompers, Pamela Flores, Paul Whistler, Renee Maskin, Tara Dente and lots more.

Things kick off with the Bryan Hansen Band at 11 a.m. at Springwood Park on Springwood Avenue. Visit apporchfest.org for more info and the complete schedule.    

“The response this year has been incredible,” Modell said. “We had to turn away porches. Normally we have to beg porches: Will you please host a band? We had to turn away porches. It’s been incredible.”

Asbury Park Porchfest, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, (rain date Oct. 9), Asbury Park. apporchfest.org.

George Clinton, P-Funk returns     

A lot has happened since Dec. 5, 2015.

 We don’t need to tell you that.

But the date is significant as it’s the last time Jersey legends George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic played a concert in their home state. That changes when Clinton and P-Funk play Jan 21, 2022, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

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Tickets for the just-announced show, $39 to $89, go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 1, via www.NJPAC.org or 888-466-5722.

Clinton and the gang played the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Dec. 5, 2015. Since then, Clinton has retired from performing, and then unretired. 

“I’m ready to hit the road again,” said Clinton to NPR’s “All Things Considered” on May 19. “We’ve got some unfinished things to do. We were right in the middle of recording some of the shows live when the pandemic started.”

The Newark show is part of Clinton’s 80th birthday party, the NJPAC said. Clinton lived in Brick City when he formed the Parliaments in Plainfield.

“Most of the kids will say their grandparents came through as soon as they find out who I am,” said Clinton of visiting Newark previously to the USA Today Network New Jersey.  “All the people remember us (in Newark) because back in the ’60s we were really big with ‘Testify.’ “

“(I Wanna) Testify” was the breakthrough hit for the Parliaments in 1967. They eventually landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.    

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]

Source: Asbury Park