The bands that play at the Wonder Bar’s Happy Monday shows have names that might make some people cringe. Shows this February include Sewage, GayGuy/StraightGuy, Bible Fiction, and Dentist.
What makes these bands notable – besides their names – is that most are local musicians, hoping a few Happy Monday gigs will help them earn an appearance as an opener at the Stony Pony, a sister bar and Asbury Park staple.
Christine Feola, promoter for Happy Mondays, bartends the events. “We get 200 to 300 people a night,” she says, “and winter doesn’t slow the local crowd down.”
While all Happy Monday shows are free, the Wonder Bar (located on Ocean Avenue) presents inexpensive shows and benefits throughout the week. On February 15, it will host the Rock for No Love Breast Cancer Benefit. The $10 cover will be donated to Mary’s Place by the Sea, an organization in Ocean Grove that provides a place for women with cancer to heal.
“Our bands and staff are proud to support our local community, especially a neighbor like Mary’s Place,” says Feola.
The shows are part of the community-driven cultural renaissance that has helped revitalize the town.
Though Asbury Park is most vibrant in the summers, with floods of visitors drawn to its beaches, there’s a charm to the town that transcends seasons. In the past few years, trendy small businesses and organic restaurants have sprouted on the boardwalk and downtown, most owned by Asbury residents.
“The town’s a community – or more like a family – of musicians and artists,” Feola explains, “and the Wonder Bar helps set a stage where artists can communicate, share, and celebrate.”