ASBURY PARK From avant-gardists to roots rockers, from up-and-comers to scene
veterans, New Jersey's finest flocked to The Stone Pony in full force and full
form Saturday
night for the 14th annual Asbury Music Awards.
Co-founded by Scott Stamper and Adam Weisberg, co-owners of The Saint
nightclub, the
Asbury Music Awards aims to showcase the broad scope of original musical talent
forged
at the Jersey Shore.
Master of ceremonies Barry Penetrator, frontman for punk-dub powerhouse Barry
and The
Penetrators, kicked off the evening with a rousing rallying call for all his
rock 'n' roll
cohorts.
"Best on the East Coast"
"The Jersey Shore is the best music scene on the East Coast, hands down," said
Penetrator.
"Shows like this give the new bands something to strive for. That's why we need
to keep
coming out and keep showing our support."
Performers for the evening included Woodfish, who were named Top Groove Band;
Top
Acoustic Act nominees Rachel Zamsteen, Phil Benson and Keith Kenny; Top Heavy
Rock Act
winner Twine, and indie-synth quartet A Love Like Pi, who were up for an award
in the Top
Young Band category.
"The only breaks I've got in this business, I got through this place. I owe it
all to Asbury
Park," said Benson, 24, of Hazlet.
Also performing sets were '05 Asbury Music Awards favorites April Smith, Rick
Barry and
Matt O'Ree, all of whom garnered nominations at this year's ceremony.
Newcomers Status Green took home honors in several categories, including Top
Male
Vocalist (Lou Montesano), Top Live Performance and Top Pop Band, for which the
Howell
pop-rock foursome vied against such Garden State mainstays as the New Brunswick
psychedelic/power-pop outfit The Anderson Council and Eatontown
singer/songwriter Bob
Burger.
The event also included nods for Top Radio Station and Top News Publication in
Support
of Live Music, a Musician Lifetime Achievement Award and a reading by Poet
Laureate
nominee Nicole Homer.
"In the future, I would love to see this get the attention of more people in
the industry,"
said Weisberg.
"If we could use platforms like the Asbury Music Awards to help get more of our
local
bands signed, then I'll feel like we'd have done what we set out to do."
For a complete list of winners, visit the The Saint's Web site at
www.thesaintnj.com.
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