Sea. Hear. Now. 2026 was a weekend-long beachside event on September 19 and 20, with
a meticulously curated lineup to end the summer on a high note. It has been held annually in
Asbury Park since 2018, a beachy coastal New Jersey city known for embracing vibrant arts
and entertainment culture. Lots of history lives along the main boardwalk entertainment area,
including Asbury Lanes, The Stone Pony, The Wonder Bar, Arcade Games, Boutique Shops,
and my personal favorite, Transparency Clinch Gallery. The area is filled with retro aesthetics
and beautiful architecture, studded with local acclaimed icon, Tillie— and a dash of Bruce
Springsteen, who is also an honorable mention in this neck of the woods.
The first act of the day that kicked off the Sea. Hear. Now. 2026 weekend was Asbury Park’s
own, Jarod Clemons. The crowd cheered in front of the park stage to welcome the weekend’s
first performance. His band had this awesome saxophone player, who honestly kinda stole the
show for a moment. The saxophone and horns enhanced the guitar sounds and highlighted his
voice with a shrill contrast in the most beautiful way.
Next, I made my way over to the Surf Stage to catch Steph Strings, a singer-songwriter from
Melbourne, Australia, currently touring the USA in a rental van and the most inventive
one-woman band I’ve ever seen. She graced the stage with a soulful voice, a tambourine
around her boot, soft drumming on her guitar, and a harmonica stand to share her unique sound
with the crowd. Delivering a powerful performance, even with some strictly instrumental tunes,
she filled the stage with her essence and phenomenal talent. Her songs were filled with elegant
chords and complemented by her various techniques, creating a weathered yet lighthearted
serenade. She spoke to the crowd in the middle of her set, saying she once met a psychic who
told her she was going to be a musician who travels the world. And I’m here to agree with that
statement firmly; more of the world needs to know about her. It’s safe to say, I left the beach
today a fan of Steph Strings.
Throughout the set, I noticed the surfers participating in the surfing competition riding the waves
confidently, despite the overcast weather. Strings also stated that they were a warm reminder of
her home near the beach back in Australia. The two-day surfing competition was a really cool
element that enhanced the ambiance of the beachside tunes.
Anders Osborne, who hails from Louisiana, belted out gritty vocals while strumming his guitar,
met with a soulful saxophone melody. These guys were totally in sync; they have an unspoken
on-stage language that results in jazzy-twang tunes. The set contained a dynamic array of
songs that I would like to think of as jazzy folk, adjacent to blues but more upbeat in tempo. A
big reason I like music festivals is because of artists like Anders Osborne and Steph Strings. I
believe discovering new music while it’s being played live and in person is such a profoundly
personal experience that no music app or social media algorithm can ever replace or truly
replicate.
Next up was this classic, timeless, household-and-classic-rock-radio favorite known as Men At
Work. I’ll start by saying they truly seem to be having a lot of fun up there. They are from, as
they said, “a far away land,” also known as Melbourne, Australia. Some songs they played were
released about 40 years ago yet still can captivate a crowd, which is a testament to how good
they are. Their performance even brought out a little sunshine on this overcast day. I made note
that both the tambourine and flute player exuded some awesome energy, and also 3/4 of the
acts that I’ve witnessed today had a whole lot of saxophone, and I’m loving every minute of it.
On my walk to the park stage, I caught a glimpse of local music culture in action; the almighty
marching band, also known as The Ocean Ave Stompers. They played an assortment of tunes,
including those of Lenny Kravitz and Dolly Parton, while in front of a Dolly Parton-adorned
statue. They marched away with a crowd following behind them; these guys totally have clout,
and they are a lot of fun!
Fitz and The Tantrums is a band I’m not super familiar with outside of their hits, and I also had
no idea they’d have a saxophone on stage. The songs in their set had a great sense of upbeat
energy that echoed across the festival grounds. I saw a ton of teenagers running to the stage,
yelling to their friends and families to join in. I hung around the park stage for most of their
performance and ultimately concluded that they are a funky alt-pop group. Michael Fitzpatrick
and Noelle Scaggs have these echoey voice sounds at times, and I’m unsure if they are just like
that or there’s a sort of distortion on them–but I digress; it works super well! Their music is
feel-good hang-out music and fantastic for a montage or as an end credits track– and I mean
that as a high compliment. It’s fun, lighthearted, and everyone at the park stage and in the
vendor area was dancing and singing along to their contagious tunes.
If you wanted a break from watching a performance, local shops and restaurants were open for
business on the boardwalk, with lots of sponsor stands to visit, the iconic Transparency Clinch
Gallery pop-up, and the food vendor area, which was much larger than I expected. I noticed
Jolene Coffee with a unique stand featuring a cool branded watch tower– fitting the Asbury Park
music legend vibe since the coffee brand is co-owned by Anthony Kiedis and Shane Powers.
One of the more nostalgic names on this weekend’s lineup was The All-American Rejects. The
Oklahoma-based band returned to touring regularly in 2023 and released a new album in 2025
titled Sandbox. They played a substantial set full of songs we all know and love to scream along
to,, such as “Swing, Swing” and “Dirty Little Secret,” with sharp guitar sounds and catchy lyrics
we can sing in our sleep. Despite some minor technical difficulties getting the sound to the back
of the audience at the park stage, they still performed strongly. While this lineup didn’t have a
whole lot of punk rock, the moments it existed were pretty awesome!
Some acts I unfortunately didn’t get to see in full were The War on Drugs, Tom Odell, Susana Hoffs, and Shaggy.
When there’s only one of me, but a whole day packed with music, it’s hard to be in three places at once.
Notably, I did hear Shaggy’s fun, hip-hop-heavy tunes from across the beach.
The Offspring is a legendary punk rock band that I’ve shockingly never seen live until today. I
admit that this was perhaps my most anticipated set of the day. Their catchy lyrics, cutting-edge
guitar riffs, and unique Californian punk rock flair are still alive and well, hopefully for years to
come. A few kids on their parents’ backs rocking out caught my eye, proving punk rock can be
for the whole family. Their stage design effects and props were awesome and really highlighted
the band’s mythology throughout the eras. Towards the end of their set, the band graced the
crowd with an homage to metal legend Ozzy Osborne and Dolly Parton, remarking that she was
a true punk herself.
To close out the night were headliners Mumford and Sons, with their elegant, hopeful ballads
and upbeat, string-heavy tempo. Within the first 10 minutes of their set, I embarrassingly
learned that they are, in fact, not an American band despite their heavy use of the banjo.
Something about the presence of the upright bass in any musical act that piques my interest
without fail, Ted Dwane– your performance is top-notch! Their folk rock-centered discography is
heartfelt, passionate, and truthful, and their setlist really drove it home and was an ideal and
poetic note to end the first day on.
I didn’t get a chance to attend any after-shows at the surrounding venues in Asbury Park or the
early-morning yoga sessions offered at 8 am. But I caught up with some fans who did while they
were waiting outside The Stone Pony. They told me they were locals, and we talked about our
favorite performances of the day. Chatting with locals all day showed me just how much passion
and excitement surge through the community for this eventful weekend! They were really hoping
that Chaka Khan would make an appearance after her stellar performance this afternoon. We
parted ways at the end of the line that wrapped around The Stone Pony’s perimeter.
This was the kind of lineup that gave my parents some extreme FOMO (Sorry Mom!) While the
weather was overcast, it was perfect for chilling out by the beach and enjoying the music as god
and the festival organizers intended. I don’t know if it’s the power music on the beach has, or
just a New Jersey thing, but I noticed that most acts today featured horns or saxophones. All
together with a lively energy, the day one lineup seems to have had a great genre blend, making
for a family-friendly community event.
