Sea.Hear.Now. is the East Coast’s favorite crossroads, combining art, music, and surfing. Along the boardwalk and inside the Asbury Park Convention Hall, ticket holders enjoyed Playa Bowls, It’s Taffy, and Offshore Coffee in between the festival’s three stages to grab something sweet.
“We look forward to coming to this every year,” one festival-goer, Kathy, tells Melodic Magazine. “10 AM brunch at one of our houses, walk to the festival after. Nothing beats it!” One of Sea.Hear.Now’s many perks is the accessibility, with a handful of its 35,000 attendees already in Asbury Park and the surrounding areas.
Saturday began bright and early, with 8:30 AM yoga on the beach. The three-stage setup has changed from previous years, amping up ticket holders’ step counts significantly and allowing more general admission viewership. Lines began well before noon at 4th and 7th Avenues, reaching all the way down Ocean Avenue.
Patrons were able to enjoy art made by their favorite artists, shown in the Transparent Clinch Gallery. The gallery, created by SHN co-founder Danny Clinch, is a place to come by your favorite bands, up close and personal, both back and onstage. Aimed at showcasing the performing bands’ and artists’ artistic sides, “this special opportunity welcomes music fans to see a more intimate creative side of their favorite rock stars” (including Jersey’s favorite Bruce Springsteen and Jack Johnson, just to name a few). Inside this year’s tent were framed photos by Lenny Kravitz, embroidered shortboards by Surfing for Daisy, hand-painted art by Remi Wolf, and more.
The Park Stage included performances by Not Yer Baby, Inhaler, Gigi Perez, and Remi Wolf. Not Yer Baby kicked it off, dressed for the occasion with matching sailor hats for everyone in the band. Fans adorned the colors of the Irish flag and a few at the barrier even brought one. All in support of Dublin’s 4-piece rock band, Inhaler. The Park Stage’s second day saw the likes of Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Spoon, TV On The Radio, and Sublime.
The Sand Stage saw New Jersey-natives Phoneboy as well as Royel Otis, and The Tide Bends. With a beautiful view of the ocean and an incredible breeze, the setting offered a perfect backdrop for a laid-back yet unforgettable set of performances, with a bonus view of the North Beach Surf Contest.
A bit east at the Surf Stage, Alabama Shakes performed, followed later in the evening by the first day’s headliner: Hozier. Headliners at this stage on the second day included 4 Non Blondes, Public Enemy, Lenny Kravitz, and Blink-182, who concluded the entire festival with fireworks that lit up the Jersey Shore skyline.
From early morning yoga sessions on the beach to late night crowdsurfing singalongs, Sea. Hear. Now. once again proved why it is a can’t-miss celebration. This Asbury Park summer staple is a must-see, year after year and it’s weekends like this that remind us to keep coming back.
