Drum Circle to divide time between Belmar, Asbury
Musicians will play in Belmar plaza when green space unavailable
The Asbury Park Drum Circle is now officially dividing its time between Asbury Park and Belmar.
When drummers are unable to use the Fourth Avenue green space between the boardwalk and the street on Saturday nights, they will take their show on the road to Belmar’s Pyanoe Plaza, located on Main Street between Eighth and 10th avenues. The green space is not always available because Madison Marquette sometimes books other musicians to play there.
“It’s wonderful that Belmar would allow us to run a Drum Circle in their town,” said founding drummer John Eustor through email today. “It reflects how open to community gatherings and festivities they are, and that is very important to many people.”
Eustor is unsure of the Drum Circle’s permanent schedule. They can usually play in the Fourth Avenue green space on Tuesday nights. They play in the green space on Saturdays when other musicians are not booked, and they may start a weekly Wednesday night performance in Pyanoe Plaza, as well.
Eustor and his fellow musicians are still disappointed at being unable to perform on the boardwalk, he said.
“There is nothing like drumming on the boardwalk,” Eustor said. “The energy, breeze, sun and water cultivate a great festive atmosphere that produces a very inspiring communal feeling.”
The drummers see the circle not as a performance, but as a community activity.
“These drum circles literally break down any feelings of separation or division we may have, and just make people feel good about being outside, experiencing the rhythms of nature,” Eustor said.
Until recently, the Asbury Park Drum Circle played on the boardwalk every Tuesday and Saturday through the summer. The circle started in 1999. Performances were known to attract not only drummers but also passersby to dance or play Hula Hoop.
Police broke up the Drum Circle on July 10 because crowds it attracted were allegedly blocking passage on the boardwalk. Boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette then invited the Drum Circle to play in the Fourth Avenue green space, a tented area between the boardwalk and the street, on nights when it was not booked by another musical act.
