The 21st annual Asbury Music Awards brought over ten local acts to The Stone Pony stage, peppered with over 25 award presentations that took place in between sets Thursday, Dec. 12.
American rock band The Battery Electric were the big winners of the evening, receiving a total seven nominations and walking away with five awards: “Top Live Performance”, “Top Rock Band”, “Top Bassist” [Alex Rosen], “Top Male Vocalist” [Ron Santee] and “Song of the Year” [“Shock Hazard”].
“I’m humbled,” Rosen told the Sun. “I just like punk rock a lot and I’m very thankful people like us. We love the support.”
Folk band Thomas Wesley Stern took home two awards from a possible four nominations. They won for “Top Americana Band” and “Top Male/Band acoustic act.
The Wonder Bar’s “Happy Mondays” — free weekly shows featuring local, live bands organized and promoted by Christine Feola — beat out both President Obama’s and Governor Christopher Christie’s visit to Convention Hall, along with a host of other Asbury Park affairs for “Best Thing to Happen in 2012/2013.”
“It’s all thanks to the bands — they make Happy Mondays come alive,” Feola told the Sun. Feola is also “very honored” to have beaten President Obama, she said.
“We used to have Happy Mondays but it wasn’t that great,” said Wonder Bar owner Debbie DeLisa. “Christine works 24/7 promoting Happy Mondays. We are very, very proud of her.”
Local blues band Stringbean & The Stalkers [photo at right] were also given a nod, winning the award for “Top “classic” Asbury Artist.”
Bond Street Bar was selected as the “Top Hangout Bar” in the city, and The Saint won for “Top Live Original Music Venue.” The Saint’s own Jack “Hinge” Pitzer won the award for “Top Live Sound Engineer.”
See the entire list of winners and nominees here.
[Photo at top: Wreaths performs on The Stone Pony stage. They also won the award for “Top Avante-Garde Act.”]
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