Singer/Songwriter Boyd turns toward songwriter/singer
Local performances include LOD Cover Me at Stone Pony
Local musician Sal Boyd can’t seem to sit still.
Since his 2011 graduation from Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Allenhurst native has been splitting his time 
between Asbury Park – performing his original songs and playing guitar in local musical theater productions, and Nashville – touring with country singers Greg Burroughs, Tim McNary and Jay Taylor.
He returns Sunday to Asbury Park as a part of the 1 to 11 p.m. p.m. Light of Day showcase – Cover Me: The Best of the Jersey Bar Bands at the Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Ave.
Light of Day, with a mission is to fight Parkinson’s disease, has grown into a multi-day festival with showcases in four cities – New York, Philadelphia, Montclair, and Asbury Park.
Joined by fellow band mates Glen Burtnik, Bob Burger and Arne Wendt, Boyd will be showcasing near 6 p.m. “The Last Waltz,” a recreation of The Band’s final concert and film they created in 2014.
“The Last Waltz” debuted at the Pollack Theatre in November 2014 to a sold out audience. It included collaboration with both national and local talent, including Kate Taylor, Southside Johnny, Bob Banderia, Emily Grove, Remember Jones, and Stringbean. The returned to the Pollak in November to another sold out.
But now coming off a summer of touring the northeast with two country bands, Boyd will be redirecting his talents.
“I don’t consider myself a singer-songwriter but more like a songwriter-singer,” he said. “I don’t consider myself an artist. I’m working toward being a professional writer for other artist. It is not a goal of mine to be playing 250 dates a year. I use the performance aspect of to study how my original music lands with an audience, not to get my name out as an artist or singer but to make my songs better – to craft them based on audience reaction.”
Make no mistake, for this 26-year-old, who has been performing for as long as he can remember, the crafting of a song and its nuance are paramount.
His well placed rhythms on Boyd USA are examples of well thought out lyrics against a back drop of musical arrangements. There’s thoughtful saxophone and guitar solo placement in “Wide Awake” and the flute in “Being Beautiful” or the gospel choir testifying behind “Another Hail Mary.”
Boyd played his first paid gig at the age of 12 and for him, Asbury Park is a place where inspiration is limitless.
“Anywhere else you go in the world you can get away with playing a lot of covers but just like in Nashville and Austin, people here want to hear what you wrote. It keeps me writing – something that is very special to me.
“Also, there are so many venues,” Boyd said. “The fact that the national acts that come here are [intertwined] with the local talent allows you to hang out with singers and people who have been doing this for a long time.”
Sunday’s LOD Cover Me showcase includes performances by Bobby Bandiera with Cats on a Smooth Surface Reunion with Vinnyy Danieli, Joel Krause, Harry Filkin, Peter Schulle, Tommy LaBella, Joe Belia, John Berry, Stiff Reed and others. The lineup also includes The Best of the Eagles, So Watt, Brian Kirk and the Jirks, The Motor City Revue and NRG.
Boyd also will be performing:
10 p.m. Jan. 15 Acoustic Carousel at Langosta Lounge, singing with Ashley McKinley.
2 p.m. Jan. 16 at Cafe Volan for Asbury Underground’s art and music crawl.
8 p.m. Jan. 17 at McLoone’s Supper Club as part of the Songwriters by the Sea showcase.
For more information and upcoming performances, visit www.salboyd.com.
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