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It’s been rare — to say the least — when I’ve gone to a festival where the entire weekend revolved around one headliner. It was undeniable — the palpable energy at Sea.Hear.Now 2024 as the time to watch hometown hero — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band — perform as the Sunday night headliner.
Spanning the two-day festival were iconic performances from the likes of Noah Kahan, Norah Jones, Trey Anastasio Band, and more…but it was clear from the beginning who this festival was about: The Boss.
From the first moments of this year’s Sea.Hear.Now, fans were decked out in their Bruce Springsteen merch. I’ve never seen a crowd so diverse in terms of age — longtime Springsteen followers and new listeners alike flocked to Asbury Park, New Jersey to see Bruce live.
Springsteen had not returned to Asbury Park since 2010 — when he performed an invite-only set at the Carousel House. This was the first time he played a set in New Jersey to a paying audience in decades…and The Boss didn’t disappoint.
Sea.Hear.Now Day One: Noah Kahan Brings Stick Season To The Beach
We rented a place in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, a few miles from Asbury Park. Saturday we opted to take the train in because it runs almost directly into the festival itself. I’d highly recommend that anyone planning on going to next year’s festival take advantage of public transportation.
As I entered the festival on Saturday, I did what all savvy festival attendees do: bee-lined for the merch stand before all the good stuff sold out. Since I’d arrived a bit late, I was already out of luck on a number of popular items.
I will always tell people to buy one piece of personalized merch at every concert you attend. It’s terrific memorabilia, and even better bragging rights. So, anything that states the festival lineup and location will do for me.
What I love about Sea.Hear.Now is that it truly showcases the beauty of Asbury Park itself. Once a struggling, rundown town, Asbury Park has rebuilt and transformed itself into a mecca for music, nightlife, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Festival performers like Joe P had amazing sets, where he performed classics like “All Day I Dream About” and “Off My Mind.” But Joe P also dropped in and played sets at local bars like Low Dive. Bruce Springsteen also played a surprise 30-minute set at the iconic Stone Pony that same Saturday night.
I quickly ate my go-to festival dinner — a pulled pork sandwich, which is never the best or worst attempt at barbecue I’ve had — and rushed to the VIP area for Noah Kahan’s headline set.
As always, Noah Kahan delivered a flawless performance. I’ve seen him perform his hit album, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever), numerous times now and am constantly impressed by both his vocal power and humor.
But the VIP crowd was evidently there for Bruce. As I screamed the words along with Noah — to the horror of everyone around me — I discovered that many did not know a single song. That’s the worst part about VIP at a festival…it can be a bit stuffy.
Sea.Hear.Now Day Two: The Boss Is Back
The crowd at Sea.Hear.Now 2024 Nathan Zucker
By day two I was exhausted. No matter how small and cozy a festival is, there’s a lot of walking. My feet and legs ached as I woke up, but I knew I had more to go. But there was one factor motivating me, and his name is Bruce Springsteen.
This was my first Bruce show. Growing up in New Jersey, The Boss is an absolute superhero. It’s between him and fictional character Tony Soprano for top two New Jerseyans.
I’d heard many things about seeing the legendary E Street Band in person. Everyone knows that many artists wouldn’t be here without Bruce. And I knew what a big thing it was for him to play a hometown show for the first time in forever.
The anticipation was electric from the beginning, but Sunday in Asbury Park felt like Christmas came early.
Last year, the VIP section was flooded with people sitting in the food area, watching football games by the TV on Sunday. This year, the beach was packed by midday.
As soon as you entered the festival, everyone was wearing something Springsteen-related. While Saturday brought a few Noah Kahan-faithful, Sunday was solely for Bruce.
He popped into multiple other sets, like performing with the Trey Anastasio Band before his own headline performance. Bruce and his E Street Band were gifted a three hour slot — unheard of in most festivals.
But it was for entirely good reason. Bruce delivered an unforgettable performance that longtime fans know in their bones is once-in-a-lifetime. Many are saying that if they never see Bruce live again, ending with that performance would be perfect.
He played songs like “Thundercrack” for the first time since 2016 and “Asbury Park (Sandy)” for the first time since 2010. After a cover of “Twist and Shout,” he ended the concert with a piercingly resonant “Jersey Girl.”
The band may be aging, but you cannot tell by their onstage electricity and fervor. Springsteen turns 75 years old this week, but you’d think it’s the 80s by the way he’s playing.
And, consequently, he reminded the crowd that we cannot outlast the E Street Band. The lovemaking, earth shaking, groundbreaking E Street Band played their hearts out for three hours straight— with no break! — on the beach of Asbury Park.
All ages came together in that one glorious moment to experience an outstanding set. It was something special to gaze around at the crowd and see everyone, old and young, having the best night of their lives. That’s what music is all about, and that’s why Sea.Hear.Now 2024 was so special.
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Jai Phillips
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