As we stroll down the crowded Asbury Park, NJ boardwalk on this gorgeous Friday June 8, 2018 evening, we take in all the sights and sounds of this famous Jersey Shore landmark. We feel the cool ocean breeze and see couples and families enjoying a bonfire on the beach while we listen to a street musician as he plays a calypso rendition of “Lemon Tree” on his steel drum.
Approaching the entrance to Tim McLoone’s Supper Club, it occurs to us that the iconic round edifice with the accordian-like roof was originally a glittering orange and white Howard Johnson’s restaurant when it was built back in 1963.
After making our way up the stairs to the venue’s second floor, we take note of ’60s-era music videos playing on the supper club’s two large screens including classics such as Herman’s Hermits’ “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” and The Hollies’ “Bus Stop.”
There’s a lot of excitement in the house tonight because — in just moments — guitarist extraordinaire Marc Ribler will take the stage with his band, Marc Ribler and Friends, to present their electrifying live tribute to one of the most iconic bands of the 1960s — The Who!
Marc Ribler was born in Brooklyn, NY. One of his earliest memories involves waking up to his radio alarm clock tuned to 77-WABC and hearing songs like Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow,” Tommy James’ “Crimson and Clover,” and The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
At the age of nine, Ribler and his family moved to Jackson, NJ where, by age 11, his parents had purchased a nylon string guitar for him. Practicing for hours, he studied the solos of such guitar gods of the day as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. If Marc couldn’t reproduce a guitar lick, he would simply slow down his record player’s turntable to half speed to capture every note played by the original artist!
As a youngster, he started his very first band, but by age 17, he had joined a group called Nightflyer and was opening for acts like Paul Butterfield, Sam and Dave, and Sly and the Family Stone. Also, at 17, he started doing recording session work at The Record Plant in New York City.
As a songwriter, Ribler’s original compositions went on to be recorded by such artists as the Canadian band, Helix, in addition to Nashville rocker Mitch Malloy — with songs like “Anything at All” and “Nobody Wins in this War” reaching the American Top 40. Marc has also released several solo recordings. In addition to touring the world with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, he enjoys producing projects like tonight’s performance by Marc Ribler and Friends at McLoone’s entitled Red, White, and Brit.
The stream of onscreen videos comes to a halt as Ribler takes the stage to welcome the crowd and introduce this evening’s opening act, guitarist Jake Nozek.
Nozek opens his set with an original instrumental piece which he improvises on the spot. Using technology controlled by his feet, Nozek is able to create instant recordings which loop sounds generated by his guitar and voice. Working in a style akin to Ed Sheeran, Nozek’s instant recordings of his rhythmic guitar playing entrance the audience, the sound building and filling the room. While singing softly —and recording his vocal on a loop to add to the mix— he also enables his acoustic guitar to sound like an electric guitar as he solos.
Following avid applause for this enjoyable amalgamation, Nozek follows up with cover versions of such recent tunes as “Love and Hate,” “Here,” and “Feel It Still” — the audience clapping and cheering for a job well done!
As Marc Ribler and Friends take the stage to get ready to perform, we take a moment to chat with Nozek, 18, who tells us, “I play guitar in addition to a little piano.” Acknowledging, “I’ve been playing with Marc since I was 13 or 14,” he notes, “I’ve played at places around town including the Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar.”
Admitting, “I haven’t played in about two and a half years” — concentrating, instead, on completing his high school education — Nozek is happy to be back on stage again tonight. Stating, “I love playing — the talent here in New Jersey is unbelievable — incredible, really,” he adds, “And none of this would have been possible without Marc Ribler.”
Marc Ribler once again greets the crowd and introduces his fellow Red, White, and Brit musicians — Andy Burton on keyboards, Jack Daley on bass, Rich Mercurio on drums, and Dale Toth on lead vocals. He also thanks the audience for coming out tonight to “celebrate one of our favorite bands on the planet” — The Who!
Opening with a bang, the group takes the stage rockin’ with “Can You See the Real Me,” the band’s powerhouse groove filling the club with stellar sound.
On this number, Daley’s kicking bass and Mercurio’s skillful drumming support Toth’s soulful lead vocal much to the audience’s delight.
The driving beat continues with “The Seeker,” the tight band’s clean breaks underscoring Toth’s lead vocal which also features the use of his falsetto voice.
Ribler takes a moment to ask if “everyone is cool?” Then, he and the band launch into their rendition of “Summertime Blues” where a happy couple can be seen dancing in front of the stage as Marc plays a screaming guitar solo.
The beat keeps coming on strong as the quintet rocks out on the bouncy “I Can’t Explain,” the mystery of the song coming through the rhythm and lyrics of this classic rocker as a myriad of starlights twinkle behind them.
After asking, “Do you guys love The Who as much as we do?” the crowd replies in the affirmative as the band breaks into “Bargain.” Featuring Toth on acoustic and Ribler on electric, the two guitarists rock out and their instruments ring true as the fivesome heats up the stage.
Ribler gives a shout-out to Mercurio on drums, describing him as “channeling the spirit of Who drummer Keith Moon,” before the group performs one of several highlight numbers of the evening — their powerhouse rendition of “5:15.” Toth’s vocal is outstanding and Burton’s keyboard playing impresses before Ribler plays an intricate guitar solo, the performance making members of the enthusiastic crowd feel that much younger as their bodies move in their seats to the explosive music streaming from the stage.
Following avid applause, Ribler announces, “I was 13 when The Who’s Quadrophenia came out. This is like classical music — the arrangements are like classical music — good stuff!” Here, he and the quartet perform a powerful rendition of “Behind Blue Eyes” which features Toth’s top-notch vocal on the folk-like introduction with its appealing chord progression before the number morphs into an arrangement which boasts a driving beat and a wailing guitar part.
Toth leaves the stage so the remaining quartet can be featured on “Acid Queen.” On this number, Ribler skillfully handles the lead vocal on this audience pleaser from The Who’s groundbreaking rock opera, Tommy.
Asking, “Are we missing any songs?” before stating, “You’re making us real happy tonight!” Ribler and Co. give their all on their performance of “I Can See for Miles.” The crowd loves the way the group rocks out with such precision, providing extended applause for an incredible Marc Ribler guitar solo.
Another highlight of tonight’s show is Dale Toth’s outstanding vocal performance on “Love Reign O’er Me.” Opening with an Andy Burton piano solo, the musicians show another side of their virtuosity as they power through this lovely ballad. Here, Toth sings with raw emotion as the band’s performance elicits fist pumps from members of the crowd along with dancing and avid cheering.
As the audience continues to applaud, Ribler acknowledges Toth stating, “Dale Toth, everybody — the best kept secret in New Jersey!”
Toth grabs an acoustic guitar and he, Mercurio, and Daley support keyboardist Andy Burton who handles the main vocals on the country-rock infused “Going Mobile.”
The quintet follows up with a funky rendition of “Who Are You” featuring impressive keyboard work from Burton and an outstanding bass solo from Jack Daley. The audience joyfully claps along to the infectious melody, rhythm, and lyric combination.
Following “Getting In Tune” — a song which features a rowdy barrelhouse piano solo — the musicians perform a countryfied rendition of “Squeeze Box” singing, “Well the kids don’t eat/And the dog can’t sleep/There’s no escape from the music/In the whole damn street/‘Cause she’s playing all night/And the music’s all right.”
Moving on to another audience pleaser, “My Generation,” Ribler skillfully handles the lead vocal as Daley is featured on bass. Audience members dance in their seats as the group’s tight harmonies modulate from key to key and Marc’s guitar wails before his dynamic power chord ending.
The audience cheers when they recognize Ribler play the famous guitar intro to “Pinball Wizard” from Tommy. Tight harmonies abound on this classic number and the instrumental interlude swirls, enveloping the entire audience in the timeless music of The Who.
Segueing directly into another selection from Tommy, Dale Toth’s soulful vocal takes center stage on “See Me Feel Me” as the group rocks out together on stage.
The audience sings along on this compelling rendition which also features yet another electrifying Marc Ribler guitar solo.
Although Ribler thanks the audience for coming and wishes them a happy “goodnight,” the crowd continues to cheer for more! As a result, the group begins an encore performance of “Baba O’ Reilly.”
When the sequenced keyboard malfunctions, however, Ribler announces, “This is a do-over! Come on, show some love!” Here, the band instantaneously regroups before launching into another highlight performance of the evening. With Toth’s powerful lead vocal and Ribler’s falsetto voice on the compelling “Teenage wasteland/It’s only teenage wasteland” lyrics, the tempo gets faster and faster and whips the audience into a musical frenzy!
Introducing what Marc calls “another experiment in technology,” Ribler and Co. continue to perform their high wire act without a net as they perform the brilliant “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” While the audience claps in time to the pulsating sequenced keyboard, Toth, Daley and Burton rock it to the rafters as Ribler rips power chords from his guitar.
The crowd is up singing and dancing along to this talented group of musicians, clearly appreciating Ribler’s scorching guitar solo, and after Ribler announces,“Come on — old school!” audience members clap their hands to an exciting Rich Mercurio drum solo before Toth screams “Yeah!” and rejoins the number.
The crowd can’t help but physically jump up and down to the rhythm of this barnburner, cheering and clapping for the group’s masterful performance!
And after that — just for good measure — Ribler and his musicians thank the audience with a final encore of “Long Live Rock.”
On this “Johnny B. Goode”-like rocker, the audience sings along on the “Long live rock/I need it every night/Long live rock/Come on and join the line/Long live rock/Be it dead or alive” lyric. As the band cooks, the crowd dances, fists pumping in the air!
After acknowledging the contributions of his bandmates this evening, Ribler says “Thank you” to the happy crowd which is still hollering and cheering for Marc Ribler and Friends’ Red, White and Brit performance!
Following the show, we chat briefly with Ribler who — when asked why he created this tribute to The Who— replies, “The Who is one of my favorite bands from my childhood. Like The Beatles, The Band, Dylan, and Hendrix, their music is part of our collective DNA, and it’s what’s motivated people like me and my friends to become committed musicians. At this point in our lives, it’s deep in our cells, so it’s a joyous experience when we get to come out and play this great music!”
And with regards to tonight’s crowd at McLoone’s, Ribler declares, “The Who’s music is very explosive and kind of rowdy so I’m always amazed when people are able to sit and listen for an entire song and then give us a standing ovation at the end, but I thought the audience’s reaction tonight was great,” before he concludes, “I feel the show was received really well!”
As we approach the staircase to takes us back down to the boardwalk, we chat with several music lovers in the crowd who provide us with reactions to tonight’s concert.
First, we catch up with two buddies from the Shore, here tonight to enjoy a live performance of music by one of their favorite ’60s groups — The Who.
“Absolutely fabulous!” exclaims Bart from Belmar.
Adds Bart’s friend, Jim, from Avon by the Sea, “Marc Ribler’s band was awesome — really tight!”
Next, we chat with Laura and Peter — visiting from San Diego, CA, to celebrate Laura’s 60th birthday with friends and family here at the Jersey Shore.
After revealing, “We were the couple who started dancing in front of the stage on ‘Summertime Blues,’” Laura comments, “Marc Ribler and his friends were awesome tonight!” before adding, “I love The Who, so I decided to come to this Who tribute for my 60th birthday, and I had a great time!”
Laura’s husband, Peter, concurs, stating, “Marc and the band were great all night long,” exclaiming, “I knew every word to every song!”
Lastly, we chat with two couples — Jane and John, and their friends, Charlie and Ursula — all from Sea Girt.
Declares Jane, “This concert was awesome! The set that Marc Ribler and Friends did tonight was extraordinary,” before revealing, “I felt like I was back seeing The Who in concert in 1977 — a night when I was so close, I could see the blue eyes of Roger Daltrey!”
Jane’s husband, John, admits with a smile, “I missed out on a steak dinner to see this concert tonight, and I’m glad I did — it was worth it. This performance was spot on!”
The couple’s friend, Charlie, discloses, “This show took me back to my college days. Even though I’m a ‘Dead Head,’ I love The Who,” before exclaiming, “and this band was great entertainment!”
And Charlie’s wife, Ursula, agrees, asserting “Marc Ribler is one world class player,” before concluding, “He is that good!”
To learn more about Marc Ribler, please go to marcribler.com. To find out about future performances at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club — including Eddie Brigati: After the Rascals on Saturday June 30 and James Maddock with Jeffrey Gaines on July 5 — please click on timmcloonessupperclub.com.
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