New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

REVIEW: Red Wanting Blue Live at The Saint

By Gary Wien

originally published: 06/16/2006


(JUNE 15, 2006 -- ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- It was one of those nights where you wished the club was full; one of those magical kind of nights that happen at the Saint from time to time - the kind of night you pull out your cellphone halfway through the set and try to drag your friend out because you just know they'd fall in love with the band. And, it appears by taking a look at the crowd, that Asbury Park is slowly but surely becoming a decent stop for Red Wanting Blue, an incredible band out of Columbus Ohio that comes around two or three times a year.

I've seen Red Wanting Blue about a half dozen times now, but tonight was the best show yet. Lead singer Scott Terry was in top form and his voice sounded excellent. The band has released six records since 1998 and several people in the crowd not only were singing along but shouting out requests which had to make the guys feel good. In my opinion, bands like Red Wanting Blue are the best example as to how corporations like Clear Channel have ruined the record industry more than file sharing ever could. The last two records from the band were as "radio friendly" as anything you will ever hear and the band is simply awesome live.

Red Wanting Blue played many of their most popular songs off of their last records including "Leaving Behind", "Tearing Down Stars", "Never Enough" and "Your Alibi". In addition they played an incredible cover of Tom Waits "Pasties and a G-string", a great new song about Las Vegas which should make their next album, and even threw in a cover of a Bryan Adams song as a encore.

Scott Terry was visibly moved and surprised to have the band brought back for an encore - the first time it's ever happened to the guys at the Saint. Of course, back in Ohio they regularly sell out clubs as large as the House of Blues in Cleveland, but in Jersey they've simply been one of the best kept secrets with anybody whose ever seen them live coming back each time they're in the area.

It's nice to see that the secret may be out. Keep an eye out for these guys. They will be releasing a new record sometime around October and should be back in our area this winter. You have to see them live to understand just how good these guys are. I'd call them one of the top 3 touring bands around...




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



About the author:

Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].



You can have your events spotlighted here, whenever someone reads an article about JUNE 15, 2006 -- ASBURY PARK

click here for more information


EVENT PREVIEWS

(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Vegas Country Show August 21-23, 2026. Get ready for a night of country hits, high energy, and pure star power as Vegas Country brings the music of Shania Twain and Tim McGraw to life.
WBJB

WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach series presents Nicole Atkins on August 27th

(BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach presents Nicole Atkins on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 7:00pm. Cory Blair will open the night. The free outdoor concert takes place at the Newark Avenue Beach in Bradley Beach. ** The show was rescheduled from July 16th due to the Air Quality Alert issued across New Jersey.

51st Annual New Jersey Folk Festival to Take Place August 29th

(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Folk Festival (NJFF) is back for the 51st year on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
The Strand presents Matt Stone as Elvis on August 29th

The Strand presents Matt Stone as Elvis on August 29th

(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Most 22-year-olds are chasing the next trend, scrolling through TikTok, and binging Love Island. Matt Stone has spent the last decade looking in the opposite direction.

McCarter Theatre Center presents Mei Semones on September 4th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mei Semones in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, September 4, 2026 at 7:30pm. Drawing on her background in jazz guitar and her Japanese heritage, she blends inventive harmonies, intricate rhythms, and bilingual lyricism into a sound that is both intimate and exploratory.
51st NJ Clearwater Festival to Take Place Labor Day Weekend in Asbury Park

51st NJ Clearwater Festival to Take Place Labor Day Weekend in Asbury Park

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Friends of Clearwater invites everyone to start their Labor Day Weekend at its free 51st Annual Clearwater Festival Saturday September 5, 2026, a late summer, family-friendly celebration of great live music, Mother Earth and more in Sunset Park near the ocean in Asbury Park.
The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Newton Theatre on September 5th

The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Newton Theatre on September 5th

(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Machine Performs Pink Floyd on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at the Newton Theatre. The band has forged a nearly 40 year reputation of extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd. Showtime is 8:00pm.

MPAC presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on September 9th

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7:30pm. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America's favorite female singers for more than two decades.
Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th

Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- It's been a landmark year for Ella Langley. Fresh off a sweep at the ACM Awards where she won all seven awards she was nominated for, two recent American Music Award wins, and being the soundtrack of the summer for a trio of German fans on Twitter traveling through America during the World Cup. Ella continues one of the most dominant runs in music. She brings The Dandelion Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark on September 10, 2026 at 7:00pm. Special guests ERNEST and Gabriella Rose will open the night.
The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music

The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music's Role in Post-9/11 America at the Lacey Library

(FORKED RIVER, NJ) -- In honor of Patriot Day, the Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library will host "The Soundtrack of Resilience: Music and 9/11" on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The event begins at 2:00pm.

 

FEATURED EVENTS


IMAGINE LENNON LIVE

Saturday, August 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ


Ready or Yacht: The Best of Yacht Rock

Saturday, August 22, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ


The Peace & Presence Tour: Omari Dillard

Saturday, August 22, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
New Brunswick, NJ


Ugly Kid Joe with Special Guests Wheatus and Platinum Moon

Sunday, August 23, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ


Joanna Connor - The Queen of Blues Rock Guitar

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info