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Asbury Park Music Foundation Launches Summer Music Season Featuring Free Concerts Across the City

Music Mondays Celebrates 10 Years, AP Live Returns for Its 9th Season, and Asbury Park Concert Band Marks 80 Years of Community Tradition

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 06/17/2025

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Asbury Park Music Foundation (APMF) is proud to announce the return of its signature summer music programs, bringing free live performances to public spaces throughout the city while raising funds to support music education for youth in Asbury Park and beyond.

This summer marks major milestones for each of APMF’s long-standing concert series:

Music Mondays at Springwood Park - Music Mondays celebrates 10 years of uplifting performances in the heart of the city’s West Side, with weekly shows beginning June 23 featuring The Soul Project NOLA. Concerts are held Monday evenings at 6:00pm. The series features returning crowd favorites including Alexander Simone, The Men of Soul, JT Bowen, Ms. G and da Guyz, and Des and the Swagmatics, along with many more.

Full 2025 Schedule:

* June 23 – Soul Project New Orleans




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* June 30 – The Men of Soul | Leon Trent Waterfront Duo

* July 7 – Alexander Simone & Who Dat? Live Crew

* July 14 – Des & The Swagmatics | Soultron w/ Des Spinks & Ryan Gregg

July 21 – JT Bowen & The Mighty Kings of Soul | Dorian Parreott Jazz Trio

July 28 – The Funktion Band | Rebirth Church Praise Team

August 4 – The Sounds of Sandstorm

August 11 – TBA




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* August 18 – Ms. G & Da Guyz | Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise

August 26 (TUES) – The Sensational Soul Cruisers

Funding for Music Mondays includes support from Jules L. Plangere Family Foundation, Mullin Family, Donna and Ron Troppoli, and Asbury Audio.



AP Live on the Boardwalk

AP Live returns for its ninth season on the First Avenue Green, located next to MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos and Watermark on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. This Wednesday night series begins June 25 and showcases a diverse mix of pop, rock, funk, hip hop, and indie artists from across the region. Each show runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, with two acts per night and a student band from Lakehouse Music Academy opening the evening. Performances are free and open to the public. In case of rain, shows move inside to Watermark.

Full 2025 Schedule:

* June 25 – Blush | Preacher on the FM

July 2 – Bryan Hansen Band | Jarod Clemons

July 9 – Chill Smith | Naska

July 16 – Dana Why | The dt’s




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July 23 – Nu Space | Polaroid Fade

July 30 – Teen Idle | Dark City Strings

August 6 – Indigo Sky | Emerson Woolf & The Wishbones

* August 12 (TUESDAY) – October Man | Great Oblivion

August 20 – Mike Frank & Friends | Foes of Fern

August 28 (THURSDAY) – Alors Alors | S0ulfood | Des & The Swagmatics

Asbury Park LIVE is run in partnership with MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos, Watermark, and Lakehouse Music Academy, with sponsor support from Tito's Handmade Vodka, Pepsi, Asbury Park Sunset, Provident Bank, Asbury Park Brewery, Ansell Grimm & Aaron, Madison Marquette, the Stone Pony, and Wild Air Brewing.



Asbury Park Concert Band

The Asbury Park Concert Band celebrates an incredible 80 years of musical tradition with Tuesday night performances in July and August at the Arthur Pryor Bandshell on the rooftop of the 5th Avenue pavilion along the Boardwalk. This long-running ensemble continues to provide classic community band performances that honor the city’s musical history and bring generations together through song.

Full 2025 Schedule:

* July 1 – Celebrate the 4th (featuring student performers)

July 8 – Jazz Night

* July 15 – Animal Kingdom (featuring student performers)

July 22 – Broadway Favorites

July 29 – Shall We Dance

August 5 – Traveling the Seas (featuring student performers)

August 12 – Perfect Pairs

August 19 – More Broadway

August 26 – Salute to American Entertainers (featuring student performers)

This series is made possible through the support of McLoone’s and the American Federation of Musicians.




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All summer music events are free, family friendly, and open to everyone. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and friends to enjoy the music and atmosphere in true Asbury Park spirit.

To see updates and receive alerts, follow APMF on Facebook and Instagram. For sponsorship opportunities or to donate directly to APMF’s mission, visit asburyparkmusiclives.org or email [email protected].

The Asbury Park Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides free access to life-changing music education to youth in Asbury Park who might not otherwise have the opportunity. They bring music into classrooms, support after school programs, and offer scholarships for advanced instruction at Lakehouse Music Academy. Their programs help young people develop confidence, discipline, and a strong sense of connection. This work is about more than music—it opens doors, strengthens communities, and helps students build skills that last a lifetime.

Programs are made possible in part through funding from Monmouth Arts, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners.


EVENT PREVIEWS

(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.
Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage

Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage's 2026-2027 season

(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- Kean Stage is thrilled to announce that Joshua Henry, three-time Tony nominee and star of Lincoln Center Theater's Ragtime, will open their 2026-2027 season with two performances of his show Get Up, Stand Up! on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Enlow Recital Hall (215 North Avenue) in Hillside.

Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center presents Country Icon Trace Adkins in September

(CARTERET, NJ) -- Multi-PLATINUM entertainer Trace Adkins will bring his 30th Anniversary Tour to the URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center on Friday, September 18, 2026, for one night only. The show is part of Adkins' nationwide headline tour celebrating 30 years of chart-topping hits and powerhouse live performances. Showtime is 8:00pm.

The Levoy Theatre presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on September 22nd

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on Wednesday, September 22, 2026 at 7:00pm. This year marked 33 years since the band arrived on the music scene.
NJPAC presents Salsa icon Tito Nieves on September 26th

NJPAC presents Salsa icon Tito Nieves on September 26th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The internationally celebrated Salsa icon, Tito Nieves - affectionately known as "El Pavarotti de la Salsa" - is set to electrify the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:00pm with his tour, "50 Años La Historia... Continúa." The performance will take place at NJPAC's prestigious Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Stage.
New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Hanging Coats and Lawns, part of New Brunswick's basement music scene, take the stage for an audio-visual performance on October 2 , 2026 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. A Rutgers student is injecting some sonic youth from the New Brunswick music scene into this year's New Jersey Fall Film Festival.
 

FEATURED EVENTS



Mike Zito

Saturday, September 05, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ


Melissa Etheridge: RISE

Wednesday, September 09, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ


Dion

Thursday, September 10, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ


Moondance - Van Morrison Tribute

Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ


The Australian Pink Floyd Show

Saturday, September 12, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ