Photo courtesy of Renee Maskin

If you've ever been to a Light of Day Winterfest event in mid-January, you know what a movable, musical feast it is—eclectic live performances in storied venues all over Asbury Park and beyond. And all to benefit the Light of Day Foundation (LOD) in its quest to end Parkinson's Disease and other related neuro-degenerative diseases within our lifetime.

A perennial trio of events and a favorite among regulars is Songwriters by the Sea. This year, the acoustic series took place at three locations on the Asbury Park boardwalk: The Watermark, Palmetto, and McLoone’s Supper Club/Robinson Ale House. After The Main Event: Bob’s Birthday Bash at the Count Basie Theatre the night before—an electrifying evening of rock and roll and soul and love with the exhilarating appearance of Bruce Springsteen—the chill, intimate vibe of the Songwriters events was the perfect complement.

A light mix of rain and sleet was falling by midafternoon as the songwriters set up their gear at Palmetto for Songwriters 2. A quick sound check, a positioning of stools, and the performances began. Each of the ten songwriters performed two original songs in a round-robin format, with five artists on stage at a time.

What a tapestry of emotions they created for our eyes and ears, weaving heartbreak, joy, love, loss, shame, and redemption into a rich, deeply resonant experience for the audience.

It’s the continuation of an illustrious musical legacy. “Singer/songwriter circles grew out of the folk music tradition and into the world of rock and country music in the 1960s and 70s in cities like Nashville and New York City, specifically in venues like Nashville's Bluebird Cafe and NYC’s Cafe Wha,” Light of Day executive director and co-founder Tony Pallagrosi explained.

Each performer contributed to that shared sense of community that only music can inspire, with infectious melodies and thought-provoking lyrics that soothed and tickled and tugged at your heart. When Cranston Dean, an Asbury Park Music Award nominee in the Multi-Instrumentalist category, declared “I’m Not Gonna Worry Anymore,” he got us all on his determined wavelength. Renee Maskin, a fellow nominee in the Vocalist and Americana/Acoustic/Folk/Bluegrass categories, sang of cherishing what we have before it’s gone in “Wonderland.” Next month she will perform a set at the TEDxAsbury Park event “Fool’s Paradise,” including the debut of a new song, “Fool’s Gold,” written exclusively for the event.

Danielia Cotton inspired an exploration of one’s heart and life choices in the soul-stirring “Who Do You Love.” Glenn Burtnick, writer of hits, former member of Styx, and current bassist for The Weeklings, delivered an amusing, bluegrass-inflected ode to fatherhood (his own) in “The Trouble With Sally.” And Will Dailey, after joking that he wasn’t sure how he would follow such talents, brought the afternoon to a close with the hypnotic “Rise,” in which his fellow artists joined him in repeating the final line, mantra-like: “I will be there when you rise.” Based on the audience reaction, you could say yeah, he followed them just fine.

Glenn Burtnick, photo by Suzanne Pisano

Now it was time for Songwriters 3, and a walk down the boardwalk to McLoone’s through a steady headwind of driving sleet. The weather ceased to be an issue once inside, thanks to the warmth of camaraderie and the anticipation of music to come.

Songwriters 3 is typically a three-dimensional round robin, with performers doing their thing downstairs at Robinson Ale House and then heading upstairs to the Supper Club to do it again—and vice versa. Pallagrosi described how the format evolved. “A handful of singer/songwriters became the musical core of early LOD events…a simple and economical way to fill out a long, varied night of music and fundraising, adhering more closely to the Nashville model which includes round-robin performances with intermittent collaboration.”

In this case, “intermittent collaboration” might also be known as “magic.” While one artist is performing, the others usually sit quietly in active-listening posture. But sometimes they chime in, with tasteful harmonies or guitar fills, and that’s when a shimmer runs through the room.

On this night, the musical dialogue flowed frequently and effortlessly. The show kicked off with a trio of songwriters, including Sahara Moon and veteran Jersey Shore musicians and long-time friends Joe Vadala and Eddie Testa. The contrast of Moon’s ethereal vocals with the guys’ edgy rockers was a treat.

The next set featured host Joe Rapolla and some of the same artists who brought the house down the night before at the Count Basie Theatre: Willie Nile, James Maddock, Joe Grushecky, and Reagan Richards and Gordon Brown of Williams Honor. As the sleet turned to snow and swirled outside the windows, each artist expressed themselves in the most moving, authentic way possible.

Willie Nile delivered a rousing “Let’s All Come Together,” imploring us to put aside our differences, followed by Maddock’s wry, nostalgic “Once There Was a Boy, Part 2” with its haunting melody and chord changes. Grushecky followed with the title song from his autobiographical musical, “East Carson Street,” a poignant tribute to his Pittsburgh roots. He was joined on lead vocals by Richards, who performed in a staging of the production last year. She and Brown then launched into their recent release, “Signs,” in which Richards sings of the familiar longing for those we’ve lost and how we search for signs of their presence.

The final set included a mix of LOD veterans and newbies, including Jake Thistle, who will be a contestant on American Idol this season, Americana artist and Bostonian Adam Ezra, the Grammy-nominated bluesman Guy Davis, Miss Emily, whose prim and proper name belies her bluesy, rocking vibe, and Joe D’Urso, board member of the LOD Foundation.

Photo by Conni Freestone

Towards the end of the set, Bob Benjamin, LOD founder and the man who continues to inspire people to donate their time and money to this worthy cause, came upstairs and was presented with a birthday cake (Bob’s birthday was the occasion that started LOD 26 years ago). Joe D’Urso and the other four artists serenaded him with D’Urso’s beautiful homage to never giving up, “Hold On.” The audience joined in as well, and the room filled with soft voices and a lovely spirit of connection.

Fortunately, we were warmed up from singing along with Miss Emily on her powerful tribute to how much we all need each other, “Stand Together, Band Together,” and with Guy Davis on “Early in the Morning,” a gospel-infused elegy honoring a dying soul as he bids farewell to his love.

While the topics were deep, and sometimes dark, the overall mood was joyful. Nearly every performer spoke of our shared humanity and the beauty of artists and audiences coming together for an important cause.

As the snow tapered off, the evening ended with a rousing sing-along of the uplifting anthem that started it all—Bruce Springsteen’s "Light of Day." And then it was back out into the frigid cold, but with hearts warmed by magic and music from some of the most talented artists you’ll find anywhere.

There are two more LOD Winterfest 2026 shows this weekend, including a Songwriters event at Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair on Saturday, January 24. And you can catch blues guitarist Billy Hector this Friday night, the 23rd at John and Peter’s in New Hope, PA. For more information and tickets, check out lightofday.org/events.