The Penguin Rocks logo
The Penguin Rocks Menu


Bill Toms & Hard Rain to play The Saint on August 5th

originally published: 07/06/2022

Bill Toms & Hard Rain to play The Saint on August 5th

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Pittsburgh’s Bill Toms and Hard Rain return to the Jersey Shore with a show at The Saint in Asbury Park on Friday, August 5th at 8:00pm.  The band has, over the years, made it their mission to pay homage to America’s rich musical traditions, mixing some of the nation’s most beloved genres with a good dose of hope, faith and inclusion.... but it’s safe to say that recently, this has been a bigger challenge than usual. 

A global pandemic resulting in forced isolation will make creative people either wilt or thrive: In 2020, Toms and Hard Rain did the latter, overcoming the chill of physical separation and creating their 10th studio album, Keep Movin’ On, released April 30, 2021 on Terraplane.

The music, recently heralded as a “beautiful message of healing and hope” and a “sublime step forward” for Toms by the Philadelphia Inquirer, was produced by music legend, Rick Witkowski (Crack The Sky, B.E. Taylor). It features contributions from The Soulville Horns, as well as award-winning instrumentalist/producer, Will Kimbrough, on a graceful blend of rock, soul, and rhythm & blues. 

Like most collaborative efforts in 2020, the album is a product of distance, which of course provided an unprecedented hurdle in terms of capturing and honing Toms’ original songwriting vision, especially when considering such pandemic-unfriendly musical elements as wind instruments. 

Nevertheless, they decided to take the plunge and see what they could do as a virtual ensemble. “The band never were all together in the same building,” Toms explains. “I recorded most guitars at home, as did the other players.” 



 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



Parts and tracks for each song came in far and wide, ranging from Nashville all the way to Italy (where Toms’ European bass player lives). Ultimately, the well-traveled history and ease the musicians have with each other managed to circumvent the isolated circumstances, resulting in a seamlessly warm groove throughout the set. 

“We could embrace it,” Toms explains of the new process. The group was able to “build like a quilt” the overall musical scope Toms had envisioned. 

The initial track from Keep Movin’ On, “Man’s Soul Is On Trial,” was released in October 2020 ahead of the presidential election, and serves as a perfect introduction to Toms’ overall intended message of unity over division at the time. It's additionally serving as an ideal way to mark the start of moving forward in a new year following one that delivered often despairing loneliness. 

Toms launched his musical career in 1987 as lead guitarist of Pittsburgh’s legendary band Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers. Over his tenure with that outfit, he shared the stage with such legendary names as the Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Additionally, as a solo artist, he’s opened for the likes of Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Marshall Crenshaw, the Kennedys, Steve Forbert, and Ellis Paul.

The Saint is located at 601 Main Street in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Click here for ticket information.



 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




 

COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "With You Still" by Helen O'Shea feat. Emily Grove

Helen O'Shea's forthcoming single, "With You Still," featuring beloved Jersey Shore songstress Emily Grove, is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...3/28/24




This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts Taking Place from March 26 to April 2, 2024




BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 3/25/24






 

MORE NEWS

Helen O'Shea's forthcoming single, "With You Still," featuring beloved Jersey Shore songstress Emily Grove, is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.


Ocean Casino Resort presents Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo




The Princeton Folk Music Society to Celebrate Pete Seeger's legacy with Professor Allan Winkler




State Theatre New Jersey presents One Night of Queen





 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




 

UPCOMING SHOWS


Bruce Springsteen Archives presents "Music America: Iconic Objects from America's Music History" at LBJ Presidential Library

(AUSTIN, TX) - Since the nation's inception nearly two and a half centuries ago, music has informed, interpreted, and inspired our national identity. To celebrate and explore this remarkable heritage, the LBJ Presidential Library and the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University announce the premiere of the exhibition Music America: Iconic Objects from America's Music History. Opening at the LBJ Presidential Library on Saturday, February 17, during Presidents' Day weekend, the exhibition will be on display through August 11, 2024.


Arts Council of Princeton partnering with Stibol Music to provide Music Lessons and Programming




The Newton Theatre presents Foreigners Journey




Prudential Center presents Kane Brown






Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info


The Penguin Rocks

© 2024 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com

Presented by New Jersey Stage

Images used on this site have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and PR firms. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us and we will look into the matter.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our NJ Stage accounts on Instagram, and Threads


News | Features | Radio Shows | Penguin's Hall of Fame | Song of the Week | BlowUpRadio column

Contact Us | About Us | Submit Music | Ad Rates