I'm From Jersey! Are You From Jersey?

A face only a mother (And, the entire State of New Jersey) could love.

Tillie
Palace Amusements Building
Kingsley Street (between Lake and Cookman Avenues)
Asbury Park, New Jersey
1994

•••

For over 100 years, Tillie, the bug-eyed, high-collared, grinning beacon of Palace Amusements, reminded all (Well, me at least) of the glory and wonder that what was — once, the greatest place on Earth — the Jersey Shore.

Unfortunately, in 2004, amongst protests from the State of New Jersey's senior historic preservation officer, who reminded the Palace owners that the complex was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, and expressed her office's official position that "if saved, this complex could serve as a major tourist attraction as it did historically and be a cornerstone to the redevelopment plan of Asbury Park," the developers tore the building down. But, not before a little rescue mission.

Over four days in mid-June of 2004, Save Tillie members and a crew of sawing experts, steel fabricators and welders under the direction of Save Tillie member Gary Loveland of Universal Fabricators in Jackson, New Jersey, separated the Tillie mural from the Palace at the corner of Cookman Avenue and Kingsley Street. They sawed through foot-thick high density cinder blocks, and surrounded the mural with steel frames until the entire 16-foot high, 14-foot wide and 16 tons of Tillie were fully supported by the frame.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a waterfront redevelopment permit to the City of Asbury Park and Asbury Partners, directing Asbury Partners to preserve artifacts from the Palace Amusements complex, a National Register of Historic Places building in Asbury Park, and to reuse the artifacts in a new building that will be constructed on the Palace lots. The permit stated:

"Prior to demolition of the Palace, the developer will work with the City and its technical review committee to identify certain parts of the existing Tilly [sic] mural and Palace Amusement building that will be relocated and preserved. The preserved sections will be incorporated into a new hotel development or retail development at this location as a part of the lobby wall. The images of the existing Palace Amusement Building shall be incorporated into the design and flavor of the new structure of [sic] the site."

I'm sure that in some future display, in some gentrified hotel lobby or public park, we will be able to once again enjoy the smiling face of Tillie, and think fondly, and sadly, of Palace Amusements.

•••

I started this post trying to figure out how to post a few songs from a great new recording by yet another Asbury Park icon. A friend of mine just finished touring with his new 'Boss' (playing sousaphone, trombone, mandolin, penny whistle, and euphonium), and came by the house bearing gifts of a CD and DVD of concerts recorded live in Ireland.

They sounded pretty good. Here's a few tunes.

•••

Old Dan Tucker
Further On (Up The Road)
Love Of The Common People
Pay Me My Money Down
Growin' Up
(Buy: Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band: Live In Dublin)

What Is Essential Is Invisible to the Eye

Or, It's Right In Front of You

Marcel Duchamp
Enjoying what's right in front of, and all around, him.
The Rock
July 2007

•••

I guess I'd say I've been on vacation. (Or, a total slacker.)

No, I'll say vacation.

•••

The Sea
(Buy: Morcheeba: Big Calm)

Perfect Day
(Buy: Lou Reed: Trainspotting [Original Soundtrack])

Sun Lips
(Buy: Black Moth Super Rainbow: Dandelion Gum)

Island In The Sun
(Buy: Weezer: Green Album)

Its A Sunshine Day
(Buy: The Brady Bunch: Nick at Nite: Beach Blanket Bash)

Blinded By The Light
(Buy: Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band: Live In Dublin)

Take Me Down To A Place In Surf City — Where The Sand Is Warm, and The Girls Are Pretty — Take Me Down

Mushi Muscle Beaching

Your's Truly
Surf City, New Jersey
1962

•••

If another person bitches to me about the weather, ...

(I love the ellipsis. It might be the best device to avoid having to write what you really don't want to write about anyway.)

Well, if you don't like the weather here, then take a little trip in your mind. But, don't forget to lotion up!

"I said the beach be one of the best things we got,
Where it's not what you have on but what you not.
And I want that stink and I want that sweat,
In fact the beach be better than most things get.
In fact the beach be one of the best things we got.
Where it's not what you have on but what you have not.

Cruddy sugar lemonade, but I love people when they're on parade,
And the beach be one of the best things we got.
Where it's not what you have on, it's what you have not."
— 'The Beach', Jonathon Richman

•••

The Beach
(Buy & enjoy more: Jonathan Richman: Rockin' And Romance)

All Summer Long
(Buy: The Beach Boys: American Graffiti: Original Soundtrack)

Catch A Wave
(Buy: The Beach Boys: The Warmth Of The Sun)

Castles In The Sand
(Buy: Jimi Hendrix: Axis: Bold As Love)

Sun Is Shining
(Buy: Toshinori Kondo & DJ Krush: Ki-Oku )

Lovely Day
(Buy: Bill Withers: Menagerie)

•••

There! Aren't you feeling better already?

A Breath Of Fresh Colours

Coombs Neck
The Rock
March 2006

•••

Colours
Breathe
(Buy: The Cinematic Orchestra: Breathe)

Groovin' Jersey

Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Summer 1986

I don't know. It's threatening to start up Winter out there — so I figured I'd totally ignore it and think about something else — the Jersey Shore.

•••

The Chordblenders: I'm From New Jersey
(Download from WFMU: Beware the Blog)

John Pizzarelli, Jr.: I Like Jersey Best
(Buy: The Best of John Pizzarelli: I Like Jersey Best)
(WARNING: He is that singing Foxwoods Casino guy. But this was recorded in 1983 — before casinos were even a glint in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation's eye.)

The Answer, My Friend, Is Littered In The Sand

State (of Confusion) Beach, The Rock
Columbus Day Weekend, 2006

The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is an annual event 'all over the world to remove trash and debris—on land and under the water.' Each year, the children and, (almost no) volunteers of The Rock take a day (off from school) to head out around the island, clearing trash from the coastline, roads and trails—recording every piece of trash collected. This year, Cleanup was held on September 16, 2006.

Three weeks later, on a walk along the beach, I picked up 3 Clorox bottles, 4 Twisted Tea cardboard packages, 1 Miller High Life (nobody said people that throw their trash to the wind ain't got no class) package, 6 blue plastic cups, and 1 plastic ring holder (do they still make those effin' things?), along with an armload full of other choice left-behinds.

I was once told, a few years ago, that there were a few mothers on the island that would throw their blue glass into the ocean, so that their children would be able to find more of it in the future (Mothers of Inventiveness. Freak Out!). Our weekend drinkers, as you can see from the photograph above, helped support that cause, too.

Thank You, to all the students, volunteers, and coordinators who worked hard and helped to really make this year's clean-up on The Rock a success. And, to those that followed behind them to do their part—making sure that next year's International Coastal Cleanup will still be needed—Fuck You.

Nouvelle Vague: Too Drunk To Fuck (Buy It!)
Dead Kennedys: Too Drunk To Fuck (Buy It!)

It's Summertime!

Photograph Date: Summer 1961

The Jersey Shore. Wildwood, Seaside Heights, Asbury Park, Manasquan, Sea Girt and Long Beach Island. White sand, big waves, and hot sun. There was no better way to spend the Summer with the family. Have a Happy Solstice!

Jane's Addiction: Summertime Rolls (Buy It!)
The Flaming Lips: It's Summertime (Buy It!)