Jersey Rock Special Feature: Save The Saint
Happening NOW at gofundme.com!
Asbury Park has an incredible musical past, a beaming present, and a bright future. However there was a time when the future looked bleak and the past was just a fading memory. That time was the late 1990’s. The City by the Sea was still several years away from a renaissance that we’ve come to take for granted, and many years past its musical prime. The legendary Stone Pony had closed its doors and sent artifacts to The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. A six-story unfinished building skeleton looked down upon a vacant boardwalk that stretched to a boarded up, rotting Palace Amusements. Asbury Park was, as Bruce Springsteen put it, a “City of Ruins.”
There was, however, one venue still standing. It had opened up a few years earlier in 1994. Its fitting name heralded its purpose and Its musical missionary work would become the foundation upon which the Asbury Park music scene would be rebuilt. That is what The Saint means to Asbury Park, to the Jersey Rock scene, and to all who play or appreciate live, original music. The venue, owned by Scott Stamper and Meg Donoghue Kelly, is an indispensable piece of not only Asbury Park’s music history, but of its future.
When the news broke on Saturday that The Saint was being put up for sale, another victim of the economic toll the Covid-19 pandemic has wrought upon our nation, the reactions were quick, nostalgic, sad, and heartfelt. But the most powerful reaction was that of Little Vicious lead singer Marguerite King and Adam Nelson, who took action, creating a GoFundMe campaign to “Save The Saint.” Within 24 hours the campaign had already exceeded it’s goal of raising $25,000 to save the venue. The new goal is $50,000 and the donations are pouring in.
You can donate to save The Saint HERE.
Tune to Jersey Rock on 95.9 The Rat Wednesday night at 11:30 pm to learn more about “Save The Saint.” Marguerite King will call in to the show!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7jHIQFmSbU&feature=emb_title