Asbury Park, NJ is dead. Rock n Roll is Dead. There’s one last hope for both and I had the pleasure of experiencing them both this past Sunday night. The Joe Reno Band played Asbury Lanes and hit the stage around 10. A stage in the middle of the bowling alley. Seriously, the stage was right in the middle of the lanes. Asbury Lanes. A goddamned bowling alley dedicated to saving Rock n Roll. Saving Asbury Park. Joe Reno is also bringing back rock n roll. Both are pumping life back into it with the missing element in venues and bands these days. Soul.

I walked in and was greeted by happy looking punk rock scenesters. Well they appeared to be scenesters but they certainly didn’t act like it. I’m used to that "whatever" look in people’s eyes when they great me at a show. When I give them my hard earned cash and it’s obvious that they don’t care whether I leave or stay as long as I don’t bother them. It was a great start when the happy tattooed chick took my cash and stamped my hand.

I grabbed something to eat and didn’t even mind the crappy food or the hour wait for the show to start because the scene was sinking in. The people were cool and the decor and the T- shirts for sale and the prints and photos hanging everywhere were awesome.

Now, on to The Joe Reno Band. Joe Reno bludgeoned the stage with his ripped G.B.H. t-shirt and tight black pants stretched on his six foot thirteen wispy frame gave him the appearance of a street punck but his long curly brown locks of hair plummeting from his matching fedora and matching bowling shoes gave him a touch of class.

Reno has entered the building.

Charisma, charm, stage presence and animation were equally matched by his vocal and musical talent and the talent of his hand picked four piece backing band. I say backing band because when Joe Reno is on stage, no one can rival him. He owns the stage and everyone’s eyes and ears in the audience.

The Joe Reno Band ran through the first song called Mr Fury with high energy sounding like a 60's garage band and a touch of 70's melodic punk. The next song is what got me. Bishop was a flashback to the vocal harmonies and guitars of The Buzzcocks. The melodic Hammond keyboards gave me rush as if I went back in time to see Eric Burden with the Animals in their prime. There was even a touch of Tom Verlaine guitar work reminding me of Television’s Little Johnny Jewel during the solo. Joe’s raspy Springsteen like voice belts out the political lyrics in this feel good song. Wild.

The show moved on as he covered Bob Dylan’s Tell Me Mama and The Animal’s House of the Rising Sun (the best version I’ve ever hard and I’ve been trying to nail that song on my acoustic for over twenty years). Closing out his short set with Joe’s former band The War’s End Rock n Roll anthem For The Long Haul and their own original sing a long Try Your Hardest. We, the audience were in a hypnotic trance for the entire half an hour set and were all left standing with our mouths open not sure if what we witnessed is true. Rock n Roll has a chance.

Reno has left the building.

I left the venue feeling as if I just witnessed the second coming as I left the Rock n Roll Jerusalem known as Asbury Lanes.

The Joe Reno Band