Frantic City fest, with Asbury Park roots, set to rock Orange Loop in Atlantic City
Get into the Loop this weekend.
The Orange Loop Amphitheater in Atlantic City, that is, where the inaugural Frantic City indie rock festival is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 24. Bouncing Souls, Yo La Tango, Snail Mail, Rocket from the Crypt and more are the headliners on two stages, and funnyman Fred Armisen is the host. (Car Sea Headrest has pulled out of the fest due to "health issues.")
“It’s a fun, edgy lineup that's going to bring people down here to Atlantic City,” said Charles Interrante, director of operations for the venue.
The Orange Loop Amphitheater, named for the orange coloring of New York Avenue on Monopoly, has so far hosted only a handful of events. It's about the size of the 5,000 capacity Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, and like the Pony, it's across the street from the ocean.
The Asbury Park connection to the Frantic City festival is strong. Joe Holdfast of Holdfast Records in Asbury Park is a co-promoter, along with Todd Abramson, former booker and co-owner of Maxwell’s in Hoboken. Interrante works with Pat Fasano, who owns the Complex in Asbury Park, which includes the Bond Street Bar, Loteria and Capitoline. He also owns the Orange Loop Amphitheater; Bourre, the nightclub across the street from the amphitheater; and Loteria AC in Atlantic City.
“The artistic side — that’s what draws people,” said Interrante, whose office is above the Bond Street Bar. “It's the same thing in Asbury. It started with a couple of small places and rejuvenating and energizing the spaces, and then as things got bigger the Pony came back to its glory and all these art galleries, gastro pubs and fine dining establishments started to pop up as well.”
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Fasano, who previously owned Asbury Lanes, was in on the ground floor of the Asbury Park revival, and his former New Brunswick nightclub, Patrix, helped trigger a music scene there 40 years ago. The Smithereens, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Violent Femmes and more played at Patrix.
“We had a lot of acts we shouldn't have had, but we did because it was the '80s and you could do that,” said Fasano previously to the USA Today Network New Jersey. “I’m hoping we can get that kind of excitement in Atlantic City.”
The Frantic City lineup is composed of bands who are not playing the big Atlantic City casino room — at least not yet. Snail Mail recently sold out the Stone Pony. Protomartyr includes Kelley Deal from the Breeders.
Jersey is represented by the Bouncing Souls, Yo La Tango and Titus Andronicus at the fest, and the Ergs and Night Birds, who will play the fest's opening night show Friday, Sept 23, at Bourre, with Samiam and host Natalie Cuomo.
“(The lineup is) going to draw the right crowd, and it’s going to let people see Atlantic City for what it is and what it can be — not what people have pegged in their heads,” said Holdfast, aka Joe Koukos, previously to the USA Today Network New Jersey. “There's a lot of people, guys like me and Todd, who can see through the mists a little bit like a lot of us did in Asbury Park. We were willing to take a risk on a city that some people wrote off.”
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The fest will include regional vendors selling records, original art, clothing and more. There will be food options, and trucks, for all diets, according to the fest. There's also a merch concierge and axe throwing.
The festival after-parties are Sid Gold’s Request Room presents Live Piano Karaoke with Joe McGinty at Bourre, and the New York Night Train Soul Clap and Dance Off featuring Jonathan Toubin at the Anchor Rock Club, also steps away from the fest grounds.
“Atlantic City is going to be re-energized,” Interrante said.
Go: Frantic City, noon Saturday, Sept. 24, Orange Loop Amphitheater, 120 S. New York Ave., Atlantic City. $95. franticcitynj.com.
Set times
Stage One
Noon: Control Top
1:25 p.m.: Protomartyr
2:55 p.m.: Superchunk
4:45 p.m: Shannon and The Clams
6:45 p.m.: Rocket From The Crypt
9 p.m. Yo La Tango
Stage Two
12:35 p.m.: Titus Andronicus
1:55 p.m.: Samiam
3:25 p.m.: Murder City Devils
5:05 p.m.: Bouncing Souls
7:05 p.m.: Snail Mail
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers music and entertainment for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Atlantic City: Frantic City fest to rock Orange Loop Amphitheater
