The weather is finally warming up out here in AP, the City By The Sea, and that means that more fun than you’ll know what to do with is about to be unleashed upon the masses in our little Rock-N-Roll resort town.
The big kick off event signifying the beginning of the season this year is without a doubt the highly anticipated Power Pop-A-Licious Festival created and executed by Paul Collins of indie heroes The Beat and The Nerves, in conjunction with the area’s illustrious DIY institution The Asbury Lanes.
I had a chance to find out a more about all the excitement to come from Paul and from what he’s shared with me, this is going to be a multi-dimensional festival that is a must-see-do-hear-be-there for anyone who gets a thrill when pick is put to string, stick is put to drum, and mouth is put to mic. Check it out, from the man himself!
Your Fair Reporter: What can fans expect when they come to the Power Pop-A-Licious Festival?
Paul Collins: Fans will be treated to some of the best up and coming power pop/punk pop/garage pop bands from all over the mid west, the south and the east coast and from as far away as Montreal and Ottawa!
What vision did you want to create when you thought of this weekend- long Pop Spectacular?
I was touring all over the country playing with all these great new bands who I really enjoyed and I thought to myself, “Why dont we have a big festival and bring them all together?!” The whole process has been really great and the bands have been so supportive and co operative it has been amazing.
For me this is a whole new slant on the DIY ethic which I have been doing most of my professional career as far back as my first band The Nerves. My motto now is “By the People for the People!” We are all stars at this festival all the bands are really great musicians who take their music very seriously but they also have fun which is what rock n roll is all about. Power Pop is a great and vastly unappreciated genre and I for one am doing everything in my power to make it much more visible.
My Personal Favorite Power Pop Album Of All Time
I was just hanging with my bandmates and we were contemplating how perfect songs like The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” are actually really some of rock’s masterpieces, but often those sort of gems don’t seem to get the credit that they’re due for being so perfect….So, how did you go about creating the Festival? How did you end up choosing The Asbury Lanes as the venue? It’s one of my all time favorite institutions ever, by the way.
I had done a show last year at The Lanes and I was so impressed with the club and especially (club management, the brilliant and beautiful) Jenn {Hampton} and Laney {Lanes} and the way they treat bands that it was the first and only place I thought of to do this event. They in turn were so enthusiastic right from the beginning, it was the perfect match.
I agree, I don’t think you could have chosen a better venue to host this weekend! Like Jenn and Layney, you are incredibly passionate about music—what is your own background? Could you tell us a little about yourself as a promoter and musician?
I have been playing this kind of music since I was 17 and I went out to California from New York City and joined up with Jack Lee and Peter Case to form The Nerves, the little band that brought the world Hanging on The Telephone which was a world wide hit for Blondie.
From that point I went on to form The Beat which was managed by the legendary Bill Graham and recorded for Columbia Records. Between those 2 groups I learned pretty much everything I know about music and I have been working from that day to this playing the kind fo music I love…Power Pop! Nowadays I am working exclusively in the DIY world, we book our own shows and we make all our own creative decisions and its great, I am a big fan of music, not the music business.
Yes! DIY is definitely the tried-and-true way to preserve what’s important about music. Corporate rock, for the most part, still sucks! Could you please tell us what some of your favorite bands were growing up? Can you remember the first time you felt connected to music in a really deep way?
Yes, my dad used to listen to Hank Williams and Ray Charles and I thought they were the tops, then when I heard Big Girls Don’t Cry by Frankie Valli I knew I wanted to play pop music, from there it just got better and better with The Beatles and The Stones and all the other great bands of the 60’s! Music has really saved my life and I consider myself so lucky that I can be apart of the music world…it is truly the gift that keeps giving!
Thank you so much Paul! I know I will be at The Power-Pop-A-Licious Fest, Saturday April 30th & Sunday,May 1st at The Asbury Lanes, right here in Asbury Park, NJ. I moved to this town partially because I was tired of always getting a ride home after partying there countless nights every week, so I can’t wait to rock all night and stumble home! Is there anything else you’d like to say before we sign off?
The Dirty Shames Will Be Rocking Sat 4/30 @ The Fest
I hope that if you are reading this you will get on up and come on down to Asbury Lanes because you will be in for a real treat! Eighteen amazing bands who play feel-good, bouncy buoyant music infectious melodies and perfect harmonies will make this an incredible weekend to remember, I assure you! As with all first time events there will be magic in the air, and our devil-may-care DIY ethos means that no one will quite be sure of what will happen next…and girls there will be a lot of cute guys there! Keep on Rocking!
Thanks so much, Paul! It’s been an honor to get the lowdown right from the source! See you there! And thank you for importing hot rock guys! One of my favorite commodities!
There you have it, dear readers. Get your tickets today for this never-before-seen Pop Rock Extravaganza!
See you there. And if you’re a hot dude in one of the bands and you have dark hair, tattoos, a brain, and rock cred, I might have a place you can crash for the weekend. Yeah, I just might. 😉
XOXO!
Ang
