Bouncing Souls’ Stoked for the Summer: Freaks, nerds & romantics return to Asbury Park
At this point, Stoked for the Summer feels more like a yearly family reunion than simply another concert. Seeing The Bouncing Souls play the Stone Pony Summer Stage has been a consistent event in my life since 2016!
After a long day in the sun, catching up with friends over soft pretzels and watching energy packed performances by H20, Dillinger Four, and Lagwagon, the sun finally dipped down to the horizon, leaving us to watch the cool sea breeze blow smoke through the low blue lights, as we waited for the Bouncing Souls to take the stage.
Chants of “Here we go, here we go, here we go” came over the crowd as the energy shifted. The sudden realization that the sun has disappeared completely and the stage lights have settled is like some sort of circadian rhythm telling your body that the show is about to start.
Like clockwork, the Souls bounce onto the stage — they really do each have their own unique pep in their step walking out — these are the things you notice when you’ve seen a band at least 15 times. It feels as if the entire venue takes a deep breath, before a familiar burst of energy takes over the crowd and the band kicks off the night with “Manthem,” a tune about friendship and loyalty strengthened through the shared love of live music.
There are many consistent scenes in the crowd at any Souls show, and it’s always such a fun thing to be a part of. As Kienlan’s bass drives us into “Shark Attack,” the crowd immediately recognizes the call to action: all ages lurking around the circle pit with hand-fins up. Shoulders of friends and strangers’ alike are grabbed and the crowd serenades each other as the Souls play one of their most well known songs, “Lean on Sheena.”
To end the night, Steinkopf, isolated, hangs on the main riff of “Gone”, allowing us to revel in the magic that is Stoked for the Summer for a few more moments as the crowd begins to settle down. Bringing the show to a close, the applause continued strong until after the last note rang out and the bands waved goodnight. The exchange between artist and audience was like a salute to yet another successful summer reunion.
Not everything went to plan that day — I didn’t get there early enough to check out the Stoke Market or to see all of the bands playing, and my camera wasn’t exactly cooperating for the first few songs. I was a bit nervous to scroll back through those first shots, wishing I’d dialed things in quicker.
Still, the crowd shots I captured reminded me why I was there with my camera in the first place. Seeing how much fun everyone is having, the families watching from the crowd and side stage raising generations of fans, the big groups of friends that might be seeing each other all together for the first time since last year, the people who stake out all day on the barricade, that’s what these shows are about. We are united in our love for live music, and this love is deep and never fades.
This night never fails to remind me exactly why I began attending and photographing so many shows. The Bouncing Souls in high school played a huge role in my discovery of punk music, and the opportunity to document this show was a full circle moment that I will cherish forever. Live music has always been at the core of who I am and what I live for, and The Bouncing Souls tell that story.
If you relate to their music, I don’t even have to explain it to you. I could never say it better than them if I tried: “Give it to me straight, touch my heart, I’ll sing along forever”.
I will never get tired of singing these words, and as always, I am stoked for next summer.
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