Entertainment

Fourth Wave Fest Brings Purpose and Power to Asbury Park’s Music Scene

Published

2 months ago

March 4, 2026

On March 1, House of Independents in Asbury Park became more than just a music venue. It became a platform.

Fourth Wave Fest, an all-women-led music festival, returned with a clear mission: spotlight female artists while raising funds and awareness for 180 Turning Lives Around, a Monmouth County organization that alleges to advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In a city known for its music history, the festival stood out not only for the talent on stage — but for the intention behind it.

More Than a Concert

Fourth Wave Fest is part of a growing cultural movement emphasizing representation, leadership, and community impact. The “fourth wave” concept draws from modern feminist momentum — centered around equality, advocacy, and visibility.

Inside House of Independents, that energy was palpable.

Artists from across genres — indie rock, alternative, acoustic, and experimental — took the stage throughout the evening. The lineup highlighted emerging voices and established performers alike, reinforcing the idea that leadership in music isn’t limited to one style or one audience.

The crowd reflected that diversity: longtime Asbury music loyalists, young creatives, advocates, and supporters of 180 Turning Lives Around.

A Note on Complexity

180 Turning Lives Around has served Monmouth County for decades, offering confidential services, legal advocacy, and crisis support to individuals who report experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault.

At the same time, family court proceedings involving domestic violence claims are often emotionally charged and legally complex. Allegations can dramatically shape custody decisions, financial settlements, and divorce outcomes. In some cases, individuals have argued that claims were exaggerated or weaponized during contentious separations.

Those realities are not mutually exclusive.

Organizations like 180 Turning Lives Around operate within the framework of state and federal law, including funding structures tied to the Violence Against Women Act. Their stated mission is to provide advocacy and safety resources for those reporting abuse. Critics of family court systems, however, have long raised broader concerns about due process violations, evidentiary standards, and the long-term impact of restraining orders when claims are disputed and not proven in a court of record.

It is important to acknowledge that domestic violence is a serious and well-documented issue. It is also equally important to recognize that any legal system must strive for fairness and careful review of facts in each individual case, which seems to be a real issue in Family Court.

Events like Fourth Wave Fest focus on raising funds and awareness for support services. Conversations about how those systems function: and how they can continue to improve, remain part of a wider; ongoing public dialogue that needs a platform as well.

Asbury Park’s Role

Asbury Park has long been a city where music and activism intersect. From its legendary venues to its newer independent spaces, the city thrives when art reflects real stories and real voices.

House of Independents proved to be a fitting venue for the night. The space’s intimate layout allowed for genuine connection between artists and audience. Applause wasn’t polite, it was invested.

Moments between songs felt intentional. Stories were shared. Causes were acknowledged. And the sense of solidarity was visible.

A Festival That Feels Forward

Fourth Wave Fest isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about momentum.

It represents a shift in how local music events are organized, not just booking talent, but building purpose into the structure. It signals that Asbury Park’s music future includes equity, leadership, and direct community engagement.

For a city that helped shape generations of performers, that evolution feels right.

The Shore’s music scene has always been bold. On March 1, it was also deeply meaningful.

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Cru Jones

Big Fan of the 80's and 90's growing up here at the Jersey Shore. Christian-based, family-friendly Writer.

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Celebrity

Southside Johnny: The Grandfather of the New Jersey Sound

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

Published

1 month ago

April 6, 2026

Editor-in-Chief

Why the Jersey Shore legend earns his place on the NJ Celebrity Fame Wall

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

A Jersey Born and Raised Sound

Southside Johnny didn’t just make music, he helped define what people now celebrate as the Jersey Shore sound. Emerging from the vibrant Asbury Park music scene in the 1970s, he co-founded Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, a band that blended stones-tinged rock ’n’ roll with soul, R&B, and horn-driven rhythm, a style that came to characterize the local musical identity.

The band was a staple at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, a venue that itself has become synonymous with Jersey music lore, and their early albums; like I Don’t Want to Go Home and Hearts of Stone , helped elevate the Jersey Shore sound into a wider national spotlight.

A Legacy of Influence

Southside Johnny’s influence rippled far beyond bar gigs and regional tours. He was a mentor and touchstone for future stars; Jon Bon Jovi has credited him as his “reason for singing,” and his collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt tied the Asbury Park scene’s major talents together in a shared musical heritage.

After decades of touring, recording, and performing globally, the impact of Southside Johnny’s music reverberated not just through the Northeast but across generations of fans and artists. In recognition of his cultural contributions, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018, an honor reflecting his deep roots in the state’s artistic legacy.

A True Jersey Icon

What makes Southside Johnny especially worthy of a place on thejerseyreview.com’s NJ Celebrity Fame Wall isn’t just his longevity or his catalog, it’s how intrinsically his story is tied to New Jersey’s identity. His music evokes the grit, soul, and rugged charm of the Shore; his journey mirrors the ups and downs of the local music scene; and his influence stretches from Asbury Park’s dive bars to arenas and concert halls around the world.

From Neptune to international stages, Southside Johnny’s sound truly is New Jersey, and that’s exactly why he belongs on the Fame Wall.

Editorial

He Told Me Not to Look It Up: A Jersey Javelin Assignment I Didn’t See Coming

Published

1 month ago

April 5, 2026

Jersey Javelin

There are assignments you expect. Cover a local event. Review a new restaurant. Sit through a film you’ve already half-researched before the opening credits even roll.

And then there are assignments like this one.

“Go see this movie,” Evan Blaze said, casually, like he was asking me to grab a coffee.

“What movie?”

He paused just long enough to make it feel intentional.

“Nefarious.”

I stared at him.

Now, for context, Evan knows me. He knows I don’t do horror. Not casually, not “just for fun,” not even with a blanket and the lights on. I’ve always felt like there’s a difference between being entertained and inviting something into your head that doesn’t belong there.

So I said what any reasonable person would say.

“No.”

He smiled. Not a normal smile. The kind of smile that means he already knew that would be my answer.

“I don’t want you to look it up,” he added.

That’s when I knew something was off.

“No trailers. No reviews. Don’t ask anyone about it. Just go watch it.”

I actually laughed at first. I thought he was joking. But Evan doesn’t joke like that, especially not when it comes to assignments.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I want your real reaction,” he said. “Not something shaped by what everyone else is saying.”

That part made sense. It’s actually something we talk about a lot. Too many people consume opinions before they ever experience something for themselves. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to encounter anything fresh.

Still… this felt different.

“Why this movie?” I pushed.

Another pause.

“It’s Easter season,” he said. “Just trust me.”

That didn’t exactly calm me down.

If anything, it made it worse.

Now I had two problems. One, I was being asked to watch a movie I would normally avoid at all costs. Two, I wasn’t allowed to prepare myself for it in any way.

No context. No warning. No idea what I was walking into.

And somehow, that was the point.

Over the next day or so, I caught myself thinking about it more than I expected. Not the movie itself; I still knew nothing about it. but the assignment. The intention behind it.

Why would Evan, of all people, push this?

We’re both Christians. We’ve had enough conversations about discernment, about what we allow into our minds, about being careful with what we consume. He knows where I stand on that.

So this wasn’t random.

Which means… it’s deliberate.

I finally gave in and decided to at least figure out where I could even watch it. That felt safe enough. Logistics, not content.

Turns out, it’s not exactly sitting on every mainstream platform front and center. Which somehow adds to the mystery. It’s there; but you have to go looking for it. The kind of film that doesn’t just fall into your lap while scrolling.

That made me pause again.

Because now it felt even more intentional. Like this wasn’t just “watch a movie.” It was “go find it.”

And I haven’t yet. At least not fully.

Part of me is still hesitating. Not because I’m scared of being startled or sitting through something intense, but because I don’t know what I’m about to walk into, and I don’t like that feeling.

But another part of me knows exactly why I’m being pushed here. And I have a feeling it’s not about the movie itself. It’s about what it’s going to make me think about.

So here’s where I’m at.

I haven’t watched Nefarious yet. I haven’t read a single review. I haven’t asked anyone who’s seen it. I’ve followed the rules.

But I will.

And when I do, I’m going in completely blind.

No expectations. No filter. Just whatever happens when the lights go down and the screen comes on.

If this is a setup; and I’m starting to think it is, then Part Two is going to be interesting. We’ll see if Evan knows something I don’t.

Or if he just sent me into something I’m going to regret.

Celebrity

Rising Stars of New Jersey: Maleah Joi Moon

Published

1 month ago

April 4, 2026

Kristina Rossi

Every once in a while, someone comes along and it just clicks right away. That’s exactly what happened with Maleah Joi Moon. Born and raised in Franklin Township, New Jersey; she didn’t take the long, slow road to recognition – she stepped onto the stage and made people pay attention almost instantly.

Like a lot of Jersey artists, her story starts close to home. School plays, local performances, figuring it out as she went – nothing flashy, just putting in the work and getting better. There’s something very real about that path, and you can feel it in the way she performs. It’s not forced. It’s earned.

Then came her breakout moment as Ali in Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. And it wasn’t just a “nice debut” kind of situation, she absolutely delivered. The performance had emotion, control, and confidence well beyond her years. Audiences connected with it, critics noticed, and before long she found herself holding a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Not long after that, she added a Grammy Award to her name for the show’s cast recording.

That kind of start doesn’t happen often.

What stands out most, though, isn’t just the awards, it’s how natural it all feels. She doesn’t come across like someone chasing attention. She feels like someone who belongs exactly where she is. That’s a rare quality, especially that early in a career.

And through it all, she’s still very much a Jersey story. There’s a grounded, hardworking edge there, the kind of quiet confidence you see in people who didn’t skip steps to get where they are. Franklin Township to Broadway isn’t just a headline

– it’s a reminder of how far raw talent and consistency can take you.

Maleah Joi Moon is still at the beginning of her journey, but she’s already done something most performers spend a lifetime chasing. And if this is the starting point, it’s going to be very interesting to see where she goes next.

For New Jersey, she’s not just a rising star, she’s one of those names you’re going to keep hearing more and more.