With the Fourth now just a faded memory like the smoke that hangs in the sky long after a firework has twinkled away, things can seem a little anti-climactic. However, there’s just two precious months left to savor the sweet summer season and all the outdoor socializing it has to offer – this oppressive heat wave be damned! Put on some shorts, pick up an extra bottle of hair defrizzer, and grab your flip-flops (unless you’re heading to the Osprey – flop ban still in effect. Found out the hard way two weekends ago!), and get out!

• Metromix Jersey Shore is hosting a happy hour at the Beach Bar in Asbury Park from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday (which is soon – power down your computer, leave work and go!). Never been to Beach Bar but heard only good things! Print this coupon before you go for drink specials.
• Kick of the weekend properly with happy hour at Leggett’s with music by Turnpike Mike and Randy on the patio and $2 drink specials from 4-8 p.m.
• Hemingway’s features DJ Milky Mike (does he like dairy products? is he really pale? who knows?!) and $2 Coors Lights and $4 unspecified bombs on Friday.
• The Surf Club continues Free For All Fridays with no cover, $1 Coors Light drafts, $5 call drinks, $3 shots and, apparently, hookahs, courtesy of Raaz Hookah, new to Seaside this year. It Ain’t Pretty (who doesn’t seem to have a website) will perform.
• On Saturday, Speakeasy will play in Osprey’s band room. Not sure if it’s the self-described “groove rock” Speakeasy from Missouri (not likely, but the bar’s site links to them) or the Carlstadt-based Speakeasy, who have not updated their Facebook group events since 2008. Guess we’ll just have to be surprised. Seriously though, don’t wear flipflops. Your friends will mock you when you’re the fool who forces the whole group to change plans and go elsewhere.
• 507 Main (bet you can’t guess their address) in Belmar will host the Springsteen tribute band the E Street Shuffle on Saturday night.
• On Sunday, Red Bank will offer Wine Walk from 4-7 p.m. Twenty bucks gets you a wristband, which entitles you to two wine samples and two food samples at 14 participating locations. Stroll around, sip some wine, have a snack – sounds tremendous. Buy a band at any participating restaurant, which can be found here.

Manasquan's most popular beach bar, Leggetts.

If you need an excuse to get rowdy to LMFAO’s summer classic “Shots,” (a song with such deep and meaningful lyrics), then Leggetts in Manasquan is the bar for you.  Every Thursday the bar is packed as everyone crowds around their infamous shot wheel.

Once every hour from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. the live band stops and LMFAO and Lil’John take over the sound waves.  Whatever lucky shot the spinner lands on is then served for the next hour around the bar for just $1.  With options such as Jolly Rancher, Grape Ape, Washington Apple, and Sex on the Beach…you’ll have a wide selection all night long.  It’s a close knit atmosphere where everyone comes together for the one common goal, more shots.

The one large bar takes up a majority of the space at Leggetts, and many flat screen televisions line the walls playing some of the most popular sports games.  Off to the side you’ll find a stage that is home to many bands such as The Mike Dalton Band and Bobby Lynch Band that play every Wednesday and Thursday.  A few tables line the perimeter for those that want to sit down and order food.

As part of Weaze’s themed parties America’s Birthday Bash is on July 3 and 70’s Disco Party on July 10.  Make sure you check out their Web site for their calendar of events, drink specials and menu.

Leggetts has one extremely tiny parking lot, your best bet is to find parking on the street.  There are also many bike cops that patrol the area, and I learned from experience just the other day…bike cops do indeed pull you over so be careful and safe driving!

Leggetts Summer Lineup:

Wednesday

$2 Coors Light, $3 “Bombs,” $4 Kettle “O” Drinks, $3 Coronas and Margaritas

Thursday

$2 Bud and Bud Lights, $1 Shot Wheel

Sunday

$2 Bud and Bud Lights (noon-close), $1 Bud and Bud Lights (5-8 inside bar)

*Leggetts is located at 217 First Ave. Manasquan, NJ

]]> http://liveforjerseyshore.com/all-posts/shots-shots-shots/feed 0 http://liveforjerseyshore.com/all-posts/weekend-picks-6-24-6-27 http://liveforjerseyshore.com/all-posts/weekend-picks-6-24-6-27#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:26:36 +0000 Jessica Infante http://liveforjerseyshore.com/?p=743

Donovan's Reef in chillier times - no sweats required this weekend! (Photo courtesy of jerseyshore.metromix.com)

Now it’s really here – the kids are out of school; seasonal rentals are beginning; and the 4th of July looms ever nearer. If this gorgeous sunny weather we’ve been having hasn’t put you in the mood for cocktails al fresco, get your pulse checked. Fortunately, the Shore abounds with all sorts of spots for you to get your drink on, enjoy the sweet summer night air and take in a splendid view.

Here’s what’s good for this weekend:

• A True Story makes their debut Surf Club performance Friday night during the bar’s new Free For All Fridays. In the interest of full disclosure, LFJS loves, loves, LOVES this band (and has known its lead singer since middle school) so if it seems like we’re playing favorites, we are. Nick, Vic, Rick, John and Matt play their own awesomely catchy originals and can turn any bar into a rollicking dance party. Keep your ears out for their killer versions of “Bye Bye Bye,” “Shout,” anything by Kings of Leon and “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz (hint hint, Nick). It’ll be easy on your wallet too – no cover, $1 Coors Light drafts, $3 shot specials, $5 Grey Goose drinks, $5 keep-the-cup Seven Tiki spiced rum drinks, which, whatever they are, sound dangerous.
• Bar A throws a Devotion Vodka party on Saturday for those of you devoted to vodka. If you go early, happy hour is on the new grotto beach – let us know what it’s like! No cover until 9 p.m., $2.75 Heineken and Amstel Lights until 11:30, Miller Lite draft, Stoli Apple and Pomegranate specials.
• The Patio Bar at the Wharfside in Point Pleasant Beach, a great waterfront spot to drink and dine outside, has the Jamie Brown Trio from 1-5 p.m. and Undisputed from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday.
• Donovan’s Reef has Bitter X at 6 p.m. on Sunday if you’re looking to extend your weekend with some Sunday Funday beachfront festivities.

Don't let its seeming-emptiness fool you. This boardwalk's about to be overrun.

Gentle readers, it is upon us. On Friday, our fair island will be inundated with seasonal owners, their guests and, yes, the dreaded Benny. For lifelong beach kids like yours truly, Memorial Day Weekend (MDW for the uninitiated) is better than Christmas. Beach, barbecue, beers, old friends – what’s not to like?

For those of you seeking entertainment outside your own backyard, here are our picks:

• Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns at the Beachcomber Thursday night at 10 p.m. Party with Shorty, definitely among my favorite Shore bands, in the boardwalk bar where Snooki got punched. Bud Light drafts are usually $1.50; there’s never a cover and when you get hungry, Steaks Unlimited is right across the street.
• If you’re an early riser, Jenks and WPLJ 95.5 will salute the unofficial start to summer with the sunrise for the 2010 Summer Blast Off with the Scott and Todd Morning Show at 6 a.m., Barenaked Ladies, Kris Allen (see, who says winning American Idol doesn’t get you anywhere?) and then Lifespeed at night.
• Hemingway’s is touting the “biggest party in Seaside Heights” from May 28-30 on its website, whatever that means.
• The Osprey in Manasquan has a cover band-eriffic weekend with Big Bang Baby, Screaming Broccoli and Bitter X Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Bad news though, you still can’t wear flip flops.

Were I you, I’d probably stay away from MTV’s magnificent 7’s favorite hotspots this weekend. Save Bamboo and Karma for another time, friends.

Another thing to remember, prices are going to jump higher than Snickers’ poof this weekend on just about everything. Last summer, a 2.5 mile cab ride from Used to Be’s to my house cost $60, which we should have negotiated before getting in the taxi. The Ortley Beach McDonald’s banishes their dollar menu beginning MDW, although hours have been extended to round-the-clock, so find late-night snacks elsewhere. Also, the invasion of horrendous drivers has already begun so be extra careful.

We’ll be tweeting with #MDW10 all weekend and you should too! Happy summer!!

shorty!

Dance the night away at one of Belmar's favorite bars.

The time has come ladies and gentleman; I have finally been to the infamous D’Jais. Despite the general consensus among the locals that this beachside bar is guido-central, I happened to love it.  It’s Belmar’s version of Hemmingway’s for you Seaside enthusiasts. Being a wallflower won’t cut it here, expect to dance the night away.

Four full indoor bars as well as another on their outside deck gives you many options to catch the bartenders attention, and when you do, you are rewarded with a supersized drink. The beats are always bumping, making it hard to hear yourself speak, but who’s really talking anyway?

The stage is always a favorite for the female clientele to shake what their momma gave them, and the night would not be complete without a dance competition to beat up that beat. To quote the overly enthusiastic emcee “You gotta be dancing, you gotta be smiling, you gotta be shaking that…” If you follow those three steps you will probably be called up on stage and walk away with glow sticks galore.

Not only can you cool off and nurse your ringing ears on their outside patio, but the full lunch and dinner menu with outdoor ocean view seating is also a plus for those late night munchies on your way out. Once the summer is in full effect make sure you check out their website for their themed Thursday nights such as Christmas, Valentines Day, and New Years in July…giving everyone another excuse to dress up.

Are you a summer baby? If so you can also enter on their website to host your birthday at D’Jais. Parties are available any Saturday night from 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.  All guests receive free admission and VIP wristbands which are good for reduced drink prices till 1 a.m.  As well as a complimentary bottle of champagne, balloons and more. Forget about the stereotypical birthday getaways to AC and head to D’Jais!

Some lovely treats that you can look foward to:

EVERYDAY SPECIALS
Buckets of Coronitas $12
Buckets of Coors Lights $10.99
Buckets of Bud light $10.99

FRIDAY
World Famous After Work Happy Hour
No Cover Free Hot & Cold Buffet
Bucket of Coors Lights $10.99
Win a Special Coors Light happy Hour Party
Free Admission & Coors Light Giveaway For Your Entire Group

SATURDAY
Kipples Beach Party
Happy Hour 3-7
Bucket of Coors Lights $10.99

SUNDAY
Off The Beach Happy Hour
DJ Charlie Cavallo & Kipples
DJ Gary Love
Sunday $2.75 Bud Light Bottles

*D’Jais is located at 1801 Ocean Avenue in Belmar.

Sawmill, we hardly know ye anymore.

This week, Jersey Shore Metromix compiled a photo gallery entitled Closed at the Jersey Shore with shots of dearly departed watering holes. I haven’t been of the legal drinking age long enough to mourn the dive bars that my parents’ generation misses, nor has my social life lost any significant spots. However, while it still stands, the Sawmill is a fraction of what it once was. Ever since the Seaside Park Borough Council voted in 2008 to change the town’s closing time to midnight, this boardwalk staple hasn’t been the same.

Quite frankly, I miss having another place to go see bands, dance and drink cheap beer. You could easily make a whole night of hanging out at the Sawmill, unlike its tinier counterparts that dot the Seaside boards. There was excellent people watching to be had from the stools near the open windows on the lower level and a bird’s eye view of the entire boardwalk undulating northward from the massive upstairs.You could dance on the Green Room’s giant dance floor (why the upstairs area had a different name is beyond me); you could sit at the many tables and play cards or watch the crowd pass by.

Remember Holla for a Dolla? (Forgive the unfortunate spelling; it’s not my doing.) That was awesome – $1 Miller Lites, $1 shots, $1 giant slices of pizza. And the Thursday night mug deal where a bartender would fill your commemorative Sawmill mug with Coors Light or Yuengling for 50 cents. Sadly, my mug now holds pens and pencils in a box under my desk. I’m sure they still have these same deals, but now the bouncers have to start herding everyone out at 11:30 p.m. Not quite the same.

This weekend, I’m bringing that mug home and pouring some beer out of it on the ground for our fallen friend.

Lots of stuff going on around the shore this weekend – Cinco de Mayo continues into Seis de Mayo, bands we like are around, and there’s good deals to be had. Let’s review…

• Hemingway’s combines its belated Cinco de Mayo celebration with its new Thursday night promotion, Plan B Thursdays. No, not so called because they anticipate patrons to need emergency contraception the next day (but it kinda sounds like it, right?), but because they’ve gotten giddily alliterative with specials on beers and bomb shots and live music from bands. $2 Coors Lights and Yuenglings, $3 bomb shots from 12-1, no word yet on this Thursday’s band.
• Speaking of featured bands, super-fun cover band A True Story will make their monthly appearance at Bar A on Friday. Full disclosure, ATS’s singer Nick is a dear friend of mine. Rick, Vic, John and Matt round out the band and in addition to some awesome originals, they cover almost everything and do it well. Seriously, their Kings of Leon covers sound just like, well, Kings of Leon. Also, they don’t shy away from the occasional Britney jam.  Bar A VIP card holders can swap their old cards for new ones; have-nots can purchase cards. Bud Lights cost $2, well-drinks $2.25, no cover before 9 p.m.

A True Story continues to rock out despite a stage-crasher at Bar A last summer.

• Supposedly the next best thing to seeing Sublime live is seeing Badfish and you can do so Friday night at the Surf Club. Tickets cost $16 in advance and $18 at the door, $2 Coors Light drafts.
• If Saturday’s 40 percent chance of thunderstorms doesn’t scare you off, Dr. Cheeko mans the afternoon shift at Martell’s Tiki Bar and there’s nothing like a fresh-squeezed OJ drink to deal with the heat we’ve been having lately.

Martell's Tiki Bar on the Point Pleasant boardwalk is just as fun by day or night.

• If you’re devoid of cooking skills and would rather just take Mom out for brunch on Mother’s Day, Metromix Jersey Shore rounded up a list of brunches in the area.

ole!

In 1862, the underdog Mexican army whooped the French army’s butt in the Battle of Puebla. In 2010, American corporations still use the holiday – now virtually meaningless in Mexico – as an excuse to promote overconsumption of beer and nachos. Such utter blatant manipulation of a military victory for commercial gain can be depressing, but it’s nothing a Corona can’t fix, right?

Fortunately, we have several options at the Shore for you to partake in the fiesta.

• Cinco de Taco: Surf Taco, the Shore’s favorite quasi-Mexican chain, will host a daylong celebration of all things taco that kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Jackson location – the only ST legally capable of selling tequila-enhanced margaritas. Billy Simmonds, GoodBie Amy, P-dub, Matt O’Ree, Stolen Rose and Flight Skool will play. Kids can enjoy some games and everyone can try out the mechanical surf board, which, for the record, we think is way cooler than a mechanical bull.
• Jenks’ Cinco de Mayo: Point Pleasant Beach’s massive boardwalk club Jenks will host New Jersey’s veteran cover band The Benjamins for their Saturday night party. Doors open at 9 and cover costs $5 after 10. Aluminum Bud Light bottles are on special for $3.
• Spicy’s Cantina: If you’re a stickler for technicalities, the fiesta at Spicy’s on the Seaside Heights will happen on the day itself, Wednesday the 5th. All sorts of festivities begin at 11 a.m. – a burrito eating contest, scavenger hunt, musical chairs, prize giveaways and a mariachi band will play from 6-9 p.m. Inexplicably, wings will be on special for 39 cents each.

If Dos Equis and tequila aren’t your bag, there’s lots more going on this weekend too:

The Surf Club reopens after its winter hiatus with the season’s inaugural Planet Surf on Friday night. Predator Dub Assassins, Hometown Roll and DJ Shaka will entertain the masses. Coronas, Corona Lights and tequila-based drinks will be $1 off. Thanks to our friends at Metromix, print out this coupon to get in for free.

On Sunday, Joey Harrison will welcome back the fist-pumping crowd for the 2010 debut of the Sunday Jam. Mind Control DJs Richie Santan and Peter Bailey and house DJs Liscious and Raphael will spin. The Coors Light Girls will be on hand to usher in the season and everyone will be treated to a free barbecue from 3-5 p.m. VIP cards for this year will be given out – no word about there being a special giveaway for Friday nights yet. We’ll look into it.

And now for something entirely different…

Vintage surfboards on display at Tuckerton Seaport

The Northeast’s first-ever surf museum will open its doors Saturday at Tuckerton Seaport. Some chick we know wrote about it for the Asbury Park Press, but, inexplicably, her story never went online so we can’t link to it. She swears the museum looks really cool. It displays surfboards of every shape, size and design and tells the history of surfing in New Jersey, from the days when “ironing boards” – primitive leash-less surfboards – were banned up and down the coast because some of the earliest Jersey Shore surfers couldn’t hang onto them in the water and they would smack the legs of unsuspecting waders. There are even artifacts from the day when surf behemoth Ron Jon sold more nautical furniture than surfboards.

Aside from the surf museum, the Seaport is a really cool spot to check out so if you make the trek down to Tuckerton, take a peak around.

Tuckerton Seaport is located at 120 W. Main St. Tuckerton. To get there from points north, take the Garden State Parkway to exit 58 and make a left off the ramp. Follow Route 539 to its intersection with Route 9 and make a right. The Seaport is on your left about half a mile south. Tickets cost $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for children older than 5. For more information, call 609-296-8868. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Yeah it feels like bathwater in the summer, but Barnegat Bay is a little chillier than we'd like. Photo courtesy of our dear friend, veteran lifeguard and dedicated Shore videographer Dave. Thanks!

 As we continue to get pummeled by the harshest winter at the Shore in recent memory, it’s hard to imagine a time when the snow will melt and we’ll shed our boots for flipflops, but fear not, Jerseyans – Memorial Day Weekend is 102 days away. (Photo We may not be out of the woods yet (thanks a whole lot, Phil), but we’re a whole lot closer than we were when that Dec. 19 storm dashed procrastinating shoppers dreams and ruined a certain someone’s birthday celebration (what? you say you think I’m still bitter over that? no way!).

 For more snow-tos, visit the APP’s reader galleryfrom the Feb. 6-7 and 9-10 storms. These snowy Shore shots range from beautifully artistic to downright zany – like the snow sculpture of a Camaro and a snapshot of three brave kids plopped into beach chairs wearing their bathing suits.

Before we know it, the sunlight will stretch later into the evening, our favorite seasonal businesses will reopen (anyone else been craving a Colonial Bakery jelly doughnut since October?) and the Barrier Island will reawaken with all the sights, smells and sounds that make summer at the Jersey Shore so sweet.

Until then, here’s a few fun events to keep you motivated as Old Man Winter plans to further assault our summer spirits:

• Mardi Gras Super Saturdayat Jenk’s on Feb. 20. Doors open at 9 p.m., $5 cover after 10. $1 drafts all night and $2 vodka specials from 9-11 p.m. The Nerds will play and the holder of the most beads at the end of the night wins an HDTV. What you must do for said beads was not specified.
• D’Jais Halfway to Summer Party at the Pool at Harrah’s in Atlantic City on Feb. 27. Billed as “the biggest pool party in the middle of winter,” we can’t figure out why this is neither at D’Jais nor at the actual halfway to summer mark, but if you’re into paying $35 to get in and trekking to AC, we’re not going to judge. Full disclosure: I’ve never been to D’Jais and think the Pool smells like, well, a pool.
• Seaside Heights Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for the N.J. Special Olympics on Feb. 27. Those pondering a run into the Atlantic Ocean in February can find some liquid courage and warm sustenance at the Sawmill Cafe with a $3 breakfast buffet and $2 mimosas, bloody Mary’s, screwdrivers and Miller Lite specials from 10-1. A post-plunge party starts at 2 p.m. with music from The VooDudes. If you’re not crazy enough to hop into the frigid sea but want to contribute to the cause, fret not because the Sawmill is donating proceeds to the Specials Olympics.

Johnny, I know how you feel. (photo graciously borrowed from Life.com via Google images)

It’s September. This churns my stomach. If I were still in high school, I’d be despondent to be back in my Catholic school uniform; in college, I’d be thrilled to be back on campus. But alas, commencement called for me quite a bit ago so nothing changes. Work still comes every Monday, but soon enough there will be no beach time dominating my weekends. Ugh.

But fret not. Aside from the fact that we still have Labor Day Weekend (a beautiful – but somber – thing unto itself), early fall at the Jersey Shore brings gorgeous weather, near-deserted watering holes and very fun events. If you’re like me (here for the long haul) or if the unofficial start of autumn brings you to points north or west, September at the Shore is the perfect way to wind down your summer soul and settle in for the fall. Before you get the Labor Day blues, check out these second-weekend-of-September events and you’ll see that it can be just as much of a party as the first.

• Jenks’ Welcome Back Locals Bash: Every year, Jenks celebrates the first weekend of the off-season with a party to herald the return of its largely local crowd. Well, they try to. Last year, a rather guido-looking fellow bumped into me near the bar and graciously offered to buy me (what else?) a Jager bomb. We chatted a little and he asked where I lived. I told him near Lavallette and he goes, “Where’s that?” Oh man. He was from Staten Island. I noticed a big-haired, long-nailed girl in his entourage giving me the eye so I backed away, lest she think I was moving in on her man. It may not be hyper-local, but for $1 bar drinks (9-11 p.m.), $2 Coors Lights and no cover, you can’t beat it. Also, Go Go Gadget will be playing and Jenks is giving away 1,000 T-shirts. They keep these deals up all winter. In fact, I’ve never been to this massive Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk club between MDW and LDW.  Friday, Sept. 11, Jenks, 300 Ocean Ave., Pt. Pleasant Beach, www.jenksclub.com

• Seaside Heights Mardi Gras Weekend: NOLA comes to SHNJ with this three-day, French Quarter-inspired fest that includes Seaside’s annual bed race from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 on the boardwalk. Competition is limited to local business staffs, but this must be pretty hilarious to watch. All weekend, bars will be offering $2 Coors Lights and $4 Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka. Starting Friday, MetroMix challenges bar-hoppers to a scavenger hunt with clues scattered throughout 15 bars and fabulous prizes promised to those who complete the task. Hunters will pay no cover at any establishment but must begin their search by 9 p.m. on either Friday or Saturday to receive the first clue. Their website offers clues for each night’s jump-off spot: Friday they urge you to meet them “under the green shamrock on the Boulevard” and Saturday you should “start out at this Ocean Resort, where Griffs Seaside Crab House is a ‘Shore Pleaser.’” Now, I don’t know but I have my guesses. (Cough, here and here, cough) This seems like a really cool event and you’ll get swag at each stop. Seafood is tops on Sunday, Sept. 13 when Seaside rolls out its annual fish festival with dishes from various restaurants and live music, including Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns at 4:15 p.m.

Shorty Long, pictured, and his Jersey Horns will rock out during Seaside Heights' Mardi Gras weekend, Sunday Sept. 13.

That’s just a smattering of what’s going on inteded to keep you from freaking out about the traditional end of summer rapidly approaching. More benefits of the fall include gloriously semi-brisk weather (not too hot, not too cold, just right in the sun), warm ocean water, and – perhaps best of all – completely empty beaches. So perk up, little campers, because I assure you, the sun still shines, the beer still flows and life goes on after Labor Day.