You too can ride in this much style.

So it’s Saturday night and you need a responsible way to reach your favorite watering hole. You have a few options: 1. Recruit a designated driver. 2. Call a cab. 3. Take the train if you’re heading to Point Pleasant or north. 4. Walk. 5. Call a cab.

And yet all those choices seem so boring and tired. Well, we have the perfection solution – call George Hogan, chauffeur extraordinaire. Yes, yes, ladies and gentlemen, you too can roll up to your nightlife destination of choice in a LIMO. Yes, a limo.

My dear friend Joe happened upon George on the Friday of MDW, which just happened to be his first night in business. When George picked us up for a night out that Saturday, he explained that to attract customers, he was dropping his prices on a weekend when all his non-limo-driving competitors were jacking their fares through the roof. (No joke – MDW09 we paid $60 to travel the 2.5 miles from Used to Be’s to my house. Thanks, New Mantoloking Taxi.)

George’s roomy limousine fits six or seven quite comfortably and has all the perks one desires when planning such swanky transportation – comfy leather seats, a sunroof, neon tube lighting around the ceiling. It’s like you’re going to the prom, except there’s no chaperones, you’re not clad in some goofy formal wear, you can drink legally and openly when you get there, and there’s only people you like. Win-win-win.

Let George drive you to drink. Call him at 732-551-9336 this weekend!

Peace and hair grease... it's Big Baby Ernie

Big Baby Ernie is arguably the best band in the area. They deftly cover everything from the Beatles to Harry Belafonte to Lou Reed to Stevie Wonder to Gnarles Barkley to Van Morrison. Lead singer and namesake Ernie’s voice bears an almost chameleon-like quality. BBE can cover pretty much everything under the sun and make you think you’re hearing the real thing but what sets them apart from a lot of other bands is that their original stuff is awesome. Check out Hurricane and Fairweather Friends on their MySpace page.

Their rock-funk-jazz blend is a refreshing change from the pop-rock cover bands that are so ubiquitous at the Shore (although those guys are fun too). BBE is like the thinking man’s bar band. The addition of keyboards, sax and occasionally a flute brings so much to the band’s sounds. And man, the ensuing dance party is pretty sweet. The Crab’s Claw is probably among the best places to catch these guys because of its intimate set-up. You may need to curtail your moves in order to dodge waitresses with trays full of seafood.

BBE plays the Claw the last Friday of the month (like tonight) in the winter and (as if you needed a reason to take Monday off) every Sunday night in the summer and regardless of the time of year, the place is always packed and it’s always a great time. See you there, beer in hand.

In the sunglasses department, there may be an late 80’s, early 90’s revival at hand. The classic Ray Ban Wayfarers are back in (did they ever really go out?). The latest comeback for this stalwart… inspired by the recent Guitar Hero Risky Business commercials, perhaps?

Lumbo samples his own merchandise

If the shades below look vaguely familiar, recall the old school Oakleys you (OK, make that I) rocked back in the day. Men.style.com says the see-through rims are the trend du jour, but the tortoise and the black rims are tight (90’s theme, c’mon).

Smiths Work for Misters and Missus $100 - $125

For board shorts, there’s a new stretch fabric, water resistant material washing up onshore. Keeps the chafe away and the boys happy.

Bill Alexander Bong's Platinum X board shorts, 75 clams

And Mike’s predicting a surge in skimboarding, moving more of these suckers so far this year than maybe even all of last summer. Makes sense, cheaper than a surfboard, effective when there’s no waves… And like every other alternative-type sport, the kids are pushing the envelope more and more all the time.

Zap Skimboards - start around $80

So watch your ankles down by the surf this summer, because if there’s a surge in skimboard sales, that most certainly means skimboard grommets!

Lumbo is celebrating his 10th anniversary at Right Coast, so he outta know! Stop in and get schooled by and old school fool himself.

Multi-generational tailgate party

When the Boss calls, thousands of his Jersey faithful hop to it – well, those of us who could get tickets. Thursday’s setlist was nothing short of spectacular but the way to thoroughly enjoy a Bruce show is after a long day of tailgating. In the Garden State, Springsteen is an institution among families with each new generation brought in when they’re old enough to appreciate the awesomeness of E Street. I took the day off from work and set up shop with my brothers and their friends in Parking Lot 28.

Lot 28 Chair City

Fortunately, baby brother’s friend’s dad owns a sporting goods store so we were very hooked-up. (See that jazzy pink camping chair with monkeys to the far right? None of the boys would sit in it so it was reserved for yours truly.)

The guys insisted that the centerpiece of our tailgate bash be a grill, specifically this George Foreman portable propane behemoth. The menu included burgers, dogs, chips and Chex Mix (and obviously beer). Anything else was too fancy for these guys.

Burgers, Mrs. Dash seasoning

Pre-Bruce concert parking lots in Jersey are usually congenial affairs – some would even say they’re religious encounters - but the fancy couple in the spot next to us (who tailgates with paninis and wine??) seemed to want to get into a volume battle with us. They were playing Greetings from Asbury Park from their car, which obviously drowned out our little iPod boombox. The first time was fine. The subsequent three additional playings of the album were unnecessary. It’s not like the man stopped making albums after 1973 and we had a whole lot more of the Bruce canon to get through.

After a couple hours alternating Miller Lite and Poland Spring (it was almost 90 degrees!) we were ready to fist-pump along. Jay Weinberg stepped in for his dad Max on the drums and he really killed it. The kid’s only 18 years old and is already on tour with one of the greatest bands in history. Must be pretty cool. Clarence was pimped out in a floor-length jacket – probably only something you can pull off if you’re known as the Big Man.

It was such an awesome way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend. Things got even better when Bruce confirmed that they’ll be back in the fall for three shows to close out Giants Stadium. The band rounded out the encore with American Land, which they closed with on 4.22 when I saw them in Boston, but Bruce threw in one last treat for the faithful – Rosalita, of course.

Bruce and the band will bring their tour buses back to the Meadowlands in the fall for Giants Stadium's farewell concerts.