Asbury Park Storytellers Series Performance at Sulli Studios (Asbury Park, NJ)

Our concert photo exhibit, "Rocktography," originally debuted July 2002 in Sulli Studios, located in the historic old Asbury Park Press building in Asbury Park, NJ. Shortly thereafter, we began hosting special events at the gallery with the help of the Stone Pony management, as well as various promoters and artist managers. Several very successful Meet & Greet sessions were held at the gallery.

These sessions highlighted artists coming to the Jersey Shore area for concert performances and complemented the musical theme of the photographs on display in the gallery. The average time spent by each artist at the gallery for a Meet & Greet has been between one-and-a-half to two hours.

The first Meet & Greet was in November 2002 with Clarence Clemons. Gary U.S. Bonds, Soozie Tyrell and Joe Grushecky also came to the gallery for separate Meet & Greets prior to performing at the Stone Pony.

We invited guitarist/singer/songwriter Bill Toms of the Houserockers and Hard Rain in for an acoustic performance. He brought along fellow musician and songwriter Tom Breiding of Wheeling.  We set up a stage and chairs for fans and sold mid-priced tickets to the show. Bill and Tom's captivating performances planted the seed that grew into the concept for the successful Asbury Park Storytellers Series in Summer 2003.

John Cavanaugh poses with Gary U.S. Bonds, his wife Laurie, and their daughter, Laurie, Jr., during Bonds' Meet & Greet at the Rocktography Gallery.

In June 2003, we relocated and opened with a brand new Rocktography photo exhibit at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Stage Door Canteen on Cookman Avenue in Downtown Asbury Park.

The exhibit was open daily for viewing. A stage and patron seating were added during our special event programs; creating a private intimate performance setting within the second floor Mezzanine Gallery. We sold tickets all summer long for these limited-seating and intimate Asbury Park Storytellers performances.

Our Asbury Park Storytellers Series special guests have included:

• Maybe Pete featuring Frankie McGrath
• Bill Toms and harp player Marc Reisman
• Yours Truly
• Patty Blee
• Jason Shain (from New York City)
• Lee Mrowicki (legendary DJ of the Stone Pony) and special guest Tony 'Boccigalupe' Amato
• 'Mad Dog' Vini Lopez (Steel Mill Retro) and guitarist Sonny Kenn
• Steel Pier Sinners (Virgin acoustic performance)

Our goal is to partner the musical arts community with ties to the Asbury Park music scene by offering an intimate professional space to share of themselves with others.

If this sounds interesting, let's look at some of the things we can do for YOU!

• We provide free refreshments and occasionally host an early and late show in one day.
• We can schedule a Meet & Greet at the gallery prior to sound check for artists performing at local concert venues.
• We can provide staff to insure crowd control. We use a numbered ticket system to keep fans in order.
• We provide an area for the artist to meet guests, sign autographs and pose for photos with fans if desired.
• We provide guest artists with a personal assistant to help with autographs and refreshments for the artist during the Meet & Greet segment.
• We provide a separate merchandising area for fans making purchases prior to meeting the artist.
• Our staff can man the merchandising area or the artist can have their own personnel do it, whatever makes our guest comfortable.
• Along with artist merchandise, we can sell concert tickets at each Meet & Greet to help sell out performances at the local concert venues.

The photos create a wonderful backdrop for the Asbury Park Storytellers Series and offer a point of interest for those who come to Asbury Park to investigate its rich musical history.

We create a good amount of foot traffic; people coming to view the photos on display as well as those arriving to attend one of the Meet & Greets or Storyteller performances.

If you have a story to tell, let's talk and maybe take a photo.  Please contact us for more details or to discuss setting up a gallery exhibit, Meet & Greet session or Storyteller performance at your exhibition space or performance venue.