JOE D’URSO
“When I was a kid back then/I dreamed of a day like this,” sings Joe D’Durso in the song “Come Down Tonight (Asbury Park).” And as he sings that line in the video below, a photograph of a Stone Pony concert is shown.
Indeed, for many musicians such as D’Urso who have followed in the footsteps of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny, Asbury Park is an almost mythical place. “Come Down Tonight (Asbury Park),” a joyful anthem with a swaggering horn arrangement, is about the unique place Asbury Park occupies in the state’s music scene, as well as a vote of confidence in the town’s ongoing revitalization, via the line, “This town was falling apart/But now it’s got a brand new start.”
In addition to performing frequently in Asbury Park, D’Urso has contributed to the town as a board member of the Light of Day Foundation, whose annual January music festival has turned into a major attraction (as well as an effective fundraiser for Parkinson’s disease research).
A image of the late Stone Caravan bassist Mr. Lou DeMartino, used in the new video for Joe D’Urso and Stone Caravan’s “Come Down Tonight (Asbury Park).”
“Come Down Tonight (Asbury Park)” was included on the 2013 Joe D’Urso and Stone Caravan album, Sway, though the video below, which includes both vintage and relatively recent photos, is a new one, dedicated to the memory of the band’s bassist, Mr. Lou DeMartino, who died in July at the age of 56. A memorial service for him is being planned for the Stone Pony on Oct. 25.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET
Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state’s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.
