Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: A HOT BURRITO FOR MUSIC-HEADS

ghost-wolves-7782216Carley Wolf joins bandmate Jonny Wolf on the stage of 10th Ave. Burrito Tuesday night, as the Austin-based duo the Ghost Wolves helps the new venue up the original-music ante in downtown Red Bank.

By Tom Chesek

10th-ave-071415-1-220x165-4071136As reported earlier in redbankgreen, the recently opened Red Bank branch of 10th Ave. Burrito Company made its debut in the downtown restaurant wars equipped with an arsenal of assets that ranged from “165 seats, a coveted liquor license and primo views of the Navesink,” to more than 100 varieties of tequila and a not-so secret weapon: “live music – cover bands need not apply.”

While the town doesn’t often get mentioned in the same breath as Asbury Park and other musically-minded burgs, the fact remains that most every night of the week finds something for music aficionados to choose from; be it at the Basie or one of the borough’s bars, beaneries, sidewalk bumpouts or black-box performance spaces. But even as Red Bank regulars like Sonny Kenn, Quincy Mumford and Matt O’Ree have made a habit of stocking their saloon sets with generous amounts of originals, the town hasn’t truly seen a full-time venue for homegrown originals and national touring acts since the long-ago heyday of Big Man’s West. It’s a situation that 10th Ave owner Brian Katz and manager Chris Masi (formerly the music booker at the Downtown) seek to address with an attention-compelling slate of up-and-coming talents, cult favorites and best kept secrets that range from deliriously anarchic alt-rock to urban-hipster roots Americana, and even an unexpected visitor from across the pond — a schedule that really clicks into place as summer turns to fall.

ribeye_photo_langosta_2015_sara-2819389The Ribeye Brothers bring the steak AND the sizzle to the stage of 10th Ave. Burrito, for a set of “bar ballads and cautionary tales” on the night of September 24. (Photo by Sara Stadtmiller)

The excitement shifts into high gear at 9 pm on the unlikely night of Tuesday, September 15, when the Ghost Wolves bring their stripped-down, revved-up brand of punk-blues minimalism to Shore audiences for the first time. Known as much for their customized stage outfits and merch as much as their “face­‐melting riffs and unfettered noisy productions,” the Austin, Texas-based duo of Carley Wolf (vocals, guitar) and Jonny Wolf (drums, occasional synth) promises to bring the same energy to the river-view Mexciali eatery that they’ve shared with audiences at Austin’s SXSW, Ireland’s Electric Picnic, and major appearances across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Friday, September 18 serves up Belmar-based Los Gringos (hear their backyard-party take on “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction here), while Thursday September 24 finds Red Bank’s own Ribeye Brothers (Monster Magnet veterans Tim Cronin, Jon Kleiman and Joe Calandra, plus marshmallow-biking guitar ace Brent Sisk and mega-skilled multi-tasker Neil O’Brien) purveying their patented blend of “detached garage” originals and quirky covers that redbankgreen hailed for its “mastery of the sixties garage template, and more ways to spin a booze-basted yarn than anyone this side of the big Bukowski.”

The following night, September 25 offers up rockabilly-ish jam grooves courtesy of the all-instrumental trio WOLF!, featuring Brooklyn-based superguitarist (and frequent Nicole Atkins collaborator) Scott Metzger — while the September slate wraps on Monday the 28th with the Crane Wives out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

October’s scheduled fare ranges from Nashville-spawned Americana (Lilly Hiatt; 10/16) to roots-hipster hoedowns (Ann Arbor’s the Appleseed Collective; 10/25), and even a touch of well-tempered covers, brought to you by PieHole contributor Jim Willis and his jam-mates in Dead Bank.

The real surprise, however, is the October 24 appearance of Holly Golightly, the prolific British doyenne of cool-retro garage pop who first came to the fore as a member of Thee Headcoatees, the ladies-auxiliary unit of the lo-fi empire lorded over by the even more insanely prolific Billy Childish. In recent recordings with her band The Brokeoffs, the singer and guitarist has been spelunking a more country-blues aspect of her big-tent sound that could fit right in with the other acoustic-Americana offerings at 10th Ave — and overall it’s a booking that perhaps wouldn’t have been out of place in a venue like the (soon to be “closed for renovations”) Asbury Lanes; the kind of delightfully ultra-indie confection that instantly elevates 10th Ave. Burrito to a dimension well beyond the Red Bank norm.

Take it here for complete music schedule details — and keep it tuned to redbankgreen for continued updates on the 10th Avenue free-for-all.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
RED BANKJ: JAZZ IN THE PARK BEGINS THURSDAY
Jazz in the Park kicks off tonight (Thursday) with The Grace Fox Big Band, an all-women 16-piece ensemble known for its bold original compos ...
LOST PARROT
This little blue beauty was found by a redbankgreen reporter Thursday boldly tempting fate by foraging on the ground on the turf of a pack o ...
ORANGE GLOW OVER RED BANK
A truly unbelievable post-storm sunset Tuesday (shot on Monmouth St. facing west). Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus.
BROAD STREET’S THIRSTY BLOOMS
Delfino, a worker with the company Terra Casa that manages the flower beds for the Red Bank special improvement district waters the flowers ...
PILGRIM BAPTIST MEN’S DAY CELEBRATION
  (photo by: Shanikquya Jackson) On Sunday, June 22, Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red Bank hosted its annual Men’s Day Celebration a ...
THREE GENERATION PROCLAMATION
Mayor Billy Portman presents the Borough of Red Bank’s Independence Day 2025 Proclamation to Arleen Brahn (second from right), grandmo ...
STEW THE BUTCHER COSPLAY
On the occasion of the retirement of Stewart Goldstein, longtime proprietor of Monmouth Meats, we thought it apt to present this photo from ...
NAVESINK FISHING
A kayak fisherman tries his luck under the NJ Transit train trestle across the Navesink River in Red Bank. (Photo by Partyline contributor A ...
RED BAKE
As the temperature hit 100 degrees Tuesday, Tom Sevison, Red Bank High School Class of 1973 and in town briefly on his way back home to Virg ...
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
Performers at Red Bank’s Juneteenth community celebration Sunday at Johnny Jazz Park. (photo by Brian Donohue)      
BUTTERFLIES LOVE THE WEED
Save the monarch, plant butterfly weed. (photo and text by Partyline contributor Roseann DalPra)  
LANTERNFLY PARTY
An invasive ailanthus tree sprouting in front of the US Post Office on Broad Street is covered with invasive spotted lantern fly nymphs Wedn ...
STREETCORNER SERENADE
An Irish doodle named Cheddar listens to native New Jerseyan, singer/songwriter and former Houston resident Tom Foti, (identified in the hea ...
Red Bank 5K Fun!!!
Red Bank Classic – June 14th, 2025 (photo by Partyline contributor Adam Kaplan)  
RAINBOW OVER RED BANK
Saturday, before and after the storm that rolled through town. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)    
Mini Ballers Bring the Heat at Fusion Basketball School
As the temperatures heat up, so does the competition in the mini baller clinic at Fusion School of Basketball. These little tykes are intens ...
DOZENS OF PLEIN AIR ARTISTS “PAINT RED BANK”
Plein air artists take over town for first ever "Paint Red Bank" event. (click to read)
RED BANK: SIGN ON ICONIC DANNY’S STEAK HOUSE COMES DOWN
The sign hanging from the shuttered Danny's Steak House comes down ten months after a manager reported Danny's Steakhouse would be back "bet ...
FOR YANKEES FANS, GOOD TRASH PICKIN’
A collection of framed photographs of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and other New York Yankees greats was placed curbside along with a ...
RED BANK: NEW HANDICAPPED PARKING, WEST SIDE MEETING PLANNED
New handicapped parking sign West Side advocate had pressed for is installed, with meeting planned to discuss other concerns. (click to read ...