A Beacon of Light and Hope Among the Thousands of Sandy Stories. Melanie and Sonny at the Spot Pizza Grille in Point Pleasant Beach.

One of the artists Inlets and Outlets plans to follow through the post-Sandy reconstruction phase on the Jersey Shore is the acoustic duo Melanie and Sonny. The word legend gets thrown around without much thought nowadays, but one half of this terrific duo, Sonny Prewitt, is a bona fide New Jersey musical legend who has cast a large shadow over the local music scene since the club heyday of the 1970s. Sonny was a member of the Southern Cross Band, and pretty much anyone who was able to hit the clubs back when the Shore music scene was among the most vibrant in the nation has spent an evening with Sonny – whether you remember it or not.

His partner, Melanie Wagner is a relative new-comer to the area’s music scene, but her sultry and expressive voice is an equal match to the skill and feel Prewitt brings to each song the duo performs.

I spent the night at the Spot Pizza Grille in Point Pleasant (1506 Richmond Ave., (Rt. 35 NB)) on February 22 eating some excellent thin crust pizza and enjoying a beer or two while catching Melanie and Sonny’s show. As a personal note, the 22^nd is also my brother’s birthday, and not only did my older brother Dave introduce me to the likes of the Allman Brothers Band and the James Gang, he also turned me on to the Southern Cross Band way back in the day.

The Spot is also a relative new-comer to the area, having opened in November, 2010. During Hurricane Sandy however, the Spot became a vital place for locals to grab something warm to eat and catch up on news from neighbors in the area.

Sonny Prewitt and Melanie Wagner at the Spot in Point Pleasant.

Melanie and Sonny opened the evening with an eclectic mix of new and old (Green Day, Train, Mamas and Papas, the Beatles, Phillip Philips and Doby Gray )made up the first six songs of the evening. The house sound system left the vocals a little hard to hear and understand, but Fleetwood Mac’s You Make Loving Fun,and the duo’s own takes on the classics Fire and Rain and I Shot the Sheriff were highlights that would have made the trip from the hinterlands of Jackson out to Point Pleasant well worth it on their own.

The absolute highlight of the evening for me was Melanie’s original tune Cupid which they played toward the end of their early set. I hadn’t heard the song before, but the mere fact that the hook stayed with me in spite of the noise level from the crowded bar spoke volumes about what I was hearing. When you hear a good song, you know it. Having acquired my own copy of Melanie’s debut CD Cross My Heart I can vouch for the fact that Cupid is in good, solid company among the rest of the tracks.

I had a chance to sit and talk between sets with the duo about the state of the music and entertainment business in the area post-storm, and overall their take was encouraging. There are still some challenges but the amount of work a band or duo is getting is a good indicator of the overall health of the area, and Melanie and Sonny are busy.


Melanie Wagner lays claim to the Leon Russell song and Carpenter's hit
"Superstar" on February 22nd, at the Spot in Point Pleasant

The duo played approximately 90 shows last summer, and even though in the direct aftermath of the storm their bookings dropped by half, establishments in the area are beginning to recover and come back on-line. As a sign that things are indeed improving, Melanie and Sonny are playing at Farrell’s Pub on Broadway on March 15. Located a few dozen yards from the Manasquan River, the first floor of Farrell’s was inundated during Sandy. Their re-opening is a great sign for all of us as it shows that the Shore is making strides toward its comeback every day.

Melanie is currently working on her sophomore effort which is being produced by Sonny. The duo promises a late summer drop. But until then, stop out at a Melanie and Sonny show, kick back and enjoy and pick up a copy of Cross My Heart on the way out.



I also had a chance to speak with the Spot’s manager, Toni, who filled me in on the role the restaurant played in the days immediately following Sandy. Most of the area was without power for several days if not multiple weeks, but the Spot was one of only a few places in Point Pleasant to get their power back on in the first 72 hours after the storm. The staff immediately began serving dinners to locals who were without food, water and power, and although the township and state did not allow them to serve alcohol for about a week, the Spot provided a lifeline of warm food (and cell phone charging) to the residents of the Beach.

The restaurant also provided pizzas to the National Guardsmen stationed in Bay Head and Mantoloking, as well as meals to the relief workers working out of the Bay Head firehouse. The Elks lodge in Point Pleasant hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for affected residents and the Spot donated to that effort as well.

On the Friday night we visited, the bar and restaurant was filled with a wide variety of folks – always a good sign that a place is catering to the desires of its clientele. In the days after the storm, the crew at the Spot stepped up to cater to their neighbor’s needs as well.

Between the beer, the excellent thin-crust Jersey-style pizza, an easy-going but attentive staff and the pleasures of Melanie and Sonny, a cold, rainy night in February gave an optimistic peek into the future. As Toni, the Spot’s manager said, the Spot became a “beacon of light and hope” last October and now we can all look forward to the time when it becomes just a simple destination of choice for pizza and beer on a Friday night.

Roar To Restore The Shore Motorcycle Rally - May 18, 2013

A benefit organization I am directly involved in, the Roar To Restore the Shore Motorcyle Run and Rally will be held May 18, 2013. The run starts at American Legion Drive in Keyport and will then take a 55-mile route through the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy, ending at VFW Post 8667 on Adamston Road in Brick. All proceeds will go to help families rebuild their lives and recover from the storm.

Entrance to the charity run is $20.00 for riders and $15.00 for passengers. There will be vendors, food, beer and soda, and entertainment at the finish. Non-riders are also welcome to join us at the rally with a seperate admission fee.

Riders will receive a patch of the logo.

As a sidenote, the VFW post was used as a logistics clearing point for contractors and relief workers, as well as a kitchen and shelter in the weeks following the storm because of its proximity to the Mantoloking Road bridge and the devestated Shore communities on the barrier island. This Run and Rally is a great way to show that we here at the Jersey Shore are making tremendous strides every day toward our recovery.

Help us spread the word, and make sure (whether you're a rider or not) to clear May 18 on your calendar so you can help Road to Restore the Shore!

Thursday Restaurant Pick: The Sand Bar in Brielle

This week, Debbie Miksiewicz reviews the Sand Bar in Brielle.

Jakeabob's Off the Bay Ready for Grand Opening

Princess Cottage

Two of the most iconic images from the wrath of Hurricane Sandy come from Union Beach. The 150 year-old Princess Cottage on Front Street, which has since been torn down, and Jakeabob's Bay restaurant, which still sits a few blocks east, waiting for the powers that be to decide its fate.

Jakeabob's Bay

On Saturday, February 16, I had a chance to visit the new Jakeabob's Bay which will be located at 910 Union Avenue, about 10 blocks from the original location. The new restaurant will be called Jakeabob's Off the Bay, and is scheduled to open on February 28. According to owner Gigi Dorr, the status of the original location is still in limbo, waiting for the insurance companies involved to sort out who is responsible for what.

The new location is being decorated with doors that have been donated from homes throughout the borough of Union Beach that were destroyed during the hurricane. While the doors stand as a stark reminder of what the residents of Union Beach have been subjected to since October 29, they also represent the power and spirit of those same people who are bouncing back and rebuilding their lives in the face of great odds.

Dorr has been featured in several articles and television segments about her efforts to rebuild her business while at the same time she becoming a leading advocate and symbol for all of the residents of Union Beach.

Recently, a group on the social media site Facebook has given all of us a chance to support the borough of Union Beach and give a little something back to the person who has inspired all of us who have been involved in the post-Sandy restoration efforts.

Please take a look at the letter from the group, Paper doors for Gigi. Pass it along, send a door and a donation, and most importantly, put Jakeabob's Off the Bay on your must-do list of restaurants to visit this spring and summer. 

Doors for Gigi

Gigi Dorr, owner of “Jakeabob’s Bay” in Union Beach, NJ, has given a tremendous amount of time, support, and love to our community since we were decimated by Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012.

For those who don’t know, she is planning to open a new restaurant at 910 Union Avenue in Union Beach which she will call “Jakeabob’s Off The Bay." She is using a theme of doors throughout the new Jake’s!

Gigi has lost so much, but she has given so much more! Many of us want to do something special for her, and we need everyone to help! First, make a paper door for Gigi! All doors need to be no bigger than 4 ¼ inches by 5 ½ inches (half a sheet of 8 ½ inch by 11 inch paper). You can find pictures of doors on the internet, or make your own! Take a picture of an actual door, or have a child color a picture of a door! Write messages of love and encouragement to Gigi on your door! If you are able, include a monetary donation to Gigi to help offset the costs of opening a new place! No donation is too small. All donations together can help make a difference! If you cannot afford a donation at this time, but would like to be a part of this, please just send a door for Gigi!

Doors and donations can be mailed or dropped off to:

Union Beach Police Department
650 Poole Avenue
Union Beach, NJ 07735
Attention: Mary

Checks should be made out directly to Gigi Dorr.

We have already given Gigi some paper doors we have recieved but would like to send her many many more!

Tracking the Progress: Seaside Heights, February 17, 2013

Looking south, the iconic Midway stands stranded, awaiting the rebuilt boardwalk.

 

 

Looking north, the Kohr's ice cream stand at the entrance to Casino Pier.

 

Tracking the Progress: Point Pleasant to Mantoloking, February 17, 2013.

As spring approaches the evergreens along the barrier island that were washed by the salt water storm surge from Hurricane Sandy are starting to turn brown as they die from the salt in their roots. It's striking to see how many trees are dying as you drive from Point Pleasant to Seaside.



PPB boardwalk, looking south from Arnold Ave.

 

 

 

PPB boardwalk looking north from Jenkinson's South



 

Mini-golf and bath house at Risdens Beach, (looking south)

 

Mantoloking looking east from Route 35. The pilings were not exposed but are now because of erosion during the storm.

 

Mantoloking. West side of Route 35. The Atlantic Ocean is approximately 200 yards east. 

 

Route 35 from Bay Head south to Route 528 (the Mantoloking Bridge) opened for traffic on February 2, but non-residents are not allowed to stop or travel on side-streets in the borough because of looting fears.





Ground zero for the storm in Ocean County was the three mile strip from Bay Head south to the Mantoloking bridge, and nearly four months after the storm, things have not improved significantly.

Inlets and Outlets Restaurant Reviews

Check out the new I&O feature:

Looking for a place to eat over the weekend and you want to help support the rebuilding of the Jersey Shore at the same time? Check out our restaurant reviews that will publish on Thursdays. Some will be for restaurants you've never heard of, some will be for old favorites, and most importantly some will put a spotlight on a business that got knocked around during Hurricane Sandy and has come back.

Click the page link on the right side bar or click here.

Thanks for helping support the Jersey Shore!