See Steve Poltz On Thursday In Asbury Park
The most dynamic singer-songwriter and storyteller touring today, Steve Poltz, returns to The Garden State Thursday, March 7 with a show at The Vogel in Asbury Park.
He and Paul Thorn are currently underway on the “In the Ring Together Tour 2024” which kicked off last month at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee.
I’ve been a fan of Poltz since I first heard mention John Kruck during a performance at the Philadelphia Folk Festival a decade ago.
Poltz’s career has spanned far longer than the decade since I first heard him. Beginning with the RugBurns in the early 90s, Poltz hit mainstream airwaves as the co-writer of “You Were Meant For Me” from Jewel’s first album “Pieces of You” released in 1996.
Poltz’s solo debut, “One Left Shoe” was released in 1998 and from there he has blazed a spellbinding trail across the world with his guitar Smokey Joe.
I had to wait five years after first seeing him perform at the Philadelphia Folk Festival to interview him for The High Note.
Our conversation stuck with me long after I packed up the microphones and proceeded to soak my pants with beer while drunkenly tapping a keg. Sober and inspiring, Poltz told me some stories that could have been out “Forrest Gump” or its underrated sequel “Gump and Co.”
One of the things that really stuck with me during our chat was that he said he doesn’t do anything that he doesn’t want to do, which has pushed me to seek out fearless fun in the years since.
His 2022 album “Stardust and Satellites” is one of my favorites. Produced by The Wood Brothers, it captures Poltz’s brilliance and humor in the closest package to what you can see on stage.
Beginning with “Wrong Town,” the album captivates for 10 songs about family, love, heartbreak, friendship and the meaning of life and death in our universe as humans.
In addition to writing and performing solo, he has collaborated with Billy Strings and Margo Price.
Last year, he hit the road with Keller Williams for a limited “Shut The Folk Up and Listen” tour, which allowed me to catch up with them before they came to Philadelphia.
On the In the Ring Together Tour 2024 with Thorn, you can see Poltz on Tuesday, March 5 at The Collective Encore in Columbia, Maryland, Wednesday, March 6 at Newtown Theatre in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Thursday, March 7 at The Vogel in Red Bank, New Jersey, Friday, March 8 at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, Saturday, March 9 at City Winery in Boston, Massachusetts, Sunday, March 10 at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Tuesday, March 12 at City Winery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
