The Stone Pony is hosting an Ozzy Osbourne tribute show led by Fairies Wear Boots on Friday, Sept. 19. The event will feature the tribute band along with three local supporting acts: Spyne!, Kobi Reese, and Last Legs.
“Me and Steve had an idea to do a Black Sabbath tribute night after one of our gigs,” said Brent Övar Bergholm, the guitarist for Fairies Wear Boots. “Ozzy just passed a few days before, and to me, it is just a natural way to celebrate the life and music of such an icon.”
Emily Grove will be fronting Fairies Wear Boots for a special show featuring a full set of Black Sabbath classics. “Well, being the big fans that we are, we truly just want to throw a big bash to celebrate the music and life of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne,” she said. “We just want everyone to come ready to salute this incredible music, band, and icon.”
As well as the artists making up Fairies Wear Boots, three other supporting acts will be performing during the night, playing originals and Sabbath favorites. Bergholm explained that choosing the bands was a joint plan between the band and the night’s promoter, Kyle Brendle. “Last Legs are old friends of mine,” he said. “I used to be in a band called Hsu-nami with Derril and Dana Sellers, the guitarist and keyboardist.” As for Spyne! and Kobi Reese, he said, “[They seem] like some young blood ready to take the town by storm. I feel like its gonna be a good night of ‘OG’ and ‘New G’ Asbury Park coming together to celebrate Ozzy Osbourne’s life.”
“We were so excited when we heard about this show,” said Derril Sellers of Last Legs, a new-wave Americana band from New Jersey. “The message came from our friend Brent [Övar] Bergholm—a close friend that we’ve known and played music with for over a decade. On top of that, anyone involved in the music scene knows the Fairies Wear Boots lineup. These are heavy hitters! The show is going to be amazing.”
Sellers continued, “Ozzy and Black Sabbath are rare examples of artists that you can point to where everything changed after they arrived. The music is so powerful and sinister—it felt like it came from nowhere and they introduced the world to this overwhelming sound. I love that it is heavy metal without all of the filtering and spin that’s happened over the years through sub-genres, outside influence, and the passage of time. It’s pure power.”
The night also consists of music from newcomers Kobi Reese and Spyne!, both bands that are creating waves in the local rock music scene.
“When Kyle [Brendle] asked me to perform in this show, I was completely honored because Ozzy has been my idol for as long as I can remember,” explained Kobi Reese, the 14-year-old frontman for his rock band, KOBI REESE. “Ozzy shared incredible music with the world and will be an icon in music history forever. It is my dream to have this same impact on the music for my generation and for many generations to come.”
Similarly, Kyle Moyer of Spyne! discussed his and his band’s love for Sabbath and how their legacy impacted their own music. “We’re super excited to play in honor of the Prince of Darkness because he’s meant so much to our musical careers in so many ways.” Though Moyer and bassist Toni Manousos grew up listening to Osbourne, drummer Eric Muhler and guitarist Liam Muhler dove into the discography in preparation for the show. Moyer continued, “We joined this show because of this, with the intention to show that Ozzy has left an impact on new and old fans of all ages for many, many years, and we can’t wait to rock a couple of his tunes.”
Overall, the show is bound to be a cathartic release after Osbourne’s passing for everyone in attendance . Bergholm concluded, “Hosting a tribute to Ozzy tribute was important to all of us, not only for his impact and immeasurable influence that he’s had on us, musically and artistically, but also because of his greater than iconic legacy that he has given to the world.”
Tickets are available for the show for $20 on The Stone Pony’s website and $25 at the door.
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