Asbury Park’s Sea.Hear.Now Festival is no stranger to promoting underground acts, especially those from its own backyard. Asbury Park native Jarod Clemons opened the Park Stage on Saturday, September 19, welcoming festivalgoers with an energetic performance and a fitting greeting to his hometown.

Arriving onstage in golden cheetah-print pants and his signature sunglasses, Clemons immediately brought a sense of fun and personality to the stage. His set featured several tracks from his new album, Blinding Lights, including “For the While” and “What in It for Me,” which was released just nine days before his Sea.Hear.Now performance.

His set also featured tracks from his previous album, Sleepless Nights, including “Sinkin’.” Before performing the song, Clemons shared the story behind its creation, explaining that he wrote it not far from the festival grounds in Bradley Beach during a difficult period in his life. He reflected on how meaningful it was to now perform the song on the Sea.Hear.Now stage, turning a song born out of a difficult time into a full-circle moment.

The stage was filled with a variety of instruments, including trumpets, trombones, and saxophones—an arrangement that served as a subtle homage to the musical legacy of his father, the late Clarence “Big Man” Clemons of the E Street Band.

Alongside Clemons’ main saxophonist, Adrian “AC” Condis, who brought immense talent and energy to the performance, Clemons welcomed two additional saxophonists to the stage: Michael Ghegan and his cousin, Jake Clemons.

Seeing Clemons and his cousin perform “Troubled Youth” together was a particularly memorable moment, highlighting the Clemons family’s deep musical history and connection to Asbury Park. The two shared a playful stage presence, especially after Clemons introduced Jake as someone “who everyone gets him confused with,” drawing laughs from the crowd.

In addition to these guests, Clemons welcomed Bike Routes’ David Lawrence Osterhout to the stage to perform “Delicate,” a song by Bike Routes and Jake Clemons, alongside Jake. Earlier in the set, festival photographer and co-founder Danny Clinch also joined Clemons on harmonica.

Despite multiple microphone malfunctions throughout the set, Clemons’ performance remained full of energy, talent, and, most notably, constant gratitude for the audience. From sharing stories about his past to performing alongside his cousin and other members of the local music community, Clemons’ Sea.Hear.Now set felt like a genuine celebration of both his musical journey and his deep connection to Asbury Park.

Photo taken by and courtesy of Michael Kravetsky