Asbury Park bustling on final day of Bamboozle

ASBURY PARK — The beachfront is bustling with people today in anticipation of Bon Jovi and Gaslight Anthem playing on the beach tonight on this last day of Bamboozle.
Scott O’Donnell, director of festivals for Live Nation, Bamboozle’s promoter, said that Saturday night’s attendance was just over 41,000 bringing the two-day total to around 62,000 after Friday night’s opening crowd of 21,000. But the best may be yet to come.
“Today’s the real love affair to New Jersey with Bon Jovi and Gas Light Anthem,’’ O’Donnell said. “It’s appropriate to end this event having New Jersey talent entertaining in a city that is a music legend.’’
Asbury Park Mayor Ed Johnson said police routed car traffic out of the city in about two hours Saturday, mostly without incident.
“I think this is the greatest event the city could have,’’ the mayor said. “Because it has set the stage for the summer of the century.’’
So far the three-day festival hasn't brought a tremendous amount of business to downtown stores because people walking from the train approximately 10 blocks west of the beach area are anxious to get to the festival, City Commerce Director Tom Gilmour said.
But outside Fitness Lifestyles on Cookman Ave., Danny Swift and John Cella said they've been hustling the store's summer accessories all weekend and doing quite well.
Many people are reporting problems with cell phone service as crowds build by the middle of the afternoon. That seems to vary somewhat depending on service provider according to many concertgoers.
At Monmouth Park, where thousands are parking and being shuttled by dozens of buses to the Asbury Park site, Lindsey Rice, 21, and Kelcy Gay, 20, who drove seven hours from Portsmouth, Va, were eager for the third day of the event.
“It took seven hours to get here (from Virginia),’’ Gay said. “We’re staying with an aunt and cousins up in Little Ferry (Bergen County). We knew about Bamboozle before, but it was always too far away,’’ Gay said.
The pair said they came Sunday to hear Bon Jovi and Brand New.