There’s a free wind blowing off the ocean this August 6, 2022 evening as an enthusiastic crowd on the beach in Seaside Heights, NJ readies itself for a nostalgic evening of music from the top ’70s folk-rock band, America.
Founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell — along with former bandmate Dan Peek — met in high school in London in the late ’60s. As children of American servicemen stationed in London, the young musicians decided to name their band America so they wouldn’t be confused with actual British groups who wanted to sound American. The trio ultimately made their way to the top of the charts with a brand of melodic pop rock which incorporated elements of folk, jazz, Latin, and country music.
After winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972, starting in 1974, America began working with George Martin, well-regarded for producing the vast majority of recordings by The Beatles.
Over the course of their career, six of America’s albums were RIAA certified gold and/or platinum and their History collection of greatest hits went multi-platinum, selling over four million units.
Peek departed from the group in 1977, leaving Beckley and Bunnell to carry on as a duo. The pair’s growth as singers, songwriters, and performers has continued to the present day with such millennial releases as 2007’s Here and Now, 2011’s Back Pages, and the group’s latest release, 2015’s Lost and Found.
Following singer/songwriter Cal Stamp’s opening set, the America musicians — Ryland Steen on drums, Rich Campbell on bass, Steve Fekete on guitars/keyboards, and original members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell on guitars — take the beach stage located just off the boardwalk near Casino Pier.
Dewey Bunnell handles the lead vocal on the group’s Top 5 hit, “Tin Man.” Singing, “But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man/That he didn’t, didn’t already have,” Bunnell’s voice sounds as crisp and clear as it did in 1974 when he and America originally recorded the song.
The joyful strumming of Bunnell and Beckley’s acoustic guitars fill the air, supported by Rich Campbell’s rhythmic bass playing, Ryland Steen’s precision drumming, and Steve Fakete’s solid keyboard work.
Following enthusiastic applause from the crowd, the group launches into its 1982 Top 10 hit, “You Can Do Magic,” which features Gerry Beckley’s distinctive voice leading the well-known “You can do magic/You can have anything that you desire” refrain. As the group performs, colored lights glow behind the stage.
Audience members dance in the sand as bubbles fly overhead before they react with whistles, cheers, and applause.
“How’s everyone doing?” asks Bunnell. “Thank you for supporting live music. It’s so good to be back onstage!”
Moving on to a 1972 album cut, the group performs the catchy folk-rocker, “Don’t Cross the River.” Drummer Ryland Steen sings lead as Beckley looks out at the crowd while happily strumming his guitar.
As the musicians perform, clouds decorate the ever-changing evening sky illuminated by glowing shades of pink and purple while the sun sets in the west and ocean waves roll in from the east.
Beckley switches over to keyboard and he and the band perform his original composition, the group’s 1975 Top 20 hit, “Daisy Jane.” Singing the popular chorus, “Does she really love me, I think she does/Like the stars above me I know because/When the sky is bright, everything’s all right,” the audience drinks in memories as they happily sway to the music in the twilight.
Following “Riverside,” a rhythmic folk-rocker sung by Bunnell, the musicians launch into their 1972 Top 10 single, “I Need You.” Beckley sings lead on his original composition and the rest of the band accompanies him with top-notch vocal harmonies on the well-known “I need you/Like the flower needs the rain” power chorus.
Segueing into their 1971 album cut, “Here,” images morph on the screen behind the band during the song’s slow introduction and continue to change as the musicians play on. Soon, the tempo picks up and there’s a spirited Steve Fakete guitar solo in addition to a booming Rich Campbell bass solo.
A highlight of the evening’s performance is the group’s rendition of their 1972 Top 10 hit, “Ventura Highway.” Featuring the band’s trademark hammer-on guitar introduction — not to mention excellent vocal harmonies — they sing about “alligator lizards in the air” and “purple rain” on this classic Dewey Bunnell composition which elicits whistles and cheers from the crowd.
Moving on to a song from their 2015 album, Lost & Found, the band performs “Driving,” a catchy tune which features a driving rhythm, tight background harmonies, and a vintage 1960’s era twangy electric guitar solo.
After Bunnell and Buckley reminisce about working with The Beatles’ producer, George Martin, the musicians perform their tribute to The Beatles — a dynamic performance of “Eleanor Rigby” — which inspires hoots and hollers from music lovers in the sand.
They follow up with their 1972 album cut, “Cornwell Blank.” Vocal harmonies are front and center on this song in which the group majestically sings, “I’ve been down to the water/I’ve been on top of the world/Somebody should come and see me/Somebody should give me the word,” as sea birds swoop and glide through the air above the ocean.
Moving on to another rocker, the driving beat propels the band’s 1983 Top 40 hit, “The Border,” underscoring a powerful performance which features Bunnell and Beckley playing twangy guitar solos.
Colored lights rain down on the musicians as they perform an album cut from 1994’s Hourglass entitled “Greenhouse,” a bluesy rocker featuring Bunnell’s rich, full voice. Next, a reggae feel permeates “Woman Tonight” where Beckley’s voice parallels Graham Nash’s as he sings while accompanying himself on the keyboard.
America performs a compelling cover version of the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” which features a honky-tonk piano solo before ending with Steve Fakete picking out the famous guitar lick from Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla.” Beckley plays harmonica — and the audience sings along — on another highlight of tonight’s show, the group’s 1974 Top 5 hit, “Lonely People,” where they sing, “This is for all the lonely people/Thinking that life has passed them by/Don’t give up until you drink from the silver cup/And ride that highway in the sky.”
After introducing the members of the band and acknowledging the contributions of the group’s hard-working stage crew, Beckley announces, “We’ve been doing 100 shows every year for 52 years now!”
The crowd cheers, and the group moves on to another highlight of their set, “Sandman,” a 1971 song which was never released as a single but received airplay on album-oriented rock stations thanks to its dynamic music and Vietnam War-oriented lyrics.
As the music swirls and builds, images of historic events flash on the screen, adding to the overall power of the presentation.
After huge applause, America concludes the evening’s concert with a lively rendition of their 1975 #1 hit, “Sister Golden Hair,” which has the crowd on its feet happily singing along while a woman in the audience dances on the beach wearing a cape of lights that sway and glow as she moves to the music.
The performers take leave of the stage, but the crowd continues to holler and cheer until they’re certain America is coming back for an encore. To the audience’s delight, Bunnell, Beckley, and Co. return to perform the band’s 1972 #1 hit, “A Horse with No Name.” The audience joyfully sings along with the group on the famous “I’ve been to the desert on a horse with no name” chorus before standing, whistling, and applauding for a memorable night of music from America.
To learn more about America, please go to venturahighway.com. For information on upcoming concerts on the beach — including the Seaside Summer Freestyle Fest on August 27, in addition to such free upcoming shows as Soul Shine, An Allman Brothers Concert Experience on August 25 — please click on exit82.com.
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