By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
A slide show of pictures from the Upstage Club was shown Jan. 13 during a Light of Day Foundation event at the Asbury Park Music Foundation while a variety of bands performer at the venue.
Pictures on display showed foundation President James Lenskold and his friends removing historic art work from the walls of the club, which was located on the second floor of the Tom McAnn building on Cookman Avenue at the corner of Bond Street.
A history of the club, where Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Vini Lopez and other music notables played for several years beginning in 1968 was featured on film at last year’s Asbury Park Music and Film Festival.
Lenskold’s friends, John Zoubra, Tony Serida, Jim McLaughlin and Andy Ward were featured in the slide show which was taken while the art was recently removed from the walls of the club.
Zoubra said being a part of dismantling the club gave him a special appreciation for its history.
“I got a feel for what went into getting this,” he said.
Lenskold said he told his friends to be at the Light of Day event at 3 p.m. as a way to hold a “little reunion.”
Lenskold said the music foundation has been hosting young bands every Saturday night and is hoping to begin new youth music programs in the new year.
He also thanked Monmouth Glass which donated glass to cover the fragile artwork.
Lenskold said the foundation is considering auctioning off the recovered artwork but only to people in the immediate area.
“We want to keep it here, so others can see it. We will only auction it if it stays here,” he said.
