New Jersey, has been the home to many bands back in the day as they looked to make it big. Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, and Skid Row have all called The Garden State home.

Despite those three bands being different from each other, they all have something in common. The one thing that those three bands share is that at one time or another, before being giant musical acts, they cut their teeth at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Since the heyday of The Stone Pony, in the summer they now offer a concert series at “The Stone Pony Summer Stage,” which is where Alter Bridge brought their “Pawns & Kings Tour” on Aug. 3.

Before the Orlando, Florida natives could grace the stage, there were two bands also billed to warm up the crowd.

Around 6:15 the first band, Mammoth WVH hit the stage just days before the release of their new record titled “Mammoth II.”

Fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen (yes he is the son of Eddie Van Halen), Mammoth WVH played nine songs with one being a brand new song off their album titled “I’m Alright” which was released a few hours prior to the show.

This is my second time seeing Mammoth WVH live and they did not disappoint at all. The band always gives their all out on the stage and they have quickly gained a lot more of a following since I saw them last. Every time I see them live, their fans grow and grow.

After Mammoth blew away the crowd with their hard rock, the Atlanta, Georgia, nu-metal band Sevendust plugged in, cranked their amplifiers to 11 (Spinal Tap reference), and started to tear the walls off the stage.

Even in the photo pit behind their wall of sound for the first three songs, it was still extremely loud. After seeing the likes of Kiss, Guns N’ Roses, and Judas Priest, I thought I’d heard every loud band possible. Sevendust truly topped every band just mentioned.

I respect their hustle and their passion for their music. Their performance shows just how dedicated they are. It’s so apparent that lead singer Lajon Witherspoon was shedding tears during one of their songs in a full circle moment telling fans that back in the day they used to play inside The Stone Pony and thanking their fans for getting them to where they are now.

Unfortunately, that style of metal/hard rock just isn’t for me. The metal bands like Sevendust, Korn, or Godsmack just aren’t my cup of tea which is okay, not everyone can be a fan but as I said above, I respect their hustle and their passion for their music and that right there says enough about the band’s character and will.

A little before 8:30, the stage lights went dim, and Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall, and Scott Phillips rushed onto the stage and welcomed the Jersey Shore crowd to the rock and roll show.

Alter Bridge played all the hits as well as some lesser-known songs mixed in with new songs off their brand-new record that was released in the fall.

One of my favorite parts from the show was when Kennedy for one song performed an acoustic version of “Watch Over You” and then was joined by Tremonti for “In Loving Memory.”

Kennedy has a powerful voice and it is obvious whether he is singing with Alter Bridge or singing from his catalog with Slash. Something about how he sings in an acoustic setting really shows how powerful his voice really is, it sends chills down my spine every time.

The acoustic songs put a very nice break from the hard rock. Once the band started back up for their regular, non-acoustic set, it felt refreshing and it didn’t feel like they were playing the same style for two hours. I think more and more bands should follow Alter Bridge and put in an acoustic section right in the middle of their shows, it would be really cool to hear

Alter Bridge really puts on a great show. It feels like they are picking up where they left off when I saw them in the winter at The Dome at The Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut (that review is also available).

In the last two shows that I’ve seen from Alter Bridge, they threw everything at the crowd and gave it their all for almost two straight hours. This night was no different and for almost two hours, Alter Bridge left their hearts on stage.

If you have the chance to see Alter Bridge in concert, go! Don’t walk, run to your nearest phone to order tickets and or the box office to buy tickets. Alter Bridge was one of the best shows I’ve seen all summer and potentially all year.

New Jersey got rocked by Alter Bridge and I do not regret going one bit so you shouldn’t hesitate on those tickets, what are you waiting for? Go get them now… before it’s too late and you miss one of the most hardworking bands that I’ve seen ever.