John Waite remembers Jeff Beck, local musicians rock at Light of Day in Red Bank

John Waite paid tribute to the late Jeff Beck at the Light of Day WinterFest show on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

The homage came after a performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” — with collaborator Anthony Krizan of Raritan on guitar — that matched, if not exceeded, classic Robert Plant. That segued into the Jeff Beck Group’s “Let Me Love You” as a tribute to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, who passed away Jan. 10.

Beck, with Johnny Depp, performed at the Basie on Oct. 10, 2022.

As for the rest of Waite’s performance on Saturday, he and his three-piece band had fans in the packed Basie reelin’ in the years. Waite, who gets our award for the best dressed rocker in a matching suit and open collar shirt, called out the years before performing his corresponding hits.

1982 was “Change,” which was re-released in 1985 after being featured in the movie "Vision Quest".

1984 was “Missing You,” a No. 1 song that was nominated for a Grammy Award.

1978 marked “Every Time I Think of You,” a Top 20 hit when he was with the Babys.

“We’d like to do a song now that’s like 40 years old,” said Waite before "Every Time."

"It’s wild to look back — mind blowing," Waite continued. "I look out there and you probably look back (and say) 'Where does the time go?' But it goes — it does.”

The annual Light of Day WinterFest features more than 100 musicians and dozens of shows in Asbury Park and Red Bank. The fest raises funds and awareness in the fight against Parkinson's and related diseases.

Waite headlined Bob’s Birthday Bash, named for fest founder Bob Benjamin, an artist manager who was diagnosed Parkinson's in 1998. After Waite’s 45-minute set, the night’s other performers came out for the traditional singing of "Happy Birthday" to Benjamin, who’s confined to a wheelchair (his actual birthday is Nov. 3). Everyone then performed the song “Light of Day” while Benjamin clapped along.

Bruce Springsteen is a supporter, playing 12 of the previous 22 live Light of Days, all unannounced. Anticipation was high this year for a guest appearance, as he and the E Street Band are rehearsing at the Vogel performance space, part of Count Basie Center for the Arts.

The E Streeters did not rehearse on Saturday, but they were there on Friday, Jan. 13.

“We were waiting for Bruce, everyone was, but it’s a great show, with or without him,” said Rich Berger of North Caldwell, adding that family members have Parkinson’s. “The cause is very near and dear to us. We’ve done the walks in Central Park and all that, so we come every year. We love the show, we love the consistency. Willie Nile is here every year. Joe Grushecky is here every year. We thought it was great.”

More:'There's no other place I'd rather be': Springsteen fans gather outside Red Bank rehearsals

There were a few Springsteen songs covered in the course of the night, including the recent Boss song “Ghosts” by the Spring-Nuts fan club in a new video.

There was a lot of see, including a few new faces in the fold during the six-hour show. Making their festival debuts this weekend were Philly’s Dave Hause and The Mermaid, whose gritty heartland punk settled in nicely with the LOD fans; Fantastic Cat; and Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise, who merged a hip-hop with a harp.

All the performances on Saturday were purposeful, with many of the artists reflecting on the cause, or name-checking Benjamin. Jesse Malin’s set was so energetic on "Meet Me at the End of the World" that he wound up in Row H in the center of the theater. It looked like he was stuck there for a minute.

Grushecky brought out rock photographer Danny Clinch on harmonica for a jam on his “Pumping Iron.” Nile brought out actress and singer-songwriter Jill Hennessey, and James Maddock, for his iconic “One Guitar.”

Remember Jones, aka Anthony D’Amato, teamed with keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan for a bravura, but understated for Jones, performance on two songs — including a cover of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” that led to a standing ovation.

The Weeklings, Joe D’Urso, Williams Honor, Jeffrey Gaines, Ben Arnold and Adam Ezra also performed at the Basie on Saturday. Most played festival shows in Asbury Park over the last few days.

On Friday, Jan. 13, Tex and Marion Vinyard of Freehold, who managed Springsteen's first band, the Castiles; Dolores “Dee” Holland, a trailblazing piano player in Asbury Park; Gerald “Gerry” Carboy, who played with David Sancious and Ernest “Boom” Carter in the group Tone; and Gerard “Arthur” Robrecht, aka Arthur Kill, a punk rock musician, stalwart stagehand and social critic, were cited as Asbury Angels, recognized as late members and influencers of the Asbury Park music scene.

Jean Mikle, an Asbury Park Press reporter who’s also a founding member of the Light of Day, and Eileen Chapman, a member of the Asbury Park City Council, did the inductions. Jason Dermer of Asbury Audio helped out with the Robrecht induction.

“Art, I loved you,” Dermer said, “We hated each other, we loved each other — we were brothers. I loved you. Good night.”

Nearly 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson's disease, and the number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. It's the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's.

The Light of Day Foundation funds research into possible cures, improved treatments, and support for patients (and their families and caregivers) who suffer from Parkinson's and the related diseases. Light of Day programs include Boxing for Bob, which uses boxing exercises to help with mobility.

Shows continue in Asbury Park on Sunday, Jan .15, and then Friday, Jan. 20, at Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair with Nile, Guy Davis, Hennessy, Gaines, Maddock, D’Urso, Daniella Cotton, Jake Thistle, Rick Winowski, Williams Honor and Jon Caspi. Visit www.lightofday.org for more information.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: John Waite pays tribute to Jeff Beck at Light of Day in Red Bank