Brighton Bar
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 Interactive map of Brighton Bar | |
| Location | Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°17′5″N 73°59′14.5″W / 40.28472°N 73.987361°W |
| Owner | Greg Macolino |
| Type | Music venue |
| Events | Punk Hardcore |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Closed | 2021 |
| Demolished | 2022 |
The Brighton Bar was a famous punk club located at 121 Brighton Avenue in Long Branch, New Jersey.
Greg Macolino, a former Long Branch history teacher and former lead singer of hardcore band Chronic Sick, opened the Brighton Bar as a punk music venue in 1996.[1] He was the sixth owner of the venue.[2]
The Brighton Bar was often compared to CBGB.[3] During the 1980s, it was the home of the New Jersey punk movement that primarily focused on Mutha Records. Later in the 1990s, it hosted performances by notable punk and hardcore bands, including U.S. Chaos, Chronic Sick, Stisisim, Mental Decay, Social Decay, Mental Abuse, Broken Heroes, Kraut, The Stun Gunz, Void Control, the Graveyard School, Speed Crazy, the Cryptkeeper Five, The Takers, and The Flair Up's, some who have shared the Brighton Bar's stage consistently for almost 30 years.[4] In 2010, David Johansen of the New York Dolls and Andy Shernoff of The Dictators shared the stage. Jon Bon Jovi, the Damned, the Dictators, the Dickies, Fountains of Wayne, Gene Loves Jezebel, Jacko Monahan, Fear of Falling, Bruce Springsteen, Hubert Sumlin, Three Doors Down, and Bernie Worrell have also performed on the Brighton's stage.[2][1] Although the Brighton closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Macolino made sure shows went on for a while. “Even during the COVID thing, the Quiet Ones did a live broadcast with no audience from the Brighton and Metalland played outdoors in the driveway.”[2]
The Brighton Bar closed in April 2021. It was torn down in November 2022.[5][1]
