Charley Crockett Reminds Us That Country is for Everyone with Shows in NJ and NYC
Country music has never exactly been absent from the American musical landscape, but lately, it feels like the genre is finding its way into more unexpected corners of it. Over the weekend, Charley Crockett brought his unmistakable blend of country, blues, soul, and Americana to two of the Northeast’s most recognizable outdoor stages: New York City’s Central Park SummerStage and Asbury Park’s Stone Pony Summer Stage. With Durand Jones & The Indications opening both nights, the weekend offered a snapshot of just how expansive the audience for roots music has become.
Both nights began with Durand Jones & The Indications and their infectious energy, drawing an enthusiastic response from both crowds. Despite the fact that the audiences weren't theirs, they had everyone dancing along regardless of whether or not they knew the songs. They set the tone for two nights that felt less like a celebration of one genre and more like a reminder of how interconnected American music has always been.
Crockett’s entrance reflected the understated confidence of the performance itself. His band emerged onto each stage in the darkness, taking their places one by one before Crockett walked out last. He opened the show both nights with “Crazy Woman Ridge,” engaging the crowd from the very beginning up until the encores of “Waylon Rides Again” and “Run Horse Run.” From New York City to the Jersey Shore, the scene was a striking one: a country artist commanding two distinctly different outdoor venues, with fans singing along at the barricades, loving every minute of the show.
What stood out most across both performances was not just the music itself, but who had come to hear it. The crowds were remarkably mixed, bringing together people of all kinds rather than fitting neatly into one image of what a country audience looks like. That felt particularly fitting for Crockett, whose music has never existed comfortably inside a single box. Rooted in traditional country but shaped by blues, soul, and other strains of American music, his sound leaves plenty of room for different kinds of listeners to find their way in.
Paired together, the two nights felt like more than back-to-back concerts. They were a reminder that country and roots music continue to find new audiences, and that those audiences don’t necessarily look the way they once did.
Central Park SummerStage, NYC
Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NYC | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves
Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park
Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Charley Crockett in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves Durand Jones & The Indications in NJ | by Sarah Silbert for Zany Waves
