By Andrew DeCredico
Saturday night in Sea Isle City is always the best night of the week. With bands and DJs at every club and bar Sea Isle is the place to be. La Costa’s Deck Bar was the first stop of the evening. An Irish rock band named Blackthorn was playing outside as the sun went down.
Blackthorn is a band from Delaware county, but every one of the members has very recent Irish heritage. One member of the band, John McGroary the accordion player, was actually born in Ireland. Other members of the band are sons of first generation immigrants. “We’re inspired by Irish music, so it’s good to get out here and have fun playing the music we grew up with while adding in our own style!” says Mike Boyce, one of two brothers in the band. “ We have our roots in Ireland, but we take the liberty to extend the music we love to Americans” You can follow their band on their app by searching “Blackthorn” in the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store.
There are always new people to meet at The Deck Bar. In a short time frame Sea Isle News met a Bachelorette Party, a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary, and 3 men and coaches who were celebrating their daughter’s achievements on their softball team. Their team won a prestigious softball tournament in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Congratulations to the Cabana Water Ice Team!
After spending a few hours at The Deck Bar it was time to grab some food before heading out for the night. Casino Pizza is a favorite to patrons of the bars in town. It is only a couple blocks away from the farthest bar, and always has great pizza, fries, or other quick bites to fill your stomach.
If you would prefer a sit down meal in a pub O’Donnel’s Pour House has you covered. The atmosphere is that of an upscale Irish pub and if you’ve just come out of The Deck Bar with Blackthorn, it fits the mood perfectly.
When you’ve finished eating, The Sand Bar behind the Ocean Drive is always a good place to start off a night of fun and relaxing. With a casual feel and great drinks, you can’t go wrong. If you’re sticking with the hint of Irish theme for the night The Dead Dog saloon is a great place to grab a drink. After just a few minutes you’ll notice this isn’t your average saloon. The music is great and the line is down the block by 1 o’clock in the morning.
If clubs are more your style you have a few to choose from. Whether you choose to go to Shenanigans, The Ocean Drive, LaCosta Lounge, or Kix McNutley’s you are bound to have a blast. Shenanigans is a fun place to spend some time, even if the DJ hasn’t started doing his thing just yet! In fact, the last few minutes before the DJ comes on are always a blast. Shenanigans plays Disney music for a few minutes while the entertainment for the night gets set up and it is some of the most fun that anyone has ever had with Disney tunes. Plenty of people come for their childhood songs and will put their heart and soul into acting them out for people to watch. After the humor, the night starts off with a bang and their DJs always love to have fun.
The Ocean Drive (or “The OD” as it has come to be known) makes a great hang out spot. With a pub style bar inside as well as an entire dance floor complete with changing lights. The OD has any style you are looking for. To add to that The Sand Bar is attached to The OD so you only need to pay one cover charge.
If you are on your way back to LaCosta’s Lounge, you can bet the stamp you got when you walked into The Deck Bar will gain you access into LaCosta’s night club. With more live performers, any music lover will be happy to listen to the amazing bands that LaCosta brings in. This Saturday night the band Split Decision was playing and they have always brought in huge crowds. This Saturday night was no different. With only enough space to walk through the crowd or join them and dance, LaCosta’s Lounge was an amazing place to be.
“We love coming here,” said Ray Pierson the guitarist for Split Decision. “This is like our home away from home. We play here every holiday weekend and starting next week we will be playing at LaCosta almost every other weekend until the end of the summer!” You can check out more of Split Decision or when they’ll be back at LaCosta by searching “Split Decision” in the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. If you don’t have a smart phone you can check them out on the web at splitdecisionphilly.com.
