Guitarist Delicate Steve Headlines Wonder Bar During Festival

Acclaimed instrumentalist Steve Marion, known professionally as Delicate Steve, will perform at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on June 19, 2025, as part of New Jersey’s North 2 Shore Festival. The performance marks a homecoming for the New Jersey native who has collaborated with artists from Paul Simon to The Black Keys.

The 7:00 PM show will showcase Marion’s distinctive guitar style that blends progressive rock, folksy twang, African rhythms, and surf rock into instrumental compositions that communicate emotion without lyrics. The performance is part of the broader festival running from June 14-29 across multiple New Jersey locations.

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Innovative Guitar Approach Draws Critical Acclaim

Marion has built a reputation for creating wordless music that defies easy categorization. According to Anti Records, he is “the rare guitarist where you can put on any of his records and know exactly who’s playing.”

Despite not singing a single word in his music, Marion has cultivated a distinctive voice through his guitar across six studio albums. His playing style emphasizes melody and emotion, often drawing comparisons to vocals rather than traditional guitar work.

“Everyone thinks my guitars sound like synths,” Marion told Premier Guitar, “but I was thinking more along the lines of Kanye West’s vocals, where it’s a distorted and Auto-Tuned room mic.” This approach has led to collaborations with artists across various genres and even had one of his melodies sampled by Kanye West.

Jersey Native Returns to Roots

Marion, who grew up in Fredon Township and graduated from Pope John XXIII Regional High School, returns to his home state following extensive touring throughout the United States. The Wonder Bar performance forms part of his extended tour supporting recent album releases, including “Delicate Steve Sings,” which featured his guitar work emulating vocal qualities of iconic singers.

His return to New Jersey coincides with the North 2 Shore Festival, described as “the festival only Jersey can handle.” According to New Jersey Stage, the multi-city festival will feature performances in Asbury Park and Newark during the main festival dates, with additional programming continuing in Atlantic City throughout the year.

Festival Celebrates Local Arts and Community

Delicate Steve joins other renowned acts in the festival lineup, including George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Streetlight Manifesto, and Lawrence with Allen Stone. Beyond the marquee performances, the festival also includes programming spotlighting local artists through its Community Arts Awards initiative.

Festival organizers have partnered with local organizations like Asbury Underground to present additional free performances throughout the Cookman Avenue corridor on June 21, featuring over 200 participating area artists in various venues throughout Asbury Park.

This community focus aligns with the festival’s goal of celebrating New Jersey’s legacy of innovation and excellence in the arts, according to North to Shore Festival organizers. The initiative provides funding of up to $10,000 for local artists and organizations to produce free or low-cost arts events during the festival period.

Venue and Ticket Information

The Wonder Bar, located at 1213 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, offers an intimate setting for experiencing Delicate Steve’s intricate guitar work. Regular attendees praise the venue’s exceptional sound quality and sight lines, making it ideal for Marion’s nuanced performance style.

Tickets for the Delicate Steve performance are currently available through Ticketmaster, with prices starting at $19.99. The performance begins at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:00 PM for this all-ages show.

Concert-goers are advised to arrive early, as the venue typically fills quickly for North 2 Shore Festival performances. Parking is available in municipal lots near the venue, though public transportation options are recommended due to the expected high attendance at festival events.

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