They’re already booking bands for Frantic City 2023, and HoldFast sees room for growth, with so much open space near the Boardwalk. This year’s Frantic City has a capacity of 4,000 and ticket sales have been strong, HoldFast and Abramson said. It’s just a perfect fit for our crowd and the people and the bands we deal with.” “Atlantic City is kind of a spot now,” he says, citing the executive order Mayor Marty Small signed last year allowing people to drink openly on the Boardwalk as one attractive feature. HoldFast compared Atlantic City to Asbury Park two decades ago. “People who aren’t just interested in the casinos.” The aim is “to bring a younger, more diverse crowd to Atlantic City,” says Abramson, who co-promoted a show with Philly punks Dead Milkmen at Anchor Rock Club this month. » READ MORE: An indie venue is coming to life in Atlantic City from a team with Johnny Brenda’s cred “There’s a lot more culture going on down there than people realize,” says Joe HoldFast, founder of HoldFast Records in Asbury Park, whose partner Todd Abramson was longtime booker at Maxwell’s in Hoboken and currently books White Eagle Hall in Jersey City. The festival is being booked by two promoters from further north in Jersey who are bullish on Atlantic City.
