Asbury Park Convention Hall Gabriel, Elvis Costello, The Clash, No Doubt and The Goo Goo Dolls played the hall. Beginning in the late 1990s Convention Hall gained a strong association with Bruce Springsteen. He held rehearsals for upcoming tours there (with fans standing outside to get early ideas of what the shows would bring), some ticketed public rehearsal shows, and several December holiday shows in conjunction with The Max Weinberg 7. The large lighted sign on the top of Convention Hall now reads "Greetings from Asbury Park", in reference to Springsteen's 1973 debut album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." During the 2000s, acts have
Weird NJ the legend of the "Hookerman" Lights and the life of Zip the Pinhead. Subjects covered include the Evil Clown of Middletown, Midgetville,"Gates of Hell," Shades of Death Road, Clinton Road, Demon Alley, and the Devil's Tower. The painting of a grinning face named Tillie from the Palace Amusements building in Asbury Park has appeared in many "Weird NJ" books and on the magazine covers. In 2003 a "Weird NJ" book, made up of content from earlier issues, was published. The next year saw the follow-up "Weird US", covering sites and stories across the country. That led to a series of