Legendary Jersey Shore Party Band ‘Shorty Long’ Hits Boca Friday on Their Florida Tour

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns perform. (Photo: Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns/ Facebook)

With their signature utility trailer hitched on the back of an SUV, complete with the band’s unique logo, the musicians, vocalists and seven-piece horn section that make up “Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns” got on the road late last week to make the trek down I-95 from the Garden State. Tonight, the band will perform at Boca Raton’s Biergarten.

For those with a connection up north, the trailer with the band’s name had to turn heads on the highway. This was a sight usually seen parked outside The Beachcomber on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, or the Surf City Hotel on Long Beach Island. But like many Jersey Shore residents, warm weather came calling just in time for band members to reunite with many of their fans in the Sunshine State for the winter.

“We want to make this a real annual thing – we want to see all of our friends come out here,” said John Kern, guitarist and vocalist for Shorty Long.

The band’s name is derived from the man whose short statute and gigantic personality brought together this unique group of musicians – in the name of music, fun, and flowing drinks along the Shore’s beaches. Ricky “Shorty Long” Tisch stands 3-feet tall due to osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition that affects bone structure. The affliction, however, led Shorty to discover his great talent on the piano and keyboards at an early age, which he combined with his unique singing voice, legendary sense of humor, and even a penchant for rapping “Just A Friend” on stage over drinks with bandmates.

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns perform. (Photo: Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns/ Facebook)

From ’70s classics, to hip-hop, to ’90s and 2000s hits, it’s a band that keeps people dancing and singing all night long.

It’s also not unusual to see Shorty embrace the self-deprecating humor that has made the band an institution that has seen them perform at Philadelphia Eagles and Flyers games, the Standley Cup playoffs, Atlantic City casinos, and pack crowds all year long in Seaside Heights. Armed with a keyboard and a mobility chair that is always decorated for the occasion, Shorty laughs off the stereotypical “short jokes” and embraces the lighter side of life by dressing in costume for the season at hand and wheeling his way through the crowd, taking in the love from fans while singing, rapping and cracking jokes.

“We were looking forward to this so much,” said Kern. “We played in Key West and it was packed – they even offered us a residency, but we’d have to explain that to our relatives in Jersey.”

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns perform. (Photo: Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns/ Facebook)

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns perform. (Photo: Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns/ Facebook)

Shorty Long and Jersey Horns exude fun, and make interaction with fans a central part of their performances. But the musical chops of the band shouldn’t be overshadowed. What began as a “bar band” at The Beachcomber in Seaside Heights turned into a party band with a full horns section that has opened for the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers and has been featured regularly on radio and television stations in their home market. Many of the bandmates run a successful music school in Ocean County, N.J., where they are based.

“Of course our amazing frontman is Shorty, and he has overcome so much in his life,” Kern said. “We try to make the show an uplifting kind of experience. With his chops on piano, ability to sing rap and drive a tractor, he plays his ass off. It’s a lot of fun.”

The “Jersey Horns” section includes trumpets, saxophones and more.

Like many bands that travel, heading to a location where there is a taste of home is always something to look forward to, but South Florida’s undeniable connection with the northeast – especially the Jersey Shore – makes Friday night’s Boca Raton appearance all the more meaningful. The band has already performed in Key West and the Tampa Bay area this week alone.

“There had to have been 20 people who said, ‘I’ve seen you in Seaside, I’ve seen you in LBI!” said vocalist Nicolette Davis. “And this was on a Wednesday.”

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns perform. (Photo: Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns/ Facebook)

Fans can often be identified by wearing the band’s signature tee shirts, featuring the familiar handicap logo occupied by a silhouette of Shorty playing the keyboards and smoking a cigarette.

“When we got on stage, our guitarist saw a bunch of Shorty Long tee shirts,” said Kern. “We were blown away, because when we came out there were 15 Shorty Long logos just emblazoned across the place, and that was just to start.”

Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns will perform Friday at the Biergarten in Royal Palm Place, Boca Raton (309 Via De Palmas), starting at 8:30 p.m.

“There’s going to be a lot of dancing, a lot of sings you’re familiar with, and we just have fun,” Kern said.