The Stone Pony
Encyclopedia
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, is one of the world's best known music venues. It is known as a starting point for many musicians, first and foremost for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who were the house-band for much of the mid-seventies, but also for New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Patti Scialfa
Patti Scialfa
Vivienne Patricia "Patti" Scialfa is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is married to Bruce Springsteen and they have three children.- Early life :...
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, and Bam Bam Bigelow (who worked there as a bouncer before his days as a professional wrestler), and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
native actor/musician "Miami" Steve Van Zandt who was the first guitarist, producer and manager of the Asbury Jukes. According to the vice president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, Robert Santelli, "the club has already earned its place in history as one of rock 'n' roll's great venues. Most rock critics and historians that I come in contact with on a regular basis feel that The Stone Pony is one of the greatest rock clubs of all time."
History
Prior to becoming a music venue, the building housed a restaurant named Mrs. Jay'sMrs. Jay's
Mrs. Jay's was a popular bar and restaurant located in Asbury Park, New Jersey that took on several transformations during its 60 plus years of existence....
, next to which was Mrs. Jay's Beer Garden
Mrs. Jay's Beer Garden
Mrs. Jay's Beer Garden was a popular bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Steven Adler from Guns N' Roses wore a during the "Paradise City" video....
that was frequented by a polyglot community of tourists, high school and college students and bikers. During the mid 1960s, Mrs. Jay's management began to allow bands to perform. After the restaurant and beer garden went out of business in 1968, allegedly over a waitress wearing a see-through blouse, Mrs. Jay's
Mrs. Jay's
Mrs. Jay's was a popular bar and restaurant located in Asbury Park, New Jersey that took on several transformations during its 60 plus years of existence....
moved two doors south and reopened a short time thereafter. The second incarnation of Mrs. Jays became a notorious biker hangout in its later days before being demolished in the late '80s. Harley-Davidsons lined entire blocks after cruising the circuit. The building that originally housed Mrs. Jay's remained dark until 1974 when it reopened under the Stone Pony banner.
Since The Stone Pony opened in 1974, many of the world's most popular musical artists have played on its stage. Because of its importance to the music world, there was a national outcry when there was talk of closing the Pony during the late 1990s. At that time, it was rumored that the popularity of establishments with live, original music was on the decline. The situation was touch and go for a while. The Pony was repeatedly opened and closed as developers targeted Asbury Park through the beginning of the new millennium. Musicians and patrons organized and rallied in support of the Stone Pony. The club was renovated in 2000, preserving the character associated with its early years while adding a permanent exhibition of art and artifacts from the history of the city and the venue itself. State-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment were installed, and outside, facing the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, The Stone Pony Landing area was redone with a beach motif, tenting and a food facility. Fans and artists continued to support the Pony, and the Asbury Park Music Awards returned to the Stone Pony. Eventually, the music community prevailed, a vibrant live music scene reemerged and the crowds returned. "A visit to The Stone Pony has been considered a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to rock 'n' roll fans around the world," said then New Jersey Governor
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
as she officially reopened the club on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend 2000. "It is a place that is important—not just to us, but to the world."
The Stone Pony and the Community
Even before it reopened in 2000, The Stone Pony made a commitment to become involved in the Asbury Park community. The club and the city co-sponsored a weekend-long Asbury Park Festival along the oceanfront. The festival was free to the public and featured local arts and crafts vendors as well as live music both inside and outside the club. The U.S. Postal Service created a special cancellation for the event, and hundreds of people lined up to have envelopes stamped for the occasion. The club was open for business in the evening hours, and part of the proceeds were donated to the Stephen CraneStephen Crane
Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...
House on Fourth Avenue in the city, where the author of The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane . Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound—a "red badge of courage"—to...
lived during much of his short life.
The annual Asbury Park Music Awards
Asbury Park Music Awards
Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA has a rich musical history that includes a strong Blues tradition as well as the Jersey Shore sound. Artists associated with the town include Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Bon Jovi, and many others. Asbury Park's musical history, however, did...
ceremony, founded in 1993 as "The Golden T-Bird Awards" and renamed "The Asbury Park Music Awards" in 1995, is usually held at The Stony Pony. The awards recognize excellence in the region's music community. The format for the ceremony is similar to that of the Grammy Awards. It features the presentation of awards between performances of live, original music and poetry. The event is jointly sponsored by The Stone Pony, The Saint
The Saint (music venue)
The Saint is a music venue located in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is reminiscent of places like The Cellar Door in Washington, DC, CB's 313 Gallery , and The Living Room in New York City and features live, original music. The Saint opened on November 18, 1994...
, WBJB-FM, and The Aquarian.
The Stone Pony has hosted a number of events involving community groups and charities. Proceeds from a concert entitled "Remembering Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
" benefited a charity that fights world hunger, and the club has been designated as an official drop-off point for the Food Bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
s of Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
and Ocean Counties
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
. The club held a fundraising event for the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation and the Acoustic Musicians Guild, and also sponsored a concert at which Bruce Springsteen appeared in support of the Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
Foundation, and a benefit event for the family of a young man who lost his life in a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident.
The club partnered with the community in offering the first Asbury Park showing of a photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
exhibit spotlighting the city by students of the Rugby School at Woodfield for learning disabled
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
and behaviorally challenged students. The Stone Pony's management also established "The Stone Pony Foundation" to promote music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
at the elementary
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
levels. An amplifier was purchased for an aspiring teenage blues guitarist from the area, and the club was a sponsor for an event at another venue which benefited music and art education
Art education
Art education is the area of learning that is based upon the visual, tangible arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practical fields such as commercial graphics and home furnishings...
in Asbury Park schools.