Music Venue

The Stone Pony

Iconic Jersey Shore music club opened in 1974 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes got their start here. Capacity 300 indoors with a seasonal outdoor Summer Stage.

Asbury Park, USA

300 capacity

Est. 1974

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Music Genres

rockbluessinger-songwriterindie

About The Stone Pony

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The Stone Pony is a music venue at 913 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey, opened on February 8, 1974 by John P. "Jack" Roig and Robert "Butch" Pielka. The club holds approximately 300 people indoors and operates a seasonal outdoor Summer Stage with a larger capacity. Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Steven Van Zandt all performed there regularly in the mid-1970s, making it one of the most famous rock clubs in the United States.

History and Architecture

The building that houses the Stone Pony previously served as a restaurant called Mrs. Jay's and later as a short-lived disco called The Magic Touch. Roig purchased the abandoned disco and enlisted Pielka as general manager. Opening night was a disaster: seven inches of snow fell, the heating system failed, and total receipts for the night were one dollar.

By late 1974, foreclosure loomed. The Blackberry Booze Band, featuring "Southside" Johnny Lyon and Steven Van Zandt, began playing the club's worst nights. They drew crowds that kept the doors open. The band evolved into Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Pony's first house band, playing three nights a week.

Bruce Springsteen made his first surprise appearance at the Pony on September 8, 1974, joining the Blackberry Booze Band onstage. He had already released two albums by that point. Over the following decades, Springsteen performed at the Pony more than 100 times, almost always unannounced. On Memorial Day weekend 1976, a live radio broadcast of the Asbury Jukes' debut album release party, with Springsteen as a guest, aired on nine stations across the eastern and midwestern United States. That broadcast put the Stone Pony on the national map.

The club closed briefly in 1998 when the owner attempted to convert it into a dance club called Vinyl. Southside Johnny made a surprise appearance during the "Pony's Last Ride" farewell weekend. The venue reopened and continued hosting national acts. In 2009, the Summer Stage was expanded, allowing the Pony to host larger outdoor concerts during the warmer months. Acts like Green Day, No Doubt, blink-182, The Kinks, Iggy Pop, and The Ramones have all played the venue.

In 2024, the Stone Pony celebrated its 50th anniversary. New Jersey officials proclaimed February 8 as Stone Pony Day, with Governor Phil Murphy calling to congratulate the staff. The club hosted a panel with the Bruce Springsteen Archives and founding owner Roig to mark the occasion.

2026 Season

The Stone Pony Summer Stage runs from May through September 2026. The 2026 schedule includes The Gaslight Anthem with Brian Fallon on June 14, The Front Bottoms' Champagne Jam on September 4, and Rise Against's Ricochet tour. The venue also hosts a Soccer Finals Viewing Party on July 19 in partnership with the North 2 Shore Festival. The indoor club continues booking local and regional acts year-round.

How the Venue Operates

The Stone Pony operates as a general admission venue. The indoor club holds roughly 300 people and runs year-round. The Summer Stage, an outdoor area adjacent to the main building, operates seasonally and accommodates larger crowds. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster and the venue's official website. The club is located on Ocean Avenue, one block from the Asbury Park boardwalk and beach.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The Stone Pony is a proving ground for Jersey Shore musicians and touring acts on the club circuit. The venue has a long history of booking local openers for national headliners, and its indoor stage remains accessible to independent acts building a regional following. Asbury Park has developed a concentrated music scene around the Pony, with nearby venues like the Saint and the Asbury Lanes offering additional booking opportunities.

For artists planning a tour through the Northeast, the Stone Pony represents a career milestone venue. Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model what different venue sizes mean for your touring income. Read our guide on how to book your first tour for a practical framework on building from small clubs to larger rooms.