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.
In June 2026, YouTube launched its "Music Nights" concert series with a Bleachers performance filmed at the Stone Pony. Jack Antonoff's band played a free show for 900 fans the day after releasing their fifth album "Everyone for Ten Minutes." The full 91-minute concert film is available on the Bleachers Official Artist Channel:
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 schedule includes Chance The Rapper's Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour (August 23), Jack Antonoff and Bleachers presenting Shadow of the City (August 28), Fetty Wap's Nostalgia Tour (August 29), The Front Bottoms' Champagne Jam (September 4), Social Distortion's Born to Kill World Tour (September 5), The Offspring's Just the Punk Stuff tour (September 19), All Time Low (September 25), Charley Crockett's Age of the Ram Tour (October 2), and Rise Against's Ricochet 2026 tour (October 4). The Fray's Summer of Light Tour with Dashboard Confessional plays August 19. The indoor club continues booking local and regional acts year-round, including shows by She Wants Revenge (November 4) and Michelle Branch's Everywhere And Back Again Tour (November 6).
Notable Performances Here
- Bruce Springsteen (September 8, 1974 onward) - Springsteen made his first surprise appearance at the Pony on September 8, 1974, joining the Blackberry Booze Band onstage. Over the following decades, he performed at the Pony more than 100 times, almost always unannounced. On July 6, 2019, Springsteen joined E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent for one song during his opening set, then returned for a seven-song guest set with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes on the Summer Stage.
- Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (1974 to present) - The band evolved from the Blackberry Booze Band and became the Pony's first house band, playing three nights a week. They continue to perform annual Valentine's Day weekend theme shows at the venue. Their 1991 album "Better Days" featured Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt, with promo footage filmed at the Stone Pony.
- The Gaslight Anthem (multiple dates) - The New Brunswick, New Jersey band has played the Stone Pony and Summer Stage repeatedly, including a sold-out show on August 16, 2024 on their History Books tour. Their 2023 album "History Books" features a collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, who co-wrote and sang on the title track. The official video has over 647,000 views on the Gaslight Anthem's YouTube channel:
- Bleachers (June 5, 2026) - Jack Antonoff's band played a free show for 900 fans at the Stone Pony as part of YouTube's Music Nights series, filmed and released as a 91-minute concert film on the Bleachers Official Artist Channel. The show took place the day after the release of their fifth album "Everyone for Ten Minutes."
- Green Day, No Doubt, blink-182, The Kinks, Iggy Pop, and The Ramones - All have played the venue, with several appearing on the expanded Summer Stage since its 2009 renovation.
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.
Related Resources
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Estimate earnings from live shows
- How to Book Your First Tour: Step-by-Step Guide - Practical steps for booking live performances
- Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026 - Revenue streams including live performance
- Guarantee Glossary Definition - How venue guarantees work
- The Stone Pony Official Website - Current show schedule and ticket information
- CBGB - Another legendary American rock club, located in New York City
- Troubadour - A historic singer-songwriter venue in Los Angeles with a similar legacy of launching careers
- Whisky a Go Go - A historic rock club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood
- Cavern Club - A small historic club in Liverpool with a comparable role in British rock history
