Event: A Hot Night At The Stone Pony
Note: This is a recap that I wrote for Backstreets.com which ran on July 7. Re-running it here because there’s only so many ways to write a recap! But more photos are included here!
In the middle of the first heat wave of the summer in New Jersey, things got even hotter at The Stone Pony on Saturday night.
The humidity hung in the air all day, and the skies even opened over Asbury Park for a brief rainstorm at one point in the afternoon. All eyes were on the skies as the day wound down – there was a rock ‘n roll show to put on.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were scheduled, along with Garry Tallent of the E Street Band, and Remember Jones, to add a little firecracker pop to the 4th of July weekend on the Jersey Shore.
Weather outlets were consulted, sounds checks were delayed, but by the time Garry (and his band, The Dellavantes) hit the stage, some sun was peeking out giving everyone hope that the show would go on.
Garry, a Neptune, New Jersey, native, was playing in support of his new album, More Like Me, due out on July 27. Influenced by early ’60s garage rock, the sound it bit rockabilly with a lot great guitar work.
The crowd was enjoying the music but then things when to another level when Garry asked a friend to come out to help with vocals on a new song.
Clad in a dark t-shirt, dark jeans, scuffed work boots and a faded New York Yankees cap, Bruce Springsteen came out to cheers from the crowd. Previously, he had been taking in Garry’s show, stage left, nodding along in rhythm to his friend’s tunes.
Saying it was his shortest song, Garry started off and Bruce followed in step on Garry’s new song, Dirty Rotten Shame. The crowed loved to see these two old friends jamming on a Stone Pony stage.
It had been eight years since Bruce had stepped on stage at The Stone Pony (though he and Patti did attend the memorial there for long-time Asbury Park music supporter Kerry Layton in June). This would have been enough for the packed crowd, but it was going to get better.
After a brief intermission, one of Asbury Park’s hottest acts, Remember Jones, took the stage for a shortened set. Remember Jones, fronted by Anthony D’Amato, is a multi-piece unit that boasts a horn section, two keyboard players, backup singers and all the energy you can ask for. Their retro outfits looked like they would feel right at home in the new film set in the late ‘60s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.
Near the end of the Remember Jones set, the sky had turned cloudy again, but their version of Let the Sun Shine by Aquarius made the early evening brighter.
RJ’s outfit designed by Juda Leah Altier
“The Horniest Men in Asbury Park”
General Roshan
Mark Masefield
Singer Stevi Incremona
Singer Taylor Tote
Rain shorten set but super fun.
Between sets, my buddy Zack Sandler, who does promotion for Remember Jones, went about promoting, getting some RJ merch in the hands of the important people.
Of course, the ripple across the crowd was…would Bruce join his old buddy, Southside Johnny, on stage. The last time they shared a stage together was at for the “Upstage Jam,” held during the Asbury Park Music & Film Festival in April 2017. Would it happen again?
The Jukes came out blazing, starting off with I’m Not That Lonely, leading into All I Needed Was You and Woke Up This Morning.
Southside Johnny and Jeff Kazee
Jeff Kazee
John Conte (rear), and Glenn Anderson in front.
Then, after about 12 songs, Johnny gave the crowed what they were hoping for.
“Come on out, Boss Man!”
The packed crowd let out extended versions of “Brrrrrruuuuuccccce!” and grew even more excited as The Jukes and Bruce launched in to Sherry Darling, a special version of The Fever, and an animated Talk to Me.
In all, Bruce would play seven songs with Southside and the Jukes. This didn’t seem to be a show-up-and-play show, this was a full-on performance.
This hot day turned into one of those magical Jersey Shore nights, the kind where the people who missed will wish they had been there (or say they had been) and the people that were there will always remember it.
The rain held up, the crowd stayed strong and music filled the boardwalk.
Pretty much a perfect summer night in Asbury Park.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2019
JerseyStyle Photography 
Only one word for the night and the photos: Wow.
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