A History of The Stone Pony, Where Springsteen Got His Start

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "A History of The Stone Pony, Where Springsteen Got His Start"

Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Nick Corsaniti, author of I Don't Want to Go Home: The Oral History of the Stone Pony
Air date: June 4, 2024

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Overview of the Episode

This episode delves into the storied past and vibrant present of the Stone Pony, the legendary Asbury Park music venue widely known as Bruce Springsteen’s launch pad. In celebration of the release of Nick Corsaniti’s new oral history book about the venue, the episode explores the intertwining cultural, social, and musical history of the Stone Pony and Asbury Park, gathering insights from the author, listener stories, and live music clips.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why an Oral History?

[04:45 - 05:37]

• Nick Corsaniti discusses choosing the oral history format to capture the colorful, first-person stories from musicians, staff, and local patrons.
  • “When you have so many people who've come through there, so many characters… you want to hear their stories as they tell it. And when you weave it together in an oral history, I think you really get a sense. You get pulled inside the walls or even outside the walls in Asbury park… in a way that normal prose I don't think can really convey.” — Nick Corsaniti [04:45]

2. Researching the Book

[05:37 - 06:44]

• Corsaniti interviewed over 170 people (some multiple times, e.g., Bruce Springsteen twice, Eileen Chapman eight times), accumulating "weeks of tape."
• The book began as an overlong article idea for the New York Times before evolving into a full-scale project over four and a half years.

3. Diversity of Experiences and Opinions

[06:44 - 08:27]

• While most loved the Pony, some, like Dan Jacobson of the Tri City News, critiqued how out-of-town visitors would come for shows but not engage with the broader Asbury Park community.
• Musicians note the venue’s unique shape (wide and shallow), intensifying the performer-fan connection.
  • “It was so fascinating to be on that stage and looking out at a crowd that felt like it was on top of me, that I could read their beer labels.” — Mike McCready, Pearl Jam (via Corsaniti) [07:45]

4. Listener Memories

[08:47 – 09:27, 14:13 – 14:54, 21:33 – 22:11, 29:47 – 30:23]

• Callers from near and far recounted seeing Springsteen jam with Southside Johnny, the safe and electric energy of the club, and even Bruce giving a personal nudge in a crowded bar.

  • “I would see Bruce sitting at the bar in the back… and eventually he would get up and start jamming with Southside Johnny and the Jukes. It was awesome.” — Jeanette, caller from Denver [08:52]
  • “My sister… gets stuck. And all of a sudden she feels someone on her shoulder saying, no, no, don't stop. Keep going. And she turns around and it's Bruce Springsteen trying to make his way to the stage to just jump up and surprise the crowd that night.” — Peggy, caller from Williamsport [14:13]

5. The Symbiotic History of Asbury Park and the Stone Pony

[10:10 – 11:24]

• Corsaniti sees the story of the Stone Pony as inseparable from Asbury Park’s history, including its urban decline, recovery, and the venue’s closures and revivals.
  • “As Asbury was starting to decline… it started to drag the Pony down with it… But… it still was a little bit more resilient… And as it started coming back in 2000… Asbury slowly started to come back. They do kind of depend on each other…” — Nick Corsaniti [10:10]

6. Segregation and the 1970 Riots

[11:24 – 13:12]

• Asbury Park was divided along racial and economic lines; the west side, a thriving Black neighborhood (Springwood Avenue), suffered most in the 1970 riots.

• The destruction of these neighborhoods affected the city’s social and economic future and continues to shape its legacy.

  • “It erupted into riots that destroyed the west side of town where the largely black population lived. And it really decimated that neighborhood. And it's still struggling to come back.” — Nick Corsaniti [12:20]

7. Spontaneity and Accessibility of the Pony

[15:05 – 16:00]

• Bruce Springsteen’s unannounced performances, particularly with Cats on a Smooth Surface in the early ’80s, fueled the Pony’s mystique.

• The possibility of famous musicians mingling with locals distinguished it from other venues.

  • “Everyone had those moments with a real rock star.” — Nick Corsaniti [15:58]

8. Not Just Classic Rock: Musical Diversity

[18:33 – 20:00, 21:33 – 23:40]

• The Stone Pony has hosted artists spanning genres—Jonas Brothers, punk, emo (Bouncing Souls, My Chemical Romance, etc.), jam bands, and beyond.

• The Jonas Brothers played the club before achieving fame, hustling flyers as teens and with “hecklers in the back.”

  • “There's something, I think, about being a musician from this state... it's just a deep root and a deep pride that's always there no matter who the artist is.” — Nick Corsaniti [19:37]

• The “elder emo” punk scene of the ’90s and 2000s also found a home at the Pony, cited as a launching pad for bands like My Chemical Romance and Midtown.

  • “The Pony was our big stage... I was obviously young and very into punk… But punk was what was guiding me there.” — Nick Corsaniti [22:19]

9. Venue Resilience and Adaptation

[25:35 – 27:28]

• After closing twice (1991, 1998), the Pony reinvented itself, shifting from a full-time neighborhood bar to a curated music venue.

• In the ’90s, promoter Tony Palagrosi embraced the punk and jam band scenes, whose “fearless fans” kept the music going.

  • “Punk fans, they're fine with violence. They live on the edge… Jam fans will go where the music is… Punk and jam is kind of what really kept the Pony alive in the 90s.” — Nick Corsaniti [26:38]

10. Local Bands That Never Broke Out

[27:39 – 29:41]

• Listeners asked about beloved local bands who never made it big; Corsaniti highlights Lord Gunner and punk band Lanemeyer.
• Local acts still get to open for major bands, keeping the spirit alive.

11. The Role of LGBTQ+ and Black Bars

[30:23 – 31:21]

• A listener texted to remind that “gay bar and black bars kept Asbury Park going when the city was… in some of its worst years.”

  • “It's a crucial part of the history. You see all the shirts that say, Music Saved Asbury Park, and that's an important part of the spirit. But it never would have had the opportunity to save Asbury Park if it wasn't for the LGBT community. They came… and invested and built a community… it's still vibrant to this day.” — Nick Corsaniti [30:47]

12. 40th Anniversary of "Born in the U.S.A." and Book Release

[04:26, 32:15 – 32:20]

• The book’s publication coincides with the 40th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. Corsaniti calls it “kismet.”
• The show ends with a live clip of Bruce at the Pony, celebrating the lasting communal joy of surprise performances.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On oral history:

  • “You get pulled inside the walls… in a way that normal prose I don't think can really convey.” — Nick Corsaniti [04:52]

• On Springsteen’s secret shows:

  • “It was this randomness and this spontaneity that created this addiction to the place. And everyone had those moments with a real rock star.” — Nick Corsaniti [15:55]

• On venue design:

  • “It was so fascinating… looking out at a crowd that felt like it was on top of me, that I could read their beer labels.” — Mike McCready, recounted by Corsaniti [07:45]

• On Asbury’s ongoing recovery:

  • “It started a lot of flight… and left this once booming resort that was a destination for even people from New York City kind of in question.” — Nick Corsaniti [12:44]

• On resilience and community:

  • “It never would have had the opportunity to save Asbury park if it wasn't for the LGBT community… it's such an important part of Asbury's history and culture, you know, to this day.” — Nick Corsaniti [30:47]

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Important Segments and Timestamps

• The oral history format explained: [04:45 – 05:37]
• Listener memories – Springsteen jamming: [08:52, 14:13]
• The Pony’s unique layout and impact: [06:52 – 08:27]
• Segregation/Riots in Asbury Park: [11:24 – 13:12]
• The club’s musical evolution and diversity: [18:33 – 23:40]
• Resilience, revivals, and scene survival: [25:35 – 27:28]
• Local bands and fostering new talent: [27:39 – 29:41]
• The LGBTQ+ and Black bar legacy: [30:23 – 31:21]
• Anniversary connections and celebration: [04:26, 32:15 – 32:20]

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Episode Mood and Takeaways

The tone throughout is celebratory, nostalgic, and inclusive, echoing the camaraderie and communal history that defines both the Stone Pony and Asbury Park. The show was peppered with personal stories, listener calls, and live music snippets that transported listeners into the heart of the club and its city. Corsaniti’s reflections, made more potent by specific recollections, highlighted that the Stone Pony is more than just a music venue—it’s a cultural crucible for locals, legends, and every dreamer who ever played or partied there.

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Final Note

The episode wraps with a special invitation:

• The Stone Pony book launch party – Saturday, June 8, 7pm (music at 8pm), promising surprise guests and a live sonic journey through everything chronicled in the book.

“We're going to have a house band. There's going to be special guest appearances... It's gonna be like everything we talk about in the book. And, you know, we'd love to see you there.” — Nick Corsaniti [31:47]

And, fittingly, Bruce Springsteen’s sound rises over a jubilant crowd, encapsulating fifty years of music, memory, and resilience at Asbury Park's beating heart.

Transcript

[Kusha Navadar]

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[Nick Corsaniti]

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[Caller/Listener]

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[Musician/Singer]

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[Nick Corsaniti]

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[Nick Corsaniti]

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[Kusha Navadar]

This is all of it on WNYC. I'm Kusha Navadar in for Alison Stewart. That's a live 1991 performance by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who were the first house band at the legendary Stone Stone Pony. Since it opened 50 years ago, it's been the anchor of the Asbury park music scene. Now its story is told in a new book titled I Don't Wanna Go the Oral History of the Stone Pony. The book includes interviews with Steven Van Zand, Southside Johnny, Patti Smith, the Jonas Brothers, Jack Antonoff, and other legendary musicians, including of course, Bruce Springsteen, who wrote the foreword, as well as people like actor Russell Crowe and at least two former governors of New Jersey. In in short, it's a comprehensive look at a place that is one of the most important music venues on the east coast, if not the country. I Don't Want to Go Home is by Nick Corsiniti and he joins us now. Hey, Nick, welcome to the show.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Thanks for having me.

[Kusha Navadar]

Absolutely. And, listeners, we know you've got experiences to share, so we want to hear from you, too. What are your experiences with the Stone Pony? What's the most memorable performance you've seen there? Why is it an important place for you? Give us a call. We're at 21243 9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. You can also text us at that number. Or if you have a memory about Asbury park in the 1970s, you can share. Hit us up. We're at 212-433-9692. Or DM us on socials. We're on X and Instagram. We're at all of it. Wnyc. So, Nick, let's dive into it. I got to say, you know, today is publication day. June 4th. Congratulations.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Thank you.

[Kusha Navadar]

And June 4th is a significant day in music history, for it was on this date, 40, that this album was released.

[Musician/Singer]

Born down in a dead man's town the first kick I took was when I hit the ground End up like a dog I spent beat too much Till you spend half your life just covering up Now Born in the USA I was.

[Kusha Navadar]

So is it a coincidence that your book is being released on the anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's bestselling album?

[Nick Corsaniti]

I'm gonna call it kismet.

[Caller/Listener]

Maybe.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Certainly not necessarily planned, but maybe, you know, in the cosmos, this is what it was always meant to be.

[Kusha Navadar]

Well, lovely. So tell me why in oral history.

[Nick Corsaniti]

So a place like the pony that's been around for so long, to me, is just filled with stories. And when you have so many people who've come through there, so many characters, like you were saying, who are in the book, from Bruce and Stevie and Southside to the Jonas Brothers to Zach Wilde to Russell Crowe, I felt like you want to hear from them, right? You want to hear their stories as they tell it. And when you weave it together in an oral history, I think you really get a sense. You get pulled inside the walls or even outside the walls in Asbury park, as I try and do a few other times in a way that normal prose I don't think can really convey. And it's just so fascinating to hear, you know, pretty much, you know, unedited from their mouths, what the place was like. And so that's, I think, why an oral history was. Was the best fit for a place that's just meant so much to so many people. And Seen so many different iterations of itself.

[Kusha Navadar]

Tell us a little bit about the process then. How many people did you reach out to? How many hours of tape did you record?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Oh, hours and probably weeks of tape. To be perfectly honest. I interviewed over about 170 people. Not everyone ended up making the final cut of the book. And There was over 200 interviews because I talked to a lot of people multiple times. I talked to Springsteen twice. I talked to Eileen Chapman I think the most. I think I interviewed her about eight times and it took a long time. This started as an article in the New York Times in 2018. And my first draft that I filed with my editor was about 15,000 words, which is about 13,000 too much. And I just real. And like all of it felt so vital. I mean you always over file, right? But like I was like, there's more here. And I was actually talking to my former editor who's, who's now the managing editor of the New York Times, Carolyn Ryan. And she was like, there's a book here. And so that's when we kind of started going down the road. So while it was a four and a half year journey, it really was a more like full time occupation for like the past year.

[Kusha Navadar]

What surprised you about these interviews? Did you feel like you got a diversity of opinions or was everyone just like, yeah, the Stone Pony's great?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Well, I think you got a diversity of opinions as to why the Stone Pony helped them, but I don't think everyone was like, it's great, right? There was a really interesting interview I did with Dan Jacobson, who runs a local newspaper in Asbury park called the Tri City News. And when Asbury was really struggling in the late 90s and early 2000s and the people who were there were trying to start to build it back, so many people from out of town were like coming to the Stone Pony and leaving immediately. And he was like, you know, it started to bother me because our only reputation was we have this thing that people come to and leave and they don't understand that there are people still living here. And like, yes, it's bad, but we need to build it back. So there was a few people who were like, you know, I respect it for what it is, but I wish people saw what else was in Asbury park yet. You know, so many artists are like playing there is different. It's not the way you would ever make a rock club now. Right. Like, most are long hauls with a stage in the back and you know, everyone can kind of get as close as they want. And, you know, bars on the side. The Pony is very wide but very shallow. So for an artist, you really feel like the fans are on top of you, you know? And I was interviewing people who've played, like Mike McCready from Pearl Jam. He's played every venue, you know, possible. They started in bars and basements, and now they play arenas. And he was like, it was so fascinating to be on that stage and looking out at a crowd that felt like it was on top of me, that I could read their beer labels. Wow. And that was not something I'd felt in forever. So I think it feels different but similarly important to so many different artists. And that really, I think, came across as I was talking to them.

[Kusha Navadar]

Listeners, if you have an experience with the Stone Pony, we want to hear from you. What's your most memorable performance you've seen there? Have you had an artist who was able to read your beer can while you were watching them perform? Give us a call or at 212-43. Nick, we've got some calls, and I'd love to take Jeanette from Denver. Hey, Jeanette, welcome to the show.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi, how are you?

[Kusha Navadar]

Good, thanks. What's your experience with the Stone Pony?

[Caller/Listener]

Well, I'm from Spring Lake, a few towns away from Asbury Park. I would go there when I was 18. I would see Bruce sitting at the bar in the back bar, just having a beer. And eventually he would get up and start jamming with Southside Johnny and the Jukes. It was awesome. I also saw Bob Skaggs play there. It was a safe, fun environment. I have five brothers, and one night all of us were there. And I think we got home at 4am it was the best time, and cheap and a great environment.

[Kusha Navadar]

Wonderful, Jeanette, thank you so much for that call. We've also got Mike in Manhattan. Hey, Mike, welcome to the show.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Thanks for taking my call. I grew up in Jersey, near Asbury park in the 60s and 70s, and went to see many great shows at the Stone Pony and a lot of other important venues that were in Asbury then. The city was starting to decline, but there were still a lot of great places to see music.

[Kusha Navadar]

Wonderful, Mike. Thank you so much for that. And, you know, I love that you mentioned the evolution of both Asbury park and the Stone Pony because the book is really a history of both the Stone Pony and Asbury Park. Both have had booms and busts. Can you, Nick, tell us how they're intertwined?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Yeah. As I've always said, the whole Reason I wanted to do this book about the Stone Pony was because I wanted to tell the story of Asbury Park's renaissance. You know, it's really come back if you're there now, and it's a relationship that's not a mirror, but they're deeply interwoven. So, you know, as Asbury was starting to decline in the late 80s, and it was struggling like a lot of small towns where industry was leaving, developers were making the kind of wrong bets, and local governments were kind of beholden to them, it starts to crater. And as it cratered, it started to drag the Pony down with it. But I think because of the Springsteen and Southside and national acts, like she mentioned, Boz Skaggs coming, it still was a little bit more resilient in that late 80s kind of first nadir. But then in the late 90s, when it really got bad, it bottomed out, and the Pony couldn't withstand it. And it also closed for more than two years before it was reopened. And as it started coming back in 2000, with Dominic Santana as the owner, Asbury slowly started to come back. And so it is this kind of interwoven relationship where one. I don't want to say one can't succeed without the other, but they really do kind of depend on each other in a way that I don't think a lot of venues have that same relationship with a town.

[Caller/Listener]

Right.

[Kusha Navadar]

And, you know, one part of the history of Asbury park that I found is interesting. I think probably a lot of people have forgotten is how segregated Asbury park was and how that led to even riots in 1970. Can you tell us more about that?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Yeah. So the town of Asbury park is almost divided by train tracks. And the east side of town, which is closer to the ocean, was mostly white, upper middle class, especially in the 60s. And then on the west side was a mostly black neighborhood. But it was also a thriving neighborhood. Springwood Avenue was a main street that had jazz clubs that all the legends played at. Ella Fitzgerald, you know, Sam and Dave, they all played there. And it led to an intermingling of musicians in a way that would eventually impact how Bruce Springsteen wrote his music. You know, Gary Talent was over in those clubs playing bass with some of those artists. Vinny Lopez wasn't old enough to get in, so he would just stand outside and listen. But the economic opportunities on the east side were quickly dwindling for people on the west side, and that led to a lot of tension in the 1970s, and this was something that was happening in a lot of towns and cities across the country at that time. In Newark, right before then was a much bigger and unfortunately much more tragic riot. But in the summer of 1970, it erupted into riots that destroyed the west side of town where the largely black population lived. And it really decimated that neighborhood. And it's still struggling to come back. And it started a lot of flight out of Asbury park into Ocean. It kind of doomed the schools. And it left this once booming resort that was a destination for even people from New York City. Kind of in question, listeners.

[Kusha Navadar]

We're talking about the Stone Pony, the venerated music venue in Asbury park and the city of Asbury park itself. We're talking to Nick Corsaniti about his new book, Today's Publishing Day. It's called I Don't Want to Go the Oral History of the Stone Pony. We're taking your calls and your texts. We're at 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. If you've got a memory of the Stone Pony or a memory of Asbury park from the 70s, give us a call. Send us a text, 212-343-3992. I'm going to read out some text, then we'll go to a call. Here's a text that said, I remember the riots seeming a plume of smoke over the city, still a very segregated city. Got another text that says the pony and AP are forever linked to Jersey Shore legend. Please come visit us this summer. We are the Gold coast of northeastern US and then two smiley emojis. So shout out to the Gold coast of the northeastern U.S. we've also got Peggy from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Hey, Peggy, welcome to the show.

[Caller/Listener]

Thank you. I grew up in the area, and my sister was a regular on Sunday nights at the Stone Pony. This would be the early to mid-80s, when cats on a smooth service would be playing and Bruce often showed up unannounced. And so my sister was coming back from the bathroom, making her way to the stage. And we grew up in the bar business, so she knew how to part a crowd. So she's weaving her way through, but she gets stuck. And all of a sudden she feels someone on her shoulder saying, no, no, don't stop. Keep going. And she turns around and it's Bruce Springsteen trying to make his way to the stage to just jump up and surprise the crowd that night.

[Kusha Navadar]

Peggy, that's such a cool story. Thank you so much, Nick. You know, I listen to Peggy. And I think there are probably so many local stories. How many locals did you talk to as a part of this?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Oh, dozens. You know, from bartenders to just patrons to bouncers, there were just so many people had these stories and these personal interactions with, you know, Bruce Springsteen or Stevie Van Zander, Southside Johnny. And they're just like that, like in the crowd in a way that's almost unfathomable now, right? Like Bruce, especially after Born in the USA comes out. He's one of the most famous people in the world. It's like him and Michael Jackson. So imagine now if Taylor Swift just started going to a small bar like the Frenzy that would happen after that. And it was happening on a weekly basis, as she mentioned, with cats on a smooth surface. Summer of 1982, Bruce was there almost every Sunday. It was never billed. He never was paid or anything like that. But it was this randomness and this spontaneity that created this addiction to the place. And everyone had those moments with a real rock star.

[Kusha Navadar]

You mentioned Southside Johnny. The book's title comes from a Southside Johnny and the Asbury Juke Song. And I think we deserve one more Southside Johnny song before we go to break. Here he is performing the song It's Been a Long Time with Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen. Let's listen.

[Musician/Singer]

Down in the club Listen to the blues all night Girls out on corner got lonely now we need we never be that great again it's been a long time since we lived together it's been a long time since we cried Raise the glass to the comrades we've lost, my friend it's been a long, long.

[Kusha Navadar]

We're talking about the book I Don't Want To Go Home, the Oral History of the Stone Pony. Listeners, if you've got an experience with the Stone Pony or with Asbury park, give us a call. We're at 212-433-9692. We're here with Nick Corsaniti. When we come back after a short break, we're going to take more of your calls and talk more about the history. Stay with us. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Kusha Navadar, and we are here with Nick Corsiniti talking about I Don't Want to Go Home, the Oral History of the Stone Pony. It's his new book that is getting published today. Congrats again on that, Nick. And it is about the Stone Pony and Asbury park and the music legends that have frequented this legendary music venue, listeners, we're also taking your calls and your texts. 212-433-9692. If you've got a memory about either the city or the Stone Pony itself. Now, Nick, lest anyone think that the music that gets played at the Stone Pony is limited to classic rock, let's offer a corrective. The Jonas Brothers have performed at the Stone Pony. And you interviewed them for your book. Actually, they first played before they were 18 years old. So tell us about it.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Yeah, so it's a little known story in pony history is that before the Jonas Brothers were signed or anything, you know, they were just another band that was trying to make it in New Jersey and they inked a gig at the Pony. But there's rules that, you know, you either have to be over 18 or 21 if you're going to play late, if there's liquor being served. So they had to play a little bit earlier in the day. It wasn't a sellout. So this is, you know, mid to, I think it was 2005, Asbury Park. It's coming back, but the boardwalk's still slightly dangerous place. And here's these younger teen Jonas Brothers running around with flyers being like, please come to our show. They said that when they were playing, they were getting heckled a little bit by some of the people in the back who were like, what is going on here? But it was right before they would take off. And there's actually a picture in the book of them playing as very young artists wearing Tiger Beat shirts. And so when the VMAs came back to New Jersey, they wanted to go back to the Pony and Asbury park and play there because it meant something to them. They have, I think a lot of New Jersey artists actually have this connection to their home, these roots. Even artists who would move away, like the Lumineers, right, They're thought of as a Colorado band, but Wes is from New Jersey. And as soon as you start talking to them about it, it flows out. And there's something, I think, about being a musician from this state, as Southside called it the joke state, that, you know, it's just a deep root and a deep pride that's always there no matter who the artist is. And the Jonas Brothers are another example of that.

[Kusha Navadar]

And, you know, it's interesting, like you said, they made their triumphant return at the 2019 MTA Video Music Awards, and they performed live at the Stone Pony. Let's listen to them from that performance. Here they are playing Sucker.

[Musician/Singer]

Yeah, Finish it in A simple when you found me I've been dancing on top of cars it's stumbling out of bars I follow you through the dark and getting out you're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo it's on my brain Baby, you know it's obvious I'm a sucker for you Sin what a younger way whereby leave I'm a sucker for you yeah Anyone to take you know the truth.

[Kusha Navadar]

That was the Jonas Brothers playing Sucker live at the 2019 MTV VMAs from the stone Pony. I said MTA before they were not playing on the A train or something. And I gotta say, Nick, you know, we were talking about this during the break. It is so vibrant and visceral to hear those live recordings and the way that you described the stage, where it was shallow and wide, you can.

[Nick Corsaniti]

You can.

[Kusha Navadar]

You can feel the energy almost. I want to go to a caller Dan in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Hey, Dan, welcome to the show.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, thank you for taking my call. Appreciate it.

[Kusha Navadar]

Absolutely. What's your memory?

[Caller/Listener]

So I just wanted to give a shout out to the Stone Pony summer stage. I've been to some shows inside, but the summer stage, they open up in the summertime, is also super cool. I'm in my early 30s, what some might call an elder emo, and I've seen some really, really fun post hardcore and pop punk shows there. It's kind of been a staple of the summer. I go every year. I have a couple shows planned this year. It's just a really cool vibe, really cool venue. And this is a great conversation. I'm really enjoying hearing more about it.

[Kusha Navadar]

Dan, thank you so much. Elder emo. Respect. Gotta love that. Nick, your experience with the Stone Pony starts with Jersey's punk scene. Tell us about it.

[Nick Corsaniti]

It does. My first concert ever actually was the warped tour in 1998 with my dad, which was held in the Stone Pony lot. And I grew up in the New Jersey punk scene, which was taking place in basements and church halls and Legion halls. And it was very diy, but it was so influential to what would become modern emo. I mean, my Chemical Romance comes from there. And they now sell out arenas. Bands like Brand New taking Back Sunday, if they're not from Jersey, they were playing in Jersey. The starting line, Midtown. Midtown is from Jersey. All of these bands were playing there. And the Pony was our big stage, you know, and eventually we got Starline Ballroom. But that's kind of what drew me in initially. I was obviously young and very into punk. I loved Bruce growing up in New Jersey. But punk was what was guiding me there and what brought me there to see bands like less than Jake, Catch 22, Blink 182, before they were very big. It was a great place to see a show. And it was funny because, as I was mentioning, it's a weirdly laid out thing. So in these shows where pits and crowd surfing is part of the experience, it's very different when a pit forms in a very shallow crowd versus a deep thing. So there was numerous times you caught a stray elbow or a shoe to the head or anything like that. But it just made it all the more special.

[Kusha Navadar]

Well, Dan, who just called us before, I want to give out a shout out to you for using the phrase elder Emo. And I think that it's a great segue into the next clip that we have. Let's listen to one of the bands that you, Nick, talked about, the Bouncing Souls. Here they are playing Ghosts on the Boardwalk.

[Musician/Singer]

I say lonely, pulled away by the tide and lost at sea oh, your sense is so gay I'm so heavy that you can't breath, you can't breathe.

[Kusha Navadar]

That was the Bouncing Souls playing Ghosts on the Boardwalk. We're talking to Nick Corsaniti about his book I Don't Want To Go Home, the Oral history of the Stone Pony. And we're taking your calls, listeners, about your memories of the Stone Pony or of Asbury Park. Give us a call. We're at 212-433-9692. That's 212433, WNYC. Nick, the Stone Pony seems to be musically heterodox. Like, yes, there are the Jersey Springsteen and South Saijani, Bon Jovi, et cetera. But they book punk acts, they book rappers, they book folks that we just listened to. How did the Stone Pony survive longer term? It feels like it circled the drain several times, like you mentioned. Actually files for bankruptcy in the 90s. It closed, it reopened. How did they weather all of those storms?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Well, sometimes they didn't. As you know, they closed twice. But I think what's really interesting is in the first iteration of the pony, from 74 to 91, it was like a neighborhood bar with a good stage. And it was where Bruce Springsteen was playing in Southside Johnny. And you had these house bands and you had this scene that was so vibrant. But as they got older and as the city started to kind of crumble, that faded away. And, you know, it's, I guess, the bottoming out. And the end of that was when it closed in 91. It quickly was bought and reopened, but it was very different. It became a music venue. It was no longer open seven days a week. It didn't have live music seven days a week. You couldn't just go in and get a beer. It was now a venue. And, you know, a guy named Tony Palagrosi saw music changing. And what's funny is he was once in the Asbury Jukes. So he was playing in the Pony in, you know, the late 70s, and then he became a music promoter. And the music that they started playing in the 90s was what was working in the 90s. It was alternative rock, it was punk, it was jam. There was, you know, Mo and bands that were really big in the 90s jam scene were playing there all the time, in part because. And I kind of love this idea. Punk and jam have fans that are fearless for very different reasons. You know, punk fans, they're fine with violence. They live on the edge. They're gonna go anywhere. You know, CBGB's was open. It wasn't in the best era. You still went and saw your shows. And Jam fans will go where the music is. They'll follow the dead into the desert, but they'll go right. So punk and jam is kind of what really kept the Pony alive in the 90s. When it closes just kind of due to everything in 98 and it reopens in 2000 with Dominic Santana, it blends that, you know, it brings back Bruce and John Eddy and Southside and, you know, music that had made it, you know, what it was, but it still stayed true to, I think, the music that was getting popular. Emo was becoming very big at the Pony at that time. And it's kind of used that mix all the way to this day.

[Kusha Navadar]

Wow. We've got some texts and a call. I want to read this text. I think it's an interesting question you might be able to answer. What was the best band out of that area that never really, quote, unquote, made it?

[Nick Corsaniti]

Oh, wow. I'll go with. I'll go with a band called Lord Gunner. They were fronted by a guy named Lance Larson. It's kind of tough to find recordings. I wasn't alive when they were at their peak, but they were playing the Pony and they were packing it out in a way that was bringing a lot of locals who were fervent fans of the band. And Lance Larson was such a front man. He would do all sorts of crazy stuff. There's stories in the book about him breaking glass on his head in the middle of songs and then he grew an afro and he was getting glass caught in it and trying to pull it out and was cutting his hands, but he didn't care. That's how hard he played. And you know, they got signed. There was a couple bands that would get signed in the late 70s on that kind of, you know, coattails of the Springsteen sound. And they never really made it out of Asbury park, but they were still really, really good. And so I think that would probably be it from that era, from the punk era. I mean, there's just so many bands that like, are still beloved in the state that, you know, either broke up or, you know, just never really kind of caught on. I think of one called Lanemeyer that I loved going to see. And you know, Jack Antonoff, who was actually in a punk band before Bleachers called the Outline, he was in a lot of those basement shows that I was talking about earlier. And there's a picture that Lanemeyer just put up of Jack Antonoff in the crowd with like dyed blonde hair. And he's using, you know, I think in a recent interview he's like, I'm gonna use some of their lyrics for an upcoming song. But there's, you know, there's. So when you have a local venue that even when you're just doing national acts, but you're allowing local bands to either do battles with bands or open up for big ones, that's a big thing the Pony does now is local artists get to open up for major artists. So a guy I love right now, Bobby Mahoney, I think he's playing sometime next week. You know, he's opened up for some major bands like Bon Jovi and. And it's got that kind of still tied to the local scene and still promoting the national acts too.

[Kusha Navadar]

Well, we've got time for one more caller. Let's go to Tim in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Hey Tim, welcome to the show.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey. Hi, how are you? Thanks for taking my call. So this is a great show. I'm really enjoying it. So I'm a little bit older probably than the typical emo person. I'm a 58 year old that got into it kind of later in life from my eldest son. And all this talk about the Stone Pony is really cool. I'm actually now going to a Show on the 12th to see the Used. I'm a huge Used fan and I've been saw them there twice before. And just this summer stage thing has been amazing. So this is just really, really fun to Hear. So I just appreciate this show.

[Kusha Navadar]

Tim, thank you so much. I appreciate you calling in. There's a text that just came through that I'd like to read. It says, also, while I appreciate the Music Saved Asbury park slogan, it does not speak to the fact that gay bar and black bars kept Asbury park going when the city was. When the city was in some of its worst years of struggle. So thank you so much, listeners, for doing that. That is a really important part of the history as well, right, Nick?

[Nick Corsaniti]

It's a crucial part of the history. You know, you see all the shirts that say, music saved Asbury park, and that's an important part of the spirit. But it never would have had the opportunity to save Asbury park if it wasn't for the LGBT community. They came to Asbury when, you know, there was nothing there and invested and built a community there that was so open and welcoming and kept it coming. And it's still vibrant to this day. Like the Pride Parade in Asbury is a massive citywide event. You know, we closed down streets. It's such an important part of Asbury's history and culture, you know, to this day. Yeah.

[Kusha Navadar]

Well, let's go out on some music. As we talked about earlier, Today is the 40th anniversary of the release of Born in the USA. Here's a clip. We're going to play it in a second of Bruce playing at the Stone Pony. But before we go to that, I just want to say, Nick, thank you so much for joining us. The book is I Don't Want to Go Home, the Oral History of the Stone Pony. It's by Nick Coraciniti. Today was publishing day. Nick, thank you so much.

[Nick Corsaniti]

Thank you. And if I could just say one more quick thing. We're throwing a massive party at the Stone Pony this Saturday. That's going to be like everything in the book. We're going to have a house band. There's going to be special guest appearances. Some. Some that are not billed. Others are from great bands like Skid Row, the Gaslight Anthem, Bouncing Souls, the Smithereens, Mark Ribler from the Disciples of Souls leading the music. It's gonna be a blast. It's gonna be like everything we talk about in the book. And, you know, we'd love to see you there.

[Kusha Navadar]

And can you say one more time when that is?

[Nick Corsaniti]

It is Saturday, June 8, 7pm Music at 8.

[Kusha Navadar]

Wonderful. So that was Nick Corsaniti. We're gonna go out on some music. As we talked about, Today was the 40th anniversary of Born in the USA. Here's a clip of a show Bruce played at The Stone Pony four days later, June 8th in what was a surprise show. And while many people didn't know for sure Bruce would show up, they were sure glad that he did. As you'll hear from the crowd singing along, let's listen.

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