I've spent 1,000 nights at the Stone Pony, and found a community of music lovers

The first time I set foot in the Stone Pony was the fall of 1979.

I don't even remember who was playing, but I do remember being in awe. Here was the place where Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes honed their craft, where Bruce Springsteen was known to drop in on a regular basis, a spot local musicians thought of as the neighborhood bar for the Jersey Shore scene.

I was only 18 that first time, a freshman at Rutgers who was dating a sophomore who grew up at the Shore. Since that long-ago night, the Pony has become my "local," the venue I've visited the most. It's where I met one boyfriend and strengthened my relationship with another (one might say I should pick another spot to look for relationships).

It's where I've made lifelong friends, where I found a community of music lovers that I feel privileged to belong to.

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Have I really spent 1,000 nights (and days) in the Stone Pony? I'm not sure, but who's counting anyway? I do know that I've spent some fabulous times there, seeing amazing shows and hanging out in the "living room" we've created at the back bar.

I grew up in South Jersey, and was too young to be in Asbury Park when Southside and the Jukes were the first house band. I missed the early days of great local bands, too, like Cahoots, Cold, Blast and Steel, The Shots, and The Shakes.

But starting in the early 1980s, the Pony became my hangout — and my visits picked up when I moved to the Jersey Shore. Wednesdays with Bobby Bandiera, and Sunday nights with Cats on a Smooth Surface were required weekly viewing for me and my friends. We were even given a nickname by Bandiera: "the Jersey tomatoes."

I think I used to drive DJ Lee Mrowicki nuts when I asked him to play "Shelter" by Lone Justice almost every night.

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The stage, the drinks, and of course, Bruce

The ironic thing about the Pony in those days was that it wasn't the best place to see a show. The rope-covered poles that held up the roof also blocked the view of the stage, and when the place was packed, it could be difficult for someone short like me to see. I remember a Graham Parker show in the late '80s when I seemed to spend most of the night peering at the stage from either side of a pole, catching only brief glimpses of Parker and his band.

Then there were the New Year's Eve shows where the club would stay open until 5 a.m. For some reason, my friends and I decided that we had to stay there — and drink — until exactly that time.

Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Bruce appearances. I missed the legendary summer of 1982 as I wasn't living at the Shore then, but I was luckily in the right place many times in 1987 and 1989. Nights when Springsteen came into the club had a certain kind of electricity. In those days you weren't trying to get an autograph and there were no cell phones, so selfies didn't yet exist. What you wanted was for him to get up on stage and play, as that's where the magic happened.

Spotting Bruce in the club often led to a trip up onto the boardwalk at Second Avenue, where I'd pour coins into the pay phone and try to call friends to tell them what was about to happen. Hard to believe that they'd let me out the front door to sprint up onto the boardwalk and then race back inside.

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When the '90s came along, I found myself spending a bit more time in New York City clubs than I was at the Pony (the Bottom Line was a particular favorite). But there were still plenty of memorable moments on Ocean Avenue, including Soul Asylum, the Ramones, and a special anniversary night with Graham Parker (with La Bamba and the Hubcaps as the backing band).

And of course there was the "October Assault," when Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers were joined by special guest guitarist Bruce Springsteen.

The Pony's 'Last Ride.' Or was it?

In 1998, it was announced the Pony was closing and would reopen as a dance club named Vinyl. We all went to the Pony's "Last Ride" shows, where the stage had been moved to the opposite side of the club, and it felt like the end of an era. And it was. Vinyl didn't last long, and then the Pony shut down. It seemed like it could be for good.

The late '90s were a bleak time in Asbury Park. Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre were hosting shows, and The Saint kept booking original bands, but the Pony was shut for almost two years. The beachfront was deserted, even on sultry summer days. Someone drew a tombstone on the outside of the Pony, with "1974-1998" written on the concrete.

But then in early 2000, word came that a Jersey City restauranteur, Domenic Santana, was buying the club and planned to reopen by Memorial Day. And reopen he did, with a weekend of music that included the Smithereens and Lance Larson, and a visit by then-Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. The Pony was back, but Asbury Park still wasn't.

I used to tip someone at the neighboring Golddigger bar to watch my car, and if I went to the club alone, a security guy would walk me to my car afterwards. The place might have been dangerous, but the music still drew people into Asbury, just as it always had. Gradually, the city began an epic comeback, and the Stone Pony regained its place as the heart of the music scene.

The Summer Stage now draws thousands of people to shows with a party atmosphere that extends to the boardwalk and surrounding streets. Young music lovers are making their own sonic memories at the club, just as I did, and continue to today. There have been some amazing shows there in recent years: Prophets of Rage, the Pretenders, Kenny Chesney, Trey Anastasio, The War on Drugs.

So I'll be raising a glass — or maybe, two or three — to the Stone Pony as we all celebrate its 50th anniversary. One thing I know will always be true: Every time I walk in that door, it will feel just like coming home.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Stone Pony Asbury Park: Seeing Bruce Springsteen, great music