The Stone Pony’s fame is Bruce Springsteen’s biggest mark on the Jersey Shore
No one likely realized the historic nature of Bruce Springsteen's appearance at the Stone Pony on Sept. 8, 1974, when he joined The Blackberry Booze Band onstage for his first surprise appearance at the nightclub.
The next year, the Blackberry Booze Band would be renamed "Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes," and would be anointed as the first house band at the Pony.
But in September 1974, the Stone Pony was a new club — it just opened in February of that year — and Bruce was joining his friends Southside Johnny and Steven Van Zandt to perform a since-forgotten series of songs. Garry Tallent and Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez joined in that night, the first of more than 100 Springsteen performances at the now-iconic Asbury Park nightclub.
He's played more on the Pony stage than at any other music venue. On almost all occasions, Springsteen was an unannounced, surprise guest. No, he did not get his start at the Pony: The Boss already had two albums out when the club opened on a cold February night in 1974.
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But the Pony quickly came the preferred hang-out for Bruce and other members of the Shore's rock scene.
On Memorial Day weekend in 1976, he and Clarence Clemons joined onstage at a raucous album release show for the Jukes' first album, "I Don't Want to Go Home," that also included performances by Ronnie Spector and Lee Dorsey.
In the 1980s, it was difficult not to run into The Boss at the Pony. He played often with the house band, Cats on a Smooth Surface, in Springsteen's club-hopping summer of 1982. In 1987, he joined not only Cats and local stalwart Bobby Bandiera on the Pony stage, but also Marshall Crenshaw, Levon Helm and Little Steven as well.
Then there was the hot June night in 1984 when Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the wildly successful "Born in the U.S.A." tour on the Pony stage.
In November 2000, Bruce joined Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers and a cast of Jersey Shore rockers to play into the wee hours of the morning at the first official Light of Day benefit at the Pony.
You get the picture.
The Springsteen appearances don't happen that often these days, but the Stone Pony, which this year celebrated its 48th anniversary, remains a must-see stop on any Bruce fan's tour of the Jersey Shore. And for thousands of fans who visit each year to hear some amazing live music from local, regional and national acts, the Pony remains a treasure —one of the most iconic nightclubs in the world.
Go: Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park; 732-502-0600, stoneponyonline.com.
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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: The Stone Pony, Bruce Springsteen's main Asbury Park venue
