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BROOKS NIELSEN of The Growlers
Chinese Fountain 10th Anniversary Show

Brooks Nielsen, lead singer of surf-psych icons The Growlers, revisits the band’s classic album, Chinese Fountain, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Nielsen will perform the album from start to finish (and then some) this fall at 26 very special North American shows.

Chinese Fountain is The Growlers’ fourth studio album and sees the band evolve from a psych-circus, while remaining true to the band’s “beach goth” essence. It is blessedly direct, with razor sharp songwriting and engaging melodies at the center of every song; “Big Toe,” “Going Gets Tough,” “Love Test,” “Rare Hearts” and or course, the disco-punk and synth-splashed title track. It was that track that signaled the band’s move from the dive bar to the dance floor–a precursor of sorts to the band’s follow-up, the Julian Casablancas-produced City Club.

Uncompromising, enigmatic, and wildly ambitious, Nielsen isn’t tiptoeing into his solo career. The energetic singer has had a busy couple of years, embarking on headline tours where he regularly performs more than two hours each night, sometimes stretching his show past the three-hour mark.

His latest singles “Tropical Cowboy” and “Chew My Heart Out,” function as a duo. A couple. A gemini gesture to herald his upcoming second solo album, A Ride I’m Waiting For. Originally written in 2014 for Chinese Fountain, the songs are a sneaky flashback to a different era when The Growlers released tracks as “couples.” Not singles, but two songs together, intertwined in thought and expression.

You can hear the new tracks live at the upcoming Chinese Fountain 10th Anniversary Shows as well as songs from Nielsen’s 20-track solo debut One Match Left and subsequent The Circle and Psycho EPs. Nielsen’s dynamic set lists have been loaded with Growlers’ classics, deep cuts, choice covers, and stripped-down, unplugged mini-sets.

Aided by a live band that includes Growlers drummer Richard Gowen, bassist Brogan Dutcher, keyboardist Cole Riddle, and guitarists J.D. Carrera and Elyadeen Anbar, Nielsen melds the live spontaneity of the improv-driven rock scene with the energy of his punk peers.

INHALER
Benches

Inhaler are an Irish rock band, consisting of Elijah Hewson, Robert Keating, Josh Jenkinson and Ryan McMahon; a group of friends-turned-band-mates, originating from Dublin. The band already have a long list of impressive achievements under their belt: the group’s debut album ‘It Won’t Always be Like This’ topped the charts in both the UK and Ireland in 2021. ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ became the fastest-selling debut album on vinyl by any band this century and saw Inhaler become the first Irish group to top the album charts with a debut in 13 years. 2022 saw them touring internationally, securing impressive spots at Glastonbury & Lollapalooza, as well as supporting the Arctic Monkeys. In 2023 the band released their extremely successful sophomore album ‘Cuts & Bruises’ and enjoyed a huge sell-out tour of the US, as well as even more Arctic Monkeys support slots and massive outdoor shows as special guest support to both Harry Styles and Sam Fender.

The group ended a brilliant (and incredibly busy!) 2023 in triumphant style with a huge sold-out homecoming show at Dublin Arena.

2024 promises to be the bands biggest year yet!

Tickets: $37.50 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $40 at the door

Nectar’s Presents
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country

There are a lot of musical influences and sources that Daniel Donato has drawn on during his career and that inform his latest album, Reflector, his first all-original album. But within those, Donato has carved out a unique and individualized spot for himself, one that speaks to the deep American music heritage that inspires him — and that he’s pushing towards the future with inspired, intentional vigor.

He calls it Cosmic Country, a moniker that’s both self-descriptive and a statement of purpose. It’s an organic rock band aesthetic with plenty of roadhouse twang; a showcase for Donato’s instrumental virtuosity and facility for melodically infectious songcraft. Bridging Nashville and the Great West, Kentucky and mid-60s northern California, tie-dye and plaid, it’s a world of his own, and a wide world of musical adventure at that.

While growing up in Nashville his father, who turned his young son on to music of all genres, suggested the fledgling and industriously minded (even at just 14) artist start busking in Nashville’s lower Broadway area and outside concerts, for eight hours at a time on the weekends. One night, the two happened by Robert’s Western World where legendary honky-tonk local mainstay the Don Kelly Band were performing. “Their songbook was that of my main influences still to this day — Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bob Wills, Marty Robbins, Bill Monroe, traditional bluegrass music, Hank Williams Sr. — old-timey music with real stories and emotions that everybody has. It just hooked me right away.” Donato eventually became a member of the band, playing four hours a night at Robert’s (464 shows in total).

Another piece of the puzzle came through later in Donato’s teenage years — the Grateful Dead, thanks to a high school American History teacher who gave him a pile of bootleg recordings when he was 18. “When I discovered Jerry Garcia, there’s really never been anyone who writes like that,” says Donato. “From there I went on to discover Bob Dylan and all the great writers and made me want to make that part of what I did as well.”

The whole package of player, singer, writer and band leader was in place. Two albums in, Daniel Donato and Cosmic Country, featuring Nathan Aronowitz (keyboards/guitars/vocals), Will McGee (bass/vocals) and Will Clark (drums, percussion/vocals) are selling out venues throughout the country and bringing their brand of Cosmic Country to an ever growing, passionate fanbase.

Door 7:00 PM
Show 8:00 PM

Tickets: $25 advance (plus applicable service charges), $30 at the door

Fantastic Cat
with The Bones of J.R. Jones

Fantastic Cat returns to Asbury Park for a headline show at the Pony!

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the supergroup you need to know,” Fantastic Cat released their debut, The Very Best of Fantastic Cat, in 2022. The collection earned the vocal-trading, instrument-swapping collective their national TV debut, sold out headline dates around the U.S. and Europe, a performance at the Sundance Film Festival, and a song in the Paramount+ series Tulsa King. In 2023, the velvet-suited four-piece teamed up with all-star producer Butch Walker for a 50th anniversary take on Band on the Run,” which reportedly prompted Paul McCartney to question his entire life’s work.

Individually, each member of Fantastic Cat boasts their own impressive resume along with appearances everywhere from the New York Times and the Tiny Desk to Bonnaroo and Cayamo. NPR said Anthony D’Amato “sings and writes in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen or Josh Ritter.” Paste declared Don DiLego’s latest album a “stunner.” Rolling Stone called Brian Dunne’s new record “the sleeper album of the year” and praised Mike Montali’s band, Hollis Brown, as “the soundtrack for a late-night drive through the American heartland.”

Where the band’s debut showcased the quartet as individual songwriters, their latest, Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat, finds the group writing collectively for the first time, leaning into their respective strengths to craft an alternately poignant and absurdist portrait of a modern world populated by disgraced heroes, disenchanted dreamers, and dead end jobs. The songs are at once hopeful and mordant, reckoning with a reality less shiny than it once seemed by refusing to succumb to the weight of disillusionment, and the performances are relentlessly buoyant to match, fueled by infectious hooks, lush harmonies, and gleefully unpredictable arrangements. Think CSNY if none of them were famous, or The Traveling Wilburys if none of them were famous, or the Eagles if they really didn’t get along.

“A wildly satisfying collection of folk-rock, country, Americana, and good old rock & roll…equal doses of Dylan and Springsteen,” says Rolling Stone

Door 7:00, Show 8:00 to 11:30
Tickets: $30 Adv  plus applicable surcharges/ $35 dos

SAMMY RAE & THE FRIENDS
with Shallow Alcove

For as much as Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, this collective of dreamers and artists considers themselves a family first. That all-for-one and one-for-all camaraderie ignites their unforgettable and can’t-miss live shows, which serve as a catharsis for both the musicians and their fervent audience. Fronted by singer/songwriter Sammy Rae and honed through years of touring, the group is capable of flourishing in any spotlight thanks to its signature blend of palpable chemistry, deft virtuosity, and vocal fireworks.

Their sound, which has attracted new fans by the thousands in the past few years, is a unique mélange of Sammy’s influences: classic rock, folk and funk and sprinkled with soul and jazz. Rae has been building toward this moment since moving to NYC from Connecticut in her early 20s. Finding herself without a built-in peer group, she simply built it herself: the literal and proverbial Friends. When she started playing shows, she made sure the audience was part of the family too.

Everything that’s happened since, from the EPs The Good Life (2018) and Let’s Throw a Party (2021) to sold-out shows in major markets and secondary markets alike across North American and the UK & Europe, to high-profile festival sets around the world, including Bonnaroo’s main stage, Sound on Sound, Green River Fest and more, has been based on friends telling friends. This year, they’ll take it up a notch with appearances at All Things Go and Holland’s North Sea Jazz fest.

As they prepare for the release of their long-awaited debut full-length album in 2024, Sammy Rae & The Friends have come to represent more than just a band: they are a full-on movement being adopted with refreshingly diverse clientele.

Tickets: $40 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $45 at the door

The Cliffs
Thanksgiving Eve Holiday Show

Door 7:00, Show 8:00 to 11:00
Tickets $25. Adv / $30. Dos.

Since forming in 2019 The Cliffs have quickly become one of the top acts on the Jersey Shore. This band knows how to rock the party! Their sets are diverse, with unexpected musical twists and turns that keep everyone on their toes in the band and in the crowd. Genres range from the classic hits of the 1960s to the most popular hits of today, making it nearly impossible to sit down. You’ll be singing along with them all night! The Cliffs pride themselves in their ability to befriend the audience from the stage. You will feel like you’re at a party with your closest buds, and hopefully, leave at the end of the night as lifelong friends. Come join us at the Pony!

KIP MOORE
Nomad Tour
with Hannah McFarland

Hailed as “an uncompromising, genre-defying artist firing on all cylinders” (Vice/Noisey) and “one of country’s more thoughtful artists” (Billboard), multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Kip Moore has blazed his own trail and cemented his place as one of music’s most beloved artists. Beginning with his auspicious debut in 2012, Moore has since released five critically acclaimed albums and penned over a dozen chart-topping singles, including the multi-platinum hits “Something’ ‘Bout a Truck,” “Hey Pretty Girl,” “Beer Money,” and “More Girls Like You.” With over 1 billion streams and 2.5 million monthly listeners, he’s performed sold-out headline shows in stadiums around the world including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, The U.K., Europe, and the U.S., leading to a nomination for CMA’s International Artist Achievement Award. His most recent album Damn Love was praised by Holler as “the best album of Kip Moore’s career” while earning further acclaim from  Billboard, Music Row, and American Songwriter. Moore also appeared on Good Morning America to perform the album’s lead single and title track.

Tickets: $35 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $40 at the door
VIP packages available

KIP MOORE
Nomad Tour
with Hannah McFarland

Hailed as “an uncompromising, genre-defying artist firing on all cylinders” (Vice/Noisey) and “one of country’s more thoughtful artists” (Billboard), multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Kip Moore has blazed his own trail and cemented his place as one of music’s most beloved artists. Beginning with his auspicious debut in 2012, Moore has since released five critically acclaimed albums and penned over a dozen chart-topping singles, including the multi-platinum hits “Something’ ‘Bout a Truck,” “Hey Pretty Girl,” “Beer Money,” and “More Girls Like You.” With over 1 billion streams and 2.5 million monthly listeners, he’s performed sold-out headline shows in stadiums around the world including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, The U.K., Europe, and the U.S., leading to a nomination for CMA’s International Artist Achievement Award. His most recent album Damn Love was praised by Holler as “the best album of Kip Moore’s career” while earning further acclaim from  Billboard, Music Row, and American Songwriter. Moore also appeared on Good Morning America to perform the album’s lead single and title track.

Tickets: $35 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $40 at the door
VIP packages available

LOW CUT CONNIE

Piano Rock is cool again! Adam Weiner and company bring a nostalgic cool to their very modern rock ‘n’ roll. “I think rock ‘n’ roll exists to be a red-blooded, countercultural medium,” Weiner says. “You’re supposed to get your hair messed up.” Art Dealers is the new album. “This record is all kink and no shame,” says Weiner of his tough, sexy and tender new album. “With Low Cut Connie, I try to create a safe space for you to just absolutely get your freak on.”

For years now, Low Cut Connie has built its grassroots coalition of oddballs, underdogs and fun-loving weirdos with songs that celebrate life on the fringes of polite society. The band’s infamously wild, passionate live shows provide a total release of stress, of inhibition, of shame, working up a primordial rock ‘n’ roll sweat for fans to get blissfully soaked in. The new album, and its full-length companion film, sizzle with that same cathartic sweat, reminding us that it’s time to get dirty again, and to feel alive. Art Dealers sits at the intersection of sleazy and soulful — a collection of risky, romantic, life-affirming anthems. That imperative comes through in the adults-only tone of songs like the opening Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, a sinuous, lurid rocker that sounds like walking through depraved Times Square in 1978: neon-lit and nasty with a snapping beat. The speedy, fuzzed-up garage-rocker Whips and Chains calls out what Weiner claims is a wave of neo-fascism, without ever losing its boogie rhythm section.

MYLES KENNEDY
The Art Of Letting Go Tour
with Tim Montana
and Sons of Silver

As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and a skilled guitar player, Myles Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting Alter Bridge, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group’s global impact as a critically acclaimed, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus.

On the microphone for Slash and The Conspirators, his towering range and magnetic stage presence has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he’s the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with Disturbed, Halestorm, and Sevendust as he is with Gov’t Mule and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. It’s why he’s generated over 1 billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and KERRANG! christened him “one of rock’s finest vocalists.” It’s also why he’s carved out his own lane.

With two solo efforts under his belt and sold out headline tours in the rearview, a sense of keenly honed intuition guides his third full-length LP, The Art of Letting Go [Napalm Records]. “I’ve been going through a massive Bruce Lee kick, no pun intended,” he smiles. “His quote, ‘Be water, my friend’, always stuck with me. On a grander scale, it represents the record. It’s an exercise in removing prior restrictions and shattering the parameters I set up for myself as a solo artist. This is a rock record. In the past, I thought rock might be a little too close to the other projects. Instead, I just let go and embraced my essence as a singer, guitar player, and writer. This is who I am. This is my DNA. Instead of being apologetic and shying away from it, I’m letting go and being myself.”

Tickets: $29.50 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $35 at the door

DEAN LEWIS
The Epilogue World Tour

DEAN LEWIS, an Australian singer-songwriter, is renowned for his heartfelt lyrics and emotive voice. Born on October 21, 1987, in Sydney, Australia, he gained international fame with his hit single “Waves” in 2016, celebrated for its raw emotional depth. His debut album, “A Place We Knew,” released in 2019, solidified his status in the music industry with hits like “Be Alright” and “7 Minutes.”

Inspired by the British rock band Oasis, Dean’s musical style and passion for songwriting reflect their influence. His music often delves into themes of love, loss, and personal growth, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide.

In 2023, Lewis performed over 100 shows across Australia, Europe, and the US. He recently concluded a series of global tour dates, including supporting slots for AJR Brothers on their US arena tour and James Arthur on his UK arena tour.

On May 30, 2024, Dean released his new single “All I Ever Wanted.” This latest release follows the success of “Memories,” which arrived in February. “Memories” has achieved notable milestones, including 35 million streams, inclusion in Hot Hits Australia, and reaching the Top 25 on the AU Radio Chart and Top 20 on the AU Shazam chart.

He has received several nominations and awards, including ARIA Music Awards and APRA Awards, highlighting his significant impact on the contemporary music scene. With his distinctive voice and relatable lyrics, he continues to captivate listeners and build a loyal global fan base.

Tickets: $32.50 (plus applicable surcharges), $37 at the door

WARREN ZEIDERS
on The Stone Pony Summer Stage
with special guest Tyler Braden

Warren Zeiders was still a collegiate star athlete when he released Ride the Lightning, a platinum-certified debut single whose mix of country storytelling, heartland twang, and larger-than-life rock ‘n’ roll launched his career. He continued the momentum with 2023’s Pretty Little Poison. Released on the heels of his 717 Tapes compilation, Pretty Little Poison positioned Zeiders as Nashville’s newest headliner at just 24 years old. He created the album during a whirlwind period that found the young artist selling out his first national tour in 72 hours, making his debut national television appearance on Kelly Clarkson’s TV show, performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time, landing a spot on Stagecoach’s lineup, charting his first Top 40 hit on the Billboard charts, and racking up a staggering 1.4 billion TikTok views and 895 million audio streams. Produced by chart-topping producers Ross Copperman and Bart Butler, Pretty Little Poison is modern country music at its most heartfelt, created by a young songwriter whose push into mainstream culture has been nothing short of meteoric.

Doors: 6:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM

Tickets: $45 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $55 at the door