WELCOME TO THE STONE PONY!

FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS
Black Sabbath Tribute
Asbury Park Salute to OZZY

Ozzy Osbourne Tribute event featuring: Emily Grove playing the music of Black Sabbath with members of Battery Electric, Daughter Vision and Mothguts, featuring Emily (vocals), Brent Övar Bergholm (guitar), Mike Noordzy (bass) and Stephen H. Christ (drums).
Special guests:
SPYNE!
Kobi Reese
Last Legs
Join us at the Pony for a night of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath music with the Asbury Park Salute to Ozzy! Emily Grove fronts Fairies Wear Boots playing a full set of Sabbath. The other bands will be playing Ozzy tunes in their sets as well!

Doors: 6:30 pm
Showtime 7:15 to 11:30
Price: $20. Adv / $25. Dos

THE WATCH
Jersey Shore ’80s Reunion Show

The watch is a top NJ party band that started rocking the Jersey Shore circuit in 1979. By 1981 they were THE premiere band to see, New Wave was hitting hard and they were riding at the top of the wave. Truly clubs like the Pony, Tradewinds and the Headliner at the shore as well as North Jersey clubs were packed to the walls with fans rabid fans night after night! The Watch ended their run in 1999 as a wedding and private party band and so it goes. Life goes on with some members moving out of music.

Now, in 2025, the 6 original and 2 replacement guitarists are ALL back for some limited reunion shows for those who remember, fans of ’80s music and for themselves reliving their heyday with friends and fans of The Watch! Join us at the Pony for this special Jersey Shore ’80s reunion.

Door 7:00, Show 7:30 to 11:00

The Menzingers
on The Stone Pony Summer Stage

At this point, the Menzingers are an absolute institution. The Philadelphia punk legends’ multi-decade reputation as road warriors with an unbeatable catalog is cemented as hard truth—and their seventh album, Some Of It Was True, stands as their most immediate-sounding and energetic record to date. The follow-up to 2019’s sensational Hello Exile accomplishes the daunting task of capturing the Menzingers’ distinctive live energy in the confines of the studio, resulting in a sound that’s both rich, raw, and complementary to the group’s increasingly prismatic songwriting approach. More than 15 years in, the Menzingers are still holding their listeners square in the immediate present.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
The Hard Road World Tour
with special guest Dylan Triplett

Grammy-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the globe, the young blues star has already headlined multiple U.S. and European tours, and amazed fans in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and India. Selected in summer 2022 to open for the Rolling Stones in London’s Hyde Park, Kingfish has also performed and toured with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell, Steve Miller and Buddy Guy, a mentor of his, with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits.

Since he burst onto the scene in 2019, Ingram has been nominated for 12 Blues Music Awards and won them all. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”

Sparked by his non-stop touring, writing and recording schedule, Kingfish’s natural talent just keeps growing. With his jaw-dropping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, he performs every song with unmatched passion and precision. To see him live in person is an onstage snapshot of the young singer, songwriter and guitarist creating musical magic in real time, leaving his listeners spellbound and always wanting more.

VIP package available includes:

■ Preshow soundcheck opportunity with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

■ Exclusive autographed item

■ Limited availability

MELVINS
REDD KROSS
Stop Your Whining Tour USA 2025

The Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the group – founded by vocalist/guitarist Buzz Osborne, with drummer Dale Crover joining a year later – has been credited with merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music, forming a new subgenre all their own. Over their 40-plus-year career, they’ve released more than 30 original albums, numerous live records, and far too many to count singles and rarities. Recent releases include 2024’s Tarantula Heart, a good collection of what the Melvins do, what they can do and what they want to do, and Five Legged Dog (2021), an ambitious 36-track acoustic collection that  reimagines their heaviest songs alongside covers of their favorite artists. Throughout their discography, the Melvins have collaborated with Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, and Fantômas for individual releases and toured the world many times over. Remarkably, they had the misfortune to be in both Christchurch and Tokyo for their 2011 earthquakes. In 2012, the Melvins completed the “51 States in 51 Days” (50 states +DC) tour, which was chronicled in the film “Across The USA in 51 Days.” The current incarnation of the band is Osborne, Crover, and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross). Previous lineups included a pairing of Osborne and Crover with Jared Warren and Coady Willis of Big Business, a four-piece featuring the current trio plus Jeff Pinkus, as well as Melvins Lite, which partners Osborne and Crover with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn.

CLOSE ENEMIES (featuring Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith)
plus Swim the Current

Close Enemies, a powerhouse band featuring legendary musicians Tom Hamilton, multiple Grammy winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, and bassist of the biggest-selling American rock band of all time, Aerosmith, is joined by legendary drummer Tony Brock (The Babys and Rod Stewart), touring veterans Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow and Don Henley) and Trace Foster on guitar, and singer Chasen Hampton, who has been singing professionally since the age of 11, as a member and co-host of the famed ’90s Mickey Mouse Club and pop group The Party, release their new single “More Than I Could Ever Need” through TLG|ROCK, distributed through Virgin Music Group on all major streaming platforms.

“More Than I Could Ever Need” is a deeply personal and haunting rock ballad written by Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton as a tribute to his wife of almost 50 years. The song is a moving ode to commitment, passion, and the kind of love that only gets stronger with time.

Close Enemies have announced upcoming tour dates under the banner “An Evening with Close Enemies – Live in Concert.” Fans can expect an intimate experience showcasing the band’s undeniable chemistry and a setlist packed with songs from Aerosmith & The Baby’s along with their originals.

Doors: 7:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM

START MAKING SENSE
Talking Heads Tribute

An amazing live Talking Heads experience! The band and show covers the full gamut of the Talking Heads music catalogue — Psycho Killer, Burning Down the House, And She Was, Once in a Lifetime, Life During Wartime — all the big hits and more Heads favorites to keep you grooving all night long!

“This is an appropriate title — Start Making Sense. This band makes plenty of sense to me, and is a great representation of Talking Heads’ music. So listen up and go check them out!” — Bernie Worrell, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and keyboardist for Talking Heads and Parliament/Funkadelic

PETEY USA
Alex Cameron

On his new album USA, Chicago-bred singer/songwriter Petey bares his soul about all the endless
things that keep him up at night. As he muses on everything from masculinity to anxiety to the very
nature of human existence, the Los Angeles-based artist drifts between warmhearted sincerity and
delightfully warped humor—a deeply affecting dynamic that also defines the absurdist alt-comedy
that’s earned him a massive following on TikTok. Built on his idiosyncratic but viscerally charged
breed of alt-pop/rock, Petey’s Capitol Records debut ultimately brings a gloriously strange
convergence of comfort, catharsis, and unrelenting joy.
The follow-up to his 2022 debut Lean Into Life, USA finds Petey working with co-producers John
DeBold (Wallows, Remi Wolf) and Aidan Spiro to piece together what he refers to as “an origin
story of a typical American male in their 30s.” While the album includes decidedly autobiographical
tracks like “Home alone house”—a real-life account of getting busted smoking weed on the beach
in eighth grade—Petey’s songwriting often takes the form of impressionistic vignettes revealing the
sheer depth and scope of his inner world. On “I’ll wait,” for instance, he delivers an explosive piece
of pop-punk whose lyrics offer a candid perspective on mental health. “It’s a song from the mindset
of an anxious man who’s acutely aware of the resources available to him, but for whatever reason
decides to just wait it out,” Petey explains. “There’s some recognition that doing nothing will make
the problem drag out longer, but there’s also an understanding that the uncomfortable moment will
eventually end—just like everything else in life.”
Mainly recorded at Gold-Diggers Sound in L.A., USA came to life with equal parts intention and
spontaneity. “For me making music has always been like throwing spaghetti at the wall, and working
with John and Aidan allowed me to be reckless and experimental while giving each song the care it
deserved,” says Petey, who plays guitar, bass, drums, and synth on USA. “It helped me fulfill the
only real goal I had for the album, which was to make sure every single song would be super-fun to
play live.” To that end, “Family of six” unfolds in dance-ready grooves as Petey shares a fantastically
surreal meditation on gender expression. “We hear so much today about toxic masculinity, so the
idea behind that song is trying to reclaim masculinity in a way that’s actually positive and helpful,” he
says. “Each stanza is imagining a parallel universe where the laws of physics are different, and
therefore I’m the best version of a man that I could be.” On “Did mention I’m sorry?,” USA takes
on a combustible urgency as Petey captures the kind of all-consuming insecurity that tips into self-indulgence.
“It’s about someone who’s so self-conscious that it becomes almost narcissistic, because
they can’t stop obsessing about their own anxiety,” he says. And on “I tried to draw a straight line,”
Petey cycles through a whirlwind of existential questions, offsetting the track’s uneasy bewilderment
with sweetly lilting rhythms and majestic guitar work. “That song’s an overview of my mental state
when I’m over-analyzing everything,” he says. “It ends with wondering if we’re living in a
simulation, and all the paranoid but also calming thoughts that come with that.”
At turns philosophical, introspective, and wildly playful, the lyrics to USA mostly emerged as Petey
hiked the trails surrounding an abandoned gold mine in the San Gabriel Mountains. “Hiking has
become a really good creative vessel for me,” he says. “Once you get used to a trail it becomes
second nature, which leaves space for your brain to think in different ways.” A longtime musician
who previously played drums in Chicago-based indie-rock band Young Jesus, he first started writing
songs at the age of 27 after making his way through a series of dead-end jobs. “I never earned more
than minimum wage, and I never felt like I was capable of exceling at anything within the realm of
American capitalism,” he says. “But then I wrote a song and put it on Spotify, and that somehow
ended up being the thing that worked.” A bittersweet but exuberant breakup song, Petey’s debut
single “Apple TV Remote” soon led to his signing to indie label Terrible Records, who later released
Lean Into Life and helped pave the way for his signing to Capitol Records in 2022.
With the release of USA, Petey hopes that exposing his deepest neuroses might have a liberating
impact on the listener. “So much of life is out of our control, which is really scary, but hopefully
these songs will help people feel a little better and less alone in their struggle,” he says. “I hope
everyone can find some kind of solace in recognizing that life is incredibly complicated for
everyone—so instead of spending too much time ruminating on a mistake you’ve made or
something that went wrong, maybe the best thing is to go easy on yourself and let it go.”

An Evening with
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 Reflector (Retrace Music), the Nashville guitarist-singer-songwriter-band leader’s 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 wide world of musical adventure at that.

“I think Cosmic Country is a tale as old as time, really,” Donato explains. “It’s yin and yang in a musical form. It’s three chords and the truth, and then on the other side it’s exploration and bravery. I really went through a lot of years of grinding, and still am, to achieve this sound which is a vehicle for my personality, and the personality is a vehicle for my soul. So (Reflector) is more that than any other record I ever put out.”

Doors open 7 pm, show at 8 pm

THE WRECKS
INSIDE : OUTSIDE Tour (continued)
with Echo Plum
Wall Carpets

VIP Meet & Greet Bundle will be available

The Wrecks instigate an immediate reaction. Thanks to an idiosyncratic and infectious D.I.Y. approach to alternative pop, fans not only hang on to the group’s sticky hooks for dear life, but they also sing along to every word (as loudly as possible) at packed headline shows. The Los
Angeles-based band—Nick Anderson [vocals, guitar, keyboard, production], Nicholas “Schmizz” Schmidt [lead guitar], Aaron Kelley [bass], and William “Billy” Nally [drums]—helm every facet of their vision, writing, producing, and cooking up a homegrown signature sound without comparison. As such, the quartet deliver an insanely immersive experience for their diehard audience at shows, within songs, and even on social media. Buoyed by this response, they have sold tens of thousands of tickets and independently stacked up nearly 300 million total streams across songs like “Favorite Liar,” (Top 40 Alternative Single) “Fvck Somebody,” and “Freaking Out” (which spent 23 weeks on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation 18 Peaking at #3 and was also a Top 40 Alternative Single) as well as two full-length offerings, namely Infinitely Ordinary [2020] and Sonder [2022]. Of the latter, EUPHORIA. raved, “There’s also some real versatility on the record,” and Wonderland. added, “The sweet sounds of indie-rock are unparalleled, and four-piece The Wrecks are crashing back onto the scene to prove it.” OnesToWatch went as far as to proclaim, “The Wrecks should be your new favorite alternative rock band.”

Doors: 6:00PM

Show: 7:00PM

SPLINTERED SUNLIGHT
Grateful Halloween Party at the Pony!
plus Desert Jellies

Splintered returns to the Pony for a Grateful Halloween party with two sets of Dead favorites you know and love. They have been rocking the mid-Atlantic region for almost 30 years bringing unique interpretations of the Grateful Dead. Led by founding member Butchy Sochorow the band brings an impressive and deep Grateful Dead catalogue to every live show! Come find out why they have become a longtime Pony favorite. Join us for a Grateful Halloween party with Splintered. Cash & prizes for best costumes on set break. Desert Jellies open at 7:30.
Door 7:00, Show 7:30 to 11:30

Fantastic Cat

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a wildly satisfying collection of folk-rock, country, Americana, and good old rock & roll,” Fantastic Cat gleefully careens between genres and decades, mixing electrified 60’s roots and 70’s AM radio gold as they diligently work craftsmanship and ecstatic abandon in equal measure.

THE CRANE WIVES
Fall Tour 2025
w9ith Spencer LaJoye

Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving landscape of indie folk. Their high-energy performances have been described as “charged with emotion and technical skill” (Blurred Culture LA), while their harmony-dense melodies support deeply resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition. The band has amassed over1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, racking up over150 million streams on their most popular songs and accumulating listenership from far-flung corners of the US to the UK, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Poland, Mexico, and the Philippines. Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” the band released their sixth full-length studio record, Beyond Beyond Beyond, to high praise, with Glasse Factory calling the album “a testament to the band’s ability to turn personal struggles into universally relatable anthems.” Niner Times describes the new release as “angsty, haunting and gritty,” praising its departure from the more traditional folk sound of the Crane Wives’ previous records. Since its release in Sept 2024, Beyond Beyond Beyond has accrued over 7 million streams on Spotify. The pulse of the Crane Wives is delivered by Ben Zito (bass) and Dan Rickabus (drums), creating a driving, dynamic backdrop while co-leads Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury establish expansive and gritty conversations between their electric guitars. A web of three-part harmony helps to soften the blow of their emotional candor.

LOW CUT CONNIE

Piano rock is cool again, thanks to Adam Weiner and company, bringing a nostalgic cool to their very now modern rock ‘n’ roll. “I think rock ‘n’ roll exists to be a red-blooded, countercultural medium,” says Weiner, who has performed under the Low Cut Connie moniker for more than a decade. “You’re supposed to get your hair messed up,” he says.

Beginning as an impromptu recording session in 2010, Low Cut Connie gradually evolved into a vehicle for Weiner’s songwriting and onstage persona. The band has earned praise for its high-energy live performances, which Los Angeles Weekly described in 2013 as “unmatched in all of rock right now.” NPR Music described Weiner as “masterfully fluent in the foundational languages of Western pop.” Elton John dedicated a song to Low Cut Connie at a concert in Philadelphia last year and Barack Obama put a Low Cut Connie song on a Spotify playlist 10 years ago.

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, inhibition and shame, working up a primordial rock ‘n’ roll sweat for fans to get blissfully soaked in. Come get the full Connie treatment at the Pony for what’s going to be an unforgettable night in Asbury Park.

Door 7:00 Show 8:00 to 11:00