WELCOME TO THE STONE PONY!

RUSTON KELLY: THE WEAKNESS TOUR
Purr

Tickets: $17 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $20 at the door

Before setting to work on his third album, Ruston Kelly moved out of his Nashville home and into an old Victorian bungalow in the small Tennessee town of Portland, then spent months on end in deliberate solitude. As he busied himself with remodeling his house and tearing through a stack of John Steinbeck novels, the South Carolina-born singer/songwriter began processing a number of life-altering changes he’d endured over the past year, including a very public divorce as well as major upheaval in his immediate family. “I felt a real need to understand myself a little better, and to rediscover the true foundation of who I am,” says Kelly, who candidly detailed his struggle with drug addiction on his 2018 full-length debut Dying Star.

Pushing forward with the intensely self-aware truth-telling he’s always brought to his music, Kelly soon immersed himself in the making of The Weakness: a blisteringly honest but profoundly hopeful album that ultimately reveals our vast potential to create strength and beauty from the most painful of experiences. “With every record I make, I learn so much about myself and who I am as a human and what type of man I want to be,” says Kelly. “In a way it’s a form of self-help, or like I’m building a fort against a lesser version of myself. Then the goal from there is to just keep on growing.”

The follow-up to Shape & Destroy -— a 2020 release that earned acclaim from outlets like NPR, who also hailed Dying Star as “a brutal thing of beauty” —-The Weakness finds Kelly straying from the more self-contained approach of his previous output and working with producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nate Mercereau (Sharon Van Etten, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers). “The way I’d always worked in the past is that the song comes first, and the production helps to lift its meaning and intent,” Kelly explains. “But this time there was a much greater focus on creating a sonic atmosphere that speaks just as loudly and feels just as emotional as the lyrics and voice.”

Recorded at Mercereau’s Studio Tujunga in Los Angeles, The Weakness came to life in a series of close-knit sessions with Kelly mainly handling acoustic and electric guitar and Mercereau playing over a dozen instruments (including Mellotron, flute, French horn, autoharp, fretless bass, violin, harmonium, mandolin, and more). “I knew from the beginning that I wanted a large sound for this record -— I remember telling Nate at one point that I wanted it to sound like a storm brewing in a big empty field,” says Kelly, who names Daniel Lanois’s work with Bob Dylan as a touchstone for The Weakness. A bold departure from the elegant simplicity of his first two albums, the result is a kaleidoscopic sonic backdrop beautifully suited to The Weakness’ immense scope of feeling.

JUDAS PRIESTESS: TRIBUTE TO JUDAS PRIEST
The World’s Only All-Female Tribute to Judas Priest
with special guests Spahn Ranch and Tilted
Tickets: $20 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $25 at the door

JUDAS PRIESTESS, the world’s only all-female tribute to the metal gods, Judas Priest, is a heavy metal phenomenon! Everyone from members of Judas Priest to your average rocker instantly falls head over heels in love and in awe of their chops, showmanship and their hot new take on classic metal.

The band religiously packs houses and events with frenzied fans all over the world. They headlined at the House of Blues Mandalay Bay on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and played to a sold-out crowd at their 10-year anniversary show here at the Pony. They often headline motorcycle events, such as Myrtle Beach Bike Week, Laconia Bike Week, Ocean City Bike Week, The Indian Larry Block Party and Dee Snider’s (Twisted Sister) Bikers For Babies. They were even hired by New York’s Long Island Railroad and the Metropolitan Transit Authority to perform inside New York City’s historic Penn Station on a weekday during rush hour!

The girls have opened for Twisted Sister, Pentagram , Metal Allegiance, and Action Bronson and have been joined onstage by Corey Glover (Living Colour), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Richard Christy (Iced Earth, Howard Stern show), grunge goddesses L7, Tony Harnell (TNT), Metal Mike (Halford, Sebastian Bach) and members of White Zombie, Monster Magnet, Vixen, The Bouncing Souls and The Plasmatics.

Judas Priestess is featured in the new funk-rock icon Betty Davis documentary “They Say I’m Different” [now streaming on Amazon Prime], as well as on VH1’s “That Metal Show,” where they received the blessing of the metal god himself, Rob Halford!

Start Making Sense 
Talking Heads Tribute

Start Making Sense & the Ocean Avenue Stompers Horns present:
An Evening of Music by Talking Heads, David Byrne and More

Start Making Sense is proud to present the music of Talking Heads, David Byrne and more — once again with a full horn section! This special evening will feature David Byrne solo material, Talking Heads songs and more surprises with Asbury Park’s own Ian Gray and the Ocean Avenue Stompers Horns. Don’t miss out on this very special SMS tour!

Tickets: $25 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $30 at the door
Door 7 pm, show 8-11:30 pm

Houndmouth

Houndmouth is an American alternative rock band from New Albany, Indiana formed in 2011, consisting of Matt Myers (guitar, vocals), Shane Cody (drums, vocals), and Caleb Hickman (keyboard, vocals). Nostalgic sounds from their first album seemed to serve as a welcome escape for listeners from the relentless demands of the digital age.
This led to performances on Letterman, Conan, World Cafe, and several major festivals (ACL, Americana Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Newport Folk Festival). SPIN and Esquire.com named Houndmouth a “must-see” band at Lollapalooza, and Garden & Gun said, “You’d be hard pressed to find a more effortless, well-crafted mix of roots and rock this year than the debut album from this Louisville quartet.”
Through their humble start, genre-defining hits, and experimentation, Houndmouth makes an impact with their unique take on storytelling through music.

Tickets: $25 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $30 at the door

Father John Misty
LIVE! On Tour With Loren Kramar

Father John Misty is announcing new, headlining shows for 2023 in support of his acclaimed fifth album Chloë and The Next 20th Century.

Chloë and The Next 20th Century earned Father John Misty’s placement on “Best Albums of 2022” lists from the likes of TIME, Variety, USA Today, The Telegraph, The Sun, WXPN, Under the Radar, MOJO, CLASH and Uncut.

“He takes a surprising and delightful departure from his usual form for a project that’s grandiose in its ambition, theatrical in its presentation, and thrilling in its execution.” — TIME

“With honeyed vocals and a potent dose of gallows humor, the shape-shifting crooner is reborn as a Sinatra-style lounge act, weaving wistful tales of heartache and tragedy over lush orchestrations.” — USA TODAY

“What it all adds up to is as gorgeously arranged an orchestral-pop record as we’ve gotten in years. And its brilliance isn’t purely stylistic.” — VARIETY

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
Midwest & More Tour
with The Appleseed Cast

Sunny Day Real Estate are a band.
Jeremy Enigk: Guitars and Vocals
William Goldsmith: Drums
Dan Hoerner: Guitars and Vocals

Everything changed for me, the day I heard SDRE for the first time. – Frank Iero, My Chemical Romance

I discovered Sunny Day Real Estate when I was in eighth grade before I had started singing in a band. At the time all I did was listen to punk and hard-core so when I heard the songs and the melodies it cracked my mind right open in the best way. They were heavy without being aggressive, but heavy in the sense of covering an emotional spectrum that I had not yet figured out how to express. In a lot of ways I feel like they gave me permission to sound the way I do and feel the way I do. I’ve been trying to replicate that feeling in all the music I’ve made ever since. – Anthony Green, Circa Survive

I had never heard an album I’d felt was so custom-tailored to me. The dynamics, the singing and the raw emotion in the music — it’s something that really knocked me out. – Ben Gibbard, Death Cab For Cutie

SDRE has been on every single mixtape I have ever made in my entire life. I still have the drumstick I caught when I was 15 in my room from an SDRE show. – Adam Lazzara, Taking Back Sunday

Just as grunge was flaming out and pop punk was exploding, Sunny Day Real Estate appeared out of left blending elements of Washington DC style emo and indie rock in a way that no one else had before. – Walter Schreifels, Quicksand/Youth of Today

There’s a fine line between profane ecstasy and sacred transcendence. Obviously what they were interested in was walking that fine line. It was fuzzy for them. Sunny Day had something so bared. I picture, like, tearing your chest open — like some kind of weird surgery on yourself. I don’t know whether it was a conscious endeavor or a deliberate goal of theirs. But that’s what people were connecting to. It was a revelation to have this music that was kind of male and female, sacred and profane. – Craig Wedren, Shudder To Think

Then why are you a Sunny Day Real Estate fan? – South Park, Season 17 Episode 4

Doors at 7 pm
Show at 8 pm
Tickets: $49.50  in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $52.50 at the door

Moon Hooch, Too Many Zooz & Lucky Chops present LUCKY MOON ZOOZ Tour

Tickets: $30 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $35 at the door

Moon Hooch began busking in the subway platforms of NYC in 2010, quickly getting noticed by the NYPD, who had to ban them from locations that couldn’t handle the crowds. In a few short years they were opening for the likes of Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, while selling out their own headline shows at marquee venues around the United States and Europe. Their unconventional sound and techniques, utilizing found objects like traffic cones, landed them appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk in America, “Later…with Jools Holland” in the UK, “Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year” in Australia, and private audiences with the Premier League’s Chelsea F.C. They are currently touring the world.

The curious thing about being a fan of brasshouse? You’re pretty much talking about being into one solitary but extremely unforgettable band: the amusingly monikered Too Many Zooz. The musical style was “branded” by drummer King of Sludge, who recognized that there was no worthy existing classification for the New York trio, whose other two members are the equally unclassifiable Leo P (saxophone) and Matt Doe (trumpet). “Brasshouse is a high energy musical conversation,” Matt insists. “Though I honestly don’t think there is a good way to describe it in words. It’s about many different feelings and sounds and emotions.”

Lucky Chops comes at you with every hue on the rainbow. Lucky Chops is big, brassy, and unapologetically bold. The six piece band has united audiences in more than 30 countries in thousands of shows, hard driving grooves and potent singable melodies. The irresistible groove that is Lucky Chops is led by co-founder Josh Holcomb’s soulful trombone, Daro Behroozi’s soaring sax and Joshua Gawel’s powerful trumpet. Born in the streets of New York City’s multicultural melting pot the band pays homage to America’s New Orleans brass band tradition while fusing their sound with eclectic rock, Caribbean, Arabic, Eastern European, funk, jazz, ska, gospel and EDM.

Hunter Hayes
The Red Sky Tour

Not so long ago, Hunter Hayes let go. Of the expectations. Of the pressure. Of the necessity to follow a specific formula for his career. A five-time Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and the youngest male act ever to top the Billboard Hot Country song chart, Hayes was ready to lean into a mindset he’d always carried with him: that genres are fluid, and, in his eyes, the best musicians are the ones able to play with all sorts of sounds and styles.

“All of my favorite artists are the ones who went about their career making their own rules,” says Hayes, a rare and highly respected talent with a knack for authentic songwriting and for forging a true connection with his fans. “I knew then I had to tap into whatever’s been put on my creative heart. Let’s start there.” Following a decade of playing by the rules and sticking to country music conventions, Hayes is, at last, doubling down on his ever-searching musical mindset: throwing genre conventions out the window, playing with “all the sounds” he’s influenced by, and, most importantly, trusting himself in his quest to lean into his pop and alternative rock influences. Or, in other words, as Hayes succinctly puts it: “I’m creating my own rules to play by so I don’t have to play by anyone else’s.”

It’s this new no-holds-barred mindset that’s resulted in some of Hayes’ most inspired music yet. On his new album, Red Sky, the singer-songwriter is executing at the highest level of his musical career: crafting memorable melodies and instantly catchy hooks albeit with a top-notch musician’s discerning ear. “It was a completely different way of thinking,” Hayes says excitedly of his approach to the new LP and, for that matter, his career moving forward. “I’ve gone from being plugged into the system to building my own system.”

The 31-year-old Hayes, who says he wants every one of his albums to feel like a different era, has always been one to buck conventions. It’s hardly a surprise then to hear the Breaux Bridge, Louisiana native speak so candidly about his desire — no, need — to take ownership of his career and music. Signed to a record deal at age 18, “there was this understanding that I had no idea what I was doing and needed to learn the proper way,” he explains looking back. “So yeah, I wanted to believe there was one right way to do everything — producing, song selections, putting things out to radio, touring, etc. This created this odd environment where I listened to myself less than I should have.

“I started mentally making a note of all the things I felt weren’t right and what would I do instead,” Hayes continues. “And after a while, I realized there’d always been this desire to create my own corner. And not just copy and paste what was working.”

This norm-defying mentality — of no longer sticking to the script and instead letting his musical sensibility guide him — goes a long way in explaining why Hayes says he’s never been happier or more engaged with the music he’s creating.

Tickets: $32.50 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $35 at the door

Splintered Sunlight
Grateful Dead Tribute

Carly Rae Jepsen x AP Pride Party

After multi-platinum Grammy, Juno and Polaris Prize nominated singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen released her critically acclaimed album E·MO·TION in 2015, it became “a modern touchstone for a new crop of pop-leaning artists and legacy acts,” as NPR noted. The album also inspired an abundance of memes – extending the cultural cachet that Jepsen earned from the ubiquity of her Grammy-nominated blockbuster hit “Call Me Maybe” (from her U.S debut album Kiss), which not only climbed to No. 1 on the iTunes Singles charts in over 47 countries, sold over 20 million singles worldwide, and was certified Diamond in the U.S., but was referenced by everyone from former secretary-of-state Colin Powell to Cookie Monster.

Jepsen’s 2019 album Dedicated, retains the joyful, hook-filled feeling of its predecessor. But where E·MO·TION was an ’80s-influenced synth-pop classic that Rolling Stone called “a pop masterclass” and Stereogum called “indisputable …  pop genius,” Dedicated has a more ’70s-inspired feel at times, though the album defies categorization as a whole, with Vulture stating, “Dedicated is both stranger and freer than the last record, but it also feels more confident and considered.” Working with a crew of trusted songwriters and producers, among them John Hill, Jack Antonoff, Captain Cuts, Patrik Berger, and her longtime collaborator Tavish Crowe, Jepsen indulged in more sonic experimentation than she had in the past. Dedicated features the fan favorites “Party For One,” “Now That I Found You,” “Too Much” and “Want You In My Room.”

Jepsen landed the lead role in the 2014 Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and later starred as the iconic Pink Lady, “Frenchy,” in FOX’s four-time Emmy- award winning musical Grease: Live. Jepsen voiced the character of Odette in the animated movie “Leap!,” which also featured Jepsen’s song “Cut To The Feeling.”

Following the release of Dedicated Jepsen embarked on a global tour playing to audiences in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Jepsen released Dedicated Side B in 2020 which included previously unreleased music from the Dedicated sessions and shot to #1 on the iTunes chart upon release.

Tickets: $55 & up in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $65 at the door

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE
flipturn

Tickets: $46 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $51 at the door

Gates open at 6:30 pm, show at 7:30

As if channeling another dimension where genres simply don’t exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise find harmony in unpredictability, weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. They quietly built an audience with Seven + Mary [2013] and RKS [2015] before serving up their 2018 full-length debut for Elektra, “HOW TO: FRIEND, LOVE, FREEFALL” – produced by Grammy Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Sleeper Agent).

Igniting a two-year whirlwind, it brought the band’s total stream tally well past one billion, while they garnered widespread praise from Billboard,TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as “…a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soup…very earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n’ roll.” Meanwhile, “Fever Pitch” marked their first Top 10 at AAA. Not to mention, they’ve performed on “CBS This Morning Saturday,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” PBS’s “Austin City Limits,” and graced the bills of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga, to name a few.

Moving 80,000 tickets, they embarked on the sold-out Friend, Love Freefall Tour earmarked by a packed night at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and three consecutive gigs in Athens, GA—as chronicled on their first official live album, Live From Athens Georgia, which came out in 2021.

Stick Figure: Wisdom Tour
with Pepper, The Elovaters
on The Stone Pony Summer Stage

Gates open at 5 pm
The Elovaters at 6:30
Pepper at 7
Stick Figure at 8:15

Tickets: $39.50 and up in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $49.50 at the gate

With a distinctive sound developed through tireless attention to musicality and artistry, Stick Figure has redefined American reggae music with his latest album, Wisdom, released in September. As with his previous releases, Wisdom was written, produced and recorded by Scott Woodruff, a self-taught musician, at Stick Figure-owned Great Stone Studios in Oakland, California, former home of Green Day.

Wisdom is Stick Figure’s seventh album and follows the unprecedented success of 2019’s World on Fire, which peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Top 200, No. 6 overall Top Album, No. 1 Independent, and No. 1 Reggae album. World on Fire has sold more than 300,000 copies including streaming equivalents, according to Nielsen Soundscan data. Stick Figure’s catalog has now sold well over 1 million copies and been streamed over 3 billion times. On the live side, Stick Figure averaged more 4,200 tickets sold per show on an almost entirely sold out 2022 tour, according to Pollstar, and is slated to play major multi-genre festivals in 2023 after headlining the top reggae festivals in 2022.

These numbers would be impressive by any metric, yet Stick Figure has achieved this rarified air completely independently, with no label or outside producers. Throughout the credits of Wisdom, Woodruff and a small cadre of collaborators, namely childhood friend TJ O’Neill, prove that manufactured music does not have to exclusively dominate the charts. Streaming alongside today’s biggest pop stars, Stick Figure has transcended the genre while always embracing his love of reggae music. Much like other bands supported Stick Figure during his ascent, Woodruff works with up and coming artists to help foster a vibrancy that keeps the scene strong and growing faster than ever before, exposing it to new listeners with an authenticity that stays true to his roots, while pushing the boundaries of sound that people expect from the genre.

The evolution of the artist most often portrayed as a one-man band has its genesis in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Well before achieving worldwide acclaim or embracing the demand to play live shows, Scott was an avid music fan who in high school traded bootleg CDs of his favorite artists’ unreleased demos. It was then that he began recording a series of albums under the moniker of Stick Figure.

From his debut, The Sound of My Addiction, Scott’s handcrafted music connected with a community of avid listeners who discovered him exclusively by word of mouth and social media. Selling tens of thousands of copies of each of his self-produced releases allowed him to travel the world in pursuit of experience. Scott moved to San Diego where his recording career continued to blossom. As recently as 2012, he was putting up his own posters for Burial Ground at the California Roots Festival. In 2019, Stick Figure was commanding center stage as the headliner for the massive event. Today, Stick Figure is still embracing the DIY work ethic, while selling out amphitheaters and having his music played more than any other living reggae artist in the world.

AN EVENING WITH GOOSE
on The Stone Pony Summer Stage
Tickets: $46 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $51 at the door

Goose — Rick Mitarotonda [vocals, guitar], Peter Anspach [vocals, keys, guitar], Trevor Weekz [bass], Ben Atkind [drums], and Jeff Arevalo [vocals, percussion, drums] — fluidly traverse genres with head-spinning hooks, technical fireworks, and the kind of chemistry only possible among small town and longtime friends. Following 2016’s moon cabin, the Norwalk, CT quintet quietly took flight, playing countless shows during their ascent while slowly and steadily amassing a nationwide following.

The end of 2017 saw the band welcome Peter Anspach on guitar and keyboard – a pivotal moment that solidified the group’s core lineup. Months of relentless touring prepared them for a string of milestone festival performances during the summer of 2019, most notably defined by a storied performance at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. The band’s subsequent pro-shot video gained significant traction, highlighting the existing catalog of content compiled over the previous two years.

With increased buzz came increased demand. One by one, Goose sold out each show of their fall 2019 headlining tour and sold out last minute performances at both Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg in January 2020.

Due in part to Goose’s penchant for improvisation, the band has successfully navigated the myriad challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. They produced a series of intimate virtual events, culminating in a universally acclaimed Bingo Tour. The interactive, two-week live streaming event featured four full concerts with setlists determined by the outcome of a live Bingo game.

Fall 2020 saw a welcome return to live performance with a slew of sold out drive-in shows throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid Atlantic. Propelled by seemingly unstoppable momentum, the band concluded the year with their sixth annual Goosemas holiday concert, an epic live stream from a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.

Shenanigans Nite Club, released in June 2021, encapsulates the band’s rise. The nine track project is an ode to oft-forgotten vestiges of Goose’s experience, both personal and collective. Bestowing deserved éclat on the emergent musicians, the album debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top New Artist Albums chart.

AN EVENING WITH GOOSE
on The Stone Pony Summer Stage
Tickets: $46 in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $51 at the door

Goose — Rick Mitarotonda [vocals, guitar], Peter Anspach [vocals, keys, guitar], Trevor Weekz [bass], Ben Atkind [drums], and Jeff Arevalo [vocals, percussion, drums] — fluidly traverse genres with head-spinning hooks, technical fireworks, and the kind of chemistry only possible among small town and longtime friends. Following 2016’s moon cabin, the Norwalk, CT quintet quietly took flight, playing countless shows during their ascent while slowly and steadily amassing a nationwide following.

The end of 2017 saw the band welcome Peter Anspach on guitar and keyboard – a pivotal moment that solidified the group’s core lineup. Months of relentless touring prepared them for a string of milestone festival performances during the summer of 2019, most notably defined by a storied performance at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. The band’s subsequent pro-shot video gained significant traction, highlighting the existing catalog of content compiled over the previous two years.

With increased buzz came increased demand. One by one, Goose sold out each show of their fall 2019 headlining tour and sold out last minute performances at both Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg in January 2020.

Due in part to Goose’s penchant for improvisation, the band has successfully navigated the myriad challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. They produced a series of intimate virtual events, culminating in a universally acclaimed Bingo Tour. The interactive, two-week live streaming event featured four full concerts with setlists determined by the outcome of a live Bingo game.

Fall 2020 saw a welcome return to live performance with a slew of sold out drive-in shows throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid Atlantic. Propelled by seemingly unstoppable momentum, the band concluded the year with their sixth annual Goosemas holiday concert, an epic live stream from a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.

Shenanigans Nite Club, released in June 2021, encapsulates the band’s rise. The nine track project is an ode to oft-forgotten vestiges of Goose’s experience, both personal and collective. Bestowing deserved éclat on the emergent musicians, the album debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top New Artist Albums chart.

The Head and the Heart + The Revivalists
Jamie Wyatt

One dollar per ticket goes to Rev Causes, a fund that supports the work of organizations dedicated to reviving and investing in communities, health, and the environment. One dollar per ticket goes to The Rivers and Roads Foundation, which was started by The Head and the Heart as a way to give back to their hometown of Seattle. The goal of the foundation is to raise money for Seattle-based music programs and initiatives.

Tickets: $55 & up in advance (plus applicable surcharges), $65 at the door