jessica wrote:
] ] The owner of The Stone Pony in Asbury Park blamed the
] ] metal band Great White and its management for the fire
] ] that killed at least 96 people in a Rhode Island
] ] nightclub Thursday night.
] ] "I absolutely blame the band," said Domenic Santana.
] ] "They used the same pyrotechnics here on Valentine's Day,
] ] without our permission. We did not know they were going
] ] to do it and we could've been in the same situation."
]
] This takes the "that could have been me!" factor to a whole
] new level.

Nope.. Still wouldn't have been at a Great White show.

The Pony kinda sucks now. Every time I'm in that place anymore, I feel like I'm in church. Like I should just sit in the corner with my hands folded and my head bowed. Its getting that House of Blues and BB Kings vibe to it. Only its way way more shitty. Yet clearly not trying to be shitty.. Just to have that setup, but look cheap. It feels intentional. Sure, the Pony has played a signifigant role for music in the Jersey area, and beyond.. But you will have trouble finding people who have frequented the place for many years who didn't like it better when it was a punk dive shithole. It was a good punk dive shithole, one of the best. Its a very different place now. When you walk into the Pony, you quickly realise that it has been changed to have that same damn setup as every American music bar you have ever seen. The one island bar, with the area of tables behind it.. Stage, dance floor, more tables to the other side of that.. etc.. With that alone, it has lost its cred with me. I liked it better when you walked into the place, you had a stage with a big padded barrier in front of it to keep the crowd from overtaking the band.. And the rest of the place was just a beat up shithole with all the concrete asthetics, stickers, and grafiti you'd expect from a CBGBs style place. Its totally a different thing now. Its not for the audience it had been for years and years and years.. The younger crowd thats into whatever music is "in" or having "its time".. For my years, it was the punkers and alternative crowd. Previous to that it had been Jersey style R&B and other things.. Now its a place for the baby boomers who want to remember when the desolate streets of Asbury either were not so desolate, or they meant something to them. Its riding the Asbury yuppie invasion wave.

The Saint has taken the role as Asbury's "underground" music venue. Thats where the local bands play. Many local bands I know don't want to play at the Pony for a number of varied reasons.. The only thing that sucks about The Saint is that it is small. Aside from that, its got more of the vibe you would expect from a Jersey local/underground music venue. Its owner, Scott, really seems to give a shit about the scene and the people in it too. You get an instant feeling of community when you walk into the pl... [ Read More (0.4k in body) ]

Rattle wrote:
] jessica wrote:
] ] ] The owner of The Stone Pony in Asbury Park blamed the
] ] ] metal band Great White and its management for the fire
] ] ] that killed at least 96 people in a Rhode Island
] ] ] nightclub Thursday night.
] ] ] "I absolutely blame the band," said Domenic Santana.
] ] ] "They used the same pyrotechnics here on Valentine's Day,
] ] ] without our permission. We did not know they were going
] ] ] to do it and we could've been in the same situation."
] ]
] ] This takes the "that could have been me!" factor to a whole
] ] new level.
]
] Nope.. Still wouldn't have been at a Great White show.
]
] The Pony kinda sucks now. Every time I'm in that place
] anymore, I feel like I'm in church. Like I should just sit in
] the corner with my hands folded and my head bowed. Its
] getting that House of Blues and BB Kings vibe to it. Only its
] way way more shitty. Yet clearly not trying to be shitty..
] Just to have that setup, but look cheap. It feels
] intentional. Sure, the Pony has played a signifigant role for
] music in the Jersey area, and beyond.. But you will have
] trouble finding people who have frequented the place for many
] years who didn't like it better when it was a punk dive
] shithole. It was a good punk dive shithole, one of the best.
] Its a very different place now. When you walk into the Pony,
] you quickly realise that it has been changed to have that same
] damn setup as every American music bar you have ever seen.
] The one island bar, with the area of tables behind it..
] Stage, dance floor, more tables to the other side of that..
] etc.. With that alone, it has lost its cred with me. I liked
] it better when you walked into the place, you had a stage with
] a big padded barrier in front of it to keep the crowd from
] overtaking the band.. And the rest of the place was just a
] beat up shithole with all the concrete asthetics, stickers,
] and grafiti you'd expect from a CBGBs style place. Its
] totally a different thing now. Its not for the audience it
] had been for years and years and years.. The younger crowd
] thats into whatever music is "in" or having "its time".. For
] my years, it was the punkers and alternative crowd. Previous
] to that it had been Jersey style R&B and other things.. Now
] its a place for the baby boomers who want to remember when the
] desolate streets of Asbury either were not so desolate, or
] they meant something to them. Its riding the Asbury yuppie
] invasion wave.
]
] The Saint has taken the role as Asbury's "underground" music
] venue. Thats where the local bands play. Many local bands I
] know don't want to play at the Pony for a number of varied
] reasons.. The only thing that sucks... [ Read More (0.6k in body) ]

] Rattle wrote:
] ] Kudos
] ] to Rick, its new owner. He has the right idea. He is also

Just noticed I made a brain fart. Guy's name is Rich.

jessica wrote:
] Yes, things have changed, and I was really thinking of The
] Saint when I wrote that. The last time I was at the Pony was
] in... hmm.. I guess it had to have been 98 or 99, to see Steph
] play sax with some band she was with. It was pretty shitty
] back then, and before the show, Steph and I ate at this GAY
] COWBOY BAR next door, "The Hitching Post" only we didn't know
] it was a gay cowboy bar until we noticed that the person
] behind the bar was actually a very ugly man dressed as an even
] uglier woman.
] I haven't been to the former "Java the Hut" in a long time.
] Actually I haven't been to Belmar in a while, except for that
] party that I left because Tom was getting annoyed at the whole
] "too much smoke /people he doesn't know / JESSICA'S EX" thing.

Btw.. That party got totally crazy not too long after you left.

] Sometimes I miss Jersey, just for the memories.

Jersey tends to be a better place to store memories then realities.

Rattle wrote:
] jessica wrote:
] ] Yes, things have changed, and I was really thinking of The
] ] Saint when I wrote that. The last time I was at the Pony was
]
] ] in... hmm.. I guess it had to have been 98 or 99, to see
] Steph
] ] play sax with some band she was with. It was pretty shitty
] ] back then, and before the show, Steph and I ate at this GAY
] ] COWBOY BAR next door, "The Hitching Post" only we didn't
] know
] ] it was a gay cowboy bar until we noticed that the person
] ] behind the bar was actually a very ugly man dressed as an
] even
] ] uglier woman.
] ] I haven't been to the former "Java the Hut" in a long time.
] ] Actually I haven't been to Belmar in a while, except for
] that
] ] party that I left because Tom was getting annoyed at the
] whole
] ] "too much smoke /people he doesn't know / JESSICA'S EX"
] thing.
]
] Btw.. That party got totally crazy not too long after you
] left.

Define "totally crazy"..

] ] Sometimes I miss Jersey, just for the memories.
]
] Jersey tends to be a better place to store memories then
] realities.

Well, the only two places I've lived are Central NJ and Southeastern Connecticut. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have as my 'reality'.