Asbury Park, New Jersey - December 27th, 2025

Asbury Park’s famed concert venue, The Stone Pony, has been home to a plethora of rock & roll greats, such as Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny. The stage has even been graced by the likes of Oasis, Joan Jett, Blondie, and Green Day, as the venue rose to prominence in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Nowadays, if you ask anyone from the Jersey Shore about the Stone Pony, young and old, they’re sure to have an extraordinary concert story to regale you with.

Taking the stage at the Stone Pony, a venue that has played such an integral role in the history and development of rock & roll, is no small feat. This Saturday, Sam MacPherson kicked off his 4th annual Stone Pony hometown show to a crowd of friends, family, and adoring fans alike. MacPherson has become something of a hometown hero, achieving world renown for songs written about, and recorded at, the Jersey Shore. As he launched into hits such as “Crash Course” and “Brace for Impact,” fans leaned over the barricade chanting every word back to him, and the room buzzed with the Pony’s signature electric energy.

After pausing to thank fans for joining him for the 4th year in a row, the band took sidestage as Sam began a stripped-back acoustic segment, opening with a compelling cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” The shift instantly softened the room, with the crowd falling into a near-silence before quietly singing along to one of their collective hometown anthems. As a Jersey Shore native, MacPherson has long cited Springsteen as one of his greatest inspirations, and the choice felt especially full-circle. Just two months after releasing his own cover of the track on streaming platforms, he delivered it at the Pony with a rawness that celebrated his roots and paid homage to one of the venue’s greatest success stories.

Soon after, the band rejoined MacPherson onstage, seamlessly carrying the momentum of the show forward. The energy in the room never wavered, with MacPherson looking entirely at home under the lights. This sense of belonging felt especially fitting given the material at the heart of the set. Released this May, his latest album, American Dream Trajectory, was written and recorded just minutes away from the venue in Asbury Park, and its songs carried an added weight when performed in the place they were born. He brought the night to a close with the album’s final track, “Whatever You Are,” a fitting send-off to a wonderful annual tradition that is sure to bring fans back to the Pony for years to come.