Brian Fallon Brings It Home at The Stone Pony
There are few places where an artist the size of Brian Fallon can still feel like the local guy down the street. The Stone Pony is one of them.
As part of the North to Shore Festival, Fallon and The Painkillers turned the sold-out Asbury Park landmark into a celebration of New Jersey music, old friends, and the kind of songs that have aged right alongside the people singing them.
Before Fallon took the stage, Emily Wolfe delivered a blistering seven-song opening set that showcased exactly why she has earned a reputation as one of rock's most exciting guitarists. From "Violent Veins" through a powerful closing performance of "Holy Roller," Wolfe had the crowd locked in from the opening notes. Later in the evening, she would return to the stage behind the drum kit as part of The Painkillers.
The Stone Pony was packed more tightly than I can ever remember. Every inch of floor space was filled. There was nowhere to move except with the music. From the first song, the crowd sang along, danced, and matched Fallon's energy at every turn.
The New Brunswick native used the evening to introduce songs from his upcoming album, Not Bad for New Jersey, due in September, while mixing in fan favorites that drew loud responses throughout the night. The new material fit comfortably alongside the older songs, giving fans an early glimpse of what lies ahead when the full tour launches later this year.
The energy inside the room felt impossible to top.
What followed was the moment everyone would be talking about on Ocean Avenue long after the lights came up.
Fallon welcomed his friends from The Gaslight Anthem to the stage, sending an already electric crowd into overdrive. The surprise appearance transformed an already memorable hometown show into something much bigger, as fans sang every word to four Gaslight Anthem favorites that brought the night to an unforgettable close.
For a hometown crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder inside one of New Jersey's most iconic music rooms, it was the perfect ending to a remarkable night.
And despite what the new album title might suggest, this was a heck of a lot more than "Not Bad for New Jersey”
Emily Wolfe
Brian Fallon and the Painkillers Gaslight Anthem Emily Wolfe Stone Pony Bill Baumann North 2 Shore Festival
