FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
1. AN EVENING WITH THE INCOMPARABLE RICKIE LEE JONES
2. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This Week at The Stone Pony: An Evening with Rickie Lee Jones (Friday), Dave Mason (Saturday)
New on the Stone Pony Calendar: La Ley (June 25), Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (July 4), Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers (July 17), Umphrey's McGee (July 18), Derek Trucks Band (July 24)
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see the most unique songstress of our time. The incomparable Rickie Lee Jones will captivate you with her serene jazz and R&B stylings. Her only area appearance takes place at The Stone Pony this coming Friday, June 18th. Tickets will be available at the door, through Ticketmaster at 201-507-8900 or call the Pony box office at 732-502-0600 for more information.
Releasing her self-titled debut album in 1979, Rickie Lee Jones redefined the art of storytelling with a look into the West Coast after-hours nightlife that included one of her best-known songs, "Chuck E's In Love." She followed up with a series of albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as well as a 1983 EP of jazz standards and studio outtakes, Girl At Her Volcano, that remains popular with fans and critics, and a live album from her 1995 European tour, Naked Songs.
In 1997, she released what would become her last proper album of original music for several years, Ghostyhead. While the beats and samples of this album marked a radical change in direction from her work to that point, she didn't seem interested in developing the sound further. She moved to Washington state, tended to her garden and raised her daughter. While she did release an album of cover tunes in 2000, and a Live at Red Rocks CD the year after, Jones wasn't writing any new material and had largely stopped being a force on the musical landscape.
While her music had earned her favorable comparisons to Joni Mitchell, the songs on her new release, The Evening of My Best Day, might be better compared to the political activism of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. While her return to songwriting after a six-year absence marks the resurgence of her formidable writing skills and shows that her musical talents are still going strong, there is also a seriousness and political consciousness that was not present in much of her earlier work. With song titles such as "Ugly Man" ("he's an ugly man / he always was an ugly man / he grew up to be like his father / an ugly man") and "Tell Somebody (Repeal the Patriot Act Now)" ("now they want us to just get in line / behind a president / when you know they spent millions of dollars / condemning and accusing / the last one from the other side"), Jones is proudly wearing her politics on her sleeve, and her pen, and taking bold and vocal stands on the overriding political issues of the day. And, while popular music has a long tradition of politics and social activism, those traits are sorely lacking in mainstream music these days.
So Jones' pulled out her notebook and returned to the studio because she is a woman with something to say, which makes The Evening of My Best Day especially compelling. Heard in the intimate and historic confines of the Stone Pony, the music should resonate with a special measure of power and effectiveness. Since this is her only scheduled area appearance, it's even more essential that fans don't miss this special opportunity to share an evening with a special and influential performer.
Rickie Lee Jones' website can be found at www.rickieleejones.com.
Now at AsburyPark.net:
Springsteen boosts downtown again: A chance to meet
Bruce Springsteen, a High Tea By The Sea, a pet parade, children’s events,
live music and more are part of the lineup for the citywide Salt-Water
Weekend on June 18-20. Springsteen will sign copies of his songbook for 200
winners of a drawing to be conducted at many city businesses.
Mondays at the Stone Pony: Open Mic Night
Acoustic, electric, solo, band performances welcome
Backline provided by MUSICMAKERS, just bring guitars
Hosted by PETER SCHERER of HWY 9
Guest DJs from 105.5 WDHA, 105.7 The Hawk, 95.9 WRAT,
Sirius Satellite Radio, 90.5 The Night and more
Voting by everyone in attendance
Prizes from the Pony, Budweiser, Max Cruise, Yoo-Hoo,
Compact Disc World, Music Makers, Funk and Standard,
Starbucks, Jack Daniels and more
Happy hour 8-11, $1 off all drinks, 25-cent drafts 8-11,
$1 drafts after 11, shot specials all night.
Doors at 7:30 pm, sign-up begins at 8. On-line sign-up coming soon!
Admission: $5
Thursdays at the Stone Pony: Ladies Night
The hottest Thursday night continues with
LADIES NIGHT at The Stone Pony
Music by DJ PRIME spinning the best in house, hip hop, reggae and trance.
18 to enter, 21 to drink, ID a must!
Doors open at 9:30 pm. Dress to impress!
25 cent Budweiser drafts 'till 11 pm,
$1 drafts after 11, $2 shot specials all night
Come see for yourself why Thursday nights are the hottest with Ladies Night
at the Pony!
