SAVES THE DAY AT THE STONE PONY IN ASBURY PARK
New Jersey natives Saves the Day brought their summer tour with Joyce Manor to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, and couldn’t have picked a better place for the last date Joyce Manor would be playing on. To make it even better, it was a sold out show. Anyone who’s been to a sold out show in the Stone Pony knows that they are usually in for a sweaty, good time. As patrons filled the Stone Pony, taking in the last breath of ocean water wafting in from the boardwalk directly across from the building before walking through the doors, there was excitement in the air. Already from the beginning, the venue was so packed for the openers that it was difficult to walk through.
When Joyce Manor took the stage after Awakebutstillinbed, you could tell that the crowd was there just as much for them as they were for Saves the Day. Joyce Manor’s set was a jam from start to finish. The crowd sang and screamed along to their favorite lyrics from songs such as “Heart Tattoo”, “Wildflowers”, and “Orange Julius”. Because of the band’s tracks being on the shorter side, they were able to fit an impressive 22 songs onto their set list. Something that really stuck out to me about their set is that the band played songs off of each of their albums/EPs (with the exception of their split EP with Summer Vacation). It was great to see such variety in their set.
Saves the Day came on stage and started off strong with “Anywhere With You”. They also played an impressive 23 song set, and the crowd gave all their energy the entire way through. Right from the get go you could see the entire floor of the Stone Pony turn into a pit, and crowd surfers come flying up to the barricade. They played songs such as “At Your Funeral”, “A Drag in D Flat”, and “Kaleidoscope”. During “Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots” someone in the crowd held up a sign that read, “Chris, please invite me on stage to sing Holly Hox”. Sure enough, he was pulled up and given the microphone to sing on stage with the band, a truly special moment for a fan. It was cool to see how much fun the band had on stage and how natural their performance felt. There was never a dull moment in their performance as the band played through their catalogue. If you missed this tour, fear not. For fans in the New Jersey, or Anaheim, CA area the band also announced two very special anniversary shows for 20 Years of “Through Being Cool”. I would definitely suggest grabbing a ticket if you can!
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!