The Saint   

The legendary Stone Pony, once the ground zero of Asbury's music scene, has rocked only intermittently since the Boss left town. But the Saint's decade of operation has been significantly more productive. At least five nights a week, the Saint's small stage is rocked by acts both local and national. Big timers from Jewel to Cake to Creed to Man or Astroman have visited The Saint -- usually a few years before getting really big. But the club's lifeblood is the still-pumping local scene. The bar itself is nothing to write home about. The drinks are expensive, the bar is small and the bathrooms are less than salubrious. The neighborhood is not necessarily the best advertisement for Asbury's resurgence, either. But the music is generally very good, and the sound is great. This is rock and roll up-close and dirty, as it was meant to be. --D.J. Roth