Nick Corasaniti, New York Times:

> IT’S MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, 1976, and nearly 1,000 people pack a tiny club in Asbury Park, N.J., to watch a local band and a local legend named Bruce Springsteen, share their mix of rock and soul with a wider world that had all but written off this struggling seaside city for good.

And:

> Since it opened in 1974, the club, the Stone Pony, has been the beating heart of Asbury Park, a beacon for musicians and fans alike. But its survival, much like that of its host city, has been a constant battle, a story of resilience and revival, of sold-out shows and custom roller blinds on windows. > > Here is the renowned club’s history, as told by the owners, musicians, staff and fans who have called its dark black interior and low-slung stage home.

Growing up in New Jersey, Springsteen was almost a religion. And the Stone Pony was the center of his universe. This is a brilliantly told tale of a major branch of the rock family tree.