The Saint is a music venue located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States.[1][2][3] It is reminiscent of places like The Cellar Door in Washington, DC, CBGB, CB's 313 Gallery, and The Living Room in New York City, and features live, original music.[4][5][6][7] The Saint was founded by Adam Jon Weisberg along with business partner Scott Stamper, and opened its doors on November 18, 1994.[8][9] Stamper bought out Weisberg in 2013 and became the sole owner.[8][10][11][12] He is also a co-founder (along with Weisberg and Gordon Brown) of the Wave Gathering Music Festival.[13]
Background
The Saint was an early site of the annual Asbury Park Music Awards ceremony founded by Stamper in collaboration with Pete Mantas. The awards ceremony, modeled after the Grammy Awards,[14][15] features the presentation of awards between performances of live, original music. The event was originally called "The Golden T-Bird Awards" and was first held in 1993 at a small club on Main Street called the T-Bird Cafe. The awards ceremony was later moved to The Saint and renamed "The Asbury Music Awards" in 1995. When the event's attendance exceeded The Saint's capacity, the ceremony was rotated among larger venues, including The Fastlane, The Tradewinds, and The Stone Pony. The Saint remains a co-sponsor of the event.[16]
The Saint has been credited with helping to keep the local music scene alive when newspapers said that the heyday of live music was over, and even The Stone Pony intermittently closed.[2][17] It has been described as a landmark,[1] the bedrock of the Asbury Park music scene, and an important venue for introducing emerging artists. It has also been called Asbury Park's "rock n’roll version of “Cheers,” where musicians and fans hang out together and everybody does know your name."[18][19]
The Saint showcases a variety of new and well-known, local, national, and international acts[2][19] that are touring through the region. The club is more of a concert venue than a bar,[19] and has been described by music critics as one of the top five rock clubs in New Jersey.[20][21]
The shows designated "Asbury Cafe" are acoustic, seated shows during which talking is not permitted while the acts are playing.[1]
Age, attire, and nature of the audience varies with the bands, but is generally eclectic.[22]
In 2022, the owners of The Saint lost their lease and liquor license, citing issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] In a 2020 GoFundMe campaign started to help ease COVID-19 shutdown struggles, the owners of the club announced in April 2023 that the venue would reopen by "late spring/summer". As of December 2023, the club remains closed.
^ abcPike, H. (2002, July 14). Glory days revisited;Springsteen's Asbury Park poised to reclaim its status as a major music venue. Boston Herald (MA), p. 65.
^Biese, A. [5] (2011, November 13). Asbury Music Awards given at The Stone Pony. Asbury Park Press. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
^Jordan, C. [6] (2015, November 18). Iconic Saint of Asbury Park launches fundraising drive. Asbury Park Press. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
^Woliver, R. [7] (2000, August 13). Asbury Music Awards Return to Stone Pony. New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
^Fried, J. (1999, June 13). Back when's club is right now, again. New York Times, NJ1.
^La Gorce, T. [8] (2007, May 13). Still Rocking Hard in Asbury Park as the Bands Play On. New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
^Nash, M. (2005, October 30). The Shore's Grammy Awards. New York Times, p. N12.
^DeMasters, K. [9] (1999, August 15) Top of the Pops at the Shore. New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
^Pfeiffer, J. [10] (2010, December 1). Asbury Music Awards and Musical Heritage Kickoff. The Aquarian. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
^Goodnough, Abby [11] (1998, March 01). Live Music's Glory Days Pass It By; Suburbs Are Tuning Out, Even at Springsteen's Old Haunt. New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
^Mikle, J. [12] (2008, November 18). You say its your birthday? in The Rhythm Room.Asbury Park Press, Retrieved March 27, 2011.
^ abcdRothenberg, D. & G. Wien [13] (2006). Beyond the Palace. Bloomington, IN: Trafford Publishing.