I didn't really know what to anticipate. I grew up in the punk scene in New Jersey, which,

you know, was in all of the little town surrounding Giant Stadium in Asbury Park.

And Metaluns is technically a swamp, right? You're like trudging through the swamp.

Oh yeah, exactly. Literally behind the parking lot and like Lot J is like a marshland.

So if you're in the back of the giant stadium

tailgate especially the old giant stadium like you just looked off into swamps

or as bruce would say the swamps jersey it's july 2003

bruce at giant stadium this is remember that game the podcast about sporting events is 2003, Bruce at Giant Stadium.

This is Remember That Game, the podcast about sporting events-ish, that take you on a journey and maybe chart the path of the zeitgeist.

I'm your host Thomas Emmerich, and my guest is Nick Koresenidi, New York Times political

reporter and author of I Don't Want to Go Home,

The Oral History of the Stone Pony.

Nick, are you ready to traverse from the Jersey shore up through the medallens and through time?

Yep, right up Highway 9.

And the Stone Pony subject of your book, Jersey Cultural Institution and a home field of sorts for Bruce Springsteen and the East Street band coming up in the early 70s through the opening of Giant Stadium in 76, which becomes another venue for legendary concerts.

How crucial was geographic location at that time and incubating sports fandom and a music

scene? I mean, the interesting thing about, about Asbury Park is that like if you were to go back

to the 50s and 60s, it was like most happening town, right? You had a bar in every corner and every bar had music.

It was mostly bar bands.

It was top 40.

It was cover.

But there was still that vibe, right?

...