DJ Trixie: Making History at The Stone Pony

Trixie Mattel is an avid music lover and a skilled music maker. Having quoted inspirations from Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn to Sheryl Crow, The GoGo’s, and Melissa Etheridge, Mattel is turning a new leaf in her musical career lately. A celebrated singer-songwriter with several albums under her belt, Mattel has turned her attention to her Pioneer turn table and her custom DJ mixes with her show Solid Pink Disco.

This summer Mattel will DJ the historic Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park on Thursday, May 30, as part of their Pride Kick-off and an ongoing celebration of 50 years as a venue.

Founded in 1974 by John P. “Jack” Roig and Robert “Butch” Pielka, the Stone Pony has housed such musical acts as: The Blackberry Booze Band (where Steve Van Zandt got his start), Stevie Ray Vaughn, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, Cheap Trick, Skid Row, Blondie, The Stray Cats and Winger. “Other artists who took to the Pony stage included Meatloaf, Todd Rundgren, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Jett, Blue Oyster Cult, Gregg Allman, Dickie Betts, Ace Frehley of Kiss, Green Day, No Doubt, Blinkg-182, Limp Bizkit, The Kinks, Goo Goo Dolls, The Wallflowers, Blind Melon, and more.

The history of the Stone Pony includes changes in owners, changes in goals (it was a dance club called Vinyl for a minute), and near bankruptcy as both the space and its surrounding community evolved. Through every trial, the historic music venue has survived to see another legendary day and showcase some of the most popular and brilliant artists of the last half century.

“In order to the play the Pony you have to have a certain level of talent,” said Lee Mrowicki, the club’s veteran DJ and unofficial historian. “No matter how much talent you’ve got, you have to be recognized by an audience and have people that support you.”

Trixie Mattel has that certain level of talent. She certainly has an audience that supports her. As Asbury Park and The Stone Pony continue to grow and embrace their shared legacy, the venue is committed to community engagement and to bringing top notch entertainment to New Jersey. It’s no surprise that Mattel was on their list for this year’s Summer Stage.

“In the warm weather months, the Pony’s increasingly popular Summer Stage has continued to draw a top-notch roster of artists, including Jack Antonoff and Bleachers’ Shadow of the City festivals and artists including Incubus, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Sum 41, Young the Giant, Spoon, Bad Omens, Phil Lesh, Willie Nelson, Lee Brice, Bright Eyes, Greta Van Fleet, The War on Drugs, New Found Glory, Dashboard Confessional, Andrew McMahon, Modest Mouse, Pierce the Veil, Armor For Sleep, Senses Fail, Underoath, Mayday Parade, Pixies, The Go-Gos, Lisa Marie Presley, Demi Lovato, The Used, Turnstile, Dance Gavin Dance, The Gaslight Anthem, Stone Temple Pilots, Counting Crows, The Head and the Heart, Phoebe Bridgers, Louis Tomlinson, Nathanial Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Jane’s Addiction, Jake Owen, Squeeze, The Dropkick Murphys, Goose, Matisyahu, Movements, Grayscale, Culture Club, YUNGBLUD and the B-52s.

The area near the Pony takes on a party atmosphere during sold-out Summer Stage shows, with fans crowding onto the boardwalk and on the street medians to take part in the summer fun.”

As a queer creator, Trixie Mattel has broken ground time and time again for our community to succeed. Mattel has tackled the real estate market and the renovation world with her television show Trixie Motel and Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home (premiering June 1, 2024 on MAX), she’s become a makeup mogul with her cosmetics line Trixie Cosmetics, and she is a celebrated comedian, content creator, and musician. By taking to historic stages like the Stone Pony and selling them out, Mattel is chipping away at the glass ceiling for musicians in Drag and opening doors for consideration in things like the Grammys.

Who knows, maybe we’ll see Mattel and her esteemed colleagues like Monét X Change and Sapphira Cristál grace those stages next season?

For tickets to the Solid Pink Disco in Asbury Park, please visit www.stoneponyonline.com