The Long Summer Night Returns to the Stone Pony Summer Stage
Written and Shot by Aneta "Lace" Connolly
July 1, 2026
Written and Shot by Aneta "Lace" Connolly
July 1, 2026
There is always something to do at the Jersey shore in the summer—from sunbathing at the beach to stopping by a brewery to support your local band. But last Friday night, the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park was the place to be for the third installment of The Long Summer Night. Hosted by Streetlight Manifesto, the show also featured The Aquabats! and A Wilhelm Scream, and brought high energy, lots of skanking and plenty of cheers from the packed crowd.
A Wilhelm Scream opened the show with its high energy hardcore tunes. The first song was “Congratulations”, and I knew right there that it would be an awesome show. The band clearly had a great time and it showed through their stage presence, and their frontman’s big smile right below his sick mustache.
After a short break, The Aquabats! took the stage wearing their iconic blue aqua uniforms. This show is a part of their Gigantish Tour 2026, but they made the evening gigantiC! The band had lots of aces up their sleeves, from inflatable beachballs, burgers and pizzas, to surprise visits from band members in costumes.
The best part of the show was seeing so many kids and families having the best time of their life. For many, it was their first live show experience. My personal favorite parts of their performance were the pizza kid race (pictured in the gallery) and the SHARKS! There were so many jumping sharks! Their set was completed by a super rad song, titled accurately, “Super Rad!” The whole show was a unique experience and I continued smiling even after they left.
When Streetlight Manifesto came out, the crowd erupted with excitement as Metallica’s “Blackened” flowed from the speakers. The band played some older tunes and a couple of awesome never-played-before songs: “All the Pieces” and “How Do You Sleep at Night?”. The center of the crowd turned into a non-stop human tornado, with people being lifted to surf like an assembly line throughout the night. The band went past curfew and they did not leave us disappointed. And the last two songs were well-executed Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution’s covers.
This was my first time attending The Long Summer Night, and I immediately added this event to my “to do” list next year. As I was walking away from the venue, I overheard people around me saying “that was amazing” and “I am so sweaty!”. And I couldn’t agree more! It was an awesome show, and while we might have been stinky and tired, we were all happy.
So what's up next for these bands?
Streetlight Manifesto is currently working on its next album and just released Halfway to the Place Behind the Stars for fans to enjoy. Meanwhile, The Presence of the Past Tour has just begun and runs through December. The Aquabats! have a few dates left before wrapping up their Gigantish Tour this September. And A Wilhelm Scream is spending their summer in Europe and Canada in support of their latest album Cheap Heat before returning to the States for The Fest in October.
Definitely try to see all of these bands if you get a chance, and as always, check them out wherever you stream your music.
Coverage from June 27, 2026 at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ. All photos are © Lace Crown Media and cannot be used without permission.