Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at the Stone Pony: DREAM ACHIEVED
This past Saturday, I had the chance to see one of my inspirations in entertainment live in person for the first time ever, alongside the guy who introduced me to his work.
A few months ago, I saw that Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, better known as the slapstick stoners of comedy Jay and Silent Bob, were doing their podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Instantly, I contacted my pal Matt Palaski and asked if he’d be down to go. Almost as quickly, he said yes, and we got tickets.
Matt was the first guy to introduce me to the View Askewniverse. I remember back in 2004, Ed Scanlon and I were at Matt’s house hanging out, and he made mention that he just bought the Clerks X DVD. I, virtually sheltered from independent culture at the time, was intrigued. Matt put it on, and I sat intrigued, watching this black and white film. I was hooked from “37” on.
Matt answered all of my questions regarding the movie and the man who created it, Mr. Smith. He let me know that Clerks was the beginning of a saga of films based in Central New Jersey, with characters and stories that were intertwined with one another.
I always have to give Matt credit for my introduction to Jay and Silent Bob. If not for him, I’d never have watched and learned about the greatness of the View Askewniverse. Going to the event at the Stone Pony on April 27 felt full circle.
The event opened up with an hour-long acoustic performance by Tommy Stinson, former guitarist for the Replacements, Bash & Pop, and Soul Asylum. I thought he was tremendous. Researching Tommy after the show, I had no clue he was one of the artists that performed on the Chinese Democracy album from Guns & Roses. I now have to revisit the LP that took Axl and the crew sixteen years to make.
Around 9:30, Kevin and Jay made their way to the stage with a raucous ovation. I instantly geeked out. Looking at Kevin and Jay, they both looked healthy and happy. With both men going through the ringer over the past several decades (Jay with his addiction issues, almost fourteen years sober, and Kevin post-heart attack), they looked and sounded great.
Being in person, I truly got to enjoy the storytelling of Silent Bob. Although watching on DVD and listening to their podcasts is one thing, being in person and feeling the emotion live was incredible.
The wild thing was that the dastardly duo almost missed the event altogether. A few hours before, both men made an appearance at Chicago’s C2E2 convention. Staying until the last possible minute, both men were caught in traffic outside at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and JUST made the gate for their flight with minutes to spare.
There was so much the men discussed, from Kevin’s first time actually being in the Stone Pony, to discussion of fatherhood, to Jay and Kevin’s trips to the methadone clinics in the late 90s, and vulgarity in between, the audience was laughing and clapping along every step of the way.
In the middle of the show, both men actually read from a piece of a script Kevin is working on around a new Jay and Silent Bob movie. I will not spoil what the scene was about, but I will only give one line that got massive laughs: “Bon my f***ing Jovi.” I popped HUGE.
By the end, the boys did their closing portion of the show “LET US F***”. For the final scene performed in front of the live crowd, Jay’s title for a sexual position fell flat with the live crowd. When Kevin asked for a suggestion for a new title, my man Matt saved the day by bellowing in a way only Matt could:
GOOD SEX, BAD SEX, MIDDLESEX!
Popping both Jay and Kevin, Ernie O’Donnell, also known as Rick Derris from the Askewniverse, one of the die-hard fans that visits every event at the Smodcastle in Leonardo, NJ, and Jay re-enacted a three way scene that only could be described as funny as Hell.
My man Matt saved the day.
Once the show concluded, I truly took it all in. From a live event perspective, there is nothing like watching a Kevin Smith performance. He truly is a phenomenal storyteller. With it being most likely the only chance I’d ever get to see Jay and Silent Bob live, I’ll cherish that forever.
Going to the Stone Pony, the House That Springsteen Built, to watch Jay and Silent Bob, the duo that put Central New Jersey on the map in film, with one of my closest friends was truly incredible. It’s one of those rare moments that you need to take in and cherish for as long as you can. You won’t have many other moments like it.
DREAM ACHIEVED. Snooch-to-the-nooch.
