Fletcher Celebrates Pride With Hometown Stone Pony Show
Fletcher and Friends Festival To Celebrate Pride
June is Pride month and with that comes some incredible events. In Asbury Park, New Jersey native Fletcher announced she’d be returning home with Fletcher and Friends Festival To Celebrate Pride at The Stone Pony Summer Stage. Fletcher has quite the history with the legendary Pony. In 2015, the up-and-comer recalls she performed for about 50 people begging friends and family to buy tickets to come to see her. Then in 2019, the singer performed on that same stage for about 800 people.
Fast forward to 2023 and Fletcher is touring in support of her latest album Girl of My Dreams which she released back in September of 2022. Now that the singer has moved on up to the Summer Stage, a goal for any New Jersey performer, this time around Fletcher welcomed over 5,000 people selling out the June 4th concert which may be her most special NJ performance yet. Fletcher’s friends Olivia O’Brien and Upsahl kicked off the evening.
While the sold-out crowd patiently waited for the vocalist to take the stage, spirits were high and the Pony was celebrating LOVE!!! Pride flags flew, banners and signs, and fans sang along to Taylor Swift over the PA system. It was a full-blown party on a Sunday night in The Stone Pony.
Fletcher took the stage promptly at 8:30 PM to a roaring ovation, screams front to back and side to side as the singer took the stage with all smiles. Kicking off the show accompanied by a full band they went right into the track “Guess We Lied…” Next was “Sting” in which Fletcher held the microphone out towards the crowd and the fans screamed the lyrics right back at her.
Fletcher paused to address the crowd, telling the audience about a video she saw on TikTok that melted her heart. The video was of a little girl named Colette who received tickets as a surprise to see the show, well that little girl just happened to be in the front area and was spotted by Fletcher. She was then invited to come on stage and dance during the performance of “Cherry”, the whole crowd yelled with excitement.
After Fletcher proclaimed while we’re talking about cute girls, “Do you want to see one of the cutest girls?”Fletcher brought out friend and show opener Olivia O’Brien for “Bitch Back”. The crowd erupted with excitement. Next up on the surprises was a cover of Brittney Spear’s “Seeking Amy” which sounded incredible!
Before playing the very touching and fitting “Maybe It’s The Jersey In Me” Fletcher told the crowd how amazing it was to be surrounded at this show by so many family and friends, how she had so many memories of the city of Asbury Park which made her who she is, and how she told her friends and family one day she would play the Pony’s Summer Stage. During the song, personal videos of Fletcher’s friends and family played on the screen at the back of the stage. It was a really special moment to witness.
The 19-song setlist was perfect, with career-spanning material from previous albums filled with lots of fan favorites to sing along to. The night was capped off with the encore “Becky’s So Hot”. It was incredible to not only finally catch Fletcher live but also attend such an important and pivotal concert in her career. A hometown show during Pride month in one of New Jersey’s most legendary venues in such a special, eccentric, and artistic town like Asbury Park, all the stars aligned for the perfect musical event.
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