ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...4/3

By Danny Coleman

originally published: 04/03/2014

Welcome to my musical world! This is one man's attempt to alert you to the best in area entertainment!
"Get the band back together? We've never been apart," said Living Colour front man Corey Glover with a hearty laugh as he discussed the band's upcoming performance at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ewing on Friday April 4 as part of the Candlelight Concert Series for Epilepsy.
"I do my own stuff to get away from those guys," he continued with a chuckle. "We just spent a month in Australia, we're working on a new album; I mean, seriously, we get along so well. We've known each other for a very, very, very long time; we are well acclimated to one another, it's like hanging out with family members. These guys are like siblings or a close cousin that you actually like hanging out with. I'm the youngest, so I'm like the annoying little brother, Will and I are close in age, we look at the other two guys like, look at the old folks over there (laughs). We tease each other but we get along great."
Little over a year ago, Glover performed at the forerunner of this larger venue; better known as Eric Miller's living room. Corey was part of the growing list of performers at the house concerts Eric would host prior to the series outgrowing his home. "Eric, is just an amazing person," he said without hesitation. "He is doing Yeoman's work; it is a true testament to his love for his wife and the power of love in general."
The show in Miller's living room revealed a bit about Glover that he partially let slip in our original interview back in November of 2012. During a song introduction, he let it be known that not only was it "someone he knew" (as he had told me) who had epilepsy but it was in all actuality; his son. "Yeah, it was a childhood thing that we discovered in my son by accident; it really freaked us all out when it first started happening. So, yeah, I am happy to be doing this once again; although this time it's a little less intimate (laughs.)"
Guitarist Vernon Reid laid the groundwork for what would eventually become a Grammy Award winning group when he formed the first of several combinations of what would become Living Colour circa 1983. Around 1986 Glover and drummer Will Calhoun were brought into the fold and the band's debut album, 1988's "Vivid," containing the mega-hit "Cult of Personality" reached number six on the US Billboard 200 chart. Appearances on "Saturday Night Live" and a video on MTV propelled the band to open, along with Guns N' Roses, for the Rolling Stones on their "Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour."

Buoyed by the success of their first album, their follow up effort, 1990's "Time's Up" won the Grammy for "Best Hard Rock Album." Reflecting back on those times, Glover summed it up, perhaps better than most when he said, "It was all new back in the day. We were all inexperienced and we were taking it as it comes and it came at us really fast. Now, things come at us much slower; we're more prepared."
Slower includes taking their time and working on material for their next CD; something Glover says the band is keeping close to the vest. "Our intent was to take a look at the blues; with our own slant that is. Our songs are like a good conversation; they tend to evolve over the course of time, we put our own take on things. Right now we're still writing and recording and working things out."
Friday evening, Corey says that those in attendance won't have to worry so much about hearing too much newer material. When asked what one can expect, he bluntly said with a laugh, "Oh, it beats the Hell out of me! I have a sneaky suspicion that we'll be doing as much of the older stuff as we can as not to tip our hand on the new album."
Glover went on to say that the future looks very busy for the band as they ready to record once again. "We are going to go back on the road for a bit," he stated, "Then into the studio to record in the fall. Then who knows; the world is wide open to us." The show in Ewing is a piece of that wide open world and one that the band is looking forward to putting into their puzzle. "We're hoping that our old friends come visit us and some new ones come out and get to know us; not to mention that they should all come on out to support this great cause."
Tickets for Friday's show are a scant $30 in advance and $35 at the door. To purchase tickets or to learn more about this amazing concert series, please go to www.candlelightconcert.org.
For those of you who like smooth jazz; Dick Gratton will be performing at Chambers Walk Caf on Main St. in Lawrenceville on both Fri. and Sat. Gratton has been playing to the delight of many in our area for decades and loves to see new and not so new faces. Stop out and say hi and let Dick know that I sent you.
Tuesday, I will be hosting a "Rock On Radio" Happy Hour from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Tir Na Nog Irish Pub located at 1324 Hamilton Ave. in Trenton. there will be giveaways, t-shirts, beer specials and the featured artist is Alright Alright. Come on out, say hello and toast our good fortunes as a prelude to the Open Mic. Night hosted by the fantastic Taylor Reed!
This space welcomes any suggestions and/or comments. Please send them to: [email protected]

That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
THIS WEEKS CALENDAR LISTINGS

Alchemist & Barrister

28 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-5555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Chris Nickey

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Sun. 9 p.m. Princeton Area Blue Grass Jam

Wed. 10 p.m. Open mic. night Hosted by Eric Puliti

All shows 21+
Amarones Windsor Inn

29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-714
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Pizza Night w/Scott Gager & Debbie

Fri. 8 p.m. Mark Giovi Band

Sat. 8 p.m. Larry D

Tues. 7 p.m. Texas Hold'em
Blend

911 Rte. 33 Hamilton

(609) 245-8887
Fri. 9 p.m. Jamie Alexis

Sat. 9 p.m. Some Assembly Required

Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Candlelight Lounge
24 Passaic St. Trenton
(609) 695-9612

Sat. 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Joe Ford Alto Sax Quartet. (No cover-$10 minimum)

Centro Bar And Grille

2360 Rte. 33 Robbinsville

(609) 208-9300
Thurs. 9:30 p.m. Jimmy K & Steve
Chambers Walk Cafe
2667 Main St. Lawrenceville
(609) 896-5995

Fri./Sat. 6 p.m. Dick Gratton

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

The Backstage at Championship Bar
931 Chambers St. Trenton

(609) 394-7437
Fri. 5 p.m. Murphy's Law, Down Low, Deadly Nights, Down With Homework, Loss of Effect, Inhale. All ages, $12/$14
Dubh Linn Square
167 Rte. 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-7100
Sun. 4 p.m.Billy O'neal

Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night hosted by Shaun Ruymen
Fran's Pub

116 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.

(215)862-5539

Fri./Sat. 9 p.m. Rainbow Fresh

Sun. 3 p.m. Little Red Rooster

Mon. 8 p.m. Open Mic Blues Jam

All shows 21+
Havana New Hope
105 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-9897

Thurs. "Beat The Clock" College Night DJ Dance Party

Fri. 8:30 p.m. Slamm Band

Sat. 12 p.m. Steam Punk The Green Fairy Cabaret feat. Thus Way to The Egress & Karnevil. $15, $25, $40

Sun. 2 p.m. Midnight Sun Orchestra

Mon. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron Sherr and Bridge

Wed. 8 p.m. Pat Foran & Friends feat. Philip Brazer and Jeannine Hebb

All shows 21+
Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Fri. 10 p.m. The Ernie White Band

Sat. 10 p.m. The Aldrich Brothers Band
All shows 21+

John & Peter's
96 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Fri. 9 p.m. Rushland

Sat. (3 p.m.) Desoto Rust (9:30 p.m.) The Hyde w/ The Burgeoning

Sun. (3 p.m.) Fantasy Faire Finale (9:30 p.m.) Eric Sommer

Mon. Open Mic.

Tues. Meatball Madness (Benefits the New Hope Library)

Wed. The Invitational (Featuring John & Peter's House Band)
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern

2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton

(609) 586-2678

Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
Palermo's Of Hamilton
310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979

Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke

Sat. 9:30 p.m. Phaze

All shows 21+
Paint The Roses Tea and CAFE RESTAURANTE

37 West Broad St. Hopewell

(609) 466-8200
Sun. 1:30 p.m. Bryan Hill

Patriot's Crossing

1339 River Rd. Titusville

(609) 737-2780
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Sensei Juan and the Blackbelts

Sat. 7:30 p.m. River Dogs
RHO Waterfront

50 Riverview Plaza Trenton

(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 9 p.m. College Night w/ DJ Jeff Scott

Fri. (4:30 p.m.) Mike & Karly Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8 p.m.) The Big Chill Band (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmie Palumbo

Sat. 9 p.m. Ladies Night Dance Event

All Shows 21+
Spigola Ristorante

3817 Crosswicks Hamilton Square Rd. Hamilton
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Acoustic Band

Sat. 8:30 p.m. Tony Malandro
Sunsets at Cream Ridge

181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge

(609) 208-2500
Mon. 7 p.m. Open Mic. and Karaoke w/ Rich Barry

Tavern On The Lake

101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345

Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Night

Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The Cool Cricket

216 4th St. Fieldsboro

(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
The Ivy Inn

248 Nassau St. Princeton

(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Ron Sherr

Fri. 10 p.m. Alright Alright

Sat. 10 p.m. The Emulators

Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Ron Sherr
The Record Collector

358 Farnsworth Ave. Bordentown

(609) 324-0880

Fri. 8 p.m. Commander Cody. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $25 (advance)

Sat. 8 p.m. Joe Zook & Frank Pinto. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $12 (advance).

Sun. 7 p.m. Rickity. All ages, doors at 7 p.m., $12 (advance)
The Sticky Wicket
2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. Out of The Red

All shows 21+
The Sun National Bank Center
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Please check web site for upcoming events.

Tir Na Nog
1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554

Fri. 9 p.m. Bob Hurst & Paul Wiese

Sat. 9 p.m. Green Spell

Sun. Irish Sessions w/ DeAngelo & Gormley

Tues. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour hosted by Danny Coleman feat. Alright Alright. (9 p.m.) Open Mic. hosted by Taylor Reed

Wed. 9 p.m. Paul Wiese

All shows 21+
Trenton Social

449 South Broad Street Trenton

(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 8 p.m. Cinema Thursdays Presents: People's Champion - The Eli Porter Story

Fri. 7 p.m. Social First Fridays

Mon. 10 p.m. Service Industry Night w/ DJ-JayKountree

Tues. 9 p.m. LiveMusic/Open Mic.
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300

Fri. 10 p.m. La Capitana. $5 (coverage)

Sat. 10 p.m. Root Glen Band. $5 (cover charge)

Sun. (1 p.m.) Lynn Flick Trio (7 p.m.) Open Jam Night hosted by Paper Submarines
All shows 21+)
Villa Romanza

429 Rte. 156 Hamilton

(609) 585-1717
Fri. 6 p.m. Arturo Romay
Wildflowers Inn

2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington

Sat. 9 p.m. Live Acoustic Rock
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke

All shows 21+

About the author:

Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.

Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ

Joe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.

Mccarter At The Museum: An Evening With Jason Robert Brown
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Princeton Art Museum
45 Elm Drive, Princeton, NJ

Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.

Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.

With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.

A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].