Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 05/18/2020
Are car concerts the wave of the near future? The Weeklings will find out when they perform May 31 at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, New Hampshire. The band is touring in support of their third studio album, the aptly titled 3, which was released earlier this year on JEM Records.
and are treating fans to weekly ‘isolation videos’ via their YouTube Channel, which has garnered attention from outlets such as American Songwriter who stated, “The Weeklings will have you smiling and longing for simpler times.”
The Weeklings have been together for only five years, but each member has decades of musical and touring experience. Veteran rocker Glen Burtnik (Lefty Weekling) boasts an impressive resume that ranges from a series of solo albums on A&M and a long tenure with Styx to writing smash hit songs like “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Good Enough,” recorded by Patty Smythe and Don Henley, and “Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man,” recorded by Randy Travis. As the left-handed bassist who played Paul McCartney opposite Marshall Crenshaw’s John Lennon in the Broadway production of Beatlemania, Burtnik takes on a similar role opposite The Weeklings’ co-founder Bob Burger (Zeek Weekling).
Burger is a Gold Record-awarded songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist with songwriting credits for Styx, Donnie Iris and HBO Pictures, as well as performance credits with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Jon Bon Jovi.
The two remaining key elements for any great rock and roll band, a brilliant guitarist and killer drummer, came into the mix when Burtnik met Brooklyn-born lead guitarist/singer/songwriter John Merjave (Rocky Weekling) at one of the annual Fest for Beatles Fans shows and when Burger recruited Ringo-channeling drummer/singer Joe Bellia (Smokestack Weekling), with whom he had played countless gigs on the Jersey Shore.
The Weeklings recorded 3 in large part at London’s famed Abbey Road Studios' Studio 2, with some tracking at Daryl’s House, House of Vibes, and Sirius/XM Studios. The title track is (naturally) the third cut on the album. It hits you with a hard and memorable guitar riff that can’t help but get the blood moving! The Merjave/Burger-led “1000 Miles Away” boosts a rockabilly feel reminiscent of Dave Edmunds’ Rockpile. “Change Your Mind” and “In the Moment” lean towards FM classic rock or even progressive rock. “Baby Let Me Take You Home” has a centered, power-pop feel that recalls groups like Badfinger, The Raspberries, and Cheap Trick. Their powerful cover of the Easybeats’ classic “Friday on My Mind” features lead singer Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, and the closing cut “765... (4321)” channels a bluesy, Chuck Berry vibe, evoking Brit Invasion stalwarts like the Stones, T. Rex, and The Move.
The Weeklings mix their Beatles/60’s inspired originals with a healthy dose of Beatles music, some never released by The Beatles, some rearranged to suit the bands unique character and some played by the book as well as other 60’s gems that turn a Weeklings live show into a seamless, authentic celebration of rock ‘n roll.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY PARISI
Don Mclean & Lee Greenwood
Sunday, November 15, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJTwo iconic singers perform their hits and celebrate America’s 250 birthday! Singer/songwriter Don McLean is best known for the classic hit “American Pie,” as well as “Vincent” and “Castles in the Air.” Country superstar Lee Greenwood has seven top charting singles, including “I.O.U,” “It Turns Me Inside Out,” and the patriotic favorite, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Song Of The Meadowlark
Sunday, November 15, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Highland Design Farm
159 Van Dyke Road, Hopewell, NJA meditative rock odyssey weaving reimagined contemporary songs, stream-of-consciousness poetry and live painting.
The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
Wednesday, November 16, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJBlues guitar virtuoso Nick Moss and harmonica wizard Dennis Gruenling have been on a winning streak since they first joined forces in 2016. With relentless nonstop touring and the release of their Alligator Records debut, The High Cost Of Low Living, in 2018, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling has been playing for wildly enthusiastic fans and winning over critics and radio programmers worldwide.
Michael Mcdermott
Thursday, November 19, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJMichael McDermott’s brand of rock n’ roll brims with the kind of well-honed style and wisdom that can only come from a career on the road and a pedigree in the studio. Effortlessly blending natural folk sensibility, pop hooks, and honest rock, McDermott’s music is as much for the outcast as the congregation. It’s an exploration of the dark corners of life’s journey and it resonates middle class truths through the passionate filter of a kid that grew up on Chicago’s Irish South Side.
10,000 Maniacs
Thursday, November 19, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ10,000 Maniacs – 45 Years of Timeless Music
EVENT PREVIEWS
Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Forte Piano Music Company presents a Piano Trio Concert - "Exquisite Contrasts" - Haydn & Schubert on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:30pm. This program brings together two landmarks of the piano trio repertoire, revealing the evolution of the genre from the Classical era to early Romanticism.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Come to the Mahwah Museum on Sunday, November 15, 2026 for a discussion of a 29-year friendship, rare memorabilia, and the story behind Les Paul's home with Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki from his nearly three-decade friendship with legendary musician and inventor Les Paul. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Atlantic City Punk Rock Flea Market - Holiday Edition to take place on Sunday
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- You can get your holiday shopping done on Sunday, November 15, 2026 when Anchor Rock Club hosts the Atlantic City Punk Rock Flea Market - Holiday Edition. The event runs from noon to 6:00pm.
Song of the Meadowlark takes place on Sunday in Hopewell
(HOPEWELL, NJ) -- Song of the Meadowlark takes place Sunday, November 15, 2026 at Highland Design Farm. This is a meditative rock odyssey weaving reimagined contemporary songs, stream-of-consciousness poetry, and live painting. Doors are at 2:00pm, showtime is 2:30pm.
Avenel Performing Arts Center presents Chris Smither
(AVENEL, NJ) -- Chris Smither will perform at the Avenel Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 7:30pm. Born in Miami, during World War II, Chris Smither grew up in New Orleans where he first started playing music as a child. The son of a Tulane University professor, he was taught the rudiments of instrumentation by his uncle on his mother's ukulele.
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(PRINCETON, NJ) -- On Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 7:30pm, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright takes the McCarter stage for one night only with the Princeton Playhouse Sinfonia, a dynamic new collaborative ensemble created specifically for this concert.
Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor
(PRINCETON, NJ) — The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor on Friday, November 20, 2026 in an evening of upbeat and bubbling song filled with enthusiasm and love. The concert takes place at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton. Showtime is 8:00pm. A livestream option is available as well.
Private Eyes Brings the Greatest Hits of Hall & Oates to the Strand Center for the Arts
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NJPAC to Celebrate Ben Vereen's 80th Birthday with All-Star Concert on November 21st
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Musicians on a Mission to Celebrate 16th Anniversary with Gala Concert at Jersey Shore Arts Center
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