New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Dan Amato Releases "Home For Christmas"


By Gary Wien

originally published: 11/19/2020


What happens when a musician is stuck in quarantine with two things: no studio to record and an undying love for the holidays? He puts together a Christmas record with the help of some friends. 

Conceptualized, recorded, mixed and slaved over in his basement in New Jersey, Dan Amato is releasing Home For Christmas on Thanksgiving.  This is his first full holiday EP, which features five of his favorite Christmas songs. The record was completely home-produced by Amato.

"I decided to put out this EP because I think this year more than ever my family, friends and some people I am lucky enough to call fans could use the concept that is this record; making the best of what you have right at home," explained Amato. "This is essentially the product of me doing exactly that. I have always wanted to learn how to professionally engineer, record and mix my music at home from sitting in the studio for countless hours with people like my good friend Adam Vaccarelli at Retromedia Sound Studios in Red Bank, NJ. If I didn’t have this time to myself to sit and actually learn & practice, this definitely would not have been a thing. In a lot of ways, I took this time as a blessing to work on myself and my skills and i couldn’t be happier to have a product to show for it."

The record contains Amato's takes on "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)," "Blue Christmas," "Christmas Vacation," "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."  His favorite Christmas song was previously released as a single in February 2020 and can be heard here.

"My all time favorite Christmas song is without question, 'All Alone on Christmas' by Darlene Love," said Amato.  "As a kid it was tradition in my house to wake up to that song blaring over the stereo on Christmas morning. It’s definitely stayed with me over the years- so much so that I even covered it last year and released it as a single. I came to love the sound of Bruce, Clarence, Stevie and the E Street Band as I got older and discovered it for myself. It wasn’t until I got into music as a passion that I put two and two together to realize it was most of them on the record and their sound was integral to my growing up and musical taste."




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



Amato, a singer-songwriter from Paramus, graduated from Monmouth University’s music program in 2019 and has been performing as well as recording independently since 2017. He's released three EPs and can be found performing at venues like the Orange Lantern Saloon in Paramus and all over Asbury Park (clubs like The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, Saint, and Asbury Park Yacht Club).

"I am blessed to be friends with and know such incredible musicians all over the globe," added Amato. "Musicians on this record include: Nicole Govel from Marlboro, NJ on backing vocals for the whole record, Bob Gizzi, one of my musical mentors as well as elementary and high school music teacher on Saxophone for the first track, Elizabeth Lister from Leeds, UK on strings for the first and last track, Jeff Dombrowski from Highland, Indiana on Pedal Steel through most of the record, Alina Zimmerman from Howell, NJ on auxiliary backing vocals on the first track and Luca Giacobbe from Italy on Tubular bells on the first track."



Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.



New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info


FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Indigenous

Indigenous

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - SUMMER: The 90's Part 2

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: music


 

Bria

Bria Skonberg

Thursday, July 17, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

KC

KC and the Sunshine Band

Thursday, July 17, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

The

The Hit Men: The Ultimate Rock Concert

Thursday, July 17, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 



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





 

EVENT PREVIEWS

City

City Winery NYC presents Sly and the Vine: A Funkadelic Tasting Experience with Vernon Reid of Living Colour

(NEW YORK, NY) -- City Winery NYC presents Sly and the Vine: A Funkadelic Tasting Experience with Vernon Reid of Living Colour on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:00pm. Join them for an immersive 8-glass wine tasting perfectly paired with the revolutionary sounds of Sly & The Family Stone—featuring special guest Vernon Reid, legendary guitarist and founder of Living Colour. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind night where rhythm meets the vine.



Blue

Blue Curtain presents Fabiola Méndez and Her Band on July 19th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Blue Curtain's free summer concert series continues on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 8:00pm with a performance by trailblazing Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer, and Emmy-nominated composer Fabiola Méndez at the Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater in Princeton.



bergenPAC

bergenPAC presents Hanson

(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) presents Hanson on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 7:00pm. Over their first 28 years as the band Hanson, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson have made a significant mark in music.



A

A Brother's Revival: Celebrating the Legendary Sound of the Allman Brothers Band Live at Drew University

(MADISON, NJ) -- Get ready to experience the timeless legacy of the Allman Brothers Band like never before, as A Brother's Revival takes the stage at Drew University Concert Hall on Thursday, September 19, 2025 at 8:00pm. This high-caliber tribute band honors the spirit and soul of one of America's most iconic rock groups with a performance brimming with power, precision, and heart.



Lizzie

Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:30pm. Griffin is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums.