By Gary Wien
originally published: 02/09/2011
When I heard Glen Burtnik had some free time while stuck in Alaska, I figured I'd ask him a few questions about his upcoming tribute to John Lennon. The show, "John Lennon - 70th Birthday Celebration," takes place at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ on Saturday, February 19. It's another in a wonderful series of tributes Glen has put together for the Beatles and the Who. If you haven't checked out one of these shows, you'll be amazed at how much fun they are. Glen brings in some of his friends from the music business, some local talent, and fills the stage with incredible musicians who offer you the chance to see music that not many of us were fortunate enough to see live the first go around.
You've gone through most, if not all, of the Beatles' albums and have done a Who show, what inspired this John Lennon tribute?
Lennon was a King. I recently did a show in Manhattan with Lennon's early band, The Quarry Men, as well as Pete Seeger, Neil Innes (of The Rutles and Bonzo Dog fame), Marshall Crenshaw, Tom Paxton -- all celebrating the music of Lennon. I was also at the NYC Premiere of compelling film about Lennon's boyhood, "Nowhere Boy" and I recently picked up a wonderful book about the day John met Paul. This guy is in the air a lot recently, on a lot of peoples' minds. Mine too.
I've done a lot of Beatles music in my life. I've reproduced 8 of their albums in their entirety "live" and have performed probably close to every last one of their songs, including tough ones like "Revolution #9" and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)". But I am thrilled to explore some of this material of Lennon's as both an Ex-Beatle as well as a mop-top. It is an honorable challenge.
Any plans to keep moving further into solo Beatle work? Maybe a Paul McCartney show in the future?
Good idea, Gary. We'll see. George Harrison's no slouch either. I wouldn't expect I'd be doing an all-Ringo show right away, however.
Who are some of the artists scheduled to take part in the Lennon show?
Earl Slick who, in addition to playing guitar on Lennon's 'Double Fantasy' album, has had an extensive career playing with David Bowie. Pat Dinizio, front man and primary singer/songwriter for the The Smithereens. Christine Martucci, Bob Burger, Lisa Bouchelle, Kim Pulsive, John Merjave, Dusty Micale, Taylor Hope, Anjelia, Emily Grove, Jo Wymer, Rick Barry, Jerzy Jung, Rosemsry Conte, a nine year old girl named Jordan Reid…The list goes on and on…
Since you normally handled the Paul tunes, is there one main Lennon singer or several?
One of the blasts for me is getting to sing some of John's material. But I'm not alone on this. I have women, girls, kids and a choir diving into this material. No clowns or elephants, I'm afraid.
What are some of the tunes people can expect? Does the show follow any particular theme such as chronological by release? John's most popular songs? A blend of greatest hits and obscurities?
It's pretty much a balance of things you'd know and obscure material. One of my favorites is kind of new to me, "Grow Old With Me", purportedly his very last song.
Thanks to your Facebook posts, I think many people have something of an idea just how much work and rehearsal time goes into these projects but can you give me a little breakdown of just how long you generally spend on a tribute show?
I don't know. I try not to count up the time I put in, that only points out how inefficient it all is. I'd probably make more per hour working at a fast food restaurant! These are labors of love for me. If I'm gonna make music for a living, it might as well be for the joy of it, as opposed to...oh well, perhaps being in an Las Vegas cover band...not that there's anything wrong with it.
It's all about scheduling. And that's no fun for me.
What's the most difficult aspect of putting on a show like this?
People. Organizing and scheduling performers to rehearse. Getting musicians to commit to a schedule. A lot of times, the people who will be playing the song together on stage wont both be available to rehearse on the same day. So, I'll rehearse with each separately; one on one day, another on another day. Which means I have to rehearse twice as much…
Technical stuff like informing the production people how many inputs we'll need is no picnic either.
Are there any video montages this time around?
I believe we'll be stripping things down this time. I like to think John would like it to be more about the music.
Finally, what are your three favorite songs by John Lennon?
Oddly enough, we won't be doing my favorite, "Cry Baby Cry". There are so many great ones. Today, the way I feel right now, I'll say "A Day In The Life" and "I'm A Loser" could be my other two choices. But that's hard for me to narrow it down, considering the guy wrote things like "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and "Across The Universe".
About the author:
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. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
Beat: Belew/vai/levin/bozzio Performing The Music Of King Crimson
Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
NJPAC - Prudential Hall
1 Center Street, Newark, NJFollowing more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJJoe 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, NJJoin 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].
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJThe legendary Rhode Island multi-platinum rock’n’roll group JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND began their career in 1973 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the “Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack”. The hit single “ON THE DARK SIDE” held the “#1” position on the Billboard Rock charts and the MTV video charts for five consecutive weeks.
Griffin House
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ“If you are looking to be blown away by raw talent, then look no further than Griffin House.” —American Songwriter
EVENT PREVIEWS
State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band was formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2013. While they are a Grateful Dead cover band, they are known more for interpreting songs by the Dead rather than attempting to replicate the band's work.
NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell
(NEWARK, NJ) -- With a voice that can fill a concert hall and make every listener feel personally embraced, Gregory Porter has become one of the most beloved artists in contemporary jazz. On Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm, the two-time GRAMMY® winner returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell for an evening of soulful expression, exquisite storytelling and remarkable vocal artistry, presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Friday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:30pm. Griffin House is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller who has been making records for over 20 years.
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.
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.
NJPAC to Celebrate Ben Vereen's 80th Birthday with All-Star Concert on November 21st
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents Ben Vereen's 80th Birthday Concert on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 8:00pm. This special one-night only celebration is part of NJPAC’s 2026 TD James Moody Jazz Festival (November 6-22). Several of today's leading Broadway stars and vocalists unite for a spectacular birthday bash performance toasting the legendary actor/dancer/singer Ben Vereen who turns 80 on October 10, 2026.
Musicians on a Mission to Celebrate 16th Anniversary with Gala Concert at Jersey Shore Arts Center
(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Musicians on a Mission (MOAM) will celebrate sixteen years of friends helping friends through music with a special anniversary gala and concert on Sunday, November 22, 2026, at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove.
NJPAC Announces Top Five Finalists of the 15th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has announced the top five finalists of the 15th annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Selected from a record-breaking pool of more than 360 entrants spanning 38 different countries, these gifted young singers represent the next generation of great jazz vocalists. The 2026 finalists are: Alyssa Allgood (Chicago, IL), Vahn Black (Detroit, MI), Nathan Farrell (New York City, NY), Angélique Nicolas (Paris, France), and Jackie Ribas (New York City, NY).
Westfield Garden State Plaza to Blend Musical Nostalgia with Today's Hits at Annual Big Santa Celebration
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- Westfield Garden State Plaza, a destination for fashion, dining, and entertainment located in Bergen County, is ushering in the holiday spirit with iconic musical groups from the 80's, 90's, 00's and today at its annual Big Santa celebration taking place Sunday, November 22, 2026. The lineup includes Ryan Cabrera, All-4-One, TKA, Spice Wannabe, and JYT.
