Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 06/08/2016
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Maplewoodstock Music and Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, July 9, and Sunday, July 10, 2016, from noon until 10:00 pm each day. This free, live music and art event features performances by Railroad Earth and Maya Acuzena on Saturday and NRBQ and Nicole Atkins on Sunday.
Now in its 13th year, Maplewoodstock has grown from a lazy afternoon jam in the park to a lively free two-day music and arts festival. Over the last several years, it has hosted artists like The Wailers, Marshall Crenshaw, Joan Osborne, Norah Jones’ Puss N Boots, Robert Randolph, and The Smithereens – enjoyed by upwards of 6,500 attendees each day. In addition to the music, there will be local arts and craft vendors, food of all sorts, a beer garden, and a large KidZone with games, inflatable rides, crafts, and more. The festival takes place at Memorial Park, Maplewood, NJ, (160 Dunnell Rd, Maplewood, NJ -- directly opposite New Jersey Transit’s Maplewood train station).
Saturday's lineup will headline festival favorites Railroad Earth and featured act Maya Acuzena – who performed at Maplewoodstock 2010 and is back by popular demand. Sunday's show will close with legendary NRBQ and featured Jersey Shore artist Nicole Atkins. A total of 23 bands will perform over the two-day festival -- many with local ties to the robust Maplewood and South Orange music scene and 15 first-time performers.
“Our goal is to provide a family-friendly event: the best possible free experience of music and art – by and for the community,” says Maplewoodstock Chairperson Drew Dix. “Maplewoodstock is a Maplewood tradition of families, friends, and neighbors bringing out blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets for a fantastic weekend of music, art, food, and the best of the Maplewood community.”
Saturday's lineup:
- 12:00 Marry the Sea ... SOMA-based harmony-driven ethereal folk rock dueo of Kat Kayman DeBari and Rebecca Farnham ...
- 12:42 — Western Spur ... Western swing with a Jersey twang ...
- 1:24 — Rose Boulevard ... Catchy folk/Americana with male/female vocals, layered harmonies, and rock energy ...
- 2:06 — Glenn Franke's Big Band ...Seventeen of NJ/NY’s finest “world class” musicians performing exciting BigBand Jazz arrangements ...
- 2:48 — Dollar Store Riot ... Homegrown Maplewood indie "punk-n-roll" band that's been making melodic walls of noise for 5 years ...
- 3:30 — Pepperwine ... toe-tapping grooves, in-your-face rock and roll, soaring improvisational jams, head-nodding blues, and a whole bunch of soul ...
- 4:12 — Area 301 ... 9 piece hiphop-rock-fusion; very diverse ...
- 4:54 -- David Easton Band ... fun and jazz infused rock music built on catchy songs and infectious grooves ...
- 5:36 — Stuff Bros. ... acoustic, electric, funkified, eclectic; guaranteed to make you shake 'n shimmy ...
- 6:18 — Big Mamou ... original and tradition
Sunday's lineup:
- noon — Spyce Classics ... Tasky, funky, psychedelic dance music ...
- 12:42 — Men in My Head ... Rock, with a funk and soul edge ...
- 1:24 — Sun Cut Flat ... Immersive and organic indie rock format, creating a blend of textures and an infectious energy on stage ...
- 2:06 — Deaf Rhino ... Catchy, active, groovy, heavy, fun, energetic, melodic, and gritty rock ...
- 2:48 — Tru Soul ... Captivating melodies, sweet harmonies, unforgettable lyrics, and an amazing sound ...
- 3:30 — Shakey Ground ... 6 piece band rooted in classic R&B, soul, and rock ...
- 4:12 — Golden Bloom ... An indie rock band making heartfelt pop music that is dynamic, bombastic, and beautiful ...
- 4:54 — Lisa Rott & The All-Terrain Band ... driving and energizing rock and roll ...
- 5:36 — Kwame Binea ... energetic rock and roll mixed with blues and soul ...
- 6:45 — Featured Act Nicole Atkins ... Jersey Shore's Atkins, cultured in Asbury Park's music scene, introduced her rock, folk, and psychedlia to our backyard ...
- 8:15 — Headliner NRBQ ... "NRBQ is still liable to play anything; roaring rockabilly, transcendent pop-rock, roadhouse blues, avant jazz -- you name it" -- Minneapolis Tribune ...
Bring out your lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets. Spend the weekend enjoying the company of music, arts, food, and a family- and neighbor-friendly atmosphere on a park hillside in the center of Maplewood, NJ.
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
MAPLEWOOD
click here for more information
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.
Rufus Wainwright to Perform with Princeton "Super-Orchestra" at McCarter Theatre
(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.
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).
