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.
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Griffin House
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Lizzie Rose Music Room
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Floyd Pink - Celebrating The Music Of Pink Floyd
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Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJMulti-platinum selling, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Geoff Tate is best known for his 30-plus years as the creative and driving force behind the progressive metal band Queensryche. Since its inception with Geoff at the helm, Queensryche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide and has performed in upwards of fifty countries. Geoff is regarded as one of the most skilled vocalists in the genre with hundreds of modern, popular artists citing him and his former band as a major influence. Combining social consciousness and expertly crafted lyrics with high-energy, melodically complex music, Queensryche with Geoff Tate at the forefront became internationally recognized as the thinking man’s rock band. The band’s first three albums — their self-titled EP (1983), The Warning (1984) and Rage for Order (1986) — all hit gold status selling over 500,000 units each.
Jesse Cook
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NJPAC - Victoria Theater
1 Center Street, Newark, NJA global artist in every sense of the term, Jesse Cook redefines music’s power to connect people across cultures and continents. The Paris-born, Toronto-raised master of the Spanish guitar weaves together flamenco, samba, jazz and world folk traditions into something spellbinding and uniquely his own. On stage, Cook radiates infectious energy — collaborating with his band to craft immersive experiences celebrated for their warmth, precision and emotional depth. With over a billion streams and views across platforms, his sound remains as relevant as it is revered.
Don Mclean & Lee Greenwood
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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.”
EVENT PREVIEWS
NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell
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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.
KANSAS to perform at Scottish Rite Auditorium on Friday
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NJPAC presents Jesse Cook on Saturday
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents Jesse Cook on Saturday, November 14, 2026 in the Victoria Theater at 8:00pm. A global artist in every sense of the term, Jesse Cook redefines music's power to connect people across cultures and continents.
Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
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Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
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Atlantic City Punk Rock Flea Market - Holiday Edition to take place on Sunday
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Song of the Meadowlark takes place on Sunday in Hopewell
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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.
Rufus Wainwright to Perform with Princeton "Super-Orchestra" at McCarter Theatre
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