By Rosemary Conte
originally published: 06/20/2016
When HAM radio was a craze, I wondered what inspired operators’ handles. When Email appeared, I wondered the same, but found addresses a bit more transparent. Like the guy I knew who was devastated by his recent divorce and was LostAtSea@etc.
I wonder what inspires band names. So I asked:
Williams Honor is Reagan Richards and Gordon Brown, both singer/songwriter/guitarists who have infused the Asbury Park music scene with what they call “a bridge between traditional and modern country music.” The band name honors their dads, William and Bernard, who both served extensively in the U.S. Military. The now touring Williams Honor is about holding on to tradition while still moving forward. Gordon says, “In country music, that’s a very big deal to us.”
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes is a band whose leader is steeped in blues tradition. Johnny Lyon is a great storyteller. He explained that the West African term juke had a few meanings. Here’s one: In the U.S., African-American farm hands and laborers gathered at a shack on Friday nights to drink and dance; to celebrate and have sex. The participants were called “jukes.” The shacks were called juke joints. A machine in the shack to play music was called---a juke box. Lyon named his band the Asbury Jukes in homage to blues artist Little Walter & His Jukes whose recordings he deeply appreciates, and to honor Asbury Park where his band got its start. Look for the band to play its annual July 3rd show at the Stone Pony.
The Weeklings may enjoy sustained mystique, as there are several versions of how the name was chosen. As I write this Glenn Burtnik’s newish 4-pc band inspired by the love of Beatles music is recording a new album at Abbey Road Studios, London. One story has it that the band was originally named The Weaklings; then changed to The Weeklings because another band was already using their first choice. An Internet fan blog says the band name was born of the players commitment to spend one day a week writing songs. I guess you’ll have to go see them play and ask them yourself. Then let me know.
The Ones You Forgot, a band led by singer/songwriter Jenna Bruno, a Monmouth University student, does not have the poignant and deep origin I suspected of the name. Jenna says she wrote down a bunch of words and phrases she liked; then the band members sat and looked at them. They put words together to form The Ones You Forgot. “It works,” said Jenna, “because it can be interpreted in many ways.” Make of it what you wish! Songs from their first album, “Peaks & Valleys” can be heard when they play the Brighton Bar, Long Branch, on June 25.
Some band names could…at some point…. carry unexpected negative connotations, depending on what’s in the news on any given day.
Isis, fronted by singer Kathy Rosner was a Menlo Park based band. The name of the Egyptian/Roman Goddess of Fertility symbolized female strength. The guys in the band chose it as a compliment to Kathy. And you know the rest. Kathy says, “We went our separate ways peacefully, and before the negative news of Isis the terrorists might have ruined us. I still have a business card as a memento. I’d probably be investigated if homeland security saw it.”
Company of Wolves was Steve & John Conte’s 4-pc band, and the name of their first album for Mercury-Polygram Records in 1990. The album hit as the national news was focused for months on the now famous case of NY’s Central Park Jogger who was attacked and raped by a gang of youths. The attackers were referred to as “pack of animals.” Central Park attacks were on the rise and city spokespeople and officials gave the attacks by roaming gangs the name “wildings.” Company of Wolves’ first single being promoted was “Call of the Wild.” I understand the power of words to form suggestions at the unconscious level. This mother groaned a lot.
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Singer/songwriter Evening In The Round
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJSomething Special a round robin evening of music featuring a group of the finest singer/songwriter from our local area who come together for this one of a kind show not be missed
Freestyle Takeover 3
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJStarring Cynthia, The Jets, George Lamond, Johnny O, Nyasia, Denine and hosted by Dom G! Freaturing Dare Goes Da DJzz. After-Party available for additional fee. (Must purchase a show ticket to buy the After Party ticket)
The Righteous Brothers: Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour
Sunday, November 08, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJBlue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 clas-sics, including the most played song in radio history,
You’ve Lost
That Lovin’ Fee/in’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley con-tinued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive.
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.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Rick Steves Joins New Jersey Symphony for a Symphonic Journey Through Europe
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves joins New Jersey Symphony November 7–8, 2026 for Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a concert that pairs Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with high-definition travel footage and Steves' insights into European history.
Albert Music Hall to Celebrate Pinelands Folklore with Annual Jersey Devil Show on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Halloween may have come and gone, but the Jersey Devil is always lurking in the Pines! On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Albert Music Hall will celebrate one of New Jersey's most enduring legends with its annual Jersey Devil Show, an evening combining live music, storytelling, and the rich folklore of the New Jersey Pinelands.
The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel
(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.
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.
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.
