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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Choir! Choir! Choir! Hallelujah”: An Epic Anthems Sing-along!
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Outpost In The Burbs
40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ“Why see a show when you can BE the show!”
Always Jovi With Special Guest, Shot Of Poison
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJAlways Jovi is a Tribute Like No Other, featuring Million-Selling New Jersey Rock Legend, Steve Brown – known for his work with Trixter, Def Leppard, and Ace Frehley. With his powerhouse vocal delivery, electrifying stage presence, and deep-rooted connection to the Jersey rock scene, Brown leads this all-star lineup in delivering the timeless hits that defined a generation.
Margarita Rovenskaya, Piano
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Grunin Center - Bösendorfer Recital Room
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJJoin pianist Margarita Rovenskaya for a program of solo piano works spanning a range of characters and countries. The music will include Schubert’s winding melodies, Schumann’s imaginative character contrasts, Beethoven and Prokofiev’s fiery energy. The program will end with Ukrainian composer Ilya Aizberg’s Hebrew Rhapsody, a piece that pays tribute to his Jewish heritage.
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJSuzanne Vega will perform a career-spanning show including favorites like “Tom’s Diner”, “Luka”, “Marlene On The Wall”, and many more, plus songs from her latest album, Flying with Angels, which was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. She will be joined on stage by her longtime guitarist, Gerry Leonard (of David Bowie fame), and cellist Stephanie Winters.
Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk revival of the early 1980s. Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, Vega sang what has been called contemporary folk or neo-folk songs of her own creation in Greenwich Village clubs. Since the release of her self-titled, critically acclaimed 1985 debut album, she has given sold-out concerts in many of the world’s best-known venues. Known for performances that convey deep emotion, Vega’s distinctive, “clear, unwavering voice” (Rolling Stone) has been described as “a cool, dry sandpaper-brushed near-whisper” by The Washington Post, with NPR Music noting that she “has been making vital, inventive music” throughout the course of her decades-long career. Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who “observes the world with a clinically poetic eye” (The New York Times), Vega’s songs have tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real-world subjects. Notably succinct and understated, her work is immediately recognizable—as utterly distinct and thoughtful as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 40 years ago.
The Chris Pinnella Big Band Project
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Grunin Center - Main Stage
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJRENTAL EVENT - Join acclaimed vocalist Chris Pinnella and the 14- Piece Big Band Project for an extraordinary evening of music benefiting The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Trenton Diocesan Council—an unforgettable concert that helps support the important work of serving individuals and families throughout our community.
Shemekia Copeland With Special Guest Jb Barnes Blues Band
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJShemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The
Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery.”
Mac Music Cafe
Friday, November 01, 2026 @ 4:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJJoin us this November on Friday, Nov 6, for an outstanding lineup of singer-songwriters:
Barbara Paskin, Dan Ravaglia,
Ralph Rassa and
The Amboys (Joel D. Brodsky + Michael Balog).
EVENT PREVIEWS
Chris Pinnella & The Big Band Project to perform at Grunin Center for St. Vincent de Paul Benefit
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- New Jersey vocalist, bandleader and former Trans-Siberian Orchestra featured vocalist Chris Pinnella will bring his acclaimed 14-piece Big Band Project to the Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7:00pm for a special benefit concert supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and its charitable work throughout the Diocese of Trenton.
Roy's Hall to Host Peter Karp Record Release Show on November 6th
(BLAIRSTOWN, NJ) -- Roy's Hall will host a special concert by Peter Karp on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:00pm. Peter will be celebrating the release of his latest album, Jersey Town.
NJPAC presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, November 6–22, 2026, bringing world-renowned jazz artists and rising voices to Newark for a celebration of musical legacy, innovation and community. This year’s Festival features world premiere concerts, debut collaborations and free performances, alongside tributes to some of music’s most influential artists.
Chris Rockwell is Dropping 'Rockwell Rebel Radio 2 DELUXE' with a Heavy-Hitting Mutual Aid Show on Friday
(BRICK, NJ) -- If your local playlist has been feeling a little quiet lately, get ready to crank the volume! Ocean County spoken word poet and Hip-Hop artist Chris Rockwell is back, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his pivotal album Rockwell Rebel Radio and simultaneously dropping his new release, Rockwell Rebel Radio 2 DELUXE, featuring the explosive lead single "Mash Tape Supreme." But this isn't just your standard album drop, it's a full-blown community movement. On Friday, November 6, 2026, Chris and the crew are celebrating the launch with a massive show right here in town at Carmela's Collective in Brick, proving that great music and solid community support go hand in hand.
Belmar Arts Center presents Dave Vargo, Renee Maskin, Jackson Pines, and Rick Norman on Friday
(BELMAR, NJ) -- Belmar Arts Center presents An Evening of Original Music with Dave Vargo, Renee Maskin, Jackson Pines, and Rick Norman on Friday, November 6, 2026. Doors are at 6:30pm, showtime is 7:00pm.
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.
