Kudos go out to the Stone Pony for bringing in new acts to their anniversary series this year and even more kudos for recognizing April Smith. A few months ago, April had one of the largest crowds in years for an unsigned act. Both April and her label ? Indigo Planet Records ? worked their tale off to make her CD release party a success and their work did not go unnoticed by the Stone Pony as they welcomed her back on a bill with Soozie Tyrell and Lance Larson. So next time an artist wants to complain about clubs demanding a certain amount of draw remember that clubs also pay attention when you exceed expectations as well.
April hit the stage shortly after 8pm ? a bit earlier than usual, but the earlier time allowed April the chance to play her entire album. Many of her fans came out early and more kept coming after each song. I think some didn't expect her to start so early, a shame since she not only did a great show but also did several of her most popular songs early on. She was breaking in a new guitarist and teased him that the show was going to be a good test with the band running through the entire album.
Regular fans of April know her distain of Paris Hilton and the night before just happened to be Paris' birthday ? something April could not let go unnoticed before playing the song she wrote about the "star". Interestingly, April even got a bit political with the song that followed when she remarked "at least Paris never shot anybody" before launching into "Suffering." After that number, April kicked her bandmates off stage to do a pair of tunes solo including her wonderful cover of "Unchained Melody" which truly shows off her tremendous vocal range.
Proving that both April and her family appreciated getting a chance to help the Pony celebrate, her mother baked a cake for the club which was presented to Kyle and Carolyn on stage. She then led the crowd through a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for a friend of hers who was turning the magic 21 that night. There were a lot of people in the crowd who looked like they weren't too far beyond that age as well. In fact, it was rather easy to tell who came to the show to see April and who was there for the other two acts.
During the final number, April dragged out the drum she debuted during her CD release party and proceeded to end her show with a stellar tribal beat. All in all, April proved once again that she is not only ready for stages like the Stone Pony but also is making that stage her own.
Following April came Soozie Tyrell, the headliner for the night. Soozie, is well known for being a member of the E Street Band and a long-time friend of Patti Scialfa. Her music is a mix of rock and roll and blues that gets an added punch from her impressive violin playing. She always has a lot of fans in the area, but it's my opinion that her music would be better in a true blues club or a listening room than in a rock and roll club like the Pony. I envision her music going over better in front of an audience seated at tables and having nice drinks than standing in front of the stage.
Unfortunately, the night wound up to be an example of a problem that is really affecting the local scene these days. The show featured three artists (all of whom have something in common ? a relationship to Jersey Shore music) and largely had three different audiences. The young crowd that April Smith brought disappeared when Soozie came on stage and Soozie's crowd largely missed April's set. Meanwhile, Lance Larson who followed Soozie had a much more local audience than both of them. It's something that I really can't understand. People are paying good money to see these shows but they're only coming for one act and leaving. It is something that I'm seeing at clubs all throughout the area and I just don't get it. I mean, whatever happened to people wanting to get their money's worth for a night? Where are they going afterwards? Another bar??
Many of the lineups for these shows feature artists that should appeal to fans of the other groups, but people just aren't interested for some reason. Take this show, for example. I would have to think that most fans of Soozie Tyrell would become fans of April Smith if they saw her live. Either that or the people might be coming strictly on the off-chance that Bruce Springsteen jumps on stage to play with her (as has happened before). That's one reason I'm so glad to see the Stone Pony putting some new blood on their anniversary series shows. It is high time that people started coming out to these shows to see the artists scheduled to play rather than hope someone not on the bill shows up.
As luck would have it, there was a chance Springsteen was going to play as April Smith's guitarist was told to keep his amp on stage for a special guest. Bruce didn't play, but this was obviously more than just a rumor. Unfortunately, whether Bruce shows or doesn't show shouldn't be the reason it was or wasn't a good show.
Closing out the night was Lance Larson and his band. They ran through a mixture of covers and originals highlighted by Lance's own "Saints & Sinners" and his signature cover of "Lawyers, Guns & Money" which is a perfect example of how an artist can make a cover- even a popular one ? their own. When Lance rips into that song, it no longer is a Warren Zevon tune, but becomes Lance's own.
Lance's set also included covers of "I Came To Dance" by Nils Lofgren (always good to see someone cover Nils?), "Road House Blues", "Down By The River", "Unchain My Heart", "Big Jet Airliner", "Prove It All Night", "Sunshine Of My Love", and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place". His originals included "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Devils Right Hand". Here's hoping that the band keeps adding more of Lance's original tunes as he is not just a great lead singer but a fine songwriter as well ? and many of us missed out on him the first time around.
You can view pictures from the night by clicking here.
Join 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].
