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ROCK New Brunswick To Take Over Hub City September 8-10

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 07/07/2017


(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) — ROCK New Brunswick - an expanded version of Hub City Sounds’ annual local music festival - will take place from Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10th throughout New Brunswick.  The festival will be a celebration of New Brunswick's diversity, music, history, entrepreneurship and economic development throughout five events, three of which are free.

The festival is presented by New Brunswick Cultural Center’s Hub City Sounds, Smugbug Productions and NJ Music Media Partnership in association with Volume IV, NJ Skateshop, Caroline Romanelli Presents, and Scarlet Pub.

The weekend includes:

New Brunswick Music Scene Archive ROCK New Brunswick Panel Discussion, 7:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday, September 8, Rutgers University Alexander Library, 169 College Ave. Panelists will be announced soon. 

Alcohol-free all-ages ROCK New Brunswick Warmup Party with Mr. Payday, Spowder , Glazer and Schwervon! from Kansas, 7:00pm to midnight Saturday, September 9, Volume IV, 120 Jersey Ave. $5




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Alcohol-free all-ages ROCK New Brunswick Warmup Party with Neighborhood Watch DJ collective, 8:00pm to 11:00pm, Saturday, September 9, NJ Skateshop, 160 Easton Ave. (across the street from Scarlet Pub). Free show

ROCK New Brunswick festival, noon to 6:00pm, Sunday, September 10, Boyd Park, Memorial Parkway at Commercial Avenue. FREE admission with DIY Market, food trucks, busking artists, free community workshops with Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, LEGO Play, and Brodsky Center for Innovative Print of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, and performances by:

Noon-12:30: Killer Shrimp

12:30-12:40: Vertical Fixation aerial acrobats 

12:40-1:10: Nalani & Sarina 

1:10-1:20: DJ Don Dazzo (of Whirling Dervishes and Everlounge)

1:20-1:50: Cook Thugless 

1:50-2: Vertical Fixation

2-2:30: The Anderson Council  

2:30-2:40: DJ Don Dazzo 

2:40-3:10: Silent Knight  The Band Called FUSE 

3:10-3:20: Vertical Fixation

3:20-4: Sharief in Burgundy feat. Sharief Hobley (John Legend, Alicia Keys, Amandla, Spy Godz) 

4-4:10: DJ Don Dazzo

4:10-4:50: Hub City Stompers 

5-6: (to be announced July 31)

ROCK New Brunswick After Party with Speed QueenExperiment 34, and The Clydes, 8:00pm-11:00pm, Sunday, September 10, Scarlet Pub. 21 and up. $5. 

ROCK New Brunswick mainly was curated and will be co-promoted by 19 music media outlets working in conjunction and cooperation with each other. They are NJ Music Media PartnershipCarousel ArtsCoolDad MusicDanny Coleman's ROCK on RADIO, Gardenstatehiphop.comJersey BeatJersey IndieJersey RockLive from the Dining RoomMakin WavesMyCentralJerseyMikeroMedia, New Brunswick Music Scene Archive, NJArts.netNew Jersey StageThe Pop BreakSpeak Into My Good EyeWRAT 95.9FM, and WRSU - Rutgers Radio.

Boyd Park headliner, DIY Market vendors, food trucks and other details will be announced soon. For updates, visit their facebook page. For DIY Market info, click here.

ROCK New Brunswick sponsors include Hub City Sounds, New Brunswick Cultural CenterSmugbug ProductionsCarousel ArtsCoolDad Music, Danny Coleman's Rock On RadioGarden State Hip HopJersey BeatJersey IndieJersey RockLive from the Dining RoomMakin WavesMy Central JerseyMikeroMediaNew Brunswick Music Scene ArchiveNJ ArtsNew Jersey Stage, The Pop Break, Speak into My Good Eye, WRAT 95.9 the RatWRSU 88.7 Rutgers RadioVolume IV, NJ Skateshop, Caroline Romanelli Presents, and Scarlet Pub.

Hub City Sounds is the FREE annual summer-long, multi-ethnic concert series of New Brunswick Cultural Center, mostly along the scenic New Brunswick waterfront of the Raritan River. Hub City Sounds 2017 includes (all locations in Boyd Park unless indicated):




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Guelaguetza, featuring the beautiful music, cultural dances, healing traditions, and heritage of Oaxaca, Mexico, 1:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday, July 23

2nd Annual Indo-American Festival, 1:00pm to 6:00pm, Saturday, August 12 

2nd Annual Caribbean Festival, noon to 6:00pm, Saturday, August 26

5th Annual Central Jersey Jazz Festival, 1:00pm to 6:00pm, Saturday, September 16, Livingston Avenue at George Street

Raritan River Festival, 11:00am to 5:30pm, September 24, featuring live music, vendors, new Brunswick Community Farmers market, children’s activities, cardboard canoe race, and the Beez Foundation’s annual Rubber Ducky Race with prizes for winners

3rd Annual Corazon Latino Festival, 11:00am to 4:00pm, Sunday, October 8, Joyce Kilmer Park, 294 Comstock St., part of New Brunswick Ciclovia.

Hub City Sounds is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, City of New Brunswick, New Brunswick City Market, and Magyar Bank. All events feature free parking. Boyd Park events also features free parking in the city’s Public Safety Building at 55 Commercial Ave., right over the Commercial Avenue Bridge into the park. 

New Brunswick Cultural Center is a nonprofit umbrella organization working to support, promote and develop arts, art education and community arts engagement in the New Brunswick area in partnership with resident companies State Theatre of New Jersey, George Street Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre Co., American Repertory Ballet, Zimmerli Art Museum, and Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, as well as coLAB Arts, City of New Brunswick and more.  

Visit www.newbrunswickarts.org. For more about Hub City Sounds, click here.





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EVENT PREVIEWS

(UNION, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG), in partnership with the Union Arts Center, will present Katerina McCrimmon's acclaimed solo concert, Naked, which has played to sold-out audiences across the country, including at Joe's Pub and Lincoln Center. Directed by Henry Gainza, it will come to the DMK Black Box Theater at the Union Arts Center for one performance only, on Fri.day, June 26, 2026 at 7:00pm.
MPAC presents Straight No Chaser on June 26th

MPAC presents Straight No Chaser on June 26th

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- A cappella favorite Straight No Chaser brings its summer-themed Beach Bash to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 8:00pm. Tickets range from $57-$114 (All fees included).
Asbury Lanes presents Matthew Curry and Erik Mason Band on June 26th

Asbury Lanes presents Matthew Curry and Erik Mason Band on June 26th

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Acclaimed singer-songwriter Matthew Curry sets off on his 2026 Spring/Summer "One For The Ride" Tour (named for his new Ruf Records album release) with a performance at Asbury Lanes on Friday, June 26, 2026. Erik Mason Band will open the night. Showtime is 8:00pm. 

Starland Ballroom presents The Cab

(SAYREVILLE, NJ) -- Starland Ballroom presents The Cab on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 7:30pm.  Paradise Fears and CARR will open the night.
The The Band Band presents The Last Walz Celebration 50th Anniversary 2026 Tour at The Newton Theatre

The The Band Band presents The Last Walz Celebration 50th Anniversary 2026 Tour at The Newton Theatre

(NEWTON, NJ) -- The The Band Band presents The Last Walz Celebration 50th Anniversary 2026 Tour at The Newton Theatre on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm; showtime is 8:00pm.
Brian Ostering presents The Elvis Spectacular at Middletown Arts Center on June 27th

Brian Ostering presents The Elvis Spectacular at Middletown Arts Center on June 27th

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- Jersey Shore musician Brian Ostering from The Wag is stepping out of his comfort zone with The Elvis Spectacular - "The Early Years" Concert on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at the Middletown Arts Center. This is the first time he has performed an Elvis show and it's a tribute to his father who helped pass down his passion for Elvis to Brian. I reached out to Brian to learn more about the show.
Asbury Underground returns June 27th as part of North to Shore Festival

Asbury Underground returns June 27th as part of North to Shore Festival

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Underground returns on June 27, 2026 as part of the North to Shore Festival and there's a terrific lineup of artists again. Performances take place at venues throughout Asbury Park.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena presents James Taylor and His All-Star Band on Saturday

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena presents James Taylor and His All-Star Band on Saturday

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena presents James Taylor and His All-Star Band on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 7:30pm. This intimate concert promises an evening of soulful vocals, masterful guitar, and a legendary lineup of musicians bringing each song to life.
Gateway Playhouse to produce "Concert For A Cure" Fundraiser on June 28th

Gateway Playhouse to produce "Concert For A Cure" Fundraiser on June 28th

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse is producing Concert for a Cure, a three-part show highlighting three different musical acts on June 28, 2026, as a special fundraising event for three different cancer organizations: the American Cancer Society (ACS), Gilda's Club of Linwood, and Wigs & Wishes by Martino Cartier of Sewell. The event will feature three original musical acts: Tide ll Moon, a Philadelphia- based indie rock band formed by Drexel University film students; Steven Lemon, a South Jersey indie pop/rock/folk artist with a songwriting career that spans two decades; and Rachel Burghen, a dynamic South Jersey crossover artist known for her soaring pop sound, accompanied by Brian Conover on piano.
Brandon Tomasello to open Ocean City Pops Season with One-Man Rat Pack Spectacular on June 28th

Brandon Tomasello to open Ocean City Pops Season with One-Man Rat Pack Spectacular on June 28th

(OCEAN CITY, NJ) -- Acclaimed vocalist and entertainer Brandon Tomasello will open the 2026 Ocean City Pops season with his highly anticipated "One-Man Rat Pack" concert on Sunday, June 28, at the historic Ocean City Music Pier. The Rat Pack will come to life musically on stage as local favorite Tomasello presents the timeless and unmistakable sounds of this remarkable musical era. Showtime is 7:30pm.

 

FEATURED EVENTS


Mysterious Ways -The U2 Experience

Friday, June 26, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ


Straight No Chaser Beach Bash

Friday, June 26, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ


Katerina McCrimmon: Naked

Friday, June 26, 2026 @ 7:00pm
DMK Black Box Theatre at Union Arts Center
Union, NJ


Three American Troubadours: Celebrating Taylor, Simon & King

Saturday, June 27, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ


The Elvis Spectacular

Saturday, June 27, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, NJ