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ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...9/3/15

By Danny Coleman

originally published: 09/03/2015

On a warm, near perfect summer evening, Asbury Park, New Jersey's Stone Pony came alive to the sounds of its outdoor Summer Stage; headlined by Better Than Ezra along with Sugar Ray and Uncle Kracker on their "Under The Sun Tour."

As the capacity crowd filed into the hallowed grounds of "The Pony," they were greeted by the sounds of a fourth act, Southern California's EVE6. Using power chords mixed with the right amount of today's pop sound, with a similar style at times to Linkin Park; they did a very nice job of getting the crowd moving and shaking towards the front of the stage.

Three bands to follow and an odd 10 p.m. curfew led to short changeover/intermissions and Uncle Kracker wasted no time keeping the throngs and (yes) thongs in ready to rock condition. Beach goers, late arrivals and bopped along to a great set featuring hits such as "Follow Me," "In A Little While," "When The Sun Goes Down" and some great renditions of covers such as Sublime's "What I Got" along with some classics by AC/DC, Steve Miller, Kid Rock and my personal favorite; Dobie Grays "Drift Away."

After surprising a handful of fans side stage whom thought they had an obstructed viewpoint by posing for multiple selfies;Sugar Ray emerged several minutes later to further the party which by now was in full swing. A quick stage romp included the hits"Every Morning" and "Fly" along with a nice mash up of "Someday" and The Rascals "Groovin'" which had arms in the air and bodies swaying throughout the approximate thirty minute set.

Better Than Ezra was next and much like the first three acts performed a quick, hit and run yet very effective set and were the perfect closing act on this beautiful summer evening. "Good" was followed by "King of New Orleans" and "Extra Ordinary" and the band was on point and in rare form. Front man Kevin Griffin had the crowd literally on stage with him as the band plowed through "Laid" and a medley of "Miss You/Juicy/Rapper's Delight/O.P.P. Beach balls were flying, dancers were everywhere and the crowd in a frenzy as "Desperately Wanting" and "In The Blood" wrapped things up. The band was both impressive and very crowd friendly as the vibe at times was more like a back yard jam session among several thousand friends than a concert; kudos to BTE.

Short sets or not, the night was a success and the audience very warm and receptive just as the tour name states; it was all good "Under The Sun."

That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!

THIS WEEKS CALENDAR LISTINGS:

Alchemist & Barrister

28 Witherspoon Street Princeton

(609) 924-5555

Thurs. 9 p.m. "Thursday Jazz" feat. Sam Ward Trio

Sun. 9 p.m. Barley Harvest

All shows 21+

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Blend Bar & Bistro

911 Highway 33, Hamilton

(609) 245-8887

Tues. 8 p.m. Triviajam

Bruno's Bicycles, One Sweet Ride

19 South Main St. Allentown

(609) 208-0544

Fri. 7 p.m. Yo Yo Nick Frisbie, Becca Stover, Georgia w/ "The Band", Brandon Franks. All ages.

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

The Backstage at Championship Bar

931 Chambers St. Trenton

Fri. 4 p.m. King Conquer, Adaliah, Dealey Plaza, Enterprise Earth, Proletariat, Under The Red Hood, War Among Us. All ages, $12/$15

Sat. 6 p.m. "Benefit for Tom Alderson's Medical Bills" feat. Garland Green, Ten Ton Hammer, Iron Price, Guttersnipe, Dissent. All ages, $5 minimum donation

Sun. 9 p.m. JE Double F, Sleep Beggar, Raymond Strife, Uni V. Sol, Aniya. Ages 21+, $6

Candlelight Lounge

24 Passaic St. Trenton

(609) 695-9612

Sat. 3 p.m. Mike Lee Sax Quartet. (No cover-$10 minimum)

Chickie's & Pete's

183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown

(609) 298-9182

Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. The Dawgs

Wed. 9 p.m. Trivia Night

City Streets

510 Route 130 South East Windsor

(609) 426-9400

Sat. 10 p.m. Gyrl Band

Dog & Bull Brew House

810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.

(215) 788-2855

Thurs. 8 p.m. Dane Rosenfeld

Fri. Vic's Mix

Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. David Dzubinski Group (9 p.m.) Tommy Griggz

Sun. 11 a.m. "Sunday Brunch" feat. Dick Gratton

Mon. 8 p.m. The Keith Lesnik Trio

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Tues. 8 p.m. Jay Regan

Wed. 8 p.m. Mia Johnson

Fran's Pub

116 S. Main St. New Hope, PA.

(215)862-5539

Sun. 3 p.m. The Mojo Gypsies

Mon. 8 p.m. Open Blues Jam

All shows 21+

Havana New Hope

105 S. Main Street. New Hope, Pa.

(215) 862-9897

Thurs. 10 p.m. "Beat The Clock" College Night DJ Dance Party

Fri. 8 p.m. "Little Feat Tribute" w/ Sailin' Shoes. Doors at 6 p.m., $15 (general admission)

Sat. 8:30 p.m. Coast 2 Coast

Sun. 2 p.m. Midnight Sun Orchestra

Mon. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron

Wed. 8 p.m. Pat Foran & Friends

Ivy Tavern

3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton

(609) 888-1435

Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke

Fri. 10 p.m. Ernie White Band

Sat. 10 p.m. Tangled

All shows 21+

John & Peter's

96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.

(215) 862-5981

Thurs. 9 p.m. Collin J. Rocker & The Burning Barrels

Fri. 9 p.m. The Karmic Repair

Sat. (6:30 p.m.) Crosscut Saw (9 p.m.) The Hyde

Sun. 3 p.m. Ran Tan Toon

Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Tim

Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational

All shows 21+

JoJo's Tavern

2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton

(609) 586-2678

Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke

Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series at the Capital Green

201 Barrack Street Trenton

Sat. 7 p.m. NJ Capital Philharmonic's Chamber Ensemble. All ages, outdoor event

Millhill Basement

300 S. Broad Street Trenton

(609) 989-1600

Please check web site for upcoming events

Palermo's Of Hamilton

310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton

(609) 838-7979

Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke

All shows 21+

Patriot's Crossing

1339 River Rd. Titusville

(609) 737-2780

Fri. 7:30 p.m. Sensei Juan & The Black Belts

Sat. 7:30 p.m. McMillan & Co.

Randy Now's Man Cave

134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown

(609) 424-3766

Check Web Page for Upcoming Shows

RHO Waterfront

50 Riverview Plaza Trenton

(609) 393-7300

Thurs. 9 p.m. "College Night" w/ DJ Paul Desisto

Fri. (4 p.m.) Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8:30 p.m.) The Soul Cruisers

Sat. 9 p.m. "All White Attire Party" w/ DJ Bark Da Ripper. Age 21+, Ladies $10 (advance) Guys $20 (advance)

Tavern On The Lake

101 Main St. Hightstown

(609) 426-9345

Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night

The HOB Tavern

146 Second Street

(609) 291-7020

Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke

The Ivy Inn

248 Nassau St. Princeton

(609) 921-8555

Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron

Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Fatha Ramzee

Sat. 10 p.m. Mad Notes

Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv

Wed. (8:30 p.m.) Tune Trivia (10:30 p.m.) DJ Rockn Ron

The Sticky Wicket

2465 South Broad St. Hamilton

(609) 439-0007

Fri. 9 p.m. Class of 84

Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Aero

The Sun National Bank Center

81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton

(609) 656-3200

Check web site for upcoming events

Tir Na Nog

1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton

(609) 392-2554

Sat. 9 p.m. Mike Barniskis

Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" w/ Kathy D'Angelo & Dennis Gormley

Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Taylor Reed

All shows 21+

Trenton Buzz

702 Pine St. Trenton

(609) 392-6000

Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Hek Cat

Trenton Social

449 South Broad Street Trenton

(609) 989-7777

Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Cinema Thursday Presents: (TBA)

Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday Presents: "Old Work Meets New" by Howard Michaels

Mon. 9 p.m. Monday Night Karaoke w/ Benny P

Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic.

Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)

400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.

(215) 862-8300

Fri. 10 p.m. Challenge Accepted. ($5 cover charge)

Sat. 10 p.m. The Full Grown Men.($5 cover charge)

Sun. 7 p.m. Open Jam Night (Sign ups 6:30 p.m.)

All shows 21+

Wildflowers Inn

2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington

Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock

All shows 21+

ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...9/3/15

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

EVENT CALENDAR

David Sedaris

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes

Jake Shimabukuro

Tuesday Night Record Club - Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Livin’ It Right

Seong Jin Cho

Laughs In The Loft

Steve Hofstetter

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes

Game Grumps Live: Tournament of Gamers

Lidia Bastianich

more in music

The Gaslight Anthem Releases "Autumn"

Opera at Florham Presents "Mayhem in Opera"

Hungarian Advisory Ministry presents The Fight for Freedom Concert at NBPAC

Westrick Music Academy Welcomes New Executive Director, Lorraine Goodman

Arts Council of Princeton to host Four on the Floor Music Festival

Foo Fighters' 2024 U.S. Stadium Tour

Geddy Lee: My Effin' Life In Conversation Comes to NYC and Philly

Broadway's Kate Baldwin and Aaron Lazar to perform with The American Pops Orchestra at Axelrod PAC

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ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...9/3/15

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

EVENT CALENDAR

David Sedaris

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes

Jake Shimabukuro

Tuesday Night Record Club - Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Livin’ It Right

Seong Jin Cho

Laughs In The Loft

Steve Hofstetter

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes

Game Grumps Live: Tournament of Gamers

Lidia Bastianich

more in music

The Gaslight Anthem Releases "Autumn"

Opera at Florham Presents "Mayhem in Opera"

Hungarian Advisory Ministry presents The Fight for Freedom Concert at NBPAC

Westrick Music Academy Welcomes New Executive Director, Lorraine Goodman

Arts Council of Princeton to host Four on the Floor Music Festival

Foo Fighters' 2024 U.S. Stadium Tour

Geddy Lee: My Effin' Life In Conversation Comes to NYC and Philly

Broadway's Kate Baldwin and Aaron Lazar to perform with The American Pops Orchestra at Axelrod PAC