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ROCK ON! This Week's Sound Bites...3/14/19


By Danny Coleman

originally published: 03/14/2019

"We flew in and did our first ever opening show in the US at The Fillmore East with Bill Graham who had previously booked our friends Ten Years After from Chrysalis Records; an embryonic record company, they had proceeded us by a year in the USA, rather like Led Zeppelin did. So Ten Years After were the senior model for the beginning of our career there because we shared the same management and agency and that began our long journey." 

A journey that still continues to this day as Jethro Tull launches yet another tour of the US. Founding member and front man Ian Anderson recently spoke of the band's history, the upcoming tour, his love of old churches, his dislike of cell phones and much more as the east coast leg of their "50th Anniversary Tour" wrapped up for now with shows in Atlantic City and Morristown, NJ. 

To understand the legacy and importance of this event, one must grasp the background of how Ian and the band evolved; for Anderson it was a lack of patience that set him down a musical path which eventually became a four lane super highway.

"I was in art college in the north of England and getting the feeling that as much as I loved the visual arts; to aspire to be a professional painter or sculptor in the world of fine art was probably not likely to happen, at least not in my lifetime. Some people get famous after they're dead but I was a bit impatient and the idea of music and its immediacy appealed to me greatly. Many of the things that were my way of thinking in terms of the painterly arts, words like tone and line and form and color; these are the same words that applied in the world of music too. So it was a very easy transition to switch from visual references to musical ones and to this day I still tend to write lyrics and sometimes music with a picture in my head. I illustrate in musical terms something that is a visual reference; that's always been part of the way I write, not all of the time but most of the time. So I still think in those terms and it seems to make it an easy transition and when that occurred I was about 18 years old I thought that music could be a career. Perhaps not long term as a performing musician but since I had an interest in how the business worked and I talked with managers and agents and people involved behind the scenes because I was fascinated with how it all came together; it wasn't just about getting on stage and playing music then going to the bar and having a few pints with the lads. That wasn't really my thing, I was more interested in how it all worked, how different cogs of the machine would mesh and produce  sometimes quite a complex end result. So that was how I tended to think of music as a career; maybe I'd become a record producer or an agent or a manager or do something that had perhaps a little bit more to do with the business side of it. Although I have ended up with that role as a performing musician and I'm very lucky to still have my job." 

Decades later with 40 album releases under his and their collective belts, "Tull" as they're sometimes known are still going strong. Anderson recalls the group's trials, tribulations and highlights over the years.



 


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"I think there were a number of highlights along the way, probably in creative terms the second Jethro Tull album, "Stand Up" which was released in 1969 was not only successful in the UK and Europe but it was the record that really took Jethro Tull into the headlining capacity in the USA. I can remember being in the hotel in mid-town Manhattan having breakfast and at the time we were struggling a bit and didn't have much money and into the coffee shop walked Joe Cocker and he came over bearing a large plate of bacon and eggs and whole wheat toast, orange juice and whatever else to say, "Congratulations! I just heard your album went to number one in the UK" and I said, I don't suppose you're going to eat all of that bacon are you Joe? I was a bit peckish; I think he gave me a rasher," he recalled with a hearty laugh. "That was a highlight early on but the record that tended over a period of years to break us in a number of territories was the "Aqualung" album which was a bit of a slow burner; it didn't immediately take off anywhere but it did solidly well and continued to sell over the years. By the time that we had gotten into the era of Cold Play I remember checking with the record company to see if they had any cumulative sales and the last figure they had was just about 12 million for "Aqualung" which was just a little bit more than whatever huge album Cold Play had just released and I thought well, in cumulative terms we can hold our heads up with many of the biggest selling acts in the world. Perhaps not quite in the realms of Pink Floyd or the Eagles but not a bad sales figure if you're counting the beans. Then of course we went on to do, "Thick As A Brick" which was a bit more adventurous and crazy and then, "Songs From The Wood" another highlight album where I think the members of the band at the time were particularly cooperative in the sense of participating more in arrangements and ideas in the good spirit of the band; that was a highlight period around 1977. Things got a little bit fraught towards the end of the decade but '77 was a good year; one of those years where we played The Forum in L.A. and Madison Square Garden. I was just looking today, I think Jethro Tull played Madison Square Garden 14 times over the years which is quite a lot of shows."  

To achieve such levels of success, there are many pieces to the puzzle. With them on the road once again; how does the past compare to today and how important are the relationships they've built over the years? 

"Corporate music is worldwide, Live NationAEG and one or two other aspirants to that kind of position in the scheme of things; between them it seems they control 90 percent of the music industry in terms of live performance," he stated. "I've always liked the idea that we continue to work with independents wherever we can, those who maybe have managed to stay alive without cashing in and selling their business and their relationships to the big boys. That's what it's about when you have a relationship with artists; it's very tempting to try and cash in on that and pass them on to someone else and that doesn't always work. Sometimes it's a bit of a high ambition to think that just because you have a long relationship with an artist and you decide to call it a day that you can pass them on like some kind of asset because of course you don't have contracts with promoters you have them for individual concerts but not contracts for them to represent you in the lifelong sense of being tied to them forever. So relationships with promoters do tend to be based on mutual trust, honesty, getting the job done; that's the best way I think to have a relationship with people in the music industry rather than be contractually tied. I have a high regard for our promoters in different parts of the world and it's always a pleasure to think that they're still alive and kicking and we continue to work with them."  

So as those relationships took root, Jethro Tull began to branch out in other directions. Changes in personnel, solo projects and more all make up the fabric that is their tapestry; even recording a well-received Christmas album which came packaged and released with a live disc some years after the original studio recordings. 

"That was one of the earlier, original concerts that I did at Christmas which was recorded at St. Bride's Church in England. I think we had recorded the original album a year or two before that and then we did a live version of it at one of my first live Christmas concerts and since then; well I continue to this day to do a few of our great medieval cathedrals and even some churches elsewhere in Europe where we carefully blend the Christian musical liturgy with a secular concert of some respectful and appropriate nature to celebrate the Christian Christmas. I'm not one of these "Happy Holidays" kind of people; it's Christmas (laughs) but that's about the only thing that I have in common with your current President (laughs)." 

Then there was, "Jethro Tull The Rock Opera," an incredibly done masterpiece of live music and video technology rolled into one. Well-conceived and constructed, this was a display of precision timing, craftsmanship and the history of the band's namesake told as never before. Anderson elaborated on the production, his venue preferences and his feelings on cellular devices during performances; mincing no words about the latter.  

"The opera was in some ways sort of a poor man's Pink Floyd in terms of production, glitz and glamour," he explained in amused tones. "Thick As A Brick," when we did that in 1972; it was really very amateurish. It had a general verve and simplicity and good nature about it but I think it worked in theaters. So it's always been my returning dream to do from time to time concerts that are more of a production rather than getting up on stage, playing a few songs and heading off into the night; I do try to do that much of the time, probably more these days because the technology is more within reach. I remember playing a concert somewhere recently where there was a video wall behind us that our servers and equipment could be made to interact with and I remember thinking how enormous the physicality of this video wall was. There was probably a quarter of a million dollars worth of LED PCs that were put together to form this continuous huge wall of video. I went to see Black Sabbath in their second or third final concert ever and remembering seeing the size of their video wall and thinking, wow that's about four times what I could afford to do in a concert (laughs) but of course this was in the O2 Arena in London which is way bigger than Madison Square Garden so you really do have to do everything on a very grand scale at that level. I'm a theater guy; I don't really like enorm-o-domes. I remember going to see Iron Maiden a few months back in a similar venue and they were these tiny little figures on stage, no matter however big they may be on the video screen; I can get that experience watching YouTube. I'm much happier in a theater where everyone sits down and hopefully switches off their damn cell phones. There's nothing more off putting then sitting there and in front of you in your eyes is somebody holding up a smart phone with the screen lit up filming something; as a member of the audience that gets me really, really angry. Almost as angry as it is when I'm on stage and I'm facing people with their phones in the air and of course they don't know how to work them properly and they've got those nasty little focusing lights on them; so you've got these bright lights in your eyes and that's quite off putting when you're trying to concentrate on music and suddenly lights are flashing on and off in front of your face and they are incredibly bright. People are obviously unaware of what they're doing and frankly a lot of them just don't care anyway; when you politely ask them not to use their cell phones they just think, well fuck you I bought a ticket I'll do what I like. There's not much I can do about it whether I'm a fellow audience member or performing; am I going to be picking a fight with a stranger? That's not something that most of us want to do, hence they get away with it all of the time. I think ideally that the audience members ought to just tap someone on the shoulder and say, excuse me please don't do that and I'd be very grateful if they did."  



 
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"I encounter that in all of the cathedral shows that we do and we do ask people to turn off their cell phones, partly because it is a cathedral or a church and it's not very respectful in a house of God whether you're a believer or not. I don't do this because I'm a Christian, I just do it because I like playing music in old places; because I'm very respectful of the traditions, I go by what I believe are a set of unspoken rules. I find it really disrespectful to be using phones in a church in that way so we ask people to switch them off but the quid pro quo is; in the encore you can take all the pictures you want. That's your eight minutes worth of go nuts with your camera and we get it out of the way at the end and hopefully everybody feels that they got that moment; it's kind of a trade off, a bit of a bargain that we have to strike with people to buy their compliance for the rest of the show for the sake of everybody."

Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull had its 50 year anniversary in 2018 but they continue to celebrate  their first show in the United States which occurred in 1969. They will return to the US in July for three west coast shows after an extensive European tour and then again in September for four shows; one of which is at the Xcite Center inside Parx Casino in Bensalem, PA. 

"It was actually 50 years since Jethro Tull became Jethro Tull, it was the end of January 1968. We're actually about to embark on 51 years of Jethro Tull which is our coded term for the production concerts that begin in Europe later this year. We will be changing some of the material from the 50th anniversary production concerts that we did last year. We will be performing in the USA on three short tours where we will vary the music a bit from the stuff that some of our fans saw us play in various parts of the USA during 2018. Technically in America it is the 50th anniversary of Jethro Tull's American experience so we will continue to call it the "50th Anniversary Tour" at least as far as the US is concerned."

To discover more about 50 years of Jethro Tull and their return to the US, please visit www.jethrotull.com

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



This week's event listings


Alchemist & Barrister    
28 Witherspoon Street Princeton    
(609) 924-5555    
Thurs. "Pasta and Sinatra Night"    
Wed. 10 p.m. (TBA)    
Arts Council of Princeton    
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton    
(609) 924-8777   
Thurs. (4 p.m.) "Pi Day Princeton Steam Activities" (FREE admission) (7 p.m.) Community Stage Event: "A Celebration of Motown" feat. Members of Einstein Alley Musicians Collaborative and The Beagles. (FREE admission)  
Fri. 7:30 p.m. 80's Dance Party. $5 (Suggested donation) 
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Lame Kid Zine Presents a Community Stage Event: "Phadid ALL OUT." (FREE admission) 
Artworks Trenton  
19 Everett Alley Trenton  
(609) 394-9436
Fri. 7 p.m. "Film Night" 
Sat. 12 p.m. YAL "Outside the Box"      
Bill's Olde Tavern    
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton    
(609) 586-0192    
Thurs. 9 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 10 a.m. "St Patricks Day" (12 p.m.) TBA
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Ages 21+   
Blend Bar & Bistro    
911 Highway 33 Hamilton    
(609) 245-8887   
Sun. 7 p.m. Karaoke 
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia  Jam    
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke   
Bowman's Tavern    
1600 River Road New Hope, PA    
(215) 862-2972    
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Glenn McClelland Trio 
Fri. (4 p.m.) Ottmar (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sat. 7 p.m. Debra & Patrick 
Sun. (12 p.m.) Chris Shepherd & James Seward (6 p.m.) Lorenzo  
Mon. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott 
Tues. 6 p.m. Jason Dozier 
Wed. 6 p.m. Soul Custody 
Brickwall Tavern & Dining Room    
19 E. Union Street Burlington    
(609) 733-3562   
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Byrd 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics 
Broken Goblet Brewing  
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, PA  
(267) 812-5653  
Thurs. 8 p.m. Mike Estabrook  
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Love Killed Kurt
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo from the Darkside 
BT Restaurant
 & Tavern 
2031 Route 130 South Burlington    
(609) 499-1355    
Fri. 8:30 p.m. The Suspects
Caffe Galleria  
23 North Union Street Lambertville  
(609) 397-2400  
Sat. 7 p.m. Bill Linderman & Jim McClurken of The Lifters 
Sun. 12 p.m. "Puppy Adoption Day" sponsored by Animal Alliance NJ 
Candlelight Lounge    
24 Passaic Street Trenton    
(609) 695-9612    
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam  
Sat. 3 p.m. (TBA) $10 (cover charge/$10 Minimum includes buffet)    
Tues. 6 p.m. "Tuesday Jazz Jam" Open Session feat. James Stewart / Tom Littwin Trios. $5 (Lite appetizers)   
Cedar Gardens 
661 Route 33 Hamilton 
(609) 931-9464 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Opera Dinner w/ Boheme Opera NJ. $85 
Sat. 8 p.m.  Lisette Melendez / DJs Nick Creo, Bruce Mancia. Ages 21+ (FREE admission)
Centro Grille 
2360 Route 33 Robbinsville 
(609) 208-9300 
Sat. 8 p.m. "Back In The Day Jams Party" w/ DJ Moe Green
Championship Bar  
931 Chambers street Trenton  
(609) 396-5457   
Fri. 8 p.m. "Liz's 30th Birthday Party" feat. The Upfux, Meganow, Penny Praline, Party Show, P.T. Burnem. $8
Sat. 7 p.m. Generation Underground, Shiwan Khan, Canamara, Azmere. All ages, $10
Sun. 6 p.m. Utmost, KONG, Weopanize, Lost in Tides, (TBA). All ages, $10/$12
Mon. 8 p.m. "Art Chill Night"  
Tuesday 8 p.m. "Jam Night" Hosted by Nikki & Caleb  
Chickie's & Pete's
   
183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown    
(609) 298-9182   
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night    
Wed. 9 p.m. Quizzo Trivia    
City Streets    
510 Highway 130 South East Windsor    
(609) 426-9400 
Sat. 8:30 p.m. ArHouse
Mon. 9 p.m. "Malibu Mondays"     
Tues. 9 p.m. Trivia w/ Jessie & Chelsea    
Wed. 6:30 p.m. "Wine Down Wednesdays" w/ Rich Genoval     
Clubhouse at Mountain View 
850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing 
(609) 771-0400 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Celtic Connection
COARadio.com    
125 South Main Street Hightstown    
(609) 241-7103    
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio" feat. Manny Cabo  
Continental Tavern  
2 North Main Street Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-9191 
Fri. 9 p.m. Fran & Jim 
Sat. 9 p.m. Righteous Jolly 
Cook A.A. 
411 Hobart Avenue Hamilton 
(609) 586-5117 
Fri. 6 p.m. Dick Gratton w/ Kim Robinson 
Cooper's Riverview
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 9 p.m. DJ Paul Desisto
Curly's at the Nest  
1492 Woodbourne Road Levittown, PA  
(267) 639-0707  
Sat. 8 p.m. The Fredz
Diamond's of Hamilton    
661 Route 33 Hamilton    
(609) 981-7900    
Fri. (6 p.m.) Bob Orlowski (10 p.m.) DJ Frank Oliveti  
Sat. (6 p.m.) Joanna Noelle Caruso (10 p.m.) DJ Frank Olivetti
Dog & Bull Brew House    
810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.    
(215) 788-2855      
Sat. 11 a.m. "Saturday Brunch"   
Sun. 11 a.m. "Sunday Brunch" 
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Mic w/ Dana Collins 
Dubai Restaurante Lounge
3950, 931 New York Avenue Trenton
Thurs. 8 p.m. "Grab The Mic" Open Mic Hosted by Nina and Landy. $5 (entry fee)
Frans Pub  
116 South Main Street New Hope, PA  
(215) 862-5539  
Sat. 9 p.m. Sixty Sense  
Freddies Tavern
   
12 Railroad Avenue Ewing    
(609) 882-0978   
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Country Night" Hosted by Jeremy Line Dance. (FREE event) 
Fri. 9 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL 
Sat. 9 p.m. South Side Wanderers
Sun. 6 p.m. "St Patrick's Day" w/ Gyrl Band 
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Joe Vadala, Falcey & Marc Hoffman 
George C's Pub
1849 South Clinton Avenue Trenton
(609) 695-6571
Sat. 9 p.m. "Wild Weekend Karaoke"
German American Society  
215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton  
(609) 585-5200  
Sun. 12 p.m. "Corn-Hole and Cabbage"
Greenhouse 
90 South Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1657 
Tues. 8 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Sam Ryan Music 
Grounds For Sculpture  
80 Sculptors way Hamilton  
(609) 586-0616   
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Sing Along with Sculpture" w/ Seward Johnson   
Grover
's Mill Coffee House
    
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction    
(609) 716-8771    
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Anker  
Halo Pub  
4617 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square  
(609) 586-1811  
Sat. 7 p.m. Living The Dream
Hamilton Tap & Grill 
557 US Route 130 North Hamilton 
(609) 905-0925 
Tues. 8 p.m. "Harry Potter Themed" Trivia Challenge 
Havana New Hope
   
105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.    
(215) 862-9897   
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Rocky & His Friends 
Fri. (8:30 p.m) Late Last Night (12 a.m.) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (8:30 p.m.) Toga Party (12 a.m.) DJ Dance Party 
Sun. 4 p.m. 'St Paddy's Party" w/ Screaming Broccolli 
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke  
Tues. 8 p.m. Funk 'N' Blues Jam Hosted by Sidewinder Blues Band 
Wed. 8 p.m.  "Local Original Music Showcase" Hosted by Pat Foran feat.  Phil Robinson / Joanne Calabrase
Hopewell Theater     
5 South Greenwood Avenue Hopewell    
(609) 466-1964   
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Mike Tramp / John Corabi. $48.51, $51.71, $53.85 
Sat. 8 p.m. Mick Moloney and the Green Fields of America. $49.58, $51.71, $53.85 
Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn    
15 East Broad Street Hopewell    
(609) 466-9889 
Fri. 8 p.m. Open Mic. Night    
Hopewell Valley Vineyards    
46 Yard Avenue Pennington    
(609) 737-4465    
Thurs. 6 p.m. The Hazelrigg Brothers
Fri. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. A Little Bit Off 
Sat. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. The Lifters
Sun. 2 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Ashley Pettett
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill    
7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA    
(267) 914-4517    
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul Kircher    
Fri. 6 p.m. Williamsboy 
Sat. 9 a.m. "St Patty's Day Parade" feat. (12 p.m.) Never Enough (9 p.m.) The Discoteks
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula & Sam     
Irish Rover Station House 
1033 Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Entertainment 
Sun. "St Patrick's Day" (12 p.m.) John Byrne Band (5 p.m.) DJ N Do 
Tues. 7:30 p.m. "Paint & Sip" 
Iron Plow Vineyards    
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus    
(732) 306-9111    
Fri. 6 p.m. Don the Medicine Man
Sat. 1 p.m. Jim Gaven 
Sun. 2 p.m. Jerry Steele
Ivy Tavern    
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton    
(609) 888-1435    
Thurs. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke    
Fri. 9 p.m. Ernie White Band
Sat. 9 p.m. The Suspects
All shows 21+    
Jake's Eatery    
869 Bustleton Pike Richboro, PA    
(215) 322-6787    
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Ladies Night"   
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Night    
Jimmy's Firestone American Grill  
140 Route 130 South Bordentown  
(609) 291-0200  
Thurs. 8 p.m. "Bar Games and Trivia"  
John & Peter's    
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa    
(215) 862-5981   
Thurs. 9 p.m. Mike DiAlto's Stand Up Comedy Night
Fri. 9 p.m. Dave Mooney and Viewers Like You / The Components  
Sat. (3 p.m.) Desoto Rust (9 p.m.) Scout, Pischi & Jitze, William Rose, Jesse Elliot 
Sun. (3 p.m.) Jake Bracey (8 p.m.) "St Patrick's Day" feat. Adrienne Walsh, Guy Heller, Sean Faust, Jon Huss, Dave Carta, Jonah Loyd, Brad Smith
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic 
Tues. 9 p.m. Christopher Daniel
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational    
All shows 21+   
Killarney's Publick House    
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton   
(609) 586-1166   
Thurs. "Girls Night Out"  
Fri. (4 p.m.) Radio Fiction (9 p.m.) Deep Release
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Suspended Justice
Sun. 10 a.m. "St Patrick's Day" (12 p.m.) Successful Failures (3 p.m.) Deep Release (4 p.m.) Some Assembly Required (5 p.m.) Diarmuid McSweeney (9 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Mon. 7 p.m. "Paint Nite" 
Wed. 8 p.m. Drop the Beat Bingo   
Laurita Winery    
85 Archertown Road New Egypt    
(609) 752-0200  
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Girls Night Out" St. Patrick's Cupcake Class
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Line Dancing
Sat./Sun. 11:30 a.m. "St Patrick's Day Festival"  
Legends Tap and Pizza 
318 High Street Burlington 
(609) 486=3001 
Fri. 7 p.m. Gypsy Mother
Logan Inn
   
10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA    
(215) 862-2300  
Thurs. 6 p.m. Zachary Drew 
Fri. 7 p.m. Sammy Flow
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Jager Soprano
Sun. 11 a.m. "Jazz Brunch" feat. (12 p.m.) Dave Dales (6 p.m.) Irish Music
Mama Flora's Trattoria   
1750 North Olden Avenue Ewing  
(609) 434-1188  
Sat. 6 p.m.  Bryan Hill
Marcellos Coal Fired Restaurant & Pizza  
206 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown   
(609) 298-8360  
Sun. 10 a.m. "Blues Brunch"  
McGuinn's Place    
1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence    
(609) 392-0599   
Thurs. 9 p.m. "Hip Hop Thursdays" w/ Enki 
Sun. 5 p.m. "The Blarney Bash" feat. Flawless Koncepts, Jessica Mi, Stanlry & Co. ($5 cover charge starts at 8 p.m.)
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke    
Ages 21+    
McStews Irish Sports Pub    
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA    
(215) 949-9570    
Thurs. 10 p.m.  Beer Pong Night
Sat. 9 p.m. Last Call
Sun. 10 a.m. "St Patrick's Day" feat. (1 p.m.) Pixie Twist Duo (5 p.m.) Irish Dancers (5:45 p.m.) Bagpipes (6 p.m.) All Lit Up
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike  
Wed. 9 p.m. "Karaoke Time" w/ Kirchner Entertainment 
Millhill Basement    
300 S. Broad Street Trenton    
(609) 989-1600    
Tues. 10 p.m. "Local Artist" Hip Hop, Experimental EDM and Bass Music Showcase  
New Hope Winery   
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA  
(215) 794-2331  
Thurs. 8 p.m.  
Fri. 8 p.m. A Tribute to Van Morrison w/ "Into The Mystic." $30
New Jersey WeedMan's Joint  
322 East State Street Trenton  
(609) 437-0898 
Fri. 8:30 p.m. "420 Stoner Giggles" Hosted by Mister Direct
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Open Mic Saturday
Sun. 4:20 p.m. "St Patrick's Day Throw Down" feat. The Love Light Band. $10
Wed. 8 p.m. "420 Game Night" 
Nook's PourHouse    
2043 Route 130 South Florence    
(609) 447-0927  
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia Tuesday w/ Quizoholics     
Nottingham Tavern    
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square    
(609) 587-6623    
Thurs. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Fri. 9 p.m. The Inflatable Head Family Jam
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Asylum Choir
Sun. "St Patrick's Day" 11 a.m.) DJ Chris Barlow (1 p.m.) Joe Kramer & Jerry Monk (8 p.m.) Radio Fiction
Ages 21+    
O'Connors American Bar & Grille  
1383 Monmouth Road Easthampton  
(609) 261-1555  
Fri. 6 p.m. "Guinness Keep the Glass"
Sun. 11 a.m. "St Patrick's Day Party" feat. The Grouser Girls / Billy O'Neal
Old Town Pub    
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown    
(609) 291-9232   
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia  
Fri. 9 p.m. Radio Fiction
Sat. 9 p.m. Bitonti Boys
Sun. 12 p.m. "St Patrick's Day" w/ Some Assembly Required
Tues. 8 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Sir Xerri
Palermo's Of Hamilton    
310 Klockner Road Hamilton    
(609) 838-7979    
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke   
All shows 21 +  
Patriots Crossing    
1339 River Road Titusville    
(609) 737-2780   
Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Sean Cavalier 
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo      
Pete's Steak House    
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton    
(609) 585-8008    
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Tour de Force 
Sat. 9 p.m. No Way Out
Princeton Folk Music Society (Christ Congregation Church) 
50 Walnut Lane Princeton 
(609) 799-0944 
Fri. 8:15 p.m. Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz. $20
Randy Now's Man Cave
  
134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown    
(609) 424-3766   
Fri. 8 p.m. HR of Bad Brains. $25
River Cat Cafe`   
142 South Main Street New Hope, PA  
(215) 693-1008  
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Jazz" 
Rossi's Bar & Grill    
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton    
(609) 890-2004    
Thurs. 7 p.m. Ernie White
Salt Creek Grille    
1 Rockingham Row Princeton    
(609) 419-4200    
Fri. 8 p.m. Glenn Alexander
Sat. 8 p.m. Jerry Topinka 
Small World Coffee    
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton    
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 8 p.m. Black Cat Habitat 
Starbucks Coffee  
2673 Main Street Lawrenceville  
(609) 414-3320  
Fri. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Anker   
Starbucks Coffee  (Trenton Community Store) 
102 South Warren Street Trenton 
(609) 393-0261 
Sat. 3 p.m. Open Mic 
1867 Sanctuary    
101 Scotch Road Ewing    
(609) 392-6409  
Fri. 8 p.m. "Irish Ballads and Traditional Tunes" w/ O'Neal & Koontz. $20
Sat. (2 p.m.) Bonomo. $20 (8 p.m.) The Shenanigans. $20 
Tara's Tavern   
1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown    
(609) 286-2300    
Fri. 10 p.m. Karaike w/ Big Daddy G
Sat. 10 p.m. Bent Mushroom
Tavern On The Lake     
101 Main Street Hightstown    
(609) 426-9345    
Fri. 9 p.m. Jazmyn Adelle Band
Sat. 9 p.m. Extreme Measures
Sun. "St Patrick's Day Party"
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night    
Temperance House    
5 South State Street Newtown, PA    
(215) 944-8050    
Thurs. 7 p.m. Blues Open Mic Hosted by Steve Guyger    
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo   
Terhune Orchards 
330 Cold Soil Road Princeton 
(609) 924-2310 
Sun. 1 p.m. "Winery Sunday Music Series" feat. Roundabout
The Cool Cricket    
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro    
(609) 291-9110    
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke    
Sat. 9 p.m. "St Paddy's Celebration" w/ El Ka Bong
The Cure Insurance Center    
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton    
(609) 656-3200    
Check website for upcoming events    
The Dubliner  
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA  
(215) 693-1816  
Fri. 7 p.m. JB Rocks
Sat. 8 p.m. Andrew Koontz & Bill O'Neal 
Sun. 4 p.m. Na' Bodach
The Five Four Bar & Grill  
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA  
(215) 547-5525  
Fri. 9 p.m. Bambu Weasels 
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Spareparts 
Sun. 8 p.m. Se7en Band
Wed. 7 p.m. "Lyrical Conundrums" w/ Cara & Righteous     
The HOB Tavern    
146 Second Street Bordentown    
(609) 291-7020    
Fri. 8 p.m. DJ Entertainment  
Tues 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night    
The Ivy Inn    
248 Nassau Street Princeton    
(609) 921-8555    
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Rockin' Ron    
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Rockin' Ron
Sat. 10 p.m. DJ Jon Gosselin
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv    
Wed. 10 p.m. "Wednesday Wheel Night Spin To Win Karaoke" w/ DJ Rockn Ron    
The Pines Tavern    
6217 North Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA    
(215) 788-1659    
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Soul Custody Trio
Sun. 3 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Bill Monach Jr.    
The Roost    
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge    
(609) 208-0050  
Fri. 8 p.m. "Green Party" w/ 80's Undercover
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke  
The Sticky Wicket    
2465 South Broad Street Hamilton    
(609) 439-0007    
Thurs. 9 p.m. "Throwback Thursday" w/ DJ Chillio   
Tues. 7 p.m. Karaoke    
The Sycamore Grill    
255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA    
(215) 908-6326    
Thurs. 8 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle
Fri. 8 p.m. Go Hamm
Sat. (4 p.m.) Sherry St John Duo (8 p.m.) American Hawk Band  
Sun. 3 p.m. "St Patrick's Day" w/ Kickbax Acoustic Trio
The Union Firehouse 
18 Washington Street Mount Holly 
(609) 288-6491 
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Live & Local" Hosted by Jake Falana 
Fri. 7 p.m. Vital Stats, Goodnight Lights, Mantic
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Dance Party w/ Stevie Coachella
Sun. 1 p.m. "St Paddy's Day" w/ Heart Fulla Bluz
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Open Jam w/ Blue Light Digital Sound 
Third State Brewing   
352 High Street Burlington  
(609) 387-1620  
Sat. 7 p.m. "Slainte, Sonas, Rath" feat. Radio Fiction
Tir Na Nog    
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton    
(609) 392-2554  
Fri. 9 p.m. Diarmuid MacSuibhne 
Sat. 9 p.m. Geoffrey Keiser 
Sun. "St Patrick's Day" feat. (12 p.m.) Diarmuid MacSuibhne (4 p.m.) the Successful Failures (8 p.m.) Some Assembly Required 
All Shows 21+   
Trenton Buzz    
702 Pine Street Trenton    
(609) 392-6000    
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.    
Sat. 10 p.m. "Buzzed Saturdays" w/ Bockman    
Trenton Social     
449 South Broad Street Trenton    
(609) 989-7777   
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour" Hosted by Jay Kountree 
Sat. 6 p.m. "Cheers to 8 Years" Anniversary Celebration w/ Jay Kountree
Tues. 7 p.m. "Social Musicology Series" 
Triple Sun Spirits 
126 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-3057 
Sat. 2 p.m. "St Patrick's Day Weekend Extravaganza" feat. (7 p.m.) E-Miners. Ages 21+
Sun. 7 p.m. "St Patrick's Day Weekend Extravaganza"
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)    
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.    
(215) 862-8300    
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia  
Fri.10 p.m. Chestnut Grove. $5 (cover charge) 
Sat. (1 p.m.) "Irish Fest" w/ Hobnail (10 p.m.) Essie. $5 (cover charge)   
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Stage
All shows 21+  
Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)  
138 Nassau Street Princeton  
(609) 924-7855  
Fri. 10 p.m. The Successful Failures
VFW Post 491 
9 Fisher Place Yardville 
(609) 585-9645 
Sun. 12 p.m. "St Patrick's Day at VFW" 
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn    
2572 Pennington Road Pennington    
(609) 773-2392    
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock Night    
Mon. 9 p.m. "Moonshine Mondays" Trivia   
Working Dog Winery    
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown    
(609) 371-6000    
Sat. 1 p.m. Kevin McGowan
Yardley Inn Restaurant & Bar  
82 East Afton Avenue Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-3800  
Sat. 8 p.m. Karly & Mike
 


Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.

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Ramapo

Ramapo Jazz Ensemble: Tribute to John Coltrane

Wednesday, December 04, 2024 @ 7:00pm
H-Wing Auditorium, Ramapo College of NJ
505 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ 07430
category: music

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Fairytale

Fairytale of New York

Wednesday, December 04, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Count Basie Center for the Arts
99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701
category: music

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Big

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Wednesday, December 04, 2024 @ 8:00pm
Grunin Center
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: music

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Samara

Samara Joy: “A Joyful Holiday” featuring the McLendon Family

Wednesday, December 04, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music

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EVENT PREVIEWS

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- For 30 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's unique take on American swing and jazz music has thrilled audiences around the world, while their unique and spirited "Wild and Swingin' Holiday Party" has become an eagerly anticipated annual family event. See for yourself when the show comes to the Grunin Center for the Arts on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 8:00pm.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Robyn Hitchcock on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at First Congregational Church of Montclair. Imogen Clark will open the night. Doors are at 7:30pm, showtime is 8:00pm.


NJPAC

NJPAC presents Smokey Robinson

2024-12-06


Scott

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox to bring "10" tour to The Newton Theatre

2024-12-06


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