By Danny Coleman
originally published: 05/18/2017
"I stopped playing for six years and well, that didn't work out too well," said Jesse Colin Young, founder of the iconic 60's group The Youngbloods with a laugh. "I had some health issues, turns out I had Lyme Disease and I didn't know it and it was really a struggle. I was on thin ice there for a while and wasn't sure if I'd ever be strong enough to get back out there but so far we've done quite a few shows and things are going well."
Born in Queens, NY to a violinist mother and a father who enjoyed classical music, Young had procured a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts at the age of 15. Unfortunately, things didn't pan out as imagined but he credits the experience with aiding his career as well as giving him some definition.
"I got thrown out of that school for playing guitar," he chuckled. I had always thought of myself as a singer songwriter but as music had gotten better, jazzier, I began to morph into my own style and sound. Then someone from Australia interviewed me and during the interview said they felt that American music was shutting out the Aussies. Believe it or not, Australia has many diverse music styles from Blues to Celtic to the tribal sounds, many of which made their way here to the States. I think that Celtic Blues spawned rock 'n' roll and that mixture of them, Delta Blues and country music all come together and what you get is Americana and I think I fall in there somewhere (Laughs)."
With 17 solo or Youngbloods recordings under his belt, Young, who overcame his expulsion to become a graduate of Pennsbury High School in Fairless, Pennsylvania has left an indelible mark in music for more than five decades. After forming The Youngbloods circa 1964 and unknowingly becoming part of one of the most turbulent eras in our country's history; Jesse now looks back fondly on his coming of age. "You know, as a young man I'd listen to music, Doo-wop was first thing I remember listening to on the radio. Before Alan Freed there was a DJ named Symphony Sid who featured a lot of black Be-bop artists, man I'd turn my radio on and leave it on all night, I'd fall asleep to the music. Then Elvis came along and set the music world on its ear and we all were listening to that Memphis style country blues mix. It was a big transition for us when Elvis left and went to Hollywood and Frankie Avalon took over the air waves. A lot of us school aged kids wondered where the grit that Elvis had went; the sound wasn't the same. We found that grit in old recordings from the 1930's and '40's in roots music; white Celtic black blues music; that influenced a whole bunch of us."
Young found himself in the middle of the Greenwich Village folk scene when he formed the band and in 1969 the re-release of the Chet Powers/Dino Valenti tune, "Get Together" propelled the group to heights it hadn't yet seen. Opening for acts such as Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, CSNY and more, The Youngbloods had reached commercial success. "That was a very exciting time to be part of all of that," he stated with enthusiasm. "To perform to those big audiences, that was a lot of fun but it could sometimes be very intimidating. The size of those crowds could get to you a little bit. We were used to playing much, much smaller places. We started small but what a great way to reach a lot of people at one time; I prefer smaller (laughs)."
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The fall of 2016 saw Jesse begin to re-release some of his past material as well as begin to record again; he credits the current vibe and climate of our country and his son as part of his current inspiration. "Well, in the broad way of thinking, I think my country needs me right now. I think we do need to get together and learn from each other and stop the nonsense. I went to my son's graduation from Berklee and he did a recital with this fine group of musicians, that was dangerous for me to attend because I got the itch again (laughs). So we put a band of him, his friends and myself together and went down to SXSW. I'll tell ya', these young people, these millennials, they give me great hope and these kids are so talented that I was just so excited to be back out there. They lit a fire inside me again and I'm really enjoying it again. My son was at Berklee during the Boston Marathon bombing and I remember the stress of trying to get through to him to make sure that he was alright. Things like that are all over the place and we can't predict what or where it happens next, there's no real single thread. So I wrote a song about it called, "Cast A Stone," it's very strong, very emotional. Being of Irish and Scottish descent, I hear bagpipes and I get a tear in my eye (Laughs), this song does that."
With an eye to the future, Young still relishes his past and enjoys how the two often unite at his performances. "It never ceases to amaze me how generations have enjoyed my songs. "Get Together," whenever I play it I feel like I'm in church because it's such a beautiful song and always one of my favorites to do. My favorite part of the show is when the audience sings the verses and the chorus back to me. Being part of that '60's generation, that song embodies the dream of the entire movement. Bringing people together to love one another, stop the war in Viet Nam; it was all that was in our hearts then and now as parents of a new generation, it's all that we can ever hope for."
A personal tragedy played a huge role in Young's life as a raging forest fire destroyed his California home but rather than wilt from the heat, he turned a negative into a positive. "When the house burned down we were devastated. We lost nearly everything but the saving grace was that all was reduced to a foot tall pile of ash except my recording studio. Somehow it survived but here we were with two small kids and our lives in ruin. Fortunately I owned a small home in Hawaii so we were able to move there; the whole thing was very traumatic for the family. I felt very lucky to have that home, so we made the move. About two or three years prior to that happening I had started to grow coffee plants. Suddenly I had a few acres of coffee plants and now I'm a coffee farmer (Laughs). It's "Jesse Colin Young's Coffee Farm" and we enjoy it. I never set out to be a coffee farmer but..."
As his voice trailed off, Young returned to the present and spoke glowingly of performing with his son and his, "Younger" band. He relayed the thrill of sharing a stage with their youthful approach and fresh outlook towards his and music in general and also hoping to be part of a milestone celebration. "I enjoy working with them so much. They are extremely talented. I'm hoping to resolve some issues and be part of the, "50th Anniversary Summer of Love Concert" but we'll see how that goes. I also plan on doing more writing and recording, I'm inspired."
With a slew of sold out shows already in the books, Young has dates on the west coast beginning in June then heads east to Virginia and back across the the U.S. and then will crisscross the country through the first week of November 2017 before taking some time off.
To discover more about Jesse Colin Young, the tour, the coffee and more, please go to www.jessecolinyoung.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
Backstage at Championship Bar 931 Chambers Street Trenton
Thurs. 7 p.m. Noise Brigade, Stay Home, Late Nights, (TBA). All ages, $10
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Lorna Shore, Bodysnatcher, Extortionist, Hive, Planetary Alignment, Reborn Divided, Dreams Of demise. All ages, $12/$14
Sat. 3 p.m. "Bobby Potter Memorial Show III" feat. Depreciator, Repressed, Drawn Out, Refinement, On Sight, Grievance, Idle Minds, Gloves Off, On The Shoulders Of Kings, Neglected. All ages, $10
Sun. 6 p.m. Eyes Set To Kill, The Nearly Deads, Brand Of Julez, Surrender The Night, Sinking Mponroe, To Vanish Tomorrow. All ages, $13/$15
Bill's Olde Tavern02694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke Contest (Cash prizes)
Ages 21+
Blend Bar & Bistro911 Highway 33 Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia Jam
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Shaun Ruymen
Bowman's Tavern1600 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Neil Podgurski Trio
Fri. 8 p.m. Bog Egan
Sat. 7:30 p.m. David Dales Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Brunch With Ottmar (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Mon. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott
Tues. 6 p.m. Michael Long
Wed. 6 p.m. Gary Reed & Arturo Baguer
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic Street Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Sat. 3 p.m. Jack Walrath Quartet. $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 Gardens661 Route 33 Hamilton
(609) 931-9464
Fri. 8 p.m. "Old Skool Party Series #4 (Spring Bash)" feat. This Friday band, Amazin' Grace & the GLB, Black Frost, Angela (Spoken word). Doors at 7 p.m., $20 (Advance, lite dinner, cash bar.)
Chickie's & Pete's183 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
Mon. 9 p.m. "Malibu Mondays" w/ DJ Brett Gash
Tues. 9 p.m. Trivia w/ Jessie and Chelsea
Wed. 6:30 p.m. "Wine Down Wednesdays" w/ Rich Genoval
COARadio.com Main Street Hightstown
(609) 241-7103
Check web site for programming
Cream Ridge Winery145 Route 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 259-9797
Sat. 1 p.m. John & Maggs
Dadz Bar & Grill744 Main Street Lumberton
(609) 267-4344
Thurs. 10 p.m. "Pong Tournament"
Fri. 10 p.m. Next
Sat. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Byrd
Sun. 4 p.m. Gypsy Mother
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Superstar Entertainment
Dempster's Pub437 Pine Street Mount Holly
(609) 261-0500
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. DJ DNIAL
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Chris
Dog & Bull Brew House810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Will Paquette
Fri. (4 p.m.) "Happy Hour" feat. Cecil & Ray (9 p.m.) Kevin Toft and The Alternators
Sat. (11 a.m.)"Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. Jazz 180
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Sunday Brunch" feat. Mikey Ragz (4 p.m.) Paul Donovan
Wed. 8 p.m. Mia Johnson
Fran's Pub116 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215)862-5539
Sun. 3 p.m. The Mojo Gypsies
All shows age 21+
Freddies Tavern12 Railroad Avenue Ewing
(609) 882-0978
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Joe Vadala
Grover's Mill Coffee HousePrinceton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction
(609) 716-8771
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Anker
Sat. 7 p.m. 3-26 Rodney & Eva
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 8 p.m. "The INXS Experience" w/ KICK. Doors at 7 p.m., $25
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Bigg Romeo
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Se7en Band
Sun. 8 p.m. Ladies 2000
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. "Local Original Music Series" Hosted by Pat Foran
Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn15 East Broad Street Hopewell
(609) 466-9889
Fri. 8 p.m. Open Mic.
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. "Music & Merlot Spaghetti and Meatballs Dinner" feat. Deb & Mike
Fri. 6 p.m. Pocketful Of Soul
Sat. 6 p.m. Toby Mochel & A few Good Men
Sun. 2 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Ashley Pettet
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul Kircher
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula & Sam
Iron Plow Vineyards26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6 p.m. Ed Wilson
Sat. 2 p.m. Audio Pilot
Sun. 2 p.m. Terry Rivel
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Fri. 9 p.m. The Ernie White Band
Sat. 9 p.m. Generals Krank
All shows 21+
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Spoondrift
Fri. 9 p.m. Cowbell Superstar / Cryptkeeper 5
Sat. 3 p.m. Pride Party
Sun. (3 p.m.) Ellie Spy (9:30 p.m.) Trio Of Madness
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Mike
Tues. 9 p.m. Tom Craig & Soul Patch
Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Killarney's Publick House1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166
Thurs. 9 p.m. DJ Jimmy G
Sat. (3 p.m.) "KPH Luau Pig Roast" (5 p.m.) Some Assembly Required
Sun. 3 p.m. "Jeep Meet"
Laurita Winery85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Jeep Thing & Food Trucks" feat. (11 a.m.) The Suspects (2:30 p.m.) Shore Syde Band (6 p.m.) Mr. Lucky
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Jeep Thing & Food Trucks" feat. (11 a.m.) Daisy Jug Band (1:30 p.m.) Nash east (5 p.m.) Kindred Spirit
Wed. 6:30 p.m. "Girls Night Out" Wine Glass Painting
Mamma Rosa's 572 Klockner Road Hamilton
(609) 588-5454
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Richard Schneider
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Thurs. 10:30 p.m."Beer Pong" w/ DJ RV & MC Slim
Fri. 10 p.m. "Frisky Fridays" feat. Fish Out Of Water/DJ Favs. Ages 21+
Sat. 10 p.m. Flabbergasted
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike
Millhill Basement300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Tues. 10 p.m. "Local Artist" Hip Hop, Experimental EDM and Bass Music Showcase
New Hope Winery6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(215) 794-2331
Fri./Sat. 8 p.m. Eagles Tribute w/ Eaglemania. Doors at 7 p.m., $30
Nook's PourHouse2043 Route 130 South Florence
(609) 447-0927
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia Tuesday w/ Quizoholics
Olde Liberty Tavern2114 Liberty Street Trenton
(609) 396-2262
Sat. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Palermo's Of Hamilton310 Klockner Road Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21 +
PANJ RadioBridge Street Lambertville
(609) 460-4673
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Special Edition of Rock On Radio" feat. Kool & The Gang Trumpeter Michael Ray
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio"
Patriot's Crossing1339 River Rd. Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Fri. 8 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 8 p.m. Blues In Disguise
Pete's Steak House523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 9:30 p.m. (TBA)
Randy Now's Man Cave134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Thurs. 8:45 p.m. The Dollyrots. All ages, doors at 8:30 p.m. $15 (The 7 p.m. show is currently SOLD OUT)
Sat. 8 p.m. Michael Graves Acoustic Concert. All ages, check site for ticket prices
RHO Waterfront50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 10 p.m. "College Night" feat. DJ Paul Desisto. Ages 21+, $5 (with college ID $15 (without college ID)
Salt Creek Grille1 Rockingham Row Princeton
(609) 419-4200
Fri. 8 p.m. Party Of 3
Sat. 8 p.m. Kameelah Samar
Small World Coffee14 Witherspoon Street Princeton
Sat. 8:30 p.m. The Rick Fiori Jazz Trio
1867 Sanctuary 101 Scotch Road Ewing
(609) 392-6409
Fri. 8 p.m. Solo & Chamber Music Concert Series: Brahms Piano Quintet. $20
Sat. 8 p.m. "TV Themes" w/ Eric Mintel Quartet. $20
Sun. 3 p.m. "Songs Of Peace Shalom Salaam" w/ Sharim V Sharot. $20
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 10 p.m. Billy Hector
Sat. 10 p.m. 44 Fridays
Tavern On The Lake101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Out Of The Red
Sat. 9 p.m. Sleeping Dogs Lie
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
Temperance House 5 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Blues Session w/ Steve Guyger
Fri. 7 p.m. Jeff Corbett
Sat. 7 p.m. Slamm Duo
Wed. 7 p.m. Live Jazz
The Cool Cricket216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 9 p.m. Unleashed w/ Ricky the Rocker
The Dubliner34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 8 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 8 p.m. (TBA)
The HOB Tavern146 Second Street Bordentown
(609) 291-7020
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Entertainment
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Wed. 8 p.m. (TBA)
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Rockin' Ron
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 Tavern6217 North Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA
(215) 788-1659
Sat. 9 p.m. Soul Custody Trio
Sun. 3 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Bill Monach Jr.
The Raven 385 West Bridge Street New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2081
Thurs. (5 p.m.) Russell Eiffert. (10 p.m.) All Male Revue
Fri. 9:30 p.m. TGIF Flashback Dance Party
Sat. (9 p.m.) Russell Eiffert (10 p.m.) "Pride"/DJ Dance Party
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Pride" Brunch (3 p.m.) "Wet-N-Wild" Pride Pool Party (8 p.m.) Karaoke
Tues. 8 p.m. Burlesque
Wed. 6 p.m. Dena Underwood
The Record Collector358 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 324-0880
Fri. 8 p.m. Bill Kirchen. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $25 (advance)
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Fri. 9 p.m. Spoondrift
Sat. 9 p.m. ArHouse
The Sticky Wicket 2465 South Broad Street Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. The Polish Nannies
Sat. 9 p.m. Einstein Bridge
Tues. 7 p.m. Karaoke
The Sun National Bank Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check website for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Successful Failures
Sat. 9 p.m. Mike Brill
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" w/ Diarmuid MacSuibhne
Tues. (7 p.m.) "One More Rockin' Happy Hour" Hosted by Danny Coleman feat. Rick Winow (9 p.m.) Open Mic. Hosted by Jerry Monk
All shows 21+
Trenton Buzz702 Pine Street Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.
Trenton Social449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 8 p.m. "Audio History of Funk and Soul" w/ Professor DJ Tangency
Mon. 9 p.m. Monday Night Karaoke w/ Benny P
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Night w/ Benny
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 10 p.m. Mo Lowda & The Humble. $5 (cover charge)
Sat. Closed for a private event
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Stage Night (Sign ups at 6:30 p.m.)
All shows 21+
Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton, NJ Location)
138 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 924-7855
Fri. 10 p.m. Jam Lab
Sat. 10 p.m. Jason Liberatore
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn2572 Pennington Road Pennington
(609) 773-2392
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock
Mon. 9 p.m. "Moonshine Mondays" Trivia
Tues. 9 p.m. Ed Wilson
Ages 21+
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 7:000pm EST on multiple internet radio outlets where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
