By Danny Coleman
originally published: 05/23/2018
"It's my parents fault; it's a biblical name. People don't know how to spell it, everybody adds a, "C" to the beginning and it's just, "Sh." I'm going to put up a billboard one day; although I don't care that much so maybe I won't put up a billboard (Laughs)," says singer/songwriter Shlomo Franklin as he discussed his show tonight at Salt Gastropub on Route 206 in Stanhope, NJ, his music and his recently released EP, "Don't Love Anybody."
Shlomo learned a work ethic at an early age and attributes his upbringing to his musical style and influences. "I grew up between Monsey and Bethel, NY. In Bethel I lived on a farm and I think that at first glance that's where my music comes from a bit more but a lot of my music is about religion and I don't know; being alive. I've certainly been alive at all times throughout my life so I think that it influenced it; it makes you either want to escape or find a better truth. Whether that truth is in another person or another place or another story or someone else's story or your own story or something you twist to make it look like someone else's story, or someone else but in the end it's yours."
There is something refreshing in youth and a new approach to today's often in disarray music scene is always welcome, Shlomo seems to keep a proper perspective on his music and life in general. "That's a great question," he said when asked what keeps him in check. "I think that trying to see the bigger picture without seeing the smaller version of the bigger picture. I think that throughout life we'll zoom out and look at the bigger picture and we think, oh that's it but we should really zoom out a little bit farther and see more. I like the really small picture and the really, really big picture but the medium picture doesn't do any good for me. Hopefully on a good day, you're up on the mountain and you see everything for what it is or you're in the valley and you don't see much of anything except what really matters. I try to situate myself in those positions and then stand back and let it happen."
"Don't Love Anybody," was released on May 18 and was produced by Grammy Award winning C. Lanzbom (Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen), Shlomo says that the two clicked from the start and that the they now have a bond. "They're little songs, I love them a lot. I made it with a fellow named C. Lanzbom who has become kind of like my mentor and a dear friend and we made this record. He knows an all star cast of great session players and we just recorded these songs in a studio and yeah...."
As his voice trailed off into a reflective pause, he went on about where his music may fit in today's categorical world of streaming. "I'm 22 years old, I know it sounds cliche but I've never thought about genre. I don't know, the songs just kind of do the driving and I just sit in the passenger seat and just kind of give them directions when they need it; I'm along for the ride."
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Most songwriters are experience driven, be it through broken hearts, death, job stress or jaded by life and/or the music business in general but at only 22 years of age; what drives him to write? "That's a really good question and I love your bluntness. Hopefully a song is born out of the triumph over a certain bitterness. Hopefully your response to the bitterness is not bitter but the subject or the seed of it is some form of terrible experience. The source of everything is the profound shock of me simply being alive but my songs are not celebrating the shock but the calm that comes after the shock and the peace that comes with some form of triumph and the conquering of that experience. I find myself very joyful because I'm not in that anymore because I wrote the songs; songs are kind of like exorcisms of pain. So if the songs are successful then you've succeeded in what you were trying to do; in which case you're left with nothing but joy."
When questioned as to what he thinks of his own efforts and how his music translates to the crowds with him either solo or with a band behind him and how he compares to other artists who've produced both rock and acoustic or folk records; he was quick and candid. "Absolutely, I think all of the great artists, they were/are sort of both. I think it depended on the geography or if someone was able to get a band, that's what made it rock 'n' roll or folk or whatever. So I don't really think about that; ideally I love playing with a band and I love playing solo as well. Ideally, I think my record is a little bit of both; what kind of song is, "Sympathy For The Devil?" "Is that a folk song or is it a rock 'n' roll song? It's just rock 'n' roll because they made it a little more groovy and put some instruments behind it and its got Keith Richards on it but they could've done that either way."
When marketing his product, Shlomo feels today's climate is somewhat adrift from the days of big stage shows and presentations but seems to feel it may be more of a generation gap. "Even Elvis was a performer and it was a production; I feel like that's something that's not necessarily missing, it's just a divide between original songwriters and that kind of thing has maybe gotten a little wider? Maybe it's just the way of pop music? I don't know; what do you think?"
Gaps or closeness, acoustic or electric; what can we expect when we go to a Shlomo show? "I don't know but on a good day, really good stories and really good songs and on a bad day, some really bad stories but still really good songs."
To discover more about Shlomo Franklin, please visit www.shlomofranklin.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
Sat. 7 p.m. Cafe Improv. (FREE admission)
Bill's Olde Tavern 2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 9 p.m. Trivia
Ages 21+
Blend Bar & Bistro 911 Highway 33 Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia Jam
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 7 p.m. Dave Dales Trio
Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Egan
Sat. 7 p.m. Patrick & Debra
Sun. (12 p.m.) Brunch w/ Ottmar (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Mon. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott
Tues. 6 p.m. Ed Wilson
Wed. 6 p.m. Lorenzo
Brickwall Tavern & Dining Room 19 E. Union Street Burlington
(609) 733-356
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Byrd
Sat. 9 p.m. Kenny Raye
Broken Goblet Brewing1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. 8 p.m. East Coast grunge Presents: "Love Killed Kurt" (Nirvana Tribute), "Superunknown" (Chris Cornell Tribute), "The Elysiums"
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Brian Bortnick
Brothers Pizza871 Route 33 Hamilton
(609) 586-2707
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Jessica D. & Bob O.
BT Restaurant 2031 Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 499-1355
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 8 p.m. Asylum Choir
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic
Caffe Galleria23 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 397-2400
Fri. 7 p.m. Russell Norkevich
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic Street Trenton
(609) 695-9612
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)
Championship Bar931 Chambers street Trenton
(609) 396-5457
Sat. 6 p.m. Inventure, S'Efforcer, Real Leather, Miserable By Nature. All ages, $11/$12
Mon. 8 p.m. Art Chill Night "Drink and Draw." (FREE Admission)
Tues. 8 p.m. "Every Tuesday 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
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
COARadio.com 125 South Main Street Hightstown
(609) 241-7103
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio" feat. The Brixton Riot (Replay)
Diamond's of Hamilton 661 Route 33 Hamilton
(609) 981-7900
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Ladies Night" and Dance Party w/ Frankie "O"
Fri. 6 p.m. Daryl Gibson
Sat. 9 p.m. Tymes Two
Sun. 12 p.m. "Jazz Brunch" feat. Ambiance The Duo
Wed. 7 p.m. "Dine and Dance" w/ Radio Personality Bob Pantano.
Dog & Bull Brew House 810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Tyler K
Fri. 9 p.m. Fred S
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch" feat. Michael Leggerie (9 p.m.) Will Monach
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Sunday Brunch" feat. Keli Vale (4 p.m.) Joe Robinson
Fedora Bistro Cafe 2633 Main Street Lawrenceville
(609) 895-0844
Wed. 6 p.m. Jerry Monk
Freddies Tavern 12 Railroad Avenue Ewing
(609) 882-0978
Fri. 8 p.m. Rich Scanella Group
Sat. 8 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Joe Vadala
Grounds For Sculpture (Rats Restaurant)
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Sing-A-Long with Sculpture" feat. Adam Weitz w/ Phil Orr
Grover's Mill Coffee House Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction
(609) 716-8771
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Anker
Halo Pub4617 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square
(609) 586-1811
Sat. 7 p.m. Roundabout
Havana New Hope 105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Fri. (8:30 p.m.) The Relatives. $5 (Cover charge) (11 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sat. (8 p.m.) Jeffrey Gaines. Doors at 6 p.m., $25 (12 a.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sun. 6 p.m. JB Kline Blues Band
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 9 p.m. "Dwayne Dunley's "C" You Next Tuesday Variety Show"
Wed. 8 p.m. "Local Original Music Showcase" Hosted by Pat Foran feat. Brianna Nelson
Hopewell Theater 5 South Greenwood Avenue Hopewell
(609) 466-1964
Thurs. 6 p.m. "The Doctor From India" w/ Filmmaker Q & A and Ayurvedic Supper Club.
Fri. 8 p.m. Jay Ungar and Molly Mason
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. George Becker
Fri. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. John & Carm
Sat. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Victor Tarassov
Sun. 2 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Ensemble
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill 7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul Kircher
Fri. (6:30 p.m.) Europa (9:30 p.m.) Cat House Blues
Sat. 9 p.m. Billy the Kid
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula & Sam
Iron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6 p.m. Victor Tarassov
Sat. 2 p.m. The Grouser Girls
Sun. 1 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 9 p.m. Gunsmoke
Sat. 9 p.m. Papa D'Luxe
All shows 21+
Jake's Eatery 869 Bustleton Pike Richboro, PA
(215) 322-6787
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Ladies Night"
Tues. 5 p.m. Bill Shannon
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Night
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Vin Mott's Rhythm & Blues Band
Fri. 9 p.m. Rainbow Fresh
Sat. (3 p.m.) Decoster (9:30 p.m.) Creem Circus/Run Hide Fight
Sun. (3 p.m.) "Pumpkin's Drag Show" (9:30 p.m.) Augustus/Sourland
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic.
Tues. 9 p.m. "Something Is Happening"
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Killarney's Publick House 1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166
Thurs. (4 p.m.) "Cocktails for a Cause" (Fundraiser). $30 (5 p.m.) "Jenk's Beach Badge Giveaway" w/ DJ Mike Rossi (9 p.m.) DJ Byrd
Sat. (2 p.m.) "Paddy-O Kickoff Beer-B-Q" feat. Some Assembly Required. (9 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Thurs. 6 p.m. The Bergers
Fri. 7 p.m. "Awesome 80's Dance Party"
Sat. 1 p.m. Deb & Mike
Sun. 1 p.m. Gregg Parker
Wed. 6 p.m. Girls Night Out "Yoga & Wine"
Logan Inn 10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2300
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Zeke Sky Band
Sat. 7:30 p.m. John Beacher
Sun. 11 am "Jazz Brunch" feat. TJP
Mamma Rosa's 572 Klockner Road Hamilton
(609) 588-5454
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic. Hosted by Richard Schneider
McGuinn's Place 1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence
(609) 392-0599
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Ages 21+
McStews Irish Sports Pub 5316 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 Friday DJ Dance Party" w/ DJ OG33Z
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Modern Titan, No Remorse for the Fallen, Symetria, (TBA). Ages 21+, $5
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Kirchner Entertainment
Mercer County Park Festival GroundsHughes Drive/Old Trenton Road Windsor
(609) 448-1947
Sat. 8 p.m. "Tusk" Fleetwood Mac Tribute. Gates at 7 p.m., FREE Admission ($5 parking fee)
Millhill Basement 300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Tues. 10 p.m. "Local Artist" Hip Hop, Experimental EDM and Bass Music Showcase
Mojito Cuba Caribe 90 South Main Street New Hope, PA
(267) 740-2900
Tues. 7 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Chris
New Hope Winery 6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(215) 794-2331
Check web site for upcoming events
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 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Super Dave
Fri. 8 p.m. Guenther Toft "Birthday Party"
Sat. 9 p.m. Drunk Monkeys
Mon. 12 p.m. "Memorial Day Parade" w/ The Dawgs
Ages 21+
Old Town Pub 135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzoholics trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Frank Clayton
Sat. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Palace Of Asia4591 Route 27 Kingston
(609) 497-9500
Wed. 7 p.m. True Acoustic
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. Karaoke w/ DJ Bobby Jones
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Par
x Casino (360 Bar) 2999 Street Road Bensalem, PA
(888) 588-7299
Thurs. 9 p.m. "Latin Night" w/ DJ George Dennis
Fri. (5 p.m.) Stem (9:30 p.m.) Legacy (10 p.m.) DJ Eddie Tully
Sat. (5 p.m.) Cracklin Diamond (9:30 p.m.) The Exceptions (10 p.m.) DJ Capps
Sun. 5 p.m. Boss Radio AM Gold
Tues. 6 p.m. "Parkette" Auditions
Wed. 8 p.m. Sherrod Small
Pete's Steak House 523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Randy Now's Man Cave 134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Pleas check web site for upcoming events
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. Party Of 3
Sat. 8 p.m. Tim Brent
Small World Coffee 14 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-4377 x2
Sat. 8:30 p.m. The Rick Fioro Jazz Trio
Starbucks 2673 Main Street Lawrenceville
(609) 414-3320
Fri. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Anker
1867 Sanctuary 101 Scotch Road Ewing
(609) 392-6409
Fri. 7 p.m. "Fourth Friday Open Mic" (FREE admission)
Sun. 3 p.m. "Let's Duet!" w/ Bridgette Johnson & Scott Johnson. $20
Wed. 8 p.m. Carlotta Masci. $20
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 10 p.m. The Far Away Guys
Sat. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G
Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Smoke & Mirrors
Sat. 9 p.m. Pop Comics
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
Fri. 7 p.m. Anders Hyatt
Sat. 7 p.m. Ed Wall
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Righteous Jolly
Wed. 7 p.m. Jazz w/ John Sheridan
Terhune Orchards330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310
Sun. 1 p.m. "Spring Sunday Music Series" feat. James Popik
The Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 9 p.m. Running With Scissors
The Cure Insurance Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check website for upcoming events
The Dubliner34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 8 p.m. JB Rocks
Sat. 8 p.m. Tom Brett
Sun. 3 p.m. "Traditional Irish Session"
The Fifth Annual Pork Roll FestivalMillHill Park Trenton
(Corner of South Broad & East Front Streets)
Sat. 10 a.m. Vendors, music, food and more
The Five Four Bar & Grill8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 547-5525
Fri. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Mikey Junior Band
Wed. 7 p.m. Cara and Righteous
The Four Crows Café41 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 869-5252
Sat. 5 p.m. Stefan Geoffrey
Sun. 2 p.m. Jeff Penque
The HOB Tavern 146 Second Street Bordentown
(609) 291-7020
Fri. 8 p.m. DJ Entertainment
Tues 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Wed. 8 p.m. (TBA)
The Ivy Inn 248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Rockin' Ron
Fri. 10 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band
Sat. 10 p.m. DJ Lucky Leo's House Party
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
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 p.m.) Michael Ferreri (10 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sat. (5 p.m.) Russell Eiffert (10 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sun. 7 p.m. Karaoke w/ Ms Betty Cox
Tues. 8 p.m. "Bearlesque"
The Record Collector 358 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 324-0880
Please check web site for upcoming evennts
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Fri. 9 p.m. Vince Berardi Band
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. Johnny Betz
Fri. 8 p.m. Kick Bax
Sat. 8 p.m. Idlewoodsman
Sun. 3 p.m. Michael Francis McCarthy
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Sat. 9 p.m. Mike Nabinger
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
Sat. 9 a.m. "Trenton Pork Roll Festival" feat. Dick Gratton w/ Kim Robinson (VIP area).
Sun. 9 p.m. "SIN Industry Night"
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Benny P
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Night w/ Benny P
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. John Francis. $5 (cover charge)
Sat. 10 p.m. The Outside Voices. $5 (cover charge)
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Stage Night. (Sign ups at 6:30 p.m.)
All shows 21+
Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)
138 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 924-7855
Fri. 10 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 10 p.m. (TBA)
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. The Voodudes
Sun. 1 p.m. Ginger Coyle
Yankee Doodle Tap Room10 Palmer Square Princeton
(609) 921-7500
Check web site for upcoming events
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.
