The Penguin Rocks logo
The Penguin Rocks Menu



 

Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...6/12/25


By Danny Coleman

originally published: 06/12/2025

"I was born in Clarksdale in 1957; a boomer! I've lived here all of my life; (Except) for about five years, my wife, we'd just been married a year, we decided to move to Jackson to try to branch out and maybe seek our fame and fortunes; I was in the construction business and  did good down there and started a family there but just felt the calling of the Delta," says Bubba O'Keefe the current director of Visit Clarksdale in Clarksdale, Mississippi. "The Delta is a unique place, it has a mystique about it, which I'm sure you've noticed already and our parents were aging and so why are we three hours away raising a family when to us, life was more important and precious to be closer to our family at such an early stage of raising our own family;so, we came back and I just love Clarksdale Mississippi." 

Recently, this space published a piece about a yearly sojourn to Clarksdale put together by Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation board member Christine Zemla and the trip would not have been complete without a walk to the office of Visit Clarksdale to see our friend Bubba and catch up on the latest happenings in this incredibly historic and fantastic Delta town. 

Now, to put things into perspective a bit, this writer met Bubba whilst emceeing the Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival at his "Visit Clarksdale" pop-up tent site. After a brief conversation with myself, "Rock On Radio" producer Claire Henwood and Christine Zemla, Bubba had convinced us into packing our bags and head to the small yet mighty Mississippi town in no time at all.

Upon landing in Memphis, Tennessee, we took the approximate hour drive to Clarksdale which is widely considered the home of blues music and got ourselves settled. After some dinner and a trip to the Bluesberry Cafe, we retired for the evening. The next morning, this writer was relaxing with a cup of coffee at a small table outside of our hotel when a car pulled up, rolled down its passenger side window and from it came, "Hey Danny, how you doin'?" It was none other than Bubba O'Keefe and not only did he remember who he was speaking to but he remembered so much more and that, my friends, is why he and others like him are on a mission to "Lift up" all of Clarksdale and to do so together. So, to understand a bit more, let's hitch ourselves to Bubba's wagon and find out why he pours his heart and soul into all he does. 




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



"Oh, that's a long journey," he said with a chuckle. "Actually, it started as far back as 1999. I just thought, if we moved back here and the place was dark, there were no cars downtown; when I say dark, (I mean) dark at night. The downtown business district was kaput and because of being in the construction business and coming back home, I decided to start one building at a time to have an impact on Clarksdale and because we had four daughters, my wife started a children's shop with some friends and a clothing store. So, I just started downtown with a retail store and I started by buying a building and renovating it and buying another one and renovating it and that went on until about six or seven years ago. My last project was The Travelers Hotel where you're stayin'. I was an original partner and contractor in that project and we had done; I don't know how many buildings I have done downtown with different partners and again, if I was gonna live in town, I wanted to be able to feel good about downtown and have places to eat. There were no restaurants, no cars downtown even during Christmas week; it was just abandoned. I believe that the heartbeat of the community is the downtown, it's the pulse of every community. Well, as soon as I finished The Travelers Hotel, this job became available and I told my partners, either I can stay here and run this hotel as we agreed or I can go to tourism but if I go to tourism, we can raise the whole town up but if I just stay here at The Travelers we can make it work but we need the whole town to work. They saw that opportunity; I forget what year it was, 2000 or 2001, 2002 but Roger Stolle at Cat Head, he and I co-founded the Juke Joint Festival and after three years, I got out of that to do something else and Nan Hughes came in and took over and she's still running it to this day with Roger and it's our biggest festival of the year. We have, I'd say, over 20 festivals a year, they might be small festivals but they're very unique and very intimate and we have live Blues music seven nights a week all year long. So, here we are today, I've got a paying gig with a steady salary and I love my job."

Like most things, the first step is the toughest. One can organize and research but putting those plans in motion isn't always easy; it takes fortitude and a will to succeed. Clarksdale has some difficulties in that as historical as it is and as incredible as the residents are, there is no glitz and nothing glamorous about the town but yet it has a vibe to it like no other. 

"It's huge," he started to explain, "The thing is, the way I promote Clarksdale is that we are edgy and gritty. We are not cute and quaint like other towns around us. That's not our makeup, that's not our personality and there are things we want to improve but that is not us, we're not cute and quaint. That's the reason we have the Blues, that's why people know us and we don't need a makeover. We are who we are and people come here because of who we are. Coming to Clarksdale is like a scavenger hunt, it's not a step on step off bus tour type town. People come for the music but they say they come back for the people. We have more characters than Sesame Street, I'm one and now that you're here, you're part of the cast. I mean, it's about relational learning; people will just say, "Go see so and so" or "Go over here" and they'll recommend this and that and it's just; things just pop-up that are unexpected and the stories that people have, I can't tell you they're true but they are their stories. We have been blessed with great tourism both internationally and domestically. We can't compete with the cities, we don't want to compete with the cities, we're not trying to compete with Beal Street or Memphis. We are who we are and people come here because they can not only hear Blues music, you experience it, it's authentic, it's experiential. We have the history, all the different places to go, the museum and the stores that fill in the gaps but at the end of the day, they want to hear the music and they want more than to just hear it, they want to feel it and feel what it was like; what was the sense of what it was like 50 years ago."

"Last night we saw each other at the Blues Berry Cafe listening to Watermelon Slim and Rob Robinson who goes by "Heavy Drunk" out of Leiper's Fork Tennessee and it's just an incredible gift to be able to witness that in an intimate setting. It's not a commercial, it's not about the money, they have to have that to survive but that's not the driving force and they appreciate you as much as you appreciate them. Tourism is very big and very vital for our town, even though our town doesn't really recognize it or know what we do; that's OK. Some people don't care for the Blues, it's not for everybody and because we have live Blues music every night of the week; you can't go out every night of the week, I can't go out every night of the week but everybody has their businesses. You come down here, taking off, so you have free time but everybody here is working. They go home and they have to do their chores and they have to take care of their family and that sort of thing. So, they do come to the festivals and they engage but they don't understand tourism.They'll see me walking around with people, they might think I'm a tour guide and sometimes I am but they don't know that this is 10 tour operators from Italy that we brought in or like you noticed the Titleist Pro V1 golf balls that we have our logo on for a number of golf travel writers who are coming here in a week; they were here a year or so ago and they wanted to come back. They're staying in Robinsville, that's up where the casinos are between here and Memphis and they're playing Tunica National Golf Course but they'll come in here at night to hear the Blues and have a good time and they love it! So, they never know who I'm with or where they're from and until you engage with people one on one you don't understand why they're here and we take it for granted. We have to put on a new set of eyes everyday; I have to come downtown because I see the same old sights and sounds everyday and I have to put on fresh new eyes to walk around with somebody visiting to really appreciate what they see and appreciate."

Once there, the residents do take over and be it knowingly or unknowingly, they are assisting Bubba with every smile, conversation and moment they spend with those from out of town. the authenticity and more importantly, their sincerity is perhaps unrivaled. So; how is it that the Clarksdale contingent developed a relationship with Zemla and the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation?

"Well, it started when Roger Stolle at Cat Head took Anthony "Big A" Sherrod up to play at Monmouth College. I was not able to go because I was at the Chicago Blues Festival and I heard so many good stories and things about it from Roger and Christine Zemla and people I'd bump into that were there that I said, "I wanna go up there" and Christine said, "Well, in August we have the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival" and I said, "I'd love to pay the fee for a tent and go up there and promote Clarksdale." While I was there, everybody was coming to the tent, as you did and they all said, "We would love to come to Clarksdale. We've heard all of these good things about it" and finally, at some point, after about an hour of hearing this, I said, "Well, come in March when Christine is bringing a group down here" and she said, "I am?" I said, "Yes you are and we'll help you." So, with the music, the connection with Bruce Springsteen, no connection directly to us but Bob Santelli (Bruce Springsteen Archives Monmouth University) has been to Clarksdale, the exhibit they have down at the museum in Cleveland; I was there and saw Bob, I had met him a long time ago when he was in Clarksdale, he doesn't remember me really but just that music connection, there is a kindred spirit and support there and why not? We're the Blues and y'all are Springsteen to us; Jersey, y'all love the Blues." 

Once in Clarksdale, it is very easy to submerge oneself and assimilate into the community, the businesses and residents leave you no choice but to do so and like Bubba said, "You're now part of the cast" but it's the town's contributions to music and history, both of which are so prevalent to this day that are just amazing and keep visitors from all over the world coming again and again.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



"Well, it's not only amazing but we call it the vortex; it sucks you in. People come here for the music and then they have this experience and they're like, this is unbelievable, we'll be back and they come back. I met Bob Geldof two years ago and I was leaving the next day to go to London for a sales conference to meet with European tour operators and he knew I was flying the next day to London and he said, "How do you sell Clarksdale?" So, I told him and he grabbed my forearm and he said, "No Bubba, you changed the world. You changed the world"  and I said, "Yeah, I know" and he grabbed it again and said, "No you don't! You changed the world man." So, as I was flying over the next night, I was going, "We changed the world, we changed the world." You see, we grew up with this; do you know of Mississippi Fred McDowell?  Mississippi Fred used to work for my father pumping gas at a Stuckey's store in Como and I used to sit by the pumps; he gave me his record, "I Do Not Play No Rock and Roll" and I remember taking it home and listening to it, trying to get into it. I cut my teeth on The Beatles and all that because I was in the third grade when my brother took me to see The Beatles, then the next concert was The Dave Clark Five and then James Brown and I was in the third grade and it changed my life. I just loved music but I didn't study it. One day, I was in the library here in town, probably 1999 and the librarian said, "Well, look who is comin' here" and I turned around and there's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and some years later there was an album called, "Walkin' Into Clarksdale." We just live it, we don't try to explain it; The Stones and the way Brian Jones was feeling about the blues and Keith Richards; it was the most important thing, they were on a mission. They weren't trying to sell records, they were on a mission at that time in their early days. We're just excited to have a big part in it, not just Clarksdale it's all of Mississippi; it's the Delta. We have a lot of Brits come and say, "We hope you don't mind us stealing your music" and it's. oh no, contraire, thank you! Thank you for shaping it because all of music is shaped by previous artists and styles and techniques. Music transcends everything, it's a connector; it transcends race, languages, all kinds of demographics. The other thing is, music, I'm learning this more and more for me, I can hear a song and I can remember; I remember when I heard "The Concert for Bangladesh" after it came out on 8-Track and I can remember where I was driving through the Delta as a teeneager. There are anchor points in our lives and they may not be huge but they had an impact on that time or an event in our lives for whatever reason and just connecting to a song, whether it gives you peace or whatever; it's just a beautiful thing and I love it." 

O'Keefe's desire to see Clarksdale continue to grow and attain new levels of success led him to run for mayor. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as he and many others had hoped but as he reflects on other successes, he realizes that his efforts do make a huge difference.

"We have a lot of issues here that our visitors don't see. We have a 40 percent poverty rate, we have a broken city administration but since 1999, I've seen what we've done with downtown from when there were no cars or restaurants, no hotels, nothin' to seeing by starting the Juke Joint Festival and what it has evolved into today and to be the executive director of Visit Clarksdale and to be able to go promote Clarksdale  internationally and hear the feedback and be one on one with people such as yourself who are so interested in our town but people are hurting. I feel like I have something to bring to the table to help that because for me, it's all about the people whether they live here or are coming here, musicians or people hearing or playing music; it's about the people, It's not about the money, it's not about tourism; I say, you're not a tourist, you're our visitor and there's nothing too good for our visitors. Oftentimes we let those types of things leave us and we miss the true value of what we're here for and that's about each other and one on one relationships and showing hospitality. You might be excited that you're here, we are equally excited or more that you're here. You're not a person walkin' around with a dollar sign on your forehead like every tourist is in all of those other places, you're our friend. You came to our town to experience it, we want you to feel the fullness of it."

Bubba and all of which he speaks can be found at https://www.visitclarksdale.com/ and as far as this writer goes, there will be many return trips to this incredible small Delta town in the future. 

That said, June 27 at The Lauren K. Woods Theatre located on the campus of Monmouth University; straight from Clarksdale comes Anthony "Big A" Sherrod & The Allstars for a return performance along with  locals The Navesink Delta Blues Band for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets are available at the theatre box office, by calling (732) 571-3442 or tune into "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" this Sunday evening on thepenguinrocks.com and/or dekoentertainment.com and hear how to win a free pair of tickets along with a "Rock On Radio" prize pack. 

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


Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Sat. 2 p.m. Mustang Day / E-Bike E-Scooter One-Wheeler Meet
Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Snap Dragons
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Rick Winow (7 p.m.) Bill Burns Lynch Duo
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch w/ Frank Pinto (6 p.m.) Mike Tusay
Mon. 5 p.m. Bill Thomas
Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura
Wed. 7 p.m. Sandy Zio
Americana Kitchen & Bar 
359 U.S. Highway Route 130 North Hightstown
(732) 558-5999
 Fri. 7 p.m. Prime Time Comedy Club Presents: Marla Schultz, Rich Aronovich
Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia w/ Jack Furlong
Wed. 7 p.m. Yoga
Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music BINGO / Rob Birnbohm
Fri. 7 p.m. Polish Nannies
Sat. 7 p.m. Hit & Run
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 9 p.m. / Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+
Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery
58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo
Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20
 
Bordentown Elks
11 Amboy Road Bordentown 
(609) 298-2085 
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Fill the Lodge" w/ Alex Chernick
Boro Bean 
9 East Broad Street Hopewell 
(609) 466-6681 
Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott 
Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Rebirth Brass Band
Fri. 3 p.m. "Friday the Firkinteenth #48" feat. (8 p.m.) Alright Junior, Seeing Snakes, Gibbous Moon
Sat. 5 p.m. Midsummer Night's Terror Market 
Wed. 6 p.m. Goblets & Goblins D&D Night
Bucks On Bridge
25 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 483-2615
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Poetry Night 
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia
Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Tom Kelly, Jaclyn Marfuggi, Amanda Gail & Keren Margolis, Brian Balthazar. $33.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Tom Kelly, Jaclyn Marfuggi, Amanda Gail & Keren Margolis, Brian Balthazar. $33.50, Doors open at 7 p.m.   
Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille
1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 580-5469 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul
Christopher's Deli & Catering
516 High Street Mount Holly
Fri. 11 a.m. Chris Giakas
Club Atlantis
1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 944-1777 
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco 
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress
Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Lovelight
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (8 p.m.) "Plush" David Bowie Tribute / DJ John Rossi
Sat. 8 p.m. The Launch 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Jam Hosted by Lance   
Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Fri. 7 p.m. "Summer Wine and Music Series" feat.  The Fabulous Greaseband. $15 (advance), Doors open at 5 p.m., Ages 21+ 
Sat. 1 p.m. Meg Russell
Sun. 2 p.m. Sweet Spot
Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo
Dacey's Pub 
215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night 
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo 
Dadz Bar and Grill 
744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night
Sun. 3 p.m. Wounded Souls
Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. John Thomas
Fri. 8 p.m. Lovelight. $10 (advance)
Sat. 8 p.m. Mason's Children. $10 (advance)
Sun. (3 p.m.) Psychedelic Community of New Hope Monthly Meetup (6 p.m.) Halcyon Listening Room. $25 (advance)
Wed. 7 p.m.  DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry Robert
Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA 
Fri. 6 p.m. Friday Night Live
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 7 p.m. Ladies Night on the Patio w/ DJ Anthony Mig
Fri. 7 p.m. Acoustic Sara
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia
Founding Father's Sports Bar & Grill 
2900 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 923-1100
Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Pantano Dance Party w/ DJ Joe Castro
Friendly's 
1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville 
(609) 426-9203 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cruise Night 
Wed. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Kevin McGowan and/or Gino Formaroli (Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.)
Gleason's Bar
6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions 
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8:30 p.m.) The Groove Dudes
Sat. (12 p.m.) Music BINGO Brunch (8 p.m.) EDM Glow Party w/ DJ Dangeruss
Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show Palooza
Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Wordsmith: A Def Poetry Reunion Honoring Sonia Sanchez
Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge. $10
Halo Pub (Fete) 
9 Hullfish Street Princeton 
(609) 921-1710 
Sat. 6 p.m. Karl Dentino Trio or Charles Laurita & The Mischief
Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 
Hamilton Veterans Park 
1865 Yardville-Hamilton Square Road Hamilton  
Fri. 6 p.m. Hiking, Walking and Vegan Dining
Havana New Hope
105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7 p.m. Blues Jam Hosted by Mikey Jr & The Slidewinder Blues Band
Fri. ( 8 p.m.) Romeo Delight  (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (3 p.m.) Full Grown Men (9:30 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ Iron Mike
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo
Hub 13
13 West Front Street Trenton 
Fri. 5 p.m. The Downtown Trenton Twist Hosted by Yolanda L. Robinson
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill
7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W. 
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco
Hyatt Regency Princeton
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
Thurs. 6 p.m. Rory D'Lasnow
Il Portico Restorante Italiano 
273 West Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 239-1000 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Jazz Night
Fri. / Sat. 7 p.m. Live Music w/ Tony O
Irish Rover Station House 
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night
John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Sour Station
Fri. 9 p.m. J & P Comedy: Rich Vos. $20
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) 
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall
14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix
(732) 230-6169
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Night w/ Meghan and DJ Leo
Tues. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Carie McCay 
Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Radio Fiction
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Jimmy G
Sat. (10 a.m.) Kids Brunch and Father's Day Craft (5:30 p.m.) Bryan Hill (10 p.m.) DJ Dom
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Father's Day  BBQ Brunch feat. (11 a.m.) Bob Banka
Mon. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 
11 Bridge Street Lambertville 
(609) 397-8300 
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. The Evolution of Blues: Live Music and Storytelling Dinner. $70                                                                            
Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Thurs. (6 p.m.) Butterfly Pallet Art Class (7 p.m.) "Junior Idol" Tryouts
Fri. 7 p.m. Kricket Comedy feat. Paul Carson, Larry XL. $25 (advance)
Sun. 11 a.m. "Father's Day In The Grove" feat. (12 p.m.) Dockside. $11
Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night
Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff
Logan Inn 
10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2300
Thurs. 6 p.m. Jumper Duo
Fri. 7 p.m. Aaron Quarterman
Sat. 7 p.m. Mark Feingold Trio
Sun. 11:30 a.m. The Burners
Magikava
87a South Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2739 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Astrology Readings by Riss Cottrill 
Mon. 6 p.m. Magik "Art Mondays" 
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night  
McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night
Mill Hill Playhouse (Passage Theater) 
205 East Front Street Trenton
(609) 392-0766
Fri. 5 p.m. Art Exhibit Curated by Buck Malvo
Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project 
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Needle Creek Farm Brewery
91 Titus Mill Road Pennington
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Successful Failures Duo
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Mario Kart World Night
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Movie Night: "Friday the 13th Part V: New Beginning"
New Egypt Flea Market Village 
933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 758-2082
Fri. 5 p.m. Summer Moonlit Market
Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market 
Wed. 8 a.m. Flea Market
New Hope Inn & Suites (Diva Lounge)
6426 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(855) 229-5934
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Night. $7 (advance)
Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Naughty" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. Two For Flinching
Sat. (3 p.m.) Magic by Jared (6 p.m.) Brian Lally
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Bill Monach 
Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Nomad Distilling Company
20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623
Thur. 9 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Fri. 9 p.m. Talking In Cursive
Sat. 9 p.m. El Ka Bong
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 4 p.m. "Pie On The Patio" feat. (6:30 p.m.) Frank Pinto
Ages 21+   
O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 
200 State Road Croydon, PA 
(215) 785-6998 
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Hosted by Best Choice Productions w/ DJ John S 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo
 Old Barracks
100 Barrack Street Trenton
Sat. 7 p.m. Concerts by Candlelight
Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Palmer Square 
40 Nassau Street Princeton 
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Square After Sunset" feat. Rachel & Ty
Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Fri. 8 p.m. Spanky's Garage
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Patriot's Theater at The War Memorial                                                             
1 Memorial Drive Trenton 
(609) 984-8400
Fri. 7 p.m. Vince Gill Tickers 
Princeton Country Club
1-Wheeler Way West Windsor
(609) 452-9382 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Karaoke Night w/ Live DJ
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour 
Sun. 11 a.m. Jazz Brunch
Princeton Makes 
301 North Harrison Street Princeton 
Fri. 6 p.m. Summer Concert Series feat. Kindred Spirit and a Pop-up Beer Tent w/ Triumph Brewery 
Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza)
65 Witherspoon Street Princeton  
(609) 924-9529 
Fri. 7 p.m. Dancing Under The Stars (FREE event)
Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Randy Now's Man Cave
119 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 424-3766
Fri. 7:30 p.m. EXTC. $60 (advance) doors open at 7 p.m.
Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 
Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Fri. 8 p.m. 80s Undercover
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics
Salon 33 
794 Alexander Road Princeton 
Fri. 7 p.m. Helen O'Shea & Friends
Sat. 7 p.m. Jazz w/ "The NEW Four"
Sun. 7 p.m. Arielle Silver
Wed. 7 p.m. Princeton Jazz Jam #12
Sandy's Beef & Ale
2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA
(2670 852-2333
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo  
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Screamin' Hill Brewery 
83 Emleys Hill Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 401-2025
Sat. 2 p.m. The Successful Failures
Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 6 p.m. Vinyl Listening Party
Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden
4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 943-2321 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
Sun. 9 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Cara Cartney
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton 
Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz 
Spigola Vino E Cucino
3817 Crosswicks Hamilton Square Road Hamilton
(609) 585-5255
 Fri. 8 p.m. DJ Moe Green
Starving Artist Cafe
18 Bridge Street Stockton
Fri. (10 a.m.) JB Kline's Facebook Live (6 p.m.) Frank Pinto & The Gypsy Ramblers
Stratosphere Brewing Company
72 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 6677116
Sun. 2 p.m. Peter Scavello
1675 Spirits 
2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Fri. 6 p.m. Keep The Change
Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Black Zeppelin
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke 
Temperance House
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger and Filthy Rich 
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Neville Esquire
Tues. 7 p.m. Beginner Line Dance Lessons w/ Jeremy Line Dance. $40/4 Weeks 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara Cartney
Terhune Orchards  
330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310 
Fri. 5 p.m. "Sips & Sounds" feat. Laundrymen
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Brian Bortnick
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Jerry Steele
TGI Fridays
2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486 
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Trivia  
The Birdhouse Center For The Arts
7 North Main Street Lambertville
(215) 681-4660
Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community Orchestra
The Buck Hotel 
1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA 
(215) 396-2002 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Fri. 8 p.m. Meshed Up
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo
The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. "Friday The 13th" Party w/ Groove Pocket
The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment
The Five Four Bar & Grill
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel
The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs.10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown  
The Morrisville Tavern 
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Mon. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night
The Penguin Rocks (24 Hour On-Demand Music/Radio)
www.thepenguinrocks.com 
Mon. -  Fri. "Radio Jersey" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Classic Jersey" Hosted by Gary Wien
Sun. - Sat. "Beyond The Palace" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" feat. Des & The Swagmatics
Sun. - Sat. "From The Basement" Hosted by Mike Marrone
Sun. - Sat. "Deuce Radio" Hosted by Matt Barker
Sun. - Sat. "Altrok Radio" Hosted by Sean Carolan
Sun. - Sat. "Lighty's Corner" Hosted by Gary Wien 
Sun. - Sat. "The Troubador Show" Hosted by John Godfrey
The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo 
Fri. 9 p.m. Out Of The Red
Sat. 9 p.m. Buckshot
Mon. 6 p.m. Music BINGO
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Fri. 8 p.m.  Don't Call Me Francis. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. World Wide What
Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+
Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets
Trinity Church
33 Mercer Street Princeton
(609) 924-2277
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tessa Lark, Violin: Stradgrass
VFW Post 491
9 Fisher Place Yardville 
(609) 585-9645 
Fri. 6 p.m. Diane Chiorello
All shows ages 21+
Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Wildflowers Too
255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 Radio
MCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 a.m./7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"


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.

 

COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Dirty" by Never the Name

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Dirty," the third and final single from the debut LP, "Millennial Boomer Consumer," by the local supergroup Never the Name.




This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from June 10-16, 2025




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Soul on Fire" by The Beagles with Joy




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...6/5/25






 

MORE NEWS

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- On Thursday, September 11, 2025, Sheena Easton will perform at the Levoy Theatre. Easton, whose career has spanned nearly five decades, has sold over 20 million records worldwide. Doors are at 6:00pm, showtime is 7:00pm.


bergenPAC puts tickets on sale for "Evil Dead" in concert, The Robert Cray Band, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and Choir! Choir! Choir!




Haddon Township hosts 8th Annual Summer Solstice Music Festival




Middletown Arts Center presents MAC Music Café on June 29th




90.5 The Night Announces Songwriters on the Beach 2025 Lineup






 

UPCOMING SHOWS


The Princeton Symphony Orchestra Presents the 'Princeton Festival'

The Princeton Festival was first founded in 2004, beginning its inaugural season in 2005 with four performances of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in the Kirby Theatre at the Lawrenceville School and a performance by the Concordia Chamber Players. It has since grown to a nearly month-long event featuring opera, musical theater, baroque and chamber music, and a constantly evolving selection of other genres, including dance, world music, orchestral pops, and choral concerts.


New Jersey Talent will be featured during 2025 North to Shore Festival




Soul Project NOLA Brings New Orleans Musical Flavor to Annual New Jersey Tour




North to Shore Festival presents Third Eye Blind and Stars at NJPAC






Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info




The Penguin Rocks

© 2025 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com

Presented by New Jersey Stage

Images used on this site have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and PR firms. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us and we will look into the matter.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our NJ Stage accounts on Instagram, and Threads


News | Features | Radio Shows | Penguin's Hall of Fame | Song of the Week | BlowUpRadio column

Contact Us | About Us | Submit Music | Ad Rates