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Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...9/4/25


By Danny Coleman

originally published: 09/04/2025

"Yes, on September 12. There is a real range of styles and I'm very excited about it. "Hummingbird Highway" is a good summary of it because the "Hummingbird Highway" kind of alludes to a very fast moving and colorful world which is what I encounter and it makes its way into my songwriting." 

Born in Mount Kisco, New York, Dar Williams began writing songs around the age of 11 and has never stopped. The September 12 release of "Hummingbird Highway" on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records is album number 16, couple that with four EPs and you see; she's a busy lady. 

In her own words as stated above, "Colorful" plays a large part in not just her songwriting but all she does and how she arrives at her inspirations for what she creates; making this new record a seemingly apt representation of not only her talents but also of who she is as well.

"So, there is an Americana song, a bossa nova song, there are long ones and pop ones; it just seemed like colorful and fast was the right theme," she began. "Also, I'm interested in sort of how we create a world that we can live in. So, "Olive Tree" and "Sacred Mountain" and some of the other songs have a lot to do with how we can live to be civilized and great and that I think is on a lot of people's minds right now." 




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"I just write songs and I write them as they come," she continued, "I'm usually writing two or three at a time actually and just kinda go back and forth but I do a songwriting retreat and people say, "I want to write a song about this" or "I want to write a song about that but this is the one that I'm writing" and I always say, "Just write the one that you're writing and put the wish out there that you want to write a funnier song or a more edgy song but in the meantime, write the song that you're writing" and these were the songs that just came out. Starting around 2020 was when "Hummingbird Highway" started; then I did a songwriting book but most of it was written in 2023 and yeah, I'm a traditionalist and I follow the muse and whatever the muse tells me to follow." 

The last dozen years or so, Williams has diversified or perhaps we should say "DARversified" and has begun doing songwriter retreats intertwined between tour dates and recording sessions, something that has had a large impact on her, her schedule and processes in various ways.

"I've been doing songwriter retreats since 2013 in a very lovely town called Chester in Connecticut. They have a retreat space, we used to do it at The Garrison Institute in Hudson Valley but this is closer; it's been really beautiful; it's one of the most important things in my life at this point. So, I'm glad that I do it, it's 48 people two or three times a year." 

"It was a way to harmonize my passion with a lot of great things. There was a moment where I sat down and I thought, you can saturate markets and it's very important to make sure that you balance how often you go to places and what you do there. So, once I added in these songwriting retreats as a different career thing, I was actually able to be off the road more; in a way, it helped my family and it helped my writing and it helped me remember my own passion for songwriting because retreats kind of have their own energy, people kind of play off of each other's energy, so by the end of the week it's all kind of bigger than the sum of its parts. So, it lifts me up, it reminds me how creating things together and side by side lifts everybody and they're a lot of fun. So, I think, if anything, it gave me an extra battery in my battery pack and it kind of saved me that way and as much as I still love being a touring artist; the adventure of that is never ending for me, there is this other thing about my life that makes sense to other musicians but maybe not other people I know; I'm very interested in the same thing that makes songwriting interesting to me and that is the thing that happens when I come into a town and kind of check it out and see how it's put together, see how people interact with each other and kind of get the overall feeling of it; some other musicians and I joke that it's also like, the pursuit of good coffee, the pursuit of a good feeling, a good grocery store, the pursuit of the warm, vibrant center of a place is important to songwriting people because that's where you're gonna scroll down a few lyrics in a cafe` or find the awesome coffee or walking park or that awesome restaurant that you'll come back to for the next 20 years that makes you fall in love with the city. So, finding the warm, buzzing center is a really cool thing and I'm so interested in that, that I wrote a book that has to do with social capital and town building and sort of the social side of how we organize our towns and it's called, "What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musicians Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities-One Coffee Shop, One Dog Run & One Open Mic Night at a Time." So, finding the Fifth Ward in Milwaukee or discovering the downtown of Akron, discovering a new waterfall in Connecticut; it's all really cool. I'm very interested in how towns have kind of built what I call, their civic self-esteem and so I wrote a whole book about it. So, I kind of put on my little detective cap and check things out when I go to towns. I love to walk, so that gives me an excuse to kind of jump in and find all sorts of colorful cool things in the world which gives me faith in the world as well. I think, it's not just what we observe but what we feel when we are in places where it feels like there is that fabric. The fabric of conversations, relationships and lives kind of accumulate in something unique and personal; someone said, "The thing about Americans that's difficult for people from other countries is that you're so transactional, so many things are transactional, other countries are more relational. Their meaning is created by relationships more than transactions" and I would beg to differ and say, we go to places to try and find places that are defined by relationships and the warmth or even the friction of those relationships more than the transactions. So, anybody can go to a franchise restaurant anywhere but the fun is when you discover that co-op coffee place that's named after the children of the owner with a little garden in the back. There was a place in Maine that had a pig in the back where they compost that ate all of their scraps whose manure was used for the garden but the pig also went into a lot of the dishes the next year, so there's that. So, to find how people find solutions and find one another and create really fun things; I joke that when in doubt about how to create something interesting in your town, start with apples or garlic or sweet potatoes because you have a lot of one of them (Laughs), that impulse to find one another and keep on creating new and fun things, meaningful things is real. I call it "Positive Proximity," people recognizing that they are living side by side and it's complicated yet beneficial. So, I love to find the positive proximity in towns and it gives me a lot of energy to seek it out and experience it and then to go on stage and appreciate it; to say, "I noticed this huge community farm you've made, you don't see that everywhere" and I think right now, it's a very important thing to remember those things."

Building community and family seems paramount in her art and beyond and by approaching and opting for Righteous Babe Records, she has continued that trend.

 "Righteous Babe, the funny thing is that in my heart of hearts, I've always loved Righteous Babe and the artists on it and how they are in the world; there is a real warmth to it. So, we approached them but we only did so when I felt like it could be sort of my people going to her people; I didn't want to put her on the spot and say, "Can I be a part of your label?" So, we kind of circled around and not only did we find the world of Righteous Babe but we saw that they are excellent business people, they are just really on it. So, my manager went to the head of the label, we met in a diner and we talked about a lot of things because we were very sympatico and then they brought it to Ani for the final word and then she and I corresponded after that and in this case, it's made me so happy for Ani and help me appreciate what she's done. She has hand selected people who are doing two things. They are doing beautiful things with the album and doing great things helping me get the album out and they are also a family and they treat me like a family member. They are very excited for me and there is a lot of cross-pollination discussion; "How can we be there for each other as musicians informally?" So, it's the best of both worlds to have great business and great friends. I really like everybody I work with and that's given my career longevity because I've always enjoyed hanging out and speaking with the people I work with. Righteous Babe is very organized, very imaginative but also familiar and fun, so it has been great." 




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Soon she is going to need those friends as she begins a large tour spanning the US and overseas as she plans on aggressively performing in support of the new release.

"A huge tour, so far it's 38 cities and growing," she laughed. "It's going to be a trio tour and we're going everywhere and then I'm going to the UK in the fall and Europe, the whole nine yards. That's still the best way to go, to show up in person. I kept on saying, "Yeah, sure, Yeah, sure" and now it's up to 38 cities (Laughs) so we're gonna be very busy." 

To discover more about Dar Williams and "Hummingbird Highway," please visit https://darwilliams.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


Abbott Marshlands
157 Westcott Avenue Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Insect Discovery Night (FREE event)
Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Allentown Borough
Main Street Allentown
Thurs. 7 p.m. Creative Writer's Workshop (Takes place at the Library, 16 South Main Street)
Wed. 1 p.m. "Yarn Works" A Crochet & Knit Drop-In (Takes place at the Library, 16 South Main Street)
Allentown United Methodist Church 
23 Church Street Allentown
Sun. 9:30 a.m. Community Picnic
Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Connor Choi
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Marc Hoffman (7 p.m.) Order 609
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch w/ Tamer Tewfik (6 p.m.) Mike Tusay
Mon. 5 p.m. Bill Thomas
Tues. 7 p.m. Jessica DiDonato
Wed. 7 p.m. AudioPilot 
Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Thurs. 10:30 a.m. Magical Baby and Toddler Storyplays w/ Miss Pam
Sat. (9 a.m.) WJHCS and ACP September Meeting (10:30 p.m.)  Magical Baby and Toddler Storyplays w/ Miss Pam (3 p.m.) Gallery Opening: Tarang
Wed. 7 p.m. Jersey Art Meet-Up:JAM
Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Mike
Fri. 8 p.m. Mike D
Sat. 8 p.m. Sara & Tamer
Sun. 3 p.m. Cecil & Friends
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney
Bailey's Bar & Grille 
6922 Bristol-Emilie Road Levittown, PA  
(215) 946-7992 
Sat. 9 p.m. Tailspin
Bent Iron Brewing
70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Thurs. 7 p.m. Dynamite Trivia Interactive Game Show
Sat. 5 p.m. Chet & Ari
Wed. 5 p.m. Classic Car Cruise
Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Fri. 7 p.m. Deep Release
Sat. 7 p.m. Hyperion / Honey Spot Blvd.
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 9 p.m. / Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+
Blaze DoubleTree by Hilton 
4355 US Route 1 Princeton
(609) 452-2400
Fri. 5 p.m.-Sun. 6 p.m. No Sleep Weekend "The NJ Takeover" w/ DJ Supa Dave and DJ DeeLite. $120 (advance)
Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20   
Bordentown Yacht Club 
1 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 298-9754 
Sat. 5 p.m. "Americanarama" Benefiting The Parker Mother And Child Foundation feat. The Successful Failures, Alpha rabbit, Redbird And Co., Greg McGarvey's Dead Painters, Leon And The Combo Du Jour. $20 (Suggested donation / Takes place at Riverview Studios located at One Waterfront next to Yacht Club)
Boro Bean 
9 East Broad Street Hopewell 
(609) 466-6681 
Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott 
Bowman's Tavern 
1600 River Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2972
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour
Bristol Riverside Theater 
2501 Bath Road Bristol, PA
(215) 785-0100  
Sat. 12 p.m. Bristol Borough Italian Festival
Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. (7:30 p.m.) A '70s Celebration w/ Creem Circus, The Circus Hearts. $11.28 (advance), doors open at 7 p.m., ages 21+ (8:30 p.m.) First Friday w/ Cara Cartney
Sat. 8 p.m. "Wait & Bleed" Slipknot Tribute vs "Red Cap Assassins" Limp Bizkit Tribute w/ Project Xero Linkin Park Tribute. $16.91, doors open 7 p.m., ages 21+
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Broken Brain Teasers: "Back To School Night" Trivia
Brother's Pizza 
871 Highway 33 Hamilton 
(609) 586-2727
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic and Dinner Fundraiser. $30 (advance, includes pizza/pasta/salad buffet. $5 to perform)
 
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
Burlington County Fairgrounds and Pavillion
1960 Jacksonville Jobstown Road Columbus
(609) 265-5858
Fri./Sat./Sun. 9 a.m. "Big Bounce America 2025" (Tickets required)
Burlington County Library/Amphitheater
5 Pioneer Boulevard Westampton
(609) 267-9660
Sat. 2 p.m. The Sounds of Philadelphia Soul
Sun. 2 p.m. "Echoes of Latin Heritage Through Song and Dance"
B2 Bistro Jimmy's American Grill
140 US Route 130 South bordentown
(609) 291-0200
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille
1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 580-5469 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul
Chesterfield Inn
633 Chesterfield-Arneytown Road Chesterfield
(609) 298-1917
Sat. 8:30 p.m. LakeHouse
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
Continental Tavern
2 North Main Street Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-9191
Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Thomas
Sat. 8 p.m. Olivia Caldara
Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cosmic Jerry Band
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (8 p.m.) Se7en / DJ John Rossi
Sat. 8 p.m. "Street Survivors" Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute
Wed. 7 p.m. Live Band Jam
Cranbury NJ
North Main Street Cranbury
Sat. 9 a.m. "Cranbury Day" Street Fair
Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Fri. 7:15 p.m. "Summer Wine and Music Series" feat. Philly Rock and Soul. $20 (advance), Doors open at 5 p.m., Ages 21+ 
Sat. 2 p.m. Rodney Wright
Sun. 2 p.m. Bunny Barnes
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 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Verbatim
Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. Soul Warriors
Fri. 8 p.m. Edgeways w/ Guesstimate & Kevin Hill. $10 (advance)
Sat. 8 p.m. Diamond Eye Jack. $10 (advance)
Sun. (1 p.m.) Acoustic Jam Circle. $10 (Suggested donation) (6 p.m.) The Reverend Graham Ford: "Songs from the Reverend's Jukebox"
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. Karaoke
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia
Forsgate Country Club   
375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700 
Fri. 6 p.m. "First Friday"
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.)
Gallagher's Taproom
437 Pine Street Mount Holly 
(609) 261-0500   
 Sat. 5 p.m. Jimi & The Jammerz
German American Society 
215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton 
(609) 585-5200
Fri. 7 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. $20 (cash), doors open at 6 p.m. (Outdoor Biergarten Event) 7 p.m. "Friday Night Lights" Cruise Night 
Gleason's Bar
6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions 
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8:30 p.m.) The Naturals
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Surprise Surprise
Tues. 7 p.m. Gameshow Palooza
Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Sat. 1 p.m. A day at the Grounds w/ Colleen Garrity Fossett and Onward
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. Bakersfield
Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 
Happy Apple Inn 
29 Imlaystown Road Cream Ridge
(609) 259-7889
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Woodinville Whiskey Tasting. $100 (Includes tasting, one free cocktail, choice of one of three entrees) 
Havana New Hope
105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Junior Mack
Fri. ( 8 p.m.) "Livewire" AC/DC Tribute. (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (3 p.m.) Chicklettes (7 p.m.) Spicey Singles Night (Ages 40-55) (8:30 p.m.) Bigg Romeo (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party 
Sun. (12 p.m.) Singles Afternoon Delight (Ages 55+) (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra 
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo
Hopewell Valley Golf Club
114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell
(609) 737-1199
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Trivia
Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Avenue Pennington 
(609) 737-4465 
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Jersey Surecats
Sat. (1 p.m.) Dina Hall (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. The Strange Brew Crew
Sun. 1:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Mark Feingold Group 
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
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 
Sun. 9 a.m. Father's Day car Show
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night
Iron Plow Vineyards
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Sarah James
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Wild Grit
Sun. 1 p.m. AudioPilot
Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton 
(609) 888-1435 
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke 
All shows 21+    
John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Fri. 9 p.m. The Black Market Opera / Righteous Jolly & the O.G.'s
Sat. 3 p.m. Songwriter's Showcase Hosted by Mike Montrey feat. Barbara Paskin, Tim Nayfield, Jackson Pines, Anthony Walker
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) 
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. (5:30 p.m.) Lou Mutter (7 p.m.) The Fry Boys 
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Mark Sacco (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (5:30 p.m.) Lofash (10 p.m.) DJ Dom
Sun. (10 a.m.) "Sunday Funday" Brunch feat. (11 a.m.) Bob Banka
Mon. 5 p.m. Kid's Night: Paint a Birdhouse 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Wed. (5:30 p.m.) Mark Sacco (6 p.m.) Open Mic Showcase Hosted by Anthony Cannuli
Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 
11 Bridge Street Lambertville 
(609) 397-8300 
Thurs. 6:30 Trivia
Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Thurs. (5 p.m.) Sip & Snip u-Pick Flowers. $40 (5:30 p.m.) Summer Clam Bake! $36 (advance) (7:30 p.m.) Murder Mystery: "High Tide Homicide" $25
Fri. (5 p.m.) Sip & Snip u-Pick Flowers. $40 (7 p.m.) Country Line Dancing. $11
Sat. 12 p.m. Sip & Snip u-Pick Flowers. $40
Sun. (12 p.m.)  Sip & Snip u-Pick Flowers. $40 (12:30 p.m.) Summer Clam Bake! $36 
Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night
Sat. 9 a.m. Annual Book Sale Hosted by The Burlington Bookends
Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff
Locust Hall at Johnson's Farm
2691 Monmouth Road Jobstow 
(609) 723-2630  
Sun. 4:30 p.m. "En Blanc" Dinner Event
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  
Main Street Mt. Holly  
28 Washington Street Mt. Holly  
(609) 914-0811 
Sat. 12 p.m. Mount Holly Car Show
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 321-7000 
Fri. 6 p.m. (TBA)
McGuinn's Place 
1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence 
(609) 392-0599
Sat. 9:30 p.m. The Fables
Ages 21+ 
McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Sat. 9 p.m. Shaken
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night 
Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical"
Sun. 3 p.m. "BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical"
Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project 
Fri. 7:30 p.m. First Friday Karaoke w/ DJ Triiish
Sat. 7 p.m. David Buff & Friends
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Needle Creek Farm Brewery
91 Titus Mill Road Pennington
Thurs. 4:30 p.m.  Mick Chorba
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 
Sat. 12 p.m. Nostalgia On Tap: Retro Fest & Market
New Egypt Flea Market Village 
933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 758-2082
Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market / "Tractors, Tails & Treasures"
Wed. 8 a.m. Flea Market
New Hope Inn & Suites (Cary's Lounge)
6426 Lower York Road New Hopoe, PA
(855) 229-5934
 Sat. 8 p.m. Chris Chadwick & JB Kline
Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Useless Knowledge" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. The Accidental Brothers
Sat. 6 p.m. Steve Tourison
Sun. 1 p.m. Local Artisan Craft Fair
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. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour Hosted by Danny Coleman feat. Music by RG Evans (9:30 pm.) Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Sat. 9 p.m. Semi Tunes
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 4 p.m. Pies on the Patio feat. (6:30 p.m.) Stephanie Chin
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 Hights Brewing 
123 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 469-5976
Thurs. 5 p.m. Vinyl Night 
Fri. 3 p.m. Happy Hour feat. (6:30 p.m.) Acoustic Karaoke w/ Rory
Sat. 6 p.m. The Cudas
Sun. (1 p.m.) The Wandery Bookshop (2 p.m.) Bluegrass Jam  
Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch 
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia
Ottoburger (Planet Animal Taste)
65 East Broad Street Hopewell
(640) 867-4915
Sat. 6 p.m. James Popik's DOG Trio
Palmer Square 
40 Nassau Street Princeton 
Sat. 1 p.m. Summer Music Series feat. Elecric Stingray
Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo" 
Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
 (609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Jeff Palmer & Friends
Picture Perfect Affairs
76 High Street Mount Holly
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday Lyrics To Go Open Mic and Showcase
Pita Chip (Oxford Oaks Shopping Center)
1623 Big Oak ROad Yardley, PA
(267) 573-4173
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Righteous Jolly
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 
Sat. 4 p.m. "Beer & Garden" A Sustainable Gardening Pop-Up w/ Triumph Brewing Company feat. Music by Ride or Die
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. (3 p.m.) Book Signing w/ Howard Wuelfing (7 p.m.) An Evening with Willie Nile
Sat. 7:30 p.m. James Maddock. $25 (advance), doors open at 7 p.m.
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Peelander-z. $30, doors open at 7 p.m., all ages
Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 
River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. (5 p.m.) Cara Cartney (7 p.m.) Gina Corso
Fri. 7 p.m. Karl Dietel
Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo
Wed. 5 p.m. Greg McGarvey
Robin's Nest Restaurant
2 Washington Street Mount Holly 
(609) 261-6149 
Fri. 4 p.m. Wounded Souls Carie McCay  
Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Fri. 8 p.m. El Ka Bong
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics
Saint Mark United Methodist Church  
465 Paxson Avenue Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-1286
Fri. 7 p.m. "Fairwell to Summer" Open Mic Hosted by Bill Wieszczek
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
Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Sat. "Party On The Patio" feat. 6:30 p.m. Hot Soda
Wed. 11 a.m. Lil Sprouts Tune Time w/ Miss Sally 
Silver Lake Nature Center
1306 Bath Road Bristol, PA
(215) 785-1177
Sat. 10 a.m. Volunteer Work Day: Clean up Cassalia Pond
Slim's Irish Pub 
2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
Mon. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Cecil 
Wed. 6 p.m. Karaoke Contest
Small World Coffee 
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 7 p.m. Dan Kassel
Small World Coffee
254 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 924-4377
Sat. 10 a.m. Nassau Pop-Up: Zohar Lavi-Hassaon
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 
Starving Artist Cafe
18 Bridge Street Stockton
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Daisy Jane (Sign-ups at 5:30 p.m.)
Fri. 10 a.m. JB Kline's Facebook Live
Sat. 6 p.m. Frank Pinto & Richie Z / Joe Zook 7 Steve Guyger
Suzanne Paterson Center
1 Monument Drive Princeton 
Sat. 7 p.m. Salsa Sensation w/ Mike Andino & DJ Carlos Hendricks. $15 ($10 students w/ID)
Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke 
Temperance House
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Neville Esquire
Tues. 7 p.m. Beginner Line Dance Lessons w/ Jeremy Line Dance. $40/4 Weeks 
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. Bill O'Neal & Andy Koontz
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Mark Miklos
TGI Fridays
2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486 
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Trivia
The Beer Garden and Education Center at Snipes Farm
890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Sat. 11 a.m. 5th Annual RainbowMoon Festival. $30 feat. (Main Stage) BK Rivers, Novo Rodeo, Gaia Raga, The Beagles with Joy + Their Disco Funk Machine, Gypsy Funk Squad
(Rainbow Lounge) Carolyn Moon, Pat Foran, Serenity Renee, Mystical Kirtan w/ Mirabai Moon, Underland Afterparty
(Moonbeam Oasis) Somatic Yin Yoga w/ Sarah Rusin, Extraterrestrials + Spirituality w/ Paul Patterson, Intuitive Yoga w/ Veronica Yoga
(Groovy Grove) Touch Mother Earth Drum Circle w/ Dave & Cheryl Miller, Song Circle w/ Sheniqua "Flower-Child" Trotman, Funky Yoga w/ Mary "Mare Bear" DiMeglio, The Soulmatic Gathering w/ Gina Savacool + Simcha Guttenplan.
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. DJ entertainment
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (8:30 p.m.) Mostly Harmless
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo
The Colonial Burlington Foundation
230 Wood Street Burlington 
Sat. 9 a.m. The Wood Street Fair 2025 
The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. The Mark's Wedding and Rick's Goin' Fishin' Show w/ Asylum Choir
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia
The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment
The Cure Insurance Center  
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton  
(609) 656-3200  
Sat. 8 p.m. Badshah-The Unfinished Tour 
The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. Sean Fleming
Sat. 7 p.m. Andrew German
The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Sat. (12 p.m.) Animal Adoption Event (4 p.m.) Mark Margolies Band. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
Sun. 2 p.m. Mike & Laura. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
The Five Four Bar & Grill
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam 
Fri. 8 p.m. Little Sister
Sat. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Sun. 2 p.m. "Jimmy J's New Heart" Fundraiser w/ Midnight Dues
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel
The Irish Horne Bar & Restaurant
882 2nd Street Pike Richboro, PA 
(215) 942-4000 
Sat. 8 p.m. Stranger Things
The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Iron Mike
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Fatha Ramzee
Sun. 2 p.m. Gameday
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Trey
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 New Egypt Historical Society & Museum
125 Evergreen Road, New Egypt 
Sat. 11 a.m. New Egypt Historical Society Car Show  
The Newtown Theatre
120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Fri. 3 p.m. A Tribute to Philly's Musical Legends feat. Tony Cono. $28-$36
Sat. (5:30 p.m.) Newtown Black and White Dinner (8:30 p.m.) Jennie & Steve's Dueling Pianos. $27-$35
Tues. 7 p.m. Acoustic Music of The Beatles: A Guitar Workshop with Tim Farrell. $64.20
Wed. (3 p.m.) The Greatest Hits of Broadway. $23-$31 (7:30 p.m.) Movie Club: "Somewhere In Time" $10-$14 (Members pay what they want), doors open at 7 p.m.
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. Greg Gaughn of The Philadelphia Blues Society
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 (9 p.m.) "Tiki Thursday" 
Fri. 8 p.m. Blackbird Road
Sat. 8 p.m. Full Grown Men
Mon. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala
The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Sat. 11 a.m. 21st Annual Main Street Mount Holly Car Show 
The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Fri. 8 p.m. OMGB
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (11 a.m.) Swansun (3 p.m.) My Name's Margo (8 p.m.) '80s Crush
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Tindall Road Brewing Co.
102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 526-8651 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Fly Tying Event 
Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+
Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street Trenton
(609) 392-7188
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday"
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
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, PA. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, PA
(215) 862-8300
Sat. 8 p.m. Stringbean and the Boardwalk Social Club
Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)
20 Pamer Square east Princeton 
(609) 924-7855
Fri. 6 p.m. Latineo Duo
Sat. 6 p.m. Liam Sutcliffe Quartet
Union Coffee
49 North Union Street Lambertville 
(609) 460-4637
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday" Tarot Meet-Up w/ Kristina Gorman
Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. JJim Band
Sat. 7 p.m. John Sheridan Trio
Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Whitehill Mansion
217 Fourth Street Fieldsboro
Sat. 7 p.m. Paranormal Investigation w/ "G Host"
Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 6 p.m. White Wines: tasting The Grapes, Tasting The Wine (Ticketed event) 
Fri. 6 p.m. Trivia w/ Sam The Trivia Guy
Sat. (10 a.m.) Fall Burlap Floral Centerpieces (Ticketed event, includes one free glass of wine or mimosa) (1 p.m.) Ronnie Brandt
Sun. 1 p.m. Chris Giakas 
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"
Yankee Doodle Tap Room 
10 Palmer Square Princeton 
(609) 921-7500 
Fri. 6 p.m. Rob Messina
Yardley Country Club 
1010 Reading Avenue Yardley, PA
(215) 493-4531
Fri. 6 p.m. Bear's Choice


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


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The magic of Local Summer has been captured by Asbury Park singer-songwriter Blaise with his new single and video, "Tan Lines."




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Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...8/28/25






 

MORE NEWS

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Steve Hackett on his Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo North American Tour. The concert takes place Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 8:00pm.


Roy's Hall presents singer-songwriter Crystal Bowersox




Ed Sheeran, Goo Goo Dolls, Alex Warren and Shaboozey to Perform at 12th Annual We Can Survive Concert




Stevie Van Zandt to present Lifetime Achievement in Music Award to Darlene Love at Monmouth Arts' POP! A Night at the Lanes




Brian Dunne releases "Max's Kansas City"






 

UPCOMING SHOWS


An Interview with Vinnie Amico from moe.

Buffalo, NY based jamband moe. has toured throughout the U.S. and internationally. This year, moe. is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Through ups and downs, moe. serves as a cornerstone of their musical genre and has triumphantly been on the road in support of their recent studio release, "Circle of Giants". I recently caught up with Vinnie Amico (drummer) on location at People Fest in Hillsboro, WI.


Steve Forbert to Play Two Shows in New Jersey




Makin Waves with Laurie Berkner: Exciting Kids' Imaginations 




The Newton Theatre presents Direct From Sweden - The Music of Abba






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