Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...5/29/25

By Danny Coleman
originally published: 05/29/2025

"Yes indeed, we're psyched," stated Ocean Avenue Stompers founder Ian Gray as he talked the band, Asbury Park, their upcoming June 1 appearance at Michael Arnone's Crawfish Festival and more. 

Ocean Avenue Stompers have quickly become a staple along the Jersey Shore area, more specifically, Asbury Park, which they call their "Base of operations." 

Comprised of a staggering number of players allowing them to have various branches off of their far reaching tree, "The Stompers" can and will not ever be considered conventional. 

With the ability to be a "House band, a Wedding band, Brass band or a DJ Hybrid," these talented musicians offer more than meets the eye. With a pretty regular residency at Asbury Park's rBar, they can go small, medium or very big; such as the 32nd Annual Crawfish Fest being held May 30 through June 1 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ.

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Recently Ian and guitarist James McCaffrey discussed all of the above, beginning with their interest in the New Orleans style music as well as the who and the how he put the band together.

"It's a crazy thing," began Gray. "Brass band music, New Orleans music has been a passion of mine for like 10 years and we really started doing our thing under the name Ocean Avenue Stompers during covid. I've been putting stuff together with brass band music and different stuff in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey for well over 10 years but it's been about five years for the Stompers; actually we're celebrating our fifth year, it's crazy."

"That's a good question," he continued with a loud laugh. "James McCaffrey plays guitar with us; it's actually a good old network. I'm a trombonist and an aspiring singer, we have a couple of different vocalists, different trumpet players, tenor sax players, rhythm section players; there are actually about 40 of us believe it or not. We have interchangeable parts but we have a main lineup which plays in Asbury Park every Monday night at the rBar and there has been a good core of us for a year or two now playing every week. Some of us go out on tour for a month or two with our own projects and so the idea is to be a local to New Jersey project. We say we're based here in Asbury Park and I like to say I grew up here personally in a spiritual sense. My parents opened up a shop here in 2008 and our good family friend used to sponsor The Stone Pony Summer Stage and so my musical upbringing personally was here and it's where I met most of these cats that play in the band and who are some of my longest musical comrades. We've been seeing the same shows here since the early 2000s so while we're from Manasquan, Wall, South Orange and Red Bank, Asbury Park is where we meet up and that's why we say we're from here."

"40?" Most would think that's an insane and inoperable number to organize but for the Stompers it works and not only does it work for them and their music but seemingly for others in their music community.

"It's definitely a mixed bag. I went to French Quarter Fest a couple of weeks ago and what you stumble upon are legendary brass bands like Hurricane, Storyville, Nightcrawlers, Dirty Dozen, Rebirth and then you get into the brass band music and there is a whole world just within brass band music and then you get into the other side of things like The Meters, Lee Dorsey, Doctor John, up to Jon Cleary and Galactic. We're sort of a band here in New Jersey that tries to take on a good chunk of all of it which in New Orleans, one band does the thing; The Neville Brothers vs The Meters (Laughs). We're here in Jersey playing some brass band music, some R&B, some classic soul music while also trying to keep it Jersey. Our horn section goes out with different bands. We were just on the road for a couple of weeks with a Talking Heads tribute, last September we played with Bruce Springsteen at The Stone Pony for a couple of tunes; we all know his music but we weren't playing his music, we were playing classic rock tunes, Chuck Berry, Cream, some good old '60s jams. Here is a really good parallel in New Jersey; Sea, Hear, Now is organized not only by a New Orleans music fanatic Tim Donnelly but by like Danny Clinch and his famous photography career behind Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and all of them, Danny not only has the gallery in Asbury Park and a big part of all the music but he's also down at Preservation Hall and being a humongous part of their culture in New Orleans; that's one bridge right there. When Danny Clinch sent me "Boom Boom" which I know from "The Tunnel of Love" tour in 1988 when Bruce Springsteen brought five horns out with him, I was like, oh, we're about to play a set of music with Bruce Springsteen (Laughs). That was at a flattering Sea, Hear, Now after party named after our band called The Ocean Avenue Stomp and it's part of the festival. Bruce was headlining Sunday night and he rolled up Saturday night at The Pony. We knew he'd be there because we saw a lot of security and all that but we were told, learn this song and we'll see what happens. We played the first song, "Boom Boom" and six songs later and a rockin' 35 minute plus set backing up Bruce and then playing some blues with Robert Randolph and Grace Potter; it was quite the night. So, we're sort of starting like our own kind of jazz fest, French Quarter New Orleans culture here with Sea, Hear, Now and I think that's sort of the idea around the band, to be this sort of house band. People can call us for a horn section or a killer rhythm section to record an album or to collaborate; we're here to play anyone's music, that's sort of the project."

Already immensely popular here and abroad, they must have done their own recordings; right? Gray says, "Well..."

"The band is so new right now and what we've been doing is so new; we're here at the rBar and our first thing we're gonna put out is a "Live at The rBar" EP. We're trying to sort of document what we've been doing so people know what that is and put that out there on streaming services but from there, we're definitely planning on not only original music and collaborations; sort of like Galactic does, that's the idea to start doing some conceptual records where we're collaborating." 

Obviously, the band has a definite plan to promote their music as well as themselves but without any product; how did they happen upon a slot at the upcoming Crawfish Fest?

"When we started the band," said Gray, "There were a couple of people who became loyal supporters right off the bat. It feels like we made this band; some people want to win a Grammy, some to tour the world, it feels like we started this band to play Crawfish Fest. It's a legendary festival here in New Jersey, I have a bunch of family up there in Sparta, Hackettstown, Augusta, Long Valley, I've been hearing about this festival all of my life and I don't think we've ever done a show where somebody hasn't come up to us and said, "Have you ever heard of Crawfish Fest? You guys would be perfect for that." So, we have a lot of amazing fans to thank for the opportunity to get in Michael's ear and to be considered for the lineup; let alone to get Sunday's lineup with all of the amazing musicians that are happening. The stage set is like 75 or 90 minutes, I'm sure we'll be hanging out at some camp sites and hanging out late at night, getting in on all of the fun because I know it's a little bit more than just the stage as I've been told; or at least it has been suggested to us that maybe we want to go and hang out with some folk (Laughs). We're psyched to be kicking off the day and knowing all of the bands there; I just got back from French Quarter Fest seeing Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Terence Simien, Marcia Ball and bands like Southern Avenue and all these amazing musicians; this whole festival lineup is just amazing."

Long before the Stompers, Gray cut his musical chops with some local heavyweights, leading him to where he is today; continuing to add to his resume but he's also not ashamed of the "Sound" of Asbury Park and how he happened upon it.

"We ended up starting this band, Remember Jones which at that time was a band with a 12 piece lineup and that was in 2015 and in April of 2015 we did an Amy Winehouse show and started touring and doing original music while at the same time, I was working with a guitarist from Minneapolis named Cory Wong and from there I've gone on to work with Little Steven Van Zandt & The Disciples of Soul when he decided to put that back together. Thanks to Marc Ribler, working with him and Darlene Love and most recently I've been touring with Patti LaBelle which has been a humongous honor. I got into that because I started subbing with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at a really young age, I think I was like 22 or 23 and I think these New York cats seeing me down here in Asbury Park playing with an Asbury Park band and saying, "Cool, this music should probably get the torch passed at some point" and that's sort of like the vibe and the idea of Asbury Park. This town is just filled with amazing original music and original concepts and we all keep really busy with these opportunities. Like I said, Patti LaBelle calls or if I'm out on the road with whomever, if Cory needs me for a tour, it's great to be part of a project where I know I can call a trombone player who is 10 times better than me and have him come rock this band. That's sort of the idea, we're surrounding ourselves with really good musicians, trying to uphold a pretty high musical caliber here in Asbury Park, a town that has gone overshadowed by New York and Philly pretty much all of its lifespan. I think that's the idea, Philly is an underdog city, Southside will tell you, of his 50 year career of touring that there is something special about saying, you're from Asbury Park and people sort of get it; they seem to get the rock 'n' roll vibe that you're referring to. I love that book, "I Don't Want To Go Home" by Nick of The New York Times; it's so important because it really explains who is the sound of Asbury Park and Bruce, Gary Tallent will say, "There is no sound of Asbury Park" and the truth is, the real sound of Asbury Park is Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and that's Steven Van Zandt's writing influenced by Sam & Dave. That's sort of like the DNA of this band, we don't sound like Southside, we're not writing tunes like Little Steven did in the mid-'70s and not covering Bruce that much."

So many pieces to this musical pie; is there a defined leader or main cog of the band?

"I like to think we all do or could; I definitely am when it comes to tax time," laughed Gray. "The thing is, we do a lot under the covers. We do jazz funerals, we do backyard parties, our brass band may be second lining a wedding from the beach to a wedding venue and our wedding band is playing another wedding down the block. That's sort of the idea of this band, to be able to provide a high quality musical service here on the Jersey Shore that people can depend on. We're not based just on solely one front person and if that person isn't there, we're not wanted. I like to think I'm the weakest link and I surround myself with the most talented musicians I know and I'm just lucky enough to try and start and end songs." 

"I'm gonna stop him and jump in there," laughed McCaffrey. "He absolutely is the ring leader of all of us. Before he put this thing together, all of us from that big group of people from Philly and New York and all over the place, we all played together in many projects over the years; some of us even 15 or 20 years ago. There was not one single collective that brought all of that under one moniker and that's something Ian has done and it's really special because they are not only just a lot of players that we've all played with together, they are our closest friends. They are our friends and our family and by putting them under the Stompers name and making a name, it did give this identity that is very much synonymous with the town now and there is a lot of action associated with this town so, it's good to be a part of that but Ian is definitely the ring leader that brought it all together. Now, I'm gonna say, strike that from the record to keep him humble (Laughs), but it's definitely him and Ryan, it's their DNA that brought all of this together."

Crawfish Fest is a high energy, downhome affair that promises a rockin' good time; what does this unit have planned for their June 1 appearance?

"We're going for blood bro, we're going for blood," laughed Gray once again. "We're going to be somebody, I mean, c'mon, you can't be on the same day as Jon Cleary and this new record he just put out; I've been listening to that record non-stop and all I can think of is, how can I make a set that sort of honors some of the amazing New Orleans and American root DNA that's in that record? I don't  know if you've checked it out yet, it's freaking fantastic and it just came out, it's called, "The Bywater Sessions" but yeah, horns, full band, maybe some special guests, that's the short answer. We're so good at interviews, aren't we? (laughs) We have a conversation with the crowd straight up. That's the theme of this band, we're reading the room. If we have a bunch of Jersey girls jumping in front of us, we're probably gonna play "Me and Julio by the Schoolyard" into something by Bruce (Laughs), we're just there to make everybody happy and have a good time. That's the vibe, we just let it all hang out and the people love watching the process. There is not a rehearsed 90 minute set, the setlist is subject to change up to the downbeat."

"Whatever happens, happens and it's fun," added McCaffrey, "Things can change in the midst of a song; it's an amorphous blob, it's a proving ground." 

To discover more about Ocean Avenue Stompers, please visit  https://www.oceanavenuestompers.com/

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

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This week's event listings

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Abbott Marshlands
157 Westcott Avenue Hamilton
Sun. 10 a.m. "Neighbor Day" at Spring Lake (John Roebling Park)

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Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 5 p.m. Bike Night
Fri. 6 p.m. American Muscle Night
Sat. 11 a.m. Cars & Coffee
Sun. 1 p.m. Woman's Biker Day

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Allentown Borough
Main Street Allentown
Thurs. 10:15 a.m. Baby Storytime Ages 6-24 Months (Takes place at the library located at 16 South Main Street)

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Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Radio Fiction 
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Ed Wall (7 p.m.) Rick Winow
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch w/ Marc Hoffman (6 p.m.) Rob Silvers
Mon. 5 p.m. Bud Belviso
Tues. 7 p.m. Jessica DiDonato
Wed. 7 p.m. Kindred Spirit Duo

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Americana Kitchen & Bar 
359 U.S. Highway Route 130 North Hightstown
(732) 558-5999
Fri. 7 p.m. Prime Time Comedy Club Presents: Professor Kevin Brown of NBC's "30 Rock" 

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Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Fri. 8 p.m. Music BINGO
Sat. 1 p.m. Hibo's Family Picnic

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Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 

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Arm & Hammer Park
1 Thunder Road Trenton 
(609) 394-3300
Wed. 7 p.m. "Opening Day" Celebration  
Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Wed. (3 p.m.) Onstage Seniors Presents: "How Did I Get Here?" (7 p.m.) JAM: Jersey Art Meet-Up

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Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Mike
Fri. 8 p.m. Herd of Cats
Sun. (11 a.m.) Yoga & Cocktails. $45 (Includes yoga and 2 cocktails) (3 p.m.) Cecil & Friends
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney

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Bent Iron Brewing
70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 5 p.m. Bad Hombres Duo
Sat. 5 p.m. Chet & Ari

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Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music BINGO / Sara & Tamer
Fri. 7 p.m. Frank Pinto & The Gypsy Ramblers
Sat. 7 p.m. Out Of The Red
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 9 p.m. / Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+

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Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery
58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo

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Blaze DoubleTree by Hilton 
4355 US Route 1 Princeton
(609) 452-2400
Sun. 11 a.m. ZN Fashions New Jersey/Princeton Eid Ul Adha Exhibition

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Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20

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Boro Bean 
9 East Broad Street Hopewell 
(609) 466-6681 
Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott 

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Bowman's Tavern 
1600 River Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Dave Dales Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sat. 7 p.m. Patrick & Debra
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour

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Bristol Riverside Theater 
2501 Bath Road Bristol, PA
(215) 785-0100 
Sat. 10 a.m. "Mahogany & Steel" 2025 Boat and Car Show

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Close Drive, Christian Sparacio, Whiskey Ginger. $15, doors open at 7 p.m., ages 21+
Sat. (12:30 p.m.) Paint & Sip w/ Penelope Fox Art Studios. $30 (Includes all supplies and first pour) (8 p.m.) FROGGY, FOD Teenage Bigfoot. $15 (advance), doors open at 7 p.m., ages 18+ 
Sun. (11 a.m.) Modern Metal Live Show (1:30 p.m.) "Rock 'n' Grohl"

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Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits 
31 Appletree Lane Pipersville, PA
(215) 766-7711
Sat. 5:30 p.m. Dtown Outliers

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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

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Burlington Riverfront Promenade
Sat. 12 p.m. "City Boardwalk"

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Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Vinnie Mark. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m. 

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Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille
1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 580-5469 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul

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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

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Continental Tavern
2 North Main Street Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-9191
Fri. 8 p.m. Diane & PK
Sat. 8 p.m. Mike Brill

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tribute to the Music of The Beatles w/ "Merzey Beat"
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Se7en / DJ John Rossi 
Sat. 8 p.m. Bigg Rome  

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Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 2:30 p.m. "Spring Wine Food Festival" feat. Bill Thomas
Sun. 2 p.m. "Spring Wine Food Festival" feat.Rodney Wright 

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Cryout Cave
601 Doctor Martin Luther King Boulevard Suite #2 Trenton
(862) 234-5353
Thurs. 7 p.m. Don't Stop The Flow Open Mic Hosted by Kasendy

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Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo

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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

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Dadz Bar and Grill 
744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. 40 North Duo
Sun. 3 p.m. Wounded Souls
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic 

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Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. An Evening of Singer Songwriters feat. Sean Hopkins, Gabriie-Luc Gonzales and Luke Youngman, Gary Eshbaugh.
Fri. 8 p.m. Cats On the Bus. $10 (advance)
Sat. 8 p.m. Dead To The Core. $10 (advance)
Sun. (1 p.m.) Acoustic Jam Circle (Donation based event) (4 p.m.) Songwriters Showcase Hosted by Jesse Ketchel. $10 (advance)
Wed. 7 p.m.  DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry Robert

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Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Whiskey & Cigar Night. Ages 21+
Tues. 6 p.m. Karaoke

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cigar Night w/ Woodford Reserve. $35 (Includes light food, Woodford Reserve Flight, 1 cigar)
Fri. 7 p.m. Quixote Duo 
Sat. 9 p.m. Asylum Choir
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia

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Forsgate Country Club   
375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700 
Sat. 6 p.m. Karaoke

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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

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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.)

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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 p.m.) TBA
Sat. (12 p.m.) "Swifty" Music BINGO Brunch (8 p.m.) All Lit Up
Sun. 3 p.m. DJ Eric
Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show Palooza

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Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Fri.  8 p.m. Crazy Baez
Sat. 8 p.m. Hindsight
Tues. 7 p.m. Music BINGO

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Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Sat. 10 a.m. (TBA)
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge

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Halo Pub (Fete) 
9 Hullfish Street Princeton 
(609) 921-1710 
Sat. 6 p.m. Karl Dentino Trio

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Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 

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Hamilton Elks  
1580 Kuser Road Hamilton 
(609) 585-8610  
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Line Dancing Night w/ Jeremy (Ticketed event)

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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.) "Bell Bottom Blues" Eric Clapton Tribute. (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (3 p.m.) Scios Brothers & No Name James (8:30 p.m.) Semitones (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ DJ Iron Mike
Sun. (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra (6:30 p.m.) Slidewinder Blues Band
Mon. (1 p.m.) Celebrating the Life of Sonny Casale (9 p.m.) Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo

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Hightstown Elks 
100 Hickory Corner Road East Windsor 
(609) 448-9794
Sat. 6 p.m. Dinner & Magic Show. $35

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Hightstown Memorial Park
North Main Street Hightstown
Fri. 5:30 p.m. "Fun Friday" feat. Tanglewood

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Historical Society of Princeton
354 Quaker Road Princeton
(609) 921-6748
Sat. 6 p.m. "Mystery Under The Stars" a Whodunit!

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Hopewell Valley Golf Club
114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell
(609) 737-1199
Wed. 4 p.m. "9 & Dine" Date Night feat. The Jack Furlong Orchestra. $70 (Golf and Dinner/Show. $40 Dinner/Show)

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Avenue Pennington 
(609) 737-4465 
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Aaron Quarterman
Sat. (1 p.m.) Modern Rewind (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. DJ Darius the 1st
Sun. 2:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Robert Ruffis Experience

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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 w/ Mikey Jr
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco

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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

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Irish Rover Station House 
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night

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Iron Plow Vineyards
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Grouser Girls
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Bob Daley
Sun. 1 p.m. Rich Cassenti

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Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton 
(609) 888-1435 
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke 
All shows 21+    

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Jimmy's American Grill
140 US Route 130 South bordentown
(609) 291-0200
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Sat. 8 p.m. Grand Sedan, The Shaxe
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) 
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+

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Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall
14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix
(732) 230-6169
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Night feat. Country Line Dancing w/ Meaghan and DJ Leo (FREE event)
Tues. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Carie McCay

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Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Bryan Hill
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Joanna Caruso (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch feat. (5:30 p.m.) Bob Banka (10 p.m.) DJ Dan Murphy
Sun. (10 a.m.) "Sunday Funday" Brunch feat. (11 a.m.) "Under The Sea" Kid's Brunch
Mon. 7 p.m. Music BINGO w/ Brother Mike

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Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night 

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Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff

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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  

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Main Street Mt. Holly  
28 Washington Street Mt. Holly  
(609) 914-0811 
 Sat. 12 p.m. Mount Holly's 21st Annual Car Show

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McGuinn's Place 
1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence 
(609) 392-0599
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Fables feat. Fania
Ages 21+ 

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McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night

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Morven Museum & Garden
55 Stockton Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8144
Thurs./Fri. 12 p.m. & 2:15 p.m. Afternoon Tea with the Secret Tea Room

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Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "Pippin"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "Pippin"
Sun. 3 p.m. "Pippin" 

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Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project 
Fri.  7 p.m. The Monkey Bars
Sat. 7 p.m. Greg McGarvey
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Needle Creek Farm Brewery
91 Titus Mill Road Pennington
Sat. 1 p.m. The Successful Failures

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Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 

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New Egypt Flea Market Village 
933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 758-2082
Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market 
Wed. 8 a.m. Flea Market

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New Hope Inn & Suites (Diva Lounge)
6426 Lower York Road New Hopoe, PA
(855) 229-5934
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Bees Deluxe. Doors open at 7 p.m.

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "The Office" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. John Rodden
Sat. (3 p.m.) Magic by Jared (6 p.m.) Sister Blue
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Bill Monach

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Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

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NJWeedman's Dispensary
322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke

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Nomad Distilling Company
20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623
Thur. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Sat. 9 p.m. Guns 4 Hire
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 4 p.m. Pizza On The Patio feat. (6:30 p.m.) Ant Cannuli
Ages 21+   

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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

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 Old Barracks
100 Barrack Street Trenton
Sat. 7 p.m. Concerts by Candlelight

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Old Hights Brewing 
123 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 469-5976
Fri. 3 p.m. "Happy Hour" feat. (6:30 p.m.) The River Duo
Sat. 1 p.m. May Market feat. (2 p.m.) Matt Coyle
Sun. 2 p.m. Bluegrass Jam
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Trivia

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Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Sat. 9 p.m. Lucas Matt Trio
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"

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Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
 (609) 585-8008
Fri. 9 p.m. LakeHouse

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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 

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Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza)
65 Witherspoon Street Princeton  
(609) 924-9529 
Tues. 7 p.m. "2025 Artist's Roundtable" feat. Maestro Rossen Milanov

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Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 

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River Horse Brewery
2 Graphics Drive Ewing
Sat. 6 p.m. Trivia

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River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Gina Corso
Fri. 7 p.m. Patrick & Debra
Sat. 7 p.m.Bob Egan 
Sun. 11:30 a.m.Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo 

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Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Marc Hoffman
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics

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Saint Mark United Methodist Church  
465 Paxson Avenue Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-1286
Sun. (10 a.m.) All Choir Service (11 a.m.) Pastor Bob's Retirement Potluck

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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

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Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Vinyl Listening Party 

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Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. The Needful. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. "Strawberry Festival" feat. (12:30 p.m.) Mike Brill (6:30 p.m.) Naturals Lite. $15
Sun.  10 a.m. "Strawberry Festival" feat.  feat. (12:30 p.m.) Lisa Bouchelle. $15

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Slice of Brooklyn NJ
1295A Route 33 Hamilton 
(609) 527-9663
Sat. 2 p.m. Pasta making Class w/ Chef Jorge

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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

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Small World Coffee 
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 7 p.m. McMillan & Co.

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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 

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Spigola Vino E Cucino
3817 Crosswicks Hamilton Square Road Hamilton
(609) 585-5255
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Mark Sacco

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Starving Artist Cafe
18 Bridge Street Stockton
Fri. 10 a.m. JB Kline's Facebook Live

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21 Locks Brewing Company
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(917) 626-2352
Fri. 11:30 a.m. Official Opening of Brewery
Sat. 11:30 a.m. Canal Fest 
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Canal Fest 

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1675 Spirits 
2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Fri. 6 p.m. Bryan & Nick

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Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Fri. 9 p.m. Redline Rodeo
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke 

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Temperance House
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger and Filthy Rich 
Sat. 7 p.m. Bad Hombres Duo
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

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Terhune Orchards  
330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310 
Sat. 10 a.m. Strawberry Festival feat. (1 p.m.)  AudioPilot
Sun. 10 a.m. Strawberry Festival feat. (1 p.m.)  Kindred Spirit Duo 

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TGI Fridays
2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486 
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Trivia  

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TGI Fridays
3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night 

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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

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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.) "Princess"Brunch. $48/$38 (8:30 p.m.) 309 Express
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo

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The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. 80s Undercover
Mon. 6 p.m. Trivia
Tues. 6 p.m. BINGO

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The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment 

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The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Sat. 7 p.m. Fiona Tyndall

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The Five Four Bar & Grill
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam 
Fri. 9 p.m. Jukebox Graveyard
Sat. 9 p.m. Big Whiskey
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel

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The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Bob E Luv
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Talking In Cursive
Sun. 2 p.m. Gameday
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown

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The Morrisville Tavern 
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Mojo Channel
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night

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The Newtown Theatre
120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Sat. 8 p.m. "Green River" Creedence Clearwater Revival/John Fogerty Tribute. $40.10
Sun. 3 p.m. "A Celebration of Spring" w/ The Newtown Chamber Orchestra. $40.10
Tues. 7 p.m. Private Guita Workshop w/ Tim Farrell. $64.20

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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. Arlan Feiles
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

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The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo 
Fri. 9 p.m. 80s Undercover
Sat. 9 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala

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The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Fri. 8 p.m. Lovelight w/ Pete Tonti. $15 (advance), Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 12 p.m. "Mount Holly 21st Annual Car Show" feat. (1 p.m.) Son & Father Duo, Katherine & Company 8 p.m.  Doors open at 7 p.m.
Wed. 8 p.m.  doors open at 7 p.m.

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The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Heart Fulla Bluz
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m. The Jersey Beat
Sun. 10 a.m Brunch

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Tindall Road Brewing Co.
102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 526-8651 
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Brews & Blooms: Flower Arranging Workshop
Sat. 7 p.m. 

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Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+

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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

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Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, PA
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 8 p.m. Widely Known
Sat. 8 p.m. Red 123
Sun. 1 p.m. Rachel & Ty

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Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)
20 Pamer Square east Princeton 
(609) 924-7855
Fri. 5 p.m. John Menges Trio
Sat. 5 p.m. Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet

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Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook & E-Miners
Sat. 7 p.m. Tony Micelli Trio
Mon. 6 p.m. Quizzo

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Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 1 p.m. Open Mic

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West Trenton Ballroom (West Trenton Firehouse)
40 West Upper Ferry Road Ewing
(609) 883-0325
Sat. 8 a.m. Indoor Flea Market 

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Wildflowers Too
255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night

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Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Kevin McGowan
Fri. 4:30 p.m. Justin Love
Sat. 1 p.m. Chris Swatt
Sun. 1 p.m. Rob Silvers
Wed. 6 p.m. Paint & Sip 

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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"

About the author:

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

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