By Danny Coleman
originally published: 06/15/2023
"I'm doing great," said an enthusiastic laughing Marc Swersky, "This is where my wife says that I need to talk more about myself and I say, I don't want to but I guess this is one of those times where I need to."
Two-time Grammy Award winning producer Marc Swersky has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry; people such as Roger Daltrey, Hilary Duff, and so many more have enlisted his talents as a producer or a musician but it is local where he has had a great impact working with many of the Garden State's up and coming artists as well as those established and as you'll see; it is something he cherishes.
To understand why Marc is how he is, one must understand a bit about his background and how he began his travels and travails down this, his chosen path and profession.
"I have been a very steadfast presence in the music business; first and foremost, I started out as a bass player. I did that for years, I was blessed enough to make a living doing that for years and then through that venture, I was introduced to somebody by the name of Charlie Midnight and if you go look up his credits, your mind will be blown by the amount of hits he has written and who he has worked with. I got to be the last bass player in the incarnation of the Charlie Midnight Band and through that nobody has been a better mentor. He has become like the big brother that I never had in life, he has been my main collaborative songwriting partner for God knows how many years, he taught me anything and everything that I really know about this business and a lot about life to be honest. He took me under his wing and he encouraged me and one day he said, "You know, you're such a good song arranger; maybe you should try songwriting" and I was like; umm, OK? I'm sitting there thinking to myself, I don't know why somebody would say that but he opened up the floodgates. I've gone on through him to meet tons of people and collaborate with some of the biggest songwriters and legendary artists in the world but through everything, it was always the same thing; it was not about the latest craze or what's happening now, it was about just being honest with what you are trying to do."
Honesty in an industry that employs people who have stage personas one minute and seem to morph at times into someone or something totally different away from the spotlights is easier said than done but Swersky lives by it; it is his credo and something he will never stray from. So; how does he stay true to himself while walking the fine line of honesty and the ego management needed with people whose talents are brought to his studio and how does he not fall into the record company trap of trying to change the artist or their art to "Fit" today's often times so-called "Flavor of the month?"
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"Now I don't consider myself a great lyricist," he confidently stated, "I consider myself a really good editor but music and melody always came simple to me. So, I focus on being a really strong songwriter with music and melody and through that and being a bass player, I was introduced to an artist by the name of Francesca Beghe back in 1984 because I had a rhythm section for hire in New York City. The band and I went in and started rehearsing with her for some shows she had to do and she turned to me and asked, "Do you write songs?" I said, Bingo! Yes I do, I write songs! One of the first songs we ever wrote together ended up being recorded by Joe Cocker and that song has gone on to be the gift that keeps giving, it's a song called "Trust In Me." We had written it for her but what happened was that my dear friend Charlie Midnight came to a rehearsal, heard the song and was floored by it. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Charlie had just been hired to produce the new Joe Cocker record. So, when they started the process of everything with the songs, Charlie had taken the song and played it for Joe's manager at the time, may he rest in peace; his name was Michael Lang. Michael was one of the originators of Woodstock; he played it for Michael and an A and R person. He played them a live recording of the song and they said, "We want it." So, basically what happened is, Charlie ended up taking the song, helped us tweak it out as a writer, helped shape the lyrics and the song a little bit better and it ended up being recorded for Joe Cocker's "Unchain My Heart" record. That record went on to sell about five million units worldwide and funny enough, it was a duet and the original person who was supposed to do the duet was Aretha Franklin; talk about the proverbial die and go to heaven? Joe Cocker was one thing but put her on top of it? They couldn't get their schedules and time to work so this brilliant artist from Australia named Renee Geyer ended up doing it with him. Now, fast-forward that song from 1985 to seven years later, that song ends up, because Kevin Costner loved the song, he loved it; it ended up in a little old movie called, "The Bodyguard." That went on to be the biggest selling soundtrack of all time, everybody knows "The Bodyguard" with Whitney Houston. That ended up winning a Grammy, the album ended up winning a Grammy and I have to say, that really launched my writing career, the Joe Cocker thing launched my writing career and at that time, the pinnacle of my career was "The Bodyguard," the pinnacle of any good songwriter's career really; you just don't get much bigger than that. Through everything, I was always focused on the song and the artist, I was never good at having somebody say, "This is the latest craze, go write that." Every time I would try to do that, I'd walk out of there feeling unsatisfied and that has never changed. I've ended up developing more artists, helping them get their deals, getting tons of songs in movies around the world, different records; I ended up falling into record production because of how I was part of writing the songs but the truth of the matter is; it always comes back to the same thing; it comes down to the song, it comes down to the truth of what the artist has to say, it comes down to making the artist feel so comfortable that they can open up and give to you because songwriting is a giving process. It is also being able to be constructively critical and not just critical to the point where you make somebody feel bad but that's just about life in general. So; what do I try to do when I'm developing an artist? I try to make them be the best they can be. Billy Joel once made this great statement, "Exploit your strengths and hide your weaknesses" and that's all you have to do in the position I'm in; help people do that."
"I think the truth of the matter is," he continued, "There are different kinds of artists. When someone is truly, truly an artist, you don't sway them and a lot of times, they're just not malleable and they are going to fight you tooth and nail and they are just not gonna let you change them. Then there are other times where you have artists who they don't really know who they are or what they want to do; they just know that they want to do this and they're looking for anybody or anything to crack the code for them. I think that, often times with record companies old school A and R, old school; I mean the Ahmet Erteguns and the George Martins of the world; when they were the original A and R guys, these were the guys who could also produce records, they could go into a studio and help guide the artist through. They didn't try to change them, what they tried to do was make what they had better. If that meant bringing in a song, they brought in a song, if that meant making a subtle suggestion to try this or try that, they'd do it; they never forced anybody to do it. Go back to the Motown days, look at all of the great Motown artists, not many of them were really good songwriters, they were great interpreters of what other people wrote. The Temptations were built upon what Smokey Robinson first wrote for them. Smokey Robinson was the great songwriter, Berry Gordy was the great artist developer; the key main voices in that band were David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks and they were handed these great songs to sing. When you first think about Aretha; did she come out singing her own songs? No, she came out singing Gospel songs and then worked it from there. Otis Redding was this great singer who, when he finally got the chance to sit with Steve Cropper who was a great songwriter; arguably when you look at his history he's one of the greats of all time; they found this thing that worked with each other. Otis and Steve trusted each other and that helped build that and it fast forwards to today, it has never changed over the course of time. Jam & Lewis, two of the great songwriters of the modern era; what do they do? They work with artists to help find what made them the best. They very rarely did one-off songwriting things, they wrote records with artists. I think record companies now are chasing things; A and R doesn't mean Artist and Repertoire, it means Analytics and Research now. It is an unfortunate thing but at the end of the day, when you look at things that become hugely successful and have long legs, it's usually because there was a team of people involved that stuck to their guns and I prefer to be that guy. So, if you go back and chase my career, you'll see that I spend a lot of time with artists that I work with. Sometimes people come to me as a one-off making a record and I'll end up making a record off of the material they have or I'll like the record and I'm hired to do that and if they like what I do, they'll come back to me to do more and if not, they'll move on to the next producer or the next songwriter."
As previously mentioned, Swersky is all about helping and nurturing young and/or local talent. He takes great pride and satisfaction in being part of their growth. However, there are also some who have already grown yet are still following childhood dreams.
"So, another thing that is great for the soul; how do I put this? It doesn't make a difference how old you are or what point your life is at, you should never, ever, ever live your life in would'a, should'a, could'a-ville. That is a terrible way to leave this earth and one of the things that I've had the real ultimate pleasure of doing is getting to work with artists that didn't start out in the music business. They didn't even want to be in the music business but they have always loved music. Whether they started as just fans of music or as I say, closeted in their rooms trying to write songs and do things trying to make their art become better; they have found me and I've been able to help them fulfill some of their wishes and dreams. I've done a lot of that over the last seven or eight years and somebody we happen to know very well and how we actually met each other; the wonderful Helen O'Shea; she has become like family to me. She has gone on to write some fantastic songs, I've helped her in the studio, I've watched her evolve from being somebody who was afraid to do it to someone who is now so confident that I hear she stole the show at the Hopewell Theater a while back. She is just following her path and her dream; she's a doctor, she's a doctor and now she's not a doctor (laughs). She is no longer practicing medicine, she's a full-time mother and full-time songwriter and artist; bless her. I've continued to work with people like her, Jo Wymer and Christine Martucci who have fantastic careers in their own right who I'm trying to help continue to evolve so they can find that brass ring for themselves. Frankly, artists from all over the world, whether I can go to them or help them remotely; I'm trying to help artists find a way to get their voices out there and their songs and message out there in a way that translates to people understanding them and getting to know who they are. Success is not measured by how many records you sell or how much money you've made; success is based upon you believing that you're putting your best foot forward and that you're giving people the part of you that matters the most in the best way that you can do that."
Trust is huge in Marc's world but he also confesses; so is timing. Like the old Paul Masson commercial featuring Orson Welles from 1979, "We will sell no wine before its time;" he feels the same about songs.
"Part of doing what I do is, I tell people that I think I am their friend, their brother, their uncle, the shrink, their chef, their sommelier, I'll clean their house; whatever I have to do to earn their trust is what I try to do. I think that's what makes it but sometimes people aren't receptive towards it and one of the things that you have to learn and I'm guilty of this myself; is knowing when to walk away from something because that' a talent all of its own, Hey, let's talk about right here in New Jersey, you've got Bruce Springsteen who is about to drop a ten record set onto the world of records he made years ago and he's notorious for throwing full records away; they don't get thrown away, they get put into a vault. When the time is right, that's when you bring a song out and sometimes, a song is like a child; it will grow up when it wants to. Some children are late bloomers and some come out of the gate just firing away but I think that is the hardest thing to realize; not everything you do is brilliant and not everything that you do is brilliant for today and also, perfect isn't perfect. That is totally subjective as to what perfect means and we're all guilty of it. When I work with somebody and they send me a song and then call me up and say; "What did you think of it?" I'll always preface it by saying, this is just my opinion and I'll also preface it by saying, what I'm saying has nothing to do with you as a person. This is just about your song or about your art and if I tell them that I don't get them, I want them to know that it's not that I don't get them as a person, it's that I'm just not clicking with their music. The other thing I won't do is, work on something that I don't like. It is a tough road, it's very subjective. If you send me a song today, I might listen today and not get it but it may pop-up somewhere a week or a month or a year later and I can listen to it and say, oh wait a minute, I like this and do you know why I might like it today? Because the sun was shining from a different direction or I may have a different color on and that's why songs are like children; they grow up when they are ready to grow up. I have songs that I truly think are phenomenal songs that haven't seen the time of day and may never see the time of day because they may not find that magical moment. One of the great stories in music over the last 25 years is that song that launched Natalie Imbruglia's career, "Torn." That song was kicking around and I think it was recorded by 14 other people and why was it recorded by 14 other people? Because it is a great song but it took her and that moment in time to make that song be what it was. I really think that is what art is all about and I think that's what so many people don't understand. I'll give you an example; I did a record for a fabulous young artist named Sal Boyd and the record was called, "Boyd USA" and I did it probably five or six years ago, maybe even longer. I found the record last year and my mouth fell on the floor and I thought, this is a brilliant record. This is truly great songwriting, great performances, everything is great about it. I called him up and said, Sal, I need to say something to you; thank you for asking me to help you do this record. I hope that one day you'll find it inside yourself to look back at the record and realize just how great it is and what you can do just by re-mixing the record; give it a brand new lease on life and let the world witness and appreciate this. I think one day he will do it when he is ready to do it but again, it is all sometimes timing for everything. Ultimately, when you are creating art, that's all you are trying to do; is get somebody to feel it, to experience it, somebody to give it a chance. It is the same thing when you go play a show, there are those who are just in the moment that will play to one person or 100,000 people the same way; they are going to give it to you, they're going to make you believe it. A lot of times it isn't always the best song that gets the notice, sometimes it's the performance. I'm not going to name artists but there was a very hugely famous singer/songwriter back in the late '80s and in the '90s and this guy would get cut after cut after cut and everything he put out would go on to be huge but they weren't the greatest songs but do you know what was great? His performance; his performance sold the song every time and when someone else tried to do the song it would fall flat and do you know why? Because it wasn't really that great of a song, they just couldn't perform it the way he could. It's just the truth, it comes back to that all of the time. One of the things that I like to implore to every young artist that I work with today is; go back and listen to the masters. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them; whether or not you like it, you need to appreciate it."
Those like Marc don't always receive the accolades and recognition they are entitled to and one may think: What? He's won two Grammy Awards! Ah, yes he has done so but you'll not see him in the public eye as the role he relishes is almost always behind the scenes.
"This is something that I can and will do until I'm not here anymore. It is what I enjoy, it's what I love and I always say, if I had re-written my life; I would've been a teacher. I love to help people, I love to watch people grow, I love to give them chances, I love to give people the ability to transcend to the other side of something.I get tons of stuff sent my way and if I'm not the right person to work on it, I will tell you but I will try to point you in the direction of someone who can help you.
Marc Swersky can be found at www.marcswersky.com which is where you can discover what it is he does and has done as well as read up on his Monocentric Music a full-service entertainment and production company.
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
Al's Airport Inn636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton(609) 883-5252
Thurs. 5 p.m. Jonathan Savage
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch (5 p.m.) Marc Hoffman
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Father's Day Brunch w/ Brian Elliot
Mon. 5 p.m. Bill Thomas
Tues. 7 p.m. Brian Elliot
Wed. 7 p.m. Skyline
Aristaeus Brewing2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA (215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 10 a.m. “Sunday Funday Brunch”
Arm & Hammer Park1 Thunder Road Trenton (609) 394-3300
Sat. 5:30 p.m. Stranger Things Rock
Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-8777
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Story & Verse: Outdoor Storytelling, Poetic & Spoken Word Open Mic
Sun. 4 p.m. Outdoor Juneteenth Concert w/ Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra of Princeton
Mon. 6 p.m. Weekly Open Drawing Studio w/ Live Model
Artworks Trenton 19 Everett Alley Trenton(609) 394-9436
Sat. 12 p.m. "Drawing From Life"
Ashlynn Distillery 32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA Thurs. 5 p.m. Cecil & Carl
Sat. 4 p.m. SoulShine
Bill's Olde Tavern2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton(609) 586-0192
Fri. 7 p.m. Black Brant
Sat. 7 p.m. Unleashed
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia
Tues. 8 p.m. / Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Ages 21+
Blend Bar & Bistro 911 Highway 33 Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Thurs. 7 p.m. Georgia Owen
Sat 12 p.m. "2023 Recipient Luncheon"
Blue Bottle Cafe101 East Broad Street Hopewell(609) 333-1710
Wed. 6 p.m. Brian Elliot
Bordentown CityFarnsworth Avenue Bordentown
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. (12 p.m.) Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 (5 p.m.) Street Of Dreams Car Show
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
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Jeffery Fadden Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sat. 7 p.m. Dave Dales Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Larry Tamanini (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour
Bristol Riverside Theater 2501 Bath Road Bristol, PA(215) 785-0100
Thurs. 7:30 p.m.
Fri. 7 p.m. Soul Cruisers
Broken Goblet Brewing2500 State Road Bensalem, PA(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook
Fri. 7 p.m. "Prom Night '80s Party" feat. Mike Estabrook & The Bad Chaperones. $75 (Includes Beer & Wine with Private BarTender, Food)
Sat. 8 p.m. Somerville
Sun. 11 a.m. Sunday Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Cornhole ($20 buy-in)
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Righteous Jolly
Bucks On Bridge25 Bridge Street Lambertville(609) 483-2615
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic Street Trenton (609) 695-9612
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam. $5
Sun. 3 p.m. Akiko. $20
Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton)
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Laura High, Dave Columbo. Hosted by Dean Blizzard. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 p.m.Laura High, Dave Columbo. Hosted by Dean Blizzard. $26.50, Doors open at 7 p.m.
Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA (267) 580-5469
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul
Club Atlantis1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 944-1777
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress
Clubhouse at Mountain View (The Patio)
850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing
(609) 538-0808
Thurs. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Color Me Mine (Princeton Shopping Center)
301 Harrison Street Princeton (609) 581-9500
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Daddy & Me" Ice Cream Social
Cooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 7 p.m. Eric Clapton Tribute w/ "Best of Clapton"
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (8 p.m.) A Tribute to Bad Co. w/ "Burning Sky"
Sat. 8 p.m. Shameless
Sun. (10 a.m.) Sunday "Jazz" Brunch w/ Victor Tarassov. $22.95 (Includes 2 Mimosas) $34.95 (Adults, kids ages 6-12 $14.95, kids under age 5 FREE)
Tues. 5 p.m. Salsa Tuesdays w/ DJ Jay Serrano
Wed. (7 p.m.) Blues Jam (7:30 p.m.) Complimentary Dance Class w/ Donna Boyle (8 p.m.) Disco “Hustle” Night w/ "Guest" DJ. $5
Cream Ridge Winery145 Route 539 Cream Ridge (609) 259-9797
Sat. (9 a.m.) "Run The Vineyards" (2:30 p.m.) Alex English
Crossing Vineyard and Winery1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA(215) 493-6500
Thurs. 7 p.m. Sunset Yoga
Sat. 2 p.m. Jim Nelsen
Sun. 2 p.m. Julia Melito
Cross Pollination Gallery2 North Union Street Lambertville (609) 213-6734
Fri. 5 p.m. "Friday Happy Hour." (Talk art, wine and musicians who bring instruments)
Sat. 5 p.m. "Second Saturday" feat. SiriOm Singh and the Soul Warriors
Curran’s Irish Inn1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Fri. 8 p.m. Bill Thomas
Sat. 8 p.m. The Beast
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 feat.
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo
Dadz Bar and Grill 744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jimmy Mannix
Fri. 10 p.m. Sugar Rush Rocks
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Edgar Anderson
Eddington House Bensalem2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA (215) 639-1220
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Tailspin
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Phase 3
Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-Joe
El Barrio Cantina & Tequila Bar1470 Buck Road Southampton, PA (267) 685-0725
Sat. 8 p.m. Keep The Change
Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA Fri. 6 p.m. Some Assembly Required
Tues. 6 p.m. Karaoke
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown
(609) 899-7447
Fri. 9 p.m. Sara Guttmann
Sat. 9 p.m. Frank Pinto & the Gypsy Ramblers
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 Bar6700 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"
Sat. 8 p.m. Darlin' and the Dogs
Tues. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night Hosted by Best Choice Productions
Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA (215) 504-7277
Fri. 8 p.m. Fat Mezz
Sat. 8 p.m. JDuo
Grover's Mill Coffee House Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction
(609) 716-8771
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge
Halo Pub4617 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square (609) 586-1811
Sat. 7 p.m. Diane Chiorello & Joe Kramer
Hamilton Tap & Grill557 US Route 130 North Hamilton
(609) 905-0925
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ Nebbs
Sat. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Sun. 11 a.m. Father's Day Brunch
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia
Happy Apple Inn 29 Imlaystown Road Cream Ridge(609) 259-7889
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. "Angel's Envy Tasting" $75 (Includes tasting, cocktails of the night, choice of 3 entrees, giveaways)
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7 p.m. Funk & Blues Jam Hosted by The Slidewinder Blues Band
Fri. ( 8 p.m.) Led Zeppelin Tribute w/ "Lords of Valhalla" $35 (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Dance Party
Mon. (9 p.m.) "Lipstick Mondays Drag Show" Hosted by Cyannie Lopez (11 p.m.) Karaoke w/ Dwayne
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Just Us
Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM Fransisco (1 p.m.) Catmoondaddy (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. DJ Darius The 1st
Sun. 2:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Darla and Rich
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W.
Sat. 8:30 p.m. All Lit Up
Mon. 7 p.m. Motown Mondays w/ rotating DJs BeeNice, Rawskillz, JusGroove
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
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night
Sun. 9 a.m. Father's Day Car Show
Iron Plow Vineyards26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Bob O & Beth
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Sun. 2 p.m. Bob & Dave
Iron Plow Vineyards Tasting Room61 High Street Mt. Holly
(732) 306-9111
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Carrie McCay
Ivy Tavern3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton (609) 888-1435
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
Sun. 8 p.m. Karaoke Latinos / Ladies Night
All shows 21+
John & Peter's96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 8 p.m. Bird Streets & John Gallagher Jr
Fri. 9 p.m. Righteous Jolly Album Release Show w/ Hubbell Benson
Sat. 8 p.m. Gas Powered Trees, The Women's NHL, Trailer Swift, Rachel Ana Dobken
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Comedy Night w/ Mike Dialto feat. (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.)
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Killarney's Publick House1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton(609) 586-1166
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Mark Sacco
Fri. (5:30 p.m.)Kenny Dubman Duo (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Sat. (2 p.m.) PRIDE Party (10 p.m.) DJ BayNice
Sun. (10 a.m.) "Sunday Funday" Father's Day Brunch (12 p.m.)
Mon. (4 p.m.) "Yappy Hour" (8 p.m.) "Industry Night"
Wed. 6 p.m. Kickoff to Summer Party w/ DJ Jimmy G
King George Inn 102 Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA(215) 788-5536
Sun. 6 p.m. Joe (Solo of Joe & Krista) (Takes place in the gazebo/patio behind the inn on waterfront)
Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 11 Bridge Street Lambertville (609) 397-8300
Sat. 12 p.m. Laurie Vosburg
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt (609) 752-0200
Thurs. 7 p.m. Wine & Chocolate Pairing. $40
Fri. 7 p.m. '80s dance Party
Sat. 11 a.m. "Father's Day Weekend Cars & Cigars" feat. (1 p.m.) Cornhole Tournament. $40 (Per team) / Anjelia Bella (7 p.m.) Country Line Dancing
Sun. 10 a.m. "Father's Day Weekend" Brunch. $59 ($30 children ages 6-12, ages 5 and under FREE)
Lawrenceville Main Street 17 Phillips Avenue Lawrenceville(609) 219-9300
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Music In The Park" feat. "Bach to Rock" w/ Lawrence Community Concert Band. (Weeden Park FREE admission)
Lillipies Bakery30 North Harrison Street Princeton (609) 423-2100
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff
Magikava87a 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 hosted by Fayema
Makefield Highlands Golf Club1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA (215) 321-7000
Fri. 6 p.m. Pennington Station Band
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (215) 949-9570
Sat. 9 p.m. Midnight Sun
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night
Mercer County Park Festival Grounds Hughes Drive/Old Trenton Road West Windsor
(609) 448-1947
Sat. 12 p.m. Juneteenth Finale Celebration
Morven Museum & Garden55 Stockton Street Princeton (609) 924-8144
Fri. 7 p.m. "The Barber of Seville"
Sat. 7 p.m. Attacca Quartet & American Repertory Ballet
Mon. 7 p.m. Will Liverman Vocal Recital
Wed. 7 p.m. Mazel Tov Cocktail Party
Music Mountain Theater1483 Route 179 Lambertville(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "Something Rotten"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "Something Rotten"
Sun. 3 p.m. Something Rotten"
Music On Main25 East Main Street Yardley, PA
Sat. 6 p.m. James Day and the Fish Fry
Naked Brewing Company 212 Mill Street Bristol, PA
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Mojo and the Helper Monkeys
Sat. 7 p.m. Low Totem
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Nassau Presbyterian Church61 Nassau Street Princeton Sat. 5 p.m. Classical Music Concert: "Culture for Understanding and Tolerance #5"
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA (215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night w/ Lunch Money Quizzo
Sun. 2 p.m. Summer Dollar Days: "Jaws"
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Cornhole League
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
New Hope Winery / Tavern 6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA (215) 794-2331
Thurs. 8 p.m. Eric Elison, Lightfoot of the Rockies
Fri. 8 p.m. Tribute 2 Prince w/ "Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones"
Sat. 8 p.m. Janis Joplin Tribute w/ "Experience Janis"
Newtown Athletic Club 120 Pheasant Run Newtown, PA (215) 968-0600
Fri. 6 p.m. Some Assembly Required
Mon. 12 p.m. Summer Solstice Celebration
Newtown Brewing Company103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA (215) 944-8609
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Naughty" Trivia
Fri. 6 p.m. Sister Blue
Sat. 6 p.m. Two For Flinching
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night
Nick's Roast Beef4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. (6 p.m.) Jack Kidd (9 p.m.) LeCompt
Sat. 9 p.m. Fat Mezz
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Nomad Distilling Company20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Nottingham Tavern 9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square (609) 587-6623
Thurs. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Deep Release
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 Hights Brewing 123 West Ward Street Hightstown (609) 469-5976
Thurs. 7 p.m. June Game Night
Fri. 6 p.m. Mike Montrey Duo
Old Town Pub135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Radio Fiction
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 6 p.m. Taco Tuesday w/ Radio Fiction
Palmer Square 40 Nassau Street Princeton Sat. 12 p.m. Spring Music Series feat. Zaire
Pasquale's Sports Bar 9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA (267) 202-6268
Thurs. 9 p.m. Beer Pong
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Patriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville (609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Princeton Country Club1-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. 10:30 a.m. "A Fluid Art Experience" w/ Adriana Groza
Sun. 11 a.m. Watercolor Floral Workshop
Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza)
65 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-9529
Fri. 7 p.m. "Dancing Under The Stars"
Princeton University (Richardson Auditorium)
Nassau Street Princeton
Sat. 8 p.m. "Earth Angel" feat. Eastern Wind Symphony and Eastern Wind Symphony Youth Band. $20
Puss N Boots Tavern942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PAFri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Restart The Arts 325 High Street Burlington
Sat. 6 p.m. Risqué Pottery
Revere Restaurant802 River Road Ewing
(609) 882-6365
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bad Hombres Duo
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. Len Piero Duo
Sat. (11:30 a.m.) Brunch (7 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo
Wed. (7 p.m.) Megan Knight (9 p.m.) Greg McGarvey
Robbinsville Senior Center 1170 Route 130 North (Folsom Way) Robbinsville
(609) 259-1567
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. "Step Up" Summer Session Line Dancing for Beginners
Rose Bank Winery 258 Durham Road Newtown, PA (215) 860-5899
Sat. 2 p.m. "Tastings & Tunes in the Buckman Barn" feat. Aaron Quarterman
Rossi's Bar & Grill2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton(609) 890-2004
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
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
Sun. 9 a.m. Anchor House Bake Sale & Coffee Hour
Second Sin Brewing Company1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs.7 p.m. Trivia
Shady Brook Farm 931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA (215) 968-1670
Thurs: 6 p.m. Joe & Krista
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. Bangarang. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat. "Party On The Patio" feat. (2 p.m.) Rob Creidler (6:30 p.m.) Joe Rebl
Sun. "Party On The Patio" feat. 2 p.m. Joe Lestochi
Sherman Theater/Penn Community Bank Amphitheater 2400 Byberry Road Bensalem, PA
Wed. 7 p.m. Tribute to Queen, Styx and Boston w/ "The Launch" (Doors open at 5:30 p.m., tickets available online)
Slim's Irish Pub 2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
Sat. 8 p.m. Jeds Gold
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. Odessa Klezmer Band
Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-2321
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Deuce Brothers
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
Wed. 8 p.m. Timi Hendrix & Jake Bass
Stars & Stripes Harley Davidson600 South Flowers Mill Road Langhorne, PA
(215) 752-9400
Fri. 5 p.m. Hot Rods & Harleys
Steam Pub 606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Tonka
Sat. 10:30 p.m. DJ Finnesse
1675 at The Ridges4666 East Bristol Road Trevose, PA
(215) 876-6868
Sat. 2 p.m. J'MO Acoustic Graduation Party Bonanza
1675 Spirits 2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Fri. 6 p.m. Joe & Krista
Sat. 6 p.m. Porch
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G
Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Temperance House5 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. "Sunset Sips 'N' Sounds" feat. Ragtime Relics
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Joah Blume
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Chris P
TGI Fridays 780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910
Sun. 9 p.m. Trivia Game Night / SIN Sundays
Wed. 7 p.m. "Not One Peep" Paint Nite w/ Priya. $35
TGI Fridays2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
TGI Fridays3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night
The Birdhouse Center For The Arts7 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. Love Junk
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (9 p.m.) Mostly Harmless
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo
The Cool Cricket216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. Asylum Choir
The Dubliner34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Sat. 7 p.m. Andrew Koontz & Bill O'Neal
Sun. 2 p.m. David Falcone
The Federal Twist Vineyard 8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066
Sat. 2 p.m. MLC Band. $5
Sun. 2 p.m. Paul Plumeri Band. $5
The Five Four Bar & Grill8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam
Fri. 9 p.m. Buzzer Band
Sat. 9 p.m. Se7en
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Chris Benedetti
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
The Morrisville Tavern 376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Dragsville
Sat. 8 p.m. Never Enough
Sun. 3:30 p.m. Music Bingo
Mon. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night Comedy and Music
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night
The Newtown Theatre120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Sat. 8 p.m. An Evening of Hendrix w/ Greg Sover
The Roost181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala
The Sycamore Grill255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA
(215) 908-6326
Fri. 8 p.m. Kickbax Acoustic Trio
Sat. 8 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle
The Tavern at Penns Park 2295 Second Street Pike Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5658
Fri. 7 p.m. Leading Zero
Thomas Sweet Ice Cream183 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 683-8720
Sat. 7 p.m. Backtrack
Tindall Road Brewing Co.102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 526-8651
Sat. 7 p.m. '80s Night w/ The Emulators
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions"
Tues. 8 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Jerry & John Monk
All Shows 21+
Trenton Social449 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 Church33 Mercer Street Princeton
(609) 924-2277
Thurs. 7 p.m. Boyd Meets Girl
Under The Moon 23 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 397-1710
Fri. 6 p.m. Ed Wall
Sat. (12 p.m.) Lea Menaker (6:30 p.m.) The Lifters
Wed. 5:30 p.m. Tony Alosi
VANEFRANCODANCE23 Hankins Road Hightstown
(609) 635-3572
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Beginner Bachata (8 p.m.) Beginner Salsa. $18
Fri. (7 p.m.) Advanced Bachata (8 p.m.) Advanced Salsa. $18
Vault Brewing Company10 South Main Street Yardley, PA
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Dave Posmontier Duo
Sat. 7 p.m. Blue Chip Trio
Vault Smoke House19 West College Avenue Yardley, PA
(267) 907-8550
Thurs. 6 p.m. SoulShine
Wildflowers Inn2572 Pennington Road Pennington
(609) 773-239
Thurs. 6 p.m. Rob Silvers
Working Dog Winery610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Sat. 1 p.m. Gary Cavico
Sun. 1 p.m. Spoondrift
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 RadioMCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 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 7:000pm EST on multiple internet radio outlets where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
FEATURED EVENTS
Todd Rundgren: ME/WE
Thursday, May 02, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music
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TAIKOPROJECT
Thursday, May 02, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music
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Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beach Band
Friday, May 03, 2024 @ 8:00pm
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99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701
category: music
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LATEST NEWS
Martell's Tiki Bar to Host Fundraiser for Teddy B. of The Sensational Soul Cruisers
(POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ) -- There will be a fundraiser for Eric Barney aka Teddy B. on Friday, May 10, 2024 at Martell's Tiki Bar with entertainment by The Motor City Revue, Carlton J. Smith, High in the Mid 80's and MC Johnny Mac. The event runs from 7:00pm to 11:00pm and is for 21 and over. If you cannot make the show but wish to help, a GoFund campaign has been set up for Teddy B. as well.
State Theatre New Jersey presents Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - The Last Encores
Bay Atlantic Symphony's Breaking Away! Concert Concludes Season this Weekend
John Conte talks about Early Elton Trio who comes to The Vogel on Saturday
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