Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...6/22/23

By Danny Coleman
originally published: 06/22/2023

One of the biggest events in Northern New Jersey is taking place this weekend beginning Friday June 23 and wrapping up Sunday June 25 is the "13th Annual Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival" at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. 

This popular and ever growing three day event opens at 6 p.m. on Friday and features two bands; Dead On Live and former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle and the Artimus Pyle Band. 

Saturday features five bands including a The Band tribute with The Weight Band, Devon Allman Project and classic rockers 38 Special.

Sunday has four bands including closers Samantha Fish with Jesse Dayton and Blackberry Smoke. Recently, Jesse Dayton discussed the upcoming show, his friendship and new album with Samantha Fish called "Death Wish Blues,"  his love of the Rolling Stones and more.

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"Well, I met Samantha 12 years ago when she was opening up for me at Knuckleheads in her hometown of Kansas City," he started. "I heard her before I saw her, I heard her backstage and I was like; who is playing that killer guitar? This guy said, "You've got to go down and see" and I went down there and there was this young girl down there shreddin' on guitar. I was like, oh wow! We met after the show and we just kind of kept in touch with each other and then her and her manager Rueben Williams who now manages me, came out to see me in New Orleans at my show and asked if I wanted to cut some songs together; that's kind of how it all started. It's pretty exciting because I have this whole other following and Samantha has this whole other following than I do. So, it's kind of like a whole new thing; ya' know? It's pretty cool because a lot of my fans don't know who Samantha is and a lot of her fans don't know who I am."

Dayton, who is a staple on Sirius XM's "Outlaw Country" is known for writing some colorful lyrics. He has penned songs with titles such as, "I'm at Home Getting Hammered While She's Out Getting Nailed," "(Hotter Than A) Three-Peckered Goat" and "Daddy was a Badass" to which he attributes to his childhood environment as well as some popular influences but he also says, he's not just a satirical songwriter.

"A lot of it just has to do with growing up around a lot of Texas storyteller people; people out in the country. I grew up on the Texas and Louisiana border right by Cajun Country in Beaumont, Texas.The high school I went to was 90 percent black and then I also grew up out in the country around a lot of old country people and then there is also that Texas singer-songwriter tradition that I love like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark; I've put as much time into my writing as I have my guitar playing; the 10,000 hours as they say."

"I mean, it's kind of a weird thing," he went on, "Because when you write a novelty song like, "I'm at Home Getting Hammered While She's Out Getting Nailed" then that's what people think you do but I also write a lot of serious songs. I grew up listening to Jerry Reed and Roger Miller and those are all super witty kinds of songs and I love that stuff. I write so many different songs and I try to write everything from Philly Soul to Chicago Blues to Outlaw Country to ballads."

Continuing, Dayton says his journey down this path started when he was up late one evening watching television as a youngster. 

"It happened when I was a little kid, I saw Chuck Berry on the Johnny Carson show and he did the duck walk and I knew right then that was what I wanted to do. I'm still a huge Chuck Berry fan, nobody writes more witty lyrics than Chuck. He had the whole thing, he looked great, he was a showman, he was an entertainer; he was Bob Dylan's favorite songwriter; John Lennon's favorite too."

So, with these influences and playing lead guitar for country greats such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell and Waylon Jennings to name a few; how will his and Samantha's styles play out on stage? 

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"This is a whole duet tour so we actually play all the songs off the new record; this is the first band I've ever been in where we've literally gone out and played every song off a new record. Some of those songs are duets and some feature Samantha with me on lead guitar and some feature me singing with Samantha on lead guitar. So, it's a pretty cool tourl because we get to be Mick and Keith; the Rolling Stones are my favorite all-time band, I've seen them 23 times."

The Rolling Stones? Wait; so the guy with the heavy country and blues influences is a Stones fan? Dayton says it's an image thing which attracted him to the original "Bad Boys" of Rock 'n' Roll.

"I've always been attracted to the bad boy thing, the underdog. I've always cheered for the underdog, my favorite film is "Goodfellas" and I kind of always liked the gangsters more than I did the cops and with Mick and Keith; I think that The Beatles kind of overshadowed the fact that Mick and Keith are great songwriters. I also think that they are the coolest band ever in terms of the cool factor. The Blues is always the basic thing with those guys and a lot of people say that me and Samantha's new record has all of these different  types of genres and music on it but that's what all of those bands used to do back then. You'd hear Zeppelin do their version of a Jamaican song or the Stones do their version of a country song and we try to do that too."

So, what can we expect at "Rocks, Ribs and Ridges" and beyond for the pair?

"I'm not sure if we are playing 90-minutes or just an hour, wait, I believe it's an hour-and-a-half. So, you're gonna get the whole show and it's a super high energy show and in the middle of the show we actually come out and play a couple of acoustic songs by ourselves which is really cool too." 

"I'll be out with Samantha until next year but Samantha and I are both taking our solo bands out separately in September and I've got a record coming out that Shooter Jennings produced and Shooter is a real hot producer right now; he's been winning Grammys rightly for the last few years. So, I went to L.A. and made a record with him so that will be my next follow-up to this record and it's due out next year but I think a single comes out in September."

To purchase individual day or weekend passes for the event, please visit Rockribsandridges.com and to discover more about Jesse Dayton and/or Samantha Fish, please visit https://www.jessedayton.com/ and https://www.samanthafish.com/ 

"The feeling is real, the emotion is mostly the whole thing," is how solo artist Jeffrey Gaines feels about music and his music will be on full display when he takes to the stage of The Lizzie Rose Music Room in Tuckerton, NJ also on Friday June 23 for a 7:30 p.m. show. 

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Throughout most of his music career, Gaines has gone it alone as a solo act and over the course of his travels, he has done one thing above all others and that is be authentic but it wasn't until he released a re-recorded version of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" circa 2001 that the world got it's opportunity to really see what this talent from Harrisburg, PA was all about. 

Seemingly, after its release, doors, along with those eyes opened and Gaines has gone on to tour with such greats as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Heart, Tori Amos, Tracy Chapman, Sting, Bryan Adams, Stevie Nicks and many more and the interesting thing about it is; it doesn't matter to him the size of the room or audience, it's all about the music. 

After seeing him perform, just one man and his acoustic guitar, one can't help but wonder why he chose the solo journey. Most musicians want the comfort and security of having others to share the stage or to write material with but not necessarily Gaines. When asked if he has ever felt "Naked" on stage without a supporting cast to cover any mistakes or missteps; he let that authenticity take over. 

"I'm currently promoting and focusing on my Lizzie Rose performance," he began in those deep rich tones for which he's known. "I've never been in a band that is slick; ever. There are the types of groups that are very finished like wedding bands who work on perfection and perfection only. All of my influences and bands that I ever grew up listening to were either solo or naked. The Clash was naked, The Ramones were naked, something could always happen. The point of why you even wanted to do it was to be revealed. You weren't putting on a facade, you were showing yourself; Patti Smith with The Patti Smith Group, even right now to this very day, everything that comes to her mind is immediately woven into the show and it can go anywhere all of the time. It doesn't matter, no one is going to be sticking to a script or a rehearsed performed thing; they are going to be in the moment, interacting with the audience and you've got to keep it loose and ever changing. So, if I start a song in the wrong key and it's just not natural for me, I never consider that a mistake other than a revealing of the truth and the truth isn't a mistake. I never take the stage hoping to conceal the truth from you because everything I've ever written has been the raw truth that most people probably would hide but I've already written that into the song. I've already written that into what you've purchased; when you bought the album there were already mistakes. When you bought the album there was, oh, maybe a guy shouldn't be writing about that on a debut album, you probably shouldn't have told that truth if you're trying to conceal but it is within my nature to just be genuine so, I included all of that stuff."

Jeffrey's bread and butter are his live performances and he doesn't necessarily care about making a studio record just for the sake of putting something out to remain in the public eye. Here too, honesty plays a large part as does perhaps a bit of nostalgia. 

"I think of making new records but for me, when the record stores were kind of disassembled and there was no Tower Records etc; I mean, there is still some pockets of little mom and pop stores but that whole chain of command and the distribution from the label to the distributor to the store; the whole nature of that is what really inspired me to make records. I was the kid who would hang out in the record stores listening to music and seeing all of the new stuff and that whole ritual being broken down like that kind of takes away some of the interest in making physical records. People don't have players for the format; I took vinyl out on the road and everybody wanted to touch it but they didn't have a record player. Then the labels; everybody wants to put out a single at a time and they want to make bets on the success of one song at a time creating the writer who can come up with some sort of firework; a one song firework that will catch fire and become something and that's not that interesting and it's also seemingly not that interesting to society. So, it kind of diminishes a little interest in that, for me anyway. So, what I'm kind of left with is the live gig and that experience and keeping that going and as far as a next record; there is always songs, be they mine or someone else's because a lot of people have had a lot of success just singing really good songs, singing other songwritier's songs. So, if it comes down to that; I'm writing because it's what I do but do I feel that what I have to say is clicking with society at large right now on a mass scale? Less so. So, you make records if they don't cost you too much and then you don't press up a bunch of them, you don't press up that many. So, when you think about the diminishment of that model, then I don't know and it really comes down to just that; I don't know. Making albums and making records; is that going to be just a little ego project for me to just make a record of songs that are already in my head? I can't know what the public wants until the public demands it but I don't want to start force-feeding you albums that nobody is buying so, we'll have to see. We'll have to see how the demand goes. My last studio record was 2018 I believe but I don't really think about that kind of stuff too much; you make them and keep on moving. As soon as I'm out of the studio I'm off that record so, that time has kind of gone by. I have two live records, "Live In Europe" and "Live at The TLA." I do live records, they are easy to do; if you just start making tapes of your shows you can compile some of the best sparked moments of a tour or of the year so yeah, I have those. I never got into this for sales, I was singing and enjoying myself playing in bands and then you get sort of solicited by a label; I didn't solicit the label. Somebody sees you playing on Bleeker Street in New York or in The Village playing a gig and then somebody comes up to you and hands you their card and says, "We've got an idea that you could make records for us" and you read their contract and agree to it but somebody else got that ball rolling first and then when that situation kind of falls by the wayside; you resume back into your personality. My personality, I really don't push myself on people which is sort of weird but it has been my life's nature; I'd have to almost become another human being to want to go around telling everybody, hey, I've got a record and you should have it (laughs). It's like dating and going up to somebody and saying, hey, you should go out with me (laughs). Somebody who finds you attractive will come up and start talking; I don't really know how to Gwen Stefani it where it's like an overt, extrovert personality that I'd have to be and for me that has never been the case." 

A venue such as The Lizzie Rose Music Room is the perfect fit for a "Personality" such as Gaines. The intimate confines and atmosphere will accentuate his soulful vocals while allowing for the emotion of which he speaks to barrel through but to hear him tell it; it's much deeper.

"Actually, what you can expect is, if anyone cares about singers anymore; you'll have one of the best ones sitting right at the end of your feet. I know a lot of people like to go see great guitar players who play a lot of notes, who've put their 10,000 hours in and everybody is like, wow, look at all of those notes. I think that is what happens when I'm singing, there's never an out of intonation even when I'm effing around and it's pretty awesome. The contrast is and the only rub is about lyrics and singers; sometimes you're being critiqued on what you're saying. Sometimes what you're saying supersedes the way you're saying it which is why I'm also a fan of doing covers.When I'm doing a cover, no one is scrutinizing what I have to say and then they say, holy shit, now that I stopped listening to what he has to say, he can fucking sing (laughs). So, if I do some Peter Gabriel or something like that it's like, oh shit he can really sing because everyone stops listening to what I'm trying to say and sometimes I write songs and I might be trying to say something but ultimately, I'm only saying these things as a vehicle for the singer in me. The singer in me just needs some words and I've written some things that have moved people and have been there for them that made a whole lot of sense and opened their minds but that's just an incidental thing because what I'm trying to ultimately end up doing all of the time is be a singer. So, that will be happening; if anybody is still into that anymore. So, it really comes down to, hey music lovers, there's a guy doing just that, it's less about Jeffrey Gaines playing; look, I've made a lot of personal relationships. My audience is often filled with people like me and people who like me and are there to see me but it works if you're there to see music, that's really the forefront. That's why I keep showing up, it's not an ego thing, it's not a Jeffrey Gaines thing, it's about the collection of the imagined notes that fly up in the sky being harnessed and put through the microphone. The magic of music that floats all around and the chef can reach up and grab it and cook that up for you and deliver it in an instant. The minute he thinks it, it can materialize physically through the PA system. So, if anybody is into that, that's what will be happening. That's what I always think about because I'm always listening on that level and that is what gives me so much joy and always satisfying that; that thing in me is being satisfied when I go see me (laughs). When I go to a show and say, oh, I'm playing tonight, at least I'm gonna know that somebody is into doing it and it's gonna be like wow, this cat is really into doing this and that thrills me as I separate from myself and just key into listening to what's happening and that's pretty great and that's pretty awesome. A lot of people in this genre and in the rooms where acoustic guys and gals assemble; there might be less of that going on. Meaning, there are a lot of wonderful singer-songwriters who have intricate songs and they do a lot of talking through them, they narrate feelings through them and that's cool but my thing is more of an Aretha Franklin singer-songwriter. There is going to be some vocal gymnastics instead of just, "I gave my love a cherry that had no stone," and no, I'm not talking about it (laughs). It is really a hard thing and there are less people doing it and that's what I do know from going out and seeing other people. There are less people putting their ass into it which is fine and still entertaining and I just don't know but I bet that Friday June 23 is gonna be pretty awesome. I was there in 2019 and I'm excited to go back to the little Victorian gift shop. They are a nonprofit and I hope that everybody continues to support them." 

Tickets to see Gaines are $32 in advance and can be purchased at https://www.lizzierosemusic.com/ and to discover more about Jeffrey Gaines, please visit https://www.jeffreygaines.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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Allentown Borough
Main Street Allentown
Sat. 10 a.m. Faerie Festival

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Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Smooth Retsina Glow
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch (5 p.m.) Jerry Monk
Sun. 12 p.m. Sunday Acoustic Brunch 
Mon. 5 p.m. Jerry Hutchinson
Tues. 7 p.m. Brian Elliot
Wed. (4 p.m.) LGBTQ Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Jessica DiDonato  

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Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Tues. 4 p.m. Annual Pasta Dinner & Tricky Tray Benefitting The Jeremy Fund

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Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Fri. 7 p.m. Supertrain
Sat. 1 p.m. "2nd Anniversary Party" feat. (2 p.m.) High Tide Tom (4 p.m.) AudioPilot (6 p.m.) Mad Jupiter (8 p.m.) Foo Fighters Tribute w/ "Fave Grohl"
Sun. 10 a.m. “Sunday Funday Brunch” (2 p.m.) Matt Kresge

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Arm & Hammer Park
1 Thunder Road Trenton 
(609) 394-3300
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Stranger Things  
Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Sat. (3 p.m.) Artist Talk: Sue Collier of Family Recollections (7 p.m.) Café Improv
Mon. 6 p.m. Weekly Open Drawing Studio w/ Live Model

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Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cecil 

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Bahama Breeze 
3535 U.S. Highway 1 Princeton
(609) 799-3808
Sat. 6 p.m. Zig

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Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Fri. 7 p.m. Moot Davis
Sat. 7 p.m. Best of Clapton
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 8 p.m. / Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+

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Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery
58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Thurs. 6 p.m. Avi Wisnia
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo 

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Blend Bar & Bistro   
911 Highway 33 Hamilton 
(609) 245-8887
Wed. 4:30 p.m. Meet & Greet NJHP Team Members

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Blue Bottle Cafe
101 East Broad Street Hopewell
(609) 333-1710
Wed. 6 p.m. Brian Elliot

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Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. (11 a.m.) "History In Bloom" Annual Garden Tour (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. PJ Parker Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sat. 7 p.m. Jonathan Daddis Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Larry Tamanini (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 
Tues. 7 p.m. Bunker Band
Wed. 7 p.m. The Soul Cruisers

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Mike Estabrook
Fri. 7 p.m. Jah People. $5 
Sat. 8 p.m. Springton
Sun. 11 a.m. Sunday Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Cornhole ($20 buy-in)
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Righteous Jolly

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Brother's Pizza 
871 Highway 33 Hamilton 
(609) 586-2727
Wed. 6 p.m. Anthony Cannuli

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Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits 
31 Appletree Lane Pipersville, PA
(215) 766-7711
Fri. 5:30 p.m. John D's All Star Band

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Bucks On Bridge
25 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 483-2615
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia

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Cadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum)
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton 
(408) 335-4400 
Sat. 2 p.m. EO40 VIP/Artists Opening Reception & Award Announcements

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Candlelight Lounge 
24 Passaic Street Trenton  
(609) 695-9612 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam. $5
Sun. 3 p.m. Joe Ford, Norikio, Boone Byram. $20

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Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Stacey Kendro. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Jukia Scotti, Anita Wise. Hosted by Dean Blizzard. Doors open at 7 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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City Streets
510 Highway 130 South East Windsor
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9 p.m. Tanglewood

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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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Clubhouse at Mountain View (The Patio)
850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing 
(609) 538-0808
Thurs. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Riverdogs

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. (7 p.m.) '90s Tribute w/ "The Posers" (8 p.m.) Club Night w/ DJ Ages21+ 
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour w/ Jimmy Mannix (8 p.m.) Shorty Long and The Jersey Horns / DJ Jazzi
Sat. 8 p.m. Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute w/ "Street Survivors"
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 and BBQ Jam (7 p.m.) Complimentary Dance Class w/ Donna Boyle (8 p.m.) Disco “Hustle” Night w/ "Guest" DJ. $5 

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Cream Ridge Winery
145 Route 539 Cream Ridge 
(609) 259-9797 
Sun. 1:30 p.m. Ronnie Brandt 

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Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Pairing Wine, Cheese , Charcuterie
Fri. 7:15 p.m. "Summer Wine and Music Series" feat. The Soul Cruisers. $15 (advance), Doors open at 5 p.m., Ages 21+ 
Sat. 2 p.m. Bunny Barnes
Sun. 2 p.m. Bill Thomas  

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Cross Pollination Gallery
2 North Union Street Lambertville 
(609) 213-6734
Fri. 5 p.m. "Friday Happy Hour." (Talk art, wine and musicians who bring instruments)

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Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Fri. 8 p.m. Meshed Up
Sat. 8 p.m. Shawn Ryan
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 feat. Kate & Bob
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 w/ Jimmy Mannix
Fri. 7 p.m. Chelsea Rae and The Rescue
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Edgar Anderson  
Eddington House Bensalem
2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA 
(215) 639-1220 
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Low Totem
Sat. 8:30 p.m. The Shinkickers
Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-Joe

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El Barrio Cantina & Tequila Bar
1470 Buck Road Southampton, PA 
(267) 685-0725 
Sat. 8 p.m. Doyle

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Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA 
Fri. 6 p.m. Aaron Quarterman
Tues. 6 p.m. Karaoke

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Falls Township Community Park 
9125 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
Sun. 6 p.m.  Strictly '60s

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Fri. 9 p.m Masterpiece Party Band
Sat. 9 p.m. Joanna Caruso
Mon. 6:30 p.m. "Wine Pairing Event"
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia

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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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German American Society 
215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton 
(609) 585-5200
Sat. 7 p.m. Grateful Dead Tribute w/ "Rainbow Full of Sound."

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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.) Little Sister
Sat. 7 p.m. Dave Beck
Sun. 4 p.m. Harley & Daniel
Tues. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night Hosted by Best Choice Productions

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Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Fri.  8 p.m. Virus
Sat. 8 p.m. High Five Swan

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Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Sat. 11 a.m. Tour of Grounds for Sculpture

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

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Halo Pub
4617 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square 
(609) 586-1811  
Sat. 7 p.m. Blue Jersey Band

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Hamilton Tap & Grill
557 US Route 130 North Hamilton 
(609) 905-0925
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ Nebbs
Sat. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Hamilton Veterans Park 
1865 Yardville-Hamilton Square Road Hamilton  
Fri./Sat./Sun. 8 a.m. "Picklebrawl" Pickleball Tournament

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Havana New Hope
105 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.) AC/DC Tribute w/ "Live Wire." $30  (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Summer Dance Party 
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dwayne
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 

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Hopewell Train Station 
2 Railroad Place Hopewell
Sat. 1 p.m. PRIDE Family Picnic & Dance Party

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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.) Deb & Mike
Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM Fransisco (1 p.m.) Rainbow Fresh (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Winery Catz
Sun. 2:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Band

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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. 
Fri. (6 p.m.) Dane (9 p.m.) First Time Around 
Sat. 9 p.m. Ray Palmer Trio
Mon. 7 p.m. Motown Mondays w/ rotating DJs BeeNice, Rawskillz, JusGroove
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday w/ Tim Carney
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. 6:30 p.m. Jo Wymer Band
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Bud & Gerard Belviso
Sun. 2 p.m. Tom Fuller

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Iron Plow Vineyards Tasting Room
61 High Street Mt. Holly 
(732) 306-9111
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Carrie McCay

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John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Alex McMurray
Fri. 9 p.m. St. James & The Apostles / Sugar Burns
Sat. 9 p.m. The Tribe
Sun. (3 p.m.) Jamie & the Guarded Heart / Comprador & John Faye (9 p.m.) Meraki
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+

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Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Wayne Bilotti
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Radio Fiction (9 p.m.) Groove Pocket
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch feat. (12 p.m.) Anthony Cannuli (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch w/ DJ Jimmy G 
Mon. 7 p.m. PRIDE Themed Mixology Class (Reservations Required)

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King George Inn 
102 Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA
(215) 788-5536 
Sat. 6 p.m. Mike & Shanna
Sun. 6 p.m. Joe (Solo of Joe & Krista) (Takes place in the gazebo/patio behind the inn on waterfront)

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Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Stars of Laurita Idol Songfest Concert. $10 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Kricket Comedy feat. Dena Blizzard, Troy Moore, Cody Wright. $25 (Online only), doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. (10 a.m.) Car Show (11 a.m.) School's Out Food Truck Festival feat. Strictly '60s (2:30 p.m.) Take Five (6 p.m.) Vinyl Countdown. $13 (Advance, ages 20 and under and all school employees FREE)
Sun. 11 a.m. School's Out Food Truck Festival. $13 (Advance, ages 20 and under and all school employees FREE)

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Lawrenceville Main Street 
17 Phillips Avenue Lawrenceville
(609) 219-9300
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Music In The Park" feat. Alex Otey Trio (Weeden Park FREE admission)

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Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff
Sun. 11 a.m. New Yacht City 

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Locust Hall at Johnson's Farm
2691 Monmouth Road Jobstow 
(609) 723-2630  
Sat.6 p.m. Evening on the Farm 

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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 hosted by Fayema  

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Makefield Highlands Golf Club
1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 321-7000 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Jack Furlong  
Sun. 6 p.m. OSIP Gala Hosted by Jack Furlong. $100 (Black Tie Event) 

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McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Sat. 10 p.m. "Love is Love" Drag Show
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night

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Mill Hill Playhouse (Passage Theater) 
205 East Front Street Trenton
(609) 392-0766
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Trenton Makes Improv 2: The Sequel to the First Show

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More Than Q 
13 Klines Court Lambertville  
(609) 773-0072  
Sat. 2 p.m. Ed Wall
Sun. 1 p.m. Bill Ihling

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Morven Museum & Garden
55 Stockton Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8144
Sun. 4 p.m. "Peter and The Wolf" with Really Inventive Stuff

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

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Music On Main
25 East Main Street Yardley, PA 
Sat. 6 p.m. Lewis Brothers

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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. J'MO 
Sat. 7 p.m. WURL
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch w/ (1 p.m.) Greg Mcgarvey (6 p.m.) The River Drivers
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 
Sun. 2 p.m. Summer Dollar Days: "Jaws"
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Cornhole League

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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 Winery / Tavern 
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 794-2331 
Fri. 8 p.m. "SoulShine" The Allman Brothers Experience
Sat. 8 p.m. John Gorka

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Newtown Athletic Club 
120 Pheasant Run Newtown, PA 
(215) 968-0600 
Fri. 6 p.m. Aaron Quarterman  

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Useless Knowledge" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. Dana Collins Project
Sat. (3 p.m.) Magic by Jared (6 p.m.) Sister Blue
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night

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Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Fri. (6 p.m.) Keep The Change (9 p.m.) Tailspin
Sat. 9 p.m. Y'all or Nothin'
Wed. 7 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
Thurs. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Blind Lemon Pie
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Asylum Choir
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 Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Monk & Monk
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 6 p.m. Taco Tuesday w/ Radio Fiction 

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Palmer Square 
40 Nassau Street Princeton 
Sat. 12 p.m. Spring Music Series feat. Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn

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Pasquale's Sports Bar 
9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 202-6268 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Beer Pong
Sat. 9 p.m. Big Whiskey
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

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Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Sat. 8 p.m. No More Fences
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"

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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 Makes 
301 North Harrison Street Princeton 
Sat. 10:30 a.m. "A Fluid Art Experience" w/ Adriana Groza

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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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River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cara Cartney  
Fri. 7 p.m. Wendy Simon Duo 
Sat. (11:30 a.m.) Brunch (7 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo 
Wed. (5:30 p.m.) Zac Lawless  (9 p.m.) Greg McGarvey

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Rose Bank Winery 
258 Durham Road Newtown, PA  
(215) 860-5899
Sat. 2 p.m. "Tastings & Tunes in the Buckman Barn" 

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Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 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

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Saint Mark United Methodist Church  
465 Paxson Avenue Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-1286
Sun. 1 p.m. Line dancing for Beginners

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Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. (4 p.m.) Jake Against The Machine (7 p.m.) Trivia

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Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Thurs: 6 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. Screaming Broccoli. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat. "Party On The Patio" feat. (2 p.m.) Just Jeff (6:30 p.m.) Cara Cartney
Sun. "Party On The Patio" feat. 2 p.m. Brian Varhelyi

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Slim's Irish Pub 
2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
Fri. 8 p.m. SoulShine
Sat. 9 p.m. Jukebox Graveyard
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. The Rick Fiori Jazz Trio

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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
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL
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. Bev & Dan 

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Stars & Stripes Harley Davidson
600 South Flowers Mill Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 752-9400 
Sat./Sun. 12 p.m. Customer Appreciation Weekend w/ Bikini Bike Wash. (FREE beer, ages 21+) 

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Steam Pub 
606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA 
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Quigs
Sat. 10:30 p.m. DJ Aretto

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1675 Spirits 
2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. PayUs feat. Kris Ballerini

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Tara's Tavern 
1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown 
(609) 286-2300 
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G
Sat. 8:30 p.m. The Williamsboy  

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Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Fri. (8 p.m.) Tavern & Tiaras PRIDE Month Drag Show (Upstairs) (9 p.m.) Black Zeppelin 
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 
Fri. 7 p.m. Bad Hombres Acoustic
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 
Fri. 5 p.m. "Sunset Sips 'N' Sounds" feat. Jerry Steele
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Jerry Steele
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Bud Belviso (4:45 p.m.) Lolly Hopwood

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TGI Fridays 
780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910 
Sun. 9 p.m. Trivia Game Night / SIN Sundays

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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. Love Junk (Tavern) / The Jersey Beach Boys. $75 (Hall)
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (9 p.m.) Kirko
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. Thrown Together

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The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Sat. 7 p.m. Sean Fleming
Sun. 3 p.m. "Traditional Irish Session" 

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The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Sat. 2 p.m. Mark Margolies Band. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
Sun. 2 p.m. Ed Wall & JB Kline $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)

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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. (TBD)
Sat. 9 p.m. All Lit Up
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Chris Benedetti

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The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Guy Smiley
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Jah Guide
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. EMO Punk Rock 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. Summer Solstice Celebration w/ "The Promised Land Revival"
Sat. 8 p.m. Well Strung
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

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The Penguin Rocks/AsburyMusic
www.newjerseystage.com
Sun. 7 p.m. Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio feat. NEKTAR Drummer Ron Howden

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The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo 
Fri. 8 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Sat. 8 p.m. Bad Hombres
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala

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The Sycamore Grill
255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA
(215) 908-6326 
Fri. 8 p.m. Plush Duo
Sat. 8 p.m. RCJ Band

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The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by 7 p.m. Knowmads. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Fri. 8 p.m. 4130. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 p.m. The Lonely Ones w/ Special Guests. Doors open at 7 p.m., Ages 21+ 

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The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Fri. 8 p.m. Nobody's Business

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ThunderBowl Lanes NJ
423 east main Street Wrightstown
(609) 723-7914
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Audio Outlaws
Sun. 6:30 p.m. Joe from The Amptons

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Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows Ages 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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Trinity Church
33 Mercer Street Princeton
(609) 924-2277
Thurs. 7 p.m. Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" 

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Triple Sun Spirits
126 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-3057  
Fri. 8 p.m. John Brennan
Sat. 8 p.m. Chris Daniel
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Ed Packer

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Under The Moon 
23 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 397-1710
Fri. 6 p.m. Dan Kassel
Sat. (12 p.m.) Brad Staudle (6:30 p.m.) Russell Norkevich
Wed. 5:30 p.m. Chris Giakis

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VANEFRANCODANCE
23 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

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Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Tom Tallitsch Duo
Sat. 7 p.m. Tony Miceli Trio

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Wildflowers Inn
2572 Pennington Road Pennington 
(609) 773-239
Thurs. 6 p.m. Rob Silvers

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Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. Kevin McGowan
Sat. 1 p.m. Kevin McGowan
Sun. 1 p.m. Bob & Dave

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WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 Radio
MCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"

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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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