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Lucy Kaplansky (with special guest Dave Vargo)

Saturday, April 18, 2026 @ 8:00pm



Jersey Shore Arts Center
66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756

Lucy Kaplansky is an acclaimed singer-songwriter of rare talent, “a truly gifted performer with a bag full of enchanting songs” (The New Yorker) and “the troubadour laureate of modern city folk” (The Boston Globe). She has released nine critically acclaimed CDs, two of which were awarded Best Pop Album of the year by the Association for Independent Music. National Public Radio described her 2012 album Reunion as “a master class in making the personal universal,” and National Public Radio’s Scott Simon called her new album Last Days of Summer, released in June 2022, “Absolutely wonderful….utterly beautiful and affecting… Lucy sings songs from her life with resonance in ours.”

Lucy was part of folk supergroup Cry Cry Cry with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell (which The New Yorker dubbed “a collection of lovely harmonizing and pure emotion”). Their album was an astonishing success in stores and on radio resulting in a national tour of sold-out concerts, as well as a national sold-out reunion tour in 2018.

Her recording of Roxy Music's "More than This" has over 12 million streams on Spotify, and she has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Morning Edition as well as BBC Radio 2 and 4, and CBS Sunday Morning, and has sung harmony on albums by Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. Her song “Guilty as Sin” was featured in the NBC television show Ed, and her vocals were featured in the Tom Cruise film The Firm.

Lucy continues to tour and receive airplay both nationally and internationally.  Her CD Ten Year Night is the #1 selling album of all time at Red House Records.  Lucy’s latest LP is The Lucy Story, unreleased & rare tracks 1976-2023.  The double album, released in early 2025, is comprised of mostly cover songs that were never released, a combination of album outtakes, live recordings and demos. Special guests include Richard Shindell, Dar Williams, Shawn Colvin, Tony Trischka, Andy Statman, Matt Glaser, Larry Campbell and Duke Levine.  The Lucy Story held the number one spot on the Folk Alliance International Folk Chart for the month of March, 2025!



New Jersey musician Dave Vargo wanted to play the guitar before he was even big enough to hold the instrument, so it’s no surprise that his life has been dedicated to its mastery. A graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Dave’s musical career has followed a windy path of notable experiences including solo recordings and performances, group collaborations, session work, performing with Phoebe Snow, Rupert Holmes and Vonda Shepard, as well as touring with musical sensation Whitney Houston. All have led to his current proclivity as a singer-songwriter who embraces a unique blend of the Americana, country, rock, and folk genres.




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UPCOMING EVENTS




 

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EVENT PREVIEWS

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center's Arts in the Community free summer concert schedule for 2026 has been announced. MPAC will present six free concerts between June and August. The lineup includes the return of three of their most popular events – Bollywood Dance Party, Country Line Dancing and Salsa at Sunset, as well as singer-songwriters, and more.



Classic

Classic American Tales' presents Tales at the Dormer House every Thursday

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- From June 4 through October 15, 2026 (except for July 2), Classic American Tales (CAT) once more presents Tales at the Dormer House in which guests are treated to lemonade and tasty treats while listening to stories written by noteworthy authors, read by a variety of performers. The schedule is 4:00pm every Thursday at the historic Dormer House Bed and Breakfast (800 Columbia Avenue) in Cape May, NJ. Performances are on the front porch, weather permitting.



East

East Lynne Theater Company presents "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" by Emily Mann

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The reimagined East Lynne Theater Company opens its Season Forty-Six with the extraordinary, real-life story Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Emily Mann, running June 18 to July 19, 2026 at the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Allen AME in Cape May.



Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater presents "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater's 2026 Children's Show is You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which runs weekends from June 20 to August 1, 2026. A beloved musical since its premiere in 1967, Clark Gesner brings Charles M. Schulz's "PEANUTS" characters to the stage. The musical ventures through the highs and lows of young life, from baseball and homework to young love and friendship. With an empathetic and whimsical eye, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown reminds us of the importance of connection and joy.



2026-27

2026-27 Season Preview: Split Level Concerts at Jersey Shore Arts Center

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Split Level Concerts at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC) in Ocean Grove has announced the full concert lineup for its third season. All shows will take place beginning at 8:00pm in JSAC's Palaia Theater. The season lineup includes Willie Nile, John Gorka, Dan Bern, Catie Curtis and Band, Stephen Kellogg, Abbie Gardner, Heather Maloney and Band, and Kim Richey. As they have done in prior years, artists from the Asbury Park music scene will open many of the shows.












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"Very well; and you? We're hoping you can come to The Lizzie Rose on Friday July 31; come as our guest, come enjoy the racket, it's a wonderful room to play," laughed the always jovial Conrad Warre of the Boston based blues/rock band Bees Deluxe as he discussed that upcoming Tuckerton show, their stop at Jamey's House of Music, their upcoming new record, the International Blues Challenge and more.




Frank Hanavan: "Natural & Plus"

Frank Hanavan's Hoboken is wet. In his streetscapes, surfaces glisten. The sky is rarely glowering, but it does seem full; ready to have something to say, or wrapping up something that it is busy saying. The canopy of foliage that hangs over the streetcorners feels saturated with moisture. Even the shadows on the sidewalk are puddle blue. Businesses have their umbrellas open. A few people do, too.




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas