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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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EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a Spring Season of Jazz with free monthly jazz jams at Clement's Place and two special concert events inside the Victoria Theater. This series, running from September through June, is co-presented by NJPAC's Jazz Advisory Committee and Rutgers University–Newark's Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS). Immerse yourself in the relaxing sounds of jazz music that stimulate the players’ and listeners' minds.



PBS'

PBS' Independent Lens Launches 20th Season of Free Pop-Up Screening Series in Teaneck and Nationwide

(TEANECK, NJ) -- The award-winning PBS documentary series, INDEPENDENT LENS, presents the launch of the upcoming season of Indie Lens Pop-Up in partnership with the Teaneck International Film Festival and the Puffin Cultural Forum. The season kicks-off on February 4, 2026 with The Librarians and continues through May. The series is free for all but sign up is required.



Roxey

Roxey Ballet Turns Back Time with Journey Back to the 80's

(LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- Roxey Ballet invites audiences to rewind the clock and crank up the volume with Journey Back to the 80's, an electrifying dance experience that blends high-energy performance, live music, and immersive pre-show festivities. Running weekends from February 13 through March 31, this retro celebration is the perfect outing for Valentine's Day weekend and beyond.



State

State Theatre New Jersey presents The Sound Studio Series 2026

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey proudly presents The Sound Studio Series, an immersive musical experience that places concertgoers at the very heart of the performance. Held in STNJ's intimate Studio space, limited to just 80 attendees, The Sound Studio Series features a dynamic mix of both classical and rock performances. Each concert concludes with an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with the artists, offering fans a rare opportunity to connect directly with the performers. Tickets for the series are $20-$30.



Morven

Morven Museum & Garden's Grand Homes & Gardens returns with a new series for America's 250th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Morven Museum & Garden's popular speaker series Grand Homes & Gardens returns for 2026. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Freedom at Home: Telling the Full Story of America's Founding Homes and Gardens examines four estates belonging to five signers of the Declaration: William Paca, Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Thomas Jefferson, and Arthur Middleton.












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