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

By Danny Coleman
originally published: 06/23/2022

"Indeed! I can testify that I have lived and breathed this album for quite a few years trying to get it made and get it out," says a somewhat relieved and very excited Carla Olson about the June 17 release of "Americana Railroad," a collection of songs, simply put; about trains. 

Olson, whose music career is as well travelled as the very tracks she has romanticized about since her days growing up in Texas, has been a train buff since her youth and has carried her enthusiasm for the rails along with her to this very day which has led to the creation of this new compilation album. 

"Yeah, I was brought up in Austin, TX where the trains came through the center of town which was my neighborhood when I was a little child and also when I was a teenager," she began. "We really only had freight trains that came through Austin until, I don't know, maybe late '60s or early '70s. Then there was a passenger train that was called the Texas Eagle that came through but it only came through a couple of times a week; other than that, it was freight trains. When I was little, my brother and I had a Lionel Train set and would run it around the living room and put tracks together and make the little bridges and the cars and all that stuff. We lived in in Austin, near kind of the center of, town we had a fairly large house that was on a little parcel of land. We had chickens; my mother was born and raised on a ranch so, you know, she wanted to have her chickens," she said with a laugh as she described the semi-rural setting and its proximity to the rails. "So, we had our chickens until the town made us get rid of them but the trains, I could hear them at our house but also as we grew older and we would be walking home from school there'd be the train tracks between school and home and generally when we would leave school around 3 p.m. there would be one that would come through about 3:15 p.m. and where the tracks were, we had to cross over them to get from school to our house and if you were lucky, the conductor would wave to you or blow the horn. We were lucky that we had that in central Austin; it's kind of one of those things that you have a childhood memory of, putting pennies on the track so the train could mash them up. The power and speed of the trains; you'd wonder about where they were going and where were they coming from and then as you grew older you began more to wonder about getting out and going away from where you are from; not necessarily for a good or bad reason but just for the adventure of it. The trains would always blow the whistle because there were no guard gates. We didn't have that; we didn't have any gates that went down over the street so we just had to be careful because all we had were just the signals."

Olson took that mental wanderlust and moved out to Los Angeles circa 1978 where she formed the Textones with Kathy Valentine, Markus Cuff and David Provost where they quickly became fixtures in the L.A. New Wave and Punk scene but to hear Carla tell it; they really weren't that, "Punk." 

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"You know, I or we kind of got looped into that genre because I was from Austin in a time where there weren't any punk bands. The first band that I was playing in with Kathy Valentine; we had a band called The Violators, which seems like a punk band but we were not a punk band. We were doing Rolling Stones covers and rock covers; I mean, we worked in some punk songs but we just did a couple and I mean like one or two but it was mostly rock and roll. We had two guitars, bass, drums and you know we were loud, real loud but she and I came out to L.A. and started a band called the Textones and we ended up playing together for a couple of years after we left Texas and then she got an audition with the Go-Go's; their bass player got sick and the rest is history. So. I'm real proud of her; she's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and she's a diligent person, she's a very good mother and she's a fantastic musician and I'm proud to have been part of that moment. Yeah, we actually also played the Chestnut Cabaret in Philly and then we played at Irving Plaza in the city and once we played at Rockefeller Center for a charity event for African famine relief. We played there with Joan Jett and Darlene Love, Paul Shaffer and we had all kinds of crazy fun. We had a great time though, some really good times up that way and hope to get up there again."  

Olson speaks no less than five languages and utilizes her communication skills working with other musicians as a player, performer and producer but how did all of those roles "Translate" into the concept that would become "Americana Railroad?" 

"Well, we have two songs by Gene Clark of The Byrds and a song by Stephen McCarthy from the Long Ryders and one of the Gene Clark songs is a song that he wrote with Bernie Leadon from the Eagles; it was on the first Eagles album and it's called "Train Leaves Here This Morning" and then another song that he wrote called "I Remember The Railroad," which was not commercially released by Gene and it's a beautiful song and I always wanted to perform it and before Gene passed away in the early '90s we had talked about doing some kind of railroad project that would incorporate several of his railroad songs; he was a big railroad enthusiast. Then when Stephen McCarthy was in the Long Ryders, he had written a song called "Here Comes That Train Again" which we always loved hearing those guys play and it was on their first album in the '80s. My plan was to do a whole album of songs that related in some way, either metaphorically or not, about railroads or trains; so, that's how it came about. I guess somewhere around in the early 1990s or around then but we just didn't get it done. I mean, we were trying to get someone to help us finance it and back then there were not a lot of labels that wanted to do compilation albums; they were not wanting to do singer-songwriter, they wanted to do hard rock bands, They didn't really come to the table on this one like we had hoped and so we just finally self-financed it and got it together and tried to find someone that wanted to put it out. We were successful in finding BMG, which is a label based in Germany, based in Berlin and they have offices in America and they're also a publisher so, they were into it; what can I say? It's been great and we're glad that somebody saw the idea as a viable." 

Olson has worked with or in conjunction multiple industry heavyweights over the years; names like Mick Taylor, Percy Sledge, Ry Cooder, Don Henley, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan only scratch the surface of the list. So; how were the artists chosen for "Americana Railroad?" 

 "I think my husband and I found that those three or four songs; they were the start of it and we had the three; well, the two Gene Clark songs and the one Stephen McCarthy song and then we kind of cobbled together our favorite songs. Songs like "Mystery Train;" we're friends with Rocky Burnette who is Johnny Burnette's son from The Rock and Roll Trio and of course he used to perform that one when he was in his youth and there were other songs on the list; a particular one that comes to mind is the standard or one you could call a standard by Jimmie Rodgers called "Waiting On A Train" and that one was pitched to us by BMG, by the label. We also were talking to a couple of people like the guys from, do you remember the band I don't know you might remember them; they were called Rank and File? They were the Kinman brothers from California, Tony and Chip Kinman and they had this kind of pop band but they had a little western flair to it so they called them "Cow-Punk" and they had a song called "The Conductor Wore Black" and it was a metaphor for all of the bad things you did in life; you certainly ain't going to heaven so you know that one is like a standard in a way. I mean, listen to it and tell me what you think and then I've been working a lot with some local artists like Robert Rex Waller; a member of the band called the Icy Hots who are along the lines of a Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. They are kind of country, bluegrassy, folksy, funny guys and he recorded the song "Midnight Rail," the Steve Young song and that's one that should be a standard if it's not already; it's such a great song about working on the railroad and not really having any roots. You know, where they were just going all of the time and it's kind of one of those songs that we always felt was a real winner for this project. Kai Clark, Gene Clark's son, recorded "Train Leaves Here This Morning" for this project and Kai was, I don't know, maybe 10, 11 or 12 years-old when his dad had recorded that as a duet; some people called it the first unplugged Americana album and Kai turned out to be most incredible singer and songwriter, guitar player and so he's on this. There's other people like Peter Case; if you know Peter's work at all you know he's kind of a troubadour, a traveling troubadour and it's just him alone with his guitar and a suitcase and he goes around the world and plays all sorts of songs. The song "This Train" is the one that Sister Rosetta Tharpe arranged. "Whiskey Train" is also a metaphor song and I recorded that song with Brian Ray who is Paul McCartney's guitar player; he's the one on the right-hand side of the stage, he's the blonde guy. We recorded that Procol Harum song which is about alcoholism, "I gotta get off this whiskey train" and Brian produced that with me singing it; I knew the song but I had never sung it I'd certainly never played it and sang it until that day that we got together and he said, "Oh yeah, we gotta do "Whiskey Train" and there's a video of that coming out somewhere around the first of June. You can catch that hopefully on one of the platforms like YouTube and stuff like that." 

"I'm really hoping that the message gets out there to people through a couple of the songs from this album about the demise of rail travel," she continued. "That's the thing that we kind of have to remind people about; that trains are a part of the American fabric. This is what got America up and moving; you know? We were in a one-horse town situation and trains and the railroad got people moving across the country. So, it's real; if you are on a plane; how much you really see of America? You don't see a lot but if you're on a train, you're looking out the window and you're seeing much more. Well, without getting too sad, you'd see what was the Dust Bowl and areas in the Midwest and you'd see those things and it's more of a vibe. People would see so much more of this country if they were able to travel by train. My husband's grandmother; his mother just  turned 99 in January and she's doing fantastically but her mother was from Chicago and they used to take the Pullman from Chicago to Florida down to Boca Raton and stay down there during the winter months. That was their mode of travel and she would tell us all about it and it was fascinating how they were able to do so. I don't know how they could stand the length of time but I guess they did and that's just what it was but then again,  I come from a family where my mother rode a horse to school (laughs) and it was a mile-and-a-half ride of course so..."

So, with the release just days ago; are there any plans to do a promotional tour or series of shows? 

"We were toying with possibly setting up a whistle stop type of thing with stops at places like Penn Station; maybe do something like that but because of Covid it was really kind of put on hold because of the lack of ability to go anywhere. So, I'm not really sure what we're going to do but there's some things we are watching that seem like there's some light at the end of the tunnel and maybe we'll get up that way and do at least a few shows. Some people do live up there that are on this album but a lot of people are living in California and a few other places along the way. t We could try to do some kind of a whistle stop thing; I don't know if you're familiar with Dave Alvin's past but he used to have this band called The Guilty Women and it was just a kind of a combination of of women musicians and him or men and him and he wrote this song called "Southwest Chief" which was written about one of his whistle stop tours and he would go all the way from Chicago and back and take handful of musicians with him and they would get on and off at the train stations and play a couple songs for people while it was boarding; we might do something like that. It's a neat concept; either that or we might also just try to see if we can't put something together; maybe something like the city wineries or someplace where you know they have a US small enough they have a small room and a large so that possibly do something really intimate listening rooms. A lot of them are gone now; when I was with my buddy Todd we did a bunch of listening rooms up in the Northeast. We played in Ardmore, PA at a nice little listening room and that's not there anymore unfortunately and a couple of places in Bethlehem and over in Easton, PA. We would love to do shows up that way and hopefully we'll get back out on the road. My buddy Todd Wolfe played slide on "Midnight Rail" so you know there might be a few of us that might want to get out and stretch our legs and do the road thing again; I certainly would." 

"Americana Railroad" is fresh out of the roundhouse, so; does Olson have any plans formulated beyond that? 

"I’m going in the studio to listen to a couple of mixes, I’m doing an album with Stephen McCarthy; we're doing a duets album and it's some rock stuff and it's some country stuff and you know it's really fun; I'm busy; what can I say?  I also have a new single out, a version of The Who's "I Can See For Miles" for a project called Women Sing The Who and it's going towards; I don't know if you're familiar with The Who's charity Teen Cancer America but they are trying to outfit American hospitals with cancer wards for teenagers so that they don't go wacky. I mean hospitals have old people sections, maternity sections and infant sections but they don't have anything for teenagers. So, that's the charity; they're on the road right now actually. I don't if they're coming up your way but yeah they've been doing some shows and they're doing it for the benefit of this Teen Cancer America."  

To discover more about Carla Olson and/or "Americana Railroad." please visit https://carlaolson.com/home.html. 

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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Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch (5 p.m.) George Becker
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch feat. (6 p.m.) DJ Bobby Jones
Mon. 5 p.m. Rob Silvers
Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura Tusay
Wed. (4 p.m.) LGBTQ Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Jessica DiDonato

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Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 5 p.m. Bill Monach
Sun. 10 a.m. “Sunday Funday Brunch” (2 p.m.) Meg Russell 

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Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777
Sat. (10 a.m.) Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood by Romus Broadway "Naming Party." (FREE event) (7 p.m.) Cafe Improv feat. Michael Patrick, Eric Sommer, (TBA). $2  

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Artworks Trenton  
19 Everett Alley Trenton 
(609) 394-9436  
Thurs. 7 p.m. Ink & Drink: DIY Screen Prints
Sat. 11 a.m. Writers Workshop

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Bill's Olde Tavern 
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton 
(609) 586-0192 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tour de Force Duo
Fri. 7 p.m. El Ka Bong
Sat. 7 p.m. Moot Davis
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Night
Tues./Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ "Super" Dave Curtis
Ages 21+

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Blend Bar & Bistro    
911 Highway 33 Hamilton 
(609) 245-8887 
Thurs. 5 p.m. DJ Anthony Pasqua

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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. 5 p.m.  
Sat. "Garden Tour"  

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Bordentown Elks
11 Amboy Road Bordentown 
(609) 298-2085 
Fri. 7 p.m. "Summer Jam 2022" feat. Thee Amazin' Grace and the Grace Little Band, Midnight Sun, Rodney Mansfield, Infinity, DJ Slowice. $35 (advance), doors open at 6 p.m. (includes food, cash bar) 

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

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Bowman's Tavern 
1600 River Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2972 
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Dave Dales Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sat. 7 p.m. Andrea Carlson Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Larry Tamanini (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Mike Estabrook w/ Syd on Guitar
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Carly & Me
Sat. 8 p.m. Movie Night: "RAD!"
Sun. 3 p.m. Music Bingo
Tues. 7 p.m. Luck of the Draw Weekly Dart Tournament
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Hosted by Righteous Jolly

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

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Cadwalader Park
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton
(408) 335-4400
Sat. 1 p.m. Opening Reception: Ellarslie Open 39. $10 (advance)   

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Candlelight Lounge 
24 Passaic Street Trenton 
(609) 695-9612 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam Hosted by The Mojo Gypsies. $5
Sat. 3 p.m. Joe Ford. $20

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Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton)
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri./Sat. Jim Florentine.7:30 p.m. $23.69, Doors open at 7 p.m.

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Chickie's & Pete's  
183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown   
(609) 298-9182 
Fi./Sat. 8 p.m.  DJ Entertainment

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City Streets 
510 Highway 130 South East Windsor 
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9 p.m. Kevin Toft & The Alternators

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

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COARadio.com 
125 South Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 241-7103
Fri. 7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"
Sat. 3 p.m. “Rock On Radio Indie Hour”
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio" feat. The Hit Wonderers

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs.(7 p.m.) Black Brant (9 p.m.) Club Night w/ DJ Ran D. Ages 21+
Fri. (5 p.m.) "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere Happy Hour"  (8 p.m.) Se7en
Sat. 9 p.m.The Pinheads
Sun. 11 a.m. "Latin Jazz Brunch" w/ Victor Tarassov 
Tues. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. (7 p.m.) Blues Jam on the Deck  (8 p.m.) Disco “Hustle” Night w/ "Guest" DJs. $5
All Events Ages 21+

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Cream Ridge Winery 
145 Route 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 259-9797
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Friday Music Nights feat. Reggae Music Night w/ Random Test. $5, Ages 21+ (Monies collected go to a local charity) 
Sat. 12 p.m. Summer Sangria & Cheesecakes  
Sun. 1:30 p.m. Sangria Sunday   

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Crossing Vineyard and Winery 
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tarot Card Reading and Wine Tasting
Sat. 2 p.m. Kim & Chuck
Sun. 2 p.m. Bunny Barnes

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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. Six Cents
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Lunch Money Quizzo  

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Dacey's Pub
215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6 p.m. Acoustic Music Night
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo                                                                                                                                                      

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Dadz Bar and Grill
744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. DJ Millionz
Sun. 4 p.m. Oldies with DJ Deuce
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Edgar Anderson
Wed. 7 p.m./9 p.m. Poker Night

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Decades
2465 South Broad Street Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
.Fri. 9 p.m. “Dance Party” w/ DJ Ran D
Sat. 8:30 p.m. "Throwback Saturday" w/ DJ Matty Bruce
Tues. 8 p.m. Karaoke Hosted by DJ Wildman Manny

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Dempster's Pub
437 Pine Street Mount Holly 
(609) 261-0500    
Sat. 7 p.m. Random Notes

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Eddington House Bensalem
2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA
(215) 639-1220
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Mike Duva / Bright Kelly Acoustic
Wed. 7 p.m. Music Bingo

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Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA  
(215) 968-0600
Fri. 6 p.m. Kirko

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 10 p.m. DJ Iron Mike
Fri. 7 p.m. You Do You
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia

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Friendly's
1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville 
(609) 426-9203 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cruise Night

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Gleason's Bar
6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo / “Ladies Night”
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" w/ Casey Welborn (9 p.m.) Malpractice Show Band
Sat. 8 p.m. Hind Sight

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Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA
(215) 504-7277
Fri. 8 p.m. JD Valenteen
Sat. 8 p.m. Jeff Selby The Quixote Project Duo

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Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Sat. 11 a.m. 3-26 Rodney & Eva

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

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Hamilton Veterans Park
1865 Yardville-Hamilton Square Road Hamilton  
Sun. 9 a.m. Wellness Walk

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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.) Peter Gabriel Tribute w/ "Shock The Monkey" $35  (11 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sat. (8:30 p.m.) Jumper (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sun. 4 p.m.Tea Dance
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dwayne
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo

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Hopewell Theater  
5 South Greenwood Avenue Hopewell 
(609) 466-1964
Tues. 6 p.m. The Art of Living Well: Race To Alaska

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Hopewell United Methodist Church
20 Blackwell Avenue Hopewell
(609) 466-0471
Sat.6 p.m. Hopewell Hayride (Old Time Country & Bluegrass). Hosted by Frank Bruno feat. Al Kessel & Never Too Late Band, Rupert & Scheetz feat. Mary Daly, Bob Belloff, Linda Kay.  $15 (Suggested donation adults) 

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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.) The Mac Paige Band
Sat. (1 p.m.) Winery Catz (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Rainbow Fresh
Sun. 1:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Ensemble

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Howe Commons 
Main Street Pennington  
Thurs. 7 p.m. Charles Laurita & The Mischief (FREE event, BYOB, Food Trucks)

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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.) Happy Hour (9 p.m.) Troublemakerz
Mon. 7 p.m. Motown Mondays w/ DJ Slow Ice
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesdays w/ 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic   

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Il Portico Restorante Italiano
273 West Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 239-1000
Fri. / Sat. 6:30 p.m. Live Music (TBA)  
Irish Rover Station House
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA
(215) 970-5412
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo

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Iron Plow Vineyards 
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Gary Ryan
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Sun. 2 p.m. Spoondrift

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Iron Plow Vineyards Tasting Room
61 High Street Mt. Holly
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Wayne Palmer & Friends 

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Ivy Tavern 
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton 
(609) 888-1435 
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 9 p.m. AudioPilot
Sun. 6 p.m. Karaoke Latinos 
All shows 21+   

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John & Peter's 
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Sean Tobin & the Boardwalk Fire, Widely Grown, Rachel Ana Dobken, ALLDEEPENDS. Ages 21+, FREE event
Fri. 9 p.m. Waiting On Mongo, Part Time Custodian
Sat. 3 p.m. Real Fugitives  
Sun. 3 p.m. Trip Dogs 
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic (Sign-ups start at 8:30 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 p.m. Radio Fiction
Fri. 7 p.m. Wayne Bilotti Duo
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Murph
Sun. 10 a.m. Sunday Brunch: Mad Hatter Tea Party w/ DJ Jimmy G 

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Langhorne Summer Concert Series
115 West Richardson Avenue Langhorne, PA 
Wed. 7 p.m. Big Whiskey  

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Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200
Thurs. 7 p.m. Paint & Sip "Lighthouse" $50 (Includes one glass of wine)
Fri. 5 p.m."Cornhole Tournament"
Sat. School's Out Food Truck Festival feat. (11 a.m.) American Beauty (2:30 p.m.) Junkyard Dogs (6 p.m.) Fast Forward 80s. $12 (advance/online, teachers are FREE, VIP areas available $500) 
Sun. School's Out Food Truck Festival feat. (11 a.m.) 80s Undercover (3 p.m.) Nikki Briar and The Sweet Briar Band. $12 (advance/online, teachers are FREE, VIP areas available $500) 

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Lawrenceville Main Street
17 Phillips Avenue Lawrenceville
(609) 219-9300
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Music In The Park" feat. Grant Peterson and Friends. (Weeden Park FREE admission)

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Locust Hall at Johnson's Farm
2691 Monmouth Road Jobstown
(609) 723-2630
Sat. 6 p.m. "Local Nights On The Farm" feat. The Grouser Girls. $12 (Ages 2 and Under FREE) 

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Logan Inn 
10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2300
Thurs. 6 p.m. Kat Rivers Duo
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Ian Lander
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Sunday Brunch feat. Aaron Quarterman

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Magikava
87a South Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2739
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic

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Makefield Highlands Golf Club
1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 321-7000  
Fri. 5 p.m. Bill Thomas 

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Marie's Kozy Korner
111 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
(215) 943-3131
Fri. 7 p.m. Cara Cartney

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McGuinn's Place 
1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence 
(609) 392-0599
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+ 

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McStews Irish Sports Pub 
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Fri. 8 p.m. Tribute to J. Geils Band w/ "Bloodshot" and A Tribute to Green Day w/ "Nimrod"
Sat. 8 p.m. Solow, Crown Of Earth, Menace and The Hellfire, Meatplow
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam

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Mercer County Park Festival Grounds 
Hughes Drive/Old Trenton Road West Windsor 
(609) 448-1947
Fri. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7 p.m.) Rock N Roll Heaven. $8 ($5 Parking Fee)
Sat. 12 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (1:30 p.m.) Matt Baker (6 p.m.) Rock of Ages. $8 ($5 Parking Fee)
Sun. 12 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (4 p.m.) "Roots & Boots Tour" feat. Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye w/ Tequila Rose. $26.95-$95 (Not included w/ the $8 admission + $5 Parking Fee) 
Mon. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7 p.m.) B Street Band. $1 ($5 Parking Fee)
Tues. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7:30 p.m.) Cosmic Jerry Band $5 (Girls Night Out! All ladies get in for free until 8 p.m.)  ($5 Parking Fee)
Wed. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7 p.m.) Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns. $ 5 ($5 Parking Fee)

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Millhill Basement 
300 S. Broad Street Trenton 
(609) 989-1600 
Fri. 9 p.m. Pillowinde, (TBA)
Sat. 9 p.m. Buff Pups, Puppy Pile, Dr. Feelokay, Hobo Houston, Erin Incoherent
Sun. 9 p.m. The Amorphous Blob Orchestra, Wounded Animal, (TBA)

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

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Morven Museum & Garden 
55 Stockton Street Princeton  
(609) 924-8144
Fri. 7 p.m. Broadway Pops! Starring Sierra Boggess
Sat. 7 p.m. Family Pops! w/ The Princeton Symphony Orchestra

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Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. La Cage Aux Folles
Sat. 3 p.m./8 p.m. La Cage Aux Folles
Sun. 3 p.m. La Cage Aux Folles
All Shows Require Masks for the Unvaccinated

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Music On Main
25 East Main Street Yardley, PA
Sat. 6 p.m. Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society

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Naked Brewing Company
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA
(267) 544-7129
Sat. 11 a.m. Weekend “Acoustic” Brunch (12 p.m.) Music by Fly On The Wall
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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New Hope Winery / Tavern
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(215) 794-2331
Fri. 8 p.m. James Taylor Tribute w/ "Steamroller" 
Sat. 8 p.m. Paula Cole

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8609
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Naughty" Trivia
Fri.  6 p.m. JDuo
Sat. 6 p.m. Smooth Retsina Glow
Sun. 3 p.m. Cara Cartney 

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Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA
(215) 637-5151
Thurs. 7 p.m.Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. WURL
Sun. 4 p.m. Ray Palmer & Erin Doherty

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Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623 
Thurs. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Spellbound
Ages 21+

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Odd Logic Brewing Co. 
500 Bristol Pike, Bristol, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 7 p.m. The Cryans

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O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 
200 State Road Croydon, PA 
(215) 785-6998
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Glen
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo   

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Old Hights Brewing
123 West Ward Street Hightstown
(609) 469-5976
Sat. 6 p.m. Tanglewood

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Old Town Pub 
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia 
Fri. 8 p.m. Radio Fiction
Sat. 8 p.m. Tour de Force
Tues. 7 p.m. Taco Tuesday

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Palmer Square
40 Nassau Street Princeton 
Sat.12 p.m. “Spring Music Series" feat. Dave Vargo

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Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Sat. 8 p.m. MLC Band 

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Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton 
(609) 585-8008 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Sara and The Sound

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Piccolissimo Italian Grille
23203 Columbus Road Columbus
(609) 291-1033
Sat. 5:30 p.m. Ed Wilson

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Ralphie's
2295 2nd Street Pike Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5408
Sun. 3 p.m. Never Enough

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Revere Restaurant
802 River Road Ewing
(609) 882-6365
Thurs. 6 p.m. Brian Elliot  

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River Horse Brewing Company
2 Graphics Drive Ewing
(609) 883-0890
Sat. 6 p.m. Trivia Night  

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River House at Odette’s
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA
(215) 682-2022
Thurs. (5:30 p.m.) Bridge Beat Duo  (7 p.m.) Gina Corso
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Mark Menkevich (7 p.m.) Paula Johns Duo
Sat. (11:30 a.m.) Brunch w/ Russell Norkevich (5:30 p.m.) BD Lenz (7 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. (10 a.m.)  (11:30 a.m.) Brunch w/ Dave Dales
Mon. 6 p.m. Russell Norkevich
Tues. 6 p.m. Lorenzo Branca
Wed. 6 p.m. Megan Knight

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Romeo's Restaurant & Pizza
10 Schalks-Crossing Road Plainsboro 
(609) 799-4554  
Fri. 7 p.m. The Blue-Eyed Balladeer 

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Rosedale Mills
101 Route 31 North Pennington 
(609) 737-2008  
Sat. 10 a.m. Pennington Farmers Market w/ Music by Just Jeff

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Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, PA
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 4 p.m.  Trivia 

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Shady Brook Farm
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA
(215) 968-1670
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Summer unWINEd Concert Series" feat. Sensational Soul Cruisers
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Cara Cartney
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Emily & Joe

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Sherman Theater/Penn Community Bank Amphitheater 
2400 Byberry Road Bensalem, PA 
Wed. 7 p.m. A Tribute to Elton John w/ "Philadelphia Freedom." (Doors open at 5:30 p.m., tickets available online) 

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Smithville Park
815 Smithville Road Easthampton
Sat. 11 a.m. "Earth Fair" 

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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. AJ Slick
Sun. 9 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Cara Cartney
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton
Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz  

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Spellbound Brewing
10 Lippincott Lane #12 Mt. Holly
(609) 832-0077
Fri. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook & Ryan
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Opera On Tap-Hot Girl Summer-Divas Galore

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Stars & Stripes Harley Davidson
600 South Flowers Mill Road Langhorne, PA
Sat. 11 a.m. Hogs N Dogs

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Steam Pub
606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA
(215) 942-6468
Sat. 10 p.m. Emo Pop Punk Night w/ Scene Points

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1675 at The Ridges
4666 East Bristol Road Trevose, PA
(215) 876-6868
Sat. 7 p.m. Keep The Change
Sun. 6 p.m. Rock-A-Billy w/ The Crescent City Maulers

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Tankard Pub
440 Keim Boulevard Burlington
(609) 306-5079
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. The Williamsboy

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Taps Sports Bar
4021-4023 Veterans Highway Levittown, PA
(215) 486-7862
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke Hosted by Paula
Sat. 8 p.m. DJ Frankie Paige
Mon. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Joe Goodnall  

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Tara's Tavern
1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown 
(609) 286-2300 
Fri. 9 p.m. Castles In The Sky Duo 
Sat. 9 p.m. The Williamsboy

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Tavern On The Lake  
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Fri. 9 p.m. The Variants
Sat. 8 p.m. Tavern & Tiaras PRIDE Month Drag Show
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke

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Temperance House 
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Session Blues Hosted by Steve Guyger
Fri. 7 p.m. Bad Hombres
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia w/ Righteous Jolly
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. 12 p.m. "Sips & Sounds Friday" feat. (5 p.m.) Ragtime Relics
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Brian Bortnick
Sun.1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat.  (4 p.m.) Firefly Festival w/ Lolly Hopwood (FREE admission, $7 craft activities)

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TGI Fridays
780 Route 130 South Hamilton 
(609) 581-6910  
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G

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TGI Fridays 
685 Middletown Blvd. Langhorne, PA  
(215) 750-8002
Fri. 6 p.m. Don Lee

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TGI Fridays
3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Fri. 6 p.m. Veronica Kole
Sun. 1 p.m. Don Lee 

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The Beer Garden at Snipes Farm
890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
Sat. 5 p.m. Kevin Hill & Secret Sound, Jerry Duty, The Great Bonfire

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The Buck Hotel
1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA
(215) 396-2002
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Fri. 7 p.m. Love Junk
Sat. 8:30 p.m. DJ Entertainment
Tues. 6 p.m. Danny Lynch

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The Cool Cricket 
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro 
(609) 291-9110 
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m.Audio Outlaws

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The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. Andrew Koontz & Bill O'Neal
Sun. 3 p.m. "Traditional Irish Session" 

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The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066
Fri. 7 p.m. Sunset Wine & Jazz Night w/ The Eric Mintel Quartet (Reservations Suggested)
Sat. 2 p.m. Mac Paige Band 
Sun. 2 p.m. JB Kline & Ed Wall

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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. 8:30 p.m. Big Whiskey
Sat. 9 p.m. Spareparts

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The HOB Tavern 
146 Second Street Bordentown 
(609) 291-7020 
Tues 7 p.m.  Music Bingo

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The Ivy Inn 
248 Nassau Street Princeton 
(609) 921-8555 
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Rockin' Ron
Sat. 9 p.m. Jah Guide
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. Total Request w/ DJ Rockin' Ron

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The Morrisville Tavern
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Mon. 7 p.m. Musical Bingo
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night

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The Pines Tavern 
6217 North Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA 
(215) 788-1659 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Fly On The Wall

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The Roost 
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge 
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Sean Cox & Joe Hoyer
Fri. 8 p.m. Twenty Somethings
Sat. 8 p.m. Even Odds

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The Sycamore Grill 
255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 908-6326 
Fri. 8 p.m. Steve Toursin
Sat. 8 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle

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The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Shakedown Street" a Summer Vendor Series (Drum Circle, Cocktails) 
Fri. 8 p.m. Bent Mushroom. $10, doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 p.m. Brown Sugar. $10, doors open at 7 p.m.
Sun. (12 p.m.) Muse vs Radiohead End of Season Show and Senior Graduations (3 p.m.) Queen End of Season Show and Senior Graduations

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

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Trenton Social  
449 South Broad Street Trenton 
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday" (6 p.m.) NJYD and Mercer County LGBTQ Caucuses PRIDE Mixer
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets
Tues. 8 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Tobias & Lea (Sign-ups at 7:30 p.m.)

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Trinity Church 
33 Mercer Street Princeton
(609) 924-2277
Thurs. 7 p.m. Festival Chorus w/ "The Sebastians"

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Under The Moon
23 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 397-1710
Fri. 6 p.m. Corey & Cara
Sat. (12 p.m.) Matt Gordeuk (6 p.m.) Jakeya & Daniel Kaplowitz

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Union Coffee
49 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 460-4637
Sun. 4 p.m. Java Jive w/ Bill Ihling  

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

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Vince's Pizzeria and Taproom
573 Durham Road Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5418
Sun. 5 p.m. John D's All-Star Band

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West Windsor Farm Market 
Vaughn Drive Princeton  
Sat. 12 p.m. Camen Marranco

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Wilson's Pub
1870 Brownsville Road Trevose Heights, PA 
(215) 355-4739 
Sat. 9 p.m. Dan & Liz

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Woolsey Park
221 Washington Crossing - Pennington Road Hopewell Township 
(609) 281-5887 
Sun. 5 p.m. An Evening Under The Stars: Classic Car Show & Fireworks feat. music by (7 p.m.) Jon Savage & The Classic Rockers (Fireworks approx. 9:15 p.m.) 

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Working Dog Winery 
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown 
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 3 p.m. Kevin McGowan
Sat. 1 p.m. Kevin McGowan
Sun. 1 p.m. Timi Hendrixx

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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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Yardley Country Club    
1010 Reading Avenue Yardley, PA    
(215) 493-4531    
Sun. 3 p.m. The Mystery Four
 

About the author:

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

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