"I can't say that we're not really a staunch country band because our roots are from the country," he said with an undeniable tone. "We grew up in rural areas, every member grew up with country music all around us but we also grew up on a steady diet of rock and roll. I mean, it really changed our lives back when we were youngsters to hear The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and Led Zeppelin and stuff like that but it was not just country music we grew up on. We all love and respect Merle Haggard, we love George Jones, we love Buck Owens and stuff like that because it was all around us. We'd go to town on Saturday; I grew up with Richard and Fred in Metcalfe County and we had a town square which had a local restaurant called Jim's Grill. They had a jukebox and you'd walk in and you might hear "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard, then the next song could be "Kentucky Woman" by Deep Purple or later on you might hear "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin and that really turned our cranks as kids but it was that first Led Zeppelin album and albums like "Disraeli Gears" by Cream that influenced us too but the country was and is just all around us. Look, it's in the way we talk; I mean, we have that in our voice; you know? It's where we come from and so, to just classify; it's just American music with a nod to the UK because we love The Stones and we love The Beatles but it's just a tight rock and roll band with Country, Blues, Soul and rock and roll sensibilities; you know?"
So; how does a band with those influences make the adjustments in today's very different music/business climate?
"Social media," he began once again with a laugh, "You know it's such different terrain than it was back when we really first started. When we released our first album, "Pickin' On Nashville" in October of 1989 it was just so different back then; TV was king, radio was king, the internet had just started to rear its head; little did we know what was coming a few years later and yeah, things have a very short shelf-life. I hear stuff all f the time; I'll be with my son Eric and hear something on the radio and I'll say, that sounds like a new song and he'll laugh and say, "Dad, that's like 7 years old or eight years old." I grew up with Led Zeppelin, "Led Zeppelin ll," you know when I heard that; I mean, it still sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released. So, you know what I grew up with, you know I heard The Beatles when they first hit in 64 and then I was around for the folk-rock revolution of 65 with The Byrds and The Turtles. I remember when the "Rubber Soul" album hit in 1965 or 1966 and 1967 it was "Sgt Pepper's" and also that same year we had "Are You Experienced" from Jimi Hendrix, we had cream "Disraeli Gears," we had The Doors first album; it was just such a revolution of music that I grew up with. In '69 I got "Led Zeppelin," their first album in a trade. I was in a record club and I got "Deja Vu" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and I love the album but another friend in school had bought the first Led Zeppelin album and he wasn't crazy about it and I loved the band but when I got home and put it on and "Good Times Bad Times" came on; side one, track one, I went; what in the name of God is this? It was outrageous and you know, take it back a little bit because that's what I grew up with. I was around when Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" came out, "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds and all that stuff that is still around today; the stuff that has stood the test of time."
"That's a Fact Jack!" is their latest effort and in their tradition offers some straight-forward rock and roll with southern overtones. Martin talks about it and touring again with great enthusiasm.
"There's 12-tracks on the new album and yes sir, it's called "That's a Fact Jack" and that's the title track. Richard Young, the rhythm guitarist and the fellow who sings; his dad used to say things and preface them with that or you'd say something like and end it with, that's a fact Jack. So, what I'm saying is, it's been around for years but I've been around for years and if you listen to the album that track right there; it's just talking about how the world is crazy; you know? Especially when Richard was writing the songs, I'm guessing 2020 I think it was. I mean, it was just a confused mess, we didn't know what was going on and you know we got back out there in 2021 touring again and did about 45 dates and you know we did an album last year and we did the album as you know going into this year and things crazy again! I mean we've got wars going on; thank God the COVID thing is kind of dying down but it has been nuts! Talking about the album; I think everybody could have a different interpretation of the material and that is the beauty about music in general and the album. Everybody used to listen to Bob Dylan and you can put five guys in a room and you'd get five different answers as to what he was saying but it's pretty obvious what Richard is talking about and it's about the world, the turbulence, the lack of brotherhood; I'm not gonna get into any political stuff, I don't do that. Instead, I watch westerns, I watch "Mannix," I don't watch the news. I do know what's going on a little bit but I do think our songs are very relevant for what's going on right now."
"We are always on tour," he went on, "The only time we didn't get to tour was in 2020. We did nine shows before the end of 2019 but we usually work around 75 shows a year; we're not one of those bands that stays out 250 days a year. We worked four shows in 2020 at the beginning of the year and we worked at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA mid-February and then we were going to have three weeks off and then plan later on in the year to get together and work on songs from the album but as we got home after The Birchmere; about a week or two later we started getting notices from the agency that different places and dates were falling out and dates were moving places and then we're locking down and we thought initially it would be best for all for two weeks or whatever and so touring went by the wayside except for maybe five or six dates. Then at the end of November, I ended up getting COVID, not a really bad case but I went down. I had to isolate for like 10 days but that ended up being two weeks and by then it was Thanksgiving. So, we knew we couldn't really do an album because we were getting into the holiday season and so we did the album early last year and we toured and so to answer your question yeah; we'll be out touring this year and will be promoting the album. Our first date was in Indiana with The Marshall Tucker Band and then after that we'll gear back up into normal. The summers get pretty busy and we'll be out there on the road at some fantastic festivals and the such. We do very little clubs anymore; every now and then we'll play a club but we'll do festivals, we do bike rallies, we do a lot of different deals; we're lucky that we still get to work after all these years."
One of those festivals is The L.E.A.D. Fest in Mercer County Park located in West Windsor, NJ as they open for that same Marshall Tucker Band on July 2 on the main stage but Martin keeps himself busy in another way and that way is; radio.
"I grew up listening to radio in the late '50s and early '60s in my dad's car, an old Plymouth. He would listen to an AM station out of Louisville called WTMT which was a country station. I was always enamored with the DJs back in the '50s and how they all sounded the same and I was always wondering; is this same guy? How could he be on 24 hours a day? It was just something I thought in my mind; I didn't realize that they were just trained to talk a certain way. I listened and as I grew, I remember hearing that radio when I was a kid in dad's car and we had a table-top radio that sat on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen and it was either on WTMT the country station or my brother had a rock station on and I just had a love for radio. I think it started about that time and when I would take trips to downtown Louisville as a kid to visit my grandparents. I'd go down 4th St. to go to guitar stores and record stores and WKLL had a showcase window on Chestnut St. and I loved watching the DJ do his thing with the two turntables, cart machine and it was just amazing. So, the seeds were being planted more or less by a bunch of these guys that I heard on the radio and then late in '66 my dad decided he wanted to move us out to Metcalfe County which was a very great thing to happen for me because I met Richard there but we moved down there away from the radio stations and it was funny because there on those stations, you would here Johnny Cash right next to Cream and Led Zeppelin but late at night the stations were low powered stations and at they would have to cut their power. So, that meant at night, there were other stations; one from Chicago, Nashville, New Orleans, Fort Wayne, and sometimes New York City and I just ate it up. I listened mostly at night; you might hear "Daydream Believer" one minute and then you go to the next station and you might hear "Sunshine of Your Love" or "Light My Fire" by The Doors and the cool thing is, out of Nashville we had WLAC which was the R&B station and Big John was the DJ. Then we were hearing Slim Harpo we were hearing Wilson Pickett, James Brown. Jimmy Reed, B.B. King and stuff like that and all that listening just planted the seed. I really didn't have the confidence in my 20s to pursue radio but around 1986 I did my first stint in radio at a little station; it didn't last, like, six months because I was out on the road with a country singer by the name of Ronnie McDowell. Then in 1997 I was offered a slot at the station in Campbellsville KY where they wanted me to be doing a southern rock show and I told them; can we do this as a Blues show? I stretched the genre a little bit so we could do a little southern rock, the songs that had a blues feel and that way we could also play some soul music; '60s soul. So, I started in 1997 and I put in about two and one-half years in there until my engineer quit in April 2000. Then I took a break from radio but I was offered another gig at the current station, WDNS in Bowling Green and I started there in November of 2001 and we just celebrated 20 years of the "Lowdown Hoedown" and when we started it was just on terrestrial radio, 93.3 FM here in South Kentucky but maybe a year or two later it started streaming online."
To discover more about the Kentucky Headhunters or "That's a Fact Jack!," please visit http://kentuckyheadhunters.com/
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
Al's Airport Inn636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252
Thurs. 5 p.m. Jonathan Savage
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch (5 p.m.) Michael Macmanus
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch (6 p.m.) DJ Bobby Jones
Mon. 5 p.m. Edison Wilson's Birthday Bash
Tues. 7 p.m. Brian Elliot
Wed. 7 p.m. Joe Kramer & Diane Chiorello
Aristaeus Brewing2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 7 p.m. Skylar Love
Sat. 3 p.m. Hawaiian BBQ w/ Low Totem
Sun. 10 a.m. “Sunday Funday Brunch” (2 p.m.) Jonathn Ashe
Arm & Hammer Park1 Thunder Road Trenton
(609) 394-3300
Mon. 7 p.m. 4th of July Fireworks
Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-8777
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Reading: "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
Artworks Trenton 19 Everett Alley Trenton
(609) 394-9436
Fri. 6 p.m. "First Friday" Panel Discussion
Bill's Olde Tavern 2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tiltin' Catz
Fri. 7 p.m. Katfish Lucy
Sat. 7 p.m. Thrown Together
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Night
Tues. 7 p.m. Outdoor Jam
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ "Super" Dave Curtis
Ages 21+
Blend Bar & Bistro 911 Highway 33 Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cover Up
Blue Bottle Cafe101 East Broad Street Hopewell
(609) 333-1710
Wed. 6 p.m. Brian Elliot
Bordentown CityFarnsworth Avenue Bordentown
Fri. 5 p.m. "Bach" (Takes place at Hilltop Park)
Boro Bean9 East Broad Street Hopewell
(609) 466-6681
Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott
Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Phyllis Chappell Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. (12 p.m.) Larry Tamanini (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott
Broken Goblet Brewing2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7:30 p.m.
Fri. 8 p.m. Cara Cartney
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
Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits31 Appletree Lane Pipersville, PA
(215) 766-7711
Thurs. 4 p.m. Vinyl Night
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Bill Monach
Mon. 1 p.m. James Lauchmen
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. Duane Eubanks. $20
Chickie's & Pete's 183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-9182
Fi./Sat. 8 p.m. DJ Entertainment
Clubhouse at Mountain View (The Patio)
850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing
(609) 538-0808
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Bridge Beat Duo
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 Successful Failures
Color Me Mine (Princeton Shopping Center)
301 Harrison Street Princeton
(609) 581-9500
Tues. 10 a.m. "Summer Camp! Art Around The World" $70 (Daily/$330 Weekly)
Cooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Sara and The Sound (9 p.m.) Club Night w/ DJ Ages 21+
Fri. (5 p.m.) "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere Happy Hour" (8 p.m.) Shorty Long & The Jersey Horns
Sat. (7 p.m.) Never Enough (9 p.m.) Club Night w/ DJ
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+
Cream Ridge Winery 145 Route 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 259-9797
Fri. (4:30 p.m.) Cruise Night (6:30 p.m.) Friday Music Nights feat. Reggae Music Night w/ $5, Ages 21+ (Monies collected go to a local charity)
Sat. 2:30 p.m.Carmen Marranco
Sun. 1:30 p.m. Sangria Sunday
Mon. 12 p.m. July 4th Tailgate. (Tickets required)
Crossing Vineyard and Winery 1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500
Sat. 2 p.m. Sweet Spot
Sun. 2 p.m. Meg Russell
Cross Pollination Gallery2 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 213-6734
Fri. 5 p.m. "Friday Happy Hour." (Talk art, wine and musicians who bring instruments)
Curran’s Irish Inn1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Sun. 6 p.m. Joe & Krista
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Lunch Money Quizzo
Dacey's Pub215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6 p.m. Acoustic Music Night
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo
Dadz Bar and Grill744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. DJ Millionz
Fri. 8 p.m. Big City Snipers
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
Decades2465 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
Dempster's Pub437 Pine Street Mount Holly
(609) 261-0500
Fri. 7 p.m. Backyard Boyz
Eddington House Bensalem2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA
(215) 639-1220
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Jack Mangene
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Rondie James
Wed. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA
(215) 968-0600
Fri. 6 p.m. Pete Beck Band
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown
(609) 899-7447
Fri. 7 p.m. The Williamsboy Duo
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia
Forsgate Country Club 375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700
Fri. 6 p.m. “First Friday” w/ Acoustic Fuego
Friendly's1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville
(609) 426-9203
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cruise Night
Gleason's Bar6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo / “Ladies Night”
Fri. 6 p.m. "Happy Hour"
Sat. 8 p.m. Hind Sight
Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA
(215) 504-7277
Fri. 8 p.m. Perry Curcio
Sat. 8 p.m. Dion Paci
Grounds For Sculpture80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616
Fri. 5 p.m. Meatballs & Martinis: Member Happy Hour
Hamilton Tap & Grill557 US Route 130 North Hamilton
(609) 905-0925
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ Nebbs
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia
Hamilton Veterans Park1865 Yardville-Hamilton Square Road Hamilton
Fri. 9 p.m. FIREWORKS (Weather permitting)
Sat. 7 p.m. Journey Tribute w/ "Frontiers"
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. (8:30 p.m.) Billy Walton Band. $20 (11 p.m.) DJ Dance Party
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Dance Party
Sun. (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra (6:30 p.m.) JB Kline Blues Band
Mon. (9 p.m.) "Lipstick Mondays Drag Show" Hosted by Cyannie Lopez (11 p.m.) Karaoke w/ Dwayne
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo
Hopewell Valley Vineyards 46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Catmoondaddy
Sat. (1 p.m.) Jeff Lyle Friedman (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Craig Leach Group
Sun. 1:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Blue Jersey Band
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 w/ Johnny Betz
Sat. 6 p.m. Eve Still
Mon. 7 p.m. Motown Mondays w/ DJ Slow Ice
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesdays
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic
Il Portico Restorante Italiano273 West Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 239-1000
Fri. / Sat. 6:30 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Iron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Bob O
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Zach Downey
Sun. 2 p.m. The Grouser Girls
Iron Plow Vineyards Tasting Room61 High Street Mt. Holly
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Wayne Palmer & Friends
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 9 p.m. Unleashed
Sat. 10 p.m. Noche Caliente feat. Ariana Valencia, Bruna Bru. $10, Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sun. 6 p.m. Karaoke Latinos
All shows 21+
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa
(215) 862-5981
Fri. 9 p.m. Honey Spot Blvd
Sat. 9 p.m. Room For Mojo
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic (Sign-ups start at 8:30 p.m.)
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Joseph Lawrence Park317 Ward Avenue Bordentown
Sat. Independence Day Fireworks (Weather permitting)
Killarney's Publick House 1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166
Fri. 7 p.m. Wayne Billotti Duo
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Dan
Sun. 10 a.m. Sunday Brunch
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Thurs. 7 p.m. Wine & Bundt Cakes
Sat. 12 p.m. Sangria & Sliders Weekend feat. (1 p.m.) Bev and Dan Duo
Sun. 12 p.m. Sangria & Sliders Weekend feat. (1 p.m.) The Bergers
Mon. 12 p.m. Sangria & Sliders Weekend feat. (1 p.m.) Anker
Lawrenceville Main Street17 Phillips Avenue Lawrenceville
(609) 219-9300
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Music In The Park" feat. Alex Otey Trio. (Weeden Park FREE admission)
Fri. 6 p.m. Lawrence Township "Food, Fun, Fireworks" (7:30 p.m.) The Southside Wanderers (9:30 p.m.) Fireworks (Takes place at RIDER University)
Logan Inn 10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2300
Fri. 8:30 p.m. RCJ Duo
Magikava87a South Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2739
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic
Marie's Kozy Korner111 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
(215) 943-3131
Fri. 7 p.m. Casey Welborn
McGuinn's Place 1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence
(609) 392-0599
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Ages 21+
McStews Irish Sports Pub 5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Stand Up Comedy feat. Brandon Curl. $15, Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam
Mercer County Park (Boathouse at Mercer Lake)
334 South Post Road West Windsor
(866) 683-3586
Thurs. 5 p.m. Tyronne Stackhouse
Mercer County Park Festival Grounds Hughes Drive/Old Trenton Road West Windsor
(609) 448-1947
Thurs. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7 p.m.) Lovelight. $5 ($5 Parking Fee)
Fri. 4 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (7 p.m.) Kindred Spirit. $8 ($5 Parking Fee)
Sat. 12 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (1:30 p.m.) (6 p.m.) Marshall Tucker Band / Southern Steel. $25.95-$75 (Not included w/ the $8 admission + $5 Parking Fee) ($5 Parking Fee)
Sun. 1 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (3 p.m.) Andrew Lobby (7 p.m.) The British Invasion Experience. $8 ($5 Parking Fee)
Mon. 1 p.m. "L.E.A.D Fest State Fair" feat. (2:30 p.m.) Paul Plumeri Blues Band (6 p.m.) Tom Petty Tribute w/ "Pure Petty." $5 ($5 Parking Fee)
Millhill Basement 300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Thurs. 9 p.m. Symptoms, (TBA)
Fri. 9 p.m. El Escapado. Houston & Dirty Rats
Sat. 9 p.m. Roadkiller
Mill Hill Park 165 East Front Street (Corner of South Broad Street)
(609) 393-8998
Sat. 8 p.m. "The OK Trenton Project: On Screen"
More Than Q13 Klines Court Lambertville
(609) 773-0072
Sat. 2 p.m. Just Jeff
Morven Museum & Garden 55 Stockton Street Princeton
(609) 924-8144
Mon. 12 p.m. 4th of July Jubilee
Music Mountain Theater1483 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
Music On Main25 East Main Street Yardley, PA
Sat. 6 p.m. The Summers Grove Band
Naked Brewing Company212 Mill Street Bristol, PA
(267) 544-7129
Sat. 11 a.m. Weekend “Acoustic” Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Fly On The Wall
New Hope Winery / Tavern6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(215) 794-2331
Sat. 1 p.m. Bob Tomlinson
Newtown Brewing Company103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8609
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 6 p.m. Frank Cervantes
Sat. 6 p.m. Kate & Bob
Nick's Roast Beef4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA
(215) 637-5151
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 7 p.m. Ed Packer
Nottingham Tavern 9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square
(609) 587-6623
Thurs. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Asylum Choir
Ages 21+
O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 200 State Road Croydon, PA
(215) 785-6998
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo
Palmer Square40 Nassau Street Princeton
Fri. 6 p.m. First Friday feat. Drunk Neck & the Beet Keepers / Eric Daab Jazz Trio
Sat.12 p.m. “Spring Music Series" feat. Big Valley Bluegrass
Patriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Sat. 8 p.m. The Brooks Brothers
Pj's Pancake House & Tavern19 Main Street Robbinsville
(609) 772-4755
Fri. 8 p.m. "Ladies Night" Food, shopping, live music, more.
Restart The Arts236 High Street Burlington
Sat. 2 p.m. Abbie Pincus
River House at Odette’s274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA
(215) 682-2022
Thurs. (5:30 p.m.) Victoria Watts (7 p.m.) Gina Corso
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Sarah Teti (7 p.m.) Patrick & Debra
Sat. (11:30 a.m.) Brunch w/Scott Gurney (5:30 p.m.) Ian Kirk (7 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. (11:30 a.m.) Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo (7 p.m.) Michael Andrew
Mon. 7 p.m. Scott Gurney
Tues. 7 p.m. Cara Cartney
Wed. 7 p.m. Megan Knight
Robbinsville Community ConcertTown Center Lake Drive Gazebo, Robbinsville
Tues. 7 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Robbinsville Senior Center 1170 Route 130 Nort (Folsom Way) Robbinsville
(609) 259-1567
Thurs. 6 p.m. Summer Beginner and Advance Line Dance Class
Romeo's Restaurant & Pizza10 Schalks-Crossing Road Plainsboro
(609) 799-4554
Fri. 7 p.m. The Blossom Hill Quartet
Shady Brook Farm931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA
(215) 968-1670
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Summer unWINEd Concert Series" feat. The Dicoteks
Sat. 5 p.m. "Summer unWINEd w/ FIREWORKS feat. 80's Revolution
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Emily & Joe
Small World Coffee 14 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-4377 x2
Sat. 6 p.m. Tom Trovas Duo
Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-2321
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
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
Steam Pub606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA
(215) 942-6468
Sat. 10 p.m. "10th Anniversary" w/ DJ Ernesto
1675 Spirits2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Fri. 6 p.m. John & John
Tankard Pub440 Keim Boulevard Burlington
(609) 306-5079
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. The Williamsboy
Taps Sports Bar4021-4023 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
Tara's Tavern1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G
Sat. 9 p.m. Amptons
Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Stay Tuned feat. DeadLight
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Telouro Jazz Café826 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 797-5456
Fri. 7 p.m. Aaron Quarterman
Temperance House 5 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Session Blues Hosted by Steve Guyger
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia w/ Righteous Jolly
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara Cartney
Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310
Fri. 12 p.m. "Sips & Sounds Friday" feat. (5 p.m.) ALBO
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Sarah Teti
Sun.1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Mike & Laura
Mon. 12:30 p.m. Allen Wilkcockson
TGI Fridays780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke w/ Big Daddy G
TGI Fridays3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Fri. 6 p.m. Matt Cook
Sun. 1 p.m. DC Rogers Project
The Beer Garden at Snipes Farm890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
Sat. 5 p.m. Celebrate All People IndepenDANCE Ecstatic Dance
The Buck Hotel1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA
(215) 396-2002
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Tues. 6 p.m. Danny Lynch
The Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. Shakyz
The Dubliner34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. Gerry Timlin
Sat. 7 p.m. Gabriel Donohue
Sun. 2 p.m. David Falcone
The Federal Twist Vineyard 8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066
Sat. 2 p.m. Rainbow Fresh
Sun. 2 p.m. Jericho Grass Band
The Five Four Bar & Grill8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam
The HOB Tavern 146 Second Street Bordentown
(609) 291-7020
Tues 7 p.m. Music Bingo
The Ivy Inn 248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m.
Fri. 9 p.m. Mr. Jones
Sat. 9 p.m. Blackwells Mill
Mon. 6:30 p.m.
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. Total Request w/ DJ Rockin' Ron
The Morrisville Tavern376 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
The Newtown Theatre120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Wed. 10 a.m. "Madagascar" (FREE kids movie)
The Pines Tavern 6217 North Radcliffe Street Bristol, PA
(215) 788-1659
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Bill Monach
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Sean Cox & Joe Hoyer
Fri. 8 p.m. The Riverdogs
Sat. 8 p.m. 80's Undercover
The Sycamore Grill 255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA
(215) 908-6326
Fri. 8 p.m. Danny Lunch Project
The Union Firehouse18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Shakedown Street" a Summer Vendor Series (Drum Circle, Cocktails)
Fri. 8 p.m. Lovelight w/ Mark Diomede. $10, doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 p.m. Emo Karaoke w/ DJ Joe Werner. $10, doors open at 7 p.m.
Sun. 8 p.m. R & B and Chill-All White Affair.
Under The Moon23 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 397-1710
Fri. 6 p.m. Russell Norkevich
Sat. (12 p.m.) MG3 (6 p.m.) Greg DiTeodoro
Sun. 12 p.m. Robin Clabby
Wed. 5:30 p.m. Max Rogers
Union Coffee49 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 460-4637
Sun. 4 p.m. Java Jive w/ Bill Ihling
Vault Brewing Company10 South Main Street Yardley, PA
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Wendy Simon Duo
Sat. 7 p.m. Suzette Ortiz Latin Ensemble
Working Dog Winery 610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Sat. 1 p.m. Rob Messina
Sun. 1 p.m. The Williamsboy
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 RadioMCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"
About the author:
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.
EVENT PREVIEWS

Gateway Playhouse to produce "Concert For A Cure" Fundraiser on June 28th
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse is producing Concert for a Cure, a three-part show highlighting three different musical acts on June 28, 2026, as a special fundraising event for three different cancer organizations: the American Cancer Society (ACS), Gilda's Club of Linwood, and Wigs & Wishes by Martino Cartier of Sewell. The event will feature three original musical acts: Tide ll Moon, a Philadelphia- based indie rock band formed by Drexel University film students; Steven Lemon, a South Jersey indie pop/rock/folk artist with a songwriting career that spans two decades; and Rachel Burghen, a dynamic South Jersey crossover artist known for her soaring pop sound, accompanied by Brian Conover on piano.

Brandon Tomasello to open Ocean City Pops Season with One-Man Rat Pack Spectacular on June 28th
(OCEAN CITY, NJ) -- Acclaimed vocalist and entertainer Brandon Tomasello will open the 2026 Ocean City Pops season with his highly anticipated "One-Man Rat Pack" concert on Sunday, June 28, at the historic Ocean City Music Pier. The Rat Pack will come to life musically on stage as local favorite Tomasello presents the timeless and unmistakable sounds of this remarkable musical era. Showtime is 7:30pm.
The Vogel presents Billy Bragg with special guest Sweet Petunia on Sunday
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents Billy Bragg with special guest Sweet Petunia on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 8:00pm. Limited tickets remain.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul to Headline Concert at ParkStage on July 3rd
(FREEHOLD, NJ) -- Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul will headline a concert at ParkStage on Friday, July 3, 2026 that fans of Jersey music will love. The lineup includes Jake Clemons Band, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers with Gary U.S. Bonds, Low Cut Connie, and The Weeklings. Showtime is 4:00pm.

Flamingosis to Bring Bright Moments 10th Anniversary Tour to Newark Culture Club
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Flamingosis is the stage name of Aaron Velasquez, a New Jersey-based DJ, beatboxer, and electronic music producer who is coming to Newark Culture Club on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 10:00pm. A special set by one world's leading DJs/producers!

The Sandbox at Seastreak presents Badfish on July 4th
(HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Badfish is a vibe. Badfish is a sonic house party complete with plenty of gyrating fans sipping libations and enjoying various extracurricular activities. Simply put, Badfish is feel-good music. See for yourself when Badfish performs at The Sandbox at Seastreak on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 7:00pm. It's a great way to celebrate the holiday!

MPAC presents Darren Criss on July 9th
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Darren Criss returns to Mayo Performing Arts Center for an all-new solo show on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 8:00pm. Since bursting onto the pop-culture landscape over a decade ago in Fox's hit TV show Glee, Darren Criss has embodied the kind of kaleidoscopic artistry that's entirely uninhibited by form or genre.

Asbury Lanes presents There, There (A Tribute to Radiohead) on July 11th
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- There, There (A Tribute to Radiohead) will perform at Asbury Lanes on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Doors open at 7:00pm, showtime is 8:00pm.

2026 Maplewoodstock Music + Art Festival to Take Place July 11-12
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- Going on 20+ years, the annual, free, two-day Maplewoodstock Music + Art Festival will take place the weekend of July 11-12, 2026, in Memorial Park in Maplewood. The festival features performances by Anders Osborne, Lettuce, Slap Dragon, and Megan Jean's Secret Family. It kicks off with music at noon and ends around 9:30pm each night. As always, it is free and welcomes the entire community.
bergenPAC presents Warrant on July 12th
(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) presents Warrant on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 7:00pm. The California band first hit it big in 1989 with their album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich.
FEATURED EVENTS
