Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...9/28/23

By Danny Coleman
originally published: 09/28/2023

You have to be a, "Jack of all trades" and it's hard to make it with one revenue stream," says Progressive Rock musician and violinist Joe Deninzon as he discussed being a diverse musician in today's climate, a new album and a CD/DVD set forthcoming from his band Stratospheerius. "For Joe and I both, this is a career and especially nowadays, things have changed so much where you don't just usually get lucky in one little band. You have to sort of do a million other things and everything spiders out to the next thing and you hope that everything sort of connects at some point in your career," added drummer Jason Gianni as the two of them shed some light on their September 28 show at The Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ and their September 30 show at Kennett Flash in Kennett Square, PA. as well as the paths which got them to where they are now.

Things are "Progressing" quite well these days for Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius on both the band front and their personal music careers. Joe is on tour with legendary classic progressive rock act Kansas and Jason has spent time with projects such as "Rock of Ages," Queen Celebration, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Neal Morse Band and more. So, together, they and their band mates, guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale, bassist Paul Ranieri along with new addition Bill Hubauer on keyboards are ready to get back out on stage and show the masses what they've been putting together "Behind the scenes." 

"We booked this show at The Debonair Music Hall  for September 28 while I was on the road this summer touring with Kansas, so our last show together was at the Iridium back in May," began an excited Deninzon. "We've been working on a new album and we've been tracking and mixing the last few songs, planning the release and working on what the artwork is going to look like and videos and things like that. We've been doing that over the phone and through emails as well as preparing for the gigs we have coming up."  

"Yeah," adds Gianni, "With Joe still on the road with Kansas which is going to be for a while, we are trying to wedge in Stratospheerius plans in between and we've been doing quite a bit of work behind the scenes getting the new record ready. Joe has put in a lot of time doing this double CD/DVD "Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock)" package that we have out now; we've been able to do quite a bit being at a distance from each other, it's been a good year and it will be nice to play a gig together again."

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Putting out a new album, especially between hectic touring and gig schedules can be a daunting task but in today's technology driven world, some of the stress can be eliminated. One of the ways is to use recordings and email or some other transfer service to share tracks; something Deninzon says they prefer. 

"The record is done, it's already tracked. We went in the studio at the beginning but then we just tracked the rest of the songs ourselves; we like working that way. We work out the songs in rehearsal and we all have our own home studios and it's a lot easier to record that way. So, we just add tracks and go back and forth and it works out. Rich Mouser is doing the mixing of the album. He is one of our favorite engineers on the planet and he has worked with Dream Theater and Tears For Fears. He is based out of L.A. and it's sounding beyond our wildest dreams; we can't wait for people to hear it; they've heard some of it because we've released some songs as singles but there is a whole other half that people have not heard that we're really excited about." 

"Rich is predominantly Neal Morse's engineer," interjected Gianni. "He has mixed for everyone from Neal to Transatlantic and I had been playing with Neal Morse for a little bit and I introduced Rich to Joe and the band and it was a great relationship. I don't remember the first tune we had him do; I believe it was "Imposter." This record has been going at kind of a slow pace because we're making sure that we do this right and writing the music song by song. Rich has been involved from the beginning song by song instead of doing the whole record all at once and as Joe said, it's coming out just as we pictured it; everything Rich does is like gold. So, I think everyone is going to be very impressed when they hear the record as a whole." 

"Up until recently, I was the primary writer but Jason and I have been co-writing a lot," continued Joe. "I'll bring in an idea and Jason will add a section that enhances the song that I didn't think about and we just kind of bounce back and forth. There is a 12-minute song that is pieced together from different sections we wrote; it's kind of like throwing a ball back and forth; here's something I came up with, well, here's something that will dovetail nicely off that; that's part of the process. Sometimes we write a five minute song and sometimes we write kind of an epic more progressive type of song but it can all work on one record I think." 

Making progressive music is not something these gentlemen and their band mates take lightly but for Joe and Jason; it runs far deeper. 

"I was always into Progressive Rock without kind of knowing it," laughed Gianni. "I grew up listening to Yes and Rush; my father had a couple of Kansas records and I started listening to them and it was just something that resonated with me. Years later, I realized that I liked music that was longer and more thought provoking, full of odd time meters; I think now, it has become more of a compositional thing for me. I listen to progressive music and I like the composing element of it even if it's not fully progressive as far as an extra long song or difficult to play; I love the chord structures and harmonies and lyrics that a lot of progressive composers end up coming up with. I like so much other music as well but to me, progressive music has always been kind of my mainstay since I was a kid. I was schooled in Classical music, I have two degrees in Classical and I think where a lot of my love of music comes from is a more arranged side of things; I'm a Jazz player too so, I like the improvisational aspect but I like the arrangement side of the compositional thing and that is why it has piqued my interest for so many years. "

"I grew up in a family of Classical musicians and I also fell in love with Rock 'n' Roll and later Jazz; progressive rock marries classical music with rock 'n' roll which are two things I love" said Deninzon. "I like the complexity of it and the challenge of playing it; it's funny, I wasn't consciously trying to be a progressive rock artist, that's just the music I was writing and that's the audience that was gravitating towards it. I realized, hey, these are my people (laughs); without setting out to do that on purpose, it just kind of progressed that way." 

Let's face it, Progressive Rock isn't dominating the airwaves as it did in the early days of FM radio and through the mid-eighties but this doesn't deter the music's legions of fans from attending shows and supporting artists both old and new. Gianni has a viewpoint as to why some of the material "Resonates" and some, not so much."  

"A lot of people want to write the next "Close To The Edge" but they don't have the compositional chops to do it. What makes great progressive music great is the 20-minute song where you don't notice 20-minutes has gone by and that's because every part grabs your attention. The melodies are so strong, it's so compelling as a piece of writing that you don't notice; if you find yourself zoning out thinking; when will this section be over? Then you know it's not a great song."

Music preferences and styles are all personal, we all unknowingly follow paths which we can not see at the time we are traveling them. Songs, events and general day to day life place us where we are meant to be through our choices or chance encounters and for Jason and Joe, their experiences are quite similar. 

"Too many paths," laughed Gianni loudly. "Everything kind of spiders out from different things that you do, especially in the New York scene. You meet this one and that one knows this person and that leads to this; Neal Morse was a little bit separated from what I do here on the East Coast. I was working with Neal when Mike Portnoy was sort of in and out taking a break with a couple of other bands and Neal needed somebody to play for him when Portnoy was out on the road with the other bands. So, I filled in and played with Neal for a couple of years but Mike is now 100 percent committed to Neal so I've not, unfortunately, worked with Neal in a little bit but I was for a while and it was some of the best playing and memories of my life for sure. It came about when Neal announced on his fan page that he was holding auditions for an American band. The only caveat was that the drummer would be a sub for Mike Portnoy, it wouldn't be a regular situation but that was actually better for me because I had my hand in so many different things. So, I sent my stuff in, he picked me out of I don't know how many people but five people ended up auditioning and I won the spot after going down there. All of the other projects from the Steely Dan project to Broadway, to different things that I work on, again, it's just a lot of people you meet along the way. Joe is the same way, we meet people in certain circumstances and then you hear about an opening and then you submit something like an electronic press kit or a video and they say, hey, any interest in sitting in or whatever and it kind of goes from there." 

"Tracing the threads of my life as a musician, all the different people you meet; one thing kind of leads to another," continued Joe as he explained how he found himself center stage with Kansas. "I had been going to festivals like ProgStock and Stratospheerius had been playing in that world for about six or seven years and I got to know Tom Brislin through that world. I played  the Cruise To The Edge and he was there, we hung out, I've heard his band, he's heard Stratospheerius and so he knows about me and that I'm in that scene. Kansas had been looking for understudies because during COVID some band members had gotten sick and they had to cancel shows. So, they created a new rule that everyone has to have an understudy so that they never have to cancel a show and that was the original call I received. Then David Ragsdale had some personal health related issues that prevented him from touring and over the course of three months, I was in touch with Tom and learned the music in case I had to step in and it turned out that I did have to step in and I was ready when the time came. So, that's how it came about but more so through my friendship with Tom over the last few years. The lesson I've learned is to just put stuff out. Write the music you're passionate about and make videos and put them out there because you never know who is going to see it. Especially now, it's easier than ever. I think part of what clinched it for me was when they saw our video for "Imposter" because it was very Kansas influenced. I wasn't consciously thinking that this might come about, I was just writing music I love and putting it out there just because I was passionate about it and if you keep doing that, you never know. Sometimes the universe has a way of lining up for you; follow your heart, that's what I would tell people." 

Live albums and DVDs require sifting through hours of recordings and videos; so what led to the decision to release this box set and will they be returning for yet another year of ProgStock?

"I think they changed things up; we've played there at ProgStock four times," laughed Deninzon. "They are our dear friends and we don't expect them to invite us every year; they need to change things up but I'll be playing Saturday night with Dave Kerzner Band this year. I usually end up playing with somebody in some capacity there every year but this year Stratospheerius is not performing there. We do have people like Rachel Flowers on our live DVD and she's also on the new album as well. The DVD decision was made because when you play ProgStock on the main stage, they give you an eight camera shoot and a multi-track recording. We've wanted to do a live record for a long time and what a great opportunity because we had really good lighting and sound and a beautiful area where it was filmed. So, we had the raw materials to make a good live record; it took a while to put it all together because it was from two different years but we finally got it done. So, it's two-hours of music and we're really proud of the way it came out. Friday September 22 we released the video for "Frame By Frame" which we're not releasing as a single because it's already out on Spotify within the album. We're releasing the video just to continue to whet people's appetites for the DVD and we want people to check it out because, as I said, we are really proud of it." 

Tonight's performance will be the first for the band as a unit since May at the Iridium in New York City; so what will it feel like to headline after several months off and what can we expect? 

"I guess you can say we are co-headlining," stated Deninzon, "The backstory is, through Jason's experiences with Neal Morse, we got to know his keyboard player, Bill Hubauer who has been recording on most of the songs on the new album. We invited him to play with us that night and his band will play the first set. His band is called, We Came From Space and they are based out of the Pittsburgh, PA area. So, they're going to open the show and share the bill and at Kennett Flash they are doing that as well and we're gonna try and premier a new song that we haven't played before; hopefully we can put that together." 

"We have a tendency to have an overall framework of a set and then we insert some different songs that maybe we haven't played in a while or maybe try something we haven't done in a little bit but for the most part, a lot of it is going to be the new record," concurred Gianni. "We've been lucky enough to have people who have come out to see us several times and they will probably see some things that we've done before but for the new people, I think they are going to have a good experience hearing the new stuff live for sure because it has been very emotional to play live, very challenging of course but very cool too." 

To discover more about Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius, please visit https://joedeninzon.com/stratospheerius/ 

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 
Thurs. 5 p.m. John Brennan
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/  (5 p.m.) Mark Robidoux
Sun. 12 p.m. Sunday Acoustic Brunch 
Mon. 5 p.m. Rob Silvers
Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura
Wed. 7 p.m. Rachel & Ty  

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Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Fri. 6 p.m. Irish Pub Night
Sat. 1 p.m. 39th Annual Irish Festival feat. Birmingham Six, The Natterjack's, Chrome Pony, Irish Dancing, Bagpipe Bands. $5 (Ages 16 and older, age 15 and under FREE)

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

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Arm & Hammer Park
1 Thunder Road Trenton 
(609) 394-3300
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Outdoor Ballpark Movie Night: "The Sandlot" (FREE event)

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Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Fri. 8 p.m. Parking Lot Pop-Up: Monthly Dance Party
Sat. 2 p.m. Pop-Up Beer Garden w/ Triumph Brewing
Wed. 7 p.m. Inktober Draw Along w/ Barbara DiLorenzo

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Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Cecil & Carl
Fri. 4 p.m. Puptails & Cocktails
Sun. 3 p.m. Dueling Pianos
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney

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Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Thurs. 7 p.m. Line Dancing
Fri. 7 p.m. Groove Pocket
Sat. 7 p.m. Thrown Together
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
Wed. 7 p.m. "Horror" Trivia Hosted by Damien Glonek

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Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 

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Boro Bean 
9 East Broad Street Hopewell 
(609) 466-6681 
Sat./Sun. 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. Mark Smith Trio

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 8 p.m. Murphy's law, The Rumjacks, The Barstool Preachers, Grade 2. $30, ages 18+, doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Fri. 7 p.m. Tribute Night feat. Know Your Enemy (Rage Against the Machine), Jar of Flies (Alice In Chains) $10
Sat. 12 p.m. "Jawnaroo" Arts and Music Festival feat. (8 p.m.) Iron Chic, The Best of The Worst, The Amphorous Blob Orchestra
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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Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits 
31 Appletree Lane Pipersville, PA
(215) 766-7711
Sat. 6 p.m. Zen Dog 
Sun. 2 p.m. Brian Elliot  
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 
Fri. 7 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Son of Black feat. Angel Mossucco. $5

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Candlelight Lounge 
24 Passaic Street Trenton  
(609) 695-9612 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam. $5

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Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jerrold Benford, Vishnu Vaka, Rishi Mathur. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m. 
Fri. 8 p.m. Rey Gibbs, Ty Raney. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 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. My Other Band

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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. The Riverdogs

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour  (8 p.m.) "Hotlanta" The Allman Brothers Experience
Sat. 8 p.m. The Influence '80s Band
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. 7 p.m. Salsa Tuesdays w/ DJ Enerjetic  / Complimentary Dance Class w/ "Papo"
Wed. (7 p.m.) Blues and BBQ Jam (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. Trivia Night
Sat. 2 p.m. Joe Grillo
Sun. 1 p.m. Sweet Spot  

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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. Porch
Sat. 8 p.m. Mike Goldman
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 
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
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic 

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Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. (6 p.m.) Craft & A Cocktail: fall Wreath Workshop (8 p.m.) Bill Shannon
Fri. 8 p.m. Burnt Mills Highballers
Sat. (10 a.m.) Yoga for all levels (8 p.m.) The Blue Wave Ramblers  
Eddington House Bensalem
2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA 
(215) 639-1220 
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Big Country and The Finger Pickin' Good Band
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Leading Zero
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 
Fri. 8 p.m. Two For Flinching

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Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA 
Fri. 6 p.m. Fall Sips Family Fall Festival. (FREE event)
Tues. 6 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 6 p.m. Wine & Dine

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Fri. 9 p.m. Joanne Caruso
Sat. 9 p.m. The Quixote Project
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 
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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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.) The Naturals
Sat. 1 p.m. Fall Festival feat. Live DJ, Stein Holding Competition, Giveaways and More. 
Tues. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night Hosted by Best Choice Productions

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Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Fri. 4 p.m. College Fest

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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. Sandy Zio & Friends

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Halo Pub (Fete) 
9 Hullfish Street Princeton 
(609) 921-1710 
Sat. 6 p.m. Carm & Friends 
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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Happy Apple Inn 
29 Imlaystown Road Cream Ridge
(609) 259-7889
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Knob Creek Barrel Release (Ticket required)

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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.) Heart Tribute w/ "Kick It Out" $35  (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (8:30 p.m.) Jumper (11:59 p.m.) DJ Summer Dance Party 
Sun. (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra (6:30 p.m.) JB Kline Band
Mon. (9 p.m.) "Lipstick Mondays Drag Show" Hosted by Cyannie Lopez (11 p.m.) Karaoke w/ Dwayne
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo

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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.) Ed Wall
Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM Fransisco (1 p.m.) Rob Silvers Duo (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Melissa Ann
Sun. (11 a.m.) Floral Pumpkin Plant & Sip. (SOLD OUT check for availability) / Pilates (2:30 p.m.) A Little Bit Off

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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.) Harley & Daniel (9 p.m.) Starship Love
Sat. (3 p.m.) Country Line Dancing w/ Jeremy (FREE event) (7:30 p.m.) DJ BeeNice
Mon. 7 p.m. Motown Mondays w/ rotating DJs BeeNice, Rawskillz, JusGroove
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday w/ Mikey Jr.
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 
Sat. 12 p.m. Oktoberfest feat. (8 p.m.) Jeni & Joe
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. Ed Wilson
Sat. 6:30 p.m. (TBA)
Sun. 2 p.m. Bob O & Ann

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Iron Plow Vineyards Tasting Room
61 High Street Mt. Holly 
(732) 306-9111
Sat. 6 p.m. Skippy's Toy Duo or Timeless Duo

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John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Sat. 3 p.m. Road Trip
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. 7 p.m. Dueling Pianos w/ Flying Ivories 
Fri. 10 p.m. Nick & Dom 
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch feat. (5:30 p.m.) Skyline
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch 
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Night w/ Geeks Who Drink

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

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Labyrinth Books Princeton 
122 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 497-1600 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Author Talk "Animals Spirits" w/ Jackson Lears & D. Graham Burnett
Mon. 6 p.m. "More Than Empty Shelves: How Book Bans Undermine Identities and Restrict Information" feat Panelists Martha Hickson, Kasey Meehan, Brielle Winslow. (Reservations required)
Wed. 6 p.m. Peter Brown and Jack Tannous: "Journeys of the Mind"

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La Cena Ristorante
2233 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(215) 639-9969
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Plush & Friends

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Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 
11 Bridge Street Lambertville 
(609) 397-8300 
Sat. 11 a.m. Fall Festival feat. food, live music        
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Fall Festival feat. food, live music                                                       

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Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Sangria, Sliders and Song! Feat. music by Rick Winow
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Line Dancing. $9
Sat. 7 p.m. Awesome '80s Dance Party. $9, Ages 21+
Sun. (10 a.m.) Vines of Life: Walk to Cure Cancer (2 p.m.) NJ Cameo Club Variety Extravaganza. $15  

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Lawrenceville Main Street 
17 Phillips Avenue Lawrenceville
(609) 219-9300
Sat. 1 p.m. "Music In The Park" feat. Aloha Monkey  (Weeden Park FREE admission) 

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Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night

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

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Locust Hall at Johnson's Farm
2691 Monmouth Road Jobstow 
(609) 723-2630  
Sat. 12 p.m. Sunflower September Festival
Sun. 12 p.m. Fall Harvest Festival

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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  

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McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Dance Party w/ Paula & Sam
Sat. 9 p.m. Supertrain
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night 

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Millhill Basement 
300 S. Broad Street Trenton 
(609) 989-1600
Sat. 9 p.m. Jukebox Romantics, Pissed!, Mo and the Mo Mos. $10

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More Than Q 
13 Klines Court Lambertville  
(609) 773-0072  
Sun. 1 p.m. Joe Zook & Paul Plumeri

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Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project 
Fri.  8 p.m. Monster Prom (Tickets Require)
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch (2 p.m.) Sunday Stroll feat. Mike & Shanna
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 
Sat. 12 p.m. Oktoberfest feat. (2 p.m.) Polkadelphia (4 p.m.) Yodeling Contest
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 
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jonatha Brooke
Fri. 8 p.m. Heather Maloney
Sat. 1 p.m. Bill Ihling
Sun. 6 p.m. Darden Smith & Kim Richey

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Useless Knowledge" Trivia 
Fri. 3 p.m. Oktoberfest Day 1 feat. (6 p.m.) JDuo
Sat. 12 p.m. Oktoberfest Day 2 feat. (6 p.m.) Just Jeff
Sun. 1 p.m. Local Artisan Craft Fair
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. 9 p.m. Bruce Springsteen Tribute w/ "B Street Band"
Sat. 9 p.m. Fish Out Of Water
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

NJWeedman's Dispensary
322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 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
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 Hights Brewing 
123 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 469-5976
Sat. 1 p.m. Fall Market feat. Brockway & Slim  

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Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Take 2
Sat. 9 p.m. Sho & John
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. Chet & Ari
Sun. 1 p.m. Music Fest Sundays: Swingadelic Does Sinatra  

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Pasquale's Sports Bar 
9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 202-6268 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Beer Pong
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. Spanky's Garage
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"

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Patriot's Theater at The War Memorial                                                             
1 Memorial Drive Trenton 
(609) 984-8400
Fri. 7 p.m. The Casting Crowns 20th Anniversary Tour

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Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
 (609) 585-8008
Fri. 9 p.m. Deep Release

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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. Sing-A-Long Brunch Extravaganza

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Princeton Makes 
301 North Harrison Street Princeton 
Sat. 10:30 a.m. "A Fluid Art Experience" w/ Adriana Groza
Sun. 1 p.m. Art In The Courtyard Outdoor Art Festival

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Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Retro Party Night w/ DJ Mike
Sun. 12 p.m. Baseball Insiders
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz night w/ Bob Howell & The Dean Schneider Trio  

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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. Mikey Jr.
Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo  

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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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Russo's Pub & Italian Restaurant
1302 Monmouth Road Mount Holly
(609) 261-3277
Sat. 7 p.m. John Brennan

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Sandy's Beef & Ale
2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA
(2670 852-2333
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo  
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo

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

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Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Fall Fest "UnWINEd" Concert feat. Buzzer Band. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat.  11 a.m. Fall Fest "Party On The Patio" feat. (2 p.m.) Joe & Krista
Sun. 11 a.m. Fall Fest "Party On The Patio" feat. (2 p.m.) Aaron Quarterman 

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Slim's Irish Pub 
2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
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. McMillan & Co.

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Smithville Park
815 Smithville Road Easthampton 
Sat. 7 p.m. Dance Party w/ Stranger Things

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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. Never Enough
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. (TBA)

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Stars & Stripes Harley Davidson
600 South Flowers Mill Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 752-9400 
Fri. 5 p.m. End of Summer Bike Night and Bike Giveaway
Sat. (11 a.m.) Tailgate Party (5 p.m.) Backstage Party

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Steam Pub 
606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA 
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Montone
Sat. 10:30 p.m. Dear Zoe
Mon. 7 p.m. Paint Night 
Stone Terrace by John Henry's
2275 Kuser Road Hamilton  
(609) 581-8855    
Sat. 7 p.m. HHW Class of '83 Reunion

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1675 at The Ridges
4666 East Bristol Road Trevose, PA
(215) 876-6868
Fri. 7 p.m. Aaron Quarterman

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1675 Spirits 
2685 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 645-1445
Thurs. 8 p.m. Kings Highway Comedy Hosted by Dave Collins feat. Ryan Foster, Connor Lutz, Anna Gallagher
Fri. 6 p.m. Diane & Joe

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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. 9 p.m. Kickback
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 
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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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 Beer Garden and Education Center at Snipes Farm
890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Sat. 11 a.m. Fall Festival feat. Tractor/Wagon Rides to Pumpkin Patch, Straw Bale maze, Farm Animals, Food Trucks and More. $6 (Age 2 and under FREE)

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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 
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (9 p.m.) Bigg Romeo
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. El Ka Bong

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The Cure Insurance Center  
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton  
(609) 656-3200  
Sun. 7:30 p.m. Jubin Nautiyal  

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The Dubliner
34 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. Gerry Timlin 
The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Fri. 5 p.m. Full Moon Friday feat. Grape Street. $5
Sat. 2 p.m. Laurie Vosburg Band. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
Sun. 2 p.m.  The Lifters. $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. Sometime In September
Sat. 9 p.m. WitZend
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
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Bingo (10 p.m.) Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Soto
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Lydell
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. 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. Little Sister
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 Newtown Theatre
120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Wed. 3 p.m. The Greatest Hits of Broadway

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The Penguin Rocks (24 Hour On-Demand Music/Radio)
www.thepenguinrocks.com 
Mon. -  Fri. "Radio Jersey" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Classic Jersey" Hosted by Gary Wien
Sun. - Sat. "Beyond The Palace" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" feat. Lauren Doral of The Real Jersey Shore Show
Sun. - Sat. "From The Basement" Hosted by Mike Marrone
Sun. - Sat. "Deuce Radio" Hosted by Matt Barker
Sun. - Sat. "Altrok Radio" Hosted by Sean Carolan
Sun. - Sat. "Lighty's Corner" Hosted by Gary Wien 
Sun. - Sat. "The Troubador Show" Hosted by John Godfrey

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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. ArHouse
Sat. 8 p.m. Za Band 
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. Go Hamm
Sat. 8 p.m. Idle Woodsman

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The Tavern at Penns Park 
2295 Second Street Pike Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5658
Fri. 8 p.m. Plush

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The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Thurs. 8 p.m. Derailed Comedy Presents: Brendan Donegan, Mel Harris, Tyler Langlois. $15, Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 p.m. A Tribute to The Doors w/ "Crystal Ship. Doors open at 7 p.m.

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The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Fri. 8 p.m. Rough Cut
Sat. 8 p.m. Todd Bailey

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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
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets

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Triple Sun Spirits
126 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-3057  
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. Brad Staudel
Sat. (12 p.m.) matt Gorduek  (6:30 p.m.) Chris Giakas

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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. Behn Gillece Duo
Sat. 12 p.m. Oktoberfest (7 p.m.) Tony Miceli Trio
Mon. 6 p.m. Lunch Money Quizzo 
Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Washington Crossing Historic Park 
1112 River Road Washington Crossing, PA
Sat. 10 a.m. McConkey's Market

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

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Wilson's Pub 
1870 Brownsville Road Trevose Heights, PA 
(215) 355-4739
Fri. 8 p.m. SoulShine

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Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4 p.m. The Williamsboy
Sat. 1 p.m. Roger Gardella
Sun. 1 p.m. Chris Swatt

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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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Yankee Doodle Tap Room 
10 Palmer Square Princeton 
(609) 921-7500 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. The Polish Nannies or Blackwells Mill

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Zlock Performing Arts Center
275 Swamp Road Newtown, PA
(215) 968-846 
Thurs. (12:15 p.m.) Cultural Streaming Series: "Chopin" (7 p.m.) How Saba Kept Singing

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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