"Basically, we start off with a song all together and then I come to the front and I start talking," he explained. "I talk about the beginning, where I grew up and how I got into music, I do that for a bit and then how The Yardbirds were formed, who they were and where they came from and meanwhile, we have pictures in the background. Then we play another song, a song that we tried to get as a hit but it never was and then we start talking about our first hit, which was "For Your Love." Then we do "Heart Full of Soul" and then we go through to when we went to America and when we recorded (Mister) "You're a Better Man Than I" and "Shapes of Things" and we play those and then we carry on right to the bitter end (Laughs). Myke Scavone, who is the harmonica player, is going to play drums on a few songs so that I don't have to keep getting up and down. The whole idea was that I wouldn't have to play drums as much as usual so that it might not be so tiring. When I finish the story of the group, I then go back onto the kit and we play a whole load of songs to finish; we're hoping people will accept it and I think it will be very interesting for them."
Now, into his 80s, McCarty has logged enough time behind a drum kit, where the occasional break from playing is understandable and what better way to understand the man and the band itself than to hear its history and the stories behind it from the man who lived it from the beginning.
"It seems right that I should tell the tale," he said once again with a large laugh. 'Hopefully people like it because it's a whole new thing for us. We're doing 11 of the same dates but Sellersville will be the first. Yes and we'll play all of the famous ones and people will get their money's worth; it's probably going to be at least an hour-and-a-half, 90 to 100 minutes probably."
The tumultuous '60s saw the "British Invasion" which everyone credits The Beatles for beginning but waiting in the wings were bands like The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stonesand many others; bands with an "Edge." Bands who had begun experimenting with sounds that moved away from the pop sounds of the day and so, as drummer, McCarty had many peers and contemporaries he admired that aided his growth.
"I started off with all of the Jazz people. I liked all of the Jazz drummers because in Jazz, you could hear it quite easily and there were a lot of good drummers; wasn't there? People like Art Blakey, Joe Morello, Buddy Rich and all of those people; they were all great drummers weren't they? Then of course, when I got into Rock, I used to like the Rock drumming of Buddy Holly's drummer Jerry Allison and people like Hal Blaine who was a great session drummer and very good and of course the Rock drummers like Ginger (Baker) and Keith Moon; they were great! They were peers of mine but I knew them. I didn't know John Bonham very well but I did meet him. I didn't know him well but he was very good as well; wasn't he? I was originally in The Boys Brigade and I played the snare drum, the marching drum and when I got into Rock 'N' Roll, I saw an add in the paper for a small drum kit and it was 11 pounds; which is something like probably three hundred bucks or something like that now. It was just a bass drum, a hi-hat and a snare drum and I'd play that for the school rock 'n' roll band. I had to buy the kit because they didn't really have that sort of music in school (Laughs). They used to have school dances and they'd have a band playing dance music and we'd go on in the interval and play Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash songs and everyone would go mad (Laughs)."
Over the years, McCarty has had the great fortune of sharing the stage and the band with the aforementioned trio of guitar greats who are now legends and so many others. One of those, Jeff Beck, has passed since the last time he gave his time to this writer. So, it's no surprise that Beck's untimely passing had an effect.
"Yes, that was horrible; wasn't it?" He said slowly and softly. "I think that was a great shock and I was very upset about it because he wasn't ill, he hadn't been ill for any length of time, it wasn't like he had cancer or anything and he suddenly died very quickly. What was funny was, when he was on the road with us in about '66, we did a gig in France and he became ill and he went into the hospital for a checkup and they suspected it was meningitis. I don't know why but that's what he died of; wasn't it in the end? I know it sounds like a very nasty thing but at least, I guess it was quite quick. When he was with us, it was suspected but they thought it wasn't meningitis, it was just stress; he was very stressed, Jeff. As we get older, these things happen more and more; don't they? More and more people you know and friends suddenly pass away and it's a funny time."
"Passing away" is a fact of life and as we all age, people we love and/or relationships we have come to an end; or do they? A relatively short time ago, Jim authored another book after the death of his wife that deals with exactly that concept.
"She Walks In Beauty" is sort of based around the loss of my wife which was about four-and-a-half years ago, it's the whole story. I was obviously very shocked, she had cancer but I was very upset and I thought, she must be somewhere. So, I conceived the whole idea of it and I checked near death experiences on YouTube, sought out mediums and things. I even studied a couple of courses on becoming a medium in order to connect with her and I did actually manage to connect with her quite well actually and I thought, oh, this is great! I'm gonna put this down in a book and so that's the basis of that book and there are some good stories in there' of course it's a book about the paranormal and not rock 'n' roll so it's not as popular as my other one (Laughs). I make regular contact with her at a certain time of day, normally in the morning and I write down what I think she says, I'm pretty sure I get the gist of it, so I'm doing that every day. So, just to say to you about all of these people who have passed over; they're not dead, I can tell you, they're around and they are surviving, that's what I've learned. There are some good stories in there of things that are "N.O.E" as we say, "No Other Explanation." Things happen but they are all very subtle. I don't really get doors opening and closing or lights flashing on and off but I do get the occasional funny things that will happen and they are always quite amusing like the TV going on and off and all that (Laughs). For me, it was almost like a whole new life because when she died, I couldn't believe that she was still there; even though I sort of believed it before. I believed people didn't die but this was very convincing and it was like, wow, this is like a whole new life believing all that stuff. In a way, it makes you live a better person, I don't know what you think but if you realize that you're not really going to die in the end, you live a much more loving life. Eventually, you're going to get to a point where you look back on your life and say, "What did I do that was any good?" I think, if you're honest with yourself, you know what you did wrong and what you did right and I think there comes that time for all of us where we know; oh yeah, we were quite good there but oh, we made a mistake there (Laughs). That's why we make mistakes, to learn. You can't do everything right; can you? That's the whole point of being alive isn't it? To learn how to get it right?"
Besides books, McCarty has released a couple of albums over the last several years and is in discussions to release more.
"Mind The Gap" is a live compilation of the band now, that's the present band live shows. "Psycho Daisies" was the B-sides from the old group which was very nicely done, it's a very nice album and it was an idea of Demon. Demon is a very good label, we talked to them about various things and they usually do something for Record Store Day; I think I may have done that for Record Store Day last year. We will definitely have those albums with us on the road, you can definitely get them on Amazon. I know it's not so easy now to find these things. They have them in record stores like Amoeba but there's not so many of those stores; are there? I was talking to someone earlier about it; a couple of my old CDs are coming out from a record company in Florida and it's nice because they weren't on CD for a while, just downloads. This is my solo stuff, I only heard this today actually, so you've got a few scoops here Danny (Laughs). I think they are TLAK in Miami and they are going to bring out a ton of my old stuff on CD, which is nice."
The days of playing large venues are pretty much a thing of the past for the band. Now, it's the smaller theaters, halls and venues that they frequent as times and things change.When asked if he enjoyed being back to smaller venues; he couldn't help but laugh; especially about tonight's first attempt in Sellersville.
"Yeah, they were always fun; we are playing a couple of them. We are playing Daryl's House and that's not a huge place but that's a nice venue. We're doing 10 shows and Sellersville (Laughs), it's going to work or not but I'm sure it will work. I think a lot of people know quite a bit about The Yardbirds but they don't know all of the stories and I think they will find it interesting."
To discover more about The Yardbirds or to go to what promises to be an incredible night of music and history; please visit https://www.theyardbirds.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
Ace Cafe 15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Fri. 6 p.m. Miata / Rotary Power Meet
Sat. 11 a.m. Vintage Moto Meet
Sun. 6 p.m. Porsche Night
Allentown BoroughMain Street Allentown
Thurs. (10:15 a.m.) Baby Storytime (Ages 6-24 Months / Takes place at the library 16 South Main Street) (4:30 p.m.) Getting Crafty (Ages 3 and up / Takes place at the library 16 South Main Street)
Tues. 5:30 p.m. Tween Creativity Corner (Ages 8-12 / Takes place at the library 16 South Main Street)
Al's Airport Inn636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252
Thurs. 5 p.m. Tamer Tewfik
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Jeff Penque (7 p.m.) JT Rox
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Acoustic Brunch w/ Bill Thomas (6 p.m.) Mike Tusay
Mon. 5 p.m. Carmen Marranco
Tues. 7 p.m. Jessica DiDonato
Wed. 7 p.m. AudioPilot
Ancient Order of Hibernians 2419 Kuser Road Hamilton
Fri. 3 p.m. Lenten Fish Fry feat. (7 p.m.) The Successful Failures
Aristaeus Brewing2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-8777
Fri. 7 p.m. Art People Party Annual Fundraiser 2025
Artworks Trenton 19 Everett Alley Trenton
(609) 394-9436
Sat. 5 p.m. The Peoples Theatre: A Tribute to Don Evans and The Players Company
Ashlynn Distillery 32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Mike
Fri. 8 p.m. Michael Patrick
Sat. 8 p.m. Sara + Tamer
Sun. 3 p.m. Cecil Middleton
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney
Bent Iron Brewing70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 5:30 p.m. Shoreline
Bill's Olde Tavern2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia
Tues. 8 p.m. / Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Ages 21+
Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo
Bordentown CityFarnsworth Avenue Bordentown
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 (4 p.m.) 2025 Third Annual Bordentown City Cats Art Show and Sale (Takes place at Old City Hall)
Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972.
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour
Broken Goblet Brewing2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Open MIKE" Hosted by Mike Estabrook
Fri. (7:30 p.m.) "A Farewell To Kings" Rush Tribute. $21.12-$37, doors open at 7 p.m., ages 21+ (8:30 p.m.) "First Fridays" w/ Cara Cartney (Mixing Room)
Sat. 7:30 p.m. "Starman," the Bowie Tribute. $20-$37, doors open at 7 p.m., ages 21+
Sun. 11 a.m. Ska Flow Yoga. $15
Wed. 7:30 p.m. "SNL Trivia Night
Bucks On Bridge25 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 483-2615
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Poetry Night
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia
Cadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum)
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton
(408) 335-4400
Sat. 2 p.m. Eastern European Art Exhibit feat. works by Adriana Groza
Sun. 2 p.m. Secrets of the Region's Stained Glass: History Talk w/ Dan Aubrey
Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA
(267) 580-5469
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul
Chesterfield Inn633 Chesterfield-Arneytown Road Chesterfield
(609) 298-1917
Sat. 9 p.m. Blackwells Mill
City Streets510 Highway 130 South East Windsor
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9 p.m. Anker
Club Atlantis1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA
(215) 944-1777
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress
Continental Tavern2 North Main Street Yardley, PA
(215) 493-9191
Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Thompson
Sat. 8 p.m. Frank Pinto & Richie Z
Cooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cosmic Jerry Band
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Gab Cinque Band / DJ John Rossi. $10 (VIP Packages available), doors open at 6 p.m.
Sat. 7 p.m. The Discoteks / DJ Randy Moats. $15 (Dinner and VIP Packages available), doors open at 6 p.m., dinner 7 p.m..
Cream Ridge Winery145 Route 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 259-9797
Sun. 12 p.m. Art of Enology and Mindful Wine Tasting Class
Crossing Vineyard and Winery1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500
Thurs. 6 p.m. Sip & Shop
Sat. 12:30 p.m. Kim & Chuck
Sun. 2 p.m. Bunny Barnes
Curran’s Irish Inn1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo
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
Dadz Bar and Grill 744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jimmy Mannix
Sun. 3 p.m. Benefit for Zac and Danielle's Adoption Process feat. Wounded Souls, Katherine And Company
Dharma Bums 4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. Neil Tapp
Fri. 8 p.m. The Great Bonfire (EP Release Show). $10 (advance)
Sat. (12 p.m.) Craft & A Cocktail: Ceramic Pipe Workshop. $50 (8 p.m.) Sunflower Sutras & Scarlet Begonias: A Tribute to Allen Ginsberg. $25 (advance)
Sun. (1 p.m.) Acoustic Jam Circle ($10 suggested donation) (6 p.m.) The Reverend Graham Ford: Songs of Pete Townsend
Wed. 7 p.m. DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry Robert
Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 8 p.m. "Ladies Night"
Fri. 7 p.m. LakeHouse
Sat. 9 p.m. Balanced Breakfast
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia
Forsgate Country Club 375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700
Fri. 6 p.m. "First Friday"
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
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.)
Gleason's Bar6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions (9:30 p.m.) Karaoke
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8:30 p.m.) Starship Lovechild
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Rustic Revival
Sun. 3 p.m. Anger Management
Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show Palooza
Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA
(215) 504-7277
Thurs. 6 p.m. LJ Hall
Tues. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Grounds For Sculpture80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616
Sat. 9 a.m. Garden Retreat
Grover's Mill Coffee House Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction
(609) 716-8771
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge
Hamilatte Cafe1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Shakey" An Evening with Neil Young...Almost.
Fri. ( 8 p.m.) "Stevie Mac" Fleetwood mac/Stevi NIcks Tribute. (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party
Sat. (8:30 p.m.) Soul Seduction (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ DJ Iron Mike
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5 p.m.) Modern Rewind
Sat. 5 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Bad Hombres Trio
Sun. (11 a.m.) Baby Goat Yoga (2:30 p.m.) "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Blue Jersey Band
Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W.
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco
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
Irish Rover Station House 1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA
(215) 970-5412
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night
Iron Plow Vineyards26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Rich Cassenti
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Sun. 1 p.m. Wild Grit
Ivy Tavern3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
John & Peter's96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa
(215) 862-5981
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.)
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix
(732) 230-6169
Tues. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Carie McCay
Killarney's Publick House1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Lou Mutter
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Ty Mares (8 p.m.) Electric Stingray (10 p.m.) DJ Dan
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (5:30 p.m.) Lofash (10 p.m.) DJ Dom
Sun. (10 a.m.) "Sunday Funday" Easter Bunny Brunch feat. (11 a.m.) Bob Banka
Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 11 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 397-8300
Sun. 11 a.m. Bunny Brunch
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Paint & Sip: Beginning of Spring Edition
Fri. 7 p.m. Country Line Dancing
Sat. "Girl Friend's Weekend" feat. (11 a.m.) Baby Goat Yoga. $50 (1 p.m.) Rick Winow (7 p.m.) Battle of the Decades Party. $10 (advance).
Sun. "Girl Friend's Weekend" feat. (11 a.m.) Baby Goat Yoga. $50 (1 p.m.) Jim & Carm
Library Company of Burlington23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night
Lillipies Bakery30 North Harrison Street Princeton
(609) 423-2100
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff
Magikava87a 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
McGuinn's Place 1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence
(609) 392-0599
Sat. 9 p.m. Better View, Hubbell Benson, Righteous Jolly
Ages 21+
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Sat. 9 p.m. Jukebox Graveyard / Don't Tell Rosa
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night
Mill Hill Playhouse (Passage Theater)
205 East Front Street Trenton
(609) 392-0766
Fri. 7:15 p.m. Trenton Makes Improv 10: "Wet Elevator"
Naked Brewing Company 212 Mill Street Bristol, PA
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 6:30 p.m.Books & Beers: Lock Every Door
Sat. 7 p.m. CZW: Something's Brewing
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
New Hope Winery / Tavern 6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA
(215) 794-2331
Fri. 8 p.m. "We May Be Right" Billy Joel Tribute
Sun. 1 p.m. Stranger Things
Newtown Brewing Company103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8609
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Useless Knowledge" Trivia
Fri. 6 p.m. Fly On The Wall
Sat. 6 p.m. Two For Flinching
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Bill Monach
Nick's Roast Beef4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
NJWeedman's Dispensary322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Nomad Distilling Company20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Nottingham Tavern 9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square
(609) 587-6623
Thur. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour Hosted by Danny Coleman feat. Music by Rick Winow (9:30 pm.) Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Asylum Choir
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 4 p.m. Prime Rib Night feat. (6:30 p.m.) Rob Silvers
Ages 21+
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
Old Barracks100 Barrack Street Trenton
Sat. 7 p.m. Concerts by Candlelight
Old Hights Brewing 123 West Ward Street Hightstown
(609) 469-5976
Fri. (3 p.m.) Happy Hour (6 p.m.) Jon Savage & The Classic Rockers
Sun. 2 p.m. Bluegrass Jam
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Paint & Sip
Old Town Pub135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 291-9232
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Wed. 7:30 p.m. Trivia
Ottoburger (Planet Animal Taste)
65 East Broad Street Hopewell
(640) 867-4915
Sat. 11 a.m. Tiny Home
Pasquale's Sports Bar 9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(267) 202-6268
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Patriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Pete's Steak House 523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Slugger O'Toole
Picture Perfect Affairs76 High Street Mount Holly
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday Lyrics To Go Open Mic and Showcase
Princeton Country Club1-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. Jazz Brunch
Princeton University (Richardson Auditorium)
Nassau Street Princeton
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Faculty Panel "Roberto Lugo / Orange and Black" (Takes place at Robertson Hall)
Wed. 5 p.m. Photo History's Futures: Giulia Paoletti (Takes place at Aaron Burr Hall)
Puss N Boots Tavern942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 144 US Route 130 Bordentown
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night
River House at Odette’s 274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA
(215) 682-2022
Thurs. 7 p.m. Gina Corso
Fri. 7 p.m. Max Rogers
Sat. (5 p.m.) Cara Cartney (7 p.m.) Bob Egan
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Dave Dales Duo
Roebling Museum 100 2nd Avenue Roebling
(609) 499-7200
Sat. (11 a.m.) Four Town Bike Tour. $5,$6,$7 (2 p.m.) Preserving Family Photographs
Rossi's Bar & Grill2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Sat. 6:30 p.m. "Jordan Family Birthday"
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics
Saint Raphael School151 Gropp Avenue Hamilton
Sun. 10 a.m. Car Show Fundraiser
Sandy's Beef & Ale2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA
(2670 852-2333
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Second Sin Brewing Company1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Slice of Brooklyn NJ1295A Route 33 Hamilton
(609) 527-9663
Thurs. 8 a.m. Community Networking Coffee Hour
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
Small World Coffee 14 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-4377 x2
Sat. 7 p.m. Matt Davis Trio
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
Spigola Vino E Cucino3817 Crosswicks Hamilton Square Road Hamilton
(609) 585-5255
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Mark Sacco
Steam Pub 606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA
Sat. 10 p.m. '80s Night w/ DJ Vinyl Richie / M80
Suzanne Paterson Center 1 Monument Drive Princeton
Thurs. 7 p.m. "Tango Milango" feat. (7 p.m.) Milango w/ DJ Svetlana (8:30 p.m.) Juan & Pato. $20
Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke
Temperance House5 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
Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Brian Bortnick
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Sarah Teti
TGI Fridays 780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910
Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Burn
TGI Fridays2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
TGI Fridays3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night
The Birdhouse Center For The Arts7 North Main Street Lambertville
(215) 681-4660
Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community Orchestra
The Buck Hotel 1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA
(215) 396-2002
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo
The Cool Cricket216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. Deep Release
Mon. 6 p.m. Trivia
The Corner Inn24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment
The Cure Insurance Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Thurs. 5:30 Club Chef Challenge "Copy That"
Sat. 8 a.m. All-Out Championships Tri-State Nationals
The Dubliner34 North Main Street New Hope, PA
(215) 693-1816
Sat. 7 p.m. Sean Fleming
Sun. 2 p.m. David Falcone
The Five Four Bar & Grill8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam
Fri. 9 p.m. EarCandy
Sat. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel
The Irish Horne Bar & Restaurant882 2nd Street Pike Richboro, PA
(215) 942-4000
Sat. 8 p.m. Stranger Things
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Fatha Ramzee
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Ty
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
The Morrisville Tavern 376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Break Even
Sat. 8 p.m. Bambu Weasels
The Newtown Theatre120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Thurs. 8 p.m. Tom Rush w/ Matt Nakoa. $48.49
Sat. 8 p.m. "Brightside" A Tribute to The Killers. $40.10
Sun. 7:30 p.m. Aunt Mary Pat. $44.29
Wed. 3 p.m. The Music of Johnny Mathis w/ Massimo Brutto. $29.62
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. Coleman Brice
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
The Roost181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo
Fri. 8 p.m. Bad Hombres
Sat. 8 p.m. El Ka Bong
Mon. 6 p.m. Music BINGO
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala
The Union Firehouse18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Fri. 7:30 p.m. "Live Comedy" feat. Paul Carson, Holly Huff, Patrick Sullivan. Music by Hot Buttah And the Breakfast Toast. $15, Doors open at 6:45 p.m., ages 18+
The Union House 19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Jug Band
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.) Mark Margolies Band
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
ThunderBowl Lanes NJ423 east main Street Wrightstown
(609) 723-7914
Sat. 5 p.m. Wounded Souls and Chad
Tindall Road Brewing Co.102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 526-8651
Thurs. 6 p.m. Spring Cookie Decorating Class
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Williamsboy
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions"
All Shows 21+
Trenton Free Public Library120 Academy Street Trenton
(609) 392-7188
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday"
Trenton Social449 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
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 8 p.m. Robert Lanter Trio
Sat. 8 p.m. Herding Cats
Sun. 1 p.m. Tim Harakal
Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton Location)
20 Pamer Square east Princeton
(609) 924-7855
Fri. 5 p.m. Yvonnick Prene Trio
Sat. 5 p.m. Diego Hedez Trio
Union Coffee49 North Union Street Lambertville
(609) 460-4637
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday" Tarot Meet-Up w/ Kristina Gorman
Vault Brewing Company10 South Main Street Yardley, PA
(267) 573-4291
Fri. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook Duo
Sat. 7 p.m. Behn Gillece Trio
VFW Post 4919 Fisher Place Yardville
(609) 585-9645
Sun. 8 a.m. Swap Meet
Village Idiot Brewing Company42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Washington Crossing Inn 1295General Washington Memorial Boulevard Washington Crossing, PA
(877) 882-1776
Tues. 6 p.m. "Bourbon & Blues"
Whitehill Mansion217 Fourth Street Fieldsboro
Sat. 8 p.m. Paranormal Investigation Hosted by Dave Juliano. $60
Wildflowers Too255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night
Woodlin Lodge 3019 Park Street Bordentown
(609) 298-9849
Sat. 7 p.m. Park Street Voices Presents: Spoken & Stirred, with Open Mic
Working Dog Winery610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Gary Cavico
Fri. 6 p.m. Cab Franc: Past, Present & Future
Sat. 12 p.m. Spring Craft Fair feat. (1 p.m.) Erez Lirov
Sun. 12 p.m. Spring Craft Fair feat. (1 p.m.) Justin Love
Wed. 6 p.m. Clay NIght w/ Stephanie
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 RadioMCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 a.m./7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"
Zlock Performing Arts Center275 Swamp Road Newtown, PA
(215) 968-846
Fri. 7:30 p.m. The Nick Moss Band. $27
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

Grounds For Sculpture and Third Way Cultural Alliance to Present an Intimate Evening of Art and Music on July 18th
(HAMILTON, NJ) -- Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) and Third Way Cultural Alliance announce a special evening celebrating the power of creative freedom through music, art and conversation. "Creative Freedom: A Salon Experience featuring Marshall Allen, Salvador Jiménez-Flores and Jamaaladeen Tacuma," will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm.
bergenPAC presents Swingtime Big Band on Saturday
(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- New York's high-powered Swingtime Big Band returns to Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 to celebrate America250 by showcasing the popular music that kept Americans dancing for decades—from the Lindy and Fox Trot to the Cha Cha to the Twist! Showtime is 8:00pm.

DePue Brothers Band to Bring "Grassical" Music to Sewell
(SEWELL, NJ) -- Music at Bunker Hill welcomes the DePue Brothers Band on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3:00pm. In a departure from the series' customary chamber music fare, the DePue Brothers Band has long coined their music with the term "grassical," the combination of bluegrass with jazz, blues, rock, folk, and classical.

Albert Music Hall's "Back to Our Roots" Benefit on Sunday to Support Preservation of Pinelands Music History
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Albert Music Hall will present Back to Our Roots, a special fundraising concert on Sunday, July 19, 2026, inviting music lovers to enjoy an afternoon of live performances while helping preserve an important piece of New Jersey's musical heritage.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Heather Maloney & Hayley Reardon on Sunday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Heather Maloney & Hayley Reardon on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 7:30pm.

New Jersey Symphony to Make Rowan's Marie Rader Series Debut with "Life & Liberty" on July 22nd
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Marie Rader Series will launch its 2026-27 season, entitled "Life & Liberty," with the New Jersey Symphony's Rowan University debut. On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players featuring Rowan University Strings Faculty & Alumni will perform at Pfleeger Concert Hall. Showtime is 7:00pm.

The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny and the music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny - The Music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Dude Cervantes & The Panchos will open the night. Doors are at 7:00pm, music starts at 7:30pm.

Shinedown to Play Shows in Newark and Philly in July
(NEWARK, NJ) -- One of the biggest bands in the world, Shinedown, will be releasing their brand new studio album EI8HT on May 29, 2026 (via Atlantic Records) and released the new song "Outlaw." In addition, they announced their massive Dance Kid Dance Act II World Tour, taking the band to 11 countries across 54 dates, including local stops at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday, July 21st and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 23rd.
Middletown Arts Center presents Reina Williams + The Remedy
(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center presents a concert featuring Reina Williams + The Remedy on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Special guest performers Renee Maskin and Patrick Bamburak will open the show. Enjoy an evening of original music spanning reggae, hip-hop, soul, folk, Americana, and indie rock from some of New Jersey's most talented musicians. Showtime is 7:00pm.

Harmonium Choral Society presents "I Dreamed Last Night" on July 23rd
(MADISON, NJ) -- On Thursday, July 23, 2026, Harmonium Choral Society presents I Dreamed Last Night. Directed by Lennie Watts with music direction by John Fischer, I Dreamed Last Night is a one woman show with Gloria Bangiola. There are songs and stories about dreams, hopes, wishes, ambitions, fantasies, nightmares, impossibilities and that big ol' American one we are all still working to make real. Showtime is 7:00pm.
FEATURED EVENTS
