(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Local songwriters will take the spotlight at Albert Music Hall on Sunday, March 29, 2026, when the venue's Songwriters in the Pines Series returns for an afternoon dedicated to original music. The show brings together regional performers sharing original songs and some of the stories behind them, offering audiences a relaxed setting to experience new music and perhaps discover a new favorite local artist.
The lineup for the afternoon includes Lisa Chosed, John Rafferty, Johnny Zarfati, Mike Montrey Band, and Momentary Genius, each with a 30 minute set.
Doors open at 1:00pm, with the music beginning at 2:00pm. Admission is free, though donations are welcome. Parking is also free, and the hall is wheelchair accessible. Albert Music Hall is located at 131 Wells Mills Road (Rt. 532) in Waretown, New Jersey.
The Songwriters in the Pines Series was revived in 2024 after a 20-year hiatus and has quickly become a meaningful part of the hall’s programming, highlighting the creativity and talent of musicians throughout the region. With each performer presenting original material, every show offers a unique experience for audiences.
Visitors can also enjoy a variety of food from the hall’s Food Booth, including pulled pork, kielbasa and sauerkraut, meatballs, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs. A vegan chik’n patty is available on request, along with a selection of desserts. Guests should note that the venue is cash only.
At the Gift Booth, visitors can browse Albert Music Hall merchandise, music-themed items, Pinelands-inspired gifts from local crafters, and an expanding selection of local music and history books.
About the songwriters:
Philly native Lisa Chosed is an indie folk singer-songwriter with a voice reminiscent of Nanci Griffith. Her unique writing style reflects influences from artists like Kasey Chambers and Alanis Morissette. Inspired by her travel, photography, and life experiences, her songs are full of self-reflection, storytelling, and societal observations. Lisa also performs covers from a range of decades and genres. You can find her playing shows in Philadelphia and in surrounding venues around the tristate area. Lisa’s debut album Fly and sophomore album Time are available on streaming platforms.
John Rafferty is a singer-songwriter originally from Brooklyn, NY, now based in Middletown, NJ, with a long history in the regional music scene. He got his start in the 1990s playing in punk bands before going on to front Pill Hill Radio in the early 2000s, where he gained recognition for his songwriting and received airplay on WFUV's “Ceol na nGael.” Rafferty later launched a solo career with his 2013 debut album Lucky, which was praised for its minimalist production and named one of the top ten records of the year by The Irish Voice. In recent years, he formed the Little Silver Creek Band, a Bluegrass-Americana group featuring Jersey Shore music veterans Dave McCarthy, Jeff Dalton, and Heidi Sheehan, and continues to write and perform original music that connects with audiences across the region.
New Jersey-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Zarfati draws on the grit of the Northeast and the soul of American roots music to craft a sound that feels both "lived in" and fresh, blending folk, Americana, and alt-country. His debut album, Daydreams, was released in November 2025. His new band, with Jeremiah Schenerman (piano/keyboard), Brian O’Neill (guitar), Dave Zeigler (bass), Al Olivero (drums), Dan Kassel (cello), Chris Smirnov (violin), and Zarfati (guitar and vocals), has played notable venues, including The Stone Pony, the Cape May Folk Festival, the Into the Pines Music Festival, the Albert Music Hall, and The Anchor Rock Club.
The Mike Montrey Band blends Americana, Folk, and Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring strong songwriting, layered harmonies, and expressive guitar work. The band has recorded five studio albums and toured the country, performing at esteemed venues such as the Hollywood Bowl (CA), Stone Pony (NJ), Brooklyn Bowl (NYC), SXSW (TX), Red Rocks, and Dick’s Stadium (CO), among others. Mike was also entered on the first ballot for Grammy consideration for his 2021 performance of the classic Pogues song “Fairytale of New York.” In 2018, he was named Artist of the Year by New Jersey Stage, which has described the band’s music as having “soulful, pretty, bittersweet harmonies” and “heartwarming, spine-rattling, bone-chilling duets.”
Momentary Genius is the performing moniker of singer/songwriter Daniel Weisman. After fronting the DE-based alt-rock band “Juliet’s Wishing Well” through most of the 1990s, he pursued several other musical ventures including forming the NYC-based children’s rock group “The Rockdoves”. In 2020, he released his first solo album, A Taste of Something Sweet, which was written, recorded, performed, and programmed by him in his home studio. Ranging from the funky, conscience-minded “Don’t It Figure”, to the explosive and celebratory “Down To Love”, to the tender and confessional “It’s You, Marie”, the tracks on A Taste of Something Sweet touch on love, politics, and the search for meaning. He has since written dozens of songs which he regularly uploads on YouTube and performs solo acoustic.
Albert Music Hall in Waretown, NJ, has been sharing the “Sounds of the Jersey Pines” for more than 50 years. The hall is operated by the Pinelands Cultural & Historical Preservation Society (PCS), an all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the New Jersey Pinelands. Every Saturday night, musicians and audiences gather to enjoy Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Americana, Old-Time, and Pinelands music, continuing a tradition inspired by Joe and George Albert’s 1950s jam sessions at their cabin, the “Home Place.”
