(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents Willie Nile's Jukebox on Friday, October 9, 2026, 2026 at 7:30pm. For one night, Willie is throwing open the jukebox — pulling rarities, deep cuts, and the songs fans always ask for into a single, career-spanning set. ** Note: This show was rescheduled from September 26th due to the weather.
The New Yorker calls him “one of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the past 30 years.” The London Times says he embodies “the true spirit of rock and roll.” And Lucinda Williams put it best: “Willie Nile is a great artist. If there was any justice in this world, I’d be opening up for him.” One of New York City’s most celebrated and enduring rock voices, Willie Nile has spent decades earning the kind of praise most artists only dream about, and delivering on every word of it live.
A Songwriter’s Songwriter: Nile has built a catalog that draws comparisons to Springsteen, The Clash, and Woody Guthrie, earning accolades from Rolling Stone, MOJO, the BBC, and beyond. Bono called his album American Ride “one of the great guides to unraveling the mystery that is the troubled beauty of America.”
Local favorites Luther Black and the Cold Hard Facts open the night in duo form — rock, folk, country and blues from Maplewood singer-songwriter Rick Wagner, praised by American Songwriter for his “cool sincerity” and by Rolling Stone as a “Song You Need to Know.”
Tickets range from $43.58 to $57.80 and are available for purchase online. The venue is located at One SOPAC Way in South Orange, New Jersey.
More about Willie - Famous Fans, Legendary Stages: Nile has toured with The Who, shared stages with Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr, and recorded a duet with Steve Earle. His live album recorded at Daryl’s House was named one of Classic Rock Magazine’s Best Rock Albums of the Year, with PowerPop declaring it captured “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.”
Live Performances That Are the Stuff of Legend: His induction into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame says it plainly: “His live performances are legendary.” Uncut called him “a one-man Clash” and the unofficial poet laureate of New York City, and anyone who has seen him perform understands exactly why.
Willie Nile is the rare artist who has only gotten better with time, and a night with him is a reminder of what rock and roll looks like when it means something.
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ
Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ
Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ
Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
Rahway, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 2:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ
