Broadway's Rock of Ages Band LIVE! at UCPAC

by Spotlight Central, Photos by Love Imagery

originally published: 10/20/2026

Rock fans looking for nothin’ but a good time make their way inside Rahway, NJ’s Union County Performing Arts Center this Saturday, October 10, 2026 evening for a concert by Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band. The ensemble consists of all-star musicians associated with the Tony-nominated Broadway jukebox musical Rock of Ages which features classic rock songs from the 1980s by groups like Journey, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, and more.

Following a set by opening act, The 1970s Midnight Rock Show Band, smoke fills the UCPAC stage as the members of Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band — guitarists Joel Hoekstra and Tommy Kessler, keyboardist Jonathan Ivy, bassist Andre “Virus” Karos, drummer Jon Weber, and vocalists Dan Domenech and Josephine Rose Roberts — take their places on stage.

Opening with “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” singer Dan Domenech is deftly backed by his bandmates as he cries, “Ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ but a good time/And it don’t get better than this,” on this punchy Poison metal hit.

“What do you think so far?” shouts Domenech as he gets the crowd clapping along before Josephine Rose Roberts sings, “This is our life, this is our song,” on the Twisted Sister heavy metal tune, “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Animatedly moving about the stage, Roberts gives a high-energy performance as Joel Hoekstra cranks out a solo on the guitar.

The crowd cheers and Domenech slows things down on the Night Ranger power ballad, “Sister Christian,” a number which features guitarist Hoekstra — a former member of Night Ranger — coaxing a screaming solo from his ax.

Five-part vocal harmonies support Roberts who dances as she sings the Lita Ford hard rocker, “Kiss Me Deadly.” Afterwards, Domenech cries, “Come on, Jersey!” and gets concertgoers’ arms pumping in the air as he and the ensemble perform an electrifying rendering of the Twisted Sister heavy metal number, “I Wanna Rock.”

‘80s music fans clap along with Roberts who gives a riveting performance on “Rebel Yell” wailing, “With a rebel yell, she cried, ‘More, more, more!’” on this Billy Idol new wave punk rocker.

Guitarist Tommy Kessler — who’s also currently a member of Blondie — is featured upstage as Domenech sings lead on the Bon Jovi power ballad, “Wanted Dead or Alive,” which has the crowd echoing and singing along.

Domenech dedicates the group’s next number, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” to his bandmates and has the crowd joining in singing on this REO Speedwagon power ballad before they cheer for Hoekstra for his wailing guitar solo.

Domenech reveals that Hoekstra played with Whitesnake before asking, “Should we do a Whitesnake song?” The crowd responds in the affirmative and sings along on the hard-rocking “Here I Go Again” where Hoekstra shreds a fiery guitar solo on the coda.

Jonathan Ivy’s keyboard starts off Europe’s synth-rock hit, “The Final Countdown,” which features Hoekstra and Kessler dueling back-to-back on their guitars. After the band exits the stage, Hoekstra’s flying fingers make his guitar sing on a virtuosic swirling solo.

Fans hoot and holler and the band returns to perform “Any Way You Want It” where lights sweep across the stage as five-part harmonies cry out, “Any way you want it/That’s the way you need it/Any way you want it,” on this classic Journey rocker.

Roberts invites all the ladies in the house to sing along with her as she gets down on her knees on Pat Benetar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

Following Def Leppard’s rockin’ “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Domenech sings with soul on the driving Guns N’ Roses’ hard rock tune, “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Domenech introduces “the inspiration for the Muppet, Animal,” as he and the rest of the band leave the stage to John Weber who delivers a crashing drum solo with power and speed.

Concertgoers cheer and the band returns with the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ rocker, “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” where Roberts writhes on her knees while Hoekstra plays guitar with his teeth.

Domenech and Roberts sing to one another on the Def Leppard pop metal tune, “Rock of Ages,” before Domenech takes a moment to thank veterans, active duty soldiers, and first responders and he and the musicians shift into Poison’s country-tinged “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” where Roberts steps out to Hoekstra’s crying guitar work.

After Domenech asks, “Did you have fun tonight?” the crowd cheers and concertgoers stand and sing along with the band on tonight’s final number, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” after which Domenech exclaims, “Thank you so much! Have a good night!” and he and the band exit the stage.

Fans continue to cheer and applaud and the group returns for an encore where Roberts wails out a rendition of Pat Benetar’s “Heartbreaker.”

Hoekstra and Kessler duel playing blues guitar riffs, after which Domenech, Roberts, and the band conclude tonight’s show with a smashing version of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” which leaves audience members rocking in the aisles.

To learn more about Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band, please go to broadwaysrockofagesband.com. For info on upcoming events at UCPAC — including That Motown Band on October 24, Spyro Gyra on November 7, and a free performance by The Jazz Ambassadors of the US Army Field Band on November 11 — please click on ucpac.org.

Photos by Love Imagery

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