Music fans looking to see two of their favorite artists in a different light ready themselves inside Avenel, NJ’s Avenel PAC this Wednesday, October 14, 2026 evening for a concert by musicians Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill.
After starting off his career as a member of his family’s band The Cowsills, John Cowsill spent 23 years as a member of The Beach Boys and, more recently, has been featured as a guest lead singer for the New Jersey rock group The Smithereens.
Vicki Peterson is a founding member of The Bangles who has also provided background vocals for artists including Tom Petty, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Belinda Carlisle in addition to touring with The Go-Gos and performing with The Continental Drifters.
Along with working with Lost in Space’s Bill Mumy in their group, Action Skulls, Peterson and Cowsill recently released their debut duo album, Long After the Fire — a tribute to the music of John’s late brothers Bill and Barry Cowsill.
The lights dim and concert producer Bill Brandenburg welcomes tonight’s crowd and informs them that John Cowsills’ siblings, The Cowsills, will perform live at Avenel PAC on November 11. He introduces Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill and the audience cheers as the duo takes the stage. Peterson announces, “Thank you for coming out late on a school night!” and Cowsill chats about running into his “Smithereens friends” who are here in the audience tonight.
Peterson explains, “Tonight we are going to be playing some songs from our recent album of songs — Long After the Fire — which were written by John’s brothers Bill and Barry Cowsill,” as the pair opens with “A Thousand Times.” Peterson’s and Cowsill’s harmony vocals ring out as they sing, “I told you no a thousand times,” while accompanying themselves on electric and acoustic guitars on this twangy Bill Cowsill country tune.
Concertgoers cheer and John recalls a time when his brother Bill came to visit him in California and smoked a cigarette in his doorway while singing the duo’s next number. Stepping into “Vagabond,” Cowsill croons with emotion, “Vagabond/You never settle down,” before Peterson joins him in harmony and renders an electric guitar solo on this outlaw country song.
Moving on to The Cowsills’ “You In My Mind,” Peterson and Cowsill chant, “You’ve been true, true, true all this time/I got you, you, you in my mind,” on this pop-rock number by Bill Cowsill.
Cowsill talks about Bill’s band, The Blue Shadows, before strapping a harmonica around his neck for “Embers,” a melancholy country waltz where he cries, “The embers keep burning/Long after the fire,” Peterson plays an electric guitar interlude, and Cowsill renders a harmonica interlude.
The audience hoots and hollers and Cowsill talks about “Don’t Look Back,” a song his brother Barry wrote for The Cowsills when he was about 14 or 15 years old.
Cowsill strums his guitar on this 1970 folk rocker as Peterson sings, “When you leave us far behind in the morning/When you drive away from here/Try to hold back all your tears/And don’t look back.”
Peterson acknowledges, “This next song shows Barry’s heart,” before she chants, “If you’re feeling down and out/And you’re thinking you can’t hold out,” and she and John sing in harmony, “Come to me/Baby now you can/Come to me,” on the lovely Barry Cowsill composition, “Come to Me.”
Cowsill talks about being a part of the trio Action Skulls as he and Peterson step into “Feed My Hungry Heart” where Cowsill sings with power, “You gotta feed my hungry heart some love.” After accidentally dropping his harmonica on the floor, Peterson changes the song’s lyric, joking, “You better leave that harmonica alone!” on this rockabilly tune.
The crowd chuckles and cheers and the duo continues with “New House” where Peterson impresses with her guitar licks on this driving Action Skulls power pop tune.
Peterson switches over to acoustic guitar and Cowsill plays harmonica on “Anything,” a folk-rock song by Peterson’s band The Continental Drifters.
Cowsill reveals that he was still a Beach Boy when he and Vicky recorded the first song for Long After the Fire at Memphis’ Sun Records. Singing with passion, “Is anybody here, to hear this song/That I’ve been crying here, all night long,” Cowsill channels Roy Orbison as he accompanies himself on acoustic guitar on the Bill Cowsill country song, “Is Anybody Here.”
Concertgoers eagerly applaud and Cowsill reveals that Brian Wilson’s favorite Cowsills song was “Indian Lake” before he and Peterson sing, “Indian Lake is a scene you should make with your little one,” on an upbeat interpretation of The Cowsills’ 1968 Top Ten hit. After Cowsill talks about how it took 58 takes for The Cowsills to record “Hair,” audience members join in clapping while he and Peterson perform the group’s 1969 hit single.
Peterson suggests, “Let’s do a couple of songs from my other band,” and people move to the groove at their seats on The Bangles’ rhythmic rocker, “In a Different Light.” Then, Peterson talks about how Prince wrote “Manic Monday” before she sings, “It’s just another manic Monday/I wish it was Sunday,” on The Bangles’ 1985 pop rock hit.
Moving onto another track from Long After the Fire, Peterson and Cowsill perform “The Fool is the Last One to Know” where John sings with country charm on this upbeat Bill Cowsill rockabilly tune for The Blue Shadows.
Fans hoot and holler and Cowsill responds, “Thank you so much for coming here and being a part of this nutty performance!” and Peterson adds, “This has been really fun for us!” A drum machine introduces The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” where audience members happily join in singing, “Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh-way-oh,” on this #1 song from 1986. After Peterson warns, “I don’t know how to whistle but I do have a professional grade kazoo!” she contributes a kazoo solo before the duo concludes with a snappy finish to whistles, cheers, applause, and a standing ovation.
As concertgoers make their way out of the theater, several comment on tonight’s performance by Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill. Remarks Alan from Woodbridge, “Vicki and John were fabulous — just great! It was fun getting to hear all those songs from The Cowsills and The Bangles, and they’re just wonderful people, as well.” Adds Alan’s wife, Ann, “It was a great show with great songs and their vocals and instrumentals were divine!”
Declares Gary from Iselin, “I thought Vicki and John put on a fantastic show and I loved their personalities! I didn’t know a lot of their songs, but I didn’t need to — they were all so enjoyable.” Gary’s wife, Lori, agrees, revealing, “Today’s my birthday and I loved the show — they did a really wonderful job!”
Insists Samantha from Beachwood, “I love Vicki and John — they’re the best! I’ve known John for a while now from The Beach Boys, but this is the first time I’ve seen him perform with Vicki and I give them ten stars out of ten!” Samantha’s mom, Kathy from Beachwood, concurs, adding, “I loved watching Vicki and John — you can tell they really enjoy performing with one another!” and Samantha’s boyfriend, Daniel from Brick, adds, “Vicki and John were amazing! They did amazing songs, and their singing and guitar playing was great!”
Emily from Woodbridge exclaims, “I loved this show! They performed great songs with such beautiful harmonies, and it was a lot of fun hearing them perform ‘Walk Like an Egyptian.’” Carl from Brick agrees, suggesting, “The vocals were stellar and the guitar work was fabulous — I can’t wait to see them again!”
Lastly, Ami from Cranford reveals, “I’ve been a fan for a really long time — I’ve followed John’s work with The Cowsills and The Smithereens and I know Vicki from The Bangles, but this was my first time seeing them together. They put on a fantastic show in a great venue — it’s so nice and small and the sound quality is so good, now I want to come back and see The Cowsills when they’re here on November 11!”
To learn more about Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, please go to vickipetersonandjohncowsill.com. For information on upcoming performances at Avenel PAC — including The Weeklings on November 4, The Cowsills on November 11, and Corey Glover and Vernon Reid of Living Color on December 2 — please click on avenelarts.com.
Spotlight Central NJ entertainment news,
concert recaps, and interviews
Love Imagery Fine art stage photography
@allyouneedisloveimagery
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, October 24, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ
Saturday, October 24, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, October 24, 2026
@ 2:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ
Saturday, October 24, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ
Saturday, October 24, 2026
@ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ
