(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Albert Music Hall will once again celebrate the creativity of local and regional songwriters on Friday, October 30, 2026, with another installment of its Songwriters in the Pines Series. The evening will feature a diverse lineup of performers sharing their original music and some of the stories that inspire it. The audience can discover new artists, enjoy a variety of musical styles, and experience the region's songwriting talent in a unique and welcoming atmosphere. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Six acts will perform a 30-minute set: Anthony West, The Lonesome Pines, Alexa Tabbacchino, Mindy Murray, Acoustic Flannel, and Sam Houseal. Visitors will also have an opportunity to meet the performers.
Doors open at 6:00pm, with the music beginning at 7:00pm. 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 returned in 2024 after a 20-year hiatus and has since become a valued part of Albert Music Hall’s programming. Building on its success, the Hall plans to host four songwriter showcases in 2027.
Visitors can enjoy food from the Hall’s Food Booth, including cheeseburgers and hot dogs, with a vegetarian patty available upon request. A selection of desserts and hot and cold beverages will also be available. The Hall also has a Gift Booth, and some songwriters will be selling their merchandise. Please note that Albert Music Hall is a cash-only venue. Individual songwriters may accept other forms of payment for their merchandise.
About the songwriters:
Anthony West: Raised in Salem County, New Jersey, with family roots in the hills of West Virginia, Anthony West is a fourth-generation guitarist and singer-songwriter whose music reflects a deep connection to traditional folk and blues. With more than 15 years of professional performance experience, West has developed a raw, atmospheric sound that has been described as an “authentic dark folky, deep blues sound with space to breathe.” He has been compared to a young Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, Dave Van Ronk, and Nick Drake. His album, Growling Grass, is available for streaming and on vinyl.
The Lonesome Pines: The Lonesome Pines is an alt-country band whose original music blends rock, roots, and Americana into a distinctive sound that is familiar, surprising, and unmistakably their own. Their songs move from gritty alt-country and driving rock to heartfelt ballads, pairing personal stories with vivid themes of love, loss, the power of nature, and resilience. For their appearance at Albert Hall, the “Pines” are going back to their roots to perform stripped-down acoustic versions of their songs.
Alexa Tabbacchino: Alexa Tabbacchino is an artist, producer, and audio engineer from Waretown, NJ. She grew up playing baseball, swimming in the ocean, and secretly writing songs in her bedroom. Her musical journey began in middle school with choir and musicals, followed by performing in bands and writing her own music during college. Her debut EP, Evergreen, explores some of her most life-changing experiences, including the loss of loved ones, self-discovery in the motherland, and the existential questions of her twenties. The EP opens with her debut single, "Don't Know When," described by The Underground Edit as featuring "heartbreaking lyrics set to mellow guitar," with songwriting that is "emotional and intimate."
Mindy Murray: Mindy Murray is a multi-award-winning singer-songwriter who draws from oral histories, newspaper clippings, and local lore to create edgy, rootsy songs that tell the stories of hard-working women and men. Many reflect life in the Mid-Atlantic region in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as tales from the Appalachian Mountains and coal fields where she worked in clinics while attending medical school. Murray sings with passion and intensity – palpable, like deep grooves in old records or the lines on the faces of the people she sings about. Murray has performed at festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her fourth album, and first solo release, is due out in 2026.
Acoustic Flannel: Acoustic Flannel is a New Jersey-based musical collective known for its organic, multi-genre approach to music. Blending Americana, rock, reggae, blues, folk, and country, the group brings together a wide range of influences to create what they describe as "music that's good for the soul."
Sam Houseal: Pennsylvania-grown singer-songwriter Sam Houseal brings together Americana, folk, rock, and soulful influences in his original music. Drawing largely from personal experiences, his songs explore love, heartbreak, and everyday life through expressive vocals and engaging storytelling. Houseal has performed internationally and also leads the Lehigh Valley-based Sam Houseal Band, which released its debut single, "Time Goes By," in 2022, followed by the four-song EP Out of the Rain in 2023.
Albert Music Hall is operated by the Pinelands Cultural & Historical Preservation Society, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the music, history and culture of the New Jersey Pinelands.
Monday, October 26, 2026
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Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
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Senior citizens (55+) are invited to join area teachers and their students for a free play reading of select scenes from “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Christopher Sergel’s adaption of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel.
There are multiple performances including:
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State Theatre New Jersey
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