The Penguin Rocks logo
The Penguin Rocks Menu


Matteo Bocelli to Perform Shows in Red Bank and Atlantic City

originally published: 11/06/2024

Matteo Bocelli to Perform Shows in Red Bank and Atlantic City

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Rising pop star Matteo Bocelli has a pair of shows in New Jersey at the end of November.  He'll be at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on Friday, November 29th and Sound Waves in Atlantic City on Saturday, November 30th as part of his tour: A Night with Matteo: The Americas 2024.

Last year, Bocelli released his critically acclaimed debut album, Matteo. The album features a mix of songs in English and Italian and includes writing credits from some of the music industry’s finest, including Ed & Matthew Sheeran, PARISI (Ed Sheeran, Fred Again), Jesse Shatkin (Miley Cyrus, Sia, Kelly Clarkson) and Stuart Crichton (Kesha, Backstreet Boys, Louis Tomlinson).

Earlier this year, Matteo and his father, renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, wowed the star-studded Hollywood audience with a surprise performance at the 96th Academy Awards for a very special rendition of “Time To Say Goodbye.” Matteo was also previously featured on the deluxe edition of A Family Christmas, the Bocelli family’s first album together and the best-selling new Christmas album of 2022, and starred in GUESS’ 2023 Global Holiday Campaign, which was shot in Bocelli’s home country of Italy.

Tickets for the show at Count Basie Center for the Arts (99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ) are available for purchase here. Tickets for the show at SoundWaves (1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ) are available for purchase here.

At just 25 years old, singer/songwriter Matteo Bocelli has already performed on some of the world’s biggest stages and tasted musical stardom—sharing his sensitive songs and dynamic vocal performances with listeners around the globe. As the son and sometimes collaborator of renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, he’s been instilled with a lifelong musical education and an endlessly curious nature, which are on full display on his debut solo album Matteo, a bold step into his own spotlight.



 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



Immersed in music from a young age, Matteo began taking piano lessons as a child. While his father wanted him to learn about the world before plunging into a music career, he realized his calling as a teenager. “I’d always loved music since I was a little kid,” he says. “But I realized that music was becoming something more than just a passion around the age of 16 or 17.” His debut live performance at age 18 was at Rome’s Colosseum, and in 2018 he and his father released “Fall on Me,” a stirring duet about the relationship between parent and child, which has amassed over 400 million global streams to date.

Matteo grew up listening to opera and classical music as well as “the great voices” like Whitney Houston and Frank Sinatra. But in his adolescence, he began broadening his musical horizons to include modern pop, and he was particularly taken by the then-emerging singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. “I truly consider him a genius,” says Matteo. In 2020 Matteo released “Solo,” a breathtaking love song that recalls both classic arias and sleek radio hits, showing off his exquisite phrasing over a track that combines melodic arpeggios with the dramatic sweep of EDM.

Since then, Matteo has dug even further into his pop-appreciating side, and the result is Matteo, which displays all the facets of his artistry—not just his strong yet vulnerable vocal style, but his songwriting as well. He co-wrote songs across the project, like the lead single “For You,” a triumphant, pulsing track in which Matteo displays his devotion to a friend—and his impressive falsetto. “I’m a very romantic guy, and I love ballads,” he says. “But this was the right song to get a more uptempo sound, and to make people groove a little bit.”

While Matteo’s voice is the only one heard on Matteo, it does feature the singer’s pop hero Sheeran, who wrote “Chasing Stars” for Matteo, a sweeping ballad that shows off his upper register. “When I was younger, my father was my hero / Let me hop on his shoulders, we sang to the moon,” Matteo sings as the song opens, and it goes on to tell a story about a father telling his son to “be who you are.” The song’s messages of family and finding oneself resonated strongly with Matteo. “We both grew up in families where music was very appreciated,” he says. “He wrote the song, but it seems like he wrote it for me. I really feel privileged.”

Matteo has already released songs in multiple languages—he recorded “Fall on Me” in English, Italian, French, and Russian—and Matteo includes tracks sung in Italian, like the disco-tinged “Fasi,” which uses its insistent beat to drive home its message of resilience. “It’s a summary of this phase of my life, where you understand that you have to take certain steps and make certain decisions by yourself,” he says. “You can have the most true and honest suggestions from the people who surround you, but in the end, it’s you.”

While “Fasi” may tell the story of self-reliance, the piano ballad “I’m Here” also underlines the importance of forging relationships with other people—even when doing so might be painful. “’ I’m here’ is a very powerful thing to say,” says Matteo. “I think it’s beautiful when someone tells you, ‘I’m here whenever you need me’—whether you want to share something happy with me, or you feel down and need time to express your emotions. Life is beautiful when you’re able to help someone.”

With his first solo album, Matteo hopes to say “I’m here,” using his formidable voice to offer listeners comfort—and more than a few opportunities to let themselves go in his classically minded version of 21st-century pop. “You can always find positivity from negative experiences,” he says. “I’m the first one that has to work on this—it’s not easy. But through these songs, I wanted to say that when there’s an ending, there’s always a new beginning.



 
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



“And above all, I’m here. I’m here for you. Even if we may live life with different points of view, what’s important is that we keep sharing.”


 

COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Maybe Next Christmas" by Carolyn Marosy

For all those who are lonely, depressed and anxious during the communal holiday season of joy and peace, Jersey-raised singer-songwriter has written an anthem of hope for you.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...12/12/24




This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from December 10-17, 2024




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Must Be Santa" by The Weeklings






 

MORE NEWS

Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Eric Bass (Shinedown) has shared his new single "Azalia", taken from his forthcoming debut solo album I Had A Name. Fans can stream the song now here.


Gregory Burrus Productions presents Carrie Jackson & Friends Pre-New Years Eve Jam




Monmouth Civic Chorus to Hold Auditions for New Members in January




Broadway Stars and Dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem join NJ Festival Orchestra for New Year's celebration






 

UPCOMING SHOWS


Outpost in the Burbs presents Robyn Hitchcock

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Robyn Hitchcock on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at First Congregational Church of Montclair. Imogen Clark will open the night. Doors are at 7:30pm, showtime is 8:00pm.


Jesse Malin to Perform A Featured Set at Light of Day WinterFest 2025




State Theatre New Jersey presents Salute to Vienna




Sing in the Season – Experience holiday magic with Four of NJ's Top Choral Groups






Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info


The Penguin Rocks

© 2024 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com

Presented by New Jersey Stage

Images used on this site have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and PR firms. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us and we will look into the matter.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our NJ Stage accounts on Instagram, and Threads


News | Features | Radio Shows | Penguin's Hall of Fame | Song of the Week | BlowUpRadio column

Contact Us | About Us | Submit Music | Ad Rates