Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 03/08/2026
Craig Whitaker is asking New Jersey to be in his music video. Not as extras. Not as a backdrop. As the whole point.
Whitaker is calling on residents across the state to submit their own footage — home video clips, phone recordings, anything that captures the places and people that feel like home — to be woven into the official video for his new EP, Where We Grew Up. Submissions are open now here. The deadline is April 6, four days before the EP drops.
It’s an unusual ask. It’s also exactly the kind of thing Blue Claw Country was built to do.
Where We Grew Up arrives April 10, 2026 on all major streaming platforms. Produced by Jim Riley — the drummer of Rascal Flatts — it is the third project Riley and Whitaker have made together, and the fullest expression yet of what Blue Claw Country is: Salt & Pine country music rooted in South Jersey, and the communities that hold both together.
The EP features performances by some of Nashville’s most respected session musicians, including Jenee Fleenor, a multiple CMA Musician of the Year, and Travis Toy, a 16-year Rascal Flatts veteran now touring with Luke Bryan.
On June 20, Whitaker will take the stage at the Barefoot Country Music Festival in Wildwood, New Jersey — the Northeast’s largest outdoor country music festival, drawing more than 100,000 attendees each year. For Whitaker, the show carries more weight than most.
His great-grandfather immigrated from Italy in 1922 and settled in Wildwood. It’s where his family put down roots. Standing on that stage in June will be, in his words, a homecoming in ways that are hard to put into words.
Between now and then, he’s asking New Jersey to come along for the ride.
The community video campaign runs through April 6 at craigwhitakermusic.com/where-we- grew-up. Where We Grew Up is available to pre-save now online and releases everywhere April 10, 2026.
He made the thing he needed. Then he opened the doors.
Craig Whitaker grew up in Salt & Pine — the Atlantic Ocean on one side, the Pine Barrens on the other, and a whole life lived in both. His grandfather's kitchen in Wildwood smelled like basil and tomato sauce. Seagulls through the open windows. Cedar water at Lake Stockwell that stuck to your skin. Campfire smoke and skies so dark, the stars had nowhere to hide. It was home — the texture of ordinary life. And it made him who he is.
Music was there before everything else. Before language, before ambition, before any sense of what it could become.
He played. He wrote. He became a father.
When his kids needed him most, he put the guitar down. Didn't think twice. Being a dad was always the point.
But music sits on your shoulder. It's an itch you can't scratch.
In 2016, Craig went to see Rascal Flatts at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. He was so moved that he turned to his friends mid-show and said: I'm going to make music again, and I'm going to do it with these guys. He pointed at the stage. His friends told him he was crazy. Three years later he was in Jim Riley's studio in Nashville, cutting his EP.
Where We Grew Up is an unapologetic love letter to New Jersey — the people, the places, the culture that made him who he is. A flag planted in ground he's always believed was worth singing about.
He made the thing he needed. Then he opened the doors.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Prudential Center presents Reggae stars Beres Hammond and Beenie Man on August 20th
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark will see a night of reggae's best when Beres Hammond and Beenie Man perform live at Prudential Center on Saturday, August 20, 2026 at 8:00pm. Experience the artistry of Beres Hammond, one of Jamaica's most esteemed vocalists, as he graces the stage with Marcia Griffiths and Baby Cham. It will be an exceptional evening featuring the captivating performances of reggae music, showcasing soulful melodies and heartfelt expressions.
MPAC presents Glen Burtnik's Summer of Love Concert on August 20th
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Relive the memories, share the spirit and celebrate the songs of the Woodstock Generation when Glen Burtnik's Summer of Love concert comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 8:00pm.
Middletown Arts Center presents an Indoor Summer Nights Singer-Songwriter Showcase on August 20th
(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center invites music lovers to an Indoor Summer Nights Concert: Singer/Songwriter Showcase on Thursday, August 20, 2026 in the MAC Theater. Enjoy an evening of original music and exceptional live performances from some of New Jersey’s talented singer-songwriters, including Shotgun Bill, Dan Toye, Christian Beach, Michael Brett, Erika Sherger, Frank Patrouch, Jim Crawford, Roger Gardella, Kevin Liebkemann, and Stu Coogan. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Vegas Country Show
(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Vegas Country Show August 21-23, 2026. Get ready for a night of country hits, high energy, and pure star power as Vegas Country brings the music of Shania Twain and Tim McGraw to life.
WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach series presents Nicole Atkins on August 27th
(BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach presents Nicole Atkins on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 7:00pm. Cory Blair will open the night. The free outdoor concert takes place at the Newark Avenue Beach in Bradley Beach. ** The show was rescheduled from July 16th due to the Air Quality Alert issued across New Jersey.
51st Annual New Jersey Folk Festival to Take Place August 29th
(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Folk Festival (NJFF) is back for the 51st year on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
The Strand presents Matt Stone as Elvis on August 29th
(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Most 22-year-olds are chasing the next trend, scrolling through TikTok, and binging Love Island. Matt Stone has spent the last decade looking in the opposite direction.
McCarter Theatre Center presents Mei Semones on September 4th
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mei Semones in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, September 4, 2026 at 7:30pm. Drawing on her background in jazz guitar and her Japanese heritage, she blends inventive harmonies, intricate rhythms, and bilingual lyricism into a sound that is both intimate and exploratory.
51st NJ Clearwater Festival to Take Place Labor Day Weekend in Asbury Park
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Friends of Clearwater invites everyone to start their Labor Day Weekend at its free 51st Annual Clearwater Festival Saturday September 5, 2026, a late summer, family-friendly celebration of great live music, Mother Earth and more in Sunset Park near the ocean in Asbury Park.
The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Newton Theatre on September 5th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Machine Performs Pink Floyd on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at the Newton Theatre. The band has forged a nearly 40 year reputation of extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd. Showtime is 8:00pm.
FEATURED EVENTS
