New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Violent Femmes to Play Shows at Webster Hall and Starland Ballroom

originally published: 06/07/2023

(SAYREVILLE, NJ) -- After enjoying an entirely sold out Spring 2023 Tour, Iconic Alt Rockers Violent Femmes have announced that that they are adding more dates in the Fall to continue the 40th anniversary celebration of their ground-breaking self-titled, debut album. The Platinum-selling group will, once again, perform the record from cover to cover, during the month-long tour that comes to Webster Hall in New York City on October 17th and the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on October 18.

Select dates will feature symphony accompaniments, including the esteemed Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the Bradley Center at the start of the tour on October 3 and two nights with the iconic, 90-year-old Grand Rapids Symphony at the DeVos Performance Hall on October 6 and 7.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 9 at 10:00am local time at https://vfemmes.com/tour.

Once hailed as the “soundtrack to male puberty,” Violent Femmes’ first record amplified teenage angst and alienation in the 1980s with such songs as “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up,” and “Gone Daddy Gone,” written by Lead Vocalist and Guitarist Gordon Gano before he’d even gotten his driver’s license. The album, which was mostly autobiographical, would later prove to embody some of the most powerful anthems of a disenchanted youth that the world has ever known. And while it took 10 years to go Platinum and hit the Billboard Top 200, it has now sold three million copies worldwide and is still in rotation on today’s top rock stations, substantiating it as more than a simple battle cry for a misunderstood youth. Today, it stands as a pillar of an American underground movement, and one of the best early examples of alternative rock.

For the remainder of the ’90s, Violent Femmes continued to record new material, while their earliest songs remained in the zeitgeist, thanks to popular shows and films like “My So-Called Life,” Reality Bites, and Grosse Pointe Blank. Since that time, the band has released 10 studio albums including their most recent Hotel Last Resort (2019). Today, Violent Femmes continues to resonate with audiences of all ages. Upon the band’s 40th anniversary, Pitchfork wrote that “The Femmes don’t signify an era so much as a time of life,” adding that “for young people growing up in the internet age” their music “is part of a shared language.”

 




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



 

The official tour dates are as follows: 

Dates subject to change. 

Oct 3                Milwaukee, WI             Bradley Symphony Center*

Oct 4                Madison, WI                 The Sylvee

Oct 5                Chicago, IL                  Riviera Theatre 

Oct 6                Grand Rapids, MI         DeVos Performance Hall*




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



Oct 7                Grand Rapids, MI         DeVos Performance Hall*

Oct 9                Cleveland, OH             TempleLive at Cleveland Masonic 

Oct 11              Toronto, ON                 Queen Elizabeth Theatre 

Oct 12              Montreal QC                 MTELUS

Oct 13              Boston, MA                  MGM Music Hall

Oct 14              Kingston, NY               Ulster Performing Arts Center

Oct 15              New Haven, CT            College St Music Hall

Oct 17              New York, NY               Webster Hall

Oct 18              Sayreville, NJ              Starland Ballroom 

Oct 20              Baltimore, MD              Rams Head Live!




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



Oct 21              Norfolk, VA                  The NorVa

Oct 22              Richmond, VA              The National 

*Symphony performances.

FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Wakeman

Wakeman & Son

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

<s¡Cubanismo!>

¡Cubanismo!

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Ari

Ari Hest

Thursday, March 26, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

The

The Ten Tenors – 30th Anniversary World Tour

Thursday, March 26, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Wooden

Wooden Ships Band

Friday, March 27, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

The

The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Susan Werner

​(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Susan Werner on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30pm. Over the course of her twenty five year career, Susan Werner has earned a reputation as "one of the most innovative songwriters working today" (Chicago Tribune).​



Berlin

Berlin Under A presents "Roots Rock Women" on April 16th

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Berlin Under A presents "Roots Rock Women" on Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The lineup includes Debra Devi, Faith NYC, Stephanie Marie & The Double-Knit Players. Doors are at 5:30pm.



Avenel

Avenel PAC presents 20,000 Roads: The Music of Gram Parsons featuring Pat Guadagno, James Maddock & Lisa Bouchelle

(AVENEL, NJ) -- The dynamic trio of Pat Guadagno, James Maddock, and Lisa Bouchelle, accompanied by a powerhouse band of 'First Call' musicians, including Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton, come together to deliver 20,000 Roads: The Music of Gram Parsons, a soulful and heartfelt celebration of the timeless catalog of one of American music's most influential pioneers. The show comes to the Avenel Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 7:30pm.



Split

Split Level Concerts presents Lucy Kaplansky at Jersey Shore Arts Center; Dave Vargo to Open

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Contemporary folk stalwart Lucy Kaplansky will perform at Jersey Shore Arts Center on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8:00pm. Jersey-born songwriter and guitarist Dave Vargo will open the show. The show is part of the on-going Split Level Concerts Series which highlights renowned Americana and contemporary folk musicians in a uniquely intimate setting.



WP

WP Jazz Room presents John Pizzarelli's "Dear Mr. Bennett" on Sunday

(WAYNE, NJ) -- WP Jazz Room presents John Pizzarelli's "Dear Mr. Bennett" on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at Shea Center for Performing Arts. The Grammy-winning producer, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli celebrates the centennial of iconic singer Tony Bennett.