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NEW MUSIC SHOWS

The Penguin offers several DJ-run radio programs that feature new music from artists around the world.

Altrok Radio - Host Sean Carolan brings you the best selection of new and classic modern rock seen on the Jersey Shore since the demise of the legendary FM106.3 radio station.

Lighty's Corner - A one hour show by Gary Wien, a music writer from Belmar, NJ who spins a mix of new tracks from mostly indie artists. Many of the songs were only received in the past two weeks.

Deuce Radio Show - A one hour broadcast presented by Matt Barker and features bands and artists promoted by Deuce. If you would like to be considered for exposure on the Deuce Show, please email a link to your music to [email protected].

From The Basement - Mike is an NJ Native and Music Industry lifer who returned to his home state last year, after successfully recovering from Stage IV Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which basically forced him to retire from his long standing role in Satellite Radio. He was on the original XM launch Programing Team and created, programed, and hosted The Loft for 17 years. Closer to Earth he was the original Music Director of WHTG/FM 106.3 in Asbury Park and with Rich Robinson launched, developed and nurtured what became Alternative Radio. He also programmed Coyote Radio in Santa Fe, NM., and can list Jem Records, Rykodisc, FMQB, iCast and more on his CV. After moving around the country in search of the perfect segue, he is thrilled to be back where he belongs in his beloved New Jersey. Sure, he "retired" but it came as no shock that he created From The Basement to continue a quest that is never really work as far as he’s concerned.


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

2026-27

2026-27 Season Preview: Split Level Concerts at Jersey Shore Arts Center

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Split Level Concerts at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC) in Ocean Grove has announced the full concert lineup for its third season. All shows will take place beginning at 8:00pm in JSAC's Palaia Theater. The season lineup includes Willie Nile, John Gorka, Dan Bern, Catie Curtis and Band, Stephen Kellogg, Abbie Gardner, Heather Maloney and Band, and Kim Richey. As they have done in prior years, artists from the Asbury Park music scene will open many of the shows.



MPAC's

MPAC's Summer 2026 Preview

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- From the versatility of Tony winner Darren Criss, the comedy of Abbott Elementary's Janelle James and the nostalgic hits of the Grateful Dead, ABBA and more, Mayo Performing Arts Center's summer lineup features a diverse set of performances and events.



McCarter

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

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

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.












LATEST COLUMNS


BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 8/10/26

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Des & the Swagmatics, Bamberdost, Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, Jonny Couch, Sean Henry Tonight!, and Ava LaMonte. Plus a look back at "Duluth" by Particle Zoo.




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Soaked" by Kiaura Rose

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Soaked" from Kiaura Rose's debut seven-song debut album, "Vagrant."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 08/06/2026

"I am great! I was in California last weekend and just got back, I have the day off and I'm getting to chat with you so everything is great," says Monster Jam monster truck driver Angelina Nock as she let us in on the profession, her background and what we can expect when she gets behind the wheel of Megalodon at Newark's Prudential Center August 14 through 16.




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas





FEATURED EVENTS


What happens when California surf rock meets Jersey swagger? Jersey Beach Boys blends the sounds of The Beach Boys with the style of The Four Seasons in one electrifying show. With lush harmonies, choreographed moves, and nonstop energy, this unique tribute delivers a fun, sun-soaked concert experience audiences won't forget.

 
Dubbed “The Villain of Broadway” by Playbill, Tony Award nominee and Grammy Award winner Patrick Page (Hadestown) steps into the darkness and invites us along. In a tour-de-force performance, “one of America’s finest classical actors”(The Wall Street Journal) turns to the twisted motivations and hidden humanity at the heart of Shakespeare’s greatest villains, embodying Macbeth’s ruthless ambition, Iago’s seductive manipulation, Richard III’s gleeful cunning, Shylock’s fury, and more. 



 
A Brand New Show from America’s Premiere Doo Wop Group



 
Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements comes Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti takes the stage to share her hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes brutally honest takes on motherhood, people pleasing and the joys of aging. Blending side-splitting storytelling with original songs, New York Times Critic's Pick Nobody Cares is a love letter to recovering people pleasers, mothers, and anybody working on themselves.

 
H. B. W. B. -  Humor, Babes, Wisdom, Brevity

 
H. B. W. B. -  Humor, Babes, Wisdom, Brevity

 
The legendary Sun Ra Arkestra returns with exuberant cosmic jazz — a stirring blend of big‑band swing, free jazz, bebop, spiritual jazz and Afrofuturist spectacle. Formed in Chicago in the mid‑1950s as the vehicle for the visionary composer Sun Ra, the Arkestra has spanned seven decades, touring the globe and inspiring generations with its bold, otherworldly sound.



A pioneer of early synthesizer use and the free‑jazz movement of the 1960s, Sun Ra combined musical innovation with a spiritual mission—using positive vibrations and music to uplift the universe. The Arkestra’s theatrical live shows fuse space‑age improvisation, singing, dancing, chanting and Afro‑pageantry, and helped define Afrofuturism in music and performance.



 
Artwork by Yadira Hernández

 
Mei Semones is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and guitarist crafting jazz-inflected indie pop in both Japanese and English. 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. 



 
A young woman is hired by a finance couple to tutor their son at their summer lake house, and finds herself increasingly enmeshed in the undisclosed darkness of their past.