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Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 05/02/2026

Due to a death in the family, the "Sound Bites" weekly column has ben postponed for this week. However, the listings of live music and entertainment are enclosed; we shall return on Thursday May 7 which happens to be the same day as the monthly "Rock On Radio" Happy Hour at the Nottingham Tavern located at 9 Mercer Street in Hamilton Square, NJ with music by Carmen Marranco.



Middletown Arts Center and Dunbar Repertory Company presents "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center, in conjunction with Dunbar Repertory Company, presents a special production of Seven Guitars, directed by Mark Antonio Henderson, across two weekends from May 23–31, 2026. The play by August Wilson follows a blues musician chasing redemption and a second chance as love, ambition, and fate collide in powerful portrait of dreams deferred.



South Camden Theatre Company presents "Chicken & Biscuits" by Douglas Lyons

(CAMDEN, NJ) -- South Camden Theatre Company presents Chicken & Biscuits by Douglas Lyons across three weekends from May 8-24, 2026. This is a story that explores love, family, and the families we choose, reminding us all of the resilience and unity at the heart of our community.



NJPAC presents Earthquake's Father's Day Comedy Show with Sheryl Underwood, Mr. Bishop, D'Lai, Junior, TK Kirkland, and Donnell Rawlings

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Get ready to laugh out loud as Earthquake, the iconic comedian known for his electrifying stage presence, brings his annual Father's Day Comedy Show to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 7:00pm. This special event promises a night of nonstop humor with Earthquake at the helm, joined by a stellar lineup of comedic talent and hosted by the incomparable Sheryl Underwood.



"The Great Albums Podcast" Returns June 1st with New Monthly Episodes and Patreon Exclusives

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Great Albums Podcast, a music commentary show that averaged 20,000 Week 1 downloads per episode and amassed over 6 million total downloads during its initial run from 2015-2019, will return on June 1 with its first regular episode in over seven years. New episodes will follow on the first of every month.










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bergenPAC presents Six-Time Tony Award (R) Winner Audra McDonald on May 3rd

(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald will play a one-night-only concert at bergenPAC (Bergen Performing Arts Center) on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 7:00pm.


Acclaimed Organist Chelsea Chen to Perform Solo Recital Concert at Christ Church in Short Hills on May 3rd

(SHORT HILLS, NJ) -- Christ Church in Short Hills will present a solo concert recital by internationally acclaimed organist, Chelsea Chen, on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 4:00pm. The special concert will feature a selection of traditional organ compositions along with contemporary music.


T.K. Blue to Celebrate Randy Weston's 100th Birthday at Jersey Jazz LIVE! Concert in Madison

(MADISON, NJ) -- In the history of jazz, no American musician's career has been more interconnected with the continent of Africa than that of the great pianist and composer Randy Weston. Weston, whose centennial birthday was celebrated on April 6, 2026, was a giant, not only as a creative and spiritual force, but standing six feet, seven inches, an imposing figure in the venues at which he performed throughout the world.


The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra to present a program Honoring the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra will perform at the Zimmerli Art Museum on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 2:00pm. The program will honor the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.







LATEST FEATURES

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

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Madeleine Peyroux brings her WE ARE AMERICA: American Songs That Give Us Hope tour to McCarter Theatre Center on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7:30pm.


Following Brady Corbet's Vox Lux and the recent horror sequel Smile 2, David Lowery's Mother Mary is another dark drama centred on a troubled female pop star. It also joins Peter Strickland's In Fabric and the "Weird Tailor" segment of Amicus anthology Asylum to form a sub-genre of horror movies featuring supernatural fabric.



(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Roman Productions presented The SpongeBob Musical Jr. at Saint John Vianney High School April 25-26, 2026. Under the direction of Wendy Roman, this production showcased the strength of a youth theater program rooted in confidence, collaboration, and individuality. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.



The big band format is, of course, one that is jazz's most timeless, enduring, and malleable. A big band could take a classic standard and update it for a modern audience, or transport that audience back to a Jazz Age ballroom. It's no wonder, then, that so many modern jazz practitioners view the big band format not as an anachronism to be scoffed at, but rather a sanctuary to be revered.



Hitchcock's Psycho is often cited as the first slasher movie but the tropes of that sub-genre go right back to the 1930s. The likes of Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees are essentially descendants of Kharis, the shambling antagonist of Universal's Mummy series of the '30s and '40s. In recent decades Universal has taken their Mummy property out of the horror genre and into the realm of blockbuster action, in a series of hit films starring Brendan Fraser and a flop headlined by the usually reliable Tom Cruise.



(RAHWAY,NJ) -- By popular demand, America's favorite teacher comedian Eddie B. returns to the main stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) with his "If These Classroom Walls Could Talk" tour on Friday, June 26, 2026. Showtime is 8:00pm.



(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey (STNJ) invites the community to its signature fundraising event, A Night in Lights Annual Benefit Gala, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Christopher's Restaurant & Bar located inside The Heldrich Hotel. This highly anticipated evening directly supports STNJ's arts education and community engagement programs, which serve more than 30,000 children and families each year.



Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of '60s Rock 'n Roll Revival concert at State Theatre New Jersey on April 18, 2026.










UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




LATEST COLUMNS
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Make It Happen" by Asbury Park Yawn Mower legend Mike Chick from "Congarts," his third solo album and second for Mint 400 Records.


The second episode of Lighty’s Corner is live! This is a bi-weekly recorded radio show presenting new rock music from around the globe. Each of the 15 new tracks played were received via email within the last two weeks - a practice I hope to continue each time.


The first thing you'll see upon entering the gallery at Deep Space (77 Cornelison St.) is the shadow-outline of a woman's leg. There it is, on a chartreuse background, sticking straight up in the air with a curvaceous bare foot inches from the ceiling. That's all of the subject of "Lemon Lime Toe of God" that the oil painter Delilah Ray Miske is willing to show us. The rest of the body, she implies, is splayed out on a bed. We know it's summer because the window is closed and the air conditioner is plugged in. There's a pretty good chance that the possessor of the leg is undressed. In one hand, she holds a cellphone, and she might be broadcasting something. On the wall, a small whip-like broomstick hangs. It could be the ride of a tiny witch. It could be the professional tool of a dominatrix.



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