By Gary Wien
originally published: 11/21/2014
On December 10, four critically-acclaimed songwriters from Nashville will bring a little East Nashville Holiday spirit to The Strand in Lakewood. Amy Speace, Rod Picott and Doug & Telisha Williams (of Wild Ponies) will transform The Strand into The Bluebird Cafe. Rod Picott gives us the scoop on the show.
How did Decembersongs come about?
It was actually Amy Speace's idea. She did the tour a couple years running with Dan Navarro, Sally Barris and John Vezner. Incredibly talented people all of them. Last year, I think one of them couldn't do the tour so Amy decided to shake it up and bring a grittier version of the show. It might have been grittier than she expected asking me along but Amy is always game so I got the invite again this year as did Doug and Telisha Williams. It's a really great mix of talents. I do what I do, very narrative sort of stuff, Amy is an incredible singer and brings that elegant sense of musicality and Doug and Telisha are very fun with electric guitar and upright bass. Telisha has a beautiful authentic country voice. They have a nice energy to balance the coal in the stocking I bring.
How does the show work?
We each play a couple of our own songs accompanied by the others in the first set then we play the holiday set which consists of some of the prettier classics plus an original holiday song each of us wrote. It's a very fun show. It moves quickly and everyone onstage has a quick wit so it's pretty freewheeling and funny. The first set is our own songs, Then we Christmas the hell out of it!
What's East Nashville like?
East Nashville is the gathering spot for the bohemian types in Nashville including a lot of folks in the Americana scene. It's growing too quickly these days so artists are starting to get priced out but it's still quite eclectic and cool. Think Austin east of the highway and you're close to what it's like. Good coffee, art galleries, lots of bars, a few upscale restaurants, a used record store, used guitar store, an old fashioned hardware store where they still do window screens-it's that part of town. There are a lot of young people moving to East Nashville now. It's hip. It was rough back when I moved to town. People were incredulous, "You live across the river?!"
So, what's an East Nashville Christmas like?
It's a mix of old south, as Nashville still is in some ways, and funky sort of hipness. There are loads of musicians and artists in East Nashville so it's quite eclectic, funky and progressive. All good things except that a cup of coffee has gotten very expensive...though it's way better than it was 20 years ago when I moved to town.
Why do you think Christmas and holiday music is so universal?
Part of it is simple. It's a marker. It rolls around at the end of every year and no matter your religion or sense of spirituality I think it marks where you are in your life. Your sense of family, the people who are important to you, what has transpired over the year. Your losses are a deeper blue, your love has a deeper warmth. We all get a sense of our common humanity for a few moments. Hope lingers in the air. We see the possibilities of kindness and love and how the world could be if we were driven by the best parts of ourselves.
There is no denying the melodies of those beautiful classics. They were written by masters in a time when musicality was prized and more sophisticated than it is generally now. The catalog of holiday songs is a world that's fun to explore for a few weeks then let go of and return to. Of course my own offering is titled, "Dad's Drunk Again on Christmas" so it's also a place to have fun with your own memories and stories.
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
click here for more information
Choir! Choir! Choir! Hallelujah”: An Epic Anthems Sing-along!
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Outpost In The Burbs
40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ“Why see a show when you can BE the show!”
Always Jovi With Special Guest, Shot Of Poison
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJAlways Jovi is a Tribute Like No Other, featuring Million-Selling New Jersey Rock Legend, Steve Brown – known for his work with Trixter, Def Leppard, and Ace Frehley. With his powerhouse vocal delivery, electrifying stage presence, and deep-rooted connection to the Jersey rock scene, Brown leads this all-star lineup in delivering the timeless hits that defined a generation.
Margarita Rovenskaya, Piano
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Grunin Center - Bösendorfer Recital Room
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJJoin pianist Margarita Rovenskaya for a program of solo piano works spanning a range of characters and countries. The music will include Schubert’s winding melodies, Schumann’s imaginative character contrasts, Beethoven and Prokofiev’s fiery energy. The program will end with Ukrainian composer Ilya Aizberg’s Hebrew Rhapsody, a piece that pays tribute to his Jewish heritage.
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJSuzanne Vega will perform a career-spanning show including favorites like “Tom’s Diner”, “Luka”, “Marlene On The Wall”, and many more, plus songs from her latest album, Flying with Angels, which was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. She will be joined on stage by her longtime guitarist, Gerry Leonard (of David Bowie fame), and cellist Stephanie Winters.
Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk revival of the early 1980s. Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, Vega sang what has been called contemporary folk or neo-folk songs of her own creation in Greenwich Village clubs. Since the release of her self-titled, critically acclaimed 1985 debut album, she has given sold-out concerts in many of the world’s best-known venues. Known for performances that convey deep emotion, Vega’s distinctive, “clear, unwavering voice” (Rolling Stone) has been described as “a cool, dry sandpaper-brushed near-whisper” by The Washington Post, with NPR Music noting that she “has been making vital, inventive music” throughout the course of her decades-long career. Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who “observes the world with a clinically poetic eye” (The New York Times), Vega’s songs have tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real-world subjects. Notably succinct and understated, her work is immediately recognizable—as utterly distinct and thoughtful as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 40 years ago.
The Chris Pinnella Big Band Project
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Grunin Center - Main Stage
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJRENTAL EVENT - Join acclaimed vocalist Chris Pinnella and the 14- Piece Big Band Project for an extraordinary evening of music benefiting The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Trenton Diocesan Council—an unforgettable concert that helps support the important work of serving individuals and families throughout our community.
Shemekia Copeland With Special Guest Jb Barnes Blues Band
Friday, November 06, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJShemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The
Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery.”
Mac Music Cafe
Friday, November 01, 2026 @ 4:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJJoin us this November on Friday, Nov 6, for an outstanding lineup of singer-songwriters:
Barbara Paskin, Dan Ravaglia,
Ralph Rassa and
The Amboys (Joel D. Brodsky + Michael Balog).
EVENT PREVIEWS
Chris Pinnella & The Big Band Project to perform at Grunin Center for St. Vincent de Paul Benefit
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- New Jersey vocalist, bandleader and former Trans-Siberian Orchestra featured vocalist Chris Pinnella will bring his acclaimed 14-piece Big Band Project to the Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7:00pm for a special benefit concert supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and its charitable work throughout the Diocese of Trenton.
Roy's Hall to Host Peter Karp Record Release Show on November 6th
(BLAIRSTOWN, NJ) -- Roy's Hall will host a special concert by Peter Karp on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:00pm. Peter will be celebrating the release of his latest album, Jersey Town.
NJPAC presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, November 6–22, 2026, bringing world-renowned jazz artists and rising voices to Newark for a celebration of musical legacy, innovation and community. This year’s Festival features world premiere concerts, debut collaborations and free performances, alongside tributes to some of music’s most influential artists.
Chris Rockwell is Dropping 'Rockwell Rebel Radio 2 DELUXE' with a Heavy-Hitting Mutual Aid Show on Friday
(BRICK, NJ) -- If your local playlist has been feeling a little quiet lately, get ready to crank the volume! Ocean County spoken word poet and Hip-Hop artist Chris Rockwell is back, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his pivotal album Rockwell Rebel Radio and simultaneously dropping his new release, Rockwell Rebel Radio 2 DELUXE, featuring the explosive lead single "Mash Tape Supreme." But this isn't just your standard album drop, it's a full-blown community movement. On Friday, November 6, 2026, Chris and the crew are celebrating the launch with a massive show right here in town at Carmela's Collective in Brick, proving that great music and solid community support go hand in hand.
Belmar Arts Center presents Dave Vargo, Renee Maskin, Jackson Pines, and Rick Norman on Friday
(BELMAR, NJ) -- Belmar Arts Center presents An Evening of Original Music with Dave Vargo, Renee Maskin, Jackson Pines, and Rick Norman on Friday, November 6, 2026. Doors are at 6:30pm, showtime is 7:00pm.
Rick Steves Joins New Jersey Symphony for a Symphonic Journey Through Europe
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves joins New Jersey Symphony November 7–8, 2026 for Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a concert that pairs Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with high-definition travel footage and Steves' insights into European history.
Albert Music Hall to Celebrate Pinelands Folklore with Annual Jersey Devil Show on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Halloween may have come and gone, but the Jersey Devil is always lurking in the Pines! On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Albert Music Hall will celebrate one of New Jersey's most enduring legends with its annual Jersey Devil Show, an evening combining live music, storytelling, and the rich folklore of the New Jersey Pinelands.
The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel
(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.
