By James "JPAT" Dalton
originally published: 06/27/2023
James Dalton, a performer and songwriter from New Jersey, is performing his show "Asbury Park & Me" at the Reykjavík Fringe Festival in Iceland. He will be blogging for NJ Stage from the festival. Click here for all of the blogs from his trip.
So here it is, my first morning here in Iceland, eyes opening in the bottom bunk of a hostel bed, sharing a room with a few fellow performers as well as some divers and an academic here for some sort of EU conference. The performers and I have landed in town, all of us having had a marathon yesterday that began on Sunday and muddled its lovely way through to the midnight sun of Tuesday through laughs, naps coffee and public transportation.
Either I am getting a little too old for this, or I am just out of practice, because there were quite a few times after landing in Iceland Monday morning, that I had to apologize and repeat my questions because the answers had already slipped out of me, or having to take the stairs and hills extra slow and deliberate.
Things were a little hectic before leaving because I had booked a lot of different shows and performances leading up to my flight, like literally.
Saturday evening, I was blessed with the opportunity to host a show I had pitched to Rachel Cohen of the Barn Theatre at Thompson Park in Lincroft, Storytellers In The Barn, which is exactly how it sounds, only the building lost power and so we had to make use off the natural acoustics and be open the big barn doors to allow the late summer light in there fill the space.
The following morning was Art In The Park in Bay Head, an annual event that has me playing sets of music in the gazebo of Bay Head’s Centennial Park, all throughout the day, and Sunday it was hot and slightly humid. Two very different shows back to back, before I had to race home, ditch the car, clean up the house, pack the suitcase and make my way to…dare I say it out loud…JFK Airport…from the beach in Jersey, on a Sunday afternoon…in the summer…ughecruygbuyfb…IYKYK
If you are lost on the above statement, just know that it means hours of travel before even getting to the airport, over three hours to be exact on several trains before the messy security and the overnight flight.
Anyway, I am here now and I have been having a wild time. The performers I’ve been palling around with are from a group called the Hairy Godmothers a d they are putting on a show called Disney in Drag:Once Upon a Parody (@thehairygodmothers) and Marcus Ryan (itsmarcusryan doing his “Eat, Pray, Laugh” show).
Fringe life, for the uninitiated is full of quick friendships, dozens of accents, plenty of jokes and a lot of love. Because Fringe theatre festivals are supposedly focused on arts and performances on the “fringes”, theaters rarely the big budget rich company sleeping in the fancy hotels being handled and catered to by the festival organizers. Everyone is huddled together in cheaper accommodations with cheaper food and drink, accents and vernacular are being dissected and celebrated, everyone’s got a show, a lot of silly, brilliant ideas and people sitting on early morning busses through Icelandic lunar landscapes or sharing barstool space while a drunken shirtless acrobat with rabbit ears on there head juggle swords dangerously close to the front tables become fast, best friends. Everyone is transient and everyone is included. “While you’re here, or while you’re Fringing, you’re family.”
I’m typing and it’s now 10:30am here in Reykjavik. I’ve got performances all week and they begin tonight. Asbury Park & Me, my little one person show has played Brighton, UK, NYC, Asbury Park and this week, another city. I thank New Jersey Stage for allowing me to keep this little diary. You’ll be getting sites, sounds, tastes, etc of Iceland, the Fringe and whatever else pops up.
If you are in country, please get in touch. Otherwise, I’ll post the week’s itinerary next. If you have questions, comments or even requests direct them to [email protected] or catch me over on Insta @jamesdaltonjr and @asburyparkandme
EVENT PREVIEWS
Essex County Summer Orchestra Players present "Made in America" on August 2nd
(LIVINGSTON, NJ) -- As local residents and friends stroll, bike or jog around the Livingston Oval on Tuesday evenings this July, musicians from several community orchestras are gathering in the township's high school band room to celebrate works "Made in America."
New Jersey Symphony to Make Rowan's Marie Rader Series Debut with "Life & Liberty" on July 22nd
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Marie Rader Series will launch its 2026-27 season, entitled "Life & Liberty," with the New Jersey Symphony's Rowan University debut. On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players featuring Rowan University Strings Faculty & Alumni will perform at Pfleeger Concert Hall. Showtime is 7:00pm.
The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny and the music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny - The Music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Dude Cervantes & The Panchos will open the night. Doors are at 7:00pm, music starts at 7:30pm.
Shinedown to Play Shows in Newark and Philly in July
(NEWARK, NJ) -- One of the biggest bands in the world, Shinedown, will be releasing their brand new studio album EI8HT on May 29, 2026 (via Atlantic Records) and released the new song "Outlaw." In addition, they announced their massive Dance Kid Dance Act II World Tour, taking the band to 11 countries across 54 dates, including local stops at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday, July 21st and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 23rd.
Middletown Arts Center presents Reina Williams + The Remedy
(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center presents a concert featuring Reina Williams + The Remedy on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Special guest performers Renee Maskin and Patrick Bamburak will open the show. Enjoy an evening of original music spanning reggae, hip-hop, soul, folk, Americana, and indie rock from some of New Jersey's most talented musicians. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Harmonium Choral Society presents "I Dreamed Last Night" on July 23rd
(MADISON, NJ) -- On Thursday, July 23, 2026, Harmonium Choral Society presents I Dreamed Last Night. Directed by Lennie Watts with music direction by John Fischer, I Dreamed Last Night is a one woman show with Gloria Bangiola. There are songs and stories about dreams, hopes, wishes, ambitions, fantasies, nightmares, impossibilities and that big ol' American one we are all still working to make real. Showtime is 7:00pm.
HOT 97's Summer Jam 2026 to Take Place July 24th at Prudential Center
(NEWARK, NJ) -- HOT 97, New York's #1 station for Hip Hop, is once again bringing the culture's biggest night back to the tri-state area with Summer Jam 2026, on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark. Produced by The Black Promoters Collective, Summer Jam continues its legacy as the most iconic Hip Hop concert in the world.
Summer Jazz: Drummer Joe Farnsworth and Special Guests at William Paterson
For more than three decades, Joe Farnsworth has been one of the most admired drummers in modern jazz, revered for his superb technique, driving swing, and unwavering commitment to the jazz tradition. A Massachusetts native mentored by legendary drummers Alan Dawson, Arthur Taylor, and Jimmy Lovelace, Farnsworth has appeared on nearly 400 recordings and performed with an astonishing array of jazz masters, including McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders, Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern, and Wynton Marsalis. He is also a founding member of the acclaimed hard bop collective, One for All, alongside longtime musical associates tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, the late trumpeter Jim Rotondi, and pianist David Hazeltine.
Strand Center for the Arts presents Lover Taylor - Tribute to Taylor Swift on Friday
(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Swifties of all ages are invited to sing, dance and celebrate the music of one of pop's biggest superstars when Lover Taylor – Tribute to Taylor Swift comes to the Strand Center for the Arts on Friday, July 24, 2026 at 8:00pm.
Grammy-Winning Superstars Erica Campbell and Jonathan McReynolds to Headline 2026 Gospel Music Festival
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Middlesex County, as part of its FolkLIVE free community event series, will host its third annual Gospel Music Festival in New Brunswick (2 Livingston Ave) on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 3:30pm to 7:30pm. This year's star-studded lineup features multi-Grammy-winning performer Erica Campbell—known both for her solo work and as part of the dynamic "Mary Mary" duo—and Billboard chart-topper Jonathan McReynolds as the headliners.
FEATURED EVENTS
