"The Man in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash" is a unique and "Historical" look at the music, life and stories of the man who many feel defined Country music in more ways than one and on October 11 it comes to The Newton Theatre here in New Jersey.
Shawn Barker leads his cast of musicians and audiences on a journey through not only Cash's music but also through some of the intimate details of the late star's personal and stage life.
Recently, Barker talked about how this came about, his personal connection to the music and more.
"I was cast in Hollywood in a Broadway play to play the part of Johnny Cash and during the character study and rehearsals I started "The Man In Black" show and it was something that nobody was doing," he began. "You had all kinds of tribute acts out there that were pretty big; even Vegas had a lot of tribute acts that were big and popular; Elvis, Frank Sinatra. When I started in 2003, nobody was doing what I was doing with the Johnny Cash show. Nobody had done it before and it was hugely, hugely successful. When we started that show, I left home and for years, I was gone and on the road almost solid. I might fly home on a Monday or Tuesday, be home on Wednesday and then back out on Thursday so I could do Friday, Saturday, Sunday shows and sometimes I'd be out for two or three weeks at a time because we'd have so many shows, there was no time to go home but it was because it was kind of Frontier Land; Right? Nobody had done it before. There were people doing Johnny Cash in bars or in cover bands or something like that doing "Ring of Fire" or "Folsom Prison" but a full show with costumes, video and lights; a big thing like a full Las Vegas level show; nobody was doing it with Johnny Cash at that time."
With tribute bands, acts and shows of various varieties extremely popular in today's music climate and prices to attend such events far cheaper than the cost of a concert ticket, one can't help but be nostalgic for when one could see the "Real thing" in the past for the same or lesser amounts being paid to enjoy today's tribute acts.
"The music business has flip-flopped and that's because of iTunes and Napster," explained Barker. "When that whole thing happened and we have a digital world now; when we were coming up, you went and saw a band for nothing because they were there to promote their album and the band and the label made their money on the album. Now, everything is streaming and they're making pennies on the dollar on their album and the only way for them to make any money is five or six hundred dollar ticket prices at venues. You heard; was it Adele or someone like that who had a platinum album or something like that and on one of her songs she had millions of downloads but she only got like fifteen hundred dollars in royalties in a check from Spotify? So, it's not just because of Ticketmaster jacking up prices with all of the junk fees, it's because they don't make money on their music anymore like they used to. I remember buying tickets for a Skid Row and Guns N'Roses concert probably in '88 or '89 and thinking, we've got good seats for $21.99 and that's impossible now. I think tribute acts are getting popular because most of the tribute acts out there are mostly tributes of things you can't see. You can't go see Johnny Cash and if you could, it wouldn't be like seeing Johnny Cash at 35 years old doing "Live in Folsom," it'd be like seeing Johnny Cash at 90 which would be not the same thing. You can't go see Van Halen, Journey is a tribute band of itself now really; most of those guys are and the new music coming up isn't worth going to see. So, People are hungry for the old music and the only way to get it is to go and see a tribute band."
Staying with that theme; why did he settle on sticking with a Cash tribute? Was it perhaps because he had some help of "Presidential" proportions?
"Like I said, that's what I got cast as and I started doing the character study and started doing the "Man In Black" show and it was so massively popular and at that time, like 2003 thru 2008, it was popular beyond; there was a time when we were the number one touring tribute in the whole world. There may have been some Beatles acts that were doing more but things have since slowed down. I've been doing this for 21 years now and COVID really put a slow down on a lot of the touring and a lot of the music business; it's coming back now but it put the brakes on everything for a long time but it suited me well. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the Cash character, I had roots with the Cash character because he grew up in Arkansas, my dad's family grew up in the same place; cotton farmers. The whole story of Johnny Cash was my family's story and I could relate to it and it was massively successful. I really had no intention of settling on that, that's just the way it went. My very first show was in New Jersey. We did a little concert up in NiagaraFalls and I was part of another show before we ever went on tour and we videotaped it so that we would have something to send buyers. The very first contract I got was with Donald Trump. Donald Trump's people called us and booked us for a week at the Trump Marina in Atlantic City. So I tell people that the first person to ever hire me to do Johnny Cash was the President of the United States (Laughs)."
Time has a way of fading or clouding memory banks and often, as is the case with many of the getting ready to retire classic rock acts of today, people only remember the "Hits" and their sets often include those hits and nothing but those hits but Barker says that he and his band mates delve a bit deeper into the Cash catalog.
"We get into some deeper cuts but of course doing Johnny Cash or any tribute, there is a setlist that you have to stick to. I don't care if it's Queen, I don't care if you're Van Halen, it doesn't matter and for Cash; every night I have to play "Walk The Line," "A Boy Named Sue," "Ring Of Fire," Folsom Prison Blues," "One Piece At A Time;" there are songs that I have to do every night; that can't change and then there are other things that do change. We try to kind of do a chronological show where we start at the beginning of his career and work our way up through the rest of it because he had a huge career; right? He had four decades of music; actually, even more than that, over 50 years of performing because he started right around '56/'57 and his last music was released in 2003. We go all the way up, we do some of the things he was doing with American Records. We touch base on the Folsom and San Quentin albums that he did at the prisons that literally were the catalyst for Johnny Cash's career because when he did those two live prison albums he just, "Boom," he exploded. He was the biggest act in the world for a time. We do that, we touch base on his TV show; pretty much everything. We try to go all the way through his career, I don't really play the part of Johnny Cash as a character, our show is the story of Johnny Cash and his career narrated by Shawn Barker. I'll tell stories because I've got a lot of first hand stories. I worked with Johnny's band and his management back in 2008, I was good friends with his drummer W.S.Holland and I got some cool first hand knowledge, I read all of his books; when you're an actor doing a character study, it's an in-depth thing, it's heavy. So, I learned a lot of great stuff about him and then over the years I picked up things; it's a very historical show as far as narration; this is what was going on or this song was written because of this and it's very cool. We're looking forward to getting back to Newton. I think this is our third or fourth time up there and we love it. We do a lot of East Coast stuff, there are a lot of great venues and people on the East Coast really seem to appreciate a live show."
One can not think of Cash without immediately thinking of his partner on stage and in life, June Carter Cash. Does Barker ever incorporate a June Carter Cash into his act?
"There has been in the past and there will be again but right now that's a no because June Carter is my wife and we just had a baby," he said enthusiastically. "So, there will be a little pause on June Carter, he's not even a year old yet so she's off the road for a little while; maybe next year when he's getting closer to two. We usually come up that way once a year and maybe when he gets closer to two, we'll pull the bus out of storage, put him on the bus and we'll travel that way but right now he's still a little two young to be on the road."
The October 11 show in Newton promises to be more than just a band playing Cash's songs with a few anecdotes thrown in. So; what can show goers expect at The Newton Theatre?
"It's gonna be a good time. We're gonna play a lot of Johnny Cash, we're gonna get all the hits in and if you're a big Johnny Cash fan that has the album collection, then you're gonna hear some songs that maybe some of the other people in the audience might not recognize right off; some of the little deeper cuts and things like that. There is something for everybody there. I've got a full live band, great guys, Nashville, L.A. performers, the best musicians that I could scrounge around and find. I've worked hard and spent a lot of years trying to put together the best band that I can and it's a lot of fun. I think it's different from a lot of other tribute shows that people see. I don't think it's what they expect because it's not kind of a campy, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" kind of thing; we take what we're doing really seriously. Like I said, this Johnny Cash's life through music narrated by me, it's not put on tongue in cheek or anything like that. It's a serious show about Johnny Cash's life and history which, I don't know if you know but recently, the very first musician ever, Johnny Cash was unveiled inside the capitol building. He has his own statue inside the U.S capitol building in Washington, DC. Every state has a statue of people who represent their state and Arkansas unveiled an eight foot statue of Johnny Cash inside the capitol building. I think he's the only musician to be recognized inside the capitol building like that."
To discover more about Shawn Barker and his long-running Johnny Cash tribute, please visit https://themaninblack.com/
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
Ace Cafe 15 Market Place New Hope, PA Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night Fri. 6 p.m. Hyundai / Kia Performance Night Sat. 11 a.m. Classic car Meet Sun. 11 a.m. British car & Bike MeetAllentown Borough Main Street Allentown Thurs. 10:15 a.m. Baby Storytime (Takes place at 16 South Main Street) Sat. 10 a.m. Allentown Fall Festival feat. (1 p.m.) Runaway Train (Takes place at 28 Main Street in the Beer Garden) Sun. 10 a.m. Allentown Fall Festival feat. Pennington Station Band (Takes place at 28 Main Street in the Beer Garden)Al's Airport Inn 636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton (609) 883-5252 Thurs. (5 p.m.) Jonathan Savage (8 p.m.) Trivia w/ WPST 94.5 Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Jerry Monk (5 p.m.) Rick Winow (8 p.m.) "Spooktober" Midnight Margaritas: Dress Like a Witch or a Warlock Sun. 7:30 p.m. DJ Bobby Jones Mon. 5 p.m. Joe Hutchinson Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura Wed. 7 p.m. Mark SaccoAncient Order of Hibernians 2419 Kuser Road Hamilton Fri. 7 p.m. Live Band Karaoke w/ Some Assembly RequiredAristaeus Brewing 2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA (215) 757-2337 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri./Sat. 7 p.m. No Hope After Dark Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-8777 Fri. 7 p.m. Hispanic Heritage Month Dance Party Sat. 11 a.m. Ceramic Scavenger Hunt Wed. 7 p.m. JAM: Jersey Art Meet-UpAshlynn Distillery 32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Carl Fri. 7 p.m. Mike Goldman Sat. 7 p.m. Michael Patrick Sun. 3 p.m. Cecil & Troy Wed. 6 p.m. Cara CartneyBent Iron Brewing 70 Extonville Road Hamilton Fri. 5 p.m. Georgia Owen Sat. 5 p.m. Kyle AhernBill's Olde Tavern 2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton (609) 586-0192 Fri. 7 p.m. Honey Spot Boulevard Sat. 7 p.m. Gypsy Ramblers Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Tues. 8 p.m. / Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Ages 21+Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery 58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA (267) 799-5348 Wed. 7 p.m. QuizzoBordentown City Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20 Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 Boro Bean 9 East Broad Street Hopewell (609) 466-6681 Sat. 11 a.m. John Abbott Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road New Hope, PA (215) 862-2972 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Mark Smith Duo Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan Sat. 7 p.m. Wendi & The Lost Boys Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo Tues. 6 p.m. Soul Custody Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFourBroken Goblet Brewing 2500 State Road Bensalem, PA (267) 812-5653 Fri. 7:30 p.m. The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Screamin' Rebel Angels, The Atomic Bats. $21.73, doors open at 7 p.m. Sat. 7:30 p.m. NERVER, Oh, Are They?, Last Century. (FREE event), ages 18+Bucks On Bridge 25 Bridge Street Lambertville (609) 483-2615 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Poetry Night Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night Wed. 6 p.m. TriviaCatch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 102 Carnagie Center Princeton (781) 568-1471 Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Nelson, Jeffrey Paul Hosted by Dena Blizzard. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Sat. 7:30 p.m. Bob Nelson, Jeffrey Paul Hosted by Dena Blizzard. $26.50, Doors open at 7 p.m.Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille 1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA (267) 580-5469 Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ PaulCity Streets 510 Highway 130 South East Windsor (609) 426-9400 Sat. 9 p.m. The Danger DogsClub Atlantis 1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 944-1777 Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to ImpressClubhouse at Mountain View (The Patio) 850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing (609) 538-0808 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Full Grown MenContinental Tavern 2 North Main Street Yardley, PA (215) 493-9191 Sat. 8 p.m. Mark RobidouxCooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton (609) 393-7300 Thurs. 7 p.m. Lovelight Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Se7en / DJ John Rossi Sat. 7 p.m. Big Whiskey Crossing Vineyard and Winery 1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA (215) 493-6500 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Chalk, Talk and Wine Sat. 2:30 p.m. "Harvest Celebration" w/ Sweet Spot Sun. 2 p.m. "Harvest Celebration" w/ Rodney Wright Crosswicks Community House 480 Main Street Crosswicks (609) 442-5830 Fri. 6:30 p.m. FREE Outdoor Movie Night: "The Super Mario Bros. Movie"Curran’s Irish Inn 1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA (215) 245-1800 Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Mon. 7:30 p.m. QuizzoDacey's Pub 215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA (215) 295-4838 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo Dadz Bar and Grill 744 Main Street Lumberton (609)267-4344 Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jimmy Mannix Fri. 7 p.m. Night Magic Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Wed. 6 p.m. Original Music Open Mic Night Hosted by Carie Lynne McKayDelorenzo's Tomato Pies 1707 Langhorne Yardley Road Yardley, PA (215) 493-1006 Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Frank Pinto & Richie ZDharma Bums 4935 River Road New Hope, PA (215) 663-2867 Thurs. 7 p.m. The Wild Hymns Fri. 8 p.m. Shakedown Citi. $15 (advance) Sat. (1 p.m.) Craft & a Cocktail: Ceramic Mug Making Workshop. $65 (8 p.m.) Phish Tribute w/ "Uncle Ebenezer" $10 (advance) Sun. 1 p.m. Drum Circle. $10 or Pay what you can Wed. (5:30 p.m.) Meridi-yin Yoga to the Sounds of The Grateful Dead. $20 (7 p.m.) DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry RobertEddington House Bensalem 2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA (215) 639-1220 Fri. 9 p.m. Bigg Romeo Sat. 8:30 p.m. GruvTyme Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-JoeEscape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA Tues. 6 p.m. KaraokeFlorence Township Municipal Complex 711 Broad Street Florence Sat. 10 a.m. Florence Township Fall FestivalFlying Pig Tavern & Tap 167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown (609) 899-7447 Thurs. BINGO Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia Forsgate Country Club 375 Forsgate Drive Monroe (732) 521-0700 Sun. 12 p.m. Halloween "Spooktacular"Founding Father's Sports Bar & Grill 2900 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 923-1100 Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Pantano Dance Party w/ DJ Joe Castro Friendly's 1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville (609) 426-9203 Thurs. 5 p.m. Cruise Night Wed. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Kevin McGowan and/or Gino Formaroli (Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.)German American Society 215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton (609) 585-5200 Sun. 10 a.m. VolAux at Jersey Iron Biketober Swap Meet and Bike ShowGleason's Bar 6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA (215) 943-4781 Thurs. (7 p.m.) Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions (9:30 p.m.) Karaoke Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8 p.m.) Velvt Snow Sat. (12 p.m.) "Pink Warriors" Fundraiser (8 p.m.) SpareParts Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show PaloozaGreen Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio 240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA (215) 504-7277 Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzo Fri. 8 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo Sat. (8 p.m.) Brian McConnell (9 p.m.) LeCompt Grover's Mill Coffee House Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction (609) 716-8771 Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade PrestridgeHamilatte Cafe 1971 Route 33 Hamilton Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays feat. John Ezzo, Carolyn Norulak, Gino FormaroliHamilton Tap & Grill 557 US Route 130 North Hamilton (609) 905-0925 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ Nebbs Sat. 8 p.m. Karaoke Wed. 7 p.m. TriviaHavana New Hope 105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA. (215) 862-9897 Thurs. 7 p.m. Funk & Blues Jam Hosted by The Slidewinder Blues Band Fri. ( 8 p.m.) "Almost Santana" Santa Tribute. $35 (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party Sat. (3 p.m.) Full Grown Men (8:30 p.m.) Buzzer Band (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party Sun. 6 p.m. "Starman" David Bowie Tribute. $30 Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper DuoHopewell Boro Park Columbia Avenue at Greenwood Avenue Hopewell Borough Sun. 12 p.m. Hopewell Borough "Porchfest" (Takes place on various porches throughout the borough)Hopewell Valley Golf Club 114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell (609) 737-1199 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Progressive TriviaHopewell Valley Vineyards 46 Yard Avenue Pennington (609) 737-4465 Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Deb & Mike Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM (1 p.m.) Bud & Carm Sun. 2:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Mark Feingold GroupHurricane Jacks Bar and Grill 7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (267) 914-4517 Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W. Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura FioccoIl Portico Restorante Italiano 273 West Route 130 South Burlington (609) 239-1000 Thurs. 7 p.m. Jazz Night Fri. / Sat. 7 p.m. Live Music w/ Tony OIrish Rover Station House 1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA (215) 970-5412 Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo NightIron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus (732) 306-9111 Fri. 5:30 p.m. Jo Wymer Band Sat. 4:30 p.m. Ronnie Brandt Sun. 1 p.m. Radio FictionIvy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton (609) 888-1435 Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke All shows 21+ John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa (215) 862-5981 Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Comedy Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational All shows 21+Joseph Lawrence Park 317 Ward Avenue Bordentown Sat. 12 p.m. Fall FestivalKillarney's Publick House 1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton (609) 586-1166 Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Joanna Caruso / Ken Dubman Duo Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Lou Mutter (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (5:30 p.m.) Joanna Caruso (10 p.m.) DJ Bay Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch Mon. 5 p.m. Kids Night w/ Wednesday AdamsLambertville House 32 Bridge Street Lambertville (609) 397-0200 Sun. 12 p.m. "Walking Food Tour"Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt (609) 752-0200 Thurs. (5:15 p.m. / 6 p.m.) Pumpkin Pick & Sip (7 p.m.) Laurita Idol Finals Fri. (4 p.m.) Pumpkin Picking (5:15 p.m. / 6 p.m.) Pumpkin Pick & Sip (7 p.m.) Wade Preston's Billy Joel Tribute Sat. "Fall Fest" feat. (11 a.m.) Vinyl Countdown (2:30 p.m.) Pennington Station (6 p.m.) Strictly '60s Sun. 11 a.m. "Fall Fun"Library Company of Burlington 23 West Union Street Burlington (609) 3861273 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night Lillipies Bakery 30 North Harrison Street Princeton (609) 423-2100 Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with JeffLocust Hall at Johnson's Farm 2691 Monmouth Road Jobstow (609) 723-2630 Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. Fall Harvest Festival Logan Inn 10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA (215) 862-2300 Thurs. 6 p.m. Glenn & Oria Fri. 7 p.m. Aaron Quarterman Sat. 7 p.m. Max Rogers Sun. 11:30 a.m. BD Lenz Trio Wed. 6 p.m. Tom Reyes Magikava 87a South Main Street New Hope, PA (215) 862-2739 Thurs. 6 p.m. Astrology Readings by Riss Cottrill Mon. 6 p.m. Magik "Art Mondays" Wed. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night Main Street Mt. Holly 28 Washington Street Mt. Holly (609) 914-0811 Fri./Sat. 7 p.m./8 p.m. Mount Holly Haunted History Tour. $20 (Ages 12 and under $15) Sat. 1 p.m. Fall Fest (Takes place at Mill Race Village) Sun. 7 p.m. Mount Holly Haunted History Tour. $20 (Ages 12 and under $15)Marcello's Coal Fired Restaurant/Pizza/Bordentown 206 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 298-8360 Tues. 7 p.m. Halloween Candle Holder Dinner and Paint Night.McStews Irish Sports Pub 5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (215) 949-9570 Sat. 9 p.m. "Big Balls 79" AC/DC Tribute Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia NightMitchell's Cafe` 11 Church Street Lambertville Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Oktoberfest Oompah JamMusic Mountain Theater 1483 Route 179 Lambertville (609)397-3337 Fri. 8 p.m. "Clue" Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "Clue" Sun. 3 p.m. "Clue"Naked Brewing Company 212 Mill Street Bristol, PA (267) 544-7129 Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project Sat. 7 p.m. WURL Tues. 7 p.m. TriviaNeshaminy Creek Brewing Company 909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA (215) 458-7081 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night New Egypt Flea Market Village 933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge (609) 758-2082 Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market Wed. 8 a.m. Flea MarketNew Hope Inn & Suites (Diva Lounge) 6426 Lower York Road New Hopoe, PA (855) 229-5934 Sat. 8 p.m. Redbird / Christine MartucciNew Hope Winery / Tavern 6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA (215) 794-2331 Sat. 8 p.m. Cars Tribute w/ "Best Friends Girl" Newtown Brewing Company 103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA (215) 944-8609 Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Pop Culture" Trivia Fri. 6 p.m. Allison Landon Sat. 6 p.m. Aaron Quarterman Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Bill MonachNick's Roast Beef 4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA (215) 637-515 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri. 9 p.m. LeCompt Sat. 9 p.m. Fish Out of Water Wed. 7 p.m. KaraokeNJWeedman's Dispensary 322 East State Street Trenton (609) 437-0898 Thurs. 8 p.m. KaraokeNomad Distilling Company 20 South Main Street New Hope, PA Sun. 10 a.m. BrunchNottingham Tavern 9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square (609) 587-6623 Thur. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis Sat. 9:30 p.m. El Ka Bong Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO Tues. 6:30 p.m. "Prime Rib Night" w/ Music by Radio Fiction Ages 21+ O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 200 State Road Croydon, PA (215) 785-6998 Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Hosted by Best Choice Productions w/ DJ John S Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo Old Hights Brewing 123 West Ward Street Hightstown (609) 469-5976 Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour" Sat. 6 p.m. JT Rox Duo Wed. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night Old Town Pub 135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 291-9232 Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia Fri. 9 p.m. The Suyat Duo Sat. 9 p.m. John Coler Trio Sun. 10 a.m. BrunchPalmer Square 40 Nassau Street Princeton Sat. 12 p.m. Fall Music Series feat. Eco del Sur Sun. 1 p.m. Music Fest Sundays feat. Jerzy Merzy Beat Beatles TributePasquale's Sports Bar 9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA (267) 202-6268 Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Wed. 7 p.m. KaraokePatriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville (609) 737-2780 Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night Sat. 8 p.m. Spanky's garage Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"Plainsboro Preserve 80 Scotts Corner Road Cranbury (609) 799-4013 Thurs. (4 p.m.) Forever 55 Creative Gardening & Cooking (4:15 p.m.) Seeking Interest: Nature Journaling & Photography for Teens Fri. 7 p.m. FREE Outdoor Movie Night: "Disney's Haunted Mansion" Sat. (6:45 a.m.) Adult's Nature Photography Meet-Up: Early Morning/Sunrise Session (9 a.m.) Bird Watching on the Trails of the Preserve (Ages 8-12) (10 a.m.) Fiber Arts Workshop: Felted Cobweb Wrap (7 p.m.) Dancing & Dessert Tues. (11 a.m.) Forever 55 Archery (4:15 p.m.) Nature Play (6 p.m.) Day's End Yoga Wed. (4 p.m.) Archery for Ages 9-11 (5:15 p.m.) Archery for Ages 12-15Princeton Country Club 1-Wheeler Way West Windsor (609) 452-9382 Thurs. 6 p.m. Karaoke Night w/ Live DJ Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour Sun. 11 a.m. Jazz BrunchPuss N Boots Tavern 942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke Tues. 7 p.m. TriviaRandy Now's Man Cave 119 West Ward Street Hightstown (609) 424-3766 Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Wynn Fri. 7 p.m. Billy Bremner's Rockfile. $40Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 144 US Route 130 Bordentown (609) 262-0110 Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night River Horse Brewery 2 Graphics Drive Ewing Sat. 7 p.m. "Laughs & Lagers" Stand Up Comedy Night Hosted by James McAliney feat. Troy Moore, Belynda Cleare. $12.51-71.21 River House at Odette’s 274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA (215) 682-2022 Thurs. 7 p.m. Cara Cartney Fri. Laura Hull Duo Sat. 7 p.m. Bob EganRosedale Mills 101 Route 31 North Pennington (609) 737-2008 Sat. 10 a.m. Pennington Farmers Market Shop Local dayRose Hill Assisted Living 1150 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville Fri. 6 p.m. FREE Halloween Movie Night Outside on the Lawn: "Hocus Pocus" Rossi's Bar & Grill 2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton (609) 890-2004 Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch Tues. 7 p.m. QuizzoholicsSalon 33 794 Alexander Road Princeton Fri. 7 p.m. Riverview early Music Sat. Dumas String Quartet Sun. 7 p.m. Piazolla Project Sandy's Beef & Ale 2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA (2670 852-2333 Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Second Sin Brewing Company 1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P (267) 812-5251 Thurs. 7 p.m. TriviaShady Brook Farm 931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA (215) 968-1670 Fri. 6 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. Shot of Southern. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m. Sat. "Fall Festival" feat. (12 p.m.) E Boro Bandits (6 p.m.) The Naturals Sun. "Fall Festival" feat. (12 p.m.) 2nd Chance Wed. 6 p.m. Kindred SpiritSlim's Irish Pub 2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA (267) 332-0047 Mon. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Cecil Wed. 6 p.m. Karaoke ContestSmall World Coffee 14 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-4377 x2 Sat. 7 p.m. Gabriel Bar-CohenSparky World-Famous Beer Garden 4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (215) 943-2321 Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana Sat. 9:30 p.m. Frank Green Project Sun. 9 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Cara Cartney Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz Wed. 8 p.m. Friends of the DevilStarving Artist Cafe 18 Bridge Street Stockton Fri. 6 p.m. Lisa BouchelleSteam Pub 606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA Sat. 10:30 p.m. EarCandy Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown (609) 426-9345 Fri. 9 p.m. Black Rose Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke Temperance House 5 South State Street Newtown, PA (215) 944-8050 Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger and Filthy Rich Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Neville Esquire Tues. 7 p.m. Beginner Line Dance Lessons w/ Jeremy Line Dance. $40/4 Weeks Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara CartneyTGI Fridays 780 Route 130 South Hamilton (609) 581-6910 Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ BurnTGI Fridays 2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp. (609) 239-486 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia TGI Fridays 3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton (609) 520-0378 Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night The Beer Garden and Education Center at Snipes Farm 890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA Sun. 10 a.m. Family Fall Festival. $12The Birdhouse Center For The Arts 7 North Main Street Lambertville (215) 681-4660 Mon. 8 p.m. Faoileaan Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community OrchestraThe Buck Hotel 1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA (215) 396-2002 Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko Fri. 8 p.m. The Naturals Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (9 p.m.) Bigg Romeo Tues. 6 p.m. Danny Lynch ProjectThe Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro (609) 291-9110 Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis Sat. 9 p.m. RyptydeThe Corner Inn 24509 East Main Street Columbus (609) 298-8543 Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ BurnThe Cure Insurance Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton (609) 656-3200 Sun. 9 a.m. Central Jersey Pop-Warner Cheerleading The Dubliner 34 North Main Street New Hope, PA (215) 693-1816 Fri. 7 p.m. Seamus Kelleher Sat. 7 p.m. Na Bodach Sun. 2 p.m. David Falcone The Federal Twist Vineyard 8 Federal Twist Road Stockton (609) 773-6066 Sat. (11 a.m.) Vinyasa & Vino (12 p.m.) The Inflexables. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE) Sun. 12 p.m. Strange Brew Crew. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)The Five Four Bar & Grill 8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (215) 547-5525 Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam Fri. 9 p.m. The Groove Dudes Sat. 9 p.m. The Posers Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia w/ Jonathan The Ivy Inn 248 Nassau Street Princeton (609) 921-8555 Thurs. (7 p.m.) Bingo (10 p.m.) Karaoke w/ Trey Brown Fri. 9:30 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Slick Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey BrownThe Morrisville Tavern 376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA (215) 295-5310 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri. 8 p.m. Luke Disangro Sat. 8 p.m. Never Enough Mon. 8 p.m. Karaoke Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia Night The Newtown Theatre 120 North State Street Newtown, PA (215) 968-3859 Thurs. 8 p.m. A Tribute to Journey & The Women of Rock w/ "Highway Run" $40.10 Fri. 8 p.m. "Last Child"Aerosmith Tribute. $40.10 Sat. 8 p.m. Nashville Nights: The Ultimate '90s Country Experience. $40.10 Sun. 3 p.m. Emily Grove's Joni Mitchell Jam. $45.34 Wed. 3 p.m. The Greatest Hits of Broadway. $29.62The Penguin Rocks (24 Hour On-Demand Music/Radio) www.thepenguinrocks.com Mon. - Fri. "Radio Jersey" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki Sun. - Sat. "Classic Jersey" Hosted by Gary Wien Sun. - Sat. "Beyond The Palace" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki Sun. - Sat. "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" feat. G-Shaw The Garden State Great and a Call from Tenk Van Dool & Pete Sears. Sun. - Sat. "From The Basement" Hosted by Mike Marrone Sun. - Sat. "Deuce Radio" Hosted by Matt Barker Sun. - Sat. "Altrok Radio" Hosted by Sean Carolan Sun. - Sat. "Lighty's Corner" Hosted by Gary Wien Sun. - Sat. "The Troubador Show" Hosted by John GodfreyThe Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge (609) 208-0050 Fri. 8 p.m. Even Odds Sat. 8 p.m. The Fry Boys Tues. Music BINGO Wed. 6 p.m. Joe VadalaThe Sycamore Grill 255 North Sycamore Street Newtown, PA (215) 908-6326 Sat. 8 p.m. Bruce Springsteen Tribute w/ "Plush"The Union Firehouse 18 Washington Street Mount Holly (609) 288-6491 Fri. 7 p.m. "Punktober" feat. The Chemical Imbalance, The Deflators, 19DRT, Erin Incoherent, Poison IV. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Wed. 6:30 p.m. "Hide and Shriek Tour" feat. Sister Sleep, Wih Sails Ahead, Old Friends, Revenants, Grudgstep, Shivan. $12 (advance), doors open at 6 p.m.The Union House 19 East Union Street Burlington (609) 531-6077 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri. 8 p.m. The Privileged Few Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.) Dave Cudrak Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch Tindall Road Brewing Co. 102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 526-8651 Wed. (6 p.m.) Books & Beer (7 p.m.) Lil Brewery TriviaTir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton (609) 392-2554 Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" All Shows 21+Trenton Social 449 South Broad Street Trenton (609) 989-7777 Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA) Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by SweetsTrinity Episcopal Cathedral 801 West State Street Trenton Sat. 7 p.m. Westminster Choir: "Evensong"Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location) 400 Union Square New Hope, Pa. (215) 862-8300 Sun. 2 p.m. Kindred SpiritVault Brewing Company 10 South Main Street Yardley, PA (267) 573-4291 Thurs. 6 p.m. Gene Shepherd Fri. 7 p.m. Tom Trovas Duo Sat. 7 p.m. Suzette Ortiz and Her Latin EnsembleVillage Idiot Brewing Company 42 High Street Mount Holly (609) 975-9270 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Sun. 1 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Logan TorwichVon Thun's Country Farm Market 505 Ridge Road South Brunswick Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. Fall Festival PLUS Weekend. $22.99 Mon. 11 a.m. Columbus Day Fall FunWesley Grove Chapel 4800 South Broad Street Yardville Fri. 7 p.m. Movie Night Under The Stars: "The Prince of Egypt" (FREE event)West Hill Manor 1114 Oxmead Road Burlington Sat. 7 p.m. NJPI Presents: An Evening at the West Hill Manor Paranormal Investigation. Co-hosted by Beth O'Brien.Wildflowers Too 255 Route 156 Yardville (609) 585-5483 Wed. 7 p.m. Poker NightWoodlin Lodge 30 19 Park Street Bordentown (609) 298-9849 Fri. 8 p.m. Fridays On Park StreetWorking Dog Winery 610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown (609) 371-6000 Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Vinny Rugnetta Sat. 1 p.m. Jersey SureCats Sun. 1 p.m. Rich BolandWWFM 89.1 FM HD2 Radio MCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor Jazzon2.org Mon. 7 a.m./7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues" Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College presents Nobuntu, the internationally acclaimed all-female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 7:00pm.
(NEWARK, NJ) -- This Fall, AG Touring and Mammoth, Inc. proudly present the Rod Wave - Last Lap Tour. This large-scale multi-city outing will feature Rod Wave headlining 36 of North America's top arenas coast-to-coast. The tour will kick off on October 19 at Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix, AZ visiting major markets across the country, including Newark’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 with special guests Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic.
