By Danny Coleman
originally published: 10/03/2024

"We are in Skokie, Illinois, just finished up in Canada and we're playing Chicago tomorrow," said Billy Bob Thornton, a.k.a "Bud" of The Boxmasters as he and guitarist/producer J.D. Andrew discussed the band's formation, recording equipment, sound and a rainy day in West Long Branch as they prepare to return once again to the intimate confines of Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre for a 7 p.m. show on October 11.

Forming circa 2007, The Boxmasters at their core have always been Thornton and J.D. but Thornton's career in music extends far beyond that of his film exploits and when asked, he readily tells the story of how the current band came to be.

"Well, here's the quick sketch of it," he began, "I was making my fourth solo record and my engineer got a job working for Fox Sports. I still had two weeks left to go and the band had gone home and I was just there by myself and I needed to do some extra drum parts and some harmony vocals and a mutual friend of mine and J.D.'s suggested him to do all of the overdubs and stuff that I had to do and so we started working together. So, after about two weeks, we started jamming together a bit and hanging out and we discovered that we had a really good sound writing things and playing together and that's where The Boxmasters were born; from my solo record when J.D. became the engineer on it. So, we were born out of necessity but it became magic (Laughs)."

"Billy had a house with a studio in the basement," added J.D. "He bought that house from Slash and I guess it was the "Snakepit Studio" when Slash had it and Billy bought it and had it for 13 years of which I was there for the last five of them I guess. He sold the house in 2012 and for almost 10 years, we mainly went to Henson Studios which is the old A&M Studios in Hollywood and we'd go there every month or two and work for three or four days and crank out some songs. Then about four years ago, Billy bought a house that has a free standing stand alone studio on the property and it's like, ah, the heavens opened up and it's everything I've ever dreamed of in having a recording studio. It is big enough where we can put all of the junk that we need in there, we've got our console again, big speakers in the wall, we've got almost every instrument that we can think of for what we need and do. There is one other keyboard I want and of course another hundred guitars but we've got an upright piano, an organ, a full drum set plus a giant bass drum. We've got a Continental, a Jaguar, a Farfisa, amps galore; everything I've ever hoped for and everything is wired up and ready to go. So, if anybody wants to record a part, no matter what it is, it's all ready to go. So, anytime inspiration peaks its head out, we jump on it. Those instruments are the kind we sort of gravitate to; stuff with a very defined or definitive sound. There is nothing else that sounds like a Farfisa, there is nothing that sounds like a Continental, even though they are similar they sound different from each other even though they were made in the same era. Same thing with different guitars and amps and for us, it's kind of like channeling heroes of ours; if we want a certain sound it's like, what did David Gilmour play? What did George Harrison or Roger McGuinn or any of those guys play? We're so steeped in those '60s rock 'n' roll guys and it (The equipment) is mostly vintage stuff from the era that we are able to go grab whatever guitar because that's what we think of when we think of that artist. So, I don't know, it's just a magical place and ever since we've had it, we've recorded a ton in so much shorter a period of time than it would take if we went to a studio and had to set everything up, get everything mic'd, get the sounds and get everything ready. Now, it's just there, we plug in, turn it on and know it sounds great already and we get a lot done. One of the other reasons we like to have our own place is that we do want to record so much or just sit around and watch TV, listen to stuff; it's a great place to relax off the clock. The reason we use a computer to record is because if we still recorded on tape, we'd need to take out mortgages on the house just to pay for reels of tape. Hard drives are cheap these days so we just record on there; we still mix to tape but it's so much cheaper to do it on the computer and using all of the vintage stuff, we get as close as we can to the sound of old records while using a computer to record it. We still treat it like a tape machine and just play our parts from the top of the song to the end of it and move to the next track." 

 

Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

---

 "Our board is an old Trident ADB board from England," continued "Bud." "I've had it for 25 years. I bought it from Slash and it's a really warm piece of equipment. It's a great board, we've never changed it out. We've basically added stuff from Pro Tools but we run everything through the board and we mix to tape. We have trouble, even when we're mixing, finding tape; we have to order it ahead of time from Nashville." 

The Boxmasters do not shy away from their influences and they will be the first to tell you that they are a "60s influenced unit; a unit that is enthusiastically carrying on some of the sounds of that time.

"The solo records that I made were somewhere between Americana and traditional sort of Roots rock," says Thornton. "The Boxmasters, we're a '60s influenced rock 'n' roll band and we write original songs but we do it under the umbrella of our influences; Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds and a lot of other people too. The Kinks, The Kinks especially, we love The Kinks. If I was asked to pick out one band that we kind of sound like and of course, we'll never be as awesome as they were; I would say The Kinks. The Kinks and The Animals maybe but we've got a more modern sound obviously." 

When told that upon first listening to their music it was hard to put it in a definitive category; Thornton's enthusiasm grew quickly.

"That's awesome," he said with a laugh."That's probably the best thing we can hear from you; that we have our own stamp on stuff. When we were growing up as little kids and teenagers playing in bands and probably into our 20s and 30s and all the way up; the idea in those days was to be different. You had James Taylor, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath and Danny O'Keefe all on the same radio station and it was just "Rock music;" you know? Everything is so compartmentalized and now James Taylor is on the old guy's soft love channel or something like that (Laughs), it's just a different time. We really try to be who we are; we're not going out there to make hits or something because I think, if you're an artist and you're going for a result and that result is to make money and have a hit and be on all of those creepy awards shows with the marble stage and tracks playing behind you; I think you're kind of disrespecting the history of rock 'n' roll. So, we're trying to keep rock 'n' roll going with our original music and we have to do our part to do that.There are plenty of rock 'n' roll bands out there but they have really no outlet or a medium for their music because there are Pop stations, Nashville Country, Indie Rock and all of these different things on maybe Sirius XM or something but mainstream radio now is Pop, Hip-Hop or Nashville Country and really, any rock 'n' roll stations where rock 'n' roll bands have original material on them; because if you listen to a classic rock station now, they play only the hits from the old days like ZZ Top, Styx or Foreigner or whoever it is. They're not selling records anymore that much and they are making their money from touring. So, they have to tour constantly and there is really no station that plays their new music. So, we're really hoping that changes somehow; I don't really have a lot of hope for it but at least it's a good dream to have. We get airplay but they always throw us on Americana or sometimes Adult Contemporary because they don't know where to put rock 'n' roll bands anymore. So, they put you on Americana and we're on there with Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Phish; it's like the weirdest thing you've ever seen. When you're a rock 'n' roll band, they don't have a category for you anymore so they just put you on those; it's kind of like, what was that thing on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?" The Island of lost or misfit toys? It's kind of like that (Laughs) really but look, we grew up in the golden age of rock 'n' roll. Which really, if you think about it, from 1954 when Bill Haley came along until the late '70s, that's when it was really going strong. Not that there weren't great records made after that but essentially, rock 'n' roll in the form that we knew it as lasted about 25 years. We're still trying to bring it back and you mentioned Slash and Billy Gibbons, they are both old friends of ours. We've known them forever and I've done some work with both of them and when I see both of those guys go out and have a tour to promote records that don't have a market really; they're having to tour constantly to make money for them and they're both from very famous bands. ZZ Top can sell out a certain place and so can Guns N' Roses but when it's just Gibbons or Slash with their bands, they're playing smaller venues all around just trying to keep it together but the fact that they love what they are doing with their solo stuff and they are doing it anyway is a real tribute to those guys. Also, entertainers have some kind of ego or you wouldn't have become one. So, you'd like your new stuff or what you're putting out to people now to be recognized and of course it is recognized by certain people like fans they've had for a long time but I guess I don't quite understand; I get it with fans but I don't quite understand why, if you're a Guns N' Roses fan and Slash is out with a blues band; get in line, that's awesome! It still just doesn't translate as much, they want to see the whole thing. When we were talking about those classic rock stations, you said, "You'll hear the same song at 7 a.m. and again at 7 p.m.," the other tragedy to me is if you hear Boston, you hear "More Than A Feeling," if it's ZZ Top it's "La Grange," if it's Foreigner it's "I Want To Know What Love Is," they don't even dig into their records to play something different on those stations, it's just whatever hit connects with people the most. When I was a kid in Little Rock, Arkansas, we had a station called KAAY and the morning DJ was Doc Holiday and he was the peppy guy who had too much coffee and he had this upbeat vibe and we listened to that all day and they played what was on the Billboard Top 100 and then at night, on the same station at like 11 o'clock at night I think it was, they had a show called "Beaker Street" with a guy named Clyde Clifford. He played spooky music and as opposed to being the guy in the morning who said upbeat, "Hey everybody! Good morning! This is Biff-o and Boff-o in the morning," instead of that it was in low tones, "Hi, this is Clyde Clifford and you're listening to Beaker Street on KAAY" and we would hear underground songs. They used to say it was for, "Freaks only" and you would hear Pink Floyd or an entire side of The Allman Brothers "Eat A Peach;" I got my musical education from radio in those days. Can you imagine these days where they have shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice?" Some of the greatest singers that ever lived, say, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Warren Zevon; because a singer is a person who is doing their songs, interpreting them their way in their voice and to me, that's a singer. So, on "American Idol," you can hold a high "C" for two-and-a-half minutes but that doesn't make you a singer. I guarantee you, if Dylan, Prine or Johnny Cash had shown up on the sidewalk to try out for "American Idol," they'd be kicked out immediately (Laughs)."

As one can see, their passion for carrying on true rock 'n' roll is intense and Thornton and the band's dedication to keeping the genre alive is far beyond admirable. So, what can we expect when they return to Pollak Theatre on October 11?

"We have played there and it's kind of an interesting story," he began with a laugh. "The last time we were there in West Long Branch, New Jersey, we didn't realize at the time when we got there that we were at Monmouth University which of course we had heard of because J.D. and I are sports fans and we see the basketball scores. So, we get there and it's this beautiful place, the performing arts center that they have is amazing but we were there on a Sunday in the summer and it was raining. It was a dreary Sunday, drizzling rain all day and I think we probably had, I don't know, 85 people or something in the audience. School wasn't in session and it was a rainy Sunday and I was talking to one of the people who worked there and I said, "I'm sorry we didn't sell more tickets" and she said, "That's OK, school is not in session and nobody is here" and I said, "Well, thank you for having us anyway" and this year, when our agent sent us the tour schedule and I saw that was on the schedule, I thought; really? They're having us back? (Laughs) Then I thought, well, at least this time school is in session so I hope a lot of the students come out; that's what we're hoping for, hopefully we can at least double it this year. We play the same show no matter what. Our motto is, we play the same for 12 people as we do for 10,000 because you're playing for the people that are there and not for the people that aren't there. So, whoever comes there and buys a ticket, they deserve a show. We go out there; the worst feeling in the world and I've been doing this since I was a kid; I can remember playing for giant crowds when I was 16 at festivals or opening for a big name act and the worst feeling in the world is when the lights go down and you can hear a pin drop (Laughs). We play raucous rock places and what happens when you get in the theaters and the lights go down and people are sitting there like they're about to see "Peter Pan," it's a little disheartening but when we go out there, what we try to do; we engage with the crowd a lot and what we try to do before the end of the show, is to get everyone up and come see us down at the front of the stage. We wait until the show is about two-thirds of the way through but before it's over, we let a theater audience know that it's OK to go a little nuts and treat it like a rock show. Usually, at the end of the night, they are always very happy and they can't believe it happened."

Oh, and about that other career of Thornton's, you know, acting: "The acting thing was an accident, I don't even know how it happened but thank God it did because it took care of my family. I just grew up in music and here we are, still doing it after all of these years." 

Shall you be more local to Pennsylvania, The Boxmasters will be at the Sellersville Theater on Thursday October 10 so, that's two chances to see the band within 24 hours. 

To discover more about The Boxmasters and/or to purchase tickets to their shows, please visit https://theboxmasters.com/home

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

---

Abbott Marshlands
157 Westcott Avenue Hamilton
Sat. 10 a.m. First saturday Wellness Walk "Spring Lake Loop"

---

Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Fri. 6 p.m. Miata Rotary and Power Meet-Up
Sat. (11 a.m.) Vintage Moto Meet (2 p.m.) Dapper Rider Day
Sun. (11 a.m.) Three-Wheeler Sunday (2 p.m.) Women Bikers Day (6 p.m.) Porsche Night

---

Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Diane Chiorello
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Jeff Penque (5 p.m.) Eliza Waldman (8 p.m.) Spooktober: Ahoy, Spooktober! Dress Like a Pirate
Sun. (12 p.m.) Sunday Brunch  (7:30 p.m.) DJ Bobby Jones
Mon. 5 p.m. Joe Hutchinson
Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura
Wed. 7 p.m. Mark Sacco

---

Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Fri. "40th Annual Irish Music Festival" Kick-off on the Patio feat. (6 p.m.) The Natterjacks (FREE event, open to the public)
Sat. 12 p.m.  "40th Annual Irish Music Festival" feat. The Shantys, Jamison, Birmingham 6. $5

---

Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 

---

Ark Brewery, Restaurant & Pub
106 Ark Road Lumberton
(609) 451-5023
Sat. 6 p.m. Eddie Berner of Flock of Seagulls
Sun. 12 p.m. Car Stroll and Rock Show feat. "Get Out of My Car"  
Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Sat. 3 p.m. Gallery Openings
Mon. 6 p.m. Dedication Ceremony for Nathan Jackson
Wed. 7 p.m. JAM: Jersey Art Meet-Up

---

Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Carl
Fri. 7 p.m. Friends of the Devil
Sun. 3 p.m. Cecil & Troy
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney

---

Bent Iron Brewing
70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Sat. 12:30 p.m. LakeHouse

---

Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Fri. 7 p.m. Deep Release
Sat. 7 p.m. The Jenks
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
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. Quizzo 

---

Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. Bordentown Cranberry Festival feat. (11 a.m.) Jerry Monk, Leo Silverman (12 p.m.) Nuisance Campers (1 p.m.) Mick Chorba (2 p.m.) Pippa and Skelly (3 p.m.) Bill Burns-Lynch (4 p.m.) Greg McGarvey w/ Eddie and the Flatbedders
Sun.  Bordentown Cranberry Festival feat. (11 a.m.) Redbird (12 p.m.) Slugger O'Toole (1 p.m.) Chet & Ari (2 p.m.) The Successful Failures (3 p.m.) Keith Moncchio (4 p.m.) Jerry Lardieri

---

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
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour

---

Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Stone Temple Pilots Tribute w/ "Wicked Garden" / Kryptonite. $19.56, $27.16, $29.42
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Phish Tribute w/ "Rift" $16.30 (VIP Mezzanine), $10.87 (VIP Floor), General Admission (FREE)
Tues. 6:30 p.m. Paint & Sip. $29

---

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. Trivia 

---

Cadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum)
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton 
(408) 335-4400 
Sat. 9:30 a.m. Mercer County Photography 2024 Entry Day

---

Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Jerroldb,Gerald Lee, Jay Ioshi, Matt Bridgestone. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Nini Grace / Steve Trevelise.. $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/ Paul

---

Chesterfield Inn
633 Chesterfield-Arneytown Road Chesterfield
(609) 298-1917
Sat. 9 p.m. Blackwells Mill

---

City Streets
510 Highway 130 South East Windsor
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9 p.m. Jim Delre Band

---

Club Atlantis
1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 944-1777 
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco 
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress  

---

Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Midnight Sun TTL
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour  (7 p.m.) Groove Dudes / DJ John Rossi
Sat. 7 p.m. The Launch 

---

Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Thurs. 7 p.m. "He Said, She sang" feat. Kate Nice. $25
Sat. 2 p.m. On The Fly
Sun. 2 p.m. Jason ccue

---

Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo

---

Dacey's Pub 
215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. Chrome Pony
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
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic 
Wed. 6 p.m. Original Music Open Mic Night Hosted by Carie Lynne McKay

---

Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. James Dalton
Fri. 8 p.m. Waffle Stomp & Meraki. $15 (advance)
Sat. (1 p.m.) Vintage Clothing Market (7 p.m.) The Ditches, A Philly Punx Un ited Jawn with Late Night Television, Applied Knowledge, Jelly Knives. $10 (advance)
Wed. 7 p.m.  DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry Robert

---

Donkeys Place
37 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 689-5015
Sat. Community day feat. (12 p.m.) Andy Brasko (1 p.m.) Logan Torwich (2 p.m.) Randy Imbrogno (3 p.m.) Wounded Souls

---

Eddington House Bensalem
2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA 
(215) 639-1220 
Fri. 9 p.m. Rustic Revival
Sat. (3 p.m.) Cracklin' Diamond (9 p.m. ) Fish Out of Water. $10
Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-Joe

---

Escape Resort, Restaurant & Bar 
120 Pheasant Run Road Newtown, PA 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. "Fall Sips" Family Fall Festival (FREE event)
Tues. 6 p.m. Karaoke

---

First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury
22 South Main Street Cranbury
Sat. 7 p.m. Country Line Dancing. $10

---

Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 7 p.m. DJ entertainment
Sun. 12 p.m. Brunch feat. Alex Otey
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. Trivia

---

Forsgate Country Club   
375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700 
Fri. 6 p.m. "First Friday" w/ Pat Bridge
Tues. 6 p.m. Wooden Flowerbox Workshop

---

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.)

---

Gleason'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.) SideArm
Sat. (12 p.m.) Music Bingo Brunch (9 p.m.) Code Emo
Tues. 6:30 p.m. Trivia Night Hosted by Best Choice Productions 

---

Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Fri.  8 p.m. Jeff Selby
Sat. 8 p.m. Brian Kmetz
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 6 p.m. Piano Bar w/ Dr. Kass

---

Grounds For Sculpture
80 Sculptors way Hamilton
(609) 586-0616 
Sun. 10 a.m. Fall Walk

---

Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge

---

Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Fri. 6 p.m. Matt Coyle
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 

---

Hamilton Tap & Grill
557 US Route 130 North Hamilton 
(609) 905-0925
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ Nebbs
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Bob Banka
Sat. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia

---

Hamilton Veterans Park 
1865 Yardville-Hamilton Square Road Hamilton  
Sat. 12 p.m. Shine a Light NF Walk

---

Havana 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.) Journey tribute w/ "Frontiers" $35 (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party 
Sat.(3 p.m.) Fraser duo (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party 
Sun. (1 p.m.) Midnight Sun Orchestra (6:30 p.m.) Slidewinder Blues Band
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo

---

Hightstown Memorial Park
North Main Street Hightstown
Sat. 10 a.m. Hightstown Family Fair 2024 feat. (11 a.m.) The Rebound (Takes place on Bank Street)

---

Hopewell Valley Golf Club
114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell
(609) 737-1199
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Progressive Trivia Hosted by Jack Furlong
Fri. 4 p.m. "Oktoberfest" 9 and Dine. $60 (Includes golf and dinner/$35 dinner only)

---

Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Avenue Pennington 
(609) 737-4465 
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5:30 p.m.) Rob Silvers
Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM Fransisco (1 p.m.) catmoondaddy (5:30 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Modern Rewind

---

Hurricane 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 w/ Mikey Jr
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco

---

Il 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 O

---

Irish Rover Station House 
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night

---

Iron Plow Vineyards
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Ed Wilson
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Steve & Rich
Sun. 1 p.m. AudioPilot

---

Ivy 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 
Sat. 8 p.m. Sonja, Stinking Lizavetta, ex-tradition. $15 (advance), doors open at 7 p.m.
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. 10 a.m. Paint Bordentown Pink
Wed. 7 p.m. Music In the Park w/ Eddie davis & Blues Anatomy feat. Sister Blue

---

Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Sat. Chowder Fest feat. (1 p.m.) Mark Sacco (6 p.m.) DJ Dan Murphy (8 p.m.) Electric Stingray (10 p.m.) DJ Bay
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch 

---

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 "Semi-Finals
Fri. (4 p.m.) Pumpkin Picking (5:15 p.m./6 p.m.) Pumpkin Pick & Sip
Sat. "Fall Fest Food Truck Festival" feat. (11 a.m.) 80s Undercover (2:30 p.m.) Rangers Nouveau (6 p.m.) Strictly '60s
Sun. "Fall Fest Food Truck Festival" feat. (11 a.m.) Jersey SureCats (3 p.m.) ShoreSyde

---

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 Jeff
Sun. 11 a.m. Nate Tota

---

Logan Inn 
10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2300
Thurs. 6 p.m. Michael Leggerie
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Scott McAallister Trio
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Java Sway
Wed. 6 p.m. Devin Mastrich

---

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)
Sun. 7 p.m. Mount Holly Haunted History Tour. $20 (Ages 12 and under $15)

---

McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Sat. 9 p.m. Supertrain
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night

---

Mercer Oaks Golf Course 
725 Village Road West West Windsor NJ 
(609) 936-1383 
Sun. 1 p.m. Auction & Cocktail Party

---

Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "Beauty And The Beast"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "Beauty And The Beast"
Sun. 3 p.m. "Beauty And The Beast"

---

Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana's Sh%t Show
Fri.  8 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Triiish
Sat. 7 p.m. Joe & Krista
Sun. 11 a.m. Weekend Brunch w/ (1 p.m.)  
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

---

Neshaminy 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 Market 

---

New Hope Winery / Tavern 
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 794-2331 
Fri. 8 p.m. Pearl Jam Tribute w/ "The Ledbetters" $45
Sat. 8 p.m. Steve Forbert and the New Renditions. $45  

---

Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Useless Knowledge"  Trivia 
Fri. 3 p.m. "Oktoberfest" Day 1 feat. (6 p.m.) Fly On The Wall
Sat. 12 p.m. "Oktoberfest" Day 2 feat. (6 p.m.) Slim & the Perkolators
Sun. 1 p.m. Local Artisan Craft Fair
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Bill Monach

---

Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Fri. 9 p.m. Fat Mezz
Sat. 9 p.m. AJ Slick
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

---

NJWeedman's Dispensary
322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 12 p.m. NJ's "1st Home Grown Growers Cup"

---

Nomad Distilling Company
20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

---

Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623
Thur. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour Hosted by Danny Coleman feat. Frank Pinto & Richie Z (9:30 pm.) Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
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
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Karaoke w/ Rory
Sat. 12 p.m. "Oktoberfest" feat. (5 p.m.) The Vintage Vibe Tribe
Sun. 2 p.m. Bluegrass Jam  

---

Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Bryan Breathes Duo
Sat. 9 p.m. Anna Felice Trio
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch 

---

Palmer Square 
40 Nassau Street Princeton 
Sun. 1 p.m. Music Fest Sundays feat. John McDermott Band Sixties Rock & Roll Revue 

---

Pasquale's Sports Bar 
9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 202-6268 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

---

Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Sat. 8 p.m. Th Brooks Brothers Blues Band
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"

---

Picture Perfect Affairs
76 High Street Mount Holly
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday Lyrics To Go Open Mic and Showcase

---

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
Sat. (9 a.m.) Birdwatching on the Trails of the Preserve (Ages 8-12) (10 a.m.) Mindfulness In Nature w/ Anne Price of Waterspirit (1 p.m.) Wild Edible Walk w/ Anne Price of Waterspirit (6 p.m.) Halloween Themed Sensory Walk
Tues. (11 a.m.) Forever 55 Archery (4:15 p.m.) Nature Play (6 p.m.) Days End Yoga
Wed. (4 p.m.) Archery for Ages 9-11 (5:15 p.m.) Archery for Ages 12-15

---

Princeton 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 Brunch

---

Princeton Makes 
301 North Harrison Street Princeton 
Sun. 11 a.m. Art in the Courtyard

---

Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza)
65 Witherspoon Street Princeton  
(609) 924-9529 
Sat. 11 a.m. Princeton Children's Book Festival

---

Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

---

Randy Now's Man Cave
119 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 424-3766
Sat. 12 p.m. Editors of "Weird NJ" Booksigning / Sword Swallower Adam Realman

---

Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 

---

River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Cara Cartney
Fri. 7 p.m. Lorenzo Branca
Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan

---

 Robbinsville Senior Center 
1170 Route 130 North (Folsom Way) Robbinsville  
(609) 259-1567
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. 6 Week Fall Beginner Line Dance Session

---

Roebling Museum 
100 2nd Avenue Roebling
(609) 499-7200 
Sat. 10 a.m. "Touch A Truck"

---

Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White Birthday Celebration
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics 

---

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. Trivia

---

Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "UnWINEd" Concert feat. The Rockets. $12 (advance/online, $15 at door), doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sat. "Fall Festival" feat. (12 p.m.) Fish Out Of Water (6 p.m.) The Disoteks
Sun. "Fall Festival" feat. (12 p.m.) Koi Soldiers (5 p.m.) Buzzerband

---

Sherman Theater/Penn Community Bank Amphitheater 
2400 Byberry Road Bensalem, PA 
Sat. 2 p.m. Family Fall Festival feat. (6:30 p.m.) The Lords of 52nd Street

---

Simply Pure Trenton
1531 North Olden Avenue Ewing
Sun. 2 p.m. Jazz In the Grass feat. George V. Johnson (FREE Event)

---

Slim'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 Contest

---

Small World Coffee 
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 7 p.m. Jeff Miller

---

Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden
4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 943-2321 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
Sun. 8 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Chris Benedetti
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton 
Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz

---

Starving Artist Cafe
18 Bridge Street Stockton
Sun. 3 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Showcase Hosted by Jesse Ketchel feat. Sean Hopkins, Daniel Witner, Mindy Murray, Todd Bailey, Russell Norkevich, Luke Windland, Andrea Carlson. $10

---

Steam Pub 
606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA 
Sat. 10 p.m. Bonehead 

---

Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
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 Cartney

---

TGI Fridays 
780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910 
Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Burn

---

TGI 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 Bank of Princeton
10 Bridge Street Lambertville 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. The Back Porch Jug Band

---

The Birdhouse Center For The Arts
7 North Main Street Lambertville
(215) 681-4660
Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community Orchestra 

---

The Buck Hotel 
1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA 
(215) 396-2002 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Fri. 8:30 p.m. The Heartbeats
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (9 p.m.) The Juliano Brothers
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo

---

The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sun. 5 p.m. No Cover Country Night

---

The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment

---

The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. Keith Quinn & Friends
Sat. 7 p.m. Gerry Timlin
Sun. 2 p.m. Gerry Timlin

---

The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Sat. 12 p.m. Mike Montrey Trio. $5 (Ages 20 and under FREE)
Sun. 12 p.m. "Harvest Fest" w/ Reel to Real  $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. Old School 
Sat. 9 p.m. Philly Rock and Soul
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. DJ Fatha Ramzee
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ Marcmyskillz
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown

---

The Morrisville Tavern 
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Jeds Gold
Sat. 8 p.m. The Bambu Weasels
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
Fri. 8 p.m. An Evening w/ Loudon Wainwright lll. $48.49
Sat. 8 p.m. A tribute to The Allman Brothers band and The Grateful Dead. $40.10
Sun. 3 p.m. "Let's Get It On" Celebrating the Music of Marvin Gaye and Motown feat. Jackie's Boy. $34.86
Tues. 3 p.m./7:30 p.m. "Reagan" $12, $10, $6

---

The 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. Akeylah Simone, James Popik
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 Godfrey 

---

The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050 
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo
Fri. 8 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band
Sat. 8 p.m. Samantha Spano
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 6 p.m. Joe Vadala

---

The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by 7 p.m. 
Fri. 8 p.m. Dont Call Me Francis. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 p.m. Knights Reign. $10 (advance), Doors open at 7 p.m.

---

The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Redbird 
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.) Poor Mouth Henry
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch 

---

Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. The Williamsboy
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+

---

Tobacco Leaf Robbinsville
2350 Route 33 West Building #101 Robbinsville
(609) 208-3700
Fri. 4 p.m. "Oktoberfest" Celebration w/ Quesada

---

Trenton Free Public Library
120 Academy Street Trenton
(609) 392-7188
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday" 

---

Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Raccoon Recession Committee
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets 

---

Union Coffee
49 North Union Street Lambertville 
(609) 460-4637
Fri. 5 p.m. "First Friday" Tarot Meet-Up w/ Kristina Gorman

---

Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Thurs. 6 p.m. JDuo
Fri. 7 p.m. John Thomas
Sat. (12 p.m.) Oktoberfest 2024 (7 p.m.) John Sheridan Trio

---

Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sat. 12 p.m. "12th Annual Punk o' Lantern Release Party"
Sun. 1 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Logan Torwich

---

Villa Mannino Ristorante
73 US Route 130 North Bordentown
Wed. 6 p.m. Gnomes and Pumpkins and Bats Oh My! Halloween Candle Holder and Dinner Paint Night Hosted by Spotted Frog

---

Wildflowers Too
255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night

---

Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Joe Vadala
Sat. 1 p.m. Ronnie Brandt 
Sun. 1 p.m. Rob Messina

---

WWFM 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.

---