"Yes sir," laughed Stephen Dees of Novo Combo. "The name of the record is "45 West 55th" and that's the address of Michael's apartment in New York City where I first met him and it all started from there. So, that's why we named it that; the album is kind of an anthology not unlike what the Beatles did; in fact, I kind of nicked the idea from them. We have songs that were unreleased demo songs from the first record and of course we recorded new songs as well. We've got five new recordings on the record and we decided that it was a nice way to reclaim our legacy."
Novo Combo is or perhaps "Was" one of the earliest true super-groups. Formed in the 1980's and described as "Power Pop" and "New Wave," their makeup consisted of some very powerful talents.
Bassist and lead singer Dees (Hall & Oates, Todd Rundgren, Pat Travers, Foghat, Bandees), guitarist/vocalist Pete Hewlett (Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Joe Jackson, Julian Lennon, Amy Grant, Eric Carmen), guitarist/vocalist Jack Griffith (Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Gary Moore) and drummer Michael Shrieve (Santana, Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Steve Winwood) came together to form a dynamic quartet but after releasing two albums, they kind of went their separate ways; until recently.
"45 West 55th" is the band's third studio record and one that came about for several reasons; sometimes it takes a "Loss" to make a gain being among them.
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"In the past many years, people have been selling our records illegally and not compensating us and it has been happening for a long time," explained Dees. "So, we put this out to say, Hey, this is us and it's a good record and if you want to support what we did it'd be great instead of paying some guy who has been ripping us off. This guy rips off a lot of artists, he sort of does this as a living; that's the weird thing. I've talked to other people that he's selling also and in fact, I was checking him out and I talked to a friend who I used to play with who has several albums out and I asked him about this guy and he said, "Oh, well, that guy is a crook and a liar" and I was like, "Oh." This guy is one of those guys who is kind of under the radar and nobody wants to go to court and he knows that. I think we'd have to do a class action thing or a whole thing where everyone gets together and it's just not worth it. There are bad players and people who do things like that all of the time, you have to expect it but this guy really kind of takes the cake. So, that was an incentive but what really got me sparked on it was, a good friend of mine passed away several years ago, his name was Eddie Zyne. We were kids together, grew up together, he was a great drummer, we played together in many bands including the Hall & Oates Band in the '70s; it was really great and we had a great time. When he passed away, I started going through my archives of music because I wanted to hear things with Eddie on them; just remembering him. I went in there and of course there were tons of other things and there was a bunch of Novo Combo music. I listened to that and was like, wow, what a great band that was and I was really blown away at how good it was after listening to the demos because it was so real. We were a really good band, everyone pulled their weight and it was a very talented band. I was listening to the demos; some of these demos were better than what made it to the record. I know people say that a lot but it's absolutely true; back then when we were doing demos, we'd go in a studio for one afternoon and just play live, just cut the songs, here you go. There were no tricks, no computers, just boom, here it is! We were a band and we'd play it and that's some of the tracks that we put on this record. I love the rawness and the energy that's involved in just playing because over the last 30 years or so, everything has been about Pro Tools and computers and just getting everything perfect. So, it was really refreshing to have us just go in and slam it out (Laughs). So, then I started talking to the guys and we started having conversations because we're a very democratic band and we started going back and forth with the tunes and picking the songs and deciding what we wanted to do on it and we arrived at where we are now. I'm really glad that we did it because I've always loved these guys; we basically broke up back in the day because of business stuff. Seems like business stuff always seemed to mess it up back then; all the money involved, time and this and that and everything, "Oh, you've got to have a hit" and etc, you know, that kind of thing."
"When I went to New York initially, I was just a kid," he went on. "There was literally management sitting behind the desk with a cigar saying, "I'm gonna make you a star" and that kind of stuff. That sounds cliche but it's true and it really happened; initially I had no representation and no lawyer so I kind of got taken to the cleaners by a certain guy. I don't want to cast any shade but you live and learn; it has always been about the music for me. I'm not a business guy, some musicians are but most of them aren't, they usually have somebody help them out. I didn't have an attorney back in the day when I signed some things. I had a solo record on RCA and it was co-produced with Daryl Hall because I was working with those guys and it was great. I really appreciate working with Daryl, he was very considerate and kind to me, he kind of took me under his wing and that was great but it wasn't Hall & Oates, it was the business people involved. They (Hall & Oates) are fine, they're regular guys like anybody else and they're about the music as well."
The Hall & Oates connection doesn't stop there; Novo Combo has an alumnus on this release and he's a fine one at that.
"I work with a guy named Charlie DeChant, he's the saxophone player from Hall & Oates," said Dees. "He played on all of their big number one hits, he's been with them forever. Charlie is on the Novo Combo record, he plays on a track called, "It's Only Temporary;" he's fabulous. I've known Charlie forever, since I was a teenager back in Coconut Grove. He was the older cat who really had it together. He was a really good musician and in a band called Bethlehem Asylum and they had a record deal so we looked up to them. He's been a lifelong friend, we both live in Florida and we're going to be doing some gigs with my band called The WildRoots and he's been playing with us on and off for years; great guy, great player."
The luxury of having players at your disposal like DeChant is fantastic but even more nice is when you can take decades old recordings and discover that they sound as fresh today as they did years ago; in part, thanks to quality studios and those employed there.
"Back in the day, all of the engineers; have you ever heard of The House of Music in New Jersey? Asked Dees, "I did some recording there for my solo record and Novo Combo also did some demo recording for a day. The thing is, in New York and New Jersey, almost all of the engineers that you use if you go to a good studio, are really good engineers. They know how to mix the drums and the bass there, whereas in L.A., I always kind of thought that they didn't have a handle on it as much as the New York cats and the Jersey guys. I go back and listen to these demos and the drums and the bass are really there, they were great. We'd go in, literally in an afternoon and cut four or five songs and get out and that would be it and they were always together; as a matter of fact, some of these tracks are just how they mixed them, they were that together. Even when we did our record with the record company behind us, you'd go in and you'd have more time than when we were doing the demos but you'd go in and still, everybody was looking at their watch and going, hey, this is 80 bucks an hour or whatever it was. So, you still had that hurry up kind of thing and that's the one good thing about now, when we went back and did some songs, we were able to take our time and get it right where we wanted it. So, it's kind of a nice contrast between the raw immediate stuff and some more disciplined regular recording like now but the bottom line is, we always sound like Novo Combo and we always sound like Novo Combo because we are a band for sure."
"45 West 55th" and its origin may have begun at Shrieve's apartment of the same address all of those years ago when times and things were different and according to Dees, it was a bit easier to garner feedback as you showcased your material.
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"We do what we do and so we fell into it pretty easily because everybody had a life in music. Michael has a new album that came out called, "Drums of Compassion," it's an instrumental thing. He's an artsy guy, he's always chasing it and doing cool things. So, it's nice to have him with us on this whole thing and he's into it. As time passes by, hopefully you remember all the good stuff and that's what I and we were doing. Going back to "45 West 55th;" when we put this band together, Michael was the only guy living in New York at the time. So, when we went up there, we'd all crash on his floor in that very apartment. We put all of the songs together there, we worked really hard writing together and then finally I moved up there and then Jack moved up there; we were really just a band trying to do our thing because there were a lot of places to play in New York and New Jersey as well. You could find some place to play every weekend and we could go out on that first record and play for people and get a reaction and that's what you want. Get a reaction, "Hey, that song was happening" and that kind of thing. So, we really could hit the streets and do what bands do."
When you have pedigrees such as they, one of which being Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Shrieve, you tend to gather a bit more attention, perhaps more than some others but even with that, there is not much out there on air or screen linked to the band. So; what do they intend to do to advance the new record which was released on October 18 of this past Fall?
"We have a promoter and we're doing everything that we normally do," said Dees excitedly. "We have a certain following and it's just getting the word out there to let people know that we have this out. We don't have giant money like back in the day so we expect a slow build and that's fine. We did this mostly for ourselves and our fans; we're not expecting it to change the world or anything, we're expecting; actually nothing (Laughs) other than what it already is because it has already lived to our expectations so, we're happy about that. As far as touring, everybody lives all over the country and Michael is into a different kind of thing now; he's mostly standing up and playing a lot of different instruments. He had a back operation a couple of years ago and so for him to sit behind a drum kit for a long time is kind of rough; who knows but never say never. We do have a couple of live videos that are coming out that we taped way back in '81 or something; it's probably the only film of us playing and performing live at the same time. There are a lot of videos out there and we did TV shows but those are all lip-syncing and there are several live recorded shows like King Biscuit or whatever was happening back then but I don't think there is any of us actually; here it is live with audio and visual at the same time. We have that because there was a crew that came over from Italy who wanted to film us and interview us and there is this primitive one camera and a mic and we were doing a soundcheck from a gig in Connecticut I believe and they asked if they could record a couple of songs; it's kind of low tech but it captures what we were about and of course when you have an audience it's better because we were playing to know one at that time except for the camera guy but you get a really good sense of what we were, a very high energy into it band that gelled well together and that's so important. Speaking of drummers, for me, being a bass player, the drummer is everything. So, to play with Michael and have that energy is great. I've always been a Michael fan, even before I met him; there were a lot of guys in rhythm sections who were Michael fans; after the Woodstock thing; which just blew me away like so many other people. I was just talking to someone and they were reading Alex Van Halen's book and very early on like page 24 or something like that, he said the same thing as to how Michael Shrieve blew him away at Woodstock and how it affected him. So, it was like, there you go; Michael met Jimmy Page a couple of years ago and Jimmy Page told him, "John Bonham loved your drumming" and he didn't know that until after all these years and people loved John Bonham's drumming and he was one of the main guys in the Rock pantheon for sure."
With seemingly a great amount of enthusiasm and interest in the group's revival; were there any things that "Surprised" them during this process?
"It is the same energy, everybody sounds the same, which is really great! I'm 72 and I'm the next to the youngest guy but all three singers, Pete, myself and Jack; we all sound exactly the same. So, that's cool (Laughs)! When you get older, voices change, you may not have the same range or whatever it may be and I was pleasantly surprised that it still sounds like we are kids and like we did then."
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 Sun. 12 p.m. Art Exhibit Opening: "Dual Nature" A Collaborative Exploration of Nature's SplendorAce Cafe 15 Market Place New Hope, PA Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night Fri. 6 p.m. Stranger Things Sat. (11 a.m.) Cars & Coffee (2 p.m.) Camaro/Firebird Meet-Up Sun. (11 a.m.) Subaru Day (2 p.m.) Volvo/Saab Meet-Up Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Righteous JollyAl's Airport Inn 636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton (609) 883-5252 Thurs. 5 p.m. Radio Fiction Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Jerry Monk (5 p.m.) Kindred Spirit Duo Mon. 5 p.m. Bill Thomas Tues. 7 p.m. Jessica DiDonato Wed. (3 p.m.) LGBTQ Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Jessica DiDonatoAncient Order of Hibernians 2419 Kuser Road Hamilton Fri. 8 p.m. Music BINGO Sat. 7 p.m. Tricky Tray Benefitting the St. Patrick's Day Parade and Scholorship Committee. $30 (Includes sheet of Level 1 and Level 2 tickets), doors open at 6 p.m.Aristaeus Brewing 2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA (215) 757-2337 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-8777 Sat. (3 p.m.) Gallery Opening: Intuitive Nature by Karen Schoenitz / Gallery Opening: Exploring, Expanding The Connections (7 p.m.) Cafe` Improv feat. The Humans. $2 Wed. 7 p.m. JAM: Jersey Art Meet-UpAshlynn Distillery 32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil Fri. 7 p.m. Blended Hearts (Laura & Michael) Sat. 8 p.m. Mike D Sun. 3 p.m. Cecil & Troy Wed. 6 p.m. Caa CartneyBill's Olde Tavern 2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton (609) 586-0192 Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO 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 Sun. 12 p.m. Dungeons & Drafts 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 Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road New Hope, PA (215) 862-2972 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. PJ Parker Duo Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan Sat. 7 p.m. Keith Franklin Trio Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou Trio (6 p.m.) Lorenzo Tues. 6 p.m. Tony Alosi Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour Broken Goblet Brewing 2500 State Road Bensalem, PA (267) 812-5653 Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic Thursdays w/ Mike Estabrook Fri. 7 p.m. Blink 182 Tribute w/ "Phase 3" Sat. 8 p.m. "New York's Finest" A Tribute to Sting & The Police. $20-$35, doors open at 7 p.m., ages 21+ Sun. 10 a.m. Punk Show Wed. 7 p.m. Mixtape Meet Cute: Volume 2. $22Bucks 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. TriviaCadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum) 299 Parkside Avenue Trenton (408) 335-4400 Sat. 4 p.m. Reception: 3 Exhibitions by 3 Friends of the EllarslieCatch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 102 Carnagie Center Princeton (781) 568-1471 Fri. 8 p.m. Patrick Garrity. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Sat. 7:30 p.m. Patrick Garrity. $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/ PaulClub Atlantis 1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 944-1777 Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to ImpressContinental Tavern 2 North Main Street Yardley, PA (215) 493-9191 Fri. 8 p.m. Just Todd Sat. 8 p.m. Mike & LauraCooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton (609) 393-7300 Thurs. (6 p.m.) Young Pros Happy Hour (7 p.m.) BE5D Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) WitZend Sat. 8 p.m. Shot of Southern Cream Ridge Winery 145 Route 539 Cream Ridge (609) 259-9797 Sat. 5 p.m. Ronnie Brandt Crossing Vineyard and Winery 1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA (215) 493-6500 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Sat. 2:30 p.m. Bill Thomas Sun. 2 p.m. Kat Rivers / Pairing Wine & Popcorn. $35Curran’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. QuizzoDadz Bar and Grill 744 Main Street Lumberton (609)267-4344 Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jimmy Mannix Fri. (5 p.m.) Happy Hour w/ Thomas Duffy (7 p.m.) Vinnie TravalinoDharma Bums 4935 River Road New Hope, PA (215) 663-2867 Thurs. 7 p.m. Sean Hopkins, Gary Eshbaugh, Chris Bizzarro Fri. 7 p.m. Dizgo w/ Kevin Rovner Band. $20 (advance) Sat. (10:30 a.m.) Meridi-Yin Yoga to the Sounds of the Grateful Dead. $20 (8 p.m.) Beggar's Pay w/ Mark Diomede. $10 (advance) Sun. 6 p.m. The New Hope Nonet. $15 (advance) Wed. 7 p.m. DBums Hootenanny: An Open Mic of Music, Comedy & Spoken Word Hosted by Michael Henry RobertDickey's Barbecue Pitt 1858 Burlington-Mount Holly Road Westampton Sat. 3 p.m. Aspiring Magazine Winter Edition Reveal Hosted by Carie Lynne McCay feat. Peter Scavello Eddington House Bensalem 2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA (215) 639-1220 Fri. 8:30 p.m. Leading Zero Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-Joe Wed. 7 p.m. Music BINGOFlying Pig Tavern & Tap 167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown (609) 899-7447 Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night w/ DJ Mig Fri. 9 p.m. Signature Sat. 9 p.m. JT Rox Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke Wed. 8 p.m. TriviaForsgate Country Club 375 Forsgate Drive Monroe (732) 521-0700 Thurs. 6 p.m. Chunky Blanket Workshop Tues. 6 p.m. TriviaFounding 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 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 Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8:30 p.m.) Sometime In September Sat. 8:30 p.m. Rustic Revival 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. Ed Packer Fri. 8 p.m. Fat Mezz Sat. 8 p.m. The Beasts Tues. 7 p.m. Music BingoGrounds For Sculpture 80 Sculptors way Hamilton (609) 586-0616 Sat. 10:30 a.m. Garden Maintenance Series: Rose PruningGrover'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 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.) Van Halen Tribute w/ "Romeo Delight (11 p.m. ) DJ Dance Party Sat. (3 p.m.) Matt Setzer (8:30 p.m.) Bigg Romeo (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ DJ Iron Mike Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo Hopewell Train Station 2 Railroad Place Hopewell Sun. 5 p.m. Zero Waste PotluckHopewell Valley Vineyards 46 Yard Avenue Pennington (609) 737-4465 Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5 p.m.) Modern Rewind Sat. 5 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Mark Margolies Duo Sun. 2:30 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Darla RichHurricane 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 Night Iron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus (732) 306-9111 Fri. 5:30 p.m. Carmen Marranco Sat. 4:30 p.m. Bob Daley Sun. 1 p.m. Bob O & Kim MIvy 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 Fri. 9 p.m. Outerspace Boogie Band Sat. (3 p.m.) Black Cat Habitat. Annalise Curtain (9 p.m.) Alpha Rabbit, The Looms, Pushing Tiger Lilies. $10, doors open at 8 p.m. Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night(Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational All shows 21+Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall 14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix (732) 230-6169 Fri. 7 p.m. Random NotesKillarney's Publick House 1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton (609) 586-1166 Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Bryan Hill Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Ty Mares (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmy G Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch feat. (11 a.m.) Ant Cannuli (5:30 p.m.) Lou Mutter(10 p.m.) DJ Nick & Dom Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch Wed. 6 p.m. A Murder Mystery Dinner: "Midnight at the Masquerade" $65Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn 11 Bridge Street Lambertville (609) 397-8300 Fri. 6 p.m. "Hello I Must Be Going!" Phil Collins Tribute Dinner and Show. $95, doors open at 5 p.m. Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt (609) 752-0200 Thurs. (6 p.m.) Pallett Plank Penguin Workshop. $47.50 (7 p.m.) "Song Wine Dancing" w/ Max Valentino & Bobby Fischetti Fri. 7 p.m. Oldies Night w/ Strictly '60s. $15 Sat. 1 p.m. Chili & Chowder CookoffLibrary Company of Burlington 23 West Union Street Burlington (609) 3861273 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic NightLillipies Bakery 30 North Harrison Street Princeton (609) 423-2100 Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with JeffLogan Inn 10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA (215) 862-2300 Thurs. 6 p.m. Tom Reyes Fri. 7 p.m. Aaron Quarterman Sat. 7 p.m. Lambertville Jazz Sun. 11:30 a.m. Keith Franklin TrioMagikava 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 Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. "Fire & Ice Festival" (Townwide event)MarketFair 3535 U.S Highway 1 Princeton (Center Courtyard) (609) 452-7777 Sat. 1 p.m. Chinese New Year CelebrationMcStews Irish Sports Pub 5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA (215) 949-9570 Sat. 9 p.m. Into The Void, Rat Rod Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia NightMusic Mountain Theater 1483 Route 179 Lambertville (609)397-3337 Fri. 8 p.m. "Iconic Broadway A Concert" Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m. "Iconic Broadway A Concert" Sun. 3 p.m. "Iconic Broadway A Concert" Naked Brewing Company 212 Mill Street Bristol, PA (267) 544-7129 Thurs.6:30 p.m. Dana Collins Project Fri. 7 p.m. Righteous Jolly & Greg McGarvey Sat. 7 p.m. Honey Spot Blvd Tues. 7 p.m. TriviaNeshaminy Creek Brewing Company 909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA (215) 458-7081 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night Sat. 5 p.m. Found Footage Festival 20th Anniversary Show, Market & ScreeningNew 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 Newtown Brewing Company 103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA (215) 944-8609 Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Philly Sports" Trivia Fri. 6 p.m. John Rodden Sat. 6 p.m. John Brennan Nick's Roast Beef 4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA (215) 637-515 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 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 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis Sat. 9:30 p.m. El Ka Bong Tues. 5 p.m. Prime Rib Night feat. (6:30 p.m.) Music by Frank Pinto 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 Barracks 100 Barrack Street Trenton Sat. 7 p.m. Concerts by CandlelightOld Hights Brewing 123 West Ward Street Hightstown (609) 469-5976 Thurs. 5 p.m. Happy Hour and Vinyl Night Sat. 6 p.m. The Blue Vibes Sun. Local Performers Showcase feat. (2 p.m.) Brandon Linke Basement Dream (3 p.m.) StarlightsingOld Town Pub 135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 291-9232 Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia Fri. 9 p.m. Modern Mojo Duo Sat. 9 p.m. Anna Felice Trio Sun. 10 a.m. BrunchPasquale'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. No More Fences Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"Pete's Steak House 523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton (609) 585-8008 Fri. 9:30 p.m. Deep Release 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 (7 p.m.) Karaoke Sun. 11 a.m. Jazz Brunch feat. (2 p.m.) Daryl GibsonPuss N Boots Tavern 942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke Tues. 7 p.m. TriviaRistorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 144 US Route 130 Bordentown (609) 262-0110 Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night Tues. 6 p.m. January 2025 Wine Dinner. $145River House at Odette’s 274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA (215) 682-2022 Thurs. 7 p.m. Cara Cartney Fri. 7 p.m. Keith Franklin Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan Sun. 11:30 a.m. Brunch w/ Neil Podgurski Duo Rossi's Bar & Grill 2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton (609) 890-2004 Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White Fri. 6:30 p.m. LakeHouse Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch Tues. 7 p.m. QuizzoholicsSandy's Beef & Ale 2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA (2670 852-2333 Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo Mon. 7 p.m. Music BingoSecond Sin Brewing Company 1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P (267) 812-5251 Thurs. 7 p.m. TriviaSlim's Irish Pub 2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA (267) 332-0047 Sat. 8 p.m. EarCandy 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. Tom TallitschSparky 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. Balanced Breakfast 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 Starving Artist Cafe 18 Bridge Street Stockton Fri. (10 a.m.) JB Kline facebook Livestream (6:30 p.m.) The Accidental Brothers Sat. 6 p.m. The Kels "Dinner and a Show" Sun. 2 p.m. Erica Sherger, Christina WardSteam Pub 606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA Sun. 12 p.m. "Drag" Brunch. $40, doors open at 11 a.m. Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown (609) 426-9345 Sat. 8 p.m. Prisms 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 Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Road Princeton (609) 924-2310 Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Jerry Steele Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Bud BelvisoTGI 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 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 Fri. 9 p.m. Soul Cruisers Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (6:30 p.m.) Eric Clapton Tribute/Dinner feat. "The Best of Clapton" $60 (8:30 p.m.) Funzaluv Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch DuoThe Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro (609) 291-9110 Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis Sat. 9 p.m. 80s UndercoverThe Corner Inn 24509 East Main Street Columbus (609) 298-8543 Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R EntertainmentThe Cure Insurance Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton (609) 656-3200 Fri. 7:30 p.m. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire Sat. 12 p.m./7 p.m. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire Sun. 2:30 p.m. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire The Dubliner 34 North Main Street New Hope, PA (215) 693-1816 Fri. 7 p.m. Popik & Stewart Sat. 7 p.m. Fiona Tyndall Band Sun. 3 p.m. "Traditional Irish Session"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. Covered In Ash Sat. 9 p.m. Jukebox Graveyard Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan AppelThe Ivy Inn 248 Nassau Street Princeton (609) 921-8555 Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Bockman Sat. 9:30 p.m. Talking In Cursive 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. Jeds Gold Sat. 8 p.m. DJ Todd Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Wed. 7 p.m. Trivia NightThe Newtown Theatre 120 North State Street Newtown, PA (215) 968-3859 Fri./Sat. 8 p.m. "Crystal Ship" Doors Tribute. $40.10 Tues. 7:30 p.m. Cult Vault: "Blazing Saddles" $17.04The 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. Taylor Davis 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 Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo Fri. 8 p.m. Radio Fiction Duo Sat. 8 p.m. Samantha Spano Mon. 6 p.m. Music BINGO Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia Wed. 6 p.m. Joe VadalaThe Union Firehouse 18 Washington Street Mount Holly (609) 288-6491 Thurs. 7 p.m. Comedy Open Mic Hosted by Holly Huff. $5, ages 21+ Fri. 8:30 p.m. "Who Got The City!!!!" w/ Dreartist, David M., Cell Block, Naiqwan Wanya w/ music by DJ Wes Will. $10/$15 (Ladies/Men), Doors open at 8 p.m. Sat. (12 p.m.) Son & Father Duo and Friends / Fire & Ice Festival Chili Contest (5 p.m.) Doc Marten and The Flannels. $10 (advance), doors open at 4 p.m. The Union House 19 East Union Street Burlington (609) 531-6077 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri. 8 p.m. Gumbo Nouveau Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.)Swansun Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch Tindall Road Brewing Co. 102 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown (609) 526-8651 Sat. (1 p.m.) The Wandery: A Traveling Bookshop (7 p.m.) Buckshot Sun. 3 p.m. Commanders vs Eagles Potluck watch PartyTir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton (609) 392-2554 Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" Hosted by All Shows 21+ Trenton Free Public Library 120 Academy Street Trenton (609) 392-7188 Sat. 11 a.m. Medical Fair w/ Jersey Care FoundationTrenton 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 SweetsVault Brewing Company 10 South Main Street Yardley, PA (267) 573-4291 Thurs. 6 p.m. Omeed Nyman Trio Fri. 7 p.m. Mike Estabrook Duo / Hootenanny Tweed Sat. 7 p.m. Tony Miceli TrioVillage Idiot Brewing Company 42 High Street Mount Holly (609) 975-9270 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Fri. 7:30 p.m. Karaoke Wed. 7 p.m. Disney/Pixar Music BINGOWildflowers 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. Friday Nights on Park StreetWorking Dog Winery 610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown (609) 371-6000 Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Joe Vadala or Rob Silvers Fri. 4:30 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Kevin McGowan Sat. 1 p.m. Williamsboy Sun. 1 p.m. Patty BleeWWFM 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.
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Here is a look at shows taking place from January 21-27, 2025 along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas.
(NEWTON, NJ) -- Country music artist Easton Corbin will perform at The Newton Theatre on Thurday, April 24, 2025 at 8:00pm. Easton has been gracing stages with his memorable baritone and unique blend of traditional and modern country music for more than a decade.
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Start the New Year with Centenary Stage Company's Winter Thaw Music Festival. This year, the music festival will feature concert performances by Good Co., Judy Carmichael, TAKE3: Where Rock Meets Bach, and Gangstagrass throughout the next few weeks.
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