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MUSIC

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The 17th annual Elephant Talk Indie Music festival Takes Place This Weekend in AC

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The 17th annual Elephant Talk Indie Music Festival will take place at Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City from April 17-19, 2026. The festival features performances from over 70 acts.





 



Hey Bulldog to Pay Tribute to The Beatles at Liberty Science Center

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Hey Bulldog will perform a tribute to The Beatles in the Planetarium at Liberty Science Center on Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. Come see one of the area's best Beatles cover bands perform some good old fashioned no fuss rock and roll!




Grunin Center for the Arts presents The Brit Pack on Saturday

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Grunin Center for the Arts presents The Brit Pack on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30pm. They are the most authentic British Invasion experience this  side of the Atlantic.  Limited tickets remain.




Lighty's Corner: April 13, 2026

I’m one of those guys who hates it when people say that rock and roll is dead. That there’s no good new music today. I actually think there may be more good music now than ever, but it’s just harder to find. Since we get a ton of new music sent to us at New Jersey Stage each week, I decided to try something new - a recorded DJ hosted radio show and a column spotlighting new works. The plan is to have a new one every two weeks.




Raul Midón Takes the Stage at the Grunin Center's Prima Theatre on May 16th

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts welcomes Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist Raul Midón to the Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theatre on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $35.











 

EVENT PREVIEWS

NJPAC

NJPAC presents a Spring Season of Jazz

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a Spring Season of Jazz with free monthly jazz jams at Clement's Place and two special concert events inside the Victoria Theater. This series, running from September through June, is co-presented by NJPAC's Jazz Advisory Committee and Rutgers University–Newark's Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS). Immerse yourself in the relaxing sounds of jazz music that stimulate the players’ and listeners' minds.



State

State Theatre New Jersey presents The Sound Studio Series 2026

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey proudly presents The Sound Studio Series, an immersive musical experience that places concertgoers at the very heart of the performance. Held in STNJ's intimate Studio space, limited to just 80 attendees, The Sound Studio Series features a dynamic mix of both classical and rock performances. Each concert concludes with an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with the artists, offering fans a rare opportunity to connect directly with the performers. Tickets for the series are $20-$30.



John

John Coltrane's Centennial Birthday to be Celebrated at McCarter Theatre Center and NJPAC

Joe Lovano learned about John Coltrane in the basement of his Cleveland home. "My dad played saxophone," he said, "and he loved Coltrane. His record collection was full of Coltrane recordings from the earliest Bethlehem records, all the Prestige, into Atlantic, and, of course, the Impulse! period."



Soul

Soul Asylum to bring Acoustic Tour to the area in April

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum selling rock band Soul Asylum are heading out on a special acoustic tour in 2026.  Locally, the band will perform at City Winery in Philadelphia (April 14), The Vogel in Red Bank (April 16) and The Newton Theatre in Newton (April 18).



Berlin

Berlin Under A presents "Roots Rock Women" on April 16th

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Berlin Under A presents "Roots Rock Women" on Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The lineup includes Debra Devi, Faith NYC, Stephanie Marie & The Double-Knit Players. Doors are at 5:30pm.












LATEST COLUMNS


Lighty's Corner: April 13, 2026

I’m one of those guys who hates it when people say that rock and roll is dead. That there’s no good new music today. I actually think there may be more good music now than ever, but it’s just harder to find. Since we get a ton of new music sent to us at New Jersey Stage each week, I decided to try something new - a recorded DJ hosted radio show and a column spotlighting new works. The plan is to have a new one every two weeks.




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Make This World Stand Still" by Lisa Bouchelle feat. Amanda Shires

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Make This World Stand Still" from Trenton-bred roots/country songstress Lisa Bouchelle's forthcoming album, "Vandals, Thieves & Lovers."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 04/09/2026

"It's not long enough but it's a pretty good run of shows. I haven't done a tour like this in about three years, even though it feels like yesterday, I haven't done a tour like this in a long time," laughed multi instrumentalist Hunter Hayes shortly before his two recent New Jersey shows at the Newton Theatre and The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. "I am thoroughly looking forward to it, I have been looking forward to doing a tour like this since "Evergreen" started coming together, you know, coming to life; "Evergreen" has been an eight to ten year process, depending on where you want to start, it's a pretty good run of shows and I'm really excited about it."




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week 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








FEATURES


Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alastair Green on April 30th

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alastair Greene on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7:30pm. A native of Santa Barbara,California and now residing in Austin, Greene has ridden his Blues-soaked rock into the 21st century, traversing a constantly changing global (and musical) landscape.




Billy Ocean LIVE! at Kean Stage

Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Billy Ocean at Kean Stage on April 2, 2026.




Jersey Arts Podcast: Pearls of Wisdom with Violin Virtuoso Itzhak Perlman

Today, we are speaking with the legendary violin virtuoso, Itzhak Perlman. Winner of four Emmy Awards, sixteen Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Perlman is a superstar! A status, rarely afforded to classical musicians. He is beloved the world over for his talent, charm, and humanitarian efforts.




Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage's 2026-2027 season

(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- Kean Stage is thrilled to announce that Joshua Henry, three-time Tony nominee and star of Lincoln Center Theater's Ragtime, will open their 2026-2027 season with two performances of his show Get Up, Stand Up! on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Enlow Recital Hall (215 North Avenue) in Hillside.




Vivid Stage presents Old Friends: A Cabaret with Charles Thomas

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center in Summit, will present Old Friends, a cabaret featuring vocalist Charles Thomas and pianist Rick Knutsen on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:00pm.












LINKS

* The Penguin Rocks - a special music site presented by NJ Stage
* Classical Music
* Music Organizations in New Jersey
* Venues & Performing Arts Centers