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EVENT PREVIEWS | COLUMNS | FEATURES | LINKS | FEATURED EVENTS



Split Level Concerts presents John Gorka

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- The Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove presents An Evening with John Gorka on Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 8:00pm. The show is part of the ongoing Split Level Concerts series which highlights renowned Americana and contemporary folk musicians in a uniquely intimate setting.





 



The Newton Theatre presents Creedence Revived

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Creedence Revived brings the sounds of CCR to The Newton Theatre on Friday, January 15, 2027 at 8:00pm. They have rapidly become one of the most highly sought after tribute bands in the world.




Newton Theatre presents The Man In Black - A Tribute to Johnny Cash

(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents The Man In Black - A Tribute to Johnny Cash on Friday, February 5, 2027 at 8:00pm. With his strikingly similar looks, baritone voice, and spot-on mannerisms, Shawn Barker has an uncanny resemblance to the original "Man In Black."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 11/05/2026

"Not too bad brother, that's right, we do, "Go Rebel," happily stated Wicked bassist Daniel Martin. "We actually soft released it when we went on tour in the UK and Ireland with Dave Ellefson of Megadeath. We went out with his band, Kings of Thrash and I'll tell you what man, it was received really well. Even though we went out there with these heavy metal bands, everybody was so excited for this upbeat, hard hitting rock that we brought out that we were doing record store signings and people were buying the vinyl in different markets in Europe, England and Japan; it's a really exciting time for us with "Go Rebel."




NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell

(NEWARK, NJ) -- With a voice that can fill a concert hall and make every listener feel personally embraced, Gregory Porter has become one of the most beloved artists in contemporary jazz. On Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm, the two-time GRAMMY® winner returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell for an evening of soulful expression, exquisite storytelling and remarkable vocal artistry, presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.






 



FEATURED EVENTS

The Righteous Brothers: Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour

Sunday, November 08, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ

Blue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 clas-sics, including the most played song in radio history, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Fee/in’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley con-tinued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive.

 

BEAT: Belew/Vai/Levin/Bozzio performing the music of King Crimson

Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
NJPAC - Prudential Hall
Newark, NJ

Following more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.

 

Joe Russo's Almost Dead

Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ

Joe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.

 

McCarter at the Museum: An Evening with Jason Robert Brown

Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Princeton Art Museum
Princeton, NJ

Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum. 


Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.


With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.


A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.


Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].

 

John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band

Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ

The legendary Rhode Island multi-platinum rock’n’roll group JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND began their career in 1973 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the “Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack”. The hit single “ON THE DARK SIDE” held the “#1” position on the Billboard Rock charts and the MTV video charts for five consecutive weeks.



 

 



 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Everything Fab Four

"Everything Fab Four" Fest 2026 to feature Ken Burns, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, The Cyrkle & many more

(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Beatles' groundbreaking 1966 album Revolver, a major turning point in the band's recorded career, will take center stage November 5-8, 2026, at the second annual Everything Fab Four Fest happening at Monmouth University and the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music.



The

The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper

(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.



Grunin

Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.



U.K.

U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel

(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.



State

State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band was formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2013. While they are a Grateful Dead cover band, they are known more for interpreting songs by the Dead rather than attempting to replicate the band's work.






 




LATEST COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Josephine" by Emily Grove

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is a replay of "Josephine" from "Fables," the new five-song EP by Jersey Shore singer-songwriter Emily Grove. "Josephine" now is a fabulous video by award-winning filmmaker John Decker.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 11/05/2026

"Not too bad brother, that's right, we do, "Go Rebel," happily stated Wicked bassist Daniel Martin. "We actually soft released it when we went on tour in the UK and Ireland with Dave Ellefson of Megadeath. We went out with his band, Kings of Thrash and I'll tell you what man, it was received really well. Even though we went out there with these heavy metal bands, everybody was so excited for this upbeat, hard hitting rock that we brought out that we were doing record store signings and people were buying the vinyl in different markets in Europe, England and Japan; it's a really exciting time for us with "Go Rebel."




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Big Black Car" by Part Time Baby

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Big Black Car" from "My Island," the third album from Jersey rocker Part Time Baby, aka singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Goldstein.




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


"The Music Lives On" The Mavericks and Friends LIVE! at MPAC

Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of The Mavericks and Friends at Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on October 29, 2026.




Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves to Honor the legacy of John Coltrane at NJPAC

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents an extraordinary meeting of jazz luminaries as the Branford Marsalis Quartet joins five-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves on Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 8:00pm.




Brian Ostering and his band present The Elvis Spectacular at the Middletown Arts Center

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- Brian Ostering and his band present The Elvis Spectacular at the Middletown Arts Center on Saturday, November 28, 2026. Showtime is 7:00pm.




NJPAC presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the 15th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, November 6–22, 2026, bringing world-renowned jazz artists and rising voices to Newark for a celebration of musical legacy, innovation and community. This year’s Festival features world premiere concerts, debut collaborations and free performances, alongside tributes to some of music’s most influential artists.




Monty Alexander at Kean Stage

Monty Alexander grew to become one of the most legendary pianists in jazz, in part, by marrying the pleasure points of two musical worlds. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander grew up listening to the island's celebrated local music – reggae, calypso, folk. At the same time, he became a huge jazz fan at an early age, influenced by his music enthusiast parents, and was sure to catch heroes, Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole, whenever they crossed the Caribbean into Jamaica. By blending Jamaica's native sounds with traditional American swing, Alexander became an icon, creating a unique -- and irresistible -- take on jazz music.






 




LINKS

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