The area comes alive with rock, jazz, classical, and new music this semester with an ever-expanding and number of venues, presenters, and performing artists.
Hopewell Theater
Closed and challenged by the pandemic, the music venue reopens its 2021 live concert series with a September 10 performance by Hopewell’s nationally known singer-songwriter Danielia Cotton. Also featured in the theater event marking the theater’s fourth anniversary are New York guitarist Matt Beck and Spin Doctors founder and drummer Aaron Comess. The festivities start at 6:30 p.m. with Cotton’s concert at 8 p.m. $30 to $36. Friday, September 10.
Pyrenesia with Alex Adus also hit the stage in September. The Lambertville-based quartet and creator of the CD “Off-Beat Symphony” are noted for their manouche (or gypsy) and middle-European inspired sound. They’ll be joined by their long-time Lehigh/Delaware Valley-connected collaborator and American songwriter/performer Adus. $20 to $25. Saturday, September 18, 8 p.m.
Matt O’Ree Band Plays Led Zeppelin follows up soon. The Holmdel blues-rock singer/songwriter/band leader’s CD “Brotherhood” includes the participation of rock legend Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, and Blues Brothers guitarist Steve Cropper. Other credits include touring with Bon Jovi. The show, featuring wife Eyrn Shewell-O’Ree, mixes Lead Zeppelin covers and original works. $30. Saturday, September 25, 8 p.m.
The October schedule is as follows:
Time for Three, the classically trained string trio that started with three musicians at the Curtis Institute features violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang and bassist Ranaan Meyer. The group is noted for their energetic and charismatic mixing of musical genres, sounds, and traditions. $36. Friday, October 1, 8 p.m.
Ana Egge, the Texas to Brooklyn recording artist, performs new work and pieces from her 11 CDs. $25. Friday, October 8, 8 p.m.
“An Evening with Patty Larkin” spotlights the Boston-based singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artists whose album “Bird in a Cage” includes songs set to the works of poets William Carlos Williams, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Pinsky, Kay Ryan, and Billy Collins. $45. Saturday, October 16, 8 p.m.
“Remembering Tom Petty: A Night of Music and Stories” is led by the Montclair-based guitarist Warren Zanes, a former member of The Del Feugos, NYU professor, and New York Times bestselling author of “Petty: The Biography.” He’ll be joined by fellow Rogue Oliphant band member — and Hopewell resident — Chris Harford along with Ray Kubian and Matt Kohut. $38. Friday, October 22, 8 p.m.
And in November:
Chris Pierce is a California guitarist, singer, and songwriter noted for his touring and recent recording of an acoustic version of the song “No One” from the ABC series “A Million Things.” $30 to $35. Friday, November 5, 8 p.m.
Kat Wright, a Vermont-based singer whom NPR described as “a young Bonnie Raitt meets Amy Winehouse” arrives with her regular trio members, guitarist Bob Wagner and bassist Josh Weinstein, to perform their mixture of soul and roots music. $30. Sunday, November 7, 7 p.m.
Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards is the Belgium-based, San Francisco-born, and East Coast-trained singer/violinist’s internationally performing band cited for its “lyrical rituals of folk music, Cajun two-stepping and rock ’n’ roll swagger.” $22. Friday, November 12, 8 p.m.
Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz, led by the Philadelphia-born singer/guitarist, presents an evening of its self-described “neofunkadelicfolkpoptwangrock” style of music. $26. Saturday, November 20, 8 p.m.
And then there’s “The Evolution of Joni Mitchell.” Created by New York City singer and actress Lauren Fox, the musical-trio presentation that chronicles Mitchell’s life and music was cited by the New York Times for capturing “Mitchell’s literary depth and musical sensibility with profound empathy and understanding.” $40. Saturday, November 27, 2 and 8 p.m.
Hopewell Theater, 5 South Greenwood Avenue, Hopewell. 609-466-1964 or www.hopewelltheater.com.
McCarter Theater
The award-winning Princeton theater center resumes its popular music series with the following offerings:
Béla Fleck, the Grammy Award-winning banjoist, was born in New York and named after composer Bela Bartok. The McCarter favorite returns with the telling program, “My Bluegrass Heart.” $45 to $65. Friday, September 24, 8 p.m.
Tusk, called “the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute,” features five seasoned musicians dedicated to creating the authentic sound of the famed British-American rock band. $30 to $50. Saturday, October 9, 8 p.m.
Nella, the 2019 Latin Grammy Award winner, comes to Princeton with a concert event mixing the music from her native Venezuela with the sound of other Latin cultures. $40 to $50. Friday, October 15, 8 p.m.
Terence Blanchard, the American Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and film and opera composer, will present an evening of music and storytelling as he salutes the artistry and legacy of legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter. $40 to $60. Saturday, October 16, 8 p.m.
Chris Thile, the mandolin playing host of the radio show “Live From Here” (formerly “Prairie Home Companion”), arrives with a blend of classical, rock, jazz, and bluegrass music. $40 to $60. Saturday, October 23, 8 p.m.
Lake Street Dive was founded in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and has since brought its new Brooklyn-based cocktail of musical styles and energy to nationally known concert venues and television shows. $70 to $127. Sunday, October 24, 7 p.m.
The Matthew Whitaker Quartet takes its name from the 20-year-old ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award, national and international performer, and New Jersey-raised keyboard artist. $35 to $55. Friday, October 29, 8 p.m.
Shake & Holla is an evening featuring the Southern American sounds of the Mississippi Allstars, Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans, and Grammy-nominated Tennessee blues guitarist, vocalist, and drummer Cedric Burnside. $40 to $55. Saturday, November 6, 8 p.m.
Kelli O’Hara is a stage and screen performer whose credits include a Tony Award for her performance in the 2015 Broadway revival of “The King and I,” appearances with the Metropolitan Opera, and an Emmy nomination for her performance in the video series, “The Accidental Wolf.” $60 to $85. Saturday, November 13, 8 p.m.
Dessa is a Minneapolis singer, rapper, writer, former recording producer, and member of the hip hop group Doomtree. The international performer whose music was the subject of sold out Minneapolis Orchestra concerts is the host of the podcast “Deeply Human,” $30 to $45. Friday, November 19, 8 p.m.
Rosanne Cash, touted as “one of the country’s pre-eminent singer/ songwriters,” arrives with her personal and soulful “She Remembers Everything” concert. $50 to $70. Friday, December 3, 8 p.m.
Cécile McLorin Salvant is a Florida-raised jazz vocalist, composer, visual artist, and storyteller who mixes her family’s heritage — French mother, Haitian father, and American daughter — to create musical events merging the baroque with jazz and fable with cantata. $58 to $65. Friday and Saturday, December 10 and 11, 8 p.m.
Sweet Honey In The Rock, the female American group from Washington, D.C., presents “Celebrating the Holidays,” an eclectic evening of music ranging from traditional American songs and spirituals as well as those from Africa and Israel. $40 to $60. Friday, December 17, 8 p.m.
The Hot Sardines is an American jazz band formed in New York City in 2007 by artistic director, singer, and writer Elizabeth Bougerol and artistic director, actor, and pianist Evan Palazzo. With the mantra that nothing “brings people together like the joy of hearing traditional jazz live,” the band has sold out New York venues and performed at the Newport and Montreal jazz festivals. $40 to $60. Saturday, December 18, 8 p.m.
McCarter Theater, 91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787 or www.mccarter.org.
State Theater New Jersey
The noted New Brunswick arts and entertainment center also resumes its popular music series with the following autumn offerings:
“ABBA The Concert” gets the State Theater’s popular music series in high gear. When the original ABBA left the stage in the 1980s, this Swedish tribute band began keeping its sound alive and is now as close as you can get to hearing the legendary group. The concert features their biggest hits, including “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Waterloo.” $29 to $99. Friday, October 22, 8 p.m.
The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes return to the State Theater with their soul-stirring blend of flamenco, western pop, and Latin rhythms. $43.50 to $93.50. Saturday, October 23, 8 p.m.
“The Fab Four — The Ultimate Tribute” is the Emmy Award-winning recreation of the legendary Beatles. Created in California in 1997, the band has been recognized for its faithful performances of such Beatles hits as “Can’t Buy Me Love, “Yesterday,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Hey Jude.” $24 to $54. Thursday, October 28, 8 p.m.
“The Greatest Hits of Foreigner” features the actual British-American rock group founded in 1976 and performing such songs as “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Juke Box Hero.” $65 to $125. Friday, October 29, 8 p.m.
Randy Rainbow’s “The Pink Glasses Tour” features the Emmy-nominated musical parodist, songwriter, and comedian, along with Broadway musicians, new songs written by Rainbow and Broadway musical writers March Shaiman and Alan Menken, and a Q&A session with the audience. $45 to $165. Friday, November 5, 7:30 p.m.
Gladys Knight, dubbed the “Empress of Soul” and the headliner for Gladys Knight and the Pips, returns to the State Theater, where she reviews her career from the ’60s and her hits “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” $59 to $99. Saturday, November 6, 8 p.m.
The Temptations & The Four Tops, two of the biggest names in Motown music, fill the stage with some of the most popular hits of the 1960s: “My Girl,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” and “Baby, I Need Your Loving.” $55 to $95. Sunday, November 7, 7 p.m.
Pat Metheny’s “Side-Eye” is the 20 time Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist and composer’s presentation of progressive, contemporary, and Latin jazz. $30 to $99. Friday, November 12, 8 p.m.
“The Golden Oldies Spectacular” returns to the State Theater for the annual concert of original 1960s musical artists presenting their biggest hits. This edition includes Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Jay and the Americans, Lou Christie, Dennis Tufano, and New Jersey’s 1910 Fruitgum Company. $35 to $86. Friday, November 19, 7 p.m.
State Theater New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. 732-246-7469 or www.stnj.org.
Princeton Folk Music Society
The area’s epicenter for folk music reopens with a 55th anniversary virtual concert featuring folk circuit performers guitarist Joe Jencks, banjoist Tony Trischka, New Jersey guitarist Beppe Gambetta, and New Jersey vocalist Mara Levine with Gathering Time. $25. Friday, September 17, 8 p.m.
The society will continues its third Fridays virtually until it resumes live presentations with the New England-based Windborne Quartet, October 15; Chicago guitarist songwriter Joe Jencks, November 19; and New York City blues guitarist Guy Davis, December 10. www.princetonfolk.org.
The Man Cave
The Man Cave in Bordentown, operated by City Gardens’ Randy Now, is getting back to live performances with the following events.
Dan Bern, an Iowa-born guitarist, singer, songwriter, storytelling, and visual artist, appears on Thursday, September 16. The Scottish Rock band A.P. B. appears on Wednesday, September 29. And the Amazing Kreskin, the nationally known mentalist and magician, returns with two shows set for Saturday and Sunday, October 2 and 3. $22 to $30. randy-nows-man-cave.ticketleap.com.
Jazz Clubs
The Candlelight Lounge, the region’s most authentic jazz club, offers Saturday concerts featuring Philadelphia vocalist Miche Lordi, September 18; Philadelphia based jazz saxophonist Lynn Riley, September 25; Philadelphia and New York City drummer Chris Beck October 2;
East Coast performers Noriko, Lee Craig, Floyd King, October 9; keyboard artist and musical director of the Jazz Institute of New Jersey Radam Schwartz, October 16; and New York guitarist Matt Davis, October 23. All concerts run from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and include a free buffet and $10 drink minimum.
Candlelight Lounge, 24 Passaic Street, Trenton. www.jazztrenton.com.
New Brunswick Jazz Project hasn’t missed a beat and is picking up its downtown New Brunswick socially distanced offerings, currently centered on Thursday nights at Tavern on George, 361 George Street. The free, no cover events include New York jazz saxophonist Rico Jonas, Thursday, September 9, 7 to 10 p.m. and the Central Jersey Jazz Festival from September 10 through 12. Thursday evening performances continue with the New York City trumpeter-led Antoine Drye Quartet, September 16; the drum-driven Jerome Jennings Quintet, September 23; and Jersey City drummer Winard Harper and his band Jeli Posse, September 30. www.nbjp.org.
West Windsor Arts Center
“Coquet” is the premiere of an original rock opera based on “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Created by Robbinsville-based guitarist and graphic artist Vaughan Burton and performed by the six-member band, Dream of Maya, the event will be a WWAC fundraiser. $20 to $25. Saturday, November 6, 7 p.m.
West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor. www.westwindsorarts.org.
Warming Up
Stay tuned for announcements from other presenters, including The 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing, www.1867sanctuary.org.
The Record Collector in Bordentown, www.the-record-collector.com.
Jazz on Broad at the Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn, www.jazzonbroad.com.
