Justin Comes to Jersey
You don’t have to go back fifty something years to find some good, old fashioned Americana worth listening to. Seriously, if you just go back a decade or so, you’ll stumble across the artistry of Justin Townes Earle, a singer-songwriter so suave and so sleek, you’ll forget that he is as down home country as his father, Steve Earle. Don’t get me wrong, Justin is a perfectly imperfect folk musician with roots in bluegrass, soul, and country. It’s rich and authentic, similar to his father’s, but so true to himself that you cannot separate him from his music. It’s too honest. He’s swinging by White Eagle Hall on Oct. 3 and it will be the coolest back water show this side of Jersey has ever seen. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
B-side with Jon B
With a debut album that went platinum, multiple award show nominations to his name, and one of his biggest fans having been Tupac, it’s safe to say that Jon B has solidified himself as one of the greatest, most diverse R&B artists of all time. He’s honed in on his craft, as well as that of others, having collaborated on or worked with the music of various other hip-hop and R&B stars like Jay Z and Scarface. What Jon is doing on this current tour of his, of which will be stopping at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Oct. 5, is meticulously pull out the best B-sides, fan favorites, and underrated tracks found in his discography. It’s an inside look at his extensive career and a can’t-miss live show. More information can be found at sopacnow.org.
NJ Welcomes Woodstock’s Princess
The Pollack Theatre is about to welcome a legend to its stage. A legend that is honest, beautiful, eclectic, and true to herself. Melanie was once a 22-year-old folk musician with big singer-songwriter dreams that, deservingly, came true, as she jump-started her career five decades ago at the original Woodstock. It might have been a weekend of peace and love, but the then budding-starlet was sick to her stomach with nerves to play in front of so many people who didn’t know who she was. Little did she know what a hit she would become and what kind of magical hippie history she would be a part of. You, too, can see this icon and join in on the history that comes with her. Visit bandsintown.com for more details.
Actual Flying Colors
Heading to Sony Hall on Oct. 7 is a progressive rock supergroup that was created out of passion and has risen to critical acclaim. The now seven year-old band, Flying Colors, consists of Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy, Dixie Dreg’s Dave LaRue, Alpha Rev’s Casey McPherson, Spock’s Beard’s Neal Morse, and Deep Purple’s Steve Morse. They have sold out concerts around the globe, have released two studio LPs and two live albums, and are in the works of creating a new, sonically challenging, dynamic new third record. With an ever-growing fan base and an always spectacular live show, there is no wonder why people have been clamoring for more tickets and more tour dates from the band. Get yours by heading to ticketmaster.com.
