Top 12 NJ Arts Events of Week: Prudential North to Shore Festival; Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival, more

by JAY LUSTIG
stewart mulaney davidson

From left, comedians Jon Stewart, John Mulaney and Pete Davidson will perform at The Prudential Center in Newark, June 27.

New Jersey’s third annual Prudential North to Shore Festival — featuring events in the fields of music, comedy, film, technology, visual arts and more — began on June 14, and will continue though June 29.

Here are some of the major events still to come:

ASBURY PARK

June 26, 6 p.m.: Jack’s Mannequin, The Early November at Stone Pony Summer Stage.
June 27, 6 p.m.: Streetlight Manifesto, Prince Daddy & the Hyena at Stone Pony Summer Stage.
June 27, 8 p.m.: John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band at Wonder Bar.
June 28, 8 p.m.: Fantastic Cat, Rachel Ana Dobken at Wonder Bar.
June 29, 5 p.m.: George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Living Colour, at Stone Pony Summer Stage.

MONTCLAIR

June 26-29: Summer Film Showcase at The Clairidge.

NEWARK

June 26, 8 p.m.: Stone Temple Pilots, The Parlor Mob at Prudential Hall at NJPAC.
June 26-28: Newark International Film Festival.
June 27, 7 p.m.: Nicole Byer at Victoria Theater at NJPAC.
June 27, 7:30 p.m.: Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Pete Davidson at Prudential Center.
June 27, 8 p.m.: Joey Diaz at Prudential Hall at NJPAC.
June 28, 6:30 p.m.: “Rock the Bells” featuring Busta Rhymes, Redman, Eric B. & Rakim, Too $hort & Scarface, M.O.P, Remy Ma, Plies, Big Daddy Kane, Boosie BadAzz, Capone-N-Noreaga, KRS-One, Coast Contra, State Property (Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Chris & Neef), Mr. Cheeks, CL Smooth, Father MC, Al B. Sure!, Christopher Williams, Soul for Real, Jeff Redd, Donell Jones, Horace Brown, Monifah, Intro, Kid Capri, Roxanne Shanté (host) at Prudential Center.
June 28, 7 p.m.: Josh Johnson at Prudential Hall at NJPAC, Newark.
June 29, 3 p.m.: Gregory Porter, Sounds of April & Randall (featuring April May Webb and Randall Haywood) at Prudential Hall at NJPAC.
June 29, 8 p.m.: Martin Amini at Victoria Theater at NJPAC.

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Here is a roundup of other major arts events taking place around New Jersey, through July 2.

GEORGE THOROGOOD

MUSIC

Atlanta Rhythm Section, Grand Funk Railroad and George Thorogood & the Destroyers will headline days 1, 2 and 3, respectively, of this year’s Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival, which takes place at The Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, June 27-29. Other performers will include The Allman Betts Band, Black Stone Cherry, Orleans, The Artimus Pyle Band and The Weight Band.

As the festival’s title implies, both music and barbecued food will be featured. The “Ridges” refers to the festival’s scenic location

South Orange may be landlocked. But The South Orange Performing Arts Center will present a “Songwriters by the Sea” show — featuring music, storytelling, and impromptu collaborations between the artists — June 27 at 7:30 p.m., with Vonda Shepard, Nicole Atkins, Joe D’Urso, Jake Thistle and Joe Rapolla performing. The show’s name, of course, refers to the fact that this series, now in its 15th year, originated at the Jersey Shore; it has taken place at a number of different venues since then, with D’Urso and Rapolla co-hosting.

The free, annual outdoor Sounds of the City series at NJPAC in Newark will begin, as it always does, with DJ Felix Hernandez’ Rhythm Revue Dance Party, featuring classic soul music. The show will take place June 27 at 5 p.m., and be part of the Prudential North to Shore Festival (see above) — as will this year’s second Sounds of the City show, headlined by Milo Z, June 28 at 5 p.m.

FROM GOOD HOMES

From Good Homes was one of New Jersey’s leading rock bands of the ’90s. And though the group broke up more than 20 years ago, and its five members are now primarily devoted to other musical projects (Todd Sheaffer, for instance, fronts Railroad Earth, and Brady Rymer is a Grammy-nominated children’s entertainer), they continue to join forces, occasionally, for high-spirited reunion concerts. Their next one will be at The Growing Stage in Netcong, June 27 at 8 p.m., in a benefit to support The Growing Stage’s mission to present quality shows for young audiences, and educational programs.

The lyrically intense, musically dynamic rock bands Counting Crows and The Gaslight Anthem will be on tour together for most of this summer (see video below featuring the bands’ respective frontmen, Adam Duritz and Brian Fallon), with two shows scheduled for The Gaslight Anthem’s home state: June 28 at 7:30 p.m. at The PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, and July 5 at 7:30 p.m. at The Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

Ocean City Pops, conducted by Vince Lee, will present a show titled “Star Wars: The Complete Symphonic Saga, I-IX” — featuring composer John Williams’ music from all nine “Star Wars” film — July 2 at 8 p.m. at Carey Stadium in Ocean City. The event will also include a “Star Wars” costume party for children 12 and younger.

GREGORY D. McDANIEL

New Jersey Symphony’s summer season will include three more free concerts. The dates and locations will be:

June 25, 7:30 p.m.: Sayreville War Memorial High School, Parlin. (This show was moved indoors because of the heat).
June 27, 7:30 p.m.: Branch Brook Park, Newark (part of North to Shore Festival)
June 29, 7:30 p.m.: Liberty State Park, Jersey City

The program for these performances will include Overture to The Magic Flute, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Silk Hat and a Walking Cane” from Dances in the Canebrakes, by Florence Price; Romanian Folk Dances, by Béla Bartók; Overture to William Tell, by Gioachino Rossini; Carousel Waltz, by Richard Rodgers; Duke Ellington! (arr. Custer), by Duke Ellington; Satchmo! (arr. Ricketts), by various composers; Highlights from Wicked (arr. Ricketts), by Stephen Schwartz; and Armed Forces Salute (arr. Lowden), by various composers.

Gregory D. McDaniel, NJPAC’s 2024–25 Colton Conducting Fellow, will conduct.

• Amani — led by woodwinds player Marty Eigen and also featuring singers Carrie Jackson and Laurie Vega, pianists Tomoko Ohno and Radam Schwartz, singer-guitarist Flip Peters and drummer Gordon Lane — will play jazz versions of Beatles songs and seasonally themed standards (e.g., “Stormy Weather,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Blue Skies”) at a show titled “The Beatles and Music of All Seasons,” June 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Back Deck series at The Morris Museum in Morris Township.

ISAAC MIZRAHI

OTHER

Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will present a cabaret-style show combining comedy, commentary and “an array of classic and soon-to-be classic songs from Stephen Sondheim to Blondie, from Comden & Green to Madonna,” June 26 at 8 p.m. at The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown.

This year’s edition of the annual Art All Night weekend — with displays of works by local artists as well as music, performance art, films, classes, children’s art activities and more — will take place at The War Memorial in Trenton, June 28 from 3 p.m. to midnight and June 29 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as a separate but nearby space, Vibes All Night, from midnight June 28 to 5 a.m. June 29. Art All Night will present an online “Streamathon,” as well.

Beatles experts Charles F. Rosenay and Erik Taros will present a talk titled “60 Years of The Beatles in America” and show rare Beatles concert footage at The Concert Hall at Drew University in Madison, June 29 at 3 p.m.

REVIEWS

“Tatyana Kazakova: In Spite of Our Fears” at Grover House Gallery, Caldwell. (Through June 27)

“Disney’s The Little Mermaid” at Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn. (Through June 29)

“The Price” at Two River Theater, Red Bank. (Through June 29)

“Hair,” presented by Vanguard Theater Company at Vanguard Theater, Montclair. (Through June 29)

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at Bell Theater at Bell Works, Holmdel. (Through June 29)

“Nanette Carter: A Question of Balance” at Montclair Art Museum. (Through July 6)

“Andrea Chung: The Ocean Doesn’t Recognize Tears” at Project for Empty Space, Newark. (Through Aug. 17)

“Pulp: The Fluid and The Concrete” at Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton. Paper-making works. (Through Aug. 31)

“Indigenous Identities: Here, Now & Always” at Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick. (Through Dec. 21)

“Morven Revealed: Untold Stories From New Jersey’s Most Historic Home” at Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton. (Through March 1)


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