Mumford & Sons will co-headline the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, Sept. 19-20.
Here is a roundup of major arts events taking place around New Jersey, through Sept. 24.
FESTIVALS
• Mumford & Sons and The Strokes will co-headline the 2026 Sea.Hear.Now festival, taking place Sept. 19-20 on the beach and in Bradley Park in Asbury Park.
Mumford & Sons will perform last on Sept. 19, after sets by The Offspring, Chaka Khan, The War on Drugs, The All-American Rejects, Shaggy, Men at Work, Susanna Hoffs, Fitz & the Tantrums, Anders Osborne, Jarod Clemons and others.
The Strokes will be joined in the Sept. 20 lineup by Goo Goo Dolls, Fontaines D.C., Moby, Pixies, Ziggy Marley, Kim Gordon, Ben Howard, Flipturn, Die Spitz, Alice Phoebe Lou, Status Green and others.
There will also be a free outdoor show on the day before the festival, in downtown Asbury Park; late-night shows at The Stone Pony and The Wonder Bar, Sept. 18-19; a surf contest; an art tent featuring works by some of the musicians; and more.
LITTLE FEAT
• Portugal. The Man, Dawes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, The Budos Band, Little Feat, Cyril Neville and The Rebirth Brass Band will be among the artists at the 33rd annual XPoNential Music Festival, taking place at Wiggins Park on the Camden waterfront, Sept. 18-20.
The festival is presented by Philadelphia radio station WXPN. The music will take place on two stages; food, beverages and other items will be available from vendors.
• The outdoor Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center in West Orange will reopen after undergoing extensive renovations — and celebrate its 25th anniversary — with the 19th annual OSPAC West Orange Jazz Festival, Sept. 19 from 1 to 8 p.m. Performers will include Dion Parson & the 21st Century Band, The Antoinette Montague Experience, Joe Locke, The Freddie Hendrix Experience & Fellowship, The Jaleel Shaw Trio, and others.
There will also be food vendors, a beer and wine garden, artisan booths and community showcases.
SHAYNA STEELE
• The Middlesex County Jazz Festival will take place from Sept. 23 to Sept. 26, with free shows in four different cities. Here is the rundown:
Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: Shayna Steele Quintet, Eli Yamin Jazz & Blues Band, Woodbridge High School Jazz Choir at Parker Press Park, Woodbridge.
Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m.: Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet, Cocomama at Liberty Square Park, New Brunswick.
Sept. 25, 7 p.m.: Lance Bryant & Shout! Big Band, Jeff Levine at URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center.
Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m.: Mingus Big Band, Dave Schumacher & Cubeye, Metuchen High School Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra, Metuchen Dance Center (jazz tap) at Metuchen High School Auditorium.
• New Jersey Symphony’s Jersey City Music & Arts Festival, taking place on Provost Street between Bay and Morgan streets, will begin Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m., with a New Jersey Symphony chamber concert.
Other offerings, through Oct. 3, will include movie screenings; a Kids Fest (Sept. 26); a Wellness Fest (Sept. 27); a Salsa Night with Riverview Jazz (Sept. 30); a performance by Nimbus Dance (Oct. 2); and another chamber concert (Oct. 3).
Everything will be free.
VINCENT GARDNER
MUSIC
• A 2 p.m. Sept. 20 concert by longtime Jazz at Lincoln Center trombonist Vincent Gardner will kick off the fall Jazz Room series at The Shea Center for Performing Arts at William Paterson University in Wayne.
Also coming up in the series are Todd Coolman’s New York All-Star Nonet’s Miles Davis Centennial Celebration, Sept. 27; The Bill Charlap, Christian McBride & Kenny Washington Super Trio, Oct. 11; The Art Blakey Alumni Band: Carl Allen’s Messengers of Jazz, Nov. 1; and Bob Mintzer with the WP Jazz Orchestra, Nov. 22.
Included with each ticket purchase is admission to a “Sittin In Meet-the-Artist” session, one hour prior to showtime.
• Paquito D’Rivera, the saxophonist, clarinetist and composer whose music combines elements of jazz, Latin and classical music, will be featured in a “Music and Conversation” show at Enlow Recital Hall at Kean University in Hillside, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The conversation part of the evening will be moderated by Frank Argote-Freyre, director of Kean’s Center for Rising Excellence and Cultural Empowerment, and will “explore D’Rivera’s life, artistic journey, cultural influences, and distinguished career,” according to Kean’s website.
THEATER
• In the play “What the Constitution Means to Me,” the United States Constitution is described as a “crucible” into which “we throw many different ingredients and boil them together, until they transform into something else. Something that is sometimes magic.”
“What the Constitution Means to Me” itself is also a crucible. Its ingredients include playwright Heidi Schreck’s memories of being a 15-year-old who gave speeches on the Constitution; her thoughts, as an adult, on the Constitution; excerpts from historical recordings; a debate on whether the Constitution should be abolished; and a question-and-answer session.
Pioneer Productions will present a timely (given the upcoming election) production of the play, Sept. 19-20 at 2 p.m. at The Bickford Theater at The Morris Museum in Morris Township.
DANCE
• A.I.M by Kyle Abraham will present Abraham’s “White Space,” featuring music by Jason Moran and Nico Muhly, at The Kasser Theater at Montclair State University, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m., as part of the Peak Performances series.
According to Peak Performances’ website, “this dance work grounds its cast of 11 captivating dancers in a restless and thought-provoking world fueled by a vast movement vocabulary consisting of Abraham’s signature blend of classical and contemporary dance with a hip-hop underbelly. The score is performed live by two pianists on one piano, with echoes of pre-recorded hip-hop driving the collision of reality and idealism.”
John Sebastian and David Bromberg will appear “in conversation” in Parsippany, Sept. 19.
TALKS
• John Sebastian and David Bromberg will appear “in conversation” in the At the Tabernacle series at the Mt. Tabor Tabernacle in Parsippany, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. According to the venue’s website, this will be “an unscripted evening of stories, memories, and wisdom from decades on the road. This is the first installment of At The Tabernacle’s ‘No Strings Attached’ series: live conversations where the stories take center stage. Expect candid moments, a few surprises, and a chance to ask your own questions during the Q&A that follows.”
Guitarist and vocalist Craig Thatcher will be featured in the show as a “special guest.”
• Actor Alec Baldwin will appear “in Conversation on Music” as part of the Music & Healing series at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. Joining Baldwin will be radio broadcaster Terrance McKnight, who will moderate, and pianist Tony Siqi Yun, who will perform.
According to the Princeton University Concerts website, Baldwin will talk about “how music has guided him through life’s challenges and the enduring power of listening, reflection, and creativity.” (see video below)
• Action-movie actor Dolph Lundgren, author of the memoir “Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle,” will talk about it at the Books and Greetings bookstore in Northvale, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.; and The URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
According to promotional material, “In this deeply personal account, Lundgren opens up about his upbringing in Sweden, his rise from a chemical engineering student to a martial arts champion, and his eventual transformation into an international movie star. He explores the pressures of fame, the emotional and physical toll of life in a cutthroat industry, and his private struggles.
“Now, as he faces his most difficult challenge yet; a fight against cancer. Lundgren reflects on the cost of survival and what it truly means to keep going.”
FILM
• “The Maplewood Theater: The Show Must Go On,” a 15-minute, student-led documentary about the history and upcoming revival of the beloved theater, will screen at Maplewood Memorial Library, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. There is no admission charge, and the screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
JACOB WEBSTER
SZA
OTHER
• SZA, former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Lawrence Taylor and three members of The Rascals (Eddie Brigati, the late Dino Danelli, the late David Brigati) will be among the honorees of this year’s New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, taking place Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Dream Live theater at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford.
Danny DeVito will host, and Stevie Van Zandt and Harry Carson will be among the presenters (presumably, they will induct the Rascals members and Carson’s old Giants teammate Taylor, respectively).
• Paisan Con, an “Italian-American Pop Culture and Heritage Convention” taking place at the APA Hotel in Woodbridge, Sept. 18-20, will reunite cast members of “The Sopranos” and “GoodFellas” and feature other actors, singer and comedians as well.
Among the participating “Sopranos” actors will be Federico Castelluccio (Furio), David Proval (Richie Aprile), Dan Grimaldi (the twins Patsy and Philly Parisi), Oksana Lada (Irina) and Joseph Gannascoli (Vito Spatafore).
Others who are confirmed for the convention include Frank Stallone, Eric Roberts, Stephen Baldwin, Gianni Russo (“The Godfather”), Karen Lynn Gorney (“Saturday Night Fever”) and Oscar-winning writer and producer Nick Vallelonga (“Green Book”).
There will also be film screenings, vendors, trivia contests and more.
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REVIEWS
“Scott Harbison: Recent Sightings” at Galerie Lucida, Red Bank. (Through Oct. 18)
“Flawless,”presented by Premiere Stages at Kean University, Union. (Through Sept. 20)
“Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias” at Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton. (Through Aug. 1)
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