Best of Jersey 2010

Best Of Jersey - March 18, 2010

At least once a day (usually after fighting traffic) we note that this ever-loving state of ours is…packed to the gills! It’s easy to forget that it’s also packed with terrific things. This year, you, our readers, picked them—312 reasons to celebrate New Jersey’s brimming bounty. more

Jersey Sheik

By Emily Faherty - Events - February 10, 2010

Mar 18: Musician Duncan Sheik returns to New Jersey to promote his latest album Whisper House at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. more

A Rocker for the Next Gen

By Emily Faherty - Lifestyle - January 12, 2010

The former bassist of the band From Good Homes has a new creative musical outlet—children's tunes. more

Global Guitar

By Emily Faherty - Events - December 23, 2009

Jan 29: Jazz guitarist and New Jersey native Al Di Meola has produced 21 solo albums and played with the likes of Paul Simon, Santana, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Les Paul, and more. more

A Gift of Life and Music

By Tammy La Gorce - Lifestyle - December 14, 2009

Musician David S. Ware, of Scotch Plains, recovered from a kidney transplant...with a little help from his fans. more

The Gaslight Anthem Homecoming

By Emily Faherty - From the Editors - December 14, 2009

New Brunswick band The Gaslight Anthem has been touring the country for the past year and a half promoting their latest album The ’59 Sound. But Friday night at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, the fun-loving, rock-and-rolling foursome showed that their hearts and music still belong to Jersey.

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Bon Jovi When We Were Beautiful

By Drew Anne Scarantino - Lifestyle - November 16, 2009

After touring with the band, photographer Phil Griffin compiled new and old photos, along with snippets of conversations, for Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful (Collins Design). more

New Faces NJ: Bamboo Shoots

By Jennifer L. Nelson - Lifestyle - October 20, 2009

A music contest victory spells TV exposure and a recording deal for this Jersey-bred band. more

Remembering A Music Man

By Emily Faherty - Events - October 13, 2009

Nov. 9: Celebrate the hits of J. Billy VerPlanck at the “Through His Life” memorial concert at William Paterson University. The jazz arranger and trombone player from Clifton passed away in June. more

Never Too Late

By Tammy La Gorce - Lifestyle - October 13, 2009

The Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken starts anew with a semi-solo album. more

Klezmer Magic

By Lisa Fields - Lifestyle - August 11, 2009

At 92, Salo Enis long-lost music is rediscovered. more

New Faces NJ: HelenaMaria

By Emily Faherty - Lifestyle - July 22, 2009

Identical twins Helena and Maria Mehalis of Flemington have merged their singing and songwriting talents into the free-spirited pop-rock duo HelenaMaria. Can’t tell them apart? Here’s a clue: Maria plays guitar left-handed. more

Liberty Rocks

By Emily Faherty - Events - July 13, 2009

July 31–Aug 2: About 79,000 people attended last summer’s inaugural All Points West Music and Arts Festival. The three-day event, whose name is inspired by the signs that greeted immigrants at the Central Railroad of New Jersey, returns to the historic 80-acre Liberty State Park in Jersey City. more

The Silence Making Noise

By Jen A. Miller - Southern Scene - June 3, 2009

Pay close attention next time you’re watching a Philadelphia Phillies game. The music you hear between innings might just be some cool tunes from a South Jersey band.

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Live and Local in Camden County

By Jen A. Miller - Southern Scene - June 2, 2009

Mark your calendars: the Camden County concert series is starting up for the summer – meaning free entertainment for you.

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New Faces NJ: Matt Duke

By Jessica Kitchin - Lifestyle - May 7, 2009

Matt Duke picked up a guitar—and a career. more

Where Have All The Record Stores Gone?

By Ed Christman, Robert Strauss, and Ken Schlager - Lifestyle - April 13, 2009

Mostly down the tubes, but Jersey still has some great places to shop for music. more

The Day the Surf and the Music Died

By Jen A. Miller - Southern Scene - April 2, 2009

A minor league baseball team and a beloved music festival are South Jersey’s latest recession casualties.

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Joyful Girl

By Emily Faherty - Events - March 23, 2009

April 22: Immerse yourself in an evening of raw talent and emotion with Ani DiFranco at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts. Armed with poetic girl-power lyrics, the “folk punk” songwriter, vocalist, and musician is known for her unconventional style. more

Big Night with Lil Wayne

By Alicia Staffa - From the Editors - March 20, 2009

Some days you just get lucky. Yesterday, when tickets for the Lil Wayne concert fell in my lap, was one of those days.

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Music Gets Them Moving

By Mallory Gelert - Towns & Schools - March 16, 2009

Washington Township High School in Sewell integrated an innovative method for mobilizing students in-between classes. more

New Faces NJ: The Gaslight Anthem

By Alicia Staffa - Lifestyle - February 18, 2009

With a unique sound and inspiring lyrics, New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem is gaining momentum—and fast. more

New Faces NJ: Status Green

By Emily Faherty - Lifestyle - December 18, 2008

The boys of Monmouth County pop/rock band Status Green seem to do everything fast. more

Finally PAC-ing It In

By Jessica Kitchin - From the Editors - December 9, 2008

As a former Sunday School attendee and teacher, I've heard more than my fair share of "This Little Light of Mine." Listening to twenty or so gospel singers from South Africa belt it out, however, was an entirely new religious experience.

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Naturi's a Natural

By Melinda Newman - Lifestyle - December 8, 2008

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Express Delivery

By Jessica Kitchin - From the Editors - December 1, 2008

How can you not love Tim McLoone? In addition to the endless string of titles he claims (from restaurateur to marathoner to dad), he's just an incredibly likeable guy. And this time of year, he pours himself into an organization that deserves our attention.

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Rockin' with the Old People

By Jessica Kitchin - From the Editors - November 19, 2008

On my first trip to the newly restored Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, I wasn't exactly surrounded by my peers. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a blast.

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Polyphonic Tetris

By Laura Winberry - Events - November 11, 2008

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Stage Right

By Ken Schlager - Events - October 13, 2008

One month before its scheduled Oct. 27 opening, the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair was a hive of activity, with workers on scaffolding performing an elaborate ceiling restoration, while others manned power saws and paintbrushes. more

New Faces NJ: Charlotte Sometimes

By Emily Faherty - Lifestyle - September 17, 2008

As she tours the nation this fall with Gavin DeGraw, everyone from MTV to The New York Times wants to know more about this strangely named girl with the big voice and soul-stirring lyrics. more

Weekend Picks: A New Jersey Day-cation

NJ My Way - August 14, 2008

There are music or food festivals in just about every part of the state.

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The Ties That Bind

NJ My Way - August 1, 2008

Across New Jersey this week, the music of rock, punk, and pop helped us roll back the clock while our teenage sons and daughters celebrated their coming of age.

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New Faces NJ: Nicole Atkins

By Jessica Kitchin - Lifestyle - July 18, 2008

Growing up in Neptune, Nicole Atkins wrote songs, searching for a way to blend country and '60s rock. “Music was everywhere on the Shore and it was the only thing where I really found my ‘place,’” she says. She found her sound, was recently signed to Columbia records, and will perform at the All Points West Festival in Jersey City on August 9. more

Rock Festival Survival Guide

By Ashley V. Neglia - Lifestyle - April 30, 2008

It’s outdoor concert season, when music lovers endure hour after hour of ear-splitting sound while standing on tiptoe, elbow to elbow under the pitiless sun. You can’t beat it! If, that is, you take these simple precautions. more