Boys Noize will open for Nine Inch Nails at the Prudential Center in Newark as he celebrates the release of “HYYTUP/ShSb0mbe” on his own OAZ label. After producing Ty Dolla $ign, Kungs and the Tron: Ares soundtrack, he disappeared into his man-cave studio for this 22-track compilation of dark detuned stomping-and-punching 107 BPM buzzsaws. This intense psychedelic visceral wall-of-sound is like nothing else out there now or ever.

This all-female Asian-American Dance Company will celebrate “The Year of the Horse” on the afternoons of Feb. 14 and 15 at 2:00 by premiering “Mongolian Harvest.” The program also includes “Lion in the City,” a dialogue between Chinese folk music and American hip-hop that “is a prayer for peace and harmony symbolized by a child playing freely with a ferocious beast,” according to NJPAC. “Festival (Dragon Dance)” should be spectacular as the dragon itself—beset with colorful ribbons—descends from heaven to bless the earth.

New Yorker Mark Whitfield, Jr. is a Berklee College of Music alum who has been in-demand on drums since he starred in the family band of his guitarist father and pianist brother. A regular at Dizzy’s Club and Smoke, he’s dynamic in his full-force exploration of percussive sound, going out there on a limb but always returning right on time. 

Singer-Songwriter-Playwright-Educator Dar Williams kicks off her Hummingbird Highway 2026 World Tour that traverses the globe until October 8 right here in Jersey at The Newton Theatre. “It’s a highway filled with deep exotic colors and beautiful delicate things as well as the perils that come from moving so fast,” says the artist. Thirteen albums into her career, she says, “I was a kid from the suburbs who listened when her hippie teachers said to get out in the world.”

Born in the Eastern European country of Belarus, singer-songwriter-educator Angelina Miers now lives in New York City and is taking what they the “Great American Songbook” and twirling it into something different, something with an edge. She studied jazz as well as Cognitive Neuroscience in college and wowed ‘em at Birdland. Now she hits Teaneck running Feb. 5.

Vrsty (pronounced varsity) will perform new versions of “Dig,” “Pathos” and “Shameless” off its 2020 Cloud City EP in Clifton at Dingbatz on Feb. 4. Singer Joey Tyler shares that “I’ve always loved the kinda heavy softness that `Shameless’ had and always thought it would be cool to explore that more. I think I went into it with that mentality at first but then also just wanted to do this as a thank-you for everyone who has supported us for so many years. After all, that song was the very first time anyone ever listened to us and gave us a chance.”

Roots-Rockers Yarn will blast out its Hard Americana Feb. 1 in Sparta at Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub. The new album, Saturday Night Sermon, doesn’t drop until April 24 but there’s 10 albums of material to choose from.  The new single “Good Things” is out. Lead singer Blake Christiana says it’s “all about gratitude. Ray Wylie Hubbard always says, `When your gratitude exceeds your expectations, that’s a good day.' With that in mind, I threw away all my negative thoughts and self-pity and wrote this song because the truth of it is, our life is only as good as our reaction to it. And Yarn is pretty damn blessed with a whole lot of 'Good Things.’” 

British pianist-composer Wilfie Williams is living a stone’s throw from Teaneck now in New York City. He fuses tradition with modernity, went to Berklee on a full-boat scholarship, and wowed ‘em in DC at the jazz fest.  His rhythmic drive pounds his points home like a sharpened pencil. His three separate sets start at 8:00. 

They came out of Rhode Island 22 years ago as a Sublime tribute band and have since morphed into an original act fusing hip-hop, reggae, R’n’B and alt.pop. Now they do both. Drummer Scott Begin says, “putting out original music alongside being a tribute band has always been a point of interest to us. It’s been a tricky path to walk, though. Yet as the years have gone by and we’ve gotten to witness our little show turn into somewhat of a movement within the scene, we are at the point where we feel we have something of real heart and value to add not only to our show but to the American reggae scene.”

Tickets were so hot they added Jan. 31 as well. Guitarist Pete Steinkopf, singer Greg Attonito and bassist Bryan Kienien started the influential Bouncing Souls in 1988 New Brunswick, naming the band after a shoe. Label ‘em punk but they’re so much more. Their cover of “What Boys Like” by The Waitresses still sounds great. When their drummer split to join Joan Jett, they marched on, debuting George Rebelo at an Asbury Lanes show in 2013. Twelve albums in, they’re working on a 2026 album.

The 3:00 p.m. performance of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with guest violinist Ray Chen, as directed by Vasily Petrenko, on January 25 at NJPAC downtown Newark, will be preceded by a 2:00 “pre-show talk,” according to the venue. It’s been 80 years and counting for this venerable institution of an orchestra. England’s most in-demand big big big band will perform Nielsen’s “Helios Overture,” Sibelius’s “Symphony #2” and a Tchaikovsky violin concerto where Chen will positively soar.

Native New Yorker Sam Dillon blows tenor sax, writes and educates. He commands a stage, solos like crazy and is always asked to play on other people’s records and stages including The Mingus Big Band and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Combining tradition and innovation, he’s a good bet to catch Jan. 24 on Cedar Lane in Teaneck for one, two or three of his sets.

In support of its new self-released Cook album, the sextet known as Lettuce will hit Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair at the Wellmont Jan. 22 for some deep-fried funk. Expect to hear “Gold Tooth,” “Breathe” and its cover of Keni Burke’s 1982 “Risin’ To The Top.” Trumpeter Benny Bloom says “Breathe” is his favorite song on the new album. “I can just see myself strutting down the streets of New York City on a brisk October night,” he says, “thinking of all the possibilities my future holds if I just listen to myself and breathe.”

Pianist James Austin, Jr. leads a monthly 7:30 p.m. jazz jam at Clement’s Place in Newark starting Jan. 22 and continuing for three more months. Singers and instrumentalists are invited, be they novice or seasoned, to jam out and improvise.

Punk legends The Dictators have their first album out in 23 years. Self-titled, it features bassist Andy Shernoff (who started the band in 1972), lead guitarist Ross The Boss (who was right there with him at inception), former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard and the new guy, singer Keith Roth (who joined in 2021). Also on the bill is Richard Lloyd, no stranger to the ranks of Punk Icons as he co-founded the influential band Television with Tom Verlaine in 1973. Opening will be Full Steen Ahead, a Jersey band well-versed in punk history.

Newark drummer-composer Mecadon McCune will bash his way through three sets of modern jazz on Jan. 9 on Cedar Lane in Teaneck. The son of multi-instrumentalist Brandon McCune and opera singer Christine Clemmons-McCune, he started on piano before settling on the drums in high school. He won the ten-grand James Moody Jazz Scholarship to go to Montclair State where he honed his chops into the powerhouse percussionist he is today. 

The New Jersey Symphony will be conducted by David Newman on this glitzy night of Hollywood theme music. Newman is the son of legendary movie-music maestro Alfred Newman [1900-1970] and the cousin of singer-songwriter Randy Newman. The Newman family has amassed an incredible 93 Oscar nominations, winning 13. German pianist Sebastian Knauer will add his patented flourishes on such movie themes as A Beautiful Mind, Spartacus, The Robe, How The West Was Won and Basic Instinct.  

Sax man Harry Allen—who graduated Rutgers with a Bachelor of Arts degree—hits Teaneck Jan. 2. With over 70 albums as a leader, and international gigs galore, he’s blown sax for Rosemary Clooney and John Pizzarelli.  His music is heard in Hollywood movies, in commercials, and his command of the “Great American Songbook” is profound. On this night, he will have with him pianist Rossano Sportiello, originally from Vigevano in Italy and now based in NYC.

A Flock Of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, Thomas Dolby, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow and Tommy Tutone will hit the Ocean Casino & Resort on the AC boardwalk Dec. 27 as part of the Totally Tubular festival.  Tour creator Jon Pleeter calls it, “the best ‘80s party on the planet. The audiences last year fully embraced the spirit of the tour and were wildly enthusiastic.”

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikiovsky had his Nutcracker ballet premiere at the Imperial Marinsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on December 18, 1892. Now the troupe at Nimbus Dance presents the 15^th year of its annual Jersey Nutcracker in Jersey City Dec. 19-23 after runs in Newark and Union. Yes, you’ll meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, her dashing Cavalier, as well as the corrupt mayor (based on the notorious Frank Hague who once ruled Jersey City with an iron fist from 1917 to 1947). The traditional toy soldiers are now hip-hop dancers and the score is infused with more jazz than classical. 

Steve Forbert will be heading to Main Street in Tuckerton to play Lizzie Rose!  So many songs to want him to sing. Will he do tunes from Things That I See, his 2015 gem that’s been remixed and remastered on its 10^th Anniversary? Sure hope he doesn’t do “Send In The Clowns.” If I ever hear that maudlin Sondheim sludge again I might have a stroke.

Steve Forbert will be heading to Main Street in Tuckerton to play Lizzie Rose!  So many songs to want him to sing. Will he do tunes from Things That I See, his 2015 gem that’s been remixed and remastered on its 10^th Anniversary? Sure hope he doesn’t do “Send In The Clowns.” If I ever hear that maudlin Sondheim sludge again I might have a stroke.

Drew U’s Concert Hall in Madison will present two tribute bands:  Tommy Scro’s Rock’n’Roll Fantasy plays the music of John Mellencamp and Human Wheels, led by Rob Santa, does the same for Bad Company. (Santa also fronts Saints In The City, a Bruce tribute). To add a seasonal twist, both bands will be rocking up holiday fare like Mellencamp’s version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

With Marc Ribler as Music Director, Hungerthon 2025, a Benefit for WhyHunger, the organization singer-songwriter Harry Chapin [1942-1981] co-founded to help the hungry, will rock the hallowed halls of The Stone Pony on Dec. 14 at 6:00 with Steve Chapin, Tom Chapin, Jen Chapin, Amy Helm, The Dixie Dregs, Jimmy Vivino, Randy C. Moore, Danny Clinch, The Disciples Of Soul and members of The Smithereens and the E Street Band. Non-perishable canned foods collected before the concert will be donated to the Fulfill Food Bank.

This 5:00 p.m. fundraiser benefits “transformative arts education and jazz programming in communities across our greater Monmouth County region,” according to the New Jersey Jazz Society. Jazz Arts Academy students will open the show and jam with Jon Faddis, the world-renowned trumpeter.

A new concert film, You Got Gold: A Celebration Of John Prine, is touring across the country with performances and interviews with Brandi Carlile, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff, Bob Weir of Grateful Dead, Lucinda Williams and Lyle Lovett all in thrall of John Prine [1946-2020].

Here’s a rare chance to be in the same room when legendary saxophonist-composer-producer Joe Lovano performs. He’ll be playing with Judi Silvano, the singer-songwriter-dancer who uses her voice like a horn with a wild flair for improv. This is one major-league meeting of the minds. Silvano has 14 albums to her credit. Lovano has over 40. 

Rachel Carlson, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Kean University, launched the Community Chorale initiative three years ago in an effort to get students, alumni and locals together every week to sing. Her ensemble with local high schools performs twice-yearly. On Dec. 7, at Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside, singers from Newark Arts High School will perform FOR FREE.

Vocals Extraordinaire! Singing songs from its current Joy To The World album, Grammy Award-winning acapella group Chanticleer—formed in San Francisco 47 years ago—celebrates the holiday by singing their hearts out Dec. 6 downtown Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Center Street. Their innovative juxtapositioning of Renaissance motets, classic carols and contemporary compositions makes them unique.