It’s summer and the time is right for dancing in the streets. The town of Clifton will let you do exactly that FOR FREE starting Friday with Swingman and the Misfit Mutts. June 13 means The Retrocasters with sounds from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. On June 20, The Jersey Swamp Cats will enliven the proceedings with the kind of jump blues that will make you want to twist and shout.

Blues Traveler has traveled a long way since they started in the basement of their drummer’s house in Princeton 39 years ago. John Popper, Chandler Kinchia, Brendan Hill and Bobby Sheehan [1968-1999] were only jamming at the time. Little did they know their fun would take them around the world, playing over 2,000 concerts in front of over 30 million fans, record 14 albums, sell over 10 million and win a Grammy. 

She’s long left her Monmouth County roots for the dream of Nashville.  According to her camp, she has “big loud feelings,” most of which can be heard in her “I Wanna Feel Good” single which drops today.

On June 5, the Garden State Arts Foundation (GSAF) will present FOR FREE the recently-retired Tony Orlando (a longtime resident of Union City and Hasbrouk Heights). Orlando, after 64 years in show business, and a longtime advocate for the U.S. military, was coaxed out of retirement for this one show as a military tribute to our troops around the world. Now in its 41^st year, the GSAF will have Cousin Brucie present the Francis Albert Sinatra Tribute to the Performing Arts honor to Orlando.

The concept of the jazz “ghost band” refers to orchestras who continue to play long after the leader dies. Twelve years after Glenn Miller went missing during World War II, his orchestra revved back up.

Now everyone can hear what went down on the first night of the Euro Springsteen tour May 14 in Manchester England as a new EP has been released digitally as Land Of Hope & Dreams. Besides the dramatic title tune, The E Street Band revs up “Long Walk Home,” “My City Of Ruins” and, most profoundly, a unique and lump-in-your-throat cover of “Chimes Of Freedom,” a song just as applicable now as when Dylan wrote it 61 years ago in 1964.

Passaic County pioneers The Feelies will release their eighth album June 20, a collection of covers from throughout their career, a career that started in 1976, ended in 1992, and started up again 16 years later in 2008. Rewind (Bar/None Records) will be available on digital download, streaming services, blue vinyl and CD via mail order only.

South Florida clubs in the late ‘60s saw an explosive combo led by sax man Bill Reddish. The Reddish Fetish fused bebop, worldbeat, prog-rock and the avant-garde into a creative pastiche of unimaginable fusion. Oftentimes, they’d call up to the bandstand the legendary-but-tragic Weather Report/Joni Mitchell bassist Jaco to jam. Sadly, the band never recorded. But now, Bill’s son, drummer-producer-composer-arranger Jason T. Reddish, has revived The Reddish Fetish.

The Mahwah Museum in Bergen County will host a night of Les Paul music June 7 at Ramapo College. Paul, the longtime guitarist-luthier-composer-inventor, who lived in Mahwah for many years with wife/duet partner Mary Ford, pioneered the solid-body electric guitar. He also pioneered overdubbing, tape-delay and multi-track recording. “The 110^th Birthday Celebration Concert,” from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., will take place at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s H-Wing Auditorium, 505 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah.

One of the seven never-before-heard complete albums due June 27 in Springsteen’s mammoth Tracks II box is Somewhere North of Nashville, where honky-tonk and rockabilly rule. Clearly, Bruce was searching, and the result, at least on “Repo Man,” is rather revelatory (like how “Pink Cadillac” was also never on any album but now is a favorite.) “Repo Man” has that rebel yell. (You can hear it here.)

If you like Queens Of The Stone Age, Porcupine Tree, Rush, Symphony X or even Foo Fighters, you’ll like what Woodbridge musician Joe Pacilio is laying down on his Damned If You Do EP. He calls it “a five-track exploration of emotional duality, consequence and resilience.”

Now in its sixth year, the popular Back Deck of the Morris Museum in Morristown will host  outdoor shows where folks bring their chairs, set up picnics and enjoy the sunset. Over 11,000 music fans have grooved to 72 performances so far with elevated parking-deck tailgating.

Gotta love the town of Woodbridge in Middlesex County:  another summer, another FREE concert series. First up:  June 7 all-day event at Merrill Park (Iselin) with Revolver at 12:30, The Powertones at 1:45, the Morrocan Sheepherders at 3:15. The B Street Band (Bruce Tribute) at 4:45, The Blue Meanies (Tribute to The Monkees) at 6:15 and Back To The Garden (Woodstock Tribute) at 7:45. Expect food trucks, a beer garden and activities for the kids.

The Kinks, The Stones and The Beatles are the three greatest British rock bands. Don’t look now but there’s a Kink in our midst. Lead guitarist Dave Davies—who wrote and sang two of the best Kinks songs (“Death Of A Clown” and “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”)—will be signing copies of his 2022 memoir June 1 at 11:00 a.m. at Bookends in Ridgewood, Bergen County.

Those who have yet to experience what it’s like to see singer-songwriter Samantha Fish, 36, are in for a treat. The Kansas City phenom rocks. Hard. Her blues is tinged with soul, Americana, funk, bluegrass and country. And to hear her for free? The annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival on the downtown Morristown Green is the place to be on August 16.

Leave it to Bruce and the boys to not stop their world domination for too long. You’d think it was an audience from down the shore if you saw how Euro crowds just love this band. These dates represent their only shows of 2025. Over 700,000 fans are expected in these six countries, on a seemingly never-ending world tour that started in February of 2023 when they hit the road for the first time in six years.

It’s the 1960s. You’re at The Copa. Bobby Darin is doing what he was born to do. The Circle In The Square Theater is filled with swinging brass on songs that are part of our DNA (if you’re a certain age). When Gracie Lawrence—in her first Broadway role—sings “Who’s Sorry Now” as Connie Francis, you could see why Darin fell in love with her. But Connie’s dad refused for his daughter to take up with a show biz ruffian like Darin, even pulling out his gun at one point. The romance was short-lived. And Connie sorta disappears until the end.  But Jonathan Groff is stunningly spectacular as Darin. The two share a lust to be on a stage.

On July 12 and 13, for the 20^th time in 22 years, Memorial Park on Valley Street in Maplewood will turn into Maplewoodstock from noon to 10:00 p.m. And it’s free. You can be like the dancing dude in the video below. Looks like fun, what with wall-to-wall bands, 50 art vendors, 20 food venders, a Beer Garden, a Kid Zone and more.

One of the seven complete never-before-released albums due June 27 in Tracks II, the mammoth Sony Music Bruce box, is a soundtrack he wrote and recorded for a movie that never got released, the title track of which, “Faithless,” is a somber meditative haunting slice of folk-pop (hear it below).

Michael Arnone’s 32^nd annual Crawfish Fest will bring Louisiana to New Jersey again on May 30, May 31 and June 1 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, starring Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph, George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience, Marcia Ball, Southern Avenue, Stanton Moore, Bonerama, Rockin’ Dopsie, Corey Harris, Carolyn Wonderland, Eddie 9V, Amis Du Teche, United By Music USA, Ocean Avenue Stompers, Uncle Shoehorns Big Easy, Frenchy, Maggie Koerner, Johnny Sketch & His Dirty Notes and Cold Hill.