They’re billing it as “The Festival Only New Jersey Can Handle.” June is going to be crazy when the second annual North To Shore Festival comes back to over 100 venues in three cities—Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Newark—with over 300 acts including Gary Clark, Jr., Band Of Horses, Lake Street Drive, Bleachers, Steve Forbert and many others in Asbury Park (June 10-16), Atlantic City (June 17-23), and Newark (June 24-30).

Sea Hear Now, New Jersey’s largest homegrown rock festival, is set for September 14 and 15 with shows in Asbury Park and Bradley Beach. Over 25 bands will strut their stuff like last year when Foo Fighters, The Killers, Weezer, The Beach Boys and Sheryl Crow performed. This year Noah Kahan headlines Saturday and some rock group called Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band headlines Sunday.

They called it “Celebration of the Suds” back in 2006 when this annual event started with 29 breweries hosting almost 3,000 adults with no music, just beer. In 2012, music was added. In 2024, 101 breweries with 400 flavors of beer will fill the Atlantic City Convention Center on April 12 and 13 for the estimated 18,000 21+ adults with no babies, animals or kids allowed.

Legendary Montclair bassist-composer-arranger-educator Christian McBride, in his capacity as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Jazz Advisor, has announced the lineup for the 12th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, to be held in November at NJPAC and other Newark locations from the third to the 19th.

The sounds of Zydeco, Mambo and more will fill Washington Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway (with a second stage on Washington between Sixth and Seventh) in Hoboken this Sunday October 1 at the free Hoboken Arts & Music Festival from 12:15 to 6pm.

The 19th annual Hub City jazz Festival is scheduled for September 28 to October 1 in New Brunswick. Gerald Albright, Lindsey Webster with Special Guest Lin Rountree, New Urban Jazz Party, Oli Silk and Ashley Keiko will perform on the main stage.

The Camden County FREE 2023 Summer Parks Concert Series will inhabit 2,700+ acres of total greenery at Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden, the McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell at Haddon Lake Park in Haddon Heights and Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, all with nationally known acts.

Whether it was the complaints from fans or the demand for refunds, New Jersey’s most celebrated music festival has pulled the plug just days before it was to begin.

Label Head/Producer/Keyboardist/Composer Marco Benevento—from Livingston in Essex County—is at it again. Last year, he formulated an incredible afternoon in the Hudson Valley of New York called “Follow The Arrow.” This year, on June 17, at Arrowood Farms in Accord NY, he’ll do it again with the Benevento Family Band, Rubblebucket, The Barr Brothers and Scott Metzger (so far).

We have to hand it to Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac for instituting the best annual tradition ever in Middlesex County. How about five-nights-a-week of free concerts starting June 3 and continuing all the way to September 20. Unheard of!

Free shows are rare. But the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel will be presenting British Invasion act Herman’s Hermits and Tommy Roe on June 8. The Soundtrack of Our Lives with Deborah Rennard and Al Sapienza will open. Legendary disc jockey Cousin Brucie will host.

Halsey, Demi Lovato, Santana, Alanis Morisette, Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Marisa Monte, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Brian Fallon, The Smithereens, The B-52s, Natalie Merchant and Jay Wheeler are among the attractions.

Our Jersey Festival Line-up: Bamboozle, Adjacent Music Festival, Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, Barefoot Country Music Festival, Tidalwave Music Festival, Sea. Hear. Now.

It’s going to be a long loud summer in Holmdel. The PNC Bank Arts Center (a great place to see a show), has announced its 2023 summer schedule.