What isn’t going on musically in Baristaville this weekend? In small venues and large, indoors and out, informal and fancy, whether you like to play or just listen, the calendar is just chock-a-block with exciting musical events. The Slambovian Circus visits Montclair at Outpost in the Burbs on Friday night. Christopher Janney’s experiential and avante garde “Disembodied Instruments” debuts outside in the Montclair State University amphitheater, and Sunday is an all-day free blues festival in South Orange. Plus much much more. All the links, times and prices in the jump.
- WEDNESDAY
- Studio 12 Open Mic and Jam – Hosted by Greg Spinelli – 8 p.m. sign-up
- THURSDAY
- Stoney’s– Lisa Rott and John Korba – Live Music – 6:30 p.m.
- Upstairs at Tierney’s – Open Mic – Hosted by Mia & Ilsa of Mingle – 9 p.m. sign-up
- FRIDAY
- Fitzgerald’s 1928 – Finnegan & Friends – Live Music – 8 p.m. (no cover)
- S. Orange Elks Lodge Rent Party – Felt – Live Music – Food Drive Benefit -7:30 p.m. $5.
- Outpost In The Burbs – Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus – 8 p.m. – $28 in advance and $33 day of show
- SATURDAY
- Just Jakes – Montclair School of Rock – Benefit for Montclair Volunteer Ambulance Unit – 4 p.m. – $10.
- Parents Who Rock – PWR’s Annual Outdoor Festival Fundraiser for Youth Consultation Service – 72 High Street, Montclair – noon – 6 p.m.
- Terra Tea Salon and Fair Trade Eco Market – The Porchistas – No cover
- Montclair State University, Kasser Theater Amphitheater- Disembodied Instruments – Live music from Dave Revels and Jimmy Hayes of the Persuasions, Stan Strickland, Wes Winter, Jerry Leakes and Eddie George in Chris Janney’s sonic light installation. Free and complimentary refreshments.
- Fitzgerald’s 1928 – Paul Byrne & Friends – Live Music – 8 p.m. (no cover)
- Trumpets – Enrico Granafei (chromatic harmonica, guitar) 9-11 p.m. $10.
- South Orange Performing Arts Center – An Evening with BritishMania, a Beatles Tribute – $35.
- Union County Music Festival – Montclair’s own Bern & the Brights at the 101.9RXP stage at 2:45PM, joining a line up including Train, Soul Asylum, OK Go, The Bravery, Spoon, Robert Randolph. Free.
- SUNDAY
- Van Vleck House & Gardens – Drumming for Families with Emmy-Award winning composer, educator and Afro-Jazz musician, Richard Reiter 3-5 p.m. – $5.
- South Orange Blues Festival – 11 a.m.-8 p.m. – Cameron Park and Multiple Venues, refer to link – Free
- Indie Music Circus at Luna Stage – Sets of Original Music by Local Indie Artists – Host: Michael Aquino – 6pm – $5.
- Highland Place – Special Jazz & Gospel Brunch – Yvette Glover, Jackie Jones, and Nat Adderley Jr. 1 p.m.If you know of any other music happenings in the area, please leave a comment with details!
A bit outside the B-net orbit but not too far away, on Sat & Sun there’s the apparently huge Union County Musicfest down in Clark, near Rahway. It’s free if you park offsite. Quite the varied lineup.
Charlie Jones Project is playing Friday at Ruthie’s Bar-B-Q on Walnut Street Montclair, 7 to 9 PM