Grab you ear plugs and favorite concert boots — and sunblock if you’re outside —because the warm weather concert season is upon us. And, if the heat is too much for you, cool down with a live movie screening--Hollywood actors included--or catch a comedy routine.
There are big concerts at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford; a full season of shows at bergenPAC in Englewood and PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel; more than a dozen events scheduled for The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park; live movie screenings and more at New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, and even Britney Spears at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
Check out our list of 13 can’t miss shows, and the schedules of the concert venues here in the state.
1. Gin Blossoms with Tonic and Vertical Horizon
For all you ‘90s music lovers, this is the show for you. Rock bands Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy,” “Found Out About You”), Tonic (“If You Could Only See,” “You Wanted More”) and Vertical Horizon (“Everything You Want,” “Best I Ever Had”) stop by the Wellmont Theater in Montclair on June 7 for a summer kickoff concert.
2. Say Anything with John Cusack
“I gave her my heart. She gave me a pen.” John Cusack is going to give you time to ask him some questions after a live screening of his iconic 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything at New Jersey Performing Arts Center on June 22. VIP tickets include a post-show photo op with Cusack, aka Lloyd Dobler.
3. KCON 2018
KCON 2018 — it’s so much more than K-Pop, or Korean pop, groups. There’s also the latest on Korean food, fashion, television, film and e-sports over the big weekend at the Prudential Center in Newark, June 23 and 24. That must be why more than 128,000 fans came out last year. You’ll see A-list concerts and celebrity meet and greets, as well as workshops and panels that cover every aspect of Korean culture and entertainment. Folks, we’ve moved well beyond “Gangnam Style.”
4. U2
In 2015, it was the Innocence + Experience Tour for U2. Last year, it was the Joshua Tree 2017 Tour. Now, it’s the Experience + Innocence Tour, which comes to the Prudential Center on June 29. The show will feature multiple performance areas and a hyped-up super high-res LED screen, nine times the resolution of the 2015 tour screen. We hear they play some pretty good rock ‘n' roll songs, too.
5. Vans Warped Tour
After the summer of 2018, the Warped Tour as we know it will be no more. Founder Kevin Lyman has announced that the 2018 tour will be the last “full cross-country run” of the famed punk rock tour. Since 1995, when No Doubt, Sublime, the Deftones and more set up camp in Asbury Park during the Warped Tour’s inaugural run, the festival has had a distinctly Jersey feel. Warped helped boost the careers of older Jersey punks like the Bouncing Souls, and it gave a stage to up-and-coming Jersey bands like Thursday and My Chemical Romance. Now, it’s one last dance on July 13 at BB&T Pavilion in Camden and July 14 at PNC Bank Arts Center, with headliners 3OH!3, All Time Low, Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan and more set to play.
6. Charlie Puth
Who’s the next superstar from the Jersey Shore? It’s Charlie Puth, said Jon Bon Jovi to Access on the red carpet during the iHeartRadio Music Awards held March 11 at the Forum in Los Angeles. “Charlie Puth is from Rumson, New Jersey, which is where we’re from,” said Bon Jovi, a native of Sayreville who has a home in Middletown. “So, for 110 years, it was just us and the E Street Band, and now Charlie Puth gets to claim to be from our neck of the woods.” Puth is headlining the Voicenotes Tour with Hailee Steinfield. They will stop at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on July 16 and the BB&T Pavilionon July 24.
7. Dave Matthews Band
There’s something about the music of the Dave Matthews Band that makes it a perfect match for an outdoor venue. Maybe it’s the cool saxophone, or the stirring violin. Maybe it’s Matthews’ acoustic guitar strumming and raspy voice. Whatever it is, it’s a hit. The band returns June 15-16 to BB&T Pavilion and July 18 to PNC Bank Arts. They should have a new album out soon, too.
8. John Cleese and Monty Python and The Holy Grail
If you’re a fan of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, don’t miss comedy legend John Cleese when he visits bergenPAC for an evening of conversation and audience Q&A on July 19. Audience members will watch the 1975 cult classic film before Cleese shares stories of his life and career. The show will also be taking place on July 20 at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, as part of NJPAC’s Cinema With the Stars program. Coconuts not included.
9. Britney Spears
She’s back. After a four-year residency at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, Britney Spears is back on the road. The former teen star plays the Borgatafrom July 19 to 21. The Atlantic City shows will be her first in Jersey since 2011, and it’s about time. There are always second acts in show biz, and the curtain is coming up again for Spears. How is she doing? People magazine reports that she recently found her classic white booty shorts, so life must be good.
10. Taylor Swift
How popular is Taylor Swift? Her recent album Reputation just sold more than 2 million units. It’s the first to do so since Adele’s 25. Who says the album format is dead? Swift has three shows, July 20 to 22, at MetLife Stadium, and she’s bringing two rising female artists with her: Charlie XCX and Camila Cabello, the ex-member of Fifth Harmony who has a smash hit with “Havana.”
NOW THROUGH LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Newark
The Taylor Swift Experience
This interactive exhibit, curated by the Grammy Museum L.A. Live in Los Angeles, gives fans a look at multi-platinum-selling artist Taylor Swift. The exhibit features never-before-displayed artifacts, plus classic exhibit items such as personal photographs, home videos, interactive experiences, handwritten lyrics of Taylor’s chart-topping hits, iconic performance outfits, and more. Tickets to visit the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center range from $7 to $10 and can be purchased through ticketmaster.com. The exhibit is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday on non-event days and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.on event days. Prudential Center, 25 Lafayette St., (973) 757-6625, prucenter.com/grammy-museum-experience
11. Kevin Hart
You got to have Hart, and now we do. It’s going to be hard to miss comedian Kevin Hart this summer. The Kevin Hart Irresponsible Tour will be stopping by the BB&T Pavilion on July 14 and the Prudential Center on July 28. Rounding out his New Jersey shows is one on Sept. 29 at PNC Bank Arts Center. Little man, big laughs — no matter where you are.
12. Beyonce and Jay-Z
The On the Run II tour comes to MetLife Stadium Aug. 2 and 3 with a backdrop of introspective albums from both Beyonce and Jay-Z. Bey’s Lemonade and Jay-Z’s 4:44 were largely personal statements of self and of the world around them — and that includes each other. They’re two distinctly different artists, so it will be fun to watch how they mesh their music together this time.
13. Boy George and Culture Club with the Thompson Twins
The Stone Pony Summer Stage has delivered a hot ’80s revival show in each of the last few years. This summer it’s Boy George and the Culture Club with the Thompson Twins on Aug. 3. What will they play, what will they wear, what will their hair look like? Oh, the drama. It’s called The Life Tour, and it’s sure to be a lively affair. These guys have the hits, from "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" to “Karma Chameleon.” Before arriving in Asbury Park, the show hits the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on July 31.
MoreNJ entertainment news:
CONCERTS:Def Leppard, Ed Sheeran, SZA: Where to go and what to see in New Jersey this summer
MUSIC:Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker talks about the band’s Ridgewood roots
INTERVIEW:Lea Michele talks about her summer tour with Darren Criss, living in Tenafly and 'Glee'
