They call her a cross between Aretha and Janis. Los Angeles powerhouse Nikka Costa will fill the Wonder Bar with her bawdy presence when she supports her Dirty Disco album with an East Coast tour that ends at the Wonder Bar in Asbury November 14. And you know what they say about the last show of any tour! It should be a balls-to-the-wall event.

He’s been singing for New York City punk band Bayside for 25 years but his solo tour will hit Crossroads in Garwood November 12 with Nate Bergman and Brother Bird. The second single, “High Road,” from his Everyday Royalty EP (Equal Vision Records) is a prime example of his new alternative-country sound.

Utah’s Dallon Weekes, who tours and records as I Don’t How But They Found Me, is playing in Sayreville with Alex Sucks on November 12 at the Starland Ballroom as part of his Gloom headline tour. The Gloom Division album on Concord Records was produced by Dave Fridmann (Weezer/Tame Impala/MGMT), and has been described as post-punk, alt-rock and art-pop.

In support of his terrific O Sun O Moon, Canadian Bruce Cockburn, 79, will hit Montclair running at Outpost In The Burbs November 8. Long hailed as one of the finest of folkies true to the 1960s, his diligent allegiance to politics, spirituality and musical diversity across genres such as folk, jazz, blues, rock, pop and worldbeat, have made him one of the most revered singer-songwriter-guitarists of his generation.

You want to know what metalcore really sounds like? Just go to the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville Nov. 3 to catch Like Moths To Flames pound out its new “Soul Exchange.” They’re touring with The Devil Wears Prada in support of their current The Cycles Of Trying To Cope album.  

The Chris DeVito Quintet—vocalist Sarah James, woodwind player Greg Grispart, bassist John Lenis, drummer Gavin Davies and pianist Devito—will perform a fundraiser in Douglas Hall at the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church (45 Church Street). It’s a benefit performance for Malawi Visions where your $50 ($60 at door) will go directly to local staff and village leaders in rural Malawi Africa to develop infrastructure (libraries, irrigation systems, solar power) and education programs to improve the lives of 9,000 orphaned children.

Dentist will rock November 2 at The Wonder Bar in their Asbury Park hometown as part of “Jersey Fest” with The Hard Maybes, Christian Sparacio and The Yellowbrooks.  Combining a flair for fuzzed-out surf-punk with indie-pop, the trio—vocalist/bassist Emily Bornemann, guitarist Justin Bornemann and drummer Matt Hockenjos—has honed their craft since its 2013 inception. Their fourth album, Making A Scene, was released in 2022.

New York pianist Larry Fuller will lead his trio with bassist JJ Shakur and drummer George Fludas Oct. 27 at Hillman Performance Hall in Princeton. They swing hard. Real hard.

The good vibes and rock’n’roll energy will be bouncing off the walls of the Carteret PAC October 26 when American Treasure Tommy James, 77, will belt out SO many songs you know and love. He hasn’t lost an inch of the voice that catapulted songs like “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson & Clover,” “Mony Mony,” “Hanky Panky,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion” and SO many others into the upper regions of the charts. To hear these beautifully constructed perfecto pop songs come to life live right in front of you is always a joyous occasion.

With the Wicked Cool Records reissue on blue or gold vinyl of Soraia’s 2008 Shed The Skin, the Philadelphia band—the core of which is singer ZouZou Mansour, bassist Travis Smith and drummer Brianna Sig—will tour, hitting the Sweet Vinyl Café—with the great coffee—in Denville October 26.

Two masters on their respective instruments—violinist Damien Escobar and saxophonist Kim Waters—will perform October 25 at the Union County Performing Arts Center on Irving Street in Rahway.

In support of his 21^st album, Daylight Savings Time (Blue Rose Music), singer-songwriter Steve Forbert will perform at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Neptune October 19. His voice is a sandpapery instrument of profound empathy. His songs have been covered by Rosanne Cash, Keith Urban, Marty Stuart and Webb Wilder. In 2017, 21 artists interpreted his music on An American Troubadour: The Songs of Steve Forbert.

Led by the charismatic Jamil Rashad, North Carolina’s Boulevards will hit Triumph Brewing in Red Bank Oct. 19 in support of new album Carolina Funk: Barn Burner On Tobacco Road (New West/Normaltown Records) and its first single, “Run & Move.” It’s his fifth album, the follow-up to 2022’s Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud.  A heady mix of funk, rock’n’roll, alt-pop, fusion, soul, R’n’B, jazz, gospel and hip-hop, there’s no categorizing Boulevards.

Almost 50 albums into a brilliant multi-genre career that has seen him collaborate with the biggest and the best including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Cobham, Phil Lesh, Mavis Staples and John Mayer, John Scofield, 72, is taking his craft into uncharted territory with bassist Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart. Expect the unexpected.

He’s a comic. He’s a magician. He’s been thrilling them in Las Vegas and is taking his act on the road. Patrons of the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown will get to witness his spectacle on October 17. His “Reptile Dysfunction” can be seen on youTube. His book, Piff The Magic Book, is out now.

The multi-talented Ryan Hanratty—who performs under the name of Catch Me If You Can—will be appearing at The Wonder Bar on Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park October 14 with three other acts:  Alors Alors, Soulfood and Mar!. The 7:00 p.m. four-act event for those 21+ is free. Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist Hanratty also did a masterful job editing The Jersey Sound film.

Grammy-winning Oregon trumpeter-composer Chris Botti, 61, has been one of the most popular instrumentalists in the world for over 20 years. On October 12, he will bring his band to New Brunswick at the State. He’s toured with Sinatra and Sting. He has performed with Paul Simon, The Boston Pops, Andrea Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, Josh Groban and John Mayer. He produced The Brecker Brothers. Oprah Winfrey asked him to be on her “Legends Ball.”

Singer Matty Mullins, guitarist Kellen McGregor, bassist Cory Elder and drummer Jake Garland—known collectively as Memphis May Fire—will hit the Stone Pony in Asbury Park October 12. The Texas metalcore quartet should play selections from its seven albums concentrating on newer material like “Infection” plus singles “Chaotic,” “Paralyzed” and “Necessary Evil.” Fourteen musicians have passed through their ranks since 2006. British band Asking Alexandria opens.

Opening Night for the big tour of California hardcore quintet Stick To Your Guns will be in Rutherford at the Williams Center for the Arts on October 11. Opening nights are always a little looser, a little more experimental, as the band figures out what works and what doesn’t for the remainder of the tour.

With co-headliner Kreator headbanging away, and Possessed priming the pump up first, thrash legends Testament will perform in Montclair at the Wellmont October 10 during its “Klash Of The Titans” 2024 tour. Testament singer Chuck Billy is already calling this tour a “madhouse.” His band is supporting the re-releases of The Legacy and The New Order, their two greatest albums.

Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair will be awash with sound when Fame on Fire, Wage War, Erra and Thrown ignite the Wellmont stage. Tableware will rattle in nearby restaurants. Florida’s Fame On Fire—singer Bryan Kuznitz, guitarist Blake Saul, bassist Paul Spirou and drummer Alex Roman—will no doubt kick out the jams as they bring The Death Card (Hopeless Records) to life.

Bassist Spaz Garcia, Guitarist Stretch Oltmanns, Keyboardist Mongo Spiro and Drummer Biff Yocum are The Nerds, a cover-band at it since ’85. Mongo’s the new guy, having joined in ’95. They used to play TV show themes but now anything is possible.

As part of the FREE Middlesex County Jazz Festival at Parker Press Park on September 29, Stephane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans will delight the crowd at 5:15 with its Louisiana-style Gypsy Jazz. Wrembel’s brilliant new Triptych album is out now as well. There’s no ceiling on this master musician. He’s singlehandedly keeping the Django Reinhardt flame alive 71 years after the Master’s death. Also on the bill are the Woodbridge High School Jazz Choir at 3:15 and Brandon Woody’s Upendo at 4:00. [Please note that Jean-Michel Pilc, although an integral part of Triptych, is not part of Wrembel’s New Orleans set.]

If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear Guitar Hero Joanna Connor, 62, was born and raised in Chicago but the Brooklyn-born, Massachusetts-raised singer-songwriter only moved there in the 1980s to soak up the Chicago Blues vibe and make her the artist she is today. British Blues Band Bees Deluxe will open.

For 17 years the members of the Yacht Rock Revue have been pumping out the good vibes and summertime feel. Hatched in 2007 Atlanta by two fans in their basement, their creation has evolved into a formidable 10-man force that started as but a guilty pleasure for fans and now captures waves of emotion without regret as a feel-good musical port in the storm of our fractured country. Sometimes people just want to feel good. To that end, they’ve released their “Waves/Sail On” single. A 21-track concept album—’Escape Artist’—will be released November 29.

His third album, the soulful new Hill Country Love (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group), expands and illuminates Mississippi Delta blues. The grandson of blues legend RL Burnside [1926-2005], Cedric is reportedly psyched to perform his new “Juke Joint” single to wider audiences. As he says, “the juke joint was more than just a venue to me. It was where I learned about life and music. It was my sanctuary from a young age, shaping who I am as an artist today.”

This is a solid bill. Staind was hatched in 1995 Massachusetts and has sold upwards of 15 million albums. Last year’s Confessions Of The Fallen was the band’s first album in 12 years, and contained two #1 Rock Radio singles. Co-Headlining is Pennsylvania’s Breaking Benjamin who, since 1999, have maintained its hard-alt-rock-post-grunge-almost-metal stance with six solid albums. Opening acts Daughtry and Lakeview are no small potatoes either.

It’s been 12 years since North Carolina power poppers The dB’s toured. Original members Peter Holsapple (vocals/guitar), Chris Stamey (vocals/guitar), Gene Holder (bass) and Will Rigby (drums) are now back in action for but six gigs only: and one of them is in Jersey City on Sept. 15 at White Eagle Hall. The joint will be jumpin’.

This special all-ages 6:30 p.m. show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Jernee Mill Road also features Fear Factory, Twizted, Wednesday 13 and Black Satellite in what they’re called the “Fiend For The Fans” tour. Singer Dez Fafara, 58, started Coal Chamber in 1992 Los Angeles. It took five years for their self-titled 1997 Roadrunner Records debut to give metal a powerful “nu” voice. In 2003, they took an eight-year break before regrouping. In 2016, they took a six-year break. Catch ‘em while you can.

Virginia duo Illiterate Light will be one of the bands opening for Bruce on the second day of Asbury Park’s Sea. Hear. Now. Festival. Their new ‘Arches’ won’t be out until November 1 but the first single, “Norfolk Southern” has been released.