Def Leppard, Black History Through Art, yacht rock and more things to do at the Shore
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Hey Jersey, get ready for some "Hysteria" in Atlantic City — and we're not "Foolin.' "
Def Leppard comes to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on Friday and Saturday.
And if that's not enough, the band is joining forces with Motley Crue for a great big South Jersey weekend, a relatively intimate engagement for two bands that can typically be found filling arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters around the world.
While he's at the Hard Rock, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen will exhibit his paintings at Wentworth Gallery, just steps from the casino floor, where his work is on display and for sale. Allen will make an appearance at the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit wentworthgallery.com.
Go: Def Leppard and Motley Crue, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, $249 to $599; hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.
Here are some other things to do this weekend at the Jersey Shore and beyond:
Black History Month events in Long Branch
“Celebrating Black History Through Art,” presented by Long Branch Recreation and the Long Branch Arts and Cultural Center, is on display through March 9 at the Cultural Center on Broadway.
The exhibition features work from New Jersey Arts World and the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, including art by Tino F. Cook, Quinton Greene, Carla Helene, Booker Johnson, Venessa Marshall, Sa’Nai Meredith, LaTuya Morris, Harthula Nevling, Cornelius Williams and Qualeasha Wood.
Check out this video about last year's "Black History Through Art" exhibit in Long Branch:
There will be an artist reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, with refreshments and live entertainment by Sylvia Coleman and Genise Hughes, with free admission.
Next weekend, ASTEP Inc. and the Long Branch Arts and Cultural Center present Move to Change: Change to Move, a Black History Month program featuring the Guess Who Museum, presentations, voices of inspiration and vendors from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17.
Go: Long Branch Arts and Cultural Center, 577 Broadway, Long Branch; longbranch.org/artscenter.
Sweets with your sweetheart
Stand aside tiny box of chocolates — there's a new sweet treat in town this Valentine's Day.
With locations across New Jersey, including one in Middletown, stop by Duck Donuts before Feb. 14 to try the limited time, "cupid-approved" Love Assortment.
The box features flavors like chocolate icing with raspberry drizzle, vanilla icing topped with limited-time love sprinkles and a candied rose, and strawberry icing with mini chocolate chips.
Go: For Middletown: 1275 Route 35, 732-671-3825; duckdonuts.com.
Party yacht rock-style in Asbury Park
Here's the "Lowdown": All the cool folks will be "Sailing" to Asbury Park this weekend and start "Reelin' in the Years" to one classically smooth jam after another, "Right Down the Line." That's not just "What a Fool Believes," and we're pretty sure you'll be able to feel a "Summer Breeze" down Cookman Avenue.
House of Independents hosts Drop It Like It's Yacht, an all-yacht-rock dance party Friday night. So get ready to "Steal Away" to the sounds of Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross and, of course, New Jersey's greatest band, Steely Dan.
Go: Drop It Like It's Yacht, 9 p.m. Friday, House of Independents, 572 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park, $15; houseofindependents.com.
Broadway at the Barn
Holmdel Theatre Company's acclaimed Broadway at the Barn series continues on Saturday with breakout "Caroline, Or Change" and "Dear Evan Hansen" star Samantha Williams.
"This night will be a mashup of music that feeds the soul," HTC promises. "Debuting original work, as well as classic covers spanning the genres of musical theater, folk, R&B and everything in between, this will take living room jamming to new heights. Be prepared to go back into the world with more ease, more care and a greater sense of community."
Next up in the Broadway at the Barn series is a return engagement on Saturday, May 13, for Williams' "Caroline" castmate, "Frozen" and "Ghost" star Caissie Levy, who gave two sold-out performances in Holmdel last year. Currently appearing on Broadway in "Leopoldstadt," Levy heads to London later this year to tackle Diana Goodman in "Next to Normal."
Go: Samantha Williams in Broadway at the Barn; 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb 11, Holmdel Theatre Company, 36 Crawfords Corner Road, $55; holmdeltheatrecompany.org.
Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation youth open mic goes on tour
The Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation's Mark LaRochelle Youth Open Mic is hitting the road in 2023.
Coordinated by JSJBF board of trustees member and local musician Joseph Vincent Riggio and volunteers, open mic has been running for the last eight years. Its next engagement is Friday night at the Red Bank Women's Club in the Anthony Reckless Estate in Red Bank.
The open mic then hits Ocean County Music in Point Pleasant Beach on March 10, June 9 and Sept. 8; Musicians' Workshop in Manalapan on April 14, July 14 and Oct. 13; and the Belmar Arts Council on May 12, Aug. 11 and Nov. 10. A December location has yet to be determined.
Doors open and the sign-up sheet is available at 6:30 p.m., with music from 7 to 10 p.m. There's a $5 donation for attendees, including performers 21 and younger. All ages are invited to come and listen. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments and pedals, and a full backline is provided. The music is not limited to strictly jazz and blues.
Go: Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation's Mark LaRochelle Youth Open Mic, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Red Bank Women's Club in the Anthony Reckless Estate in Red Bank, 164 Broad St., $5 donation; jsjbf.org.
Cliff Burton Day honors late Metallica bassist
Cliff Burton, the late great bassist and co-founding member of Metallica, will be celebrated around the world on Friday — which would have been Burton’s 61st birthday.
The sixth annual Cliff Burton Day will be observed via YouTube at YouTube.com/gomezgrip, with host Nicholas Gomez speaking with Burton’s family and friends.
Scheduled guests include Connie Burton, Lou Martin, Flemming Rasmussen of Sweet Silence Studios, Mike Overton of Trauma, John Gallagher of Raven, Deen Dell of Vio-Lence, Brian Lew and Harald Oimoen from the movie and book “Murder in the Front Row,” photographer Gene Ambo and more.
Full-length interviews will be shared on the channel each Friday in February as well.
Additionally, limited edition Cliff Burton Day 2023 T-shirts are now available via cliff-em-all-1456.myshopify.com for $24.99, with all proceeds supporting the Cliff Burton Music Scholarship awarded by The Cliff Burton Family.
Burton and the rest of the Metallica crew have deep ties to Central New Jersey. The late Jonny and Marsha Zazula, formerly of Old Bridge, discovered the band and released their first two LPs, 1983's "Kill 'Em All" and 1984’s “Ride the Lightning,” via their Megaforce Records.
Burton was tragically killed at the age of 24 in a 1986 tour bus accident while on tour in Europe in support of the band’s third album, “Master of Puppets.”
Go: Cliff Burton Day, 10 p.m. Friday, streaming via YouTube.com/gomezgrip.
‘One Fine Morning’ on screen in South Jersey
“One Fine Morning,” the new drama from writer and director Mia Hansen-Løve, has found acclaim everywhere from the Cannes Film Festival to the AARP Movies for Grown-Ups Awards. It’s arriving on select screens, including one in New Jersey, this weekend.
The film stars Léa Seydoux (of “No Time to Die,” “The French Dispatch” and “Death Stranding” fame) as a widowed young mother raising her daughter, caring for her ailing father, and re-connecting with a longtime friend and potential romantic interest.
“One Fine Morning” opens Friday at AMC Voorhees 16. For more information and a full list of participating theaters, visit tickets.onefinemorningmovie.com.
Go: “One Fine Morning” opening Friday at AMC Voorhees 16, 900 Haddonfield Berlin Road, Voorhees; tickets.onefinemorningmovie.com.
Ilana Keller and Gabriela Laracca contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Def Leppard in Atlantic City among Jersey Shore things to do
