Veterans Day events, Ani DiFranco plays Asbury Park and more things to do at the Shore

Veteran-owned Ocean County craft beer operation Backward Flag Brewing Co. is honoring our nation’s armed service members for Veterans Day on Friday.

Doors open at 11 a.m. at 699 Challenger Way in Forked River. There will be free beer and food for the first 50 veterans through the door at the event, sponsored by TAB Transmissions of Forked River and Toms River-based veteran advocacy nonprofit organization Ma Deuce Deuce.

There will be swag bags filled with veteran resource information, and giveaways sponsored by organizations including Arms 2 Artisans, Black 6 Coffee, Patriots of the Leaf, Dead Reckoning Collective and more.

Live music will be playing all day, and there will be a Veterans Day toast at 6 p.m.

Go: Veterans Day at Backward Flag Brewing Co., starting 11 a.m. Friday, 699 Challenger Way, Forked River; backwardflagbrewing.com.

Laugh it up at Laurita Winery in New Egypt

Laurita Winery will mark Veterans Day with a comedy show starring a trio of vets.

Hosted by Kricket Comedy, the event begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The lineup includes comedians Steve Young, Linette Palladino and Rob Cody. Admission is $25.

The fun continues through the weekend with the winery’s November food truck festival, taking place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $14 at the door. Attendees younger than 21 will be admitted free.

Go: Laurita Winery, 85 Archertown Road, New Egypt section of Plumsted; lauritawinery.com.

Ani DiFranco at Asbury Lanes

Iconoclastic singer/songwriter, author and activist Ani DiFranco will be in Asbury Park on Sunday night to play Asbury Lanes, with support from her labelmates in the Righteous Babes Revue, featuring Gracie and Rachel, Holly Miranda and Jocelyn Mackenzie.

DiFranco is touring in celebration of the 25th anniversary of her 1997 live album “Living in Clip,” with a remastered triple LP edition of the record now available via DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.

Go: Ani DiFranco with the Righteous Babes Revue, 8 p.m. Sunday, Asbury Lanes, 209 Fourth Ave., Asbury Park, $35 to $40; righteousbabe.com.

Tom Papa, a Passaic native, brings laughs to The Basie

Tom Papa, the comedian, actor, podcaster and radio host who hails from Passaic, will be back in his home state for a Saturday night headlining engagement at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

In 2020, Papa released the book “You’re Doing Great! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive,” and released his fourth hour-long stand-up special, “Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great!” via Netflix.

Go: Tom Papa, doors at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank, $25 to $59; thebasie.org/events/tom-papa.

'Dance(in)Haus' at Bell Works in Holmdel

Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater will present its latest production, “Dance(in)Haus,” Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the AXCBT rehearsal space in Bell Works in Holmdel.

“Dance(in)Haus” is the first installment in a two-part series, drawing inspiration from the early 20th century German art school Bauhaus, as well as the architecture of the Bell Works site and the paintings of Wassily Kandinsky, created by AXCBT artistic director Gabriel Chajnik.

Bell Works will also host free pop-up performances of “Dance(in)Haus” throughout the building, with performances 12:30 p.m. Friday, as well as Wednesday, Nov. 16, and Friday, Nov. 18. The second installment of “Dance(in)Haus” is expected to be presented in April 2023.

Go: “Dance(in) Haus I,” 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday, Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, $35. VIP tickets are $75 and include premium seating, a Bell Works tour, pre-show reception, meet-and-greet with the artists and a gift bag, as well as entry an hour earlier than standard tickets; 732-531-9106, ext. 14, axelrodartscenter.org.

Paul Virzi at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick

Comedian and podcaster Paul Virzi hits the Stress Factory in New Brunswick Thursday through Sunday.

The host of the solo podcast “The Virzi Effect,” as well as “Anything Better” alongside co-host Bill Burr for the All Things Comedy network, Virzi released his latest stand-up special, the Pete Davidson-directed “Nocturnal Admissions,” via Netflix in June.

Go: Paul Virzi, 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Stress Factory, 90 Church St., New Brunswick, tickets start at $20; newbrunswick.stressfactory.com/events.

Robert Pinsky talks new book at Monmouth University

Long Branch native and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky visits the West Long Branch campus of Monmouth University on Thursday evening.

Celebrating the release of Pinsky’s memoir “Jersey Breaks," the 7:30 p.m. conversation in the Great Hall Auditorium will be moderated by David Hamilton Golland, dean of the Wayne D. McMurry School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Go: Robert Pinsky, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Great Hall Auditorium, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave., West Long Branch, free with copies of “Jersey Breaks” available for sale; monmouth.edu/MCA.

Well Wisher weigh in

Natalie, you're going to carry “That Weight.”

Asbury Park indie rock band Well Wisher, fronted by city talent Natalie Newbold, are back with a new album, “That Weight.” A record release show is Saturday at the city's House of Independents. Teenage Halloween, Sweet Pill, and Have a Good Season open.

“That Weight,” full slashing guitars, driving rhythms and melodic gyros, leaves quite an agreeable impression on the listener.

“So much of this record is about diving into the past and uncovering the weight that we all carry,” said Newbold on social media.

Go: Well Wisher, with Teenage Halloween, Sweet Pill, Have a Good Season, 5 p.m. Saturday, House of Independents, Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park. $16. houseofindependents.com.

Staff writers Sarah Griesemer and Chris Jordan contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore things to do include Veterans Day events, Backward Flag