It’s the last weekend in February and there’s some great ways to celebrate. We told you about:
- James Maddock at The Art Garage
- School of Rock Montclair’s Memorial Concert for Kevin Parker
- Jazz House Kids’ Body & Soul
- Bowtie Cinemas “Cine Classics” Classic Film Series
- MAM’s Come As You Are: Art of the 1990s exhibition
- Montclair High School Dance Company’s “The Best Way Out is Always Through”
And there’s more. Here are your weekend highlights:
Montclair resident Rob Middleton and Soundscapes will perform as part of the Caldwell University concert series tonight in the Alumni Theatre on campus.Soundscapes is a jazz ensemble built around beautiful timbres, exotic textures and irresistible beats. It includes woodwinds, acoustic guitar, Latin percussion, and vibraphone. With a focus on Brazilian Samba and Latin Jazz, this program will include favorites by Antonio Carlos Jobim Djavan, Clare Fischer, and original music by Rob Middleton, who teaches in the Music Department at Caldwell. The ensemble includes leading musicians on the Brazilian and Latin Jazz New York scene Paul Meyers, guitar; Rolando Morales-Matos, percussion; Matt King, piano; Leo Traversa, bass, and Vince Cherico, drums.
Rob Middleton and Soundscapes
Thursday, February 26 at 8 pm
Caldwell University Alumni Theatre, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ
Tickets are $20, general admission $15.
In celebration of Black History Month, reg e gaines will present The Last Celebrity Encore Tour II tonight at the Montclair Public Library. This solo performance piece, which tells the tale of gaines’ “accidental brush with fame,” is a multi-media collage of video, poetry, monologue and music. gaines will discuss his transformation from urban street poet to writer of the Tony Award winning musical, Bring in da Noise/ Bring in da Funk.The Last Celebrity premiered at Art House Productions in Jersey City during Black History Month 2013, to rave reviews and four sold out performances.
The Last Celebrity Encore Tour II
Thursday, February 26 at 7 pm
Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, Nj, 07042
Free
You can dance, you can jive at SOPAC tonight with Arrival From Sweden: The Music From ABBA, one of the world’s most popular and best-selling ABBA tribute bands! Since the start in 1995, the band has toured over 50 nations. Arrival From Sweden is the only group who has received an unreleased ABBA song directly from ABBA, the song will be released worldwide in 2014, and the only group who has the exclusive right to copy ABBA”s original outfits.
Arrival From Sweden: The Music of ABBA
Thursday, February 26 at 7:30 pm
SOPAC, One SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ
Tickets are $39 – $59 and can be purchased online here
Studio B, a Maplewood-‐based arts organization known for producing innovative, standing-room-only events, is hosting another Story Slam — a knock-down, drag-out 5 minute storytelling throw down on Friday night. Studio B has been hosting regular Story Slams for several years and they have been gaining in popularity. Call yourself a writer? Then bring your most fabulous 5-minute story to the Story Slam stomping ground. They’ll draw names out of a hat (one writer at a time) and if you hear your name, you hop up, adjust the mic, and let it rip. If you pass the 5-minute mark, you will be severely chastised by a bored audience and an aggressive keyboard player. After 10 writers, they put it in the hands of three masterful literary agents who will name a winner. Or just go to listen, drink beer, and have fun.
Studio B Story Slam
Friday, February 27 at 8 pm
The Elk’s Lodge, 220 Prospect Street, South Orange, NJ
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online here
In honor of Black History Month, Montclair Film Festival will present a free screening of Little White Lie on Saturday afternoon. Little White Lie is Montclair resident Lacey Schwartz’s story of growing up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity — despite the open questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin. She believes her family’s explanation that her looks were inherited from her dark-skinned Sicilian grandfather. But when her parents abruptly split, her gut starts to tell her something different and she makes a discovery that throws her identity and her family history into question. Little White Lie is a personal documentary about the legacy of family secrets, denial, and the power of telling the truth. Stay for a Q&A with Director, Lacey Schwartz, immediately following the film.
Little White Lie screening
Saturday, February 28 at 5 pm
Glenfield Middle School, 25 Maple Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042
Free. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come first-served basis. Registration is not necessary but will guarantee you a seat
The Royal Scam is the world’s premier Steely Dan tribute band and they perform at Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant in Montclair on Saturday. Playing more than 40 of Steely Dan’s masterpieces, the band has helped to keep the compositions of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the spirit of jazz, rock, blues and the enthusiasm of fine musicianship alive in small clubs and major concert venues in the NY metropolitan area. The Royal Scam was started 21 years ago by founders Michael Caputo and Gino Amato, whose love for the music of Steely Dan has fueled the project and gained the respect and loyalty of many fans.
The Royal Scam: Steely Dan Tribute Band
Saturday, February 28 at 8 pm and 10 pm
Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant, 6 Depot Square, Montclair, NJ, 07042
$22 pp music, $12pp minimum. Advance tickets can be purchased at a discount online here
Also on Saturday night, Montclair’s intimate Adinkra House hosts Carmen Rodgers, aka “The Lyrical psychologist.” Singing background with various artists, including Stax recording artist N’Dambi, allowed Carmen Rodgers to develop a unique style. Carmen’s approach to singing and songwriting has opened the door for her music to be featured in multiple films, including the award-winning and critically acclaimed feature film “Traci Townsend.” Enjoy her smooth R&B and neo-soul sounds along with special guest ZO!.
Carmen Rodgers at Adinkra House
Saturday, February 28 at 7 pm
Adinkra House, 26 Pleasant Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07042
Donation $25 at the door/ $20 in advance online
Enjoy the sounds of Anat Cohen at at the Shea Center for Performing Arts at WPU on Sunday. Anat Cohen’s music has no boundaries. Her clarinet and saxophone adapt easily to the worlds of swing, jazz, klezmer, Brazilian music, and more. Her performance showcases her versatility and wonderful stage presence, making Anat one of the most in-demand artists on the New York Jazz scene.
Anat Cohen
Sunday, March 1 at 4 pm
Shea Center for Performing Arts, WPU, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ
Tickets are $15 an can be purchased online here
Check our Calendar for more of what’s happening this weekend.