Craving Culture?

I’m not ashamed to admit that I watch an unhealthy amount of reality television. As a realtor, I’m usually talking non-stop for long stretches most days and mindless entertainment seems to have a soothing effect. However, to counter-act the brain damaging effects of reality television I do make an effort to enjoy real art as well. New Jersey’s one of the best places to live if you enjoy live music. There’s a ton of great venues and you can often score tickets to big name artist for a fraction of  the usual costs if you take the time to do a little research on-line.  Being from the south, I grew up listing to a lot of soul and classic country so I don’t expect most people from the east coast to understand all my concert picks…but,  I thought I would share…

I fulfilled a long-time dream of seeing country music icon, Willie Nelson at Radio City Music Hall. He rocked it out all night on the guitar. At 78yrs old, Willie Nelson had to be the original inventor of cool. Carnegie Hall hosted a charity event to celebrate  its 120 Year Anniversary . The entertainment included James Taylor and Bette Midler, with comedic interludes by Steve Martin. The tickets weren’t cheap ($200), but with the charitable tax deduction it’s a great deal! One of my favorite nights was listening to Carrie Underwood belt out high notes from the back of a vintage Chevy pick-up truck floating over a sea of people in The Prudential Center in Newark. With a little on-line digging, a girlfriend of mine was able to get $49.00 tickets to watch U2 at the Meadowlands MetLife Stadium. It was open-air, the entire stadium was packed, and EVERYONE, was standing and singing/dancing..good times!

On a perfect night out in the city just when the first hint of fall cooled the air, I enjoyed a FREE concert with Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion while snuggled up on a blanket with my honey under a tree in Central Park. It rained just three feet in front of us, but the burly tree sheltered us from every drop. The stage lights lit up the rain like pyrotechnics all night and we grazed on cold anti-pasta while we listened to two of the greatest voices of our time, so fantastic!

My absolute favorite venue for live entertainment is The Music Box, an intimate 1,000-seat theatre in The Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City. Because the Borgata is a Casino first, they offer headliner talent at unbelievably low ticket prices, typically from $25.00-$85.00 per ticket! I sat first row center for John Legend, one of today’s most talented singer/song writers in my opinion. During the concert he jumped off stage and stood on my chair while singing to the crowd. Although my husband begs to differ, I’m convinced John Legend and I had a moment where our eyes locked and he told me (with his eyes) that he was diggin’ me. John and I know what happened. I’ve actually had several people tell me that I strongly resemble his real-life Victoria Secret model girlfriend, Christine Teigen…I’m just 15lbs heavier, and a foot and a half shorter than her. Other than that, we’re identical. 😉

Live music evokes a deeper level of thought and emotions. There’s always a variety of big names & emerging artist performing in and around NJ, so get off the couch and enjoy a truly memorable night out.