Bands & Musicians in New Jersey

New Jersey's fingerprint spans several genres. Newark produced jazz singer Sarah Vaughan and saxophonist Wayne Shorter and later became a hub of East Coast hip-hop and R&B. Asbury Park's boardwalk clubs incubated Bruce Springsteen's working-class rock, Lodi gave punk the Misfits, and Englewood's Sugar Hill Records carried hip-hop onto the radio. Hoboken's Maxwell's made the state a required indie tour stop.

The Stone Pony in Asbury Park remains the state's signature club, with its outdoor Summer Stage beside it. Sayreville's Starland Ballroom draws national rock tours, White Eagle Hall in Jersey City covers indie bills, and Newark's NJPAC and Prudential Center handle the large rooms. Maxwell's Tavern keeps Hoboken on the small-venue map.

The roll runs from Frank Sinatra, a Hoboken native, through Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi to Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick of the Newark area. Queen Latifah and Redman carried Newark hip-hop, while the Misfits, Yo La Tengo, and My Chemical Romance cover the punk and indie side.

Jersey City, Hoboken, and Asbury Park hold the busiest club calendars, with New Brunswick's Rutgers scene supplying basement shows and college crowds. Trains to New York and Philadelphia open two more markets without a move. Suburban players can line up collaborators on BandMate first instead of driving to every audition.