Date Night: Music and Comedy Top Weekend Shows

Wellmont Theatre, Montclair

THIS WEEKEND Saturday — Comedian Aziz Ansari, one of the funniest character actors in TV and film, delivers his stand-up act to the Montclair audience, 8 p.m.

NEXT WEEK   John Prine, with Kevin Gordon, 8 p.m., Friday, April 20; Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, 8 p.m., Saturday, April 21

BOOK IT NOW Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples, 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 19.

Check out wellmonttheatre.com for more shows.

The Borgata, Atlantic City

THIS WEEKEND: Friday —Top-40 pop stars All-American Rejects perform at 9 p.m. in The Music Box; Saturday — Cage Fury Fighting Championship, 7 p.m., Event Center; "Live From Daryl's House," with Daryl Hall and featuring special guests Sharon Jones and Allen Stone, 9 p.m., The Music Box

NEXT WEEK: "Shut Up, Sit Down & Eat," a Comedy Club Special Event featuring Tino Giorgi, Joe Moffa, Chris Monty & Eric Tartaglione, 9 p.m., Music Box, Friday through Sunday, April 20-22 

BOOK IT NOW: Angst-pop stars Counting Crows deliver their hits and new songs, Saturday, April 28, at the Event Center; Russell Brand, the soon-to-be former-Mr.-Katy-Perry does, well... whatever it is that he does, Thursday, May 4, 9 p.m., The Music Box

Check out theborgata.com for details about these and other shows.

Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank

THIS WEEKEND: Friday — Comedian Sinbad brings his wacky, rambling act (but with any luck, he kept his '90s-era Zubaz pants in the closet), 8 p.m., Friday, April 13

NEXT WEEK: No shows

BOOK IT NOW: Squeeze, one of the few '80s bands to survive the '80s music scene with their livers, noses and bank accounts intact, performs their impressive list of hits at 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 25; Music and biofuel icon Willie Nelson performs at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 12; Steve Winwood, whose music and influence on music has spanned decades, performs at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 27.

Go to countbasietheatre.org for more details about all shows.

Kean University, Union

THIS WEEKEND Friday and Saturday — The Kean University Dance Ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m., Wilkins Theatre; Saturday — Jazz performer Ravi Coltrane, 7:30 p.m., Enlow Recital Hall

NEXT WEEK  no shows

BOOK IT NOW Kathy Mattea, 3 p.m., Sunday, May 6. 

Check out keanstage.com for details about these and other shows.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown

This Weekend: Tonight — MercyMe, Grammy-nominated, multiple GMA Dove Award winners for Christian Contemporary music, 8 p.m.;  Saturday — The Passing Zone: Gravity Attacks, Jon Wee and Owen Morse merge comedy, juggling and dangerous stunts with hilarious results, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

NEXT WEEK: "Gabriel Iglesias: Stand-up Revolution Tour" gives the crazy comedian  the chance to get a Mo-town audience fired up, 8 p.m., Thursday; Dance Theatre of Harlem provides mixes bal and modern movement, 8 p.m., Friday, April 20; Catskills on Broadway features "Borscht Belt" favorite comedians Freddie Roman, Mal Z. Lawrence and Dick Capri, 3 p.m., Sunday, April 22.

BOOK IT NOW: Guitar hero Joe Walsh brings his "Analog Tour" into Mo-town at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7; Darius Rucker, the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish who's now topping the country charts as a solo performer, plays at 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 13.

Check out mayoarts.org for details about these and other shows.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark

THIS WEEKEND: Tonight — Paco de Lucia, one of the great flamenco and jazz guitarists of his generation, performs with his band; 8 p.m., Friday; Prudential Hall; Theresa Caputo, star of TLC'sLong Island Medium, helps audience members connect with the dead; 8 p.m., Victoria Theater 

NEXT WEEK: Audra McDonald, one of musical theater's most accomplished leading ladies performs the best of the Broadway and Hollywood songbooks; 8 p.m., Friday, April 20, Prudential Hall

BOOK IT NOW: Daughtry has gone from American Idol contestant to Grammy-nominated pop band. He and his band rock Prudential Hall at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 25; Straight No Chaser, a 10-man ensemble, bring their crazy a cappella harmonies to Prudential Hall, 8 p.m., Saturday, April 28. 

Check out njpac.org to check out these and other events.

The Prudential Center, Newark

THIS WEEKEND: Saturday — Nets v. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.

NEXT WEEK: Nets v. Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m., Monday; Devils v. Florida Panthers, 7 p.m., Tuesday; Nets v. Knicks, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday; Devils v. Panthers (yes, again), 7 p.m., Thursday

BOOK IT NOW:  G Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2; Red Hot Chili Peppers, 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, May 4, 5; McDonald's Gospelfest, 4 p.m., Saturday, May 12 

Check out prucenter.com for details about these and other shows.

South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Orange

THIS WEEKEND: Saturday — Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp, original cast members of the Tony Award-winning musical RENT, reunite for a concert featuring a mix of pop and original songs as well as Broadway tunes, 8 p.m.; 

NEXT WEEK: No shows

BOOK IT NOW: Resurrection Blues, Arthur Miller's 2006 allegorical comedy about a captured mysterious miracle-maker who will be killed on a reality show, Thursday through Sunday, April 26-29.

Go to sopacnow.org for more details about all shows.

Scotty’s Steakhouse, Springfield

THIS WEEK: Tonight and Saturday — Carole Montgomery, New York City resident and performer of the one-woman show, PT&A Mom, brings the act she has honed for years as a headlining comedian and frequent guest on Comedy Central and Nick @ Nite's Funniest Moms and other shows; Mick Thomas and Jason Pollock are also featured on the show

NEXT WEEK: Buddy Flip, a regular on the Atlantic City and Las Vegas comedy circuits and on radio's nationally syndicated Joey Reynolds Show, performs.The show also features Tracy Locke and Danny Palmer; Friday and Saturday, April 20, 21

BOOK IT NOW: Kyle Grooms, a bright voice on the comedy scene, boasts regular work on Chappelle's Show and NBC's Last Comic Standing, performs for the Scotty's crowd on a show that also features Terry McNeely and Mary Radzinsky

For details and more information, log onto scottyssteakhouse.com.

Shanghai Jazz, Madison

THIS WEEKEND: Tonight — David Ginsburg Quartet; Multi-Grammy winner Helio Alves brings his trio to perform Brasilian jazz for the Shanghai Jazz crowd; Sunday — Thaddeus Expose Group

NEXT WEEK: Herb Woodson Blues Soul Quartet, playing everything from Van Morrison to Otis Redding; Friday, April 20; Don Braden, acclaimed saxophonist and musical director for the Cosby Show, leads his Don Braden Quartet into Madison, Saturday, April 21.

BOOK IT NOW: Marcus McLauren Trio, led by the star bassist who performed with Abby Lincold and Clark Terry, Saturday, April 28.

All shows 6:30 and 8:30. Check out shanghaijazz.com for more details.

State Theatre, New Brunswick

THIS WEEK: No shows

NEXT WEEK: Johnny Mathis, 8 p.m., Saturday, April 21 

BOOK IT NOW:  Dickey Betts and Great Southern, 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 25; "American Pie" writer Don McLean celebrates the 40th anniversary of one of pop music's most enduring songs, 8 p.m., Friday, April 27

 Check out statetheatrenj.org for more details.

Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick

THIS WEEK: Tonight and Saturday — Marc Maron, host of WTF? with Marc Maron and a regular guest on Late Night with David Letterman and The Craig Ferguson Show, performs for the New Brunswick crowd.

NEXT WEEK: Neal Brennan performs from Thursday through Saturday, April 19-21

Book It Now: Jon Lovitz, former Saturday Night Live cast member and star of many terrible movies, brings his stand-up act to New Brunswick on Thursday and Friday, April 27, 28

Check out stressfactory.com for more details.

Union County Performing Arts Center, Rahway

THIS WEEKEND: Saturday —  An Evening with Amy Correia, 8 p.m., The Loft at UC PAC; Sunday — The 50th Anniversary celebration of The Duprees, performing on stage with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, 3 p.m.

 NEXT WEEK: No shows

Go to unioncountypac for more details about all shows.