Arts & Entertainment
PNC Bank Arts Center Kicks Off the Season on Saturday
A variety of musical groups, with extra country music this year
The PNC Bank Arts Center concert series kicks off Saturday, May 7 with a music-lovers block party at the Holmdel box office. Live Nation, which produces the shows at the venue, has announced its summer schedule crafted to attract a mixed demographic.
PNC Bank Arts Center seems to have decided to bring a mixture of artists whose fan-bases are quite varied in age.
Last summer's season brought us only two, maybe three, concerts that geared towards a more youthful audience. There were acts like the Jonas Brothers with Demi Lovato, Goo Goo Dolls, and KTU BeatStock (which may be more of the late teens, early twenty-something’s).
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The 2011 season is full of a little bit of everything.
The area's new country music radio station must have inspired PNC to host six country shows. There were only three in 2010, and three in 2009. The genre also lends itself as a set of bookends for the season, opening with Sugarland on May 21 and closing with PNC favorite, Toby Keith on September 2.
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Eric Church, lands at PNC twice this summer, once with James Aldean, and later with Toby Keith. You can also find superstars Brad Paisley in mid-July and once again, Tim McGraw, July 29. Last year, McGraw’s concert was one of the hottest tickets of the season and entrance into the parking lot took over an hour. Country is the music of the people, which crosses all age ranges.
To continue the youthfulness of this summer concert season, singer Selena Gomez, the Disney star will make her first headlining appearance on August 20. Gomez, at the time of print, appears to be the only show specific for "tweens."
A bulk of this year’s shows are for the mainstream and college audiences. Jam band Phish returns to PNC for two nights on May 31 and June 1 -- two nights of drinking and partying for the local crowd. Additionally, O.A.R., Goo Goo Dolls with Michelle Branch, 311 & Sublime with Rome, Weezer, and Maroon 5 with 2010’s most popular artist, Train, fill out the packed out college audience.
Don’t forget about the endless barrage of rock music that fuels the PNC Bank Arts Center every year. PNC has had its share of major rock festivals and rock gods. This year seems no different.
Expect a mixed age crowd at July 27th's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest featuring Megadeth and Disturbed. Expect the older kids and adults will be partying like it’s the 1980’s when these classic acts hit the amphitheater: Def Leppard July 13, Motley Crue on July 17, and Journey on August 24.
For the “older” crowds, there are plenty to tickle your musical fancy too. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, on July 30. Janet Jackson (Ms. Jackson if you're nasty) arrives in August 6.
And if we have a Queen, there needs to be a King! BB King, the legendary king of the blues, is bringing his “Rib Festival” to town on August 28. The five-hour event will feature smoked Southern meats, local Blues music, J. Geils Band, as well as King himself.
For once, live music fans can see a show and not break the bank. Tickets for this year's concerts start as low as $10 (for specific shows). As always, the best seats will always be a tad high but if you just want to enjoy the weather and some great music on the great lawn, grab some tickets and bring the family down to the PNC Bank Arts Center this summer.
The Current 2011 PNC Bank Arts Center Concert Season:
SUGARLAND
Saturday, May 21
Matt Nathanson, Little Big Town
$33 - $57.75
On Sale Now
PHISH
May 31 & June 1
$45 - $60
On Sale Now
JASON ALDEAN
Friday, June 3
Eric Church, JaneDear Girls
$29.75 - $59.75
On Sale Now
DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
June 8
Chris Isaak
$20 - $154.50
On Sale Now
DEEP PURPLE
Friday, June 10
Performing with a Symphony Orchestra
$39.50 - $89.50
Ernie & The Automatics
On Sale Now
YES / STYX
July 5
$16.25 - $85
On Sale May 7th at 10am
O.A.R. (…of A Revolution)
Saturday, July 9
$25 - $59.75
On Sale May 7th at 10am
KID ROCK
July 12
Sheryl Crow
$28 - $87
Leroy Powell & The Messengers
On Sale Now
DEF LEPPARD
July 13
Heart
$25 - $125
On Sale Now
WKMK Thunderfest 2011
Friday, July 15
BRAD PAISLEY
$29.25 - $69.50
Blake Shelton, Jerrod Niemann
On Sale Now
WDHA Rock The Park
Saturday, July 17
MOTLEY CRUE / POISON
$29.50 - $99
New York Dolls
On Sale May 7th at 10am
311 / SUBLIME WITH ROME
July 21
$25 - $85
On Sale May 7th at 10am
GOO GOO DOLLS
Friday, July 22
Michelle Branch, Parachute
Tickets start at $20
On Sale Now
MIRANDA COSGROVE
Saturday, July 23
Cody Simpson & Greyson Chance
$19.50 - $49.50
On Sale May 7th at 10am
FURTHUR
July 24
Featuring Phil Lesh & Bob Weir
$29.50 - $69.50
On Sale Now
95.9 WRATFEST
Rockstar Energy Drink
July 27
MAYHEM FESTIVAL
$26 - $55.50
Disturbed, Godsmack, Megadeth, Trivium
On Sale Now
In Flames and many more
THE FLAMING LIPS / WEEZER
July 28
Yeasayer
$25 - $65
On Sale May 7th at 10am
TIM MCGRAW
Friday, July 29
Luke Bryan, The Band Perry
$30.25 - $75.50
On Sale May 7th at 10am
ARETHA FRANKLIN
Saturday, July 30
$29.50 - $79.50
On Sale May 7th at 10am
TIFFANY / DEBORAH GIBSON
July 31
$25 - $65
On Sale May 7th at 10am
JANET JACKSON
Saturday, August 6
Tickets start at $25
On Sale May 7th at 10am
IDENTITY FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 14
On Sale Soon
KINGS OF LEON
August 17
Band Of Horses
$25.50 - $66.50
On Sale May 14th at 11am
SELENA GOMEZ & THE SCENE
Saturday, August 20
Allstar Weekend
$19.50 - $79.50
On Sale Now
Q104 Shore To Shore
Saturday, August 21
LYNYRD SKYNYRD / THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
$16.00 - $91.00
Tom Hambridge (full band)
On Sale May 7th at 10am
WHITESNAKE
August 23
Tesla, Lita Ford, Sebastian Bach, Firehouse
$20 - $89.50
On Sale May 7th at 10am
JOURNEY
August 24
Foreigner, Night Ranger
Tickets start at $25
On Sale Now
MAROON 5 / TRAIN
Friday, August 26
Gavin DGraw
$25 - $125
On Sale May 7th at 10am
2011 RIB ROCK FESTIVAL
August 28
J. GEILS BAND, B.B. KING and more
Lawn / festival pass start at $15
Full day of music and BBQ
On Sale Now
TOBY KEITH
Fri, September 2
Eric Church
$39 - $74
On Sale May 21st at 10am
Country Lawn Megaticket on sale May 7th at 10am.
More shows to be announced soon… visit www.livenation.com for more information
A service charge will be added to each ticket. A $6.00 facility/ parking fee is also added. Date, time, ticket prices, and support acts are subject to change. For more information call 732.203-2500.
Doors open 60 minutes before show time for each concert, unless otherwise noted. All dates, acts, show times and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All events are rain or shine.
The Garden State Arts Foundation has presented Heritage Festivals as well as Classical/Cultural performances at the PNC Bank Arts Center for FREE for many years. The exciting series of festivals portray the many different ethnic communities and their old world traditions.
2011 International Heritage Festivals
All festivals are free and run from 9am – 6pm.
POLISH FESTIVAL – June 5th
AFRICAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL – Saturday, September 17th
SLOVAK FESTIVAL – September 25th
2011 Classical/Cultural Evening Performances
DOO WOP – Friday, May 13th at 8pm
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – June 22nd at 8pm
The PNC Bank Arts Center is owned by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and operated by Live Nation.
The PNC Bank Arts Center is located at Exit 116 Garden State Parkway.
Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/pncbankartscenter
