August at PNC Arts Center: Pop, Rock & Ribs

It’s August already. Where did the summer go?

This month the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel is filled with classic rock, pop-punk kings, pop royalty, sleazy pop stars and mouthwatering blues music.

While Live Nation brought us a wide variety of artists this summer thus far, it seems like whoever booked August went into their favorite 70’s and 80’s playlists on their iPods. Classic rock artists are on full display with Def Leppard and guest Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd with the Doobie Brothers, Whitesnake with Tesla Sebastian Bach, Lita Ford and Firehouse, and Journey. Perhaps many of these artists aren’t as relevant as they once were, but each still has strong fanbases.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is always a fan favorite as an opener for Kid Rock but it’s great to see them as the headliners they truly are. My highlight of last year’s concert season was screaming out “Freebird” at a concert and getting to actually hear it! Journey is another band that's bigger than ever. Since New Jersey’s favorite fictional mafia family had their song on their show and they replaced their singer again, Journey has toured the world, and has had a top download on iTunes multiple times.

This Friday, August 5, Blink 182 hits PNC. It’s an exciting moment as I’ve never gotten to see them live. From past reviews of their shows, they're terrible live but who cares? — it’s Blink. Joining them on the tour is New Jersey residents, My Chemical Romance. MCR has seen their star rising since 2004 when they released 3 Cheers For Sweet Revenge. MCR is an incredible live band so get there early enough to catch their set.

Teenie boppers unite! August has two shows that will keep the Z100 crowd happy. Justin Bieber’s girlfriend, a.k.a. Selena Gomez, and pop’s dirtiest and sleaziest star, Ke$ha, arrive at the PNC.

Gomez is a gifted star who is a real triple threat as an actress, singer and philanthropist. At this past Jingle Ball in New York City, Gomez proved that she is a real pop star rather than an actress gone singer. She recently told me that she can’t decide whether she’d rather have a career in acting or singing.

As for Ke$ha, be prepared for terrible auto-tuned singing from a singer who can really sing. While her songs are uber catchy, her real claim to fame was sneaking into Prince’s house during one of his band practices.

Rounding out the main events of August is the Rib Fest with Janet Jackson and BB King. Miss Jackson -- if you’re nasty -- heads to PNC on August 6^th for an up-close and personal show. Showtime is at 9pm and expect her to play her many hits.

At the end of the month, prepare for the most mouthwatering performance of the summer when BB King brings the J Geils band on the road and hosts an outdoor BBQ cookout. The Southern fare is available to concert goers until about 5pm when the concert actually starts. Bring plenty of wet-naps because this show will get dirty.