Holiday concerts, new life for a legendary ’90s band, and a music photography centric gallery dominate the end of year arts scene

By Jessica Jones-Gorman

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY

With popular hits like “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” Melissa Etheridge is one of rock music’s great female icons. She has several Grammys and double platinum albums to her credit and a new Rock & Soul LP currently on the charts. This holiday season, the 56 old year will be playing a special Christmas show at the Count Basie Theatre.

The November 28 gig, which starts at 8 P.M., will feature songs from her 2008 holiday album, A New Thought For Christmas. The set list will include fan favorites and holiday classics such as “Merry Christmas, Baby,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “O Night Divine,” and others. Tickets, which are priced between $45 and $110, can be purchased on Ticketmaster. Backstage packages are available for $660, and a sound check meet and greet is on sale for $310. 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank countbasietheatre.org

VISIBLE MUSIC

Danny Clinch has been photographing famous musicians for years—his work appearing on dozens of album covers and in publications like Vanity Fair, Spin, Rolling Stone, GQ and Esquire. Now, some of his most celebrated pics are being showcased at The Asbury Hotel. Entitled “Transparent,” the exhibition will remain on display through April and features photos of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Tupac Shakur, and R.E.M., among other artists.

Clinch, who attended the New England School of Photography and who once worked as an assistant to Annie Leibovitz, has published three books: Discovery Inn, The Photographs of Danny Clinch (Razorfish Studios, 1998); When the Iron Bird Flies: Tibetan Freedom Concerts (Razorfish Studios, 2000); and Danny Clinch: Still Moving (Harry N. Abrams, 2014), and has also received three Grammy Award nominations for his music video direction.

Clinch started taking pictures of musicians as a teenager when he drove from his Toms River hometown to catch sets with acts like the Stray Cats and the Greg Allman Band at the now legendary Stone Pony. He began focusing solely on music photography in the early 1990s and has shot and filmed a wide range of artists, from Johnny Cash and Katy Perry to Björk and B.B. King.

One of just a few artists to have had an exhibit at The Asbury Hotel, this is a perfect fi t for the New Jersey native, who shot Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball album photos on the boardwalk and has made consistent use of local bars and convention halls in other work.210 Fifth Avenue, Asbury Park, theasburyhotel.com

NEW BLOSSOMS

Recently reunited, the Arizona based 1990s pop/rock sensations the Gin Blossoms will perform at the Borgata’s Music Box on December 1. Fans can expect to hear hits like “Hey Jealousy,” “Found Out About You,” and “Till I Hear it From You,” as well as songs from their last album, No Chocolate Cake. The show starts at 9 P.M. and tickets range from $35 to $39. 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, theborgata.com