Some of the world’s finest pop, rock, and country stars are set to visit New Jersey stages this summer

by Jessica Jones Gorman

HIPPIES RULE!
Legendary singer/songwriter David Crosby, co-founder of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, is touring this summer with the Sky Trails Band and will make a stop at the Count Basie Center for the Arts on June 10. Crosby, who has written songs like “Mr. Tambourine Man” (giving Bob Dylan his fi rst number one hit) and the hippie anthem “Almost Cut My Hair,” will perform those classics in addition to new material from his sixth solo album, Sky Trails, which included contributions from no fewer than 22 musicians.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (for the Byrds and again for Crosby, Stills & Nash) and outspokenly liberal, Crosby was recently hired by Rolling Stone as an advice columnist (no kidding!). Tickets for the June show range from $31 to $80, and VIP Meet & Greet packages are available for a higher fee. 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank thebasie.org

Homegrown
Zac Brown Band, on its third tour run within the span of just a year, will be making a stop at PNC Bank Arts Center on June 22. “The Owl Tour,” which comes fresh on the heels of “Down the Rabbit Hole” road shows, was media boosted by the recently released single, “Someone I Used to Know,” from an as yet unnamed new studio album scheduled for summer release. That track, co-written by pop star Shawn Mendes, was paired with a riveting music video that recounts the experiences of a high school football star who goes to war and returns with post-traumatic stress disorder. The tour and album also draw inspiration from the mythology of the Great Horned Owl, a creature that can see perfectly in the night, serving as a guide in dark moments. 116 Garden State Parkway, Holmdel, bankartscentre.com

J.LO: FAB AT 50
Jennifer Lopez is touring North America for the first time in six years to celebrate her milestone 50th birthday. The “It’s my Party” tour, which kicks off on June 7 in California, will make a stop at the Prudential Center on July 19. Along with a range of party hits, the singer/dancer/ actress will also don her customary dazzling costumes and present her famed choreography. In addition to most of the Bronx native’s classic anthems, J.Lo will also perform the new track, “Medicine,” which features Moroccan American (now New Yorker) rapper French Montana. About the new song, she explained to idolator.com that, “I love collaborating with people from the Bronx, it makes me feel at home… At the core I’m still Jenny from the Block, and this new track brought that out.” 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, prucenter.com