An ’80s rock icon and a comic genius from that same decade prove that genius doesn’t fade

by Jessica Jones Gorman

DRAGONS ROAR AT PNC
Imagine Dragons will take its Evolve Tour (from a 2017 disc of the same name) to the PNC Bank Arts Center on June 9, bringing trademark effects and Billboard hits to the Garden State. The crossover group, which dabbles in alternative rock and pop genres, has enlisted industry notables like Khalid for mash ups and soundtrack work, and their debut album, Night Visions (2012) gave rise to chart topping singles “Radioactive” and “Demons.” Billboard has named them nothing less than the “Biggest Band of 2017.” Tickets start at $66. Exit 116, Garden State Parkway, Holmdel, livenation.com

JOURNEY MAN JOKESTER
Best known for his nine year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, comedian Kevin Nealon, who has also received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series Weeds, will perform at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick on June 2.

Nealon, 64, who has also found comedic success in his extensive film career, played opposite Jack Nicholson and fellow SNL comedian Adam Sandler in Anger Management (2003). He and Sandler also teamed up for Happy Gilmore(1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), Eight Crazy Nights (2002), You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (2008), and Blended (2014). In Joe Dirt(2001), Nealon joined another SNL alumnus, David Spade. The actor’s other fi lm credits include Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy and Good Boy with Molly Shannon (both in 2003), Roxanne (1987) with Steve Martin, and the 2006 cult hit Grandma’s Boy, with Jonah Hill and Nick Sward son.
As one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s live late night staple (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including “The Subliminal Man” and one half of “Hans and Franz.” His reoccurring role as an anchor on “Weekend Update” followed in the wake of Dennis Miller’s well-loved reign at the desk, but helped keep the newsroom sketch a show favorite. In 1988, Nealon earned an Emmy Award nomination along with eighteen other writers for their work as the Saturday Night Live writing team, and in 2009 was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his ensemble acting in Weeds. Recently, Nealon hosted TBS’s Funniest Commercials of the Year for the fifth time, and he currently stars in the CBS comedy Man With a Plan.

Tickets start at $32. The Stress Factory, 90 Church Street, New Brunswick stressfactorycomedyclub. laughstub.com

The Pretenders Make A Comeback
Chrissie Hynde and her legendary alt ’80 rock band and MTV pioneers, The Pretenders—formed in Hereford, England, in March 1978 (though Hynde is actually from Akron, Ohio, and moved to London when she was 23) will visit the Count Basie Theatre on June 28, performing classics as well as new hits from the 2016 album Alone. The band, which reunited four years ago for a reboot, debuted its first album 36 years ago. They have been touring throughout the U.S. for more than a year, introducing audiences to their new yet familiar sound. Tickets are between $45 and $99. 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, countbasietheatre.org