Distinguished NJ Songwriters Joe Rapolla and Joe D’Urso are back this year hosting the celebrated Songwriters by the Sea series at the Lauren K. Woods Theatre. What once started in a small coffee shop as an area for local songwriters has now grown into a series that features some of the top songwriters in the country. This year, the show features special guest artists Jeffrey Gaines and ERYN with an intro set by Mark Geary. The show will also feature Monmouth University student openers: Max Adolf and Kelli Misenheimer.

Throughout his two-and-a-half-decade recording career, Jeffrey Gaines has maintained an impressive standard for soul-searching, introspective lyrics and catchy, uplifting melodies. Since bursting on the scene with his self-titled 1992 debut album, the charismatic singer-songwriter-guitarist has built a beloved body of recordings that’s won him a large and deeply devoted international fan base. Now, after an extended absence from the recording studio, Gaines returns with Alright, his first Omnivore Recordings release and his first set of new studio material since 2003’s Toward the Sun. Street date is January 26, 2018. The new album features ten irresistible examples of the Philadelphia-based artist’s personally charged songcraft, performed with the same effortless exuberance that’s long been a hallmark of Gaines’ artful recordings and his dazzling live performances.

Eryn combines the old school sound that evokes the rhythms and recording techniques of the past with a modern pop mindset and powerhouse live performance. She is the youngest person to be inducted into the NJ/NY Blues Hall of Fame, a BELK southern musician showcase winner, and a multi Asbury Park Music award winner.

Sponsored by the Leon Hess Business School
All proceeds benefit the Music Industry Endowed Scholarship