Where Dave Plays.....
THE SANDTRAP GRILLE - The Sandtrap Grille is the bar venue at the Limerick Golf Club in Limerick, PA. It's a large and friendly place, open to the public with entertainment every Friday and Saturday. I just started playing there in Fall of 2010 as I make my move to take over the Eastern Pennsylvania music scene. The local following is already considerable. On Fridays I play from 6 to 10, very civilized. During the summer I will be playing outside, weather permitting.
FAIRWAYS PUB & GRILLE - The Fairways was one of the first places I tried to get into when I moved out to PA. That was because they are the closest bar that has NTN, The National Trivia Network, or Buzztime as it's called in the bars. You may have seen some customers at the bar sitting around with little blue boxes and staring at TV screens that have a series of trivia questions. It's free and a lot of fun and you play for high scores not only against your fellow bar patrons, but against all of North America. It took me a while, but I'm finally in this room and loving it. There's a great Wing Nite every Tuesday with a wide selection of styles. The food is different and very good and affordable. I've seen kids in here with their folks and everybody is very friendly and accomodating. Service is very good and the facilities are clean and well-lit.
McKENZIE'S BREW HOUSE - With two locations, in Malvern and Chadds Ford, PA, I get to rock both venues on a regular basis. Large bars serving their own remarkable homemade beer selections and plenty of dining areas make it the place for everybody. The beers have won a number of awards. I usually sip the Lite which is the fullest-body Lite I've ever had. I don't know what the calorie count is and I don't care. It's really good. There's very nice stages in both venues and a great outdoor deck when the weather allows. I'll be playing in both rooms on occasional Friday and Saturday nights.
THE INN at St PETER'S - Perhaps the most beautiful setting I've played in PA, I am playing on the covered deck overlooking a big stream bubbling over huge rocks with a lush valley rising up behind it. St Peter's Village is a quaint little PA town with a few little shops and this great venue for drinks, quality food and real relaxation. My sets will be early, either 4 to 8 or even earlier on Sunday afternoons. I like this place so much, I got married here.
CAFFREY'S - I am playing occasional Wednesdays through the Summer of '11. Caffrey's has the best all-around combination of services available in the Ocean County Area, if not the world. I can be found on the occasional free weekday afternoon playing NTN Trivia, eating wings and drinking beer. The food is very good and affordable and the bands are usually pretty good. Caffrey's is right on Rt 9 in Forked River. 609-693-6613
THE CAPTAIN'S INN - The long nightmare is over. THe rightful owners have returned, and so have I. I have been playing here year-round for at least 15 years through all the changes that have made this one of the best waterfront venues on the Jersey Coast. I'm playing both in the lounge during the colder months but mostly during the warm season on the newly expanded deck, on the beautiful Forked River, surrounded by the Marina and the open-air bar. Outside heaters and wind barriers have really lengthened the season at the dockside bar where smokers can still enjoy that pastime without having to "go outside". This is the locals inside spot during the summer because it's just the best setting in the area for this kind of thing, and it's a bit off the beaten track. Keep your eye on this place, folks, it's gonna be THE place before too long. Constant expansion and renovation is paying off nicely. The food keeps getting better and drink specials during the week are creating a big momentum. The crowds just keep getting bigger and better. Exit 74 off the Parkway, head east on Lacey Road in Forked River, a mile past Rt 9, and the restaraunt will be on the left, the dockside bar on the right. It's an early gig, 5 to 9 on the deck, 7 to 11 in the lounge. 609-693-3351
THE SHELL BEACH CLUB - Great summer gig for all of you who will be spending some time on LBI during the week. Every Thursday during happy hour (4-7) I'll be playing poolside amidst the palm trees and the cabana bars, the sand dunes and the beautiful Atlantic. Enjoy a little bit of the Carribean right here in New Jersey. Sip a Margarita and listen to some Jimmy Buffet & Bob Marley songs, or whatever you wanna hear. Exit 63 on the Parkway, follow Rt 72 East to the end and turn right. Head down the Blvd to Beach Haven, about 7 miles, turn left on Center St and go to the end. We're on the beach on the right. 609-492-4611
THE TITUS INN - This is the first venue that I've gotten into in the Chester Springs area. It's a great little bar with good acoustics and a very friendly atmosphere. The menu is excellent and different, yet very affordable. Wednesday nights feature acoustic acts and I'm glad to have my foot in the door for this place. It's nice and early, 7 to 10, so a late dinner and little music on Humpday might be just what you need to break up the workweek.
LUDWIG'S OYSTER BAR & GRILLE - Located at the intersection of Rt 100 & Rt 401 in Glenmore, PA, this is one of the coolest of the local hangouts. Donna always joins me to sing for much of the night and, if we're lucky, Andy Vernon from Philly Bloco stops by to play some percussion for us. We have the greatest friends on the world and many of them converge on Ludwig's for the festivities. The crowd is almost as entertaining as the band. And of course, if you like oysters, they are reputed to be the best on the east coast.
AMERICA BAR & GRILL - There are several of these places in PA. The first one I'm playing in is on Rt 113, 499 Uwchlan Ave, in Chester Springs. It's a comfortable venue with a house sound system. I play in the back of the room where there's a nice stage area and tables and booths in front of me. The bar is behind that. The menu is very good and different. You also might get to see some of my PA friends sitting in here, maybe Andy "Burnin'" Vernon or Ted The Fiddler. I play from 8 to 12. 610-280-0800
SHARK FIN INN - New venue getting a lot of buzz around Forked River and beyond. They have a very unique menu in a Carribean kind of way. They're going for the Jimmy Buffet, Key West sort of vibe. Very nicely done inside and they actually included a stage when they remodeled the place. That doesn't happen too often. Their "in house" sound system greatly improves the audio portion of the show. Plus, it's only a half mile from my house. Rt9, Forked River, NJ 08731 609-971-5440.
WADING PINES CAMPING RESORT - What a facility! Cabins, swimming pool, canoeing, RV hookups, all the comforts of home including cable TV hookups, laundramat, general store, game room, showers and Good Ol' Dave Weber playing for your listening pleasure. The web site has directions and all the info you'll need. It's in Chatsworth, NJ in the heart of the pines. 85 Godfrey Bridge Rd. 08019. 609-726-1313
BUCKALEWS - I've been playing at Buckalews for over 20 years, since before the new owners and the renovations which have made this room one of the finest rooms on Long Beach Island. A wide variety of clientele gives this room the ambience which makes it so enjoyable. Great food and generous drinks help make the experience memorable. This is the only other room that I'm aware of that has a free shuffleboard table. During off-season there is a pool room and year-round there is a separate dining room. Besides the performance schedule on this Site, you can look for Dave Weber in the local entertainment papers, The Sandpaper or The Islander. Take Rt 72 to Long Beach Island. Exit 63 on the Parkway. Make a right at the end of the causeway and take the Boulevard to Beach Haven, about seven miles. Buckalews is on the left at The Blvd & Center St. 609-492-1065.
CUTILLO'S RESTAURANT - This new room is very promising. It's well established and popular with the locals. There is a nice stage and a decent sized bar with a good variety of food and drinks available. The owners are great to work with and I'm hoping this room becomes one of my mainstays in that area. Hope you can make it.
THE LIGHTHOUSE - I've been playing here longer than any of the other venues on this list, and I've played hundreds of rooms. The food is excellent, especially the steaks and the nightly dinner specials. The atmosphere is casual with several pool tables off to the back, a large central bar, separate dining area and take-out section. There is an old-fashioned shuffleboard table, one of the only ones I know of that is still free. There are also dart boards. NTN Trivia is very popular in this venue with a large group of regulars gathering on Tuesday evenings for the Showdown competition. Rob, the manager, and Mike the bartender are easily two of the best bartenders I've ever known. If you're in the area, or just want to spend a different night out, this is the place to go. On Rt 9 in Waretown, NJ. That's just off exit 69 on the parkway. 609-693-3150
LATITUDES - The new bar and banquet facility here at the Southwinds Marina has had a major upgrade in many ways. The upper deck has the best view of the Forked River around, especially for sunsets. The food is excellent and, for such an upscale place, the prices are amazingly reasonable. It's just a little beyond The Captain's Inn on Lacey Rd in Forked River. You should definitley check this one out. 609-242-2648
SANDY'S - For all you Pennsylvania folks that remember the Glory Days of the Ground Round Open Mic on Sunday nights, Sandy's is just a stone's throw away from there on Old Lincoln Highway. I'll be playing occasional Thursdays there and if all goes well, maybe a bit more. I start around 7:00. 2028 Old Lincoln Highway, Langhorne, PA 19047. 215-757-9250
FRED & ETHEL'S Lantern Light Tavern - Down in Smithville on Rt 9, this is a unique room for me and I've been there regularly for a few years. Smithville is a GREAT place to spend a late afternoon and then dinner with someone you like a lot. (hint - hey guys, good place to bring the woman you want to impress) It's a casual "local color' kind of place but there's lots to do and just damn pleasant. It's an early one - 7:30 to 11:30, so we can go out afterwards and have some fun. See you there. It's in the Smithville Village just about 10 miles north of Atlantic City. 609-652-0544
Celebrity Cruise Liner - THE SOLSTICE - After two six month contracts aboard the Constellation, and then the Solstice, I am taking a break from the cruise gig to pursue other interests. You never know, though. They keep asking me to come back.
