Sam MacPherson comes home to The Vogel on Dec. 28

The New Jersey-born singer-songwriter returns to the Basie's second stage in Red Bank for a holiday-week show between Christmas and New Year's.

The week between Christmas and New Year's is when everybody who left comes back to town. For Sam MacPherson, that means a night in Red Bank.

Sam MacPherson plays The Vogel at Count Basie Center for the Arts on Monday, Dec. 28, at 7:30 p.m. The show was announced Oct. 20, and tickets run $31.10 to $65.10 through Ticketmaster. Live Nation's Vogel page lists the same date and time.

MacPherson is a New Jersey-born singer-songwriter, raised here, and the Jersey Shore runs through his records. His debut album, *American Dream Trajectory*, was recorded at a studio in Asbury Park, and New Jersey Arts described it as deeply personal and rooted in where he came from. From there the path went national: he signed with Elektra Records in partnership with Group Projects and released the single "Backseat (All I Got)" alongside the news, Music Connection reported, and his major-label EP *Powerlines* followed in April 2023, per an interview with Bringin It Backwards. His 2021 ballad "Routine" is the song that first got people's attention. These days, his Big Hassle bio says, he lives in Nashville.

This isn't his first homecoming in this room. MacPherson played The Vogel on Dec. 21, 2023, a show Red Bank Green covered under the headline "Sam MacPherson Makes It Home," and Melodic Magazine reviewed it as a hometown night where he teased a new era of his music. A December date at The Vogel is starting to look like a tradition.

A December night at The Vogel is starting to look like a tradition.

Why this room? The Vogel is the Count Basie Center's second venue, at 99 Monmouth Street, and it holds 984, which makes it big enough to feel like an occasion and small enough that a singer-songwriter can hold it with a guitar. It's a step down in scale from the Basie's main theater, and for a show that's as much reunion as concert, that's the right size. Downtown Red Bank is a short walk away for dinner before a 7:30 p.m. start.

When to buy: tickets are on sale now. A holiday-week Monday is a night when locals are home, out-of-town family is visiting and people are looking for something to do. With two months to go, buying sooner is the safer play. Check the Basie's Vogel FAQ for door and seating details.

The best hometown shows feel like a family party with a set list. If you've been following him since "Routine," come say hi.

Sources: The Vogel at Count Basie Center for the Arts events (Live Nation) (livenation.com); The Vogel (Count Basie Center for the Arts) (thebasie.org); The Vogel FAQ (Count Basie Center for the Arts) (thebasie.org); Sam MacPherson gets deeply personal on debut album, 'American Dream Trajectory' (New Jersey Arts) (njarts.net); Elektra Signs Sam MacPherson (Music Connection) (musicconnection.com); Interview with Sam MacPherson (Bringin It Backwards) (bringinitbackwards.com); Sam MacPherson (Big Hassle) (bighassle.com); Red Bank: Sam MacPherson Makes It Home (Red Bank Green) (redbankgreen.com); Sam MacPherson Teases New Era During Hometown Show @ NJ's The Vogel (Melodic Magazine) (melodicmag.com); Sam MacPherson setlist, The Vogel, Dec 21, 2023 (setlist.fm) (setlist.fm); JamBase listing (jambase.com); "Last Minute" Sees Sam MacPherson Switching Up His Style - Ones To Watch (onestowatch.com)