Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders to Headline Count Basie Center Summer Gala

The Pretenders are coming back to New Jersey for a special show at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Famers will headline the 2024 Count Basie Center Summer Gala on Saturday, July 13th at the Basie Center’s Hackensack Meridian health Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank.

The band–who most recently performed in New Jersey at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park and at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford opening for Guns N’Roses–are supporting their recent release, Relentless, was released last September and features Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and a cast of musicians Hynde refers to as the “Pretenders Collective” – multi-instrumentalist Carwyn Lewis, drummer Kris Sonne, bassists Chris Hall and Dave Page and Greenwood. 

Aside from the Basie Center summer gala, the Pretenders have quite the summer ahead of them – they’re set to open for the Foo Fighters on many dates of the band’s stadium tour.

Fans can expect a collection of the band’s greatest hits plus new music on July 13 at the Basie Center gala. This year’s gala is presented by blockchain technology company Ripple (www.ripple.com). Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Count Basie Center’s nonprofit mission and student scholarships.

Tickets, starting at $50 + fees, go on sale to the general public this Friday, March 22 at 10am through
theBASIE.org, the Basie Center box office, charge by phone at 732-842-9000 and Ticketmaster. Count Basie Center members will receive a presale opportunity starting tomorrow, while sponsorships in support of fundraising concert are available now at www.thebasie.org/gala.

The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre is located at the Basie Center Campus, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank. Doors at 7 p.m.; Show at 8 p.m.