AJ Croce performs at Pepperdine Friday October 22 2021. Words by Larson Sutton, Photos and Video by Stevo Rood

As indoor concerts gradually return to Southern California, Pepperdine University’s Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts has scheduled a full slate of shows on the Malibu campus.

Among the first few of the 2021-22 season was an appearance by A.J. Croce and his Croce Plays Croce performance. Croce’s program is an intimate tribute to his father’s life and music, cut tragically short nearly five decades ago, focused solely on the 18-month output from the early 1970s that catapulted him from coffeehouse folk
singer to national sensation.

Check out the full gallery of photo from this night here.


A.J. was backed by a three-piece band, including former Dr. John bassist, David Barard, along with Garrett Stoner (Nashville-based) and drummer Gary Mallaber (L.A.-based and a veteran of Steve Miller Band and Van Morrison) for a comprehensive, 22-song set loaded with Croce hits and deeper album cuts. From the opening “Don’t Mess Around with Jim” to the touching “Time In A Bottle”- the latter, A.J. explained, his father wrote to him as a baby- the subdued and thoughtful evening played as much as a showcase for A.J.’s own distinct talent as it did as an homage to his father’s incredible work.

Jim Croce’s voice carried a signature tone, and it’s too much to ask of anyone to replicate it. A.J., wisely, kept to his own prodigious vocal ability, caring for the songs melody and mood without approaching imitation. It’s a tough line to hold, but A.J. did so with a veteran’s aplomb. And, even as Jim’s introspective folk lent itself to quieter interpretations, A.J. did take more than a few opportunities to show that he and his band could push the tempo and the amps, driving the acoustic set finale, “I Got A Name,” to a rollicking finish.


As a considerate tribute, Croce Plays Croce covered just about everything a fan could expect. With A.J.’s stories and sentiment, though, it was elevated beyond a mere musical homage. Instead, the evening felt more like a family reunion, gathering an audience that was once again hopeful, as A.J. sang, for a better day.

Upcoming TOUR DATES:


NOV 11 THU
Croce Plays Croce – Amentum Center for the Performing Arts @ 7:30pm
Aiken, SC, United States

NOV 12 FRI
Croce Plays Croce – Amentum Center for the Performing Arts @ 7:30pm
Aiken, SC, United States

NOV 14 SUN
Croce Plays Croce – High Point Theatre @ 7:00pm
High Point, NC, United States

NOV 17 WED
Croce Plays Croce – CSI Fine Arts Theater @ 7:30pm
Twin Falls, ID, United States

NOV 19 FRI
Croce Plays Croce – Columbia Basin Allied Arts @ 7:00pm
Moses Lake, WA, United States

NOV 20 SAT
Croce Plays Croce – Edmonds Center for the Arts @ 7:30pm
Edmonds, WA, United States

DEC 10 FRI
A.J. Croce at Halloran Center for Performing Arts @ 7:30pm
Memphis, TN, United States

FEB 10 THU
Croce Plays Croce at The Flying Monkey @ 7:30pm
Plymouth, United States

FEB 12 SAT
Croce Plays Croce at Barre Opera House @ 7:30pm
Barre, VT, United States

FEB 27 SUN
Croce Plays Croce at The Temple Theater @ 7:30pm
Lufkin, TX, United States

MAR 19 SAT
Croce Plays Croce – Tarkington Theater @ 8:00pm
Carmel, IN, United States

Check out the full gallery of photo from this night here.

Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.

To submit an article an article or review, or to just say hello hit us at [email protected]

Also- check out the search feature in the upper right hand corner and search for your favorite artist, event, venue or genre. You’ll be surprised at what you find!