Veronica Swift
“She has a miraculous voice, musical ability and technique, as well as an innate gift for entertaining a crowd.” — Wall Street Journal
Veronica Swift has established herself as one of her generation’s iconic voices in Jazz. Throughout her childhood, she toured nationally with her parents (Jazz musicians Hod O’Brien and Stephanie Nakasian), singing at renowned clubs and festivals such as Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz Standard (NYC), Jazz Showcase (Chicago), and Telluride Jazz Festival. She recorded her first album at age nine, and since then has had a career spanning two decades, which saw a 2nd place win at The 2015 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition, a twice-a-year residency at Birdland Jazz Club, joining Chris Botti’s touring band, as well as touring with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and recording with Jeff Goldblum. Her 2021 album This Bitter Earth received a 5-star review and the cover of DownBeat magazine, and in 2024, she was honored with a French knighthood as Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters.
While her first two releases on Mack Avenue cemented her as a master of scat improvisation and programming conceptual song cycles, her most recent self-titled album (2023) showed us that Swift’s talents and path lie in other directions than just Jazz, rather theatrical glam rock as seen with her original band DAME, which she co-founded with The Dresden Dolls’ Brian Viglione. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2022, she has pursued other projects and collaborations in the rock genre with artists like pianist Mike Garson of David Bowie, Luke Spiller of The Struts, guitarist John Notto of Dirty Honey, and The Lemon Twigs. Swift’s expansive artistic voice remains firmly intact regardless of genre.
She continues to release Jazz music as Veronica Swift, as is evident in her 2026 album, Home, which will be released in May of this year. The album’s story takes us on Veronica’s journey from growing up on a farm in Greater Appalachian Virginia, losing her childhood home in a house fire and her father to cancer, as she catapults her Jazz career and moves to New York City, ultimately leading to her expansion of musical horizons out west where she ultimately finds love and peace as heals the wounds of her past.
Its song selections touch on the wide spectrum of what ‘home’ means to people, whether it is where you come from, where you live, or where you see yourself in the future. Some are running from home, and some run back. With songs like “I Miss the Mountains”, “Home” from ‘The Wiz’, and “I’m Comin’ Virginia”, Swift explores longing to return to her beloved Appalachia, where Zeppelin’s Going to California, Billy Joel’s You’re my Home celebrate her new life with Brian Viglione as a Californian. The album’s epilogue, Simon and Garfunkel’s America, echoes her message on This Bitter Earth, pondering her place in the country she calls home and the complex challenges of this time as we question our roots.
It features the finest young voices in Jazz with Mathis Picard on piano, Philip Norris on bass, Kyle Poole on drums, and special guests Benny Benack III on trumpet, Dave Eggar on cello, and Phil Faconti on guitar.
Follow Veronica Swift on Instagram at @VeronicaSwiftOfficial, and her original music at @DAMEbandofficial. Or you can visit her websites VeronicaSwift.com and DAMEtheband.com
“Veronica Swift is a woman of many voices, and she uses every one of them to refract a dizzying kaleidoscope of moods” — DownBeat
Performance Dates
Event Essentials
Ticketing Policy
All sales are final. Policies, programs, artists, dates, times, and prices are subject to change without notice. Members may be eligible for exchanges and refunds based on their membership level. A complete listing of ticketing policies can be found at grunincenter.org/ticketing-events/ticketing-policies
Accessible Seating & Services
Accessible seating is available through all ticket sales channels on a first-come, first-served basis. Accessible seating locations include a space suitable for a patron-provided wheelchair. Patrons requesting accessible seating acknowledge that they, or a member of their party, require accessible seating due to a mobility disability (visible or non-visible) as defined by the ADA, or require the features of an accessible seating location.
Requests for interpretive services or braille programs must be made at least three weeks prior to the event; more advance notice is appreciated. Assistive listening devices are available for the Main Stage by visiting the Box Office prior to each performance. Please call (voice) 732-255-0500 or email (text) grunincenter@ocean.edu with accessibility requests beyond wheelchair accessible seating.
Group Rates
Save 10% off the ticket’s face value when you buy in groups of 10 or more! Please contact the Box Office to order group tickets at 732-255-0500 Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 5pm.
Venue Information – Mezzanine Access
All seats in row AA – DD of the Mezzanine require stairs to access. Row EE does not require stairs. There are 2 central stairs in the Mezzanine, and no aisles against the walls.
Heidi’s Hits
Each season, we spotlight a few hidden gem artists known for their creativity, artistry, and cultural significance. Heidi Sheridan, our Executive & Artistic Director, carefully selects performances by top-tier yet lesser-known artists to enrich Ocean County’s cultural scene. Heidi’s Hits offers unique and engaging experiences that inspire you to explore new ideas, cultures, and artistic expressions. Get ready to be pleasantly surprised and truly delighted by these talented artists. You’ll want to see them all.
