Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...11/21/24

By Danny Coleman
originally published: 11/21/2024

"Renaissance" not only is the title of her 2021 debut EP but is also a very apt description of her style, her life and the way she conducts both herself and the business of her music. 

McKenna Michels may be considered a "Late bloomer" when it comes to being a musician and songwriter given that she began writing songs in her late teens but this young talent has lived a life well beyond her young age. A life affected by autism, abuse and much more, yet she conducts herself with a maturity that is far past her actual age. 

Her latest EP, "Revolution," is scheduled for release in the early Spring of 2025 and this, coupled with a coinciding comic book, yet another in a series called, "Survivor" have McKenna very excited. 

"Well, I have been a singer/songwriter full time now for about three years," she started, "I started writing when I was 19, I found my passion for music really, really young; my grandmother used to play "Phantom of the Opera" in the car (laughs) and when I was about three years old, I decided that I had to be able to sing like that one day. So, I joined the choir in middle school; I'd always sang before that but when I got to high school, there was an opportunity through the choir to do voice lessons independently. I chose to pursue Opera through that and ended up performing at The Kennedy Center in 2017 at the end of my senior year of high school. When I went to university I kind of switched gears and became a business major and I was also on the rowing team and I got injured my second to last year of college. I realized how much I missed music; I now had no outlet and at that point I realized that I needed to do something about my passion and started writing. I talk very openly about being autistic and also having gone through an abusive situation in my childhood; I was taken away from my mom when I was 15 and I guess I didn't realize how much pain and resentment I had built up within me; she and I are on good terms now, we talk all of the time and we've kind of worked through that, which I feel very fortunate for but a lot of my early songwriting and still songwriting that comes up every now and then is based off of that and I talk very openly about it as a way to kind of open the door for other people who have been through traumatic situations to feel like they have a voice as well. So, that's what I've kinda been doing since I was 19."

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Readily admitting her love of music; she doesn't shy away from the reasons that she got started a bit later in life; in fact, she seems to have turned the turbulence around her into a catalyst for achieving better things.

"I've been playing piano since I was six, I've been singing since I could talk, I did solo performances when I was nine and ten, I'd get solos in choir and I was big into musical theater, especially in middle school. I did one or two productions in middle school; my great-grandmother was a nationally competing singer in the 1930s and I grew up with her and her piano and her music. So, I've always been very musical, always very passionate about it but something I talk about on my platform, publicly and on stage is, when you're in an abusive situation, you don't have the same opportunities as someone who is not would have. So, whereas I would have maybe liked to have started when I was 12, 13 or 14, there were a lot of factors that made that really difficult. When you're just struggling to survive everyday in an emotionally turbulent environment, you don't really get to have the same creative expression that someone who has a stable household would. So, when I was 19, I was fully on my own at that point other than my step-mom and my dad who were helping with my college but I wasn't really speaking with them at that point either and it was the time in my life when I started making decisions for myself instead of what I was being told to be or told to act like; in a short amount of time, I've lived a few lives (Laughs)."

One of those "Lives" she's lived and still lives is dealing with autism. When that word is mentioned, our human natures take us to different places with different visions of what austism is and/or means but for McKenna, it's a daily struggle and one she seems to have come to manage quite well. 

"I think, when I was a kid that I didn't know, because even when I was growing up in the early 2000s, a lot of people assumed that autism was strictly for men or could only affect men. There have been a lot of studies recently; I was diagnosed right around the pandemic and it was interesting to learn some of the differences that they are finding between male and female presenting autism. There are exceptions to that rule because there are a lot of crossovers, that's why it's a "Spectrum" but for me growing up as a kid, there is something that autistic people do called, "Masking" and it's a really present theme in my upcoming EP. Women are more likely to; this is just a generalization but where men will be more quiet and awkward and not really social, women often create mental checklists in their brain to be able to fit in and be more emotional because that is what is expected of women in society a lot of the time. So, often growing up, what I found myself doing is, my personality would entirely change depending on who I was talking to and I would constantly be anxious and constantly have these obsessions with different things; whether it be a video game or a cartoon or sometimes a specific person in my life and those things; I guess characteristically, where men may be more infatuated with trains, you hear of that with autistic people all of the time, trains, airplanes or cars and for me it was "Dr. Who" (Laughs) or "Phantom of the Opera" or dressing up and watching Anime or any of those things to the point where it would take over my everyday life and because of that I still had issues with social situations because people could only get surface level because the person I was presenting myself as to them wasn't who I actually am it was who I thought they wanted me to be. So, I struggled with friendships my whole childhood and my whole life. So, one of the things I still struggle with is learning to know when I'm masking and being consciously aware of the fact that I am not being authentic. Also, overstimulation is a big problem. Whereas, concert halls, I'm fine being on stage but if I were in the middle of a crowd, I will have a panic attack. Autistic people may call it a "Meltdown;" where a panic attack for a normal person may be brought on by a bunch of anxiety triggers or something, for an autistic person it is either a short extreme exposure to overstimulation or a prolonged build up of overstimulation that the autistic person isn't aware of and it affects them negatively. I still struggle with those things; a lot of things, because of my diagnosis, I've been able to find coping mechanisms for but the inner personal relationships with people around me and the overstimulation aspect where sometimes I just will breakdown; there is ways to avoid it for sure but sometimes they are unavoidable. I have a great team around me that helps me make sure that I stay kind of level-headed (Laughs) especially on the road or in music videos with high intensity filming situations where it's long days and uncomfortable outfits; autism is one of those things that you can manage but never cure." 

"I think that I've been really lucky that music is one of my obsessions and always has been," she continued. "I literally remember; if I find a song that scratches that itch in my brain, I can't just listen to it once. I will put the song on loop for weeks at a time; the same song. I will never change the song, I will listen to the same song, over and over and over again and the same thing goes for my creative process. I love coming up with outfits; this last tour, I came up with themed outfits for the tour and shared them with my fans and they came dressed up in similar outfits and it was wonderful but my obsession with getting those outfits down to the last detail that I want. I planned these outfits for easily like four or five months because I'm doing everything almost entirely by myself in that regard; like sowing roses in a very specific way onto a corset (Laughs). Songwriting, there is a certain level where sometimes I can write a song super quickly and other times when I'm too overwhelmed with other things in my life, I have extreme writers block. I guess it's because my attention is fixated on, I don't know, outfits or a photoshoot or interviews and then I get too in my head about; what am I gonna say? What am I gonna wear? How's my make up gonna look? That I can't find the space to write music but when all of that clears away, I'll be fixated on writing songs and often I'll write six to ten songs in a week because all of the rest of it is cleared out but sometimes that will come after eight months of nothing (Laughs). One of my songs took me like; gosh, I wrote the initial melody probably three years ago but I finally finished it for the new EP and it's my favorite off of the EP but it took that long and the one that is already out was written in like 10 minutes; easy and super fast."

"Six to ten songs?" With that kind of writing ability and potential catalog; why only a second EP?

"I have a firm belief; I feel like the climate of the industry is not reflecting this in people right now and it upsets me because I function very similarly to how I feel like Adele functions where she will not release music unless she 100 percent believes in it, it's relatable to her and her life, it's authentic, it's pure; it's real music. I feel like, everyone right now is trying to pump out music to have that next Tik-Tok viral hit and I personally don't care about virality. I care about real connection with my fans, I care about the people who are hearing my songs and coming back to me and saying, "This song changed my life, I went through this situation and it made me feel like I have something to hold onto because if you can get through it; I can too." That's what I write for, I don't write for quick success. I don't write for dance hits in the club. I write for myself and my fans, for fellow survivors, for fellow people in the LGBTQIA+ community, I write for emotions and to me, to create that, sometimes it takes more time and less songs because I want to put out the most real version of myself and it's basically a timestamp of where I'm at in life each time I release something. I think that's so much more beautiful than just trying to be like everyone else on Tik-Tok right now. As a smaller artist, I feel like I could release something with "Filler" just to have content for the Spotify algorithum (Laughs) but I feel like the people who have longevity in their careers, whether that will be me or not, are the people who make real connections with people and you can't do that if you're not being a real person."

Along those lines, in a current climate where artists drop singles in our laps like hot coals and many songs lacking content with stamina; how important are lyrics to her writing process?

"Lyrics?" She asked immediately. "They are the most important thing to me. My first passion was opera and I found opera so beautiful bcause they are telling stories through music and the same thing with musical theater. Whether or not I like the melodies or the whatever, a lot of the time it's the storytelling; I also listen to a lot of Japanese music for the same reason. A lot of the time, real Japanese music like the more traditional or some of the independent artists I'll listen to, they'll tell stories. They tell stories through the whole thing; looking at the translations, there's a song I listen to where there is a lyric in there, "Thousands of cherry trees dissolve into the night, not even a whisper could be heard;" that is so beautiful! I don't hate music the way it is now, I just think it's become so; I don't know another way or how to put this because I don't despise the Kardashians but I feel like the music industry has become Kardasian-ized where it's about the beauty and the glamour, who is the hottest or has the most sexual appeal and all of these things and it has been refreshing to see people like Noah Kahan and Hosier or Florence & the Machine as well who just write beautiful lyrics and have success through that. I feel like storytelling is the most crucial aspect in my music and the music I listen to; lyrics matter because you're telling people who you are, what you believe in, what you've overcome, what you've been through and I feel like you can't do that if you're just saying, "Here's my titty..." I don't know (Laughs) or whatever the lyrics are they write. This is part of the reason that a lot of the time, I focus my songs on a first person narrative because I feel like it's necessary when writing a song, to make it feel lyrically impactful for myself; I feel I need to have some souce of empathy with the protagonist and to be able to write something profound, even if it's simple in content but profound in meaning, it needs to be an element of personal whether it's actually about me or I'm putting myself in the shoes of someone else."

"Survivor" is more than a song; it's not only the title of her aforementioned comic book series but also a way of life but how this series came about once again points to her ability to rise from the proverbial ashes. 

"So, I have been a Cosplayer for 10 years. I do primarily video game cosplays, recreations of famous video game characters, sometimes anime or superhero based stuff but mostly video games. I feel like that's such a real and authentic part of my brand is that I love Comic Cons, I've been going to Comic Cons since I was like 13 years old. Sometimes I'd sneak out of the house to go to Comic Cons, "I'm spending the weekend at Lizzie's" or some fake person and I'd really be at Comic Con (Laughs). I'm really obsessed with 18th Century fashion and that Marie Antoinette looking stuff and when I was coming up with a concept for my first EP, Halsey released her big hour long album, I think it's called, "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power" or something like that; really well done and she was nominated for "Best Indie Pop Album" at the Grammy's that year but basically, the whole concept of that was everything I wanted to do with my EP (Laughs). My manager was coming up with ideas for me; we had just finished filming stuff too so we had this content and then she dropped that; what do you call that? A Zietgeist? Where it was just a massive coincidence which was a little bit disheartening but we were coming up with ideas on how to salvage that and make it my own and true to me. I have this song called "Survivor" that when I talk about this song on stage I note it as the song that saved my life because I was in a really dark place when I wrote that song and when I showed it to my manager, he said, "Oh, you've got to meet Michelle." Michelle is 26 years old, she lives in Austin, TX. She had a stroke when she was five weeks old and has Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy as a result of the stroke and she is easily the strongest person that I've ever met in my life and when I met her, we decided that whatever we come up with, it needs to be about her. So, for the comic book, my manager was talking about how I love Comic Con and said, "What if we wrote a book?" In this book, Michelle is the main character, not me and she is basically the creator of my universe. She is an artist in real life, she didn't draw the comic book but she does do a lot of art which is her main way of dealing with her medical trauma; by being creative as well. So, in this book, Michelle draws me, McKenna, in this parallel universe where I'm basically this musical warrior in a Marie Antoinette style dress that fights her internal demons for her or whatever she decides to come up with. I felt like it was such a cool thing because one, it tells the story of a very real and mighty person and it also has opened doors to be able to support causes that I really care about. The first one is partnered with the National Epilepsy Foundation, this upcoming one which is coming out with this EP, I believe we are partnering with CASA and that's the center that supports children who are in foster care homes who have been through abusive situations. We have also partnered with the In Your Shoes Foundation which supports families who have children with congenital heart defects; all through this comic book and it has been amazing to hear that song with people who I wasn't thinking about at that time in my life because I was so focused on my own pain but to see that pain turn into something more resilient through them and it also leaves the doors open for Michelle to put me in any universe that she wants; if she decides I'm a pirate tomorrow, I guess I'm gonna be a pirate (Laughs)." 

With "Revolution" due out in the Spring of 2025; what are her plans until then?

"I'm in Austin, TX. I was just on a European tour to promote the release of the first single and opening for Annie Mitchell, she's from New Jersey I believe but she's in L.A. now. We did nine shows together and I did tenth show, a headline show in Belgium which was wonderful and I had a lot of fans come out which was very exciting. That single came out on the very last day of that tour and we're hoping to put together another tour for early Spring or late Winter like February or March and hoping by the time the full EP comes out in the later Spring that I'll have enough traction and movement to do a headline tour. In the meantime, I have a scheduled show in New York City on November 29 at The Racket and maybe November 30; I'm trying to put a headline show together but I'll be opening for Annie again on Black Friday in New York City."

To discover more about Mckenna Michels, please visit https://www.mckennamichelsmusic.com/ 

That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!

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This week's event listings

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Ace Cafe 
15 Market Place New Hope, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Bike Night
Sat. (11 a.m.) Camaro/Firebird Meet-Up (2 p.m.) Hyundai N Kia Performance Night (7 p.m.) Anthony Richard
Sun. 2 p.m. Volvo / Saab Meet-Up

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Al's Airport Inn
636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252 
Thurs. 5 p.m. Jonathan Savage
Sat. (12 p.m.) Acoustic Brunch w/ Jeff Penque (5 p.m.) Mark Robidoux
Sun. 12 p.m. Brunch
Mon. 5 p.m. Rob Silvers
Tues. 7 p.m. Mike & Laura
Wed. (3 p.m.) LGBTQ Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Jessica DiDonato

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Ancient Order of Hibernians 
2419 Kuser Road Hamilton 
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" Back In The Day Club Reunion feat. DJs Anthony Bradley & Frank Oliveti (Benefiting The Sunshine Foundation)

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Aristaeus Brewing
2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA 
(215) 757-2337
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Arts Council of Princeton 
102 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-8777 
Thurs. (6:30 p.m.) Breathe and Create Workshop (7 p.m.) "Story & Verse: A Storytelling, Poetic and Spoken Word Open Mic
Sat. (1 p.m.) Gallery Opening and Performance: "Matheny's Art Access" (7 p.m.) Cafe Improv` $2
Wed. 7 p.m. JAM: Jersey Art Meet-Up

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Artworks Trenton  
19 Everett Alley Trenton
(609) 394-9436  
Sat. 12 p.m. "Sequential/Variants" Panel Discussion and Show Closing

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Ashlynn Distillery 
32 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Cecil & Carl
Fri. 7 p.m. Covered In Ash
Sat. 7 p.m. Nick Crocker
Wed. 6 p.m. Cara Cartney

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Bella Mia
3224 U.S. Highway 206 Bordentown
(609) 291-7475
Sun. 1 p.m. "Pizza & Painting" Hosted by Spotted Frog. $55 (Includes lunch)

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Bent Iron Brewing
70 Extonville Road Hamilton
Sat. 5 p.m. LakeHouse

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Bill's Olde Tavern
2694 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-0192
Sun. 7 p.m. BINGO
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Tues. 8 p.m. / Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke 
Ages 21+

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Bit-hin' Kitten Brewery
58-B East Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
(267) 799-5348
Sun. 12 p.m. Dungeons and Drafts
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo 

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Blend Bar & Bistro   
911 Highway 33 Hamilton 
(609) 245-8887
Sat. 8 p.m. Barry, Joe and Alan

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Bordentown City
Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown  
Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20
Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 

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Bowman's Tavern 
1600 River Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Dave Dales Trio
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Bennett Lee (8 p.m.) Bob Egan 
Sat. 7 p.m. Keith Franklin Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Bill Avayou (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Tues. 6 p.m. Sam Ryan
Wed. 6 p.m. Liz DuFour

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Broken Goblet Brewing
2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. (6 p.m.) Cafe` Dilla "Grand Opening" (7 p.m.) "Burning Sky" Bad Co. Tribute. (FREE event), Ages 21+
Sat. 8 p.m. "Psycho Circus NYC" KISS Tribute. $21.73, $30.44, $34.77
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanks For the Laughs 10" feat. Steve Trevelise, Jim Florentine, Chris Covert, Don Jamieson. $19.48, $27.16, $32.60

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Bucks On Bridge
25 Bridge Street Lambertville
(609) 483-2615
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Poetry Night 
Tues. 5 p.m. Chess Night
Wed. 6 p.m. Trivia

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Cadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum)
299 Parkside Avenue Trenton 
(408) 335-4400 
Sat. 12 p.m. Annual Holiday Boutique
Mon. 2 p.m. Turkey Giveaway

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Catch A Rising Star (Hyatt Regency Princeton) 
102 Carnagie Center Princeton
(781) 568-1471
Fri. 8 p.m. Olga Namer. $26.50, Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Olga Namer. $26.50, Doors open at 7 p.m. 

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Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille
1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 580-5469 
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paul

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Club Atlantis
1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 944-1777 
Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco 
All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to Impress

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Clubhouse at Mountain View (The Patio)
850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing 
(609) 538-0808
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Spanky's Garage
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Joe Zook & Blues Deluxe

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Continental Tavern
2 North Main Street Yardley, PA  
(215) 493-9191
Thurs. 4 p.m. "Ladies Night"
Fri. 8 p.m. Just Todd
Sat. 8 p.m. Mike & Laura

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Cooper's Riverview                                                                     
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Cosmic Jerry Band
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour (7 p.m.) Balanced Breakfast Band
Sat. 7 p.m. Dinner Dance w/ "Buzzer" (Dinner & VIP packages available)
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ "Gold Rush" Neil Young Tribute

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Crossing Vineyard and Winery
1853 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA
(215) 493-6500 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Tarot Card Reading & Wine Tasting
Sat. 2 p.m. Jim Nelsen
Sun. 2 p.m. Kat Rivers

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Curran’s Irish Inn
1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA
(215) 245-1800
Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo 
Mon. 7:30 p.m. Quizzo

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Dacey's Pub 
215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night 
Wed. 8 p.m. Quizzo

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Dadz Bar and Grill 
744 Main Street Lumberton
(609)267-4344
Thurs. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jimmy Mannix
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic 
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Vinyl

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Dharma Bums 
4935 River Road New Hope, PA
(215) 663-2867
Thurs. 7 p.m. Fred Scholl
Fri. 8 p.m. Elephant / Rob Tait Band. $10 (advance)
Sat. (10:30 a.m.) Craft & A Coffee: Ceramic Toadstool Decoration Workshop. $55 (1 p.m.) Craft & A Workshop: Personal Delft Ornaments. $75 (8 p.m.) Box of Earth. $20
Sun. 6 p.m. The New Hope Nonet. $15 (advance)
Wed. 8 p.m. "Mixxtape" Pre-Thanksgiving Bash. $10 (advance) 
Eddington House Bensalem
2813 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, PA 
(215) 639-1220 
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Last Call
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Fish Out of Water
Mon. 5:30 p.m. "Family Fun Night" w/ Amazing Balloon Creations by Kelsi-Joe
Wed.9 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve Party" w/ Se7en

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Flying Pig Tavern & Tap 
167 US-Route 130 North Bordentown 
(609) 899-7447
Thurs. 8 p.m. "Ladies Night" w/ DJ Mig
Fri. 9 p.m. LakeHouse
Sat. (1 p.m.) "Elmo" (9 p.m.) Underwater Airlines
Tues. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m."Thanksgiving Eve" w/ The Polish Nannies

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Florence Township Community Center
69 Main Street Roebling 
Sat. 7 p.m. Cruising for a Cure Fundraiser feat. The Soul Cruisers

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Forsgate Country Club   
375 Forsgate Drive Monroe
(732) 521-0700 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Seaglass Christmas Tree Workshop
Fri. 5:30 p.m. James Tomori

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Founding Father's Sports Bar & Grill 
2900 Street Road Bensalem, PA 
(215) 923-1100
Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Pantano Dance Party w/ DJ Joe Castro

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Friendly's 
1031 Washington Boulevard Robbinsville 
(609) 426-9203 
Wed. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Kevin McGowan and/or Gino Formaroli (Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.)

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German American Society 
215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton 
(609) 585-5200
Wed. 7 p.m. "One Night in Chambersburg" Freestyle Explosion

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Gleason's Bar
6700 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-4781 
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Music Bingo / “Ladies Night” Hosted by Best Choice Productions (9:30 p.m.) Karaoke
Fri. (6 p.m.) "Happy Hour" (8 p.m.) Doc Hollywood
Sat. (12 p.m. ) Music BINGO Brunch (8 p.m.) 44 Fridays
Tues. 7 p.m. Game Show Palooza
Wed. "Thanksgiving Eve" feat. (6 p.m.) Casey Welborn (8 p.m.) "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Never Enough  

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Green Parrot Restaurant Pub, & Patio
240 North Sycamore Street Newtown Township, PA 
(215) 504-7277 
Thurs. 6 p.m. LJ Hall
Fri.  8 p.m. Danny Lunch Duo
Sat. 8 p.m. Brian McConnell
Tues. 7 p.m. Music BINGO
Wed. 9 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Brother Mike

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Grover's Mill Coffee House 
Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction   
(609) 716-8771  
Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade Prestridge

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Hamilatte Cafe
1971 Route 33 Hamilton
Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays  

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Havana New Hope
105 S. Main Street New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 7 p.m. Funk & Blues Jam Hosted by The Slidewinder Blues Band
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Dance Party 
Sat. (3 p.m.) Matt Setzer (8:30 p.m.) Castle Lane (11:59 p.m.) DJ Dance Party w/ DJ Iron Mike
Sun. 1 p.m. "Diva's Devine & Dine" Drag Show. $20
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Steve
Tues. 7 p.m. Jillian Ashcroft Jazz Quartet 
Wed. 7 p.m. Jumper Duo

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Hopewell Valley Golf Club
114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell
(609) 737-1199
Fri. 6 p.m. Prime Rib and Jazz Night. $60

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards
46 Yard Avenue Pennington 
(609) 737-4465 
Fri. 4 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. (5 p.m.) Just Us
Sat. (9 a.m.) WWFM (5 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Wayward Souls
Sun. (12 p.m.) "Friendsgiving" (2:30 p.m.) "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Ensemble

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Hurricane Jacks Bar and Grill
7759 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(267) 914-4517
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Music Bingo w/ DJ John W. 
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Tuesday 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic w/ Laura Fiocco

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Il Portico Restorante Italiano 
273 West Route 130 South Burlington
(609) 239-1000 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Jazz Night
Fri. / Sat. 7 p.m. Live Music w/ Tony O

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Irish Rover Station House 
1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA 
(215) 970-5412 
Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo Night

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Iron Plow Vineyards
26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus 
(732) 306-9111 
Fri. 5:30 p.m. Jerry Monk
Sat. 4:30 p.m. Chuck McCrory
Sun. (12 p.m.) Grouser Girls (3 p.m.) Bob O & Ann Michal 

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Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton 
(609) 888-1435 
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke 
All shows 21+

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John & Peter's
96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa 
(215) 862-5981 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Path / Loose Panic. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Fri. 9 p.m. Zeke Sky
Sun. 3 p.m. Big Train
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic Night (Sign-ups start at 8 p.m.) 
Wed. 9 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+

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Jo-Jo's Tavern 
2677 Nottingham Way Mercerville
(609) 586-2678
Wed. 8 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Radio Fiction

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Joseph Lawrence Park
317 Ward Avenue Bordentown
Sat. 7 a.m. 12th Annual Turkey Trot 

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Kelly's Bar n Banquet Hall
14 Railroad Avenue Fort Dix
(732) 230-6169
Thurs. 7 p.m. Wounded Souls
Fri. 7 p.m. Random Notes

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Killarney's Publick House
1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166 
Thurs. (5:30 p.m.) Radio Fiction (6 p.m.) Wine Dinner. $70 (8 p.m.) Live Band Karaoke
Fri. (5:30 p.m.) Joanna Caruso (10 p.m.) DJ Bay
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (5:30 p.m.) Skyline (10 p.m.) DJ Dom
Sun. 10 a.m. "Sunday Funday" Brunch 
Mon. 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Mixology Class
Wed. 4 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve Party" feat. (10 p.m.) Rotating DJs (Valet begins at 4 p.m.) 
Lambertville Elks Lodge #1070 
66 Wilson Street Lambertville  
(609) 397-4210 
Wed. 7 p.m. Live band Karaoke w/ The Strange Brew Crew 

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Laurita Winery 
85 Archertown Road New Egypt 
(609) 752-0200 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Reversible Pallet PlankTree Workshop. $50
Fri. 6 p.m. Dueling Pianos. $20
Sat. "Give Thanks" Food Truck & Wine Festival feat. (11 a.m.) The Successful Failures (2:30 p.m.) Pennington Station (6 p.m.) The Rangers Nouveau. $13 (Advance/Ages 20 and under FREE)
 Sun. "Give Thanks" Food Truck & Wine Festival feat. (11 a.m.)  (6 p.m.) Strictly 60s. $13 (Advance/Ages 20 and under FREE)"

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Library Company of Burlington
23 West Union Street Burlington
(609) 3861273
Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night

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Lillipies Bakery
30 North Harrison Street Princeton 
(609) 423-2100  
Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with Jeff

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Locust Hall at Johnson's Farm
2691 Monmouth Road Jobstown
(609) 723-2630  
Fri. 7 p.m. Bourbon & Steak Dinner

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Logan Inn 
10 West Ferry Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2300
Thurs. 6 p.m. Mike DiEleuterio
Fri. 7 p.m. The Soleburys
Sat. 7 p.m. Mosaic Groove
Sun. 11:30 a.m. Java Sway

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Magikava
87a South Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 862-2739 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Astrology Readings by Riss Cottrill 
Mon. 6 p.m. Magik "Art Mondays" 
Wed. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic Night   

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Makefield Highlands Golf Club
1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 321-7000 
Sun. 4 p.m. Pop-Up Dinner

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MarketFair
3535 U.S Highway 1 Princeton (Center Courtyard)
(609) 452-7777
Thurs. 11 a.m. Photos with Santa
Fri. 11 a.m. Photos with Santa
Sat. 10 a.m. Photos with Santa
Sun. 12 p.m. Photos with Santa
Mon. 11 a.m. Photos with Santa
Tues. 11 a.m. Photos with Santa

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McStews Irish Sports Pub
5316 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 949-9570 
Sat. 9 p.m. A Tribute to J.Geils Band w/ "Bloodshot" / Lisa and Some Dudes
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Trivia Night

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Music Mountain Theater
1483 Route 179 Lambertville
(609)397-3337
Fri. 8 p.m. "A Christmas Carol"
Sat. 3 p.m./ 8 p.m.  "A Christmas Carol"
Sun. 3 p.m.  "A Christmas Carol"

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Naked Brewing Company 
212 Mill Street Bristol, PA 
(267) 544-7129
Thurs.6:30 p.m. The River Drivers
Fri.  7 p.m. Cara Cartney
Sat. 7 p.m. Honey Spot Boulevard
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 12 p.m. Ottsville Record Garage Pop-Up

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Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company 
909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA 
(215) 458-7081
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 

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New Egypt Flea Market Village 
933 Monmouth County Road Cream Ridge 
(609) 758-2082
Sun. 8 a.m. Flea Market 
Wed. 8 a.m. Flea Market 

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New Hope Winery / Tavern 
6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 794-2331 
Fri. (5 p.m.) Bill Ihling (8 p.m.) An Evening w/ "The English Beat"
Sat. 8 p.m. Chris Smither and the Motivators
Sun. 5 p.m. James Popik & Supernova / Russell Norkevich 

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Newtown Brewing Company
103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8609 
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Simpsons" Trivia 
Fri. 6 p.m. Sister Blue
Sat. 6 p.m. Hailey Rose
Wed. 4 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Bill Monach

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Nick's Roast Beef
4501 Woodhaven Road West Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 637-515
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia 
Fri. 9 p.m. LeCompt
Sat. 9 p.m. Jumper
Wed. 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve w/ Keep The Change

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NJWeedman's Dispensary
322 East State Street Trenton
(609) 437-0898
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke

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Nomad Distilling Company
20 South Main Street New Hope, PA
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Nottingham Tavern 
9 Mercer Street Hamilton Square 
(609) 587-6623
Thur. 9:30 pm. Karaoke w/ Super Dave Curtis 
Fri. 9 p.m. Blind Lemon Pie
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Asylum 
Mon. 6 p.m. BINGO
Tues. 5 p.m. Prime Rib Night feat. (6:30 p.m.) Mark Sacco
Wed. 9 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ El Ka Bong
Ages 21+

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O'Fowley's Tavern & Grill 
200 State Road Croydon, PA 
(215) 785-6998 
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Hosted by Best Choice Productions w/ DJ John S 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo

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Old Hights Brewing 
123 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 469-5976
Thurs. 5 p.m. Vinyl Night 
Fri. 6 p.m. Modern Rewind
Sat. 6 p.m. Acoustic Karaoke w/ Rory
Sun. 1 p.m. Local Performers Showcase  feat. basement Dreams, Separatr, Thomas Duffy, Bob Belloff

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Old Town Pub
135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown 
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Fri. 9 p.m. Dom Duo
Sat. 9 p.m. John Coler Trio
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch
Wed. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ (4 p.m.) Radio Fiction  

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Pasquale's Sports Bar 
9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA 
(267) 202-6268 
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke

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Patriots Crossing 
1339 River Road Titusville 
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Ladies Night  
Sat. 8 p.m. Frank Pinto & Richie Z
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"

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Pete's Steak House 
523 Whitehorse Avenue Hamilton
 (609) 585-8008
Fri. 9 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Wed. 9 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Deep Release

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Plainsboro Preserve
80 Scotts Corner Road Cranbury
(609) 799-4013
Thurs. 4 p.m. Forever 55 Creative Gardening & Cooking (4:15 p.m.) Seeking Interest: Nature Journaling & Photography for Teens
Tues. (11 a.m.) Forever 55 Archery (4:15 p.m. Nature Play (6 p.m.) Day's End Yoga

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Prime Time Comedy Club at the Americana
359 U.S. Route 130 North East Windsor
Fri. 7 p.m. Grand Opening Show: feat. Vishnu Vaka / Joe Conte and Kenny Michaels

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Princeton Country Club
1-Wheeler Way West Windsor
(609) 452-9382 
Thurs. 6 p.m. Karaoke Night w/ Live DJ
Fri. 5 p.m. Happy Hour 
Sun. 11 a.m. Jazz Brunch  

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Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza)
65 Witherspoon Street Princeton  
(609) 924-9529 
Sun. 3 p.m. Open Acoustic Jam

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Princeton University (Richardson Auditorium)
Nassau Street Princeton
Sat. 2 p.m. Princeton Jazz Vocal Ensemble (Takes place at Taplin Auditorium)

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Puss N Boots Tavern
942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA
Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Randy Now's Man Cave
119 West Ward Street Hightstown 
(609) 424-3766
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Palmyra Delran / The Primitive Finks. $27.50 (advance) 

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Recklesstown Farm Distillery
2800 Route 206 North Columbus
(609) 784-8046 
Wed. 6 p.m. Ant Cannuli

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Recovery Sports Grill
109 Hancock Lane Westhampton
(609) 702-3902
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Friends Like Us! Feat. The CJs / Wounded Souls

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Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 
144 US Route 130 Bordentown 
(609) 262-0110
Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 

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River House at Odette’s 
274 South Rive Road New Hope, PA 
(215) 682-2022 
Thurs. (7 p.m.) Joanna Caruso (8 p.m.) DJ Frank
Fri. 7 p.m. Dave Dales
Sat. 7 p.m. Bob Egan

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Robin's Nest Restaurant
2 Washington Street Mount Holly 
(609) 261-6149 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Friendsgiving" 

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Rossi's Bar & Grill
2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004 
Thurs. 5:30 p.m. Ernie White
Sat. 11 a.m. Brunch
Sun. 11 a.m. Brunch 
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzoholics
Wed. 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve w/ LakeHouse

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Sandy's Beef & Ale
2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA
(2670 852-2333
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo  
Mon. 7 p.m. Music Bingo

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Second Sin Brewing Company
1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P
(267) 812-5251
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Wed. 12 p.m. "5th Anniversary" 

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Shady Brook Farm 
931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA 
(215) 968-1670 
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Dashin' Thu The Lights 2024" 

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Slim's Irish Pub 
2195 Galloway Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 332-0047
Sat. 8 p.m. EarCandy
Mon. 6 p.m. Open Mic Night Hosted by Cecil 
Wed. 6 p.m. Karaoke Contest

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Small World Coffee 
14 Witherspoon Street Princeton 
(609) 924-4377 x2 
Sat. 7 p.m. Harry Singer

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Sparky World-Famous Beer Garden
4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 943-2321 
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Dana
Sat. 9 p.m. Timi Hendri & Black Water 
Sun. 9 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Cara Cartney
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night Hosted by Kid Dalton 
Tues. 7 p.m. Johnny Betz 
Wed. 8 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ DJ Dana

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Starving Artist Cafe
18 Bridge Street Stockton
Fri. 10 a.m. JB Kline Facebook Live feat. Brooks Brothers

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Steam Pub 
606 2nd Street Pike Southampton, PA 
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Kurteousy
Wed. 9:30 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ DJ Finnesse & DJ Kev Nichols

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Tavern On The Lake 
101 Main Street Hightstown 
(609) 426-9345  
Fri. (8 p.m.) Tavern & Tiaras Drag Show: "Wicked Witches of Oz." (9 p.m.) Kickback
Tues. 6 p.m. Trivia 
Wed. 7 p.m. Karaoke 

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TCNJ College of New Jersey
2000 Pennington Road Ewing 
(609) 771-2467
Thurs./Fri. 12 p.m. "Something between air and LIght" feat. works by Juyon Lee & Simona Prives

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Temperance House
5 South State Street Newtown, PA 
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger and Filthy Rich 
Mon. 7 p.m. Trivia Hosted by Neville Esquire
Tues. 7 p.m. Beginner Line Dance Lessons w/ Jeremy Line Dance. $40/4 Weeks 
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara Cartney 

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Terhune Orchards  
330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310 
Sat. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Sarah Teti
Sun. 1 p.m. "Weekend Music Series" feat. Mike Tusay 

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TGI Fridays 
780 Route 130 South Hamilton
(609) 581-6910 
Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Burn

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TGI Fridays
2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp.
(609) 239-486 
Thurs. 7 p.m.  Trivia  

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TGI Fridays
3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton
(609) 520-0378
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night 

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The Beer Garden and Education Center at Snipes Farm
890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA 
Sat. 10 a.m. "Rainbow Moon 2024"

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The Birdhouse Center For The Arts
7 North Main Street Lambertville
(215) 681-4660
Tues. 7:30 p.m. NJNO the "not just nyckelharpa orchestra" Community Orchestra

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The Buck Hotel 
1200 Buck Road Feasterville, PA 
(215) 396-2002 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Kirko
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Legacy
Sat. (11 a.m.) Brunch (8:30 p.m.) Secret Service
Tues. 7 p.m. Danny Lynch Duo
Wed. 8:30 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ The Heartbeats

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The Cool Cricket
216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Dave Curtis
Sat. 9 p.m. Buckshot
Wed. 9 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Out of the Red

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The Corner Inn
24509 East Main Street Columbus
(609) 298-8543
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R Entertainment

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The Dubliner
34 North Main Street New Hope, PA 
(215) 693-1816
Fri. 7 p.m. Popik & Stewart
Sat. 7 p.m. JB Rocks
Sun. 3 p.m. "Traditional Irish Session"

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The Federal Twist Vineyard 
8 Federal Twist Road Stockton
(609) 773-6066 
Sat. 3 p.m. Sip & Paint: Stemless Wine Glasses. $55
Sun. 2 p.m.  Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop. $100

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The Five Four Bar & Grill
8919 New Falls Road Levittown, PA 
(215) 547-5525
Thurs. 8 p.m. Karaoke w/ Paula and Sam 
Fri. 9 p.m. Bambu Weasels
Sat. 9 p.m. Big Whiskey
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo w/ Jonathan Appel

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The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown
Fri. 9:30 p.m. DJ Trey
Sat. 9:30 p.m. DJ BayNice
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv 
Wed. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ Trey Brown

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The Morrisville Tavern 
376 West Trenton Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-5310
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. The Naturals
Mon. 8 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo
Wed. (7 p.m.)Trivia Night (8 p.m.) Johnny Bones

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The Newtown Theatre
120 North State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 968-3859
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. "Purple Rain" (A Love for Life Fundraising Event) $20 (Includes 1 free purple drink), ages 18+
Sat. 8 p.m. "The Rush Experience" Rush Tribute. $40.10

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The Penguin Rocks (24 Hour On-Demand Music/Radio)
www.thepenguinrocks.com 
Mon. -  Fri. "Radio Jersey" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Classic Jersey" Hosted by Gary Wien
Sun. - Sat. "Beyond The Palace" Hosted by Lee Mrowicki 
Sun. - Sat. "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" feat. Redbird Flying Solo
Sun. - Sat. "From The Basement" Hosted by Mike Marrone
Sun. - Sat. "Deuce Radio" Hosted by Matt Barker
Sun. - Sat. "Altrok Radio" Hosted by Sean Carolan
Sun. - Sat. "Lighty's Corner" Hosted by Gary Wien 
Sun. - Sat. "The Troubador Show" Hosted by John Godfrey

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The Roost
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. DC Duo
Fri. 8 p.m. 80s Undercover
Sat. 8 p.m. El Ka Bong
Wed. 8 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve Party" w/ DJ Dominic Longo. $10, doors open at 8 p.m., ages 21+

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The Tavern at Penns Park 
2295 Second Street Pike Newtown, PA
(267) 491-5658
Fri. 8 p.m. Blue Reign
Sun. 3 p.m. Jeds Gold
Wed. 8 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Midnight Sun TTL

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The Union Firehouse
18 Washington Street Mount Holly
(609) 288-6491
Fri. 8 p.m. The Music of Led Zeppelin w/ "Black Dog." Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sat. 4 p.m. "4th Annual MoShow" A men's Mental Health Awareness Event feat. Comics: George Miller, Holly Huff, Steve Neely, Andrew Baus and Music by: Halogens, Sucker Punch, Ditz, Sweep Echo, The Dead Flowers, All Systems Go. $20

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The Union House 
19 East Union Street Burlington
(609) 531-6077
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 8 p.m. Masters Of The Tuneriverse
Sat. (10 a.m.) Brunch (8 p.m.) Redbird
Sun. 10 a.m. Brunch

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Third State Brewing 
352 High Street Burlington 
(609) 387-1620
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Dr. Lou

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Tir Na Nog 
1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton 
(609) 392-2554
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" 
All Shows 21+

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Train Wreck Distillery 
25 Madison Avenue Mount Holly 
(609) 288-6300 
Sat. 7 p.m. Radio Fiction 

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Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Music (TBA)
Mon. 6 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets

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Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 6 p.m. Mike Montrey

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Vault Brewing Company
10 South Main Street Yardley, PA 
(267) 573-4291
Thurs. 6 p.m. JDuo
Fri. 7 p.m. Dave Posmontier Trio
Sat. 7 p.m. Paul Lingerman Trio
Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Tom Trovas Duo

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Village Idiot Brewing Company
42 High Street Mount Holly
(609) 975-9270 
Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia

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Wildflowers Too
255 Route 156 Yardville
(609) 585-5483
Wed. 7 p.m. Poker Night

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Woodlin Lodge 30
19 Park Street Bordentown
(609) 298-9849
Fri. 8 p.m. Fridays On Park Street

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Working Dog Winery
610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Thurs. 4:30 p.m. Gary Cavico
Sat. 1 p.m. Justin Love
Sun. 1 p.m. Chris Giakas

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WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 Radio
MCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 a.m./7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"

About the author:

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Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.

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