"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."
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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."
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
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-UpAl'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 DiDonatoAncient 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)Aristaeus Brewing 2475C Big Oak Road Langhorne, PA (215) 757-2337 Thurs. 7 p.m. TriviaArts 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-UpArtworks Trenton 19 Everett Alley Trenton (609) 394-9436 Sat. 12 p.m. "Sequential/Variants" Panel Discussion and Show ClosingAshlynn 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 CartneyBella Mia 3224 U.S. Highway 206 Bordentown (609) 291-7475 Sun. 1 p.m. "Pizza & Painting" Hosted by Spotted Frog. $55 (Includes lunch)Bent Iron Brewing 70 Extonville Road Hamilton Sat. 5 p.m. LakeHouseBill'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+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 Blend Bar & Bistro 911 Highway 33 Hamilton (609) 245-8887 Sat. 8 p.m. Barry, Joe and AlanBordentown City Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown Fri. 7 p.m. "Frightening Fridays!" Haunted History Tours. $20 Sat. 12 p.m. Bordentown Walking Tours. $20 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 DuFourBroken 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, $32.60Bucks 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. TriviaCadwalader Park (Ellarslie Museum) 299 Parkside Avenue Trenton (408) 335-4400 Sat. 12 p.m. Annual Holiday Boutique Mon. 2 p.m. Turkey GiveawayCatch 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. Cazz's Sports Bar 'N' Grille 1560 Haines Road Levittown, PA (267) 580-5469 Fri. 9:30 p.m. Karaoke w/ PaulClub Atlantis 1858 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 944-1777 Sat. 9 p.m. DJ Robbie Tronco All Events Ages 21+ and Dress to ImpressClubhouse 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 DeluxeContinental 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 & LauraCooper'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 TributeCrossing 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 RiversCurran’s Irish Inn 1909 Bristol Pike Bensalem, PA (215) 245-1800 Thurs. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Mon. 7:30 p.m. QuizzoDacey's Pub 215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA (215) 295-4838 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Music Night Wed. 8 p.m. QuizzoDadz 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/ VinylDharma 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/ Se7enFlying 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 NanniesFlorence Township Community Center 69 Main Street Roebling Sat. 7 p.m. Cruising for a Cure Fundraiser feat. The Soul CruisersForsgate Country Club 375 Forsgate Drive Monroe (732) 521-0700 Thurs. 6 p.m. Seaglass Christmas Tree Workshop Fri. 5:30 p.m. James TomoriFounding Father's Sports Bar & Grill 2900 Street Road Bensalem, PA (215) 923-1100 Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Pantano Dance Party w/ DJ Joe CastroFriendly'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.)German American Society 215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton (609) 585-5200 Wed. 7 p.m. "One Night in Chambersburg" Freestyle ExplosionGleason'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 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 MikeGrover's Mill Coffee House Princeton-Hightstown Road Princeton Junction (609) 716-8771 Thurs. 6 p.m. Open Mic Hosted by Wade PrestridgeHamilatte Cafe 1971 Route 33 Hamilton Sat. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Saturdays 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 DuoHopewell Valley Golf Club 114 Pennington-Hopewell Road Hopewell (609) 737-1199 Fri. 6 p.m. Prime Rib and Jazz Night. $60Hopewell 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 EnsembleHurricane 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 FioccoIl 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 OIrish Rover Station House 1033 South Bellevue Avenue Langhorne, PA (215) 970-5412 Wed. 7 p.m. Quizzo NightIron 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 Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton (609) 888-1435 Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Karaoke All shows 21+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+Jo-Jo's Tavern 2677 Nottingham Way Mercerville (609) 586-2678 Wed. 8 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Radio FictionJoseph Lawrence Park 317 Ward Avenue Bordentown Sat. 7 a.m. 12th Annual Turkey Trot 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 NotesKillarney'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 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)"Library Company of Burlington 23 West Union Street Burlington (609) 3861273 Fri. 6:30 p.m. Open Mic NightLillipies Bakery 30 North Harrison Street Princeton (609) 423-2100 Sat. 10 a.m. Storytime with JeffLocust Hall at Johnson's Farm 2691 Monmouth Road Jobstown (609) 723-2630 Fri. 7 p.m. Bourbon & Steak DinnerLogan 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 SwayMagikava 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 Makefield Highlands Golf Club 1418 Woodside Road Yardley, PA (215) 321-7000 Sun. 4 p.m. Pop-Up DinnerMarketFair 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 SantaMcStews 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 NightMusic 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"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-UpNeshaminy Creek Brewing Company 909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA (215) 458-7081 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Night 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 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 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 MonachNick'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 ChangeNJWeedman's Dispensary 322 East State Street Trenton (609) 437-0898 Thurs. 8 p.m. KaraokeNomad Distilling Company 20 South Main Street New Hope, PA Sun. 10 a.m. BrunchNottingham 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+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. QuizzoOld 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 BelloffOld 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 Pasquale's Sports Bar 9078 Mill Creek Road Levittown, PA (267) 202-6268 Tues. 7 p.m. Music Bingo Wed. 7 p.m. KaraokePatriots 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"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 ReleasePlainsboro 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 YogaPrime 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 MichaelsPrinceton 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 Princeton Public Library (Hinds Plaza) 65 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-9529 Sun. 3 p.m. Open Acoustic JamPrinceton University (Richardson Auditorium) Nassau Street Princeton Sat. 2 p.m. Princeton Jazz Vocal Ensemble (Takes place at Taplin Auditorium)Puss N Boots Tavern 942 Trenton Road Fairless Hills, PA Fri. 8 p.m. Karaoke Tues. 7 p.m. TriviaRandy 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) Recklesstown Farm Distillery 2800 Route 206 North Columbus (609) 784-8046 Wed. 6 p.m. Ant CannuliRecovery Sports Grill 109 Hancock Lane Westhampton (609) 702-3902 Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Friends Like Us! Feat. The CJs / Wounded SoulsRistorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge 144 US Route 130 Bordentown (609) 262-0110 Thurs. 8 p.m. Jazz Night 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 EganRobin's Nest Restaurant 2 Washington Street Mount Holly (609) 261-6149 Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Friendsgiving" 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/ LakeHouseSandy's Beef & Ale 2028 E. Old Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA (2670 852-2333 Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzo Mon. 7 p.m. Music BingoSecond Sin Brewing Company 1500 Grundy Lane Bristol, P (267) 812-5251 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia Wed. 12 p.m. "5th Anniversary" Shady Brook Farm 931 Stony Hill Road Yardley, PA (215) 968-1670 Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Dashin' Thu The Lights 2024" 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 ContestSmall World Coffee 14 Witherspoon Street Princeton (609) 924-4377 x2 Sat. 7 p.m. Harry SingerSparky 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 DanaStarving Artist Cafe 18 Bridge Street Stockton Fri. 10 a.m. JB Kline Facebook Live feat. Brooks BrothersSteam 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 NicholsTavern 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 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 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 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 TGI Fridays 780 Route 130 South Hamilton (609) 581-6910 Sun. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ BurnTGI Fridays 2703 Mount Holly Road Suite 3 Washington Twp. (609) 239-486 Thurs. 7 p.m. Trivia TGI Fridays 3535 U.S. Route 1 North #275 Princeton (609) 520-0378 Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia Night The Beer Garden and Education Center at Snipes Farm 890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA Sat. 10 a.m. "Rainbow Moon 2024"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 OrchestraThe 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 HeartbeatsThe 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 RedThe Corner Inn 24509 East Main Street Columbus (609) 298-8543 Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke w/ We R EntertainmentThe 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"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. $100The 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 AppelThe 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 BrownThe 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 BonesThe 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. $40.10The 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 GodfreyThe 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+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 TTLThe 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. $20The 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. BrunchThird State Brewing 352 High Street Burlington (609) 387-1620 Wed. 7 p.m. "Thanksgiving Eve" w/ Dr. LouTir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Avenue Trenton (609) 392-2554 Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" All Shows 21+Train Wreck Distillery 25 Madison Avenue Mount Holly (609) 288-6300 Sat. 7 p.m. Radio Fiction 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 SweetsTriumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location) 400 Union Square New Hope, Pa. (215) 862-8300 Fri. 6 p.m. Mike MontreyVault 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 DuoVillage Idiot Brewing Company 42 High Street Mount Holly (609) 975-9270 Thurs. 7 p.m. TriviaWildflowers Too 255 Route 156 Yardville (609) 585-5483 Wed. 7 p.m. Poker NightWoodlin Lodge 30 19 Park Street Bordentown (609) 298-9849 Fri. 8 p.m. Fridays On Park StreetWorking 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 GiakasWWFM 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" 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.
Advertise with The Penguin Rocks for $50-$100 per month, click here for info
Music lovers are rockin' the suburbs at MPAC in Morristown, NJ as they ready themselves for a sold out Paper Airplane Tour performance by singer/songwriter, Ben Folds.
(NEWARK, NJ) -- This Fall, AG Touring and Mammoth, Inc. proudly present the Rod Wave - Last Lap Tour. This large-scale multi-city outing will feature Rod Wave headlining 36 of North America's top arenas coast-to-coast. The tour will kick off on October 19 at Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix, AZ visiting major markets across the country, including Newark’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 with special guests Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic.
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