The Groove Merchants have been delivering powerful, funky, explosive performances for years, particularly in the Lehigh Valley, down through Philadelphia and beyond.  They’ve become THE way to open Musikfest several years in a row now on the Stadtplatz stage. Founded in college at Kutztown by powerhouse frontman Tye Vallone, rippin blues guitarist Luke Ferracone, and…

I learned of Parker Barrow’s music earlier this year and fell in love with its raw power and bluesy, southern rock vibe.  So when the chance came to have them on the show, I of course jumped at it.  Then came the incredible back story of how the lead singer and drummer met and formed…

When you hear the sonic bath of an Alysha Brilla song, you are immediately tuned in to something special.  And if that is during a live performance, you are spellbound.  She writes such incredible melodies combined with lyrics that inspire and emote, and then set to instruments that open us up to all that is…

I heard Eph See’s song “Malachi the Uber Driver” listening to the NPR All Songs Considered podcast while i was mowing my lawn.  And just like Robin Hilton said as he set-up the song before playing it, I was struck by it so much that I stopped what I was doing and just … listened….

I learned of Lydia von Hof this summer and was able to catch her performance at Musikfest – and she lit the stage on fire!  This songstress spans all the genres with a powerhouse voice and killer guitar chops.  And her songs are written so well with lyrics that are clever and powerful. You’re gonna…

Carbon Leaf has an incredible trajectory to their journey – from forming in college, to exploding on to the scene, to signing with a label, to regaining their independence … all while building an incredible following of loyal fans who love them. I was introduced to them by my long time live music buddy John…

First and foremost, Pepperwine is a groovy, funky, beachy vibe that is producing infectious music and puts on killer live shows. But they are also some of the kindest, funniest and most supportive humans around.  They were the 4th ever interview I did, back when I was co-hosting episodes with George Wacker under Lehigh Valley…

I’ve heard tracks from Love? said the Commander consistently on Dan Drago’s 25 O’Clock Pod pretty regularly over the years.  And every time it always caught my ear, and tug at my emotions.  I suppose that’s where the genre label “emo” truly comes from. At some point, when I heard another one of their brilliant…

I was able to see Disterbenz (the moniker of Gabrielle Sterbenz) perform live a few years back when she opened for Wheatus and was majorly impressed.  She has a powerful voice and a performance that includes looping of her vocals and guitar that really impresses.  And the songwriting is stellar – mostly Americana, but really…