December was jam packed with so much activities!! Live music, family, trips.. I was all over the place. It would be interesting sometime to track how long I’m actually in my house in a month! Every time I have to write my article I’m always amazed when I go back and trace my steps! My space is super limited this month, so this is the very abbreviated version of my adventures! If you really want to keep an eye on what I’m up to, follow along on Facebook. I usually post pics and adventures every night I go Out and About.
I of course was at a slew of Matt Jameson shows. A couple of super cool highlights were South County Brewing Company down off the Leader Heights exit in York, that place is insanely awesome! It is an absolutely gorgeous building, they have live music, and their food is top notch!! I hear their beer is delicious too! Another new venue for Matt, but it’s been around forever, the Penn Hotel in Hershey, some people know it as the Raw Bar. They started having live music on Wednesdays, and that’s so super close to home, it’s convenient and tons of fun! Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery another gorgeous building, located right off of 72 in Lebanon. They had a food truck, but we were able to get pizza right down the street too and bring it in which was convenient and delicious. They also have an amazing menu of MOCKTAILS! A brewery with mocktails! What an amazing concept! They also have flights of dog treats for your special canine friends! I also have to give a shout out to Copper Pub. Matt played in there on a Thursday and the place was slammed! Copper Pub handles the craziness with ease! It’s always a good time at the Pub! And it’s practically in my backyard! It just amazes me constantly that this was Matt’s first full year playing out professionally. He had over 200 shows in one year! We learned so much, and are continuing to learn more every day. Watching his fan base grow throughout the year has been awesome. I love hearing people say awesome things about his shows. He sure does make me proud!! 2024 Matt is really scaling down his shows, so if you want him booked for your venue, now is the time! Check out his ad in this issue for his full schedule and all booking information.
This month I caught a glimpse of Shine Thru the Shade at Shermans Creek Inn. We made it there for their last set. Andy and Kevin are such a riot. If there was a duo that should be sponsored by Jager, it would be these two! We had a blast singing along and joining in the fun. Andy is bringing back Adrian Blitzer for a couple of special shows in 2024, one of those is January 6th at Shermans Creek Inn. That place is gonna be NUTS!!! You can check out Shermans Creek Inn’s schedule in this issue to see all of the details, and the full listing of all of the entertainment they have to offer.
Emily’s Toybox packed the Racehorse Tavern! When I got there I had to park in the overflow parking, it was so busy! It was awesome to see the dance floor packed at The Racehorse. Phil Cannizaro was filling in on bass. Of course Mike had a blast making him super uncomfortable on stage! I love watching Emily’s Toybox! They are all such amazing musicians and they are always having a blast, making sure their fans are having a blast too! Racehorse Tavern is always supporting live music. You can check out their full schedule in this issue too and see all of the entertainment they have coming up this month!
On a Sunday afternoon I had the opportunity to finally go to the Joy to the Burg fundraising event at Englewood. Sheldon Jones of Loco Lobo came up with the idea over 5 years ago to have local musicians record holiday music and put them together on an album to sell to raise funds for homelessness in Harrisburg, when Greg Platzer heard the idea he was quickly on board. They work with Christians Church United and they have been able to do so many amazing things to support those who are in need. At the event a few of the artists performed live, giving us a taste of what the album has to offer. I was blown away by all of the talent! The Groove Rebels with the pipes of Amy Simpson and the guitar licks of Greg Platzer were absolutely amazing! You can purchase the album or simply donate to this great cause at joytotheburg.com.
I heard about a Phil birthday show on Flinchy’s new trainwreck deck, and decided to pop in to check it out. The new deck is fully enclosed so it can be used all year long. Phil was rocking with Greg Folsom. He’s been playing with a few bands in the area, but it was the first time I got to see him rock out in a long time. Greg and Phil were having a blast and the deck was jam packed, but tons of fun! We also had to say goodbye to our good buddy Frank who is moving to Florida. Frank used to walk me safely to my car from the Hardware Bar on 2nd St. many moons ago. Plus he’s played in different bands, ran sound, and he’s kind of just always around in some way, it’s gonna be strange not seeing him around, but I will have someone else I can visit in Florida!
The Warped Tour Band was traveling through and stopped at XL Live. I love the emo pop/punk stuff, and they really nailed every song they played. They had quite a few openers, but unfortunately I only made it for the headliners. I heard the whole night was very awesome. During the show XL had a gas line issue out on their deck with a fireplace. They handled it very professionally, the fire department got there very quickly, and there was only a short pause in the show to make sure the building was safe! I was impressed with their quick action and attention to detail. The Warped Tour Band was also amazing how they were able to kick the energy right back where it was and everyone was jumping, dancing and singing along. I loved all of the energy in the room! It was electric!!
I haven’t been to XL in a long time, but the next night I was right back there again for so many of my faves on one bill! Steel, Road Case, and Back in Black! I love seeing all of these bands rock out on the big stage at XL Live. It was great to see a nice crowd of people all there bright and early to enjoy every band! It was like a giant family reunion. So many people I haven’t seen out in quite a while. It was amazing getting the chance to headbang the night away! It was a great line up for a Holiday Weekend. It was just what we all wanted and needed for Christmas this year!
Shea Quinn was also rockin’ Flinchy’s Trainwreck Deck, and my friend Linda Kyle was there celebrating her birthday, so I had to stop in and celebrate with her. She’s also celebrating her retirement! Quite the amazing day. Shea was playing everyone’s favorite singalongs, you couldn’t help but dance and sing a long!
Vertigo Vultures were rocking at Hollywood Penn National. It’s hard to believe their frontman Kyle is leaving the band as of Jan. 1st. I heard they already hired a replacement and they won’t be missing a beat. I’m very intrigued and can’t wait to see who the new person is! Kyle is going to be sorely missed, but he did tell me that he starts guitar lessons next week and he’s hoping to get back out every now and then, at least for an open mic here and there. Vertigo Vultures will still be out there pouring their hearts out on stage, and I will hopefully get to see the new line up soon!
Last but certainly not least was Observe the 93rd’s CD Release show at XL Live. They released their album ‘Eternalism’ and it’s amazing!! I always think they can’t possibly write something better, but yet they keep evolving, growing and getting better and better. I love all of the songs on the new album, but “Stick Around” really hits home. Observe put on one heck of a show and even played the pixies! I had a blast rockin’ out from the front row. I can’t believe I forgot to take a stage selfie with Derek, I was having so much fun! Check out this album! You won’t be disappointed. You can find it on all of your favorite streaming platforms.
That’s a wrap for 2023! Hard to believe. I had a fantastic year!! And I’m hoping that 2024 will be even better!! It’s kicking off with some amazing birthdays. My amazing sister celebrates another year around the sun on January 6th, Happy Birthday AA, I love you so much! Then right behind her on January 8th is the one and only Mr. Rocks! Kris and I are celebrating his birthday in style with a trip to Florida to go see my friends Terri and Mike! We are kicking the year off right! There is always plenty to see, hear and do!
I’m sure you will see me Out and About, and when you do, please say Hi!
