Happy New Year my dear music lovers. As always I have so much to tell you about. My list this month includes; The Mickey Hart Band, New Kings of Rhythm, New Kings of Rhythm Darius Rucker, Whiskeyhickon Boys, The Large Flowerheads and more. But first I want to talk to you a little bit about you local live music scene.

   The venerable and wise Phil Stahl says that “if you would like a local music scene you must create one”. He believes in it so passionately that he not only puts that quote at the bottom of every email he sends, he also lives it, every day single day. The fact is that this economy is CRAP. Given the current political climate we have to assume that it will get worse before it gets better. Does that mean we have to give up on our local live music scene? The answer is NO. What it means is that we have think out side the box and be creative.

   And that is what many in the local music business are doing. In recent years the number of places to play has decreased yet the talent in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding region continues to flourish. There are bands out there that want to play and there are people that want to hear them. There are also people out there who are bringing it all together and making it affordable.

   Venues like Mezza Luna, The Perk, and Raven’s Nest consistently bring in great live bands and NEVER charge a cover. Other venues and musicians team up to provide quality open mics and open jams. Roman does a great jam at Grumpy’s on Thursday nights, Todd Wolfe (former guitar player for Sheryl Crow) does a slamin jam at The Reaven’s Nest in Quakertown on Wednesdays, Bev Conklin is over at Bella Luna on Sunday’s, Phil Stahl Mr “Open Mic” himself is somewhere every day of the week notably, Mondays at Sugars Stage and Spirits.

   Several independent weekend music festivals are popping up all over the region. These events are an opportunity to pay one reasonable fee, camp out to stay safe and avoid DUI’s and hear more than 30 great local, regional and in some cases national bands. Some names that come to mind are Opple Topple in June, Stir fry Music Revival in September, Fleetwood Blues Festival in July, Jibberjazz in July, Lehigh River Blues Jam in June, Who Hill and the list goes on and on. Find them all on Facebook.

    Not only that, there are people out there that have made personal investments of their own assets and other personal resources and rallied them together to put on smaller events so that the working man can afford and enjoy a great night of live music in their own community. Get on Facebook and search for these names to find out more: Bob’s Big City Music Hall, Special Ops Productions, Mary Pierce Entertainment, 2nd Story Blues, Stir Fry Productions, Phil Stahl, Women’s Blue’s Alliance and there of course are many more.

   Since 1985 The Phil Stahl Show has been showcasing local unsigned music on cable television. The Phil Stahl Show is seen on the Comcast Pottstown cable system pctv channel 22 every Monday at 8:00pm and every Wednesday on channel 98 at 9:00pm and of course its streamed from his web site.

   Sandraudiga is an up-and-coming band from Leola, PA. They, like many garage bands of our time, have fused a music style that melds Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock with a bit of a Psychedelic twist. The bands unique name comes from early Germanic Mythology. It is said that Sandraudiga is the goddess of battle. It is believed that name literally means “she who dyes the sand red”. If you can apply that to music, than one can assume then, that this band is about to paint their local music scene red with music that is emotionally intense guaranteed to stimulate and produce a heart thumping heavy breathing rush. You can catch this band January 14th at The Silo in Reading and January 28th at MOJO 13 in Wilmington DE.

   Mickey Hart, of the Grateful Dead, will perform with his new band at the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem, PA on January 5th. Hart is donating 100% of the ticketing fees from tickets sold on MickeyHart.net to the Rex Foundation for music therapy. The show will feature brand new material as well as selections of his greatest hits and Grateful Dead songs.

   Guitar Villa offers music Therapy in both their Bethlehem and Quakertown locations. Individuals who may benefit from this program include, but are not limited to, individuals functioning within the Autism spectrum, those with learning disabilities and even those individuals who simply need relief from everyday stress in their lives. For more info call John Slog at 610-746-9200.

   The New Kings of Rhythm have proven over and over again that what people really want is great quality dance music. With an eight piece lineup they have something for everyone; smoking guitar, funky keyboards, and tight horns. They also sport super funky drum power combined with thumping bass.

   After seeing them live, you’ll agree that no one quite does it like The New Kings. The band is no slave to a set-list, playing a heavy mix of Funk, Reggae, Rhythm & Blues originals and a few select renditions of the classics in said genres making them the perfect band for any occasion. Check them out at Más Mexicali Cantina on January 6th at 10pm.

   A Tribute to the Groovy Music of the 1960s. The Large Flowerheads, a PA 60s band, recreates the musical sights and sounds of the 1960s. Imagine being part of the scene when the songs spoke of love, sunshine, and happiness. “It is IMPOSSIBLE not to have a blast at their shows. Everything, from the tune selections, to the arrangements, to the overall vibe is just spot-on designed for fun!” You can see The Large Flowerheads live on January 13th at Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que Roadhouse.