Megan Knight was standing in a freezing line at her American Idol audition when the judges popped out and invited her onto their yacht. She auditioned on the helicopter pad, right next to the White House, while helicopters kept flying over.

In Episode 17 of Backstage Bucks County, hosts Matt Freedman and Dustin Napoli sit down with country singer-songwriter Megan Knight. She taught herself guitar on YouTube, got hired at her first open mic at 13, and plays 150 to 200 shows a year. She tells how her dad's morning YouTube habit landed Tom Bukovac on her next album, how she manifested a show with Trey Lewis and Ella Langley, and why crowds now get mad when she plays covers instead of her own songs. She also talks about finally taking the guitar off on stage, the stranger who said her music stopped her migraines, and the advice she would give her 17-year-old self.

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open

0:35 Meet Megan Knight

2:54 From News Anchor Dreams to Her First Open Mic

4:41 Why Her Voice Went Country

5:06 The Female Rick Rubin

6:12 Kacey Musgraves' Engineer Wants Her Drum Covers Back

7:10 Writing Her First Song at 13

8:43 Grandpa, Merle Haggard & Black and White Westerns

9:28 When Crowds Started Demanding Her Originals

11:38 Writing Season & Why She Needs a Deadline

13:19 6 Songs a Day in Muscle Shoals

15:08 The Next Album (and the Title She Won't Say)

15:59 Matt's 380 Unreleased Songs

17:17 Almost Signed by a Top 10 Manager

18:07 The 12 Songs That Scare Matt

20:51 An Album About Healing

22:23 The Song That Stopped a Stranger's Migraines

23:35 150 to 200 Shows a Year

25:12 A Quick Vocal Lesson

26:29 Saying Yes to American Idol

27:50 The Judges Were on the Yacht

29:02 Auditioning on a Helicopter Pad by the White House

29:56 They Changed Her Song the Day Of

31:06 Watching Her Soul Leave Her Body on Stage

32:00 Taking the Guitar Off

33:53 What Musicians Steal From Other Shows

36:03 What's Still Holding Her Back

37:17 Finding Her Own Vocal Pocket

39:40 Chasing the Whistle Note

41:17 Warm-Ups & the Last-Set Drink

42:20 Her Favorite Songs to Play

44:11 What Success Looks Like

46:53 Ella Langley, Her Dream Show

48:09 She Manifested a Bill With Trey Lewis

49:26 The Barefoot Poster

51:49 The Muscle Shoals Crew

52:40 Dad's Cereal & Tom Bukovac

54:49 Justin Holder & Dierks Bentley From Side Stage

56:05 How the Hosts Got Started

58:07 Advice to Her 17-Year-Old Self

58:57 Phones, Creativity & Touching Grass

1:00:07 The Ring Camera Horror Movie

1:01:20 Next Year's Goals

1:02:11 Folds of Honor & Giving Back

1:03:59 Off Days: Sims & Pilates

1:05:56 What's on Repeat

1:06:59 Her Favorite Italian Dish

1:08:43 What Only a Local Knows

1:09:31 Find Megan & Brooklyn Bowl Dec 11

See Megan live at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia on December 11: https://meganknightmusic.com

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OKHRg6SaZqI

More episodes and guests: https://rhythm.house/backstage-bucks-county

Backstage Bucks County is produced by Rhythm House. https://rhythm.house

Stasia Kauriga runs Love Saves the Day, the vintage shop on Main Street in New Hope, PA that started in New York's East Village in 1966 and once hosted Madonna on the set of Desperately Seeking Susan.

In this episode of Backstage Bucks County, hosts Matt Freedman and Dustin Napoli talk with Stasia about how the store landed in New Hope, leaving a decade at Harley-Davidson to run it, and the time the building almost got sold until the town pushed back. She tells the story of a Trocadero bouncer who rescued her at a Beastie Boys show and then walked into her store decades later, plus run-ins with Daryl Hannah, Priscilla Presley, Jason Segel and the Indigo Girls. She also shares why New Hope's vintage shops send customers to each other, her perfect New Hope meal, and the local history she wants people to remember.

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open

0:29 Meet Stasia Kauriga of Love Saves the Day

1:25 1966: Love Saves the Day Opens in the East Village

3:07 Madonna, Pee-wee Herman & the Autograph Wall

5:21 How Love Saves the Day Landed in New Hope

6:32 "I'm Gonna Own That Building One Day"

7:53 New Hope Is Changing. Can It Stay Quirky?

11:53 Why Vintage Shops Send You to Each Other

13:30 Love What You Do and You'll Never Work a Day

15:09 From Art School to Harley-Davidson Manager

17:59 A Meeting With the Bobs

21:45 Learning From Leslie (and Telling a Biker Off)

22:49 The Love Saves the Day Family

29:56 Meet Bethamphetamine

31:28 Laid Off the Morning After the CMA Awards

38:04 "The Minute You Stop Getting Nervous..."

38:46 Growing Up in a House of Musicians

43:56 Who Makes You Starstruck?

46:44 How Corporate Prepped Her to Run Her Own Shop

49:15 The Building Almost Got Sold

50:41 "Rip the Paperwork Up. It's Not Time Yet."

52:35 The Window Complaint & Why Everyone's Welcome

55:43 When Did the 90s Become Vintage?

57:27 Radio Mixtapes & Trocadero Memories

1:00:04 Beastie Boys, House of Pain & Run-DMC at the Trocadero

1:02:25 The Bouncer Who Walked Into Her Store Years Later

1:06:16 Fred Durst, Daryl Hannah & a 1930s Zipper

1:08:02 Jason Segel & Stasia's Christian Slater Grudge

1:10:37 Indigo Girls, Didi Conn & Chasing a TV Mom

1:13:55 Meeting Priscilla Presley

1:17:42 What's on Repeat: Elvis & Tom Waits

1:20:44 The Tom Waits Ticket Quiz & Elvis Costello

1:22:33 Stasia's Perfect New Hope Meal

1:26:28 What Only a Local Knows: Don't Forget the History

1:32:39 Find Stasia & Love Saves the Day

All episodes: https://rhythm.house/backstage-bucks-county

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s7zPq7fKzMU

Follow @backstagebuckscounty

Brian Quinn went to a studio to play one guitar solo. He walked in, saw the whole band standing there, and thought, "I think this might

be an audition." Not long after, he was in Candlebox.

In Episode 15 of Backstage Bucks County, hosts Matt Freedman and Dustin Napoli sit down with rock guitarist, songwriter and

producer Brian Quinn. Brian started the Pennsylvania rock band Octane, played in Fosterchild and Burial Ground, spent years as a

Candlebox guitarist, and now he's releasing solo music that mixes hard rock, slide guitar and country. He calls it dark country.

This Brian Quinn interview is for Candlebox fans, guitar players, songwriters and anyone who has ever sat on a song they were scared

to share. Brian talks about recording 12 guitar songs in 6 hours on Candlebox's Wolves, learning slide guitar from Warren Haynes,

church basement hardcore shows and how "bloodcore" got its name, working at Tower Records, what cover songs taught him about

songwriting, his honest take on AI in songwriting, and his new song "Until Fall." Plus his pick for the best bowl of pho around and what

he loves about Bucks County.

Chapters:

0:00 An Unexpected Candlebox Audition

0:38 Meet Brian Quinn

2:00 Two Brothers, Kiss & Randy Rhoads

7:54 Church Basement Hardcore Shows

9:33 Burial Ground & How "Bloodcore" Got Its Name

11:11 Tower Records, Octane & Learning Songs Note for Note

14:12 How Playing Covers Taught Him to Write

17:12 Writing for Yourself & the Song "Cardinal"

18:45 Leaving Octane & Starting Fosterchild

21:39 How Fosterchild Met Candlebox

22:47 "I Think This Might Be an Audition"

24:18 Joining Candlebox & Making Records in Two Weeks

25:55 6 Hours to Record 12 Guitar Songs

29:22 Building a Music Career on Relationships

32:29 Until Fall & Brian's Solo Sound

33:29 How Warren Haynes Showed Him Slide

36:29 Dark Country & the New Music

39:31 Stephen Wilson Jr., Hudson Freeman & Finding New Music

44:36 How Brian Writes: Voice Memos & Morning Warm-Ups

48:42 Brian on AI in Songwriting

51:43 The Song That Didn't Fit Any Band

53:13 What's Next: Cardinal & the Full Album

55:15 Testing Songs Live & the Fear of Being Honest

59:51 The Song He Played at a Friend's Life Celebration

1:04:24 "What Do You Sound Like?"

1:05:15 What's on Repeat, Wild Game & the Best Pho Around

1:09:17 Bucks County Secrets & Where to Find Brian's Music

Listen to Brian's music: https://brianquinnguitar.com

Watch the full video on YouTube: [https://youtu.be/ttr5ofPIXc8]

More episodes and guests: https://rhythm.house/backstage-bucks-county

If you like the show, follow us, leave a review, and send this one to a friend who plays guitar.

Backstage Bucks County is produced by Rhythm House. https://rhythm.house

He auditioned for the Rolling Stones and had the nerve to ask Keith Richards to turn his amps down. Weeks later, Dave Grohl tracked him down backstage to say thank you. This week on Backstage Bucks County, host Matt Freedman sits down with two legends: David Uosikkinen, drummer for The Hooters, and Kenny Aaronson, the bass player and producer who has shared a stage with Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Derringer, and nearly the Rolling Stones.

David tells the story of the yellow Tama drum kit he played on MTV, the one Dave Grohl bought as a kid because he thought it looked cool, and later used to record Nirvana's Nevermind. Kenny walks through his Rolling Stones bass audition, from a cassette tape sent to Mick Jagger's camp to the moment he told Keith Richards to turn his amps down so he could hear Charlie Watts.

Along the way: the drummer Kenny turned down for King Crimson (and who he told them to call instead), Rod Stewart's secret model train obsession, why Brother Louie almost went to a different band entirely, and what it actually takes to keep a band like The Hooters together for 46 years.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open: Keith Richards and Dave Grohl
00:46 Welcoming David and Kenny to the show
01:28 Catching up on Ilan Rubin and the Foo Fighters
02:36 Ilan Rubin at nine years old, a John Bonham disciple
06:12 The viral Dave Grohl moment
06:50 Backstage with Dave Grohl at a pop-up show
07:55 The yellow Tama kit and the Nevermind story
09:57 Introducing Kenny Aaronson
10:19 Blue Sparkle Rogers drums and Brooklyn beginnings
13:49 Phil Spector, Ronnie Spector, and Hal Blaine
17:20 Session legends and drummer worship
18:36 Seeing Kenny play with Derringer as a kid
20:32 Derringer, Vinnie Appice, and life on the road
23:25 Second on the bill to Led Zeppelin
26:19 How Brother Louie ended up on Kenny's resume
27:12 The Gorham Hotel and meeting Cream
28:39 Central Park with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood
29:20 Rod Stewart's secret model train obsession
46:47 Why hire Kenny if you want generic
48:40 The King Crimson call that wasn't for him
50:57 Recommending Tony Levin
51:30 Auditioning for the Rolling Stones
53:34 Get out of the shower, Mick Jagger's on the phone
57:23 Keith Richards' ashtray and the Stoli offer
59:45 Telling Keith Richards to turn down
1:19:53 What keeps The Hooters together after 46 years
1:23:05 The Brother Louie royalty fight
1:26:26 Pocket at Ardmore Music Hall, September 26th

About the guests:
David Uosikkinen is the drummer for The Hooters, together for 46 years, and a returning guest on Backstage Bucks County.
Kenny Aaronson is a bass player and producer whose credits include Derringer, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Hall & Oates, and a Rolling Stones bass audition most players only dream about.

Backstage Bucks County is hosted by Matt Freedman and Dustin Napoli. New episodes drop regularly, wherever you get your podcasts.

Produced by Rhythm House. www.Rhythm.House

#BackstageBucksCounty #TheHooters #DaveGrohl #RollingStones #KeithRichards #PodcastClips #ClassicRock #DrummerInterview #BassistInterview #NirvanaNevermind

Tim Chiarolanza's brain injury recovery did not look like anyone expected, including the doctor who gave him a 1% chance of living.

In November 2021, Tim was a strength and conditioning coach in Bucks County when a freak accident left him fighting for his life. Three days after surviving being hit by a car, his brain bled and swelled without warning, and doctors told his wife and father to plan a funeral. He has no memory of the 7 weeks that followed.

On episode 13 of Backstage Bucks County, Tim joins longtime friend Matt Freedman to walk through the accident, the coma, the week he spent convinced he was dreaming, and the slow work of relearning how to walk, talk, and live. He also introduces the Today Effect, the four daily anchors (purpose, action, presence, connection) that keep him grounded, and explains why his foundation, Triumph in Recovery, exists to support survivors and their caregivers.

00:00 A 1% chance and 7 missing weeks
01:38 Growing up in Bucks County together
03:30 Finding strength and conditioning
06:24 Why Tim tells parents to stop specializing their kids
15:48 The night everything changed
22:58 A doctor tells the family to plan a funeral
25:46 Waking up and thinking it's all a dream
30:59 Changing the question from why to what now
36:54 Getting his license back and his independence
39:03 Why caregivers need as much support as survivors
41:36 The Today Effect explained
51:23 Different person, same core
53:22 What people can't see about a brain injury
59:50 A hometown show steps up for the foundation
1:06:56 The book Tim is writing and how to help

About Backstage Bucks County: hosted by Matt Freedman, entrepreneur, musician, and founder of Rhythm, LLC, the show spotlights the entrepreneurs, musicians, creatives, and business leaders shaping Bucks County. Produced inside Rhythm, a Bucks County content studio.

Learn more about Tim's foundation, get involved, or donate at triumphinrecovery.com.

Guest: Tim Chiarolanza, co-founder and president of Triumph in Recovery. Instagram @TimChiarolanza. Foundation Instagram @Triumph_in_Recovery.

Thank you to FTL Bags for sponsoring this episode.
Go to https://www.ftlbags.com/

#BackstageBucksCounty #TriumphInRecovery #BrainInjuryRecovery #TBIAwareness #BucksCountyPodcast

🎙 Backstage Bucks County – Episode 12 with Nicolas and Stephen Servis

Host: Matt Freedman — Founder of Rhythm & Award-Winning Country Artist
Guest: Nicolas and Stephen Servis
Recorded at Rhythm Studios, New Hope, PA

Episode 11 of Backstage Bucks County welcomes the Servis Bros! Nicolas and Stephen Servis are the owners of Servis Events, a private dining service that offers health-focused meals made with locally-sourced ingredients of the highest quality.

After being forced to leave their restaurant jobs due to COVID, the identical twins start their own food business based Bucks County. From animal butchery, gardening, growing under lights, tapping maple trees for syrup, raising bees and spinning the honey, making their own hot sauces & vinegars, to foraging for garnish- these bros have perfected the process of pairing delicous, natural meals with luxury service.

Read more about the Servis Bros and their mission here:

Our education started at Middle Bucks Institute of Technology where we were both enrolled in the Culinary Arts program. After completion, we went on to get our associates degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Bucks County Community College. The rest was taught in the kitchen.

We both truly became deeply interested in the farm-to-table world when holding chef de partie positions at The Mainland Inn. Yes, we have worked in a lot of the same restaurants! We did full animal butchery, gardening, growing under lights, tapping maple trees for syrup, raising bees and spinning the honey, making our own hot sauces & vinegars, foraging for garnish and such. We were in our own little heaven of a restaurant. When volunteering at Quarry Hill Farm, Stephen was told about the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program, a pitch that said you could travel for free, as long as you offer your work to the farmers in exchange for housing and meals. Well, five years later, the time was just right and we spent 2 months on Flying Pond Farm in Vienna, Maine in the summer of 2020. That’s where this whole idea became just a distant reality.

After countless conversations with the farmer and his family (Harold and the Grams), we had somewhat of a plan of attack for when we returned home to start cooking these private events. After a little bit of revising, we had our vision!

📚 Resources & Links
Website: servis-events.com
Instagram: @servisevents
Facebook: Servis Events

Follow Matt Freedman & Backstage Bucks County
Website: MattFreedmanmusic.com
YouTube: ‪@mattfreedmanmusic‬
Instagram: @MattFreedmanmusic, @backstagebuckscounty
Tiktok: @backstagebuckscounty
Website: MattFreedmanmusic.com

🎙 Backstage Bucks County – Episode 11 with Dr. Beth Kalplan

Host: Matt Freedman — Founder of Rhythm & Award-Winning Country Artist
Guest: Dr. Beth Kaplan
Recorded at Rhythm Studios, New Hope, PA

Episode 12 of Backstage Bucks County welcomes Dr. Beth Kaplan, a life-long resident of Bucks County and author of "Braving the Workplace." Dr. Kaplan is a keynote speaker dedicated to helping employee's find belonging in the workplace. She helps organizations strengthen trust, increase retention, and build cultures rooted in psychological safety and accountability. Her research-backed keynotes translate belonging into measurable performance outcomes.


MORE ABOUT DR. BETH KAPLAN FROM HER WEBSITE:

Dr. Beth Kaplan helps leaders build high-performance cultures rooted in psychological safety and accountability.

She bridges research and real-world execution and practical frameworks leaders can implement immediately.

Her work focuses on:

• Increasing retention
• Reducing burnout
• Strengthening trust
• Improving cross-functional collaboration
• Elevating accountability

Belonging becomes the lever.
Performance becomes the outcome.

📚 Resources & Links
Website: drbethkaplan.com
Instagram: @drbethkaplan
Tiktok: @belongingdoc
Facebook: Dr. Beth Kaplan, Ed. D.
LinkedIn: Dr. Beth Kaplan
X: @DrBethKaplan

Follow Matt Freedman & Backstage Bucks County
Website: MattFreedmanmusic.com
YouTube: ‪@mattfreedmanmusic‬
Instagram: @MattFreedmanmusic, @backstagebuckscounty
Tiktok: @backstagebuckscounty
Website: MattFreedmanmusic.com

🎙 Backstage Bucks County – Episode 8 with Blake Guss, Motivational Speaker, Meditation Workshop Facilitator, and Co-Founder of Online Meditation Events: Guided Meditation for All

Host: Matt Freedman — Founder of Rhythm & Award-Winning Country Artist
Guest: Blake Guss
Recorded at Rhythm Studios, New Hope, PA

Introduction: Sharing Truth That Heals

Episode 9 of Backstage Bucks County welcomes Blake Guss, a celebrated motivational speaker and the co-founder of Online Meditation Events- a company desined to assist clients with guided meditation practices. Blake and our host, Matt Freedman, first crossed paths in middle school, and reunited to discuss how an unhealthy mind can negatively impact every aspect of someone's life. Despite his struggles with self-hatred, isolation, and addiction, Blake made the courageous decision to overcoem his struggles through meditation and intensive therapy. He now dedicates his life to helping others heal from their trauma and learn how to direct positive energy pack into their lives.

MORE ABOUT BLAKE GUSS:
Blake is the Co-founder of OnlineMeditationEvents.com. With over 13 years of dedicated practice and enriched by extensive retreats across Asia, South America, and the United States under the guidance of masters, Blake’s journey is a testament to personal development through meditation. Having conquered high anxiety and navigated challenges in his 20s, he discovered and embodies True Peace through meditation. Blake has successfully led more than 300 meditation events and delivered illuminating lectures and transformative workshops at prestigious institutions such as NYU, St John’s University, and Square Inc. Over the past decade, he has guided thousands through personalized sessions, believing deeply that the answers to life’s challenges lie within oneself. Blake is committed to helping others unlock their potential and discover profound personal growth.

A MESSAGE FROM ONLINE MEDITATION EVENTS:
Break free from your blockages and embark on self-discovery in our Personal Development Meditation. Overcome mental barriers holding you back from your potential. Our guides introduce powerful meditation techniques to unlock inner wisdom and catalyze transformation.

Gain clarity on life’s purpose, boost confidence, and develop tools to pursue goals. Through exercises and guided meditations, tap into innate strengths and cultivate a growth mindset.

Join us to unlock your true potential and become your most authentic self. Discover how personal development leads to improved relationships, career success, and life satisfaction.

📚 Resources & Links
YouTube: @blakeguss & @OMEmeditation
Instagram: @blakeguss & @onlinemeditationevents
Facebook: Blake Guss & Online Meditation Events
Website: onlinemeditationevents.com

Follow Matt Freedman & Backstage Bucks County
YouTube: ‪@mattfreedmanmusic‬
Instagram: @MattFreedmanmusic, @backstagebuckscounty
Tiktok: @backstagebuckscounty
Website: MattFreedmanmusic.com