Backstage Bucks County

Matt Freedman

Backstage Bucks County showcases the region’s most inspiring entrepreneurs, musicians, creatives, and business leaders. Hosted by Matt Freedman — entrepreneur, musician, and founder of Rhythm, LLC — the show dives into the raw grind, creative hustle, and personal stories shaping Bucks County’s culture and economy. Produced inside Rhythm, LLC — Bucks County’s premier podcast and content studio — the show is part of our mission to spotlight the region’s most influential and creative minds while giving the community a voice of its own.Whether you’re an entrepreneur, artist, or simply curious about the people shaping Bucks County, Backstage Bucks County is your all-access pass to the energy, ideas, and people making it happen.Subscribe now and come backstage — where the real stories are told.

  1. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    Gypsy Heart (Live at Backstage Bucks County)

    After her Episode 17 interview, Megan Knight picked up her guitar and played her original song Gypsy Heart live in the Backstage Bucks County studio, with co-host Dustin Napoli on guitar.   If you haven't heard the full interview yet, go back to Episode 17 for the American Idol yacht story, how her dad got Tom Bukovac on her next album, and the advice she would give her 17-year-old self.   See Megan live at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia on December 11. Music and tickets: https://meganknightmusic.com   Watch the full performance on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QX9rqAR7hSU Every episode and guest: https://rhythm.house/backstage-bucks-county Follow @backstagebuckscounty Follow Megan: @megknightmusic on Instagram, @meganknightmusic everywhere else

  2. 3d ago

    Ep. 17: Megan Knight on the American Idol Yacht Audition, Tom Bukovac & Her Next Album

    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

  3. Oct 16

    Ep. 16: Love Saves the Day, Madonna & the Bouncer Who Came Back | Stasia Kauriga

    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

  4. Sep 30

    He Didn't Know It Was a Candlebox Audition | Brian Quinn Ep.15

    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

  5. Sep 23

    He Told Keith Richards To Turn Down (Then Dave Grohl Called)! Ep.14

    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

  6. Sep 16

    Given a 1% Chance: Tim Chiarolanza on Life After Brain Injury | Episode 13!

    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

  7. May 1

    Backstage Bucks County – Episode 12 with Nicolas and Stephen Servis

    🎙 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

  8. Mar 30

    Backstage Bucks County- Episode 11 with Dr. Beth Kaplan

    🎙 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

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About

Backstage Bucks County showcases the region’s most inspiring entrepreneurs, musicians, creatives, and business leaders. Hosted by Matt Freedman — entrepreneur, musician, and founder of Rhythm, LLC — the show dives into the raw grind, creative hustle, and personal stories shaping Bucks County’s culture and economy. Produced inside Rhythm, LLC — Bucks County’s premier podcast and content studio — the show is part of our mission to spotlight the region’s most influential and creative minds while giving the community a voice of its own.Whether you’re an entrepreneur, artist, or simply curious about the people shaping Bucks County, Backstage Bucks County is your all-access pass to the energy, ideas, and people making it happen.Subscribe now and come backstage — where the real stories are told.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Freedman
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Backstage Bucks County
  • Show Website
    Backstage Bucks County

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