Hosting The MGK House Band 2025 Prelim Competition At The Awesome Parx Casino

We are one step closer to naming the MGK house band of 2025!

Last night, I got to host WMGK’s latest house band competition, and it was a fantastic time.

For those that don’t know, every year, MGK hosts a series of competitions for local bands to compete for the title of MGK house band of that year.

We have a number of shows where bands are given an opportunity to show what they’ve got on stage, and we determine a winner each night to advance to our final competition.

Once we reach the final stage, one winner is deemed the MGK house band of the year.

The winner gets to play at all of our great station events throughout the year like Brew Blast and the Big Bad Bin Fire — amongst other events as well!

Plus, they get $1,000 bucks in recording time from SoundPlex Studios.

Well, last night we sent another well-deserving band to the finals, but I will get back to that in a moment because the other bands deserve some shine as well.

Last night’s competition was hosted at the great Parx Casino, and if you’ve been keeping up with my posts then you know Parx is by far my favorite casino.

So the night was already off to a great start being at Parx, and the 360 Lounge inside of Parx was the perfect venue for the shows.

The place was packed for the four bands that were vying for their spot in the finals.

Luckily, all four bands were up for the challenge — Just Add Water, Ben Ginder Group, Old School Saints, and uNGLuED.

Just Add Water did a cool version of Loggins & Messina’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance.”

Ben Ginder Group — and, yes, there is, in fact, a Ben in the band — opened with “Detroit Rock City” by KISS.

Old School Saints opened with “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers Band.

And our winners, uNGLuED, played everything from Tom Petty to Foghat to Green Day — they were very versatile.

All four bands put on a hell of a show and should be proud of themselves.

Congrats to uNGLuED, and I look forward to seeing you at the finals on October 9th at Parx!

You never know, maybe they’ll be the MGK house band of 2025, but there’s some competition, for sure!

Introducing our MGK House Band 2023: PORCH.

A true Rock-n-Roll musical experience spanning the 60’s to today. PORCH packs the house from New Jersey to King of Prussia, PA. “It’s like rocking out at a house party to an iPod stuck on random!” With an infectious setlist that moves the audience up on their feet singing and dancing along to crowd favorites and rock classics, at a Porch show, there is something for everyone. PORCH encourages the audience to be part of the journey; the crowd anthem at the end of every Porch show is “ONE MORE SONG!”

Porch started as a jam session on the front “Porch” of acoustic rhythms and vocalist Tom’s Bucks Co. home. Featuring the 3 founding members, Karley, Tom & Steve, they came together to put on a small show for lead vocalist Karley’s Dad’s birthday.

They floored the crowd with their musical range, charisma, and sound.

The three began playing smaller local acoustic venues while growing their sound and fan base. As the sound and crowds grew, so did the need to expand the band. PORCH invited other experienced and talented musicians to join in the mayhem. It produced the sound and show you hear today. Uniquely and sonically PORCH.

On November 1, 2023, we crowned PORCH as the 2024 102.9 WMGK House Band. After winning their semifinal heat, they ultimately won the Battle of the Bands competition. PORCH will be featured at WMGK shows throughout 2024. This opportunity is opening new doors to expand their musical reach to all the future fans of PORCH in the tri-state area and beyond.

Subscribe & Follow PORCH on Instagram & Facebook and never miss a chance to rock out with PORCH!

Lead Vocals – Karley (25) Don’t be fooled by the age! Her vocals are powerful & soul-filled. Karley lands the classics with ease and brings the crowd right along with an energetic, inviting stage presence.

Acoustic Rhythms & Vocals – Tom (56) Singer, songwriter, and jam master, Tom has been part of the tri-state music scene for 30 years. He has honed a unique sound and loyal musical following.

Electric Lead Guitar & Back-up Harmonies – Steve (29) The electric guitar is a ruckus good time in the capable hands of Steve. He lights up the stage from power ballads to punk pandemonium.

Bass – Kevin (57) As a seasoned veteran and a professional bass player, Kevin leads every song down a deep journey. The kind of sound you can feel as it rocks to the core.

Percussion, Saxophone, Utility Musician - Tyler (27) Tyler embodies the pure power of the rock & roll experience. His sick beats round out the vibe of the band with a foot-stomping, fist-in-the-air great time.

Keyboards & Harmonica – Dave (47) Dave brings a whole new vibe to the band, opening up a new section of the musical catalog that can only be hailed as Harmonica Wizardry.

Drums – Will (30) A seasoned professional in his own right, Will has been rocking the house on drums & lead vocals for 25 years with bands such as Nimrod, Mindless Hope, SamStorm, BloodShot & The Second-Hand Smokes.

They brought the house DOWN. The set was absolutely stellar.

Keep a lookout on our website, wmgk.com, for all things PORCH. We will update you all with their House Band gigs, PORCH happenings, and everything in between.