Central PA Spotlight: Jersey Mike and Roundtable Presents

The other night I dreamt that I blogged about my friend Jersey Mike. No offense Mike, but you're not really whom I would expect (or choose) to show up in my dreams. But, I decided to blog about him since he is worthy (of a blog, not a dream). What's a guy named Jersey Mike doing in Central PA anyway?

Jersey Mike is Mike Van Jura: concert promoter, blogger, agitator. He's the straw that stirs the Harrisburg cocktail. And he's a nice guy.  I've had the pleasure of working with Jersey over the past year or so as the result of some shows that XPN has helped to promote at the Abbey Bar in Harrisburg. Jersey, under the name of Roundtable Presents, books some pretty cool shows into the Abbey. These are mostly shows featuring local and regional bands, but he's also hosted artists like The Hold Steady and Mike Doughty. Always some great music over at the Abbey, so you should bookmark their concert calendar. Indie rock, funk, and a healthy dose of hip bluegrass are always on the calendar.

Additionally, Mike likes to stir things up in the Capitol region with his blog. He shoots from the hip and is willing to take the city and state to task for their increasingly obvious lack of common sense. From parking issues to enforcement of the state's new smoking ban, Jersey has opinions. His pet project is working to overhaul and reform Harrisburg's Amusement Tax, a tax which Jersey believes is seriously hurting the city's entertainment and nightlife industry. 

And Jersey always seems to be on the go, working on various shows throughout Central PA. Jersey is someone you oughta get to know. He's very approachable, and you can even get to know him online via his blog, Facebook, or even Twitter. He even hosts the monthly Harrisburg Tweet-up at the Abbey on the third Thursday of every month.

Here's a video from The Shackeltons during one of the events we did with Jersey back in February at the Abbey, courtesy of the folks at Roxbury News. 

The Shackeltons - Get Out 

When it comes to music, and pretty much everything else, Jersey Mike gets "it." So head on over to the Abbey and ask for Jersey. And tell him Ken sent ya.