Scott McKenna

After performing in Kenosha, Wis., Wednesday and on his way to Elmira, N.Y., today, Scott McKenna made a stop at Eastern to play the first performance in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Performance Courtyard Thursday.

"It's been a great experience," McKenna said. "The hospitality was above and beyond, it was an honor to play at such a cool arts building. It's a fascinating place."

The acoustic guitar player/singer was accompanied by Brandon Kent on the keyboards.

McKenna and Kent have been playing together for three months after meeting at a Bose sound event, where Kent works.

"I have played with a few other bands in the past, but now playing with (McKenna) is my priority," Kent said.

Kent has been playing the piano and keyboards for 19 years and learned completely by ear.

"I don't know how to read any music, I just play what I hear," Kent said.

The duo played original songs by McKenna such as "Found You," "Help Me" and "It Baffles Me."

Kelly Johnson, a freshman marketing major, attended the concert with three friends and said she enjoyed the first performance in the Performance Courtyard.

"It was really chill and relaxing music and a fun place to come and hang out with friends," Johnson said.

McKenna said many of his songs were written from a personal experience with friends or significant others.

A highlight for some of the audience members was the audience participation portion.

McKenna and Kent asked the audience to sing the chorus of the Prince song "Starfish and Coffee."

"The lyrics make no sense, it's just a fun song," McKenna said. "We want everyone to walk by and wonder what in the world we are doing here."

The audience members who were the most confident with the lyrics were asked to come on stage and compete against each other for a free CD.

Joe Amato and Emily Miller, both senior music voice education majors, won the competition.

"It was fun and kind of ridiculous, so we decided we might as well," Miller said. "We knew about everyone that went up there to so it was fun to joke around."

Amato said he was impressed with courtyard itself.

"It's a nice area, the sound is good and there is a lot of room," Amato said.

Next on the list for McKenna is Elmira Free Academy in Elmira, N.Y.

He will open for Cupid, the group with the single, "The Cupid Shuffle." - Kayleigh Zyskowski/Activities Editor

Scott McKenna will not be having the typical summer of an eighteen-year old. Instead of wasting the days having fun in the sun he will touring to support his new album "You Feel No Pain." In an exclusive interview for "The Stage" McKenna sat down to talk with us about his new release and his connection to the Badlees.

Scott McKenna is a native of Allentown PA. In addition to being a vocalist, he also plays guitar. McKenna’s passion for music came form his father, Bill who plays the drums. McKenna’s first guitar was a Christmas present that he received from his parents when he was thirteen.

The song that McKenna performed on "The Stage" was "You Feel No Pain" the title track from his upcoming album. This song made the cut because it is McKenna’s favorite song.

June 6th is the release date for "Feel no Pain" which features lots of straightforward guitar driven tracks and strong vocals. McKenna’s first CD "Beginnings" consisted of cover songs. This release is the opposite, with all original music. McKenna feels this as a natural progression of his music.

Saturation Acres, located in Danville, PA is where McKenna went to record his album. To give a little history, Saturation Acres is the brainchild of 2 Badlees members, Bret Alexander and Paul Smith. The material required a full band, so members of the Badlees stepped in. The experience, McKenna sums up as "having the chance to work with phenomenal musicians."

When he plays out, McKenna still has some cover songs in his repertoire. His theory is that "you have to add the new songs in slowly." With the Lehigh Valley music scene McKenna feels that "what people want to hear is songs they know." One day he would like to play with a band, but now it is easier to find places to play as a solo artist.

To support his new release, McKenna will be going on a min-tour. In July he will be playing the Outer Banks region, and in August he will be in Texas.

Along with the expression of lost love, some of the songs on the album have a spiritual feel, something close to McKenna’s heart. He was brought up in a spiritual home and carries with him many of these values.

When it comes to writing songs, McKenna has an interesting approach. For him, the music comes before the lyrics. "It’s hard to plan to write songs. Nothing ever comes out when you try to plan." McKenna feels it easier to sing to get a point across, being able to deliver more through music than plain words.

McKenna tends to write about universal things for his tunes. Quick to point out that he doesn’t write about himself, especially the relationship songs. McKenna sums it up as "writing songs about watching other people." Although, soon enough, the one that people will be watching will be him. - Melissa Evanko