The creation of The Royal – Glenside’s newest 100-person capacity live music venue – was driven by life experience, daily struggles, and a desire to be inclusive. 

 

The COVID-19 global pandemic changed our world forever. In recent months many cherished Glenside businesses, including The Blue Comet and The Bike Works, have been forced to close their doors. The music community was especially hard-hit by the loss of music venues, not just in Glenside but throughout the Philadelphia area.

 

We – Bridgett Gordon and Jerry Clarke – believe that Glenside and its neighboring communities need a destination, a home for music, as we inch our way out of this pandemic.

 

Our vision is to provide a creative home where people of all backgrounds, music of all genres, and musicians of all experience levels feel welcome. We invite members of the community to come together and celebrate the local music scene, local artists, and local businesses. We want the musicians who play in our venue to feel they are participating in a “red carpet” event, whether they are novices just starting out or professionals who have toured for years. We want to treat musicians – and their listeners – like the royalty they are.

 

We chose the name “Royal” as our way of expressing the high status we believe artists deserve in our society. But by no means does the name suggest we expect lofty perfection. Quite the opposite. There is no expectation for being flawless. Some of the best music has come, and will always come, from an artist making a “mistake,” one that leads to a new and surprising path. We embrace that. Make mistakes. Make tons of mistakes. Learn from them.

 

As Miles Davis said, “Do not fear mistakes – there are none.”

 

So...stop by and let us give you a Royal welcome. Make friends, have a drink, and most importantly have a great time, in a place that accepts you – no matter who you 

are.