Tucker Ebersole: Sleepless nights lead to opening gig at Chameleon Club for Dallastown hip hop artist

This story was published Feb. 25, 2015. 

At a glance, Tucker Ebersole seems like a typical college student carrying a full class load and pursuing a degree in safety engineering.

Some might think he spends his spare time hanging out with friends, shooting hoops on the Millersville University campus or binge-watching his favorite shows on Netflix in his dorm.

But add two campus jobs, a fraternity and school clubs, and Ebersole, of Dallastown, barely has time to sleep let alone pursue a music career, which is what he's really doing in the few spare moments he has.

"I make time late at night," he said. "I give up a lot of sleep just so I can continue to write."

Those moments in the wee hours of the night when most are fast asleep, that's when Ebersole's creative juices are flowing.

"I'll have the beat ready, and when I sit down to write, it kind of paints a picture in my head and it tells me what I'm seeing," Ebersole explained.

Though he's only been writing music for about a year and just started "getting serious" about four or five months ago, Ebersole said he knows rap and hip hop music is his passion, his creative escape and something he's positive he wants to purse.

"But due to having a full schedule, two jobs, being a part of a fraternity, school clubs and not seeing the outcome I want to see yet because I'm still working on it, it kind of bums you out a little bit," Ebersole said.

But now, his hard work has paid off.

Ebersole landed his first opening gig at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster Feb. 28 after his friend submitted his music to the club. Ebersole currently has four released songs on SoundCloud. At the show, he'll be opening for South Lebanon's Jordan Bleyer, who goes by the stage name JMB.

Bleyer knows what it's like to pay his dues. Feb. 28 will be his first headlining concert after years of serving as the opening act.

Ebersole said he hopes to gain some exposure Feb. 28 and begin to climb the ladder like Bleyer has done.

At his Chameleon Club debut, Ebersole said the audience can expect a good time from his four-song set.

His songs all carry the common theme of having a good time and letting go of the little things in life, he said.

"It's something that if you hear live, it's something that will give you energy," he said. "I just hope people listen to my music and not just get inspired, but listen to it with their friends and have a good time."

But the main message Ebersole wants to send to those who listen to his music is that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.

"I just started five to six months ago, and the ball is already really rolling," he said. "It doesn't matter how much you have going on. If you make time for what you want to do, then anything's possible."

If you go

Who: Tucker Ebersole, of Dallastown, will open for Jordan Bleyer

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 28

Where: Chameleon Club, 223 N. Water St., Lancaster

Cost: $10-12

To purchase tickets and for more information: Visit www.chameleonclub.net

Listen: Hear Ebersole's music at soundcloud.com/tucker_ebersole

Twitter: Follow Ebersole at twitter.com/tuckerebersole