Finding its groove, Manny’s brings musical acts to a growing audience in State College
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Manny’s Live Performance Space is thriving after opening in early 2025.
- The venue brings international artists and eclectic music genres to State College.
- The owner hopes Manny’s will bring wide-ranging audiences to new acts each week.
Corey Elbin never imagined he’d be chowing down at Plaza Mexican Bar & Grill alongside his favorite Mexican fusion band.
That group, Mexico City’s own Son Rompe Pera, visited State College last summer to perform at Manny’s Live Performance Space, Elbin’s downtown music venue. The space has grown into a flourishing, welcoming environment for acts of all genres since opening in early 2025 at 101 Hiester St. in State College.
Those who recall the location’s glory days as the Saloon bar will likely feel at home at Manny’s, where neon lights, black and white checkered floors and music-themed decor give the basement a unique but familiar ambiance. The performance space is bustling with performance schedules that could include alternative-country music one night, a metal band the next and groups from Colombia, Morocco and beyond all in the same week.
“The energy at this point, we feel really comfortable in the space and supported,” Elbin told the Centre Daily Times. “Next up is widening how far we welcome, the range of our audience members, through our programming and the reputation we’re building.”
That reputation, Elbin said, is one that serves wide-ranging audiences with an ever-growing appetite for diverse acts and musical genres. Shows at Manny’s are generally fit for all ages, allowing parents to bring children to concerts and older folks to bust a move without feeling out of place.
Curation is key to bringing in a consistent stream of acts who offer something unique for Manny’s, according to Elbin, whose company, Gorinto Productions, has previously participated in the collective Secret Planet music series, which features underground and international artists. His team works to blend the interests of varying communities so Manny’s can bring in a wide range of acts and cultivate broader appeal.
“For a lot of people in the punk or metal community, for example, there aren’t many venue opportunities for them to play, and these are people who are writing original music and are so intentional and dedicated and connected to communities, which I really respect,” Elbin said. “With the number of shows we do, it doesn’t force us to rely on the same people to show up, and every night our audience widens.”
The Secret Planet series helps route international artists through the East Coast and mid-Atlantic, allowing State College — and, now, Manny’s — to become a flagship destination for that purpose. The initiative provides resources to connect acts with promoters and jump-start their abilities to secure enough gigs to keep touring.
Many acts who’ve visited State College, including Elbin’s beloved Son Rompe Pera, have quickly connected with the local scene. He laughed while recalling some groups mentioning they needed to swing back to Webster’s Bookstore Cafe or Tadashi Japanese Restaurant when they perform here next.
Elbin said he’s been grateful to see Manny’s become a particularly supportive venue for international communities, including Penn State students studying far from home.
“It’s amazing to look out at an audience and see younger folks, literally multi-generational audiences, with very different backgrounds: people who grew up in the United States, people who have been here [in State College] for under a year and are navigating the challenges of uprooting and going to a completely new place,” said Elbin.
“The same goes for the artists who travel here,” he continued. “Often, it’s part of their first experiences in the U.S. Maybe their English isn’t very strong, and they’re coming to a place they’ve never heard of. What we hear so often, and why we hear there’s such a word of mouth of agents and artists contacting us to perform here from overseas, is that our hospitality, welcoming community and the very engaged audiences here that makes us a needed part of their travels.”
Renovating the venue
Though the performance venue is on a roll these days, Manny’s wasn’t in tip-top shape from the get-go.
The basement, formerly a longtime bar, was devoid of furniture, lighting and other fixtures after abruptly closing in September 2023. Elbin said its ceilings were stained from many years of built-up cigarette smoke.
“We literally had to scrub the place from top to bottom,” he said with a laugh.
Community contributions were key for getting Manny’s up and running, according to Elbin, who said he signed his lease on Christmas Eve and had acts ready to perform by early January. He called upon friends to lend a hand for some electrical and plumbing work as his team overhauled the basement’s sound system.
One “miracle,” Elbin said, arrived when he connected with a woman on Facebook who helped him keep an eye out for any furniture that could spruce up what would soon become Manny’s. Two days before the venue opened, she texted him to let him know 25 barstools at Penn State’s Lion Surplus were ready for pickup and perfect for his vision.
“As somebody who loves old things in an age when things are remodeled so often, it was perfect. Anyone who knows me says this is the kind of spot they’d imagine me in,” Elbin said. “Artists really appreciate that, because they walk in and can tell a lot went into this. Sure, there are things we still need to attend to, but the heart and the vibe of our space is what really shines.”
Manny’s opened without traditional bar service but quickly saw the need to have alcoholic beverages available for of-age guests. The venue has since partnered with Bellefonte’s Big Springs Spirits to become an official satellite location under Pennsylvania law, which requires offsite venues to serve only Pennsylvania-made products with tighter hours, among other restrictions.
Rather than continuously applying for one-day licenses and relying on a distilleries or breweries to bring their own staffers, the partnership with Big Springs allows Manny’s to operate on its own terms.
“For us, we never really set out to be a late-night venue. I’ve learned over the years that potentially, in a college town, nothing good really happens after midnight. So, it’s kind of nice,” Elbin said. “We close at midnight, and people still have fun. It’s given us a lot more flexibility about the consistency of the programming and how much we can do.”
What’s next for Manny’s?
As his performance venue grows, Elbin said he’s working to launch a new nonprofit organization that could help community groups and spaces access new programming and run their own events. He said such a venture could help cover bookings, support technical needs and organize logistics for up-and-coming destinations.
Elbin also hopes Manny’s can forge stronger partnerships with other acts and festivals in the area, including the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and Rhoneymeade Fest, organized by his own Gorinto Productions. Supporting local networks of acts and venues is vital for independent spaces like Manny’s, he said.
“As much as we try to serve the community, it’s very vital that the community pitches in for any kind of place that’s doing the kind of work supporting independent artists from around the world,” Elbin said. “There’s a reason why not too many places are doing this sort of thing these days.”
Visit mannysstatecollege.com to find a calendar of upcoming shows, curated playlists of visiting acts and more.
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