ION INDIE MAGAZINE September 2015, Volume 16 | Page 148
SCRANTON
MUSIC FESTIVAL
By Mark Uricheck
Saturday night, August 8th, brought an event that Scranton, PA, isn’t fortunate
enough to see very often. No less than 17 acts, of every genre, were featured
in an epic eight-hour live show in the beautiful, historic tree-lined confines and
rolling, woody hills of Scranton’s NAY AUG PARK for the first annual SCRANTON
MUSIC FESTIVAL. Along with the music, several local businesses and zines
were able to set up shop in tents and tables to display their wares, adding a
true “festival” vibe. Judging by barometers, like the smiles on faces, the
kicking back in camping chairs, and the wily young mosh pit, it’s clear the
event was a success.
DJ Billy Keep it Metal with Organizer Eric Ross
The event is notable for the fact that Northeast Pennsylvania isn’t exactly
known for all-ages shows. With most live gigs starting past 10pm in pubs and
21+ venues, it’s tough to get the word about these bands out to the kids, let
alone let them experience the bands up close.
The brainchild of ERIC ROSS, bassist for Scranton Groove-Metal upstarts THREATPOINT, the show brought everyone together
in a huge way: “We wanted a festival that has something for everyone,” said Ross about the impetus of the event. “There is a
lack of all-ages venues, so we wanted to do an all-ages festival to truly showcase the diversity of our scene here to different
age groups. I've had dreams about making something like this happen for a while now, and I'm thrilled to see it all come
together.”
During the course of the day, there were too many standout musical moments to list
individually, but a few certainly came to mind. A new band to the Scranton/WilkesBarre, PA scene was BLUE COAL--who in this writer’s mind was an attention-grabber
with their bluesy, Rockabilly approach and smooth, 50’s-leaninng saxophone
accompaniment that is all but absent in this particular scene. With an image that’s the
perfect marriage of THE CLASH and Indie-cool college radio, this band provided a great
dichotomy among the heavier bands and lighter acoustic fare of the day.
NO VACANCY was another standout, with a sound that lies somewhere between the
fringes of Outlaw Country and Classic Rock consistency. The band features local
mainstay JAY BONES on guitar, formerly of THE CURSE OF SORROW--one of the most
exciting live acts that Northeast Pennsylvania had known to this point. CROCK POT
ABDUCTION was a hit with the younger, WARPED TOUR set, with a sound that was as
Blue Coal