All-female music festival Burning Roses Jamboree heats up Nay Aug Park in Scranton on July 28
The organizer of Scranton’s only all-female open mic is now organizing its only music festival featuring all women solo artists and female-led bands.
On Saturday, July 28 starting at noon, the first-ever Burning Roses Jamboree will be held at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. The all-ages outdoor event is free and open to the public. The Azteca Grill food truck will be on hand serving fresh Mexican food all day.
Graphic designer, writer, photographer, and Ruthless Zine editor Jess Meoni is behind the festival, adding to her long list of successful events since 2009, which include Ladyfest, Scranton Zine Fest, Scranton Radical Book Fair, TEDxScranton, Grrrls Night Open Mic, TEDxYouth@Scranton, Hallowfest, the Bad Trip Psychedelic Festival, and Not Another Punk Rock Flea Market.
“Celebrating local grrrls in music,” the full lineup and schedule of Burning Roses was recently announced, which includes the final show of Scranton indie rock band Pity Party.
“I never wanted to have a girl band, but it’s the most fun thing. I feel like it’s different playing music with girls, at least for me. It’s so much easier for me to explain my ideas. It’s not even because we’re girls, but just with this group of people, I feel like we’re able to sync,” guitarist Chelsea Taylor told NEPA Scene back in 2014 during the band’s first interview.
“Do you know how many times I’ve walked into a show I was playing and someone was like, ‘Oh, is that your boyfriend’s [guitar]?’ Do you know how many times that has happened to me, in my entire life? ‘Oh, let me take that guitar. When’s your boyfriend coming back?’” bassist Meg Kamosky added.
“Just people look at me and they’re just like, ‘Oh, she’s holding that for her boyfriend.’ No, actually, he does not know what way a guitar goes.”
“There’s definitely more than an eyebrow raised. ‘You guys all play?’ But then you play a song and they’re like, ‘Holy shit, you guys did that?’” guitarist/vocalist Kristen Jordan noted at the time.
The full bands Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms and Gabby Borges are also performing, along with solo artists Lily Maopolski, Elonda Vibez, Erin Fox, Sweetnest (Amanda Rogan), Joy Zavada, Sarah Winston, Carolyn Thorn, Isabel Anderson, and LittleStarRun (Rachel Lucille Woodworth).
Burning Roses Jamboree schedule
Solo acts:
1 p.m.: LittleStarRun
1:30 p.m.: Isabel Anderson
2 p.m.: Carolyn Thorn
2:30 p.m.: Sarah Winston
3 p.m.: Joy Zavada
3:30 p.m.: Sweetnest
4 p.m.: Erin Fox
4:30 p.m.: Elonda Vibez
5 p.m.: Lily Maopolski
Full bands:
5:30 p.m.: Gabby Borges
6:30 p.m.: Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms
7:30 p.m.: Pity Party
Read Pity Party’s first interview as a band here and learn more about Meoni and organizing DIY community events in Episode 21 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
