NEPA Scene Staff

EXCLUSIVE: Electric City Music Conference announcement party returns to Thirst T’s in Olyphant on July 15

EXCLUSIVE: Electric City Music Conference announcement party returns to Thirst T’s in Olyphant on July 15
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From a press release:

The Electric City Music Conference and Steamtown Music Awards will host a free announcement event at Thirst T’s Bar & Grill on Sunday, July 15 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m., returning to the Olyphant venue for the third year.

“We’ve found that people look forward to the announcement party almost as much as the ceremony anymore. In our busy lives, it’s an excuse for everyone to all get together in a room and appreciate local music. That’s what this whole thing is about anyway,” explained ECMC co-producer Joe Caviston.

At the event, organizers will announce the finalists for each Steamtown Music Award category and unveil the full Electric City Music Conference lineups and schedules at each venue.

“Every year, the announcement party, much like the conference and awards ceremony, continues to grow,” noted co-producer Ken Norton.

The event at Thirst T’s (120 Lincoln St., Olyphant) will also feature live performances by J Merrick, The Charming Beards, American Buffalo Ghost, and Sweetnest.

“Thirst T’s has some great food and drink specials planned for the event. It’s also just a great chance to network,” Caviston added.

The fourth annual ECMC will kick off with the SMAs on Thursday, Sept. 13, and the rest of the conference will be held in venues throughout the Scranton area on Friday, Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 15.

Last year’s conference featured performances by over 150 bands from eight states in 11 venues throughout the Scranton area, the Steamtown Music Awards ceremony with many new awards and special performances of its own, and free panel discussions and mentoring sessions for local musicians, professionals, and music fans. As the largest event of its kind in Northeastern Pennsylvania, this celebration of the diverse local music scene is much more than a music festival, bringing hundreds of artists and music industry professionals together annually to meet and network while recognizing and showcasing established and up-and-coming musicians.

See NEPA Scene’s photos from the 2016 announcement party here. See photos from the 2017 Steamtown Music Awards here and the entire Electric City Music Conference here. Stream or download last year’s panel discussions as free podcasts here and listen to Caviston and Norton talk about the conference and the awards in depth in Episode 26 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:

Photo of Sean Flynn/American Buffalo Ghost by Rich Howells/NEPA Scene