Tigers Jaw moves hometown 10th anniversary show to Ritz Theater in Scranton on Oct. 19
First announced back in June, indie rock band Tigers Jaw is still ending their fall tour back in their hometown of Scranton, but the venue changed this week to a theater just a few miles away.
Initially coming to Montage Mountain Resorts, Tigers Jaw will now be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their breakout self-titled album at the Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton on Friday, Oct. 19 with opening acts The Sidekicks and Cherry.
Presented by the Gallery of Sound and Rockology Music Academy, nothing else has changed about the all-ages concert other than the venue. Doors at the Ritz (222 Wyoming Ave., Scranton) open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Patrons must be 21+ to drink.
Tickets, which are $17 in advance or $19 the day of the show, are on sale now and can be purchased online via Eventbrite. All previously purchased tickets will be good for the new location.
Tigers Jaw has been through a lot since they formed in Scranton in 2005. When three-fifths of the group quit in 2013 after releasing three albums, their future seemed uncertain, but vocalist/guitarist Ben Walsh and vocalist/keyboardist Brianna Collins pressed on with 2014’s “Charmer,” and last year’s “Spin”, which rewarded them with critical and commercial success and a whole new level of fame.
Now the band is looking back on those early days with a coast-to-coast tour starting in September that already has several sold-out dates. They recalled their local history in a personal message posted to all of their social media accounts in June:
Ten short years ago, we released our self titled album. Recorded on nights and weekends at JL Studios in Wyoming PA during our high school years, it was our first time setting foot in a studio. The raw energy and youthful intuition (or lack thereof!) of those songs are the monument of a really special and formative time for us. There were no rules, no preconceived notions of how anything should sound, nothing more complicated than some friends making music together because it was fun. Lucky for us, it’s still fun, and fulfilling, and amazing that we get to travel and make music. After all these years, these songs still resonate strongly with us and with so many others, so we have decided to honor it with an anniversary tour.
We will play a set of various songs from other albums, and then finish the set by playing the self titled album, sequentially in its entirety. Joining us on this tour are some bands/friends that have been in our lives dating back to the time when this album was released. We are so excited for these shows, and are so grateful for all the support and love we have been shown over the years. Special thank you to Run For Cover Records (who have helped us bring this album in various formats to so many people), Photobooth Records (who originally pressed the vinyl), Prairie Queen Records (who helped us make the 2008 tour ep for our tour with Title Fight because the CDs weren’t ready in time), and Prison Jazz Records (basically the reason tigers jaw started in the first place).
The band toured overseas in the United Kingdom earlier this year, then hopped on a North American run with Philadelphia pop punkers The Wonder Years after releasing a free retro-style video game online to promote their latest album on Atlantic Records’ new imprint, Black Cement Records. “Spin” was recorded with Philadelphia producer Will Yip, who also recorded “Charmer” at Studio 4 in Conshohocken. As the curator of Black Cement, Yip chose Tigers Jaw as the first band to be featured on the label.
After the 10 Year Anniversary Tour, Tigers Jaw will visit Japan and Australia in November, marking the first time they’ve ever toured in Japan.
Read a review and see photos of Tigers playing the NEPA Holiday Show at the Scranton Cultural Center last December here and see photos of them opening for Dashboard Confessional at the Alt 92.1 Snow Show at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre in January here.
