The complete updated guide to the 2019 Electric City Music Conference in Scranton
The sixth annual Electric City Music Conference will feature performances by over 150 bands in 11 venues throughout Scranton, the Steamtown Music Awards with awards in 37 different categories and special performances of its own, and free panel discussions for local musicians, professionals, and music fans. It’s a great opportunity to see everything that the Northeastern Pennsylvania music scene has to offer, but it can be overwhelming when packed into three days, so NEPA Scene has organized a handy guide to the conference with dates, times, locations, prices, and links for everything taking place on Thursday, Sept. 12 through Saturday, Sept. 14. Any last-minute changes will be updated here.
This packed weekend of music begins with the Steamtown Music Awards at The V-Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.; it is free to all nominees and $5 at the door for the public.
All shows on Friday and Saturday are $5 at the door, or a daily hopper pass for all venues is $10. Tickets and passes can be purchased via Eventbrite or at all participating venues – Ale Mary’s, the Backyard Ale House, The Bog, Finnegan’s Irish Rock Club, Harry’s, the Irish Wolf Pub, The Keys, the New Penny Lounge, Peculiar Slurp Shop, Stage West, and The V-Spot.
Special events this year include the final show by Scranton indie punk band Crock Pot Abduction at the Irish Wolf Pub on Friday at midnight, a reunion of Scranton rock band Perfect Focus (who recently released their first new song in seven years, “Thankful”) at The Keys on Saturday at 10 p.m., and Screaming Infidelities: Emo Night at Stage West on Saturday at 6 p.m. featuring national recording artists Boys of Fall with local support from Eibes and Moral Code. DJ Hersh will close out the night, and special guests like Mark Woodbridge from Driver Side Impact will appear.
Venues are arranged alphabetically below with links leading to the individual Facebook event pages for more info. For easy reference, this guide can be accessed anytime under the music tab on the top and bottom menus or at nepascene.com/ecmc.
2019 Electric City Music Conference schedule
Thursday, Sept. 12
Steamtown Music Awards at The V-Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) – 6 p.m.-midnight
Come early for the red carpet interviews hosted by NEPA Scene starting 6 p.m. and stay for the awards ceremony and networking with local musicians from every genre. DJ’ed by DJ Hersh, the event features live performances by Jordan Ramirez & The Tribe, Alma Mater, Gabby Borges, Black Hole Heart, The Frost Duo, The Maguas, Threatpoint, Phriend$, Send Request, and The Boastfuls. The Rods drummer and accomplished producer Carl Canedy will accept the Lifetime Achievement Award this year.
Free for nominees and $5 for everyone else.
Friday, Sept. 13
Live music
Ale Mary’s (126 Franklin Ave., Scranton) – $5
10 p.m.: Joe Lombardo
11 p.m.: Esta Coda
Midnight: Alma Mater
Backyard Ale House (523 Linden St., Scranton) – $5
8 p.m.: Patrick McGlynn
9 p.m.: American Buffalo Ghost
10 p.m.: Phyllis Hopkins Electric Trio
11 p.m.: Joe Cigan and the Benders
Midnight: Brother Jerome
The Bog (341 Adams Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Illegal Siegel
7 p.m.: Running in Flip Flops
8 p.m.: Electives
9 p.m.: Kali Ma and the Garland of Arms
10 p.m.: Old Charades
11 p.m.: The Maguas
Midnight: Turbo Goth
Finnegan’s Irish Rock Club (514 Ash St., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Always Undecided
7 p.m.: The Unbroken
8 p.m.: Springbrooke
9 p.m.: The band TITAN
10 p.m.: The Crowning
11 p.m.: Hideous Groundhog
Midnight: Alibi
Harry’s (302 Penn Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Bryan Brophy
7 p.m.: Andrew Nicholas and the Shades
8 p.m.: The Taxmen (Beatles Tribute)
9 p.m.: Bright Shiny Objects
10 p.m.: Jack’d Up Country
11 p.m.: Runnin’ on Whiskey
Midnight: 3 Tools No Box
Irish Wolf Pub (503 Linden St., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: 2 Sad Bois
7 p.m.: Silo Good
8 p.m.: Always Undecided
9 p.m.: Wayside
10 p.m.: BrighterDays
11 p.m.: The MDG Crew
Midnight: Crock Pot Abduction (final show)
1 a.m.: 8-Bit Panda Strike
The Keys (244 Penn Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: #ShirtsOff
7 p.m.: Sweetnest
8 p.m.: LittleStarRun
9 p.m.: Permanence
10 p.m.: Garden View
10:45 p.m.: Lucas Hex
11:15 p.m.: Plaid the Inhaler
12:15 a.m.: E57
1 a.m.: Ill Ray the Menace
New Penny Lounge (1827 N. Main Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Rob Sontoro
7 p.m.: Black Horizon
8 p.m.: Downsides
9 p.m.: Terrorize This
10 p.m.: Stay Loud
11 p.m.: Paladin’s Death
Midnight: Invictum
Peculiar Slurp Shop (307 Penn Ave., Scranton) – free
6 p.m.: Chris Hludzik
7 p.m.: Timothy McGurl
8 p.m.: Sarah Carne
9 p.m.: Joe Craig
Stage West (301 N. Main Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: JoyLynne Raye Frie
7 p.m.: Gus the Savage
8 p.m.: Ellie Rose
8:45 p.m.: Bitter Bones
9:30 p.m.: Send Request
10:30 p.m.: Behind the Grey
11:30 p.m.: The Boastfuls and Tatiana
The V-Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Alone I Walk
7 p.m.: Mahantongo
8 p.m.: The Stash
9 p.m.: Cheap Seats
10 p.m.: Black Hole Heart
11 p.m.: Black Nihil
Midnight: Royal Hell
1 a.m.: Graces Downfall
Saturday, Sept. 14
Free educational sessions – Stage West (301 N. Main Ave., Scranton)
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Building the Right Team with Brian Cronin (Millennium Music Conference, Elm City Music Fest, That Mag)
Artists can do a lot by themselves in the music industry, like making new music, getting local gigs, winning contests, selling merch, and gaining new fans. When deciding to taking their career to the next level, a team may be needed. This panel of industry professionals will share strategies for success. Be it a lawyer, manager, agent, publisher, producer, or PR, you need someone that believes in you, someone with the knowledge, the time, the connections, and the outside perspective to share the responsibility of growing your career.
1 p.m.-1:45 p.m.: Best Practices for Starting a Music Career with entertainment lawyer William J. Metzger
This presentation will educate artists on the first steps they need to take to ensure their best possibility of success in the music industry. The music business is exactly that – a business. Understanding the importance of forming a business entity to protect an artist’s assets is a major component of a prospering career. If you are in a band, creating a band agreement will provide a compass for the group to use as a guide. The document may list a variety of topics to consider, such as goals, guidelines, responsibilities, and a breakdown of various monetary items.
2 p.m.-3:45 p.m.: Social Media Basics for Musicians with ECMC co-founder Joe Caviston
Joe Caviston works in digital marketing and specializes in marketing to youth. For the past five years, he has worked in both the music and higher education market, drawing a correlation between the two because many of the demographics are shared. College-age consumers have and likely always will make up the majority of the music consuming community. Caviston will walk bands through the basics of how to improve their social media presence and promote themselves through social media platforms. Plenty of time will be left for questions and answers, as well as a workshop.
4 p.m.-5 p.m.: Running your Band Like a Business with Boys of Fall
When you’re ready to take your band to the next level, you’ll have to start running it like a business. Learn what it takes from national touring act and InVogue Records band Boys of Fall.
Live music
Ale Mary’s (126 Franklin Ave., Scranton) – $5
10 p.m.: Zayre Mountain
11 p.m.: The MDG Crew
Midnight: Project 90’s
Backyard Ale House (523 Linden St., Scranton) – $5
8 p.m.: Ken Norton
9 p.m.: Dylan Hartigan
10 p.m.: Switch Mob
11 p.m.: Jordan Ramirez and the Tribe
12:30 a.m.: JBØNAX
The Bog (341 Adams Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: The Stash
7 p.m.: Alone I Walk
8 p.m.: Dead Air
9 p.m.: Rudy and the Gansetts
10 p.m.: The Tisburys
11 p.m.: Gabby Borges
Midnight: Special surprise guest
Finnegan’s Irish Rock Club (514 Ash St., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Mellifluous
7 p.m.: Monoceros
8 p.m.: Sympotico
9 p.m.: Red Hymns
10 p.m.: Knightlife
11 p.m.: The Holtzmann Effect
Midnight: Contraband – A Scott Weiland Tribute
Harry’s (302 Penn Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Dan Cusick
7 p.m.: Bitter Bones
8 p.m.: Oblivion Her Majesty
9 p.m.: The Morgana Phase
10 p.m.: The Maguas
11 p.m.: Wild Planes
Midnight: The Boastfuls
Irish Wolf Pub (503 Linden St., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Ed Allison
7 p.m.: The Hobo-Style
8 p.m.: Jericho
9 p.m.: Standoff
10 p.m.: Gravel
11 p.m.: AlphaAudio
Midnight: Starving Hysterical Naked
The Keys (244 Penn Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Idolizer
7 p.m.: Suburban Zombie
8 p.m.: aMinor Glitch
9 p.m.: The Cryptid
10 p.m.: Perfect Focus (reunion)
11 p.m.: Alone I Walk
Midnight: Bitter Bones
New Penny Lounge (1827 N. Main Ave., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Tiny Moon
7 p.m.: The Lima Division
8 p.m.: Lauren Aminor
9 p.m.: From a Nightmare
10 p.m.: The In Between
11 p.m.: Ed Allison
Midnight: Torment Ridden
Peculiar Slurp Shop (307 Penn Ave., Scranton) – free
6 p.m.: Stacia Abernatha Duo
7 p.m.: Jason P Yoder
8 p.m.: Ed Allison
9 p.m.: The Dank Hopes Project
Stage West (301 N. Main Ave., Scranton) – $10
6 p.m.: Moral Code
7 p.m.: Eibes
8 p.m.: Merit
9 p.m.: Boys of Fall
10 p.m.: Emo Night
12:30 a.m.: DJ Hersh
The V-Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) – $5
6 p.m.: Johnny Vice
7 p.m.: Vitruvia
8 p.m.: Common Wealth
9 p.m.: Sonic Salvation
10 p.m.: Slapjaw
11 p.m.: Traverse the Abyss
Midnight: Threatpoint
