Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg announces first 2020 concert since COVID-19 – Another Day Dawns on Dec. 12
For the last eight months, the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg has been forced to either cancel or reschedule its concerts due to the coronavirus pandemic. Today, it was finally able to announce one for the end of 2020.
Lehighton hard rock band Another Day Dawns, who have been climbing the Billboard and Mediabase charts all year, will headline a socially distanced show inside the venue on Saturday, Dec. 12, presented by Hazleton active rock radio station 97.9X.
Opening acts are TBA. Doors at the Sherman Theater (524 Main St., Stroudsburg) open at 7 p.m., and the all-ages concert starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets, which are $40-$50, go on sale this Friday, Oct. 30 at noon at shermantheater.com and Etix. Single and group seating will be spaced out and sold at a limited capacity to adhere to state and federal guidelines.
This is the first concert the Sherman Theater has been able to announce since March, though it was able to reschedule Christian rock band Newsboys from March 13 to Saturday, Dec. 5, one week before this event.
The Sherman is one of many independent venues seeking federal aid to make up for historic losses in the music industry this year following worldwide shutdowns to slow the spread of the virus. Legislation based on the National Independent Venue Association’s Save Our Stages initiative has moved forward in the House of Representatives this month, but many small venues could close permanently if the Senate doesn’t take action and funds aren’t distributed soon.
“We are excited to finally announce that we have teamed up with the Sherman Theater for one more show for 2020. We want to do this the right way, so there will be strict guidelines to make sure everyone’s safety isn’t tainted,” vocalist Dakota Sean said.
“Thanks for all the love and support we see every day! Things are happening.”
Despite the pandemic, things have indeed been happening for Another Day Dawns. Last week, they revealed that they will perform at the 2021 Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California on Oct. 9, sharing the stage with My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Machine Gun Kelly, Gojira, Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, and more. The other nights of Aftershock, billed as “the West Coast’s biggest rock festival,” will be headlined by Metallica and Limp Bizkit and feature Rancid, Seether, Social Distortion, Rise Against, Mastodon, Pennywise, Volbeat, Hatebreed, and more.
After releasing their latest EP, “Stranger,” on Jan. 31 and playing a release show at One Centre Square in Easton on Feb. 1, the Lehigh Valley quartet was only able to play a few shows (like opening for Saving Abel at Stage West in Scranton) before the shutdown in March. Since then, they’ve streamed a few performances online as their singles charted nationally.
The first single, “Taste of Heaven,” reached No. 28 on BDS/Billboard radio charts and No. 40 on the Medibase Active Rock Chart, along with 553,000+ steams on Spotify and 123,000+ views of the music video on YouTube. Their second video for “Beautiful Suicide” has over 255,000 views on YouTube, and their latest single, “Forget Me Not,” has over 105,000 Spotify streams and a music video with 131,000+ views on YouTube. This song also marked their first time on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top 40 chart, debuting at No. 39 and holding at No. 33 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart, peaking at No. 32 and sharing the space with fellow regional rock bands Breaking Benjamin and Motionless In White for 11 weeks now.
These accomplishments have made them the first unsigned rock band from Pennsylvania to hit the Top 40 on Mediabase Active Rock and Billboard Mainstream Rock charts without a major or independent label, according to their tour manager John Phillips, owner of 900 Management, MCR Design Group, and The Room at 900 in Forty Fort. Phillips is the former tour manager of Breaking Benjamin, and his current clients include legendary rappers Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, and Ice-T’s Body Count. The band has also signed with Artist Group International and is now represented by booking agent Nick Storch. Storch currently represents noteworthy acts such as Ghost, Nothing More, Starset, Falling in Reverse, Underoath, and Blue October.
These young up-and-comers have worked their way up in the Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania music scenes for years. Initially formed as a classic rock cover band in 2010, Another Day Dawns evolved into an original modern hard rock/alternative rock act and hit their stride in 2017 with their first single, “Love She’s After,” and a lineup consisting of singer Dakota Sean, guitarist Tyler Ritter, and drummer Nick McGeehan; bassist Livi Dillon left the band to pursue a solo career last summer, and Jerome Betz is now on bass. They built up a following and became hometown favorites with high-energy performances that received Lehigh Valley Music Awards and accolades from local press like The Morning Call. Not just sticking to the Allentown/Bethlehem area, they also made their mark in NEPA with shows at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, The V-Spot, Stage West, Levels Bar & Grill, River Street Jazz Cafe, Sherman Theater, and Penn’s Peak.
Opening for bands like Breaking Benjamin, Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots, Five Finger Death Punch, Fuel, Winery Dogs, Saving Abel, Trapt, Sponge, Sammy Hagar, Daughtry, Avatar, Bad Flower, and Puddle of Mudd, ADD has toured the country with Hinder, Issues, Cold, and Buckcherry and planned to tour more this year before COVID-19 hit.
“A great attitude, hard work, and a will to succeed will get you everywhere. It’s great to be working with a rising band and such great individuals,” Phillips told NEPA Scene last year.
“They are getting a ton of streams, and sales from their shows are beyond strong. They have been plugging at this for years. At this point, they have established a loyal following, have a great live show, a positive attitude, and just a hunger to win it all. The songs are great also. … Not to mention the entire scene that has been behind them and supported them. They never forget what everyone does for them.”
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Another Day Dawns opening for Sponge at Stage West in 2019 here and learn more about them in an in-depth interview with the whole band in Episode 82 of the NEPA Scene Podcast, which also premiered their single “Psycho:”
Photo of Dakota Sean by Rich Howells/NEPA Scene
