Added on 10/01/2021
James Callahan
Camp Rattler , electronic music , premiere , Wilkes-Barre
Approximately 300 years ago in an alternate universe, a very long-haired and wildly asshole-ish version of myself owned and operated a cafe and venue in the badlands of Wilkes-Barre. OK, it was the early 1990s, which seems like a few centuries ago while simultaneously seeming as though it was yesterday. This slice of my and […]
Added on 08/09/2021
James Callahan
Camp Rattler , Exeter , metal , Motionless In White , Noir , Pittston , Scranton , The Strange and Unusual
TJ Bell and I initially met in the winter of 2009 at a tiny “drinkers” bar called Nak’s by the Tracks in Exeter. I had just recently returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania from a New York City burnout and was, at the time, finishing the first draft of a textbook on artist management and development for […]
Added on 07/30/2021
James Callahan
Bridgeport , King of Prussia , New York , Philadelphia , pop , premiere , West Pittston
Early in March, the gang here at Camp Rattler in West Pittston was contacted by our superstar PR agent Denise Kovalevitch of DMK Publicity, her boutique agency located in the greater Philadelphia area. Denise, who I have known since the mid-’90s, works with clients such as Blues Traveler, Candlebox, Steve Vai, Corey Glover of Living […]
Added on 05/13/2021
James Callahan
blues , Camp Rattler , coronavirus , Pittston , premiere
Kaleigh Baker is a Florida-based singer/songwriter that is organically and unapologetically armed to the teeth with unbridled vocal enormity. Possessing equal parts soul, blues, and rock, she weaves a tapestry of tension, beauty, and intrigue that will chill the most jaded of critics. This tidal wave of emotion smashes like a war hammer into your […]
Added on 02/19/2021
James Callahan
Camelback , Camp Rattler , Kingston , Motionless In White , Noir , Scranton , Tannersville , The Strange and Unusual , Wilkes-Barre
My initial interaction with Josh Balz began sometime after he had chosen to leave Motionless In White to pursue other endeavors and my trashy little rock bar, The Rattler in Pittston, had closed due to structural difficulties. Well… the back fell off the building. I found myself venue-less and saddled with several storage units, crammed […]
Added on 12/27/2020
James Callahan
coronavirus , metal , Pittston , premiere
The last time NEPA Scene talked to Black River’s Edge, the Pittston hard rock/metal band was making their live debut at Diane’s Deli & Internet Cafe in 2015. A lot has changed since then, including the closing of their hometown venue, but 2020 has made everything seem like a cakewalk in comparison. From the dark […]
Added on 10/26/2020
James Callahan
Halloween , Jermyn , metal , Mountain Sky , Philadelphia , premiere , Sugar Notch , The Sanctum
The mere mention of this flaming nail bomb of a band from the “City of Brotherly Love” can strike terror in the souls of promoters, venue owners, and aggressive music fans alike. Born in Philadelphia in 1996, Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza has become the thing of mosh pit legend – a fiery, multi-headed hardcore/metal […]