LAUNCH Music Conference Coming To Lancaster In April

For Jeremy Weiss and Rick Gadd – two figureheads in Central PA’s music scene – it was obvious that there simply weren’t enough resources out there for young and developing bands looking to truly learn about the inner workings of the music industry. 
 
“A lot of these bands have the talent and the drive, but they don’t always know where to go with it,” explains Weiss, a veteran of the business for over 20 years. “We wanted to create an environment that had something for everyone, from entertainment to instructional seminars.” Enter the LAUNCH Music Conference – the first and only music conference of its kind in Central PA. 
 
Unlike many other music conferences, LAUNCH separates itself from the rest of the pack by virtue of the major emphasis being placed on the instructional aspect, as well as the founders’ ability to bring in many of the well-known, respected and influential people with whom they have enjoyed longstanding relationships and work with on a weekly basis – booking agents, managers, musicians and more, all of whom are active and relevant in today’s scene.

“I attend a lot of music conferences, and one thing that I’m generally struck by is that many of the people that the conference organizers have brought in to speak are folks who no longer work in the industry, and haven’t for many years,” says Weiss. “This is an industry that has changed a lot in the last few years, and many of these people – while I’m sure they had great successes in their careers – aren’t qualified to talk about the current state of the industry! One thing that will really set LAUNCH apart is the caliber and diversity of the industry professionals we are bringing in to speak, all of whom are currently actively engaged in the music industry.” 

LAUNCH has already confirmed panelists from many of the bigger booking agencies and management companies in modern music, as well as a slew of other industry professionals with differing backgrounds. The chance to hear these folks speak – as well as the opportunity to interact with them – is what makes LAUNCH an integral experience for young and developing musicians.
 
In addition to access to the panels and the panelists themselves, attendees of LAUNCH will be able to check out over 150 showcasing artists of all different genres at several venues located around the hub of LAUNCH, The Brunswick Hotel in downtown Lancaster. Showcasing acts have submitted from all over the country to perform at Launch. Each night of LAUNCH will be capped with national headlining acts appearing at the Chameleon Club.

 The LAUNCH Music Conference will take place at the Hotel Brunswick April 16-19, 2009.

For more information, please visit: www.launchmusicconference.com

“Rock Band 2″ And Smooth Editing Make Jellybricks’ “Ruin Us” First Clever Viral Video of ‘09

The Jellybricks are making some national news with “the first truly clever viral music video of 2009” according to Rolling Stone.

From the Rolling Stone aticle:

Confronted with the task of thinking up a low-budget video concept for the first single off their new album, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania guitar-pop band the Jellybricks found inspiration in a hobby they shared with tens of millions of music-loving Americans: Rock Band 2. After countless hours of playing, editing and meticulously sculpting their polygonal doppelgangers into the game, the end result for the Jellybricks’ “Ruin Us” is the first truly clever viral music video of 2009.

“As a band, after rehearsals, we sometimes get together and play Rock Band, and I was just noticing the camera angles and the shots that are used, that we can make characters that kind of look like us. There’s these great sets in the game, it just looked really cool,” bassist-singer Garrick Chow tells Rock Daily. “Instead of taking cameras out into the Pennsylvania winter trying to figure out a video, we basically spent a week playing the game, capturing it in my computer and trying to edit it all together to make it look like we’re actually playing the song.”

The final product is edited so well, you’d never even notice that the band’s song is really just playing over Rock Band 2 tracks by Oasis and the Smashing Pumpkins. “It was time-consuming, I spent four of five hours a night for a week combing through about six hours of game play, trying to find vocals that match up. I’d go through the list of songs in the game and try to find tracks that are similar in tempo or have lyrics that kind of match up with ours, especially the long-held-out syllables,” Chow says. “It was difficult, but when it matched up it was like ‘That’s so cool, he’s singing it!’ ” For instance, the snare roll in the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” matched up similarly to “Ruin Us,” but as the Jellybricks’ song has a faster tempo, Chow increased the speed of the “Today” clip during editing.

“The response has been overwhelmingly great,” Chow says, but adds, “Of course, hard-core gamers who are really into the game criticize that the score keeps going up and down.”

Despite the band’s “special agreement with the creators of Rock Band 2” — “We agreed to pay money in return for a copy of the game” — the ‘Bricks didn’t exactly get permission to make the video, but Chow says, “If you do a search for Rock Band or Guitar Hero on YouTube, you’re going to find tens of thousands of people who are uploading content from the game. It’s just that we have done something different.” If the video hits it big, is there a possibility we could be seeing “Ruin Us” on a future RB2 expansion pack? “Almost more than getting a record contract, I’d love to have a song in Rock Band, officially,” Chow says. The Jellybricks’ new album Goodnight to Everyone is out on digital music services now.

Daniel Kreps

You can read the article on RollingStone.com, or go directly to the video on YouTube.  The band’s website is TheJellybricks.com.

NED SMITH CENTER AND GAMUT THEATRE JOIN FORCES FOR TRANSCENDENTAL THEATRE

NED SMITH CENTER AND GAMUT THEATRE JOIN FORCES FOR TRANSCENDENTAL THEATRE

WHAT: A Visit With Henry David Thoreau
WHERE: Gamut Classic Theatre, 3rd Floor, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg
WHEN: Friday, April 17 – Sunday April 19, 2009
COST: Friday performance (includes post-show reception) $40, $37 NSCNA members; Saturday performance $25, $22 NSCNA members, $17 students; Sunday performance BYOP (Bring Your Own Price)
INFO: 717-692-3699 or nedsmithcenter.org
TICKET RESERVATIONS: 717.238.4111 or gamutplays.org

MILLERSBURG PA – Ned Smith Center and Gamut Theatre Group have joined forces to present A Visit With Henry David Thoreau from April 17-19 at Gamut Classic Theatre in Harrisburg.  The event is part of Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art’s 2008-2009 Arts and Entertainment Series.

In a dramatic monologue set in 1860, when America was poised upon the brink of the Civil War, Radaker will present the provocative spirit and words of Henry David Thoreau, America’s mid-nineteenth-century apostle of the wilderness, social critic, and political thinker.  Immediately after the 45-minute dramatic monologue, Radaker, while still in character as Thoreau, will answer questions from the audience for 15-20 minutes.  Then, after Radaker is introduced to the audience, he will answer questions as a Thoreau scholar for 15-20 minutes.‘

Considered one of the greatest writers in American literature, Henry David Thoreau is best known for his book Walden (1854) and his essay “Civil Disobedience” (1849), which has inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. during this past century.  During his lifetime, Thoreau celebrated the sanctity of nature; spoke eloquently on the pitfalls of conformity, materialism, and technological advancement; and urged the individual to follow the dictates of his conscience rather than the law when convinced that a law was unjust.

Kevin Radaker is Professor of English and Chair of the English department at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana.  Besides publishing several articles on Thoreau in academic journals and delivering numerous papers, Radaker has presented his “Thoreau” over 300 times throughout the United States since 1991.  In addition to performing at libraries, colleges, universities, state and national parks, he has been a part of summer Chautauqua tours in the Great Plains states (1991, ’92, ’93), Illinois and Missouri (1997, 98), Massachusetts (1998), the Carolinas and New Hampshire (2001), Oklahoma (2003), Maryland (2004), Ohio and Colorado (2008).

Ned Smith Center is proud to team up with Gamut Theatre for this event, which marks the beginning of a lasting partnership between the two organizations.  Gamut was recently named “Resident Shakespeare Company” for the Ned Smith Center’s Amphitheater, set to open in 2010.

Pan.a.ce.a will be opening for Hinder

3/13/09 Just announced – Local hard rock powerhouse, Pan.a.ce.a, will be opening the Hinder show on Friday, March 20^th at the Kingston Armory in Kingston, PA (near Wilkes-Barre). 

Pan.a.ce.a is celebrating the release of All or Nothing (2009), which came out on February 17^th and is already a top seller in Northeastern-PA.  Several in-store appearances are being planned at regional FYE and Gallery of Sound locations, including an acoustic performance at the FYE in the Schuylkill Mall in Frackville the day after the Hinder show (March 21^st at 1pm).  Radio exposure is also increasing – just yesterday the band was involved in live remotes with 979X (WBSX Wilkes-Barre) in the afternoon and T102 (WAVT Pottsville) in the evening. 

For more info on the show, go to http://calendar.wilkes.edu/main.php?view=event&eventid=1234377118682. 

Hinder’s triple platinum debut album, Extreme Behavior, sold over three million copies and featured fan favorites “Lips of an Angel,” and “Better than Me”. Their newest album, Take It to the Limit, has been widely received by college students with the hit single “Without You”.  

Tickets for Hinder are $18

Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival will hold open auditions

HARRISBURG, PA –Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival will hold open auditions for this year’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Cymbeline on the following dates:

Saturday, April 4, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
OUT OF AREA ACTORS: Sunday, April 5, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Callbacks will take place on Sunday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m.  Actors should keep their schedules clear on Sunday in case they are needed for callbacks.

Auditioners must call the theatre at 238-4111 for an audition appointment.  No walk-ins will be accepted.

Auditions will be held at Gamut Classic Theatre, 3rd Floor, Strawberry Square, downtown Harrisburg.

AUDITION INFO: Actors are required to present a memorized classical monologue one to two minutes in length. Actors should be familiar with the play and should come to auditions with an idea of the role(s) for which they would like to be considered. Bring a resume of your work and a headshot/photo. If you have any questions, please call the theatre at 717-238-4111.

If you are unavailable during our audition times and are still interested in auditioning, we will accept a video or DVD audition. Video tapes and DVDs must be received by April 1 and will not be returned.

REHEARSALS:   HSF rehearsals are held weekday evenings and weekend afternoons and evenings with no rehearsals on Mondays.  Not everyone is called for every rehearsal. There will be some daytime rehearsals for those with daytime availability.

PERFORMANCES: Cymbeline will be performed at Levitt Pavilion in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. Performances are June 3-6, 10-13 Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
* ACTORS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL PERFORMANCES.

Technicians/Designers should make an interview appointment. Please send a resume of theatre-related work experience as well as a sample of your work, if applicable (i.e. a lighting design, sample production book, photos of craftwork, etc.) to: HSF, 605 Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17101.

Volunteers and novices can help with the production by filling out our online volunteer registration form.

Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival is part of Gamut Theatre Group, a professional non-equity theatre company. Most technical and acting positions are paid, with some internship and apprenticeship opportunities available. Size of payment varies greatly depending on size of role or duties.

There is a limited amount of accommodation available for out-of-area cast and crew.

RIP John Marshall of Psycho Bettie

From the band website

“Some of you may already know, but to those of you that don’t, our lead singer, John Marshall, passed away today. Please respect the privacy of his family, friends, and band mates as we go through this difficult time. We will miss you John, Heaven has another rock star now. R.I.P. ”

Psycho Bettie My Space page http://www.myspace.com/psychobettie94

The Mint gets music licence deal

LANCASTER, PA, – Independent recording artists, THE MINT, has licensed all songs from their first full-length, self-produced CD entitled “Love is Vapor,” to select network television programs.

Through Tinderbox Music, a Minneapolis, MN based music licensing firm, The Mint signed licensing agreements with Road Rules (MTV), Real World (MTV), RR/RW Extreme Challenges (MTV), The Hills (MTV), Newport Harbor (MTV), My Super Sweet 16 (MTV), Human Giant (MTV), Bad Girls Club (Oxygen), and America’s Psychic Challenge (Lifetime).

“It’s very rewarding to know that a network like MTV is recognizing the band’s talents and music by placing songs on some of their most popular shows,” said the band’s manager, Sovanna Mam.  “The potential exposure is incredible.”

Lead singer, Jon Decker added “It’s strange and surreal that next time you see a spoiled teenager planning their party, our songs could be playing in the background.”  Decker is referring to the hit MTV show, My Super Sweet 16, where wealthy teenagers plan their own elaborate birthday parties.

The Mint, a four-piece rock band from Lancaster, PA, released their first full-length CD “Love is Vapor,” in July 2007 to college radio and managed to get 250+ stations adding songs to their rotation.  The success of their radio promotions helped land them performances with bands like Lifehouse (Geffen), and Fiction Plane (Warner).  Their songs have been featured on shows on XM Radio, WQXA Harrisburg, WXPN Philadelphia and Radio 104.5fm Philadelphia. 

“Love is Vapor” is currently available on iTunes and through the band’s website at www.themintonline.com.

Hardware Bar to open in Wilkes-Barre

The Hardware Bar will open a new location in Wilkes-Barre over St. Patty’s weekend.  The bar will be located right off the square at 12 South Main Street. For more information go to http://www.downtownafterdark.com/WilkesBarreHardware.html

Herbie CD Release Party – March 8th

Mark your calendars for the LEFT OF CENTER CD RELEASE PARTY…

Saturday, March 8 at Appalachian Brewing Co.  Doors open at 9pm.  Herbie is planning on a few surprises for the occasion, so you definitely should plan on attending the event!

Disney on Ice comes to Hershey – Feb. 27th

[Hershey, PA— Dreams really do come true! Disney On Ice is proud to bring you a dazzling tale of hope, heart, heroism and hilarity as Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics. Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics , produced by Feld Entertainment, is performing GIANT Center_SM in Hershey February 27-March 2, 2008. Tickets for Disney’s Princess Classics are available at GIANT Center Box Office, by phone at 717.534.3911 or 717.260.2000, at all Ticketmaster outlets, and at www.ticketmaster.com. This stunning spectacle is an awe-inspiring and fun-filled journey to the magical lands of Disney’s classic fairy tales. Travel to a kingdom under the sea, an enchanted palace in France, an Arabian castle and more! Enter the fantasy worlds of your favorite Disney princesses – Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White – as they bring magic to your city in this royal skating extravaganza. Ticket Prices: $50 for Front Row, $38 for VIP, $22 and $16.
Show Times: Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 pm; Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 pm; Friday, February 29 at 7:00 pm; Saturday, March 1 at 12 noon, 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm; Sunday, March 2 at 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm. To learn more about Disney On Ice, visit www.disneyonice.com.