NEPA Scene

In Episode 49, we sit down with Mickey Spain, an Irish folk singer/songwriter of Makem & Spain fame currently living and performing in Scranton, and his wife, Erin. He opens and closes the podcast with a few songs (and even throws a children’s song in the middle) before his upcoming shows at the Tomato Bar & Bistro in Pittston on March 3, Kilcoyne's Bar in Scranton on the first Saturday of every month, The Keys in Scranton on March 16, McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar in Bethlehem on March 17, and the first-ever Steamtown String Fling at the Scranton Cultural Center with The Dishonest Fiddlers, Brother Roy, MiZ, and Christopher Kearney on March 23. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Harvest Ale, Rubaeus Raspberry Ale, and Mosaic Promise Ale by Founders Brewing Company, a favorite of ours that always delivers solid brews. We talk about Mickey growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire; how his father, being surrounded by folk music, and an injury got him to pick up a guitar; performing with his brother and forming Makem & Spain; how he met his wife and why he moved to Pennsylvania; recording with folk heroes like Tom Paxton, Roger McGuinn from The Byrds, Jonathan Edwards, Gordon Bok, David Mallett, and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; whether or not you should meet your heroes; his relationship with his younger brother Liam; his inspiration and songwriting process; creating songs for kids and an interactive program for elementary schools; memorable people and places from touring the world; his initial reaction to the madness of Parade Day in Scranton and if the focus on drinking plays into Irish stereotypes and takes away from the celebration of the culture and heritage of Ireland; Erin’s work with the Parade Day committee and their attempt to clean it up over the years; Kilcoyne’s bringing Irish music back to the area after the closure of The Banshee with monthly shows; house shows and the general accessibility of his music; joining the stellar Steamtown String Fling lineup; his first open mic experience at NEPA Scene Rising Talent and how much he enjoyed meeting comedians and fellow musicians; and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers, discussing Mickey’s musical influences, his beard, and forthcoming gigs. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

During the live recording of Episode 49 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Feb. 28, 2018 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Irish folk singer/songwriter Mickey Spain opened and closed the show with a few acoustic songs. The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene's Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

During the live recording of Episode 49 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Feb. 28, 2018 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Irish folk singer/songwriter Mickey Spain opened and closed the show with a few acoustic songs. The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene's Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

During the live recording of Episode 49 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Feb. 28, 2018 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Irish folk singer/songwriter Mickey Spain opened and closed the show with a few acoustic songs. The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene's Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 48, we sit down with Casey Thomas and Kimmie Leff, members of the Scranton theatre group New Vintage Ensemble who wrote and star in “#vanlife,” a comedic play about the millennial van life trend that premiered at the Scranton Fringe Festival last year and comes to The Cooperage in Honesdale on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 8 p.m. before driving off to the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival in April. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Crush by North Slope Brewing Company in Dallas, Dry Hopped IPA by Berwick Brewing Company, and Shady Spot by Susquehanna Brewing Company in Pittston, all great beers we love from great local breweries. We talk about open mics and developing artists, how they got started in acting, why actors should say no to murder mysteries and dinner theatre, how they met and ended by creating “#vanlife” together after a bad experience at another production, the writing process and making changes after each show based on feedback, why theatre is like an absurd Christopher Guest movie, how the Scranton Fringe Festival developed and benefited the show, the tiny living and van life movements, presenting a fake curated life on social media, millennial criticism and if it’s all justified, their juxtaposed characters in the show, The Cooperage space and the welcoming community of Honesdale, modern hippies and hipsters, attracting and repelling audiences with other shows, the current state of Broadway, supporting small and off-Broadway shows, and more. In The Last Word segment, we talk about arts funding being slashed locally and nationally and focus on the controversy started by Lackawanna County Commissioner Laureen Cummings, who voted against legislation from the county’s Arts and Culture Department that awarded grant money to the Scranton Fringe Festival. While Cummings was outvoted and the Scranton Fringe still received the funds, we question why she specifically targeted the festival and its programming with misinformation and criticism. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 46, we sit down with Hazleton punk rock musician, animator, and comic creator Tedd Hazard of Hazard Studios, which produces the ongoing comic and animated series Krust Toons and music videos for bands like Condition Oakland, Azwel, The Twindows, Cardboard Homestead, Joe Billy, and Today, We Fight With Peace, among other projects. He also has a rock show coming up at the Hazleton Art League on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. with TreadWater, Markus A.D., Ace & The Kings, It Never Fails, and Vanvancar. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Minefire Blackberry Jalapeno Ale, 5 Whistle Wheat Ale, and Belsnickler Ale by Breaker Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre, whose beers we always love (unless they’re brewed with peppers). We talk about how he started drawing comics; the funny story of how he was convinced to go to his first show that ended up getting him into local music; the real people and stories that inspire his comics and cartoons; keeping the Krust Toons storylines going while making them accessible to new viewers; teaching himself art and animation; voice acting and recruiting others for voices; creating funny characters and where their inspiration comes from; his animation process that’s similar to “South Park;” the influence of Adult Swim, Jhonen Vasquez, and Newgrounds on his work and finding his own voice and DIY style; dealing with trolls and turning them into Captain Dislike; adapting to feedback from fans; creating music videos for bands and the different collaborative process for each one; filming the new Condition Oakland video at the Schuylkill Mall before it was torn down and dealing with mall security; his folk punk music; quitting drinking; the current state of the Hazleton and Schuylkill County music scenes; the importance of the Hazleton Art League to the local scene and booking shows there; cops and house shows; his advice to those who want to get into animation; and more. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 44, we sit down with Rick Gillette, singer and guitarist for popular Scranton pop rock band Nowhere Slow before his two shows next weekend at The V-Spot in Scranton. The first is on Friday, Jan. 26 at 9 p.m., and the second is the Action for Jackson benefit for local musician Jackson Vee on Sunday, Jan. 28, an all-day event where they’ll play at 3 p.m. Action for Jackson, which will help Jackson pay his medical bills, features 25 acts at three different venues - The V-Spot, Waldo’s Tavern, and Morgan'Z Pub & Eatery - with basket raffles, a 50/50, and more. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Nugget Nectar, Mad Elf from 2016, and Sunshine Pils by Tröegs Brewing in Hershey in anticipation of Beer Boys’ 18th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Jan. 20, where they’ll have 18 special brews from Tröegs on tap, including year-round, seasonal, limited release scratch beers, and casks that you can’t get anywhere else. We talk about how Nowhere Slow got started 21 years ago when Rick was in high school, why he has continued to stick with it all the time, the enduring popularity of the band, their name and his love/hate relationship with it, their four original albums and how the fifth is shaping up, making a living as a working musician, choosing songs to cover and whether or not there is still a stigma with playing covers instead of originals, changes to the local music scene and venues over the last two decades, performing outside the area in vacation spots, getting people to come out to shows, a funny story about a sound wave project for schools, playing to huge crowds on Parade Day in Scranton and some of the craziness he has witnessed, his best and worst gigs, the Action for Jackson benefit, his goals going into 2018, and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers, which largely involve jokes and ball busting. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

This phone interview with WWE Superstar Honky Tonk Man by NEPA Scene on Jan. 15, 2018 to promote his appearance at the Scranton Comedy Club on Jan. 18.

In Episode 43, we sit down with John Mikulak, an award-winning director, producer, and filmmaker living in Waverly who made the documentary “The Man Who Would Be Polka King,” which inspired the new movie “The Polka King” starring Jack Black that premieres on Netflix this Friday, Jan. 12. His original 2009 movie will also return to Netflix on Jan. 12, and he has some interesting stories about making the film about real-life Hazleton polka legend and convicted con man Jan “Lewan” Lewandowski as well as the long journey to getting it made into a Hollywood production. While this episode was recorded, several local musicians (including some who played in Lewan’s actual band) were in New York City performing with Black on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which aired later that night. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers from Beer Boys of Not Today Satan IPA, Wonka Bar Milk Stout, and Miss Betty by Mispillion River Brewing Company. John sums up the crazy true story of Polish immigrant-turned-eccentric-polka-singer Jan Lewan for those who never heard it and we talk about how his interest in journalism transitioned into filmmaking and multimedia production, how he first heard about and met with Lewan, why he initially turned him down when asked to write his life story and why he later ended up making it into a documentary, how he was able to finance this indie project and the years of work he put in, what it was like chronicling this story from all sides and talking to the sad and angry victims of the Ponzi scheme, what he learned from the darker parts of this crime, Lewan’s Donald Trump connection, how Hollywood became interested in adapting the story and the many different versions that never came to be, visiting the set and meeting stars like Jack Black and Jason Schwartzman, attending the Sundance Film Festival premiere, Netflix buying the movie and how he feels about streaming versus traditional theatrical releases, his original Troma movie “The Deviants” that takes place in NEPA, his short videos about local people and his recent work for WVIA that tied into Ken Burns’ “The Vietnam War” series, advice he would give to aspiring indie filmmakers, and more. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

During the live recording of Episode 42 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Jan. 3, 2018 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Scranton folk rock singer/songwriter Mike Mizwinski, better known as MiZ, closed the show with this acoustic version of his original song "Heroes," dedicated to the many great musicians we’ve lost over the last few years. The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene's Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 42, we sit down with Scranton folk rock singer/songwriter Mike Mizwinski, whose new solo album, “A Year Ago Today,” will be released on Friday, Jan. 26, kicking off an album release tour that stops locally at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains, Sarah Street Grill in Stroudsburg, the Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, The Cooperage Project, The Pines Eatery and Spirits in Hazleton, and Turkey Hill Brewing Company in Bloomsburg throughout January and February. Digital copies will be available on Feb. 14. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Pumpkin Ale by Susquehanna Brewing Company in Pittston, Olly by Free Will Brewing in Perkasie, and Celebration Ale from a cask by Sierra Nevada Brewing. We talk with MiZ about growing up around artists and musicians in his family got him into music, listening to the Grateful Dead at a young age, the dedication of jam band fans, the current state of the rock music industry, building a musical community or family, how he gathered some of the area’s best musicians together to record an original song in a living room over the holiday break, what inspired the songs on this album and what he was going through at the time, his new outlook on life, the recording process with LogicPaws Soundlab in Hawley, the story behind the name of the record, what his song “Heroes” means to him and a fan who saw him play it, plans to tour across the country, how he ended up working with Grateful Dead publicist and music historian Dennis McNally, crazy gigs and memorable road stories, opening up honestly about his past drug addiction and lifestyle and turning things around now in recovery, and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers, and Mike ends the show by playing an acoustic version of his new song “Heroes,” dedicated to the many great musicians we’ve lost over the last few years. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 41, we sit down with a panel of scruffy-looking nerf herders on the anniversary of Carrie Fisher’s death to record a special episode of the NEPA Scene Podcast - a Holiday Special, if you will. FilmBuffOnline editor Rich Drees, comedian Ted Hebert, NEPA Scene and Geek Art Photo photographer Jason Riedmiller, and singer/songwriter Connor Langan of new band Willrow Hood (named after an obscure “Star Wars” character) join us to talk about “Episode VIII - The Last Jedi” in-depth and decide if writer/director Rian Johnson brought balance to the franchise or left it in darkness with the latest “Star Wars” film. This is a spoiler-filled discussion, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet, then why did you even click on this? As we geek out, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Blood Orange IPA by Tommyknocker Brewery, Mine Fire Blackberry Jalapeño Ale by Breaker Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre, and Devious Imperial Pumpkin by Fegley’s Brew Works in Bethlehem and Allentown. We talk about the controversy surrounding this movie, “Star Wars” fandom, avoiding spoilers and ruining childhoods, the movie’s twists and whether or not they were genuinely surprising, the different structure and tonal shifts in “The Last Jedi,” the perspective of younger “Star Wars” fans versus older fans, the much-maligned casino subplot on Canto Bight, Mark Hamill’s comments being taken out of context and Luke Skywalker’s arc in the movie, Captain Phasma’s short role, Kylo Ren being the best part of the movie, the debate over Supreme Leader Snoke, General Hux and white nationalism symbolism, the Rey and Luke scenes, the new Force powers on display, Carrie Fisher passing away and the effect this had on her role, taking ideas and characters from the old “Star Wars” Legends canon like Grand Admiral Thrawn, the new characters Rose and DJ, the way these episodes are being written and produced versus the original trilogy, “Star Wars” characters who need their own spin-offs, how “The Last Jedi” changed the direction of the series, the big Amilyn Holdo moment, feminism and other themes in the script, what should happen in "Episode IX," and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers. The opening and closing music is a remix of the “Binary Sunset/The Force Theme” by DJ AG so Disney won’t sue us for using the original John Williams music. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 40, we sit down with Shavertown native Justin Mazer, guitarist for Gatos Blancos, Starbird, Ryan Montbleau, and many other bands over the years, including Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, Leroy Justice, and MiZ. His longtime Led Zeppelin tribute act Misty Mountain will reunite for two shows with special guests at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains on Friday, Dec. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 23. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of BennyFest, an Oktoberfest-style lager by Benny Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre, Maple Mistress Imperial Pumpkin Ale by Saucony Creek Brewing in Kutztown, and Quinannan Falls IPL by Bell’s Brewing. Each one ended up being flavorful and perfect fuel for a discussion after Justin’s long drive. We talk about how Justin started as a young guitarist, spending an average of 175-200 days on the road and playing in at least 40 states, his travel highlights, how the local music scene influenced and boosted his career, the importance of open mics to his development as a guitarist and to other artists, the recent Cabinet hiatus announcement, how he effectively juggles different projects and practices consistently, the musicians that started at and grew out of the River Street Jazz Cafe, what our scene can learn from other music scenes across the country, his celebrity run-ins with artists like Jim James from My Morning Jacket that didn’t go as planned, his crazy story of flying from gig to gig, the origins of Misty Mountain and its ambitious 10th anniversary show this weekend, and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers, discussing Justin’s favorite venues, who is on his bucket list to play with, underrated bands, staying grounded, and our first albums and concerts. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 39, we sit down with Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic Friends Chelsea Rixner and Alex MacNamara, who are also board members, to clarify that the orchestra is far from finished, even after making the highly publicized decision to suspend their 2017-2018 season, and dispel any rumors that they’re not going to be performing or working on any new programs in 2018. Before and during the interview, we drink Beer Boys crowlers of Monkey Barrel Milk Stout by Thomas Creek Brewery, Trodac Soul Ale by Pizza Boy Brewing Company, and Summit Keller Pils by Summit Brewing and successfully convert Chelsea into a beer drinker. We talk about why these women are involved in the local arts community and why they became Philharmonic board members; why the NEPA Phil is so important to the area; surprising diversity in the audience; comparing orchestral music to wine; staying relevant and reaching audiences of all kinds with something for everyone; “converting” people into fans of different types of music; the impact of their mentorship program on students; why people want the Philharmonic to stay; the importance of marketing; how they compare to other Philharmonics across the country and how their problems aren’t unique; the perception of orchestras and classical music versus reality; the challenge of getting people in the door; the overwhelming support of the community; orchestral music in movies, cartoons, television shows, and video games; arts funding being cut in the area and nationally; supporting the arts before they’re gone; their favorite Philharmonic venues; their next full year of programming; Lawrence Loh’s final concert and his 12-season legacy with the NEPA Philharmonic; and more. In The Last Word, we talk about the NEPA Scenefest fundraiser last weekend and how miscommunication and a dirty joke ended up derailing the event before The Keys came to the rescue and made it all work out. Despite the issues, the fan-organized event was a success and a testament to how much people care about the work we do. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The V-Spot, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 38, Brittany talks about her eighth annual Shots for Tots holiday party with her brother and co-organizer Bryan Boote. Shots for Tots will be held at Bart & Urby’s in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. with music by AJ Jump and Nick Driscoll, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, giveaways and, of course, copious amounts of booze. It is a $15 suggested donation at the door. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of Hop Tart brewed by Pizza Boy Brewing Company in Enola, Front Street Wheat by Berwick Brewing, and Framboise by Fegley's Brew Works in Allentown, combining the Front Street Wheat and Framboise to create a Dirty Hoe. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Shots for Tots podcast without a few shots. We discuss how Shots for Tots started as a Christmas/birthday party, the Boote family’s history of throwing huge parties, past events and how Shots for Tots has evolved over the last eight years, starting the Erin Boote Scholarship for the Arts in their mother’s name, how Shots for Tots became a charitable foundation and advice on how to start your own, arts funding in danger locally and nationally, growing their organization and picking the right students, looking at Wilkes-Barre and places like Sherman Hills in a different light, future plans to improve the area and help those in need, and more. In The Last Word segment, we talk about the upcoming fan-organized NEPA Scenefest fundraiser at the Backyard Ale House in Scranton on Saturday, Dec. 9 and look back at this season of the NEPA Scene Rising Talent open mic and talent contest, which ends with the Finals Showcase on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at The V-Spot in Scranton. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 35, we sit down with Wilkes-Barre blues rock trio Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen before their upcoming Stevie Ray Vaughan Retrospective tribute show at the F.M. Kirby Center on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of Block House Double Chocolate Bock by Pittsburgh Brewing Company, Atwater Vanilla Java by Atwater Brewery, and Sköll Och Hati by HammerHeart Brewing Company that was put through a Randall of Tootsie Rolls, which was made exclusively at Beer Boys. These dark beers warm everybody up on a cold night. We talk about their introduction to blues rock and why it stuck with them; Stevie Ray Vaughan and what makes his music continue to resonate; reproducing SRV and playing it their own way; putting this show together and performing it at the iconic B.B. King Blues Club in New York City; other bands they’ve been in, including Lemongelli, and how they informed their current work; the importance of honesty and emotion in music, as well as simplicity; their current album, “Blues 1,” and how their previous albums have evolved live; working on their next record and letting songs “happen” on the spot; standout shows they’ve played; changes to the local music scene over the years, both good and bad; performing at the Briggs Farm Blues Festival and connecting with blues fans live; and more. We also answer some questions and react to comments from live viewers, which occasionally turn into some ball busting and a “roast” of Dustin. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 34, we sit down with Jeff Boam, an award-winning playwright, filmmaker, founder of Richlier Moving Picture Company, and movie commentator for WBRE, “PA Live,” and WNEP, before the debut of his new boxing comedy, “Man on a Canvas,” at The Olde Brick Theatre in Scranton, opening Friday, Nov. 10 and running through Sunday, Nov. 19. Beer Boys is hosting a Sierra Nevada Brewing Company tap takeover next Wednesday, so to celebrate, we drink crowlers of their Sidecar Orange Pale Ale and Oktoberfest, as well as Imperial Pumpkin Porter by Epic Brewing Utah that was put through a Randall of pumpkin pie and cinnamon sticks, which was made exclusively at Beer Boys. Boam once worked for a beer distributor, so we talk about the beers and their various standout flavors. During the interview, we talk about his interests as a kid influencing his writing, how his playwriting launched in college, the writing process, independent filmmaking and the creation of “Charlie Chaplin's Body,” the difficulty in getting original work made, his long relationship with Diva Productions, producing plays in the intimate Olde Brick Theatre, casting in a small area, actors interpreting his characters, his inspiration for “Man on a Canvas,” the Marx Brothers and bringing screwball comedy to modern audiences, classic comedy versus contemporary comedy, his advice to other playwrights who want to get their work produced, reviewing movies in print and on television, unexpectedly making a documentary about residents of West Pittston, his upcoming true crime work, awards he has received, preparing for fatherhood and balancing work with being a dad, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers. Showtimes for “Man on a Canvas” at The Olde Brick Theatre (126 W. Market St., Scranton) are on Nov. 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 12 and 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for seniors. Call 570-209-7766 for reservations. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

During the live recording of Episode 33 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Nov. 1, 2017 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, local folk funk band Fake Fight closed the show with this acoustic version of their original song “Blacklist.” The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene·s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

During the live recording of Episode 33 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Nov. 1, 2017 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, local folk funk band Fake Fight opened the show with this acoustic version of their original song “Mood Ring.” The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene·s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

During the live recording of Episode 33 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on Nov. 1, 2017 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, local folk funk band Fake Fight opened the show with this acoustic version of their original song “Obliged.” The award-winning podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene·s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 33, we sit down with new Wilkes-Barre folk funk band Fake Fight, which features members of Half Dollar and solo artists Jordan Ramirez, Brendan Brisk, and Michael Stec with Stephen Stec. They play three original acoustic songs for us in the studio before their debut “Pete Horse” EP is released. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of Sköll Och Hati by HammerHeart Brewing Company, Mass Rising by Jack's Abby Brewing, and Sidecar Orange Pale Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing that was put through a Randall of candy corn, which was made exclusively at Beer Boys. They all go over well for very different reasons. We talk about this new project and how it came together, what "folk funk" is and how the term was coined, the local music scene and the importance of collaboration and encouragement over competition, the quick and organic development of their sound, their other musical projects and how they informed this band, open mics, going from the name Elijah Would to Fake Fight, opening for The Wood Brothers at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, and more, including some funny stories, like that time Jordan got kicked out of a Renaissance fair. We also read a few comments and give away free tickets to Alt 92.1's concert with Bleachers, Bishop Briggs, Welshly Arms, and The Struts at the F.M. Kirby Center. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 31, we sit down with Wilkes-Barre Township native Chris Bohinski, known as “Boh the Smile Guy,” the founder of the upcoming Smile Day in Wilkes-Barre Township and creator of NYC Smile 4 Me, where he interviews celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bette Midler, and Kristin Chenoweth and asks them, “What makes you smile?” Beer Boys is hosting a Susquehanna Brewing Company tap takeover, so they provide us with crowlers of Orange Is the New Ale and two versions of the Pittston brewery’s Pumpkin Ale - one from a cask with coffee and vanilla and the other blended in a Randall with Ghirardelli white chocolate wafers, which you can only get at Beer Boys - to drink before and during the interview. Needless to say, they all go over very well. We talk about the power of smiling; staying happy and positive in an often negative world; NEPA’s infamous cynicism; how he responds to negativity or criticism; making everyday conversations more positive; his unique celebrity experiences with NYC Smile 4 Me and how those opportunities came about; his viral videos where he breaks glass with his voice, which led to national television appearances; working on major productions in New York City; blogging and starting a YouTube channel; hosting the first-ever Smile Day in Wilkes-Barre Township and its purpose; and we all answer the question, “What makes you smile?” While giving away free tickets to see 311 at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center, we also answer questions and comments from live viewers, who explain what makes them smile. The inaugural Smile Day will be held at the Wilkes-Barre Township Fire Hall (150 Watson St.) on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The family-friendly event is free and includes food, games, prizes, and raffles. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 29, we sit down with Scranton author, teacher, and filmmaker Kenny Luck, who wrote and directed the viral short documentaries "Opioid Nation: The Making of an Epidemic" and "Half Empty: Life in America’s Unhappiest City," which both premiered exclusively on NEPA Scene. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of beer from three Pennsylvania breweries - Das Pretzel Gose by Roy Pitz Brewing Company in Chambersburg, One and Done No. 11 by Benny Brewing in Wilkes-Barre, and a special version of Vaughn's Cream Ale by Berwick Brewing in Berwick that was put through a Randall with Sour Patch Kids, which was made exclusively at Beer Boys. As “Opioid Nation” hits 23,000 views, we discuss how he got into filmmaking, the local opioid epidemic and the impact it has had on the area, why it became so bad here, what he learned during the filmmaking process, the discussions his films have started and responding to criticism, interviewing different people and gaining different perspectives that shaped the film, why drug addiction is a divisive issue that is often misunderstood, how addiction starts, glamorizing drug use, what can be done to combat addiction and the stigma associated with it, indie filmmaking on a limited budget, the studies that led to Scranton being named the “unhappiest city,” NEPA's attitude problem, the funny WNEP-TV backyard train debate featured on “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver, what projects Kenny will be working on next, his other creative outlets like writing and making music, and more. The award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 28, we sit down with John “Guido” Phillips, owner and designer of MCR Design Group, director of production for Heavy Grass, a former local musician, and a freelance tour manager, previously working with bands like Breaking Benjamin. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of Framboise by Fegley's Brew Works in Allentown and Bethlehem, Mango Wheat by Free Will Brewing in Perkasie (a brewery that Massive Beer Reviews has featured before), and Pineapple Express by Mispillion River Brewing in Delaware, courtesy of Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre. We also do some shots of Jägermeister, which we immediately regret. We talk about his time as a local musician in bands like UUU and OurAfter, how education plays a role in changing music scenes, founding the Steamtown Original Music Showcase and its ups and downs, Breaking Benjamin putting national focus on NEPA music and what was going on in the scene at the time, the area’s often negative perception, working with Breaking Benjamin and how people see the band in its different incarnations, the importance of a band’s story, working for Heavy Grass and his views on cannabis, doing business and detrimental taxes in Pennsylvania, achieving happiness, being a parent, what MCR does and the key to its success, Johnny and John’s long history together, and more. We also take questions and comments from live viewers, addressing hopes of an OurAfter reunion, telling a story about a little girl meeting Benjamin Burnley, and hair tips. Additionally, we give tickets away to a live pro wrestling event at GSW Arena in Old Forge with meet and greet passes for Sean Waltman, a.k.a. WWE Superstar X-Pac. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 27, we sit down with Scranton Fringe Festival co-founder and managing director Elizabeth Bohan and Fringe organizers and participants Simone Daniel and Laureen O'Handley to discuss this huge five-day festival returning to downtown Scranton on Wednesday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 1. Before and during the interview, we drink some crowlers of Ouais by Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Turbo Shandy by Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Ohio, and R2 Koelschip by Draai Laag Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, provided by Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre. The Turbo Shandy ends up being the most popular, while Rich is the only one who seems to enjoy the sour beers. We talk about founding the Scranton Fringe; the purpose of fringe festivals and why this is an important addition to the local arts scene; how it has developed over the past three years; the many diverse shows coming to 13 different venues; the work Laureen does with the Lackawanna County Children's Library and what the festival will bring there; Simone’s roles as an actress, organizer, and host of the Scranton Cultural Center preview party on Wednesday; how local women have helped create, organize, and maintain the Scranton Fringe; the Scranton Fringe’s rooster mascot; Elizabeth and Simone’s trip overseas to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and how that has influenced this festival; regional food and our need for a pierogi or piggy lady; and more. To end the show, Rich turns our usual game with the guests on John and Brittany, reading them the names of Scranton Fringe shows and having them make up fake descriptions based solely on the titles. Elizabeth and Rich then explain what they’re actually about. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

This session features Will Beekman, the executive director of the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, one of the area’s most successful talent buyers, and Eva Alexiou-Reo, a veteran booking agent. The two discuss both sides of the “world of booking.” Attendees learn what talent buyers and booking agents truly look for in acts as well as proper techniques and etiquette. This panel discussion was recorded at the 2017 Electric City Music Conference on Saturday, Sept. 16.

This session revolves around the artist management aspect of the music industry. Panelists explain when and why an artist requires a manager, how to go about attracting a manager, what they should look for in a manager, and exactly what a manager does. This panel discussion featuring Chris Bianchi, Christian Wagner, Mark Woodbridge, and Eric Droegmoeller was recorded at the 2017 Electric City Music Conference on Saturday, Sept. 16.

In Episode 26, we have an extended chat with Joe Caviston of The Point After Show and Kenneth Norton, formerly of Graces Downfall and currently with The Sellout Soundtrack, who both founded the Electric City Music Conference and the Steamtown Music Awards, which return for their fourth year to 11 venues throughout the Scranton area on Thursday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 16. Before and during the interview, we drink crowlers of Troegenator by Tröegs Brewing Company in Hershey, Grandes Lagos by Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, and I.C. Light by the Pittsburgh Brewing, courtesy of Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre. We talk about Joe’s sports podcast and what Ken has been up to musically since Graces Downfall ended, the purpose of the ECMC and why they feel it’s important to honor local musicians and bring the music scene together; what goes into planning an event that spans 11 venues across three days; their early days of booking shows and what they’ve learned since then; award show mishaps; memories of the music scene years ago and what things are like now; how Joe’s experience as a promoter and Ken’s experience as a musician has informed the conference; highlights of this year’s event, like an emo DJ set at The Bog; local bands they’d love to see reunite; the hidden costs of events like the SMAs and the ECMC; shooting down critics and misconceptions about how these events are run and what the money is used for; investing in new concerts in the area, including an upcoming acoustic Hinder show; and more. John also plays a game with our guests, making them choose between one musical act or another, with some fun results and music commentary. Ken responded to many of the live comments directly, but we also read a few from live viewers. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

Suzanne Paulinski, founder of The Rock/Star Advocate, and Rich Howells, founder and editor of NEPA Scene, tell their success stories in the music business, provide tips for musicians hoping to make it in the business and develop professional relationships, and share personal anecdotes about following their passions. This panel discussion was recorded at the 2017 Electric City Music Conference on Saturday, Sept. 16.

In Episode 25, we sit down with local comedians Angelia Petrillo and Elliott Elliott, who are hosting the Back to the ‘80s Comedy Show & Dance Party at The Keys in downtown Scranton this Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. The show features comedians pretending it’s the 1980s, only referencing topics from that decade, along with an ‘80s dance party and live music by Katie Evans, Candi Vee, and Anthony “Shiny” Montini. The featured drink is $5 Ecto Cooler. Before and during the interview, we drink three different crowlers from Bell's Brewery in Michigan - Pooltime Ale, Porter, and Quinannan Falls IPL - courtesy of Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre. Each turns out to be great representations of their respective styles. We talk about why they both decided to get into stand-up comedy, their best and worst show stories and strange venue experiences, their different comedic styles and deliveries, working with fellow comedians in the local comedy scene, developing their voices through performing live and attending open mics, the importance of bombing and failing, Elliott playing characters on stage, Angelia putting together a successful Scranton Fringe Festival show last year and what is in store for this year, where the idea for the ‘80s show came from and why they wanted to do it, what they remember and love about the ‘80s, Elliott’s dirty Yoda impression, other themed comedy nights in the future, and more. We end the episode by going through the list of the 100 most popular ‘80s movies on the Internet Movie Database and forcing Angelia and Elliott to choose one film from each pair of movies to learn more about their tastes, personalities, and knowledge of the decade. This leads to some fun conversations and asides. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 24, we sit down with Ted Wampole (Wilkes-Barre DJ Newpy Hundo), Nate Miller, and Richard Roani of Funkstronaut Productions, who are organizing the first-ever Satellite Ranch Music & Arts Festival at Mountain Sky in Jermyn on Friday, Sept. 1 and Saturday, Sept. 2 with intelligent dance music, house, techno, dub, disco, hip-hop, electronic fusion, and jamtronica, along with light and art installations, workshops, yoga, and silent disco. Before and during the interview, we crack open some crowlers from Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre. They support local just like we do with NEPA breweries on tap every day, so this week, we try Front Street Wheat by Berwick Brewing Company, Sippin’ Time by Benny Brewing in Wilkes-Barre, and Pimp My Rye by North Slope Brewing in Dallas – all great session beers packed with flavor that go down easy. We talk about the origins of the inaugural festival, convincing Mountain Sky to host Satellite Ranch and how the location informed its name, what the different members of Funkstronaut Productions brought to the table and how their experiences and musical tastes helped shape the festival, the positive and negative effects that Camp Bisco in Scranton has had on the local perception of electronic music, defining “intelligent” dance music and how it stands out from typical EDM, the funny story behind the Newpy Hundo moniker, what a “silent disco” is, expanding musical horizons and creating good vibes, how they chose the artists in their diverse lineup, Lord RAJA and Adult Swim becoming an unexpected outlet for electronic artists, the future of Funkstronaut, and more. We close out the show by pointing out some of the weird and funny names of the artists playing at Satellite Ranch, which leads to some interesting stories and highlights of the festival, including some notable local acts. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 23, we chat with our own Brittany Boote about her experience as an actress and assistant director on “The Barre,” a new crime drama television series set and produced in Wilkes-Barre. We also planned to interview fellow local actor James Callahan, who played the role of Bryan on the show and is well-known in the local music scene, but he had to cancel due to a family emergency. We still manage to have a good conversation and a great time, though, as always. Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre is hosting a Founders Brewing Company tap takeover, so we drink some crowlers of three of the beers they have on tap during the show - Frootwood, cherry ale and ages it in oak barrels that held both bourbon and maple syrup, Lizard of Koz, a stout brewed with blueberries, chocolate, and vanilla aged in bourbon barrels, and Backwoods Bastard 2015, a bourbon barrel-aged version of its Dirty Bastard scotch ale. They’re very different than the Founders beers we tried last week, but they’re boozy and rich with flavor. We also take a moment to remember Pittston singer Janet Rains, better known as Jane Train, who died just hours earlier from injuries she sustained in a tragic accident in Florida last month that took the life of Adrenaline Mob bassist David Zablidowsky. Whether you knew her from Wilkes-Barre pop rock band M80, her solo work, Headbanger's Ball, Not by Sight, or just as that awesome lady with the bright red hair, Jane was an integral part of the NEPA music scene for many years, so we share some stories about her before we get into the interview. Then we talk about the premiere screening of the first episode of “The Barre” at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains Thursday, Aug. 24, how and why Brittany got involved with the show, the authenticity of the scripts, influences from shows like “The Wire,” what she learned as an assistant director, landing the role of Lydia and how she prepared to play a heroin addict, working with the cast and crew from New York, how Wilkes-Barre became an integral part of the series and what it was like filming in familiar areas, the controversy surrounding the production and responding to those who think it will make the city look bad, comparisons to other drug and gangster stories, the story of how James Callahan ended up in his role at the last minute, acting in an anti-drug commercial and auditioning New York City as a kid, how the show helped her deal with the death of her mother, working on TV distribution of the series, Wilkes-Barre’s HBO connection, and more. Additionally, we answer some questions and comments from live viewers and give away free tickets to the see the I Love the 90s Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Saturday, Aug. 26 with TLC, Coolio, Tone Loc, Rob Base, and Young MC. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 22, we sit down with four of the five members of the new Scranton doom/sludge metal band Dour. Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre is hosting a Founders Brewing Company tap takeover next Wednesday, Aug. 23, so we drink some crowlers of three of the beers they’ll have on tap - Green Zebra, a gose-style ale brewed with watermelon and sea salt; All Day IPA, a complex but balanced session beer; and Sumatra Mountain, a strong imperial brown ale with caramel and chocolate malt. Each has a distinct flavor and style that we discuss before and during the interview. We talk about the origins of Dour; what doom and sludge metal are and what attracted them to these styles; the appeal of metal; their new demo copied to cassette tapes by hand; what songs like "Satanic Root Beer," "Black Cat Amphetamines," and “Upside Down Sinner” are about and whether or not they should be taken seriously based on their titles; how comedian and filmmaker Bobby Keller became their singer and showing people that his involvement is no joke; Bobby’s past musical history and funny stories from previous projects, including ruining a sweet 16 party; crazy band stories from each member; playing their debut show in a Curry Donuts parking lot in Wilkes-Barre; bands they’ve been influenced by locally and nationally; future goals of the band; and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers. In The Last Word segment, we discuss the white supremacy march in Charlottesville, Virginia that turned deadly and ask if the same thing can happen here in Pennsylvania, where we also have a large number of hate groups. We address President Donald Trump’s inadequate and disturbing response, the Confederate statue controversy, and condemn the one side that needs to be unequivocally condemned - the Nazis, white nationalists, and other racists - just a week after celebrating diversity in our previous episode. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 21, we sit down with Jess Meoni, a graphic designer, writer, editor of Ruthless Zine, and organizer of The Bad Trip Psychedelic Show - a free concert on Saturday, Aug. 12 on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton with Piece of Mind, Walau-eh, Signs & Wonders, Earthmouth, The Mysteries, Mind Choir, and High Noon – along with Grrrls Night at Ale Mary's in Scranton, Scranton Zine Fest, and many other community events in NEPA. Before and during the interview, we drink some crowlers provided by Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, this time with a blueberry theme. We try Becky Blueberry Cider by Platform Beer Company, which is new to the area, Blueberry Belch by Fegley's Brew Works in Allentown, and Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat Ale by Sea Dog Brewing Company, comparing each of their flavors and styles. We discuss how The Bad Trip came about, a new wave of psychedelic-influenced local bands, working with the city and the county on events, what goes into organizing a community event, the importance of putting events together yourself rather than waiting for someone else to do it and inspiring others to do the same, why she personally feels the need to create niche but inclusive events, ignoring naysayers like on Talkback 16, how people are shaped by concerts and other events, highlighting local female artists at the Grrrls Night open mic and a recent surprise engagement, how crowds and venues have changed over the years, saving The Marketplace at Steamtown, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers. In The Last Word, we talk about Wilkes-Barre’s first Multicultural Parade & Festival. We talk about why it was special and important, the local naysayers who were proven wrong about diversity, and Brittany describes her experience at the festival. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 20, we have a very important and emotional conversation with the creators of Break the Silence: Sexual Violence Awareness Art Exhibit - campaign coordinator Stephanie Santore and photographer Ashley Matthews of Simply Lush Portrait Boutique. Before and during the interview, we drink some crowlers provided by our sponsor, Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, of three varieties of Single Origin Coffee Brown Ales by Terrapin Beer Company in Athens, Georgia made with coffee from Ecuador, Indonesia, and Kenya. Everyone agrees that, whether you love coffee or just beer brewed with it, these are worth drinking. Then we talk about this powerful exhibit before it debuts at The Leonard Theater during First Friday Scranton on Aug. 4, what motivated them to start this project and how their respective professions helped in its creation, the difficulty in discussing the issues of sexual violence and domestic abuse, photographing the brave volunteers who have endured this trauma and shared their stories, how this project affected them, why Stephanie felt it was time to share her own personal story, empowering women through photography, what the Women's Resource Center does for local women and families, statistics from and raising money for the center, sexism and focusing on the issue at hand by not getting bogged down by “whataboutism” and other tactics, the healing process, the future of Break the Silence after Friday night and the possibility of future projects, and more. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 19, we hear some stories and opinions from the hilarious and outspoken Freddie Fabbri, a radio DJ and on-air personality on 98.5 KRZ, Froggy 101, WILK Newsradio, and Max 102 who also does stand-up comedy and even managed Breaking Benjamin in their early days. Before and during the interview, we drink some crowlers of Olly, Chasing the Dragon, Cloudy with a Chance of Apricots by Free Will Brewing Company in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, all beers that were featured in a tap takeover at Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, our newest sponsor, and our tastes vary greatly on these unique brews. Then we talk about what “Fast Freddie” has been up to lately; working in the radio business and how it stays relevant in the digital age with more competition than ever; the freedom of speech he enjoys on the radio despite working for a large company; using innuendo, pushing the envelope, and how he’s gotten in trouble with previous stations he’s worked for; the infamous “dildo-gram” story; being politically incorrect in 2017; legalizing weed; a baseball team rivalry with Johnny; going on tour with Breaking Benjamin and Staind; taking risks and putting his livelihood on the line for Breaking Benjamin and his opinion of singer Benjamin Burnley these days; how Freddie got started doing stand-up; translating his sense of humor into a stand-up routine, choking on stage with his “more extreme” material, and steadily improving; local music; getting nominated in the Steamtown Music Awards; and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers and give away free tickets to see Dashboard Confessional at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 18, we chat with Moscow artist, illustrator, and Jeweled Moon owner Patrick Kwiatkowski. Before the interview, we drink some crowlers of Sunny Spot by Susquehanna Brewing Company in Pittston courtesy of our newest sponsor, Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, and this is a different version of the summertime grapefruit shandy that you can only get at Beer Boys. This one is dry hopped with Citra, cask conditioned, and served at 55 degrees, giving it a much more natural, juicy, and fresh taste. Then we talk with Patrick about drawing as a kid and picking it up again later in life, developing as an artist, how jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish have inspired his work, taking music and turning it into art, following bands around and being a part of jam band culture, the importance of family-friendly venues like Mountain Sky in Jermyn, his relationship with his young daughter and her role in his work, creating his own original comic book, selling his art through Jeweled Moon, dabbling in local theatre and what movies are missing today, working in the local electrical workers union, the Church of the Latter-Day Dude, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers. In The Last Word segment, we discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding Camp Bisco in Scranton, debating its pros and cons and whether its issues with drugs and other crimes are overblown by the media or if The Pavilion at Montage Mountain should not agree to host the EDM music festival again after three years as we read and react to comments we received from readers. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond. The show is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, and the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.

In Episode 17, we sit down with all four members of Wilkes-Barre rock band Vine Street, who are hosting the new Sunset Sessions open mic at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre this Sunday, July 16. We begin by cracking open some crowlers of Chocolate Lobster by Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware, courtesy of our newest sponsor, Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, and we’re pleasantly surprised about the taste of this porter that was actually brewed with live lobsters, dark cocoa powder, and a basil tea. Then we talk about how Vine Street originated in Hanover Township in 2012 and their musical backgrounds, their name and trying to define their sound, what inspires their original songs and how they choose what songs to cover, working on songs for their debut album, how the local music scene has helped them develop over the years, the importance of open mics to musicians and the mics they’ve benefited from most (like Tony’s Wine Cellar), how the Sunset Sessions came about and what their goals are with the event, how Brittany got involved with it, the future of the band, and more. In The Last Word segment, Rich talks about his interviews with national acts like Big D and the Kids Table and Anti-Flag at the Vans Warped Tour in Scranton and how many of the things they had to say about their own local music scenes reflect the same ups and downs of our own scene. We also mention how we differentiate ourselves from “fake news” in this day and age to gain the trust of our audience and how to interview Gwar properly. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

During the live recording of Episode 17 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on July 12, 2017 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, local rock band Vine Street closed the show with this acoustic version of their original song “XOXO.” The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

This interview was conducted by NEPA Scene at the Vans Warped Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on July 10, 2017. For more coverage, visit nepascene.com.

This interview was conducted by NEPA Scene at the Vans Warped Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on July 10, 2017. For more coverage, visit nepascene.com.

This interview was conducted by NEPA Scene at the Vans Warped Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on July 10, 2017. For more coverage, visit nepascene.com.

This interview was conducted by NEPA Scene at the Vans Warped Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on July 10, 2017. For more coverage, visit nepascene.com.

During the live recording of Episode 17 of the NEPA Scene Podcast on July 12, 2017 at Coal Creative’s production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, local rock band Vine Street opened the show with this acoustic version of their original song “Mad Mad Woman.” The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

This interview was conducted by NEPA Scene at the Vans Warped Tour at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on July 10, 2017. For more coverage, visit nepascene.com.

Before we began Episode 16 of the NEPA Scene Podcast, Olyphant drummer Chris Langan improvised a drumming demonstration to set up our conversation. Langan is the drummer for LondonForce, Dani-elle, Grant Williams, Tribes, and other local bands as well as a drum teacher and the host of “Behind the Beat” on YouTube. During the podcast, we talk about why he chose the drums, his different experiences with the aforementioned bands, the challenge of playing multiple genres of music and learning songs on the fly, playing in Nashville, passing his knowledge down to students at the Scranton Music Academy and online, important lessons he teaches while continuing to learn himself, the struggle of making a living as a musician, recording YouTube videos and getting recognized by the original artists, online drum tracking, memorable live shows, his future career, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers, including one from a young drummer asking for advice. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 16, we sit down with Chris Langan, the drummer for LondonForce, Dani-elle, Grant Williams, Tribes, and other local bands as well as a drum teacher and the host of “Behind the Beat” on YouTube. After an improvised drumming demonstration, we drink some White Lightning by Full Pint Brewing Company in Pittsburgh courtesy of our new sponsor, Beer Boys in Wilkes-Barre, and talk about why he chose the drums, his different experiences with the aforementioned bands, the challenge of playing multiple genres of music and learning songs on the fly, playing in Nashville, passing his knowledge down to students at the Scranton Music Academy and online, important lessons he teaches while continuing to learn himself, the struggle of making a living as a musician, recording YouTube videos and getting recognized by the original artists, online drum tracking, memorable live shows, his future career, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers, including one from a young drummer asking for advice. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 15, Rich and Brittany are both out of town this week, leaving Johnny in charge to talk to his longtime friend Frank Hershberger, better known as DJ Hersh, who was named DJ/Electronic Act of the Year in the 2014 Steamtown Music Awards. After thumb wrestling to determine who will have to drink a Zima after the awful ‘90s malt beverage recently made a return to shelves, the Wilkes-Barre disc jockey discusses how he got started at the age of 21 and why he keeps doing it at 35, founding BeatTeks with fellow DJs, what makes a good DJ, his experiences in the local nightlife and music scenes and how they’ve changed over the years, his relationships with local musicians, what people want to hear in different cities and venues, learning to love DJing weddings, why he lives and works in NEPA, what it was like opening for the Wu-Tang Clan at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, co-organizing the former MayDay Music Festival in Wilkes-Barre, his upcoming IndepenDANCE event on Saturday, July 8 and the annual BeatTeks BBQ on Saturday, Aug. 5 at River Grille in Plains, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 14, we sit down with all five members of Scranton metal band Behind the Grey, who won Album of the Year in the 2016 Steamtown Music Awards. We discuss their musical origins and how they’ve developed into their current incarnation; lineup changes, long friendships, and each member’s contributions to the band; the music business and the importance of learning from past mistakes; signing with the Inner Light Agency in Los Angeles and the benefits of having professional management; writing new music for their upcoming EP, "Treason,” and its inspirations; memories of playing at their favorite venues locally and nationally; a benefit show personal to drummer Mike Boniewicz that he organized called Concert for Casen benefit that they're playing this Sunday, June 25 at Oak Street Express in Taylor, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers with a little ball busting in between. In The Last Word segment, we talk about local high school student Peter Butera, the valedictorian and president of Wyoming Area Secondary School’s Class of 2017 who made national news and appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after going off-script with his graduation speech last Friday, criticizing the Wyoming Area School District administration before the principal cut his mic. We debate if he did the right thing by expressing what many students were thinking and read comments from viewers made before and during the show. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 13, we sit down with award-winning actors, writers, and New Vintage Ensemble members Conor O'Brien and Simone Daniel from Scranton. We talk about their darkly funny original play, "The Darling Core," coming to The Cooperage Project in Honesdale and 59E59 Theaters in New York City before going overseas to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, updating the show and how theatre continues to stay relevant and shake things up, local theatre and its demanding audiences, engaging crowds in different ways and places, the amusing story of a woman who made a scene while walking out of a show, the upcoming Scranton Shakespeare Festival, the success of “Hamilton,” Broadway and the importance of theatre outside of New York, the third annual Scranton Fringe Festival, and more. In The Last Word segment, we discuss the controversy surrounding the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department and their new approach to social media. The department has received both praise and criticism for making jokes and posting memes on their Facebook page, some which feature a topless woman and a “South Park” reference saying, “Show us on the doll where our Facebook posts hurt you.” While officers have defended the posts, saying that it "humanizes" the police and has increased engagement on their page, resulting in more awareness and quick identification of suspects they’ve posted, some people think their jokes are unprofessional and have gone too far, promoting sexism and mocking sexual molestation, leading to distrust of officers and confirmation of the "good ol' boys" mentality. We read comments we received on Facebook from both sides of the debate and offer our own reactions. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.

In Episode 12, we open with a little live stand-up clip from NEPA Scene’s Got Talent before we talk to Scranton comedian Erich Drexler, the co-host of The Keys Open Mic Circus on Thursday nights. We talk about why he started in comedy over two years ago, telling raunchy and offensive jokes, whether or not some subjects should be joked about and if anything is off-limits, the recent controversies with national comedians Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher, the underappreciated NEPA comedy scene and how local comedians work together, the importance of open mics like the Open Mic Circus and NEPA Scene events, watching comedians grow and hone their craft, improv comedy and how it differs from stand-up, booking gigs in odd places, stories from shows that went well and a few that didn’t, Box of Broken Toys and the 502 of Comedy, John’s outside perspective as a judge at Got Talent, getting people to come out and support local comedy, and more. We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers, including a few fellow comedians. The NEPA Scene Podcast covers arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania. It airs as a live video stream every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page and is available afterward on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, YouTube, and nepascene.com. This episode and all previous episodes are available now on NEPA Scene, the award-winning independent arts and entertainment website that combines the accuracy and professionalism of a print magazine with the immediacy and convenience of a blog, offering a wide variety of content to readers in NEPA, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.