NEPA Scene

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.

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.