It's another rainy Friday night here at the Philipsburg LaunchPad and it's taken me all week to recover from the bang-a-gong sell-out here this Saturday past. Stone Man was home and blowing nitrous into the performance room and I have a lot of people to thank. First, let me show you some photos that were taken on Saturday night. I really, really want you to understand what the term "StoneMan Style" means. "StoneMan Style" is a thing we've created here at the LP where the band is spread out in a large performance space. The audience inhabits the space between the performers. The PA system is imbedded overhead in the rafters, eliminating the proscenium, or wall, between the audience and the performers. How many times have you been to a performance where the band was on the stage over there and there was a wall of speakers on either side of the stage? "Always," is the answer to that one. So there is always this space, or demilitarized zone, between the performance and the audience. Normally, the dance floor is between the band and the audience, and it is usually vacant of people until someone is moved by spirit or spirits to get up and shake that thing on that dance floor. Whereupon it is safe for others to also get up and shake that thing on the dance floor. THEN the party starts, right? Well, I've always felt ... like for decades ... that there needed to be a way to draw the audience directly into the performance and I designed this effect at The Philipsburg LaunchPad during covid times.
Look for the members of the band in the photos. Like Pokemon, no camera angle can catch them all. The audience is AMONG the band. Looking over the drummer's shoulder. Putting their feet up on the guitarist's amp. The shit is off the hook. There are many technical reasons that rock performances are the way they are, mostly related to sound design and functionality. We, at the LP, have cracked the code with "StoneMan Style," making a live, local, original musical performance completely immersive. "You've heard of back stage passes," says LP loyalist Darrel Weld, Jr. "Well the LP is like having center stage passes." We don't play in the round. We play "within the round." There's a huge difference and we think we are lighting a fire in this old coal town of Philipsburg. And I am tonight so very grateful to everyone who has supported us and continues to do so.
Our performance this night was supported by several new partners that I want to take time to introduce you to. If you came away with the cool merchandise, like T-shirts, stickers and the like, then you've seen a wonderful example of what our partners at BioGraphics can do! Steve Albert brought cool Stone Man and LaunchPad tees to the show that were hugely popular, so we're really glad to partner with BioGraphics in Clearfield, Pa. We are also so happy to have the staff of The Twisted Vine Winery on staff on show nights. Now, you all know that the LP is a BYOB night-spot, right? So, at least, the six-pack you bring with you doesn't cost an arm and a leg. But an added bonus on show nights is that Jaclyn Hunter, who runs the Twisted's Front Street, Philipsburg, shop, also brings along free samples to pour just to highlight some of the sweet vintages available in our downtown. I don't know about you, but a BYOB club having a winery for a partner seems like a no-brainer, right? And we like to imagine that you already know we're here (many don't) and that we are re-imagining nightlife (we are). And you have to already know that our show nights are supported by Poppy & Co Cafe. Yeah, you might have the best music in town on a given night, and you might have your favorite juice, but do you have that great food to make the night perfect? "Yes," is the answer to that one. Jenny Horton at Poppy's got me started on the second floor of her building a few years ago and has been a partner all along. We like to think the LaunchPad, Poppy & Co, BioGraphics and The Twisted Vine are synergizing into this little boho community in downtown Philipsburg. We have many friends in the neighborhood and we're all doing crazy good things.
This is what fun looks like, my friends. And we're doing it the right way here at the Philipsburg LaunchPad. You can back out to the home page and find all the fun things we've got coming up. We've got the great Phish tribute band, iSH coming up on March 4 and the incredible Mr. Pocket on April first (no foolin'). And you can get your tickets in advance by clicking the links.
Oh, and you don't want to miss the next StoneMan show, either. We're coming back in May with a special Steely Dan show... And that takes some prep work... so listen and stay in touch! The fun is on Second Street in Philipsburg on the first Saturday of every month.
We are also planning live recording nights with some bands that are truly incredible, but ya has ta keep in touch as those dates become live.
We really feel we are bringing joy to our community. Join us, if ya wanna know where the cool kids are hanging out, okay?!!! Okay. And until the iSH show on March 4, keep it live, keep it local, and keep it original!