Concerts by mid-level acts in clubs are not an everyday occurrence in Northeastern Pennsylvania. There are theaters, arenas and even a large amphitheater, but where can you see bands like The Hold Steady, New Found Glory, Halestorm or Drowning Pool? An increasingly popular option for local music fans — and hundreds of bands on the national touring circuit — is Eleanor Rigby’s in Jermyn.
Eleanor Rigby’s opened in June of 2009 when co-owners Joe Caviston and Zach Neil decided to rent an old pool hall to host a Warped Tour Battle of Bands. Caviston, 24, was just finishing up his studies from East Stroudsburg where he earned a dual degree, a major in media communications and a minor in English. He has been involved in the music industry since he was a freshman in college; he managed bands and booked tours as some of his duties.
A few months into the opening of the new bar and nightclub, the owners booked their first national show in Never Shout Never, a young emo acoustic act that would have skipped the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market completely if it weren’t for the new venue. The show was all-ages and was well-received. A week later, New Found Glory put on a show on the same stage, starting to open the eyes of the public and of many other bands nationwide.
“At first it was a show-by-show process, fighting for agents to send bands here,” Caviston said in a recent interview. “They didn’t know if we were going to be here the next week. We were a very new and untested venue, and we had to prove that it was worth their time for them to come play here.”
Soon bands such as Bayside, Rev Theory, Badfish, Hawthorne Heights were taking the stage at Rigby’s for a sold-out crowds and with cheap ticket prices.
“The economy isn’t very stellar right now, and everyone is watching their nickels and dimes,” Caviston said. “Most kids are even just given $10 for the weekend. … So we try to keep this affordable for everyone.”
After booking many popular acts and having successful shows, Rigby’s was put on the touring circuit and is used by many national bands to play this market. Stan Levinstone, who promotes concerts in five states in the Northeast region, has presented Sick Puppies, Halestorm and last Sunday’s Red Jumpsuit Apparatus show at Rigby’s, and has booked Drowning Pool, which will perform there Friday. Not only do promoters contact Caviston now, but bands and radio stations do as well. With the current success of Rigby’s, local radio stations 97.9X and 97BHT are now frequently sponsoring shows. Recently, The Hold Steady, who earned a lead album review in Rolling Stone, contacted the venue and asked for a show.
“We get hundreds of e-mails a day, and it’s just a matter of figuring out who will draw the most people,” said Caviston. “It’s almost like a scientific process.”
Other upcoming shows at Rigby’s include Spose, Jimmy’s Chicken Shack, Led Zeppelin tribute Kashmir, KISS Army and The Rods. The Rods have opened for Metallica, AC/DC and Iron Maiden, and their drummer Carl Canedy is a Carbondale resident. The band has wanted to do a home show and now has the chance thanks to Eleanor Rigby’s.
Seemingly unlike many other all-ages venues, Caviston is business-oriented. He brings in a variety of different artists across different genres, not just bands that he personally enjoys.
“The first rule of being a music promoter is not everybody likes what you like,” Caviston said.
The biggest show was Sick Puppies, which also included popular local bands Absolution and OurAfter. At final count, 797 people came out to see the three bands.
The venue holds 800 people, but the owners are looking for ways to expand and bring in more people. The caged-off over-21 area will be extended out towards center stage and be able to hold more people. A deck will be added around the building for summer shows where people over 21 years of age can bring their drinks, but it is mainly going to be used as a smoking area. Many other renovations are coming this summer; the goal is to be able to fit 1,200 people into the venue.
Rigby’s isn’t just about bringing in national bands to play, either. You can frequently find local bands taking the stage for an all ages crowd. Also, there is a recording studio in-house. Motionless In White, a national touring band signed to Fearless Records, recorded all of its demos in the studio at Rigby’s.
For many fans, Eleanor Rigby’s is helping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton music scene make a better name for itself.
“The goal is to keep growing, keep bringing in bigger bands, better bands,” Caviston said. “We want to make the concert experiences enjoyable, have everyone stick with us by constantly improving, constantly renovating, and we’re not going to stop any time soon.”
Bands are recognizing the new club, too.
“We have a lot more fans in the area than many other areas in the States,” said Eric Schraeder, who plays guitar for Canadian rock group The Veer Union, who opened for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. “We’re stoked we can come and play a club show here for all the kids that want to come out and see us. We love the area and venue; it was awesome!”
Ronnie Winter, the singer of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, added, “We’ve been playing shows for a long time, and we have never played this area until this club in Jermyn opened up.”
Source: theweekender.com