The Steamtown Original Music Showcase is a music conference geared towards educating and developing artists on the facets of the music industry while also being an overall musical event for the community that raises music awareness and acknowledgment of local, regional, and national talent. The event is hosted by MCR Productions. With over 50 performing bands and artists from around the United States, the Showcase brings in talent and fans from all over the country to the Greater City of Scranton to create the third largest Music Conference in the State of Pennsylvania.
The Showcase partners with a variety of non-profit organizations, social media websites, and businesses to properly network the event and broaden it’s strength not only in the Scranton Community, but also regionally and nationally. Such sites and organizations include Sonicbids.com, Indieonthemove.com, POWER!, NEPA Technology Group, and Rediscover Scranton.
In an area that fuels itself on revitalization and betterment for the community, the showcase offers a deal for music lovers which cannot be surpassed. For only $10, you can venture to every participating venue in downtown Scranton which saves over $50 to the everyday consumer.
The Showcase formed in the year of 2006 and was originally hosted at Tinks Entertainment Complex (now the Scranton Hardware Bar) with the concept of having the area’s top original bands play together to work together as one unit to create awareness throughout the region that music and culture are a staple of the Scranton area. With an astounding attendance of over 800 people in it’s first year, something magical was realized and the ideas began to run ramped. The showcase during the next three years expanded from one venue to five and attendance soared along with local and regional press. Stories from the Scranton Times, Times Leader, Shinbone, Weekender, EC/DC, and even involvement from local radio and television soared beyond anyone’s expectations as a small musical event grew to a mega force conference that was recognized nationally.
During it’s fifth year, the Showcase formed a committee of seven people to facilitate logistical aspects, formulate new and exciting ideas, and bring a new creative direction to the event. These board members range from Marketing Developers, Musicians, Original Music Promoters, Record Label Owners, and even Photographers. With an experienced committee in place, the showcase blossomed to a highlighted city event with an attendance of over 2300 people with over 1400 hopper passes sold throughout the city. The showcase employed a total of 31 people along with many subcontracted local businesses in order to ensure economic growth within Lackawanna County. The amount of revenue the event brings into the city during it’s time ranges in the tens of thousands of dollars enabling hundreds of employees and business owners to prosper and feel more secure in an unstable economic time.
The S.O.M.S. will be entering it’s sixth year in 2011 and has already solidified working with over 7 venues in the city of Scranton and one additional in the Lackawanna County area. With hopes to expand to a two Day event bringing in national talent to turn the entire city into one giant musical festival, the S.O.M.S shows no signs of slowing down and will continue to enrich the region and make Scranton a force in the world of music and education.