Save your pennies Millersville musicians and music-lovers, because LAUNCH Music Conference and Festival is going to be in town for the fourth time this year and it’s an event you’re going to want to check out. As you can tell by the name, LAUNCH is a music conference and festival, all taking place in downtown Lancaster from Thursday, April 26 to Sunday, April 29.
During the day on Friday and Saturday, there will be panels, discussions, workshops and seminars for budding music artists. Topics range from how to get signed to legal matters in music to a drumming workshop. There will also be a free trade show from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM that is open to the public.
Then by night, downtown Lancaster will transform into a huge music festival. Around 200 bands from all over the country will be performing at different bars, restaurants and venues downtown (including favorites like Marion Court, the Lizard Lounge and Lancaster Dispensing Company). The three headlining bands for the weekend are Rusted Root (if you think you don’t know who this band is, just watch this. You’ll figure it out!), The Felice Brothers, and, of local fame, Texas in July.
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The Bands to See
Aside from Texas In July, here will be tons of local central PA bands playing. We support local music, so our picks are definitely Darry Miller & The Veil, Last Scene in Reno (check out our review of their new CD here!), Carousel Kings, Adam Taylor and Kingsfoil.
Kingsfoil will be particularly popular this year. Ever wonder what happened to Frankie Muniz after Malcom in the Middle? Well, we found him and he’s the brand new drummer for Kingsfoil, an awesome band out of Harrisburg.
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The Cheapest Way to Attend
Registration for the conference and tickets to the festival range in price. If you’re interested in going to any part of LAUNCH 2012, I recommend picking up a conference badge at the student price. You’ll get access to the conference and most festival showcases for $20, while the rest of the world has to pay at least $40. You’ll also get a LAUNCH 2012 shirt, compilation CD, attendee bag filled with goodies, discounted entry into the headline shows and access to the Conference Attendee Party (with beer and pizza!). Speaking of beer, some parts of LAUNCH are 21+, so if you’re not legal yet, make sure to verify that the events you want to attend don’t require an ID.
To register at the student price, you must fill out and mail in this form. Don’t forget to include a photocopy of your student ID to qualify for the student pricing! It’s a great deal.
There are a bunch of other ticketing options to choose from other then registering for the conference, like buying a weekend or individual night wristband or buying tickets to a specific show. Those options are all available here. The venues where bands are playing will also be charging admission for those without a conference badge or festival wristband, so if you only want to check out one show, there’s alway that option too. All of those prices are listed on the schedule.
Of all the things happening downtown lately, LAUNCH is definitely one of the coolest ones. See you there!