MMC 13

published in Shinbone Magazine, February 2009, http://www.shinbone.net/

One of the most highly anticipated events for both local and national bands and music industry professionals will be returning for its 13th run in the Harrisburg area this February.

The 13th annual Millennium Music Conference and Showcase (MMC) will “rock the recession” February 12th through the 15th, and will be hosted at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Conference Center in Camp Hill.

MMC includes two days of music business keynotes, panels, clinics, and workshops. A trade show will also be held at the Radisson each day of the conference.

Showcase performances by over 300 bands and artists from around the nation will be featured over four nights at 30 different venues in and around the Harrisburg area. Showcases are open to the public.

Held in their own backyard, many Pa. bands and artists plan to attend the conference and perform at showcases during MMC.

Who is Attending?
Shoot the Moon, from the Wilkes Barre/Scranton area, who have been acquiring quite a following, will be performing a showcase set on February 13th at Tubby’s Night Club in Duncannon.
Lakeherst, from the Harrisburg area, will be participating in the conference. They have said that “it’s good to see original music coming to the area, and better yet, people actually supporting it.” However, as well as the conference and showcases may go “the trick is to try and carry on the momentum after the conference is finished.” Their showcase is at Double K’s in Harrisburg on February 14th.

Waysted Silence, another band from the Harrisburg area, will be attending MMC and performing at Johnny Joes in Mechanicsburg on February 13th. They believe MMC is a “great experience and a great chance to meet some people in the industry.”

Faith in Exile, from Pottsville, will be attending MMC for the second year in a row. They will also be performing a showcase set at Rumors in Enola on February 13th.

Rob Allison, vocalist, said “the conference itself is a great educational experience and networking opportunity.” He added that “any band will gain a wealth of information about every aspect of the music industry.”

Last year, Allison and his band walked away with more ideas about promotion and “made a lot of friends with bands and musicians who attended.” They “hope to have the same experience this year.”

Evelyn’s Ashes, who won the 105.7 The X’s “Capital City Clash” at Harrisburg’s American MusicFest this past summer, will be attending the conference for their second year. Wes Myers, vocalist, explains that the band hopes to “spread [their] music to new people that haven’t heard us before and to sell more copies of our album ‘Far Away’ and merch.”

Many bands will go to extreme lengths to attend MMC. 39 Goodbyes, from Lehigh Valley, have attended the conference 1.5 times. Vocalist Billy Voight explains that the “.5 stands for February 2007 when we tried to make it through a fierce snow storm, and half of the band left and got stuck on closed down Rt. 78.”

39 Goodbyes will be attending this year, hopefully without any snow storm incidents, and will be performing a showcase set at Double K’s on February 14th.

According to Voight, the band plans to “walk away meeting new people, seeing and hearing great new bands and getting new ideas for our own music career, party hard and then get really lost as always trying to leave Harrisburg.”

Under the Radar Stage
105.7 X will present an “Under the Radar” program to kick off the conference at the Radisson on February 12th. Up and coming bands will be featured on the 1800 Tequila and Three Olives Vodka stages.

Opening up the “Under the Radar” segment of the conference will be Odd Thomas, from South Central Pa. Odd Thomas has played at MMC once before and all members have played there before in previous bands. Their set will begin at 8:00 PM.

Odd Thomas believes MMC is “a great experience if you take advantage of it. Network with the bands. Talk to the professionals. Get yourself seen as much as possible.” They also look forward to “new fans, new friends and new opportunities.”

OurAfter, another popular Pa. band, will also be featured on the “Under the Radar” stage the same night at 10:30 PM.

John Phillips, vocalist for OurAfter, explains that MMC is a useful experience “if you are a band that takes things seriously and want to go out and network, make contacts, put on a good show, and expand in your markets.”

OurAfter attended MMC last year, but only the performance aspect. In Phillips’ opinion, the performances only account for 20% of the MMC experience. “The music business has many facets that make it work the way it does,” and MMC provides bands with a wealth of knowledge in all of these aspects.

Kingsfoil, from York, will also perform for 105.7 X’s “Under the Radar” program. Jordan Davis, vocalist, said that this is the second time the band has attended the conference.

Davis said that MMC is a great tool to have “a better understanding of the state of the music business and an idea of how other bands are responding and managing the business of being in a band.”

Who Can't Make It
Unfortunately, White Witch, from Williamsport will not be attending the conference or performing at a showcase event. According to “Uncle” Jeff Pittinger, a member of the band is fighting an illness but also says that MMC is alright “if you want to meet new friends… but 99.9% of the time nothing major will come from being there.”

Another Pennsylvania favorite, Emily’s Toybox, will not be attending the conference because they were “already booked those nights,” according to Mike Wise, vocalist.

Zelazowa, who have attended MMC three times, will not be participating this year because they will be on tour. However, according to Kyle, guitarist, the conference can be a useful experience “depending on how active the band is.”

Xhibition, from Lancaster, “do not have any plans to go to MMC” according to Don Hosler, drums.

Xhibition currently does “not have a full band. Right now it’s just a CD project. We are currently trying to find a singer and build a band to that level” said Hosler. He adds that “trying to find quality people for this has not been an easy task.” Once a live band is in place, they will “definitely take advantage of opportunities” like MMC.

Noteworthy Speakers and Mentors
MMC’s agenda includes over 70 keynote speakers, clinics, workshops and panels to ensure those interested and active in the music industry are learning about the future of music.

Noteworthy guests will include Aaron Burton from Fizz Kicks, David Sestak from Media 5 Entertainment, Diane Lockner from Capitol Records, Ed Brennan from Wind Up Records, Freddie Fabbri from Cage Rattle Radio, Jim Fetzer from Fetzer Music Management, and Justin D’Angelo from Roadrunner Records.

Clinics and workshops will cover topics including “Publishing and Copyrights 101,” “Marketing, Networking, Touring and Selling on the Internet,” “Bands as a Small Business,” “Songwriting Workshop,” and “Licensing 101.”

Demo listening sessions will also be held each day of the conference as well as roundtable discussions on topics including a “Local Promoters” roundtable.

According to MMC’s website the conference will “create an exciting and valuable platform for new talent. Performing at the annual event and networking with other musicians, music industry professionals and music fans in this unique conference environment could be integral to your career.”

Conference registration is only $55 up until February 6th. Most showcase performances are free and open to the public.

More information, including showcase schedules, conference agendas, and information on registering, can be found at www.musicconference.net and www.myspace.com/millenniummusicconference.