LAUNCH MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WAR ON WOMEN PERFORMANCE SATURDAY, APRIL 14th  

LAUNCH Music Conference and Festival premiered in 2009 and has welcomed, in the past, some of today’s top musicians such as Panic! at the Disco, Atreyu, twenty one pilots, Meghan Trainor, Foxy Shazam, PnB Rock, and Yazz the Greatest (B. Gray of TV’s “Empire”).

Over the last 10 years, it has emerged as one of the most highly regarded and renowned emerging artists and music professionals educational programs, and performance opportunities, in the country.  LAUNCH has staged over 1500 performances by developing artists, and headliners, alike.  Some notable performers first played LAUNCH as artists, unknown at the time, submitting for performance consideration, such as Twenty One Pilots and Meghan Trainor.  Others were enlisted as Marquis Showcase performers, names like Rusted Root, The Avett Brothers, Panic! at The Disco, Atreyu, Yazz The Greatest (Bryshere Gray of television’s “Empire”), Foxy Shazam, PnB Rock, and many more.  The conference portion has featured hundreds of Music Industry professionals from all over the world.

Now, entering its tenth year, LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival is set to return to the beautiful Lancaster, PA on April 12 – 15, 2018. The jam-packed event not only showcases musician performances, but also provides an educational tool for industry go-getters. Today, LAUNCH is thrilled to announce that War on Women will be performing in the Galactic Room at the Lancaster County Convention Center on Saturday, April 14th. Baltimore’s War On Women were born screaming-at the world, at the status quo, in the face of oppression.

The band has announced their forthcoming album, Capture The Flag(April 13th, Bridge Nine), which calcifies that rage and no one in its wake is safe. Much more than a collection of songs or sonic experiment, Capture The Flagis a call to action that cannot be ignored. To celebrate their forthcoming release, War On Women are ecstatic to perform at this year’s LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival. Tickets are $10/ADV – $12/D.O.S and free with VIP Badge – $6 with Standard Badge. Tickets can be purchased at LaunchMusicConference.com now!

In addition to festival performances, there will be onslaught of educational opportunities for attendees. During the conference portion of the weekend, panelists will discuss various topics within the entertainment industry such as making the most with marketing and branding, how to build the right team, landing a dream job, and how to understand the world of copyright, audio production, and legal assets. A full list of panel times and descriptions, can be found at LAUNCH2018.SCHED.COM. In addition to all panels, panelists will offer mentoring sessions, which will be available every morning from 9-10am and 4-5pm. Additional details on how to sign up for all mentoring sessions will be provided to attendees closer to the conference kick off. Co-Director Jen Kellogg had this to say about the conference,

“We are looking forward to another great year of conference programing to help our developing artists and aspiring industry professionals take their career to the next level. In addition to many returning speakers and favorite sessions, we are working to bring in new faces to the conference to keep it fresh, relevant, and extra informative.”

Attendees wishing to gain access to all of the panels will need to purchase a LAUNCH 2018 VIP Badge (which can be purchased here). This badge provides attendance to each of the 140+ live performances by night throughout the City of Lancaster, including the Fest Friday outdoor concert event, Barn Burner movie premiere, and August Burns Red show. The badge also provides full access to the LAUNCH daytime educational program, consisting of panels and sessions that feature dozens of the country’s foremost music industry professionals, speaking on their respective areas of expertise, for aspiring artists and persons seeking to learn more about the industry.

LIST OF PANELISTS AT THIS YEAR’S LAUNCH MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL:

August Burns Red, Brian Lamtman (CB Entertainment and Events), Brian A. Rosenblatt (Bryce Downey & Lenkov, LLC), Chad Schreck (Tour Manager), Chad Taylor (Think Loud Studios / +Live+), Chris Bianchi (CB Entertainment, Mercenary Management, LEGEND Recordings, HuffPost), Chris Smith (Adjust Creative), Deborah “Zuke” Smith (zuketunes, LLC), E. Michael Harrington (Berklee Online), Eyal Levi (URM Academy), Finn McKenty (URM Academt, The Punk Rock MBA), Frank Fanelli (Tour Manager), Heather Griffith (Fearless Records), Jeanne M. Hoffman(Bryce Downey & Lenkov LLC), Jen Appel (The Catalyst Publicity Group), Jen Kellogg (Vans Warped Tour, The Entertainment Institute, Launch Music Conference and Festival), Jenny Reader(Fearless  Records), Jeremy Weiss (Founder and Owner of Launch Music Conference & Festival, The CI Companies), Jim Digby (Production Director of Event Safety Alliance), Joe Bogdan(Culhane Meadows, Columbia College Chicago), Joe Ferree (Live Nation), Jonny Boucher (Hope For The Day), Josh Bowman (Tour Manager – August Burns Red),Karl Hensel (Kings Road Merch), Kate Truscott (4Fini Inc.), K Enagonio (Photography / Alternative Press Magazine), Kent Smith(Trumpet player, Arranger, Producer), Kevin Rife (Tour Manager), Kristin Gypsy Schloesser (We are Team Hans), Kyla Lombardo (Red Frog Events),Larry Martin (FakeLife Clothing), Loren Wells (Pierson // Wells), Lou Plaia (Reverbnation), Mark Mosley (Music City Booking), Mark Schultz(Recording Academy), Matt Halpern (Periphery / The Punk Rock MBA / The Entertainment Institute), Michael Ciprari (SJC Drums), Mike Carpenter (Adjust Creative), Mike Mowery(Outerloop Management), Randy Nichols (Force Media Management), Shawn Young (York College of Pennsylvania), Shawna Potter (War on Women), Steph Mirsky (4Fini Inc.), Suzanne Paulinski(The Rock/Star Advocate, LLC), Tim Borror (United Talent Agency), Ulf Oesterle (Syracuse University), Uncle O (Power 99).

MORE INFORMATION ON FEST FRIDAY:
LAUNCH is proud to bring back Fest Friday, the only night where every LAUNCH attendee is gathered, during the nighttime programming. The all ages event will take place at Binns Park on April 13th and include food, drinks, and alcohol on site. Attendance is free to all LAUNCH badge holders and open to the public for $10. Fest Friday will feature 15 acts across 3 stages with over 5 hours of music including America’s #1 Blink-182 tribute band, Blink 180 True, Lancaster’s own Stonewall Vessels who bring a broad musical palette that will sure to draw in fans with their pure rock n’ roll sound, and Stacked Like Pancakes, a boisterous Baltimore-based brass-rock band with an ultra high-energy live show will have everyone dancin’ in no time! Conference Co-Director, and Founder, Jeremy Weiss, shares:

“I wanted to organize one special event within LAUNCH, where there’d be no concurrent programming; where every attendee would gather together in one place, along with the greater Lancaster community, for a night of terrific music, food and drink, and a heck of a good time. The outdoor experience and splendor of Binns Park, and the incredible energy of the people and performers gathered there, make this particular event incredibly special.  All of us at LAUNCH are SO EXCITED for return of Fest Friday at LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival 2018!” – Jeremy Weiss

MORE INFORMATION ON THE BARN BURNER PREMIERE & AUGUST BURNS RED PERFORMANCE:

On Thursday, April 12th, attendees are able to view the world premiere of the Lancaster metal documentary, Barn Burner, The Rise of The Lancaster County Metal Scene, which will take place at Freedom Hall A at The Lancaster County Convention, which will spotlight acts such as August Burns Red, Texas In July, This or The Apocalypse, and more. The documentary takes the audience on a remarkable journey of the heavy/metalcore scene from Lancaster County, an area considered to be a quiet, steady conservative Christian community. But the party doesn’t stop there as the weekend continues with a special performance from two-time Grammy-nominated band andLancaster natives, August Burns Red, on Saturday, April 14th at 5pm at Freedom Hall in The Lancaster County Convention Center in Historic Downtown Lancaster.

Members of August Burns Redhave offered their expertise at several different LAUNCH annual events, but will be performing for the first time at the festival in celebration of their 15 year anniversary as a band. The performance will include guest appearances by members of the band’s line-up during their earliest years, from both their debut Looks Fragile After All and Thrill Seeker records.