We figured that the first What Up? interview should be done on someone who truly knows the damage that has been done the music scene first hand. Meet Jeremy Stanton, who is the brains and talent between Save Our Scene Productions and has witnessed first hand a thriving music scene in the 607 to being almost completley wiped out.
SM: First off, why name your production company S.O.S? Are these shows based in a ship or something? Explain to the kids at home what your production is really all about.
JS: S.O.S stands for Save Our Scene Productions. This was an idea I had back in 2007 when I realized the music scene in Binghamton had slowly started dying. To many kids from the previous generations had been responsible for ruining the majority of our venues and no one wanted to come out anymore because of the violence. So, in 2009 I started working with MoneyShot Productions with Nick Martinson and Justin Sherwood. I started out just promoting for them and running their shows with them in attempt to build on what they were doing. I booked my first show on June 6th 2009 and used the ideals of what I had created for my imaginary (S.O.S) to put together the line up for this show. I booked 6 bands with 4 different genres. We ended up having one of the biggest nights ever at The Voodoo Lounge and for MoneyShot Productions. Soon after, the Voodoo closed down and I ended up moving out of town to Elmira where I found a guy called Rome. He was looking for someone to start booking shows at his bar "The College Corner" so ended up booking shows there for 3 months before I teamed up with Dustin Smith to actually launch Save our Scene Productions. We booked 3 back to back dates in 3 different cities and called it the 607 comeback tour! Since then we have been targeting areas with a bad or small music scene and doing everything we can to bring the bands back out of their caves and give them some actual venues again!
SM: Seems like the same problem throughout every music scene in terms of violence and fighting at shows now a days. Do feel as if the Binghamton scene is making a comeback in the waking efforts of these S.O.S shows? Or has it shown little to no improvement?
Definitely, the only task that I have left to do in binghamton is to finish uniting the pop / hardcore and , metals scenes.
SM: Well that's something you don't see everyday, mixing genres at shows is very rare now a days. Is there anything else that you feel S.O.S stands out with more or does anything different from more traditional production collectives?
JS: We take pride in how well we take care of our bands, even our local bands! We have never missed a payout with our touring bands (which is why they always come back) and we always pay our local bands very well, more than any other production company I've ever heard of. One of my good friends, a promoter from further upstate, came down to one of our shows recently in Corning. He was amazed at the turn out for just a local show and was even more impressed on how well we take care of the bands. I usually cook pasta or order pizza for bands who have to travel to our shows. This past December at out 1st annual Williamsport Christmas show, we had 12 bands playing. We cooked 8 lbs of bbq pork roast, 6 lbs of chicken speedies and 2 gallons of mashed potatoes. we have 6 of the local bands all bring a dish to pass! When I run into the national bands that came through that day, they still talk about that feast! (laughs)
SM: In speaking of the music scene we need to talk about the bands for without them, we have no scene. So what bands should people outside of your scene that we should take notice?
JS: Bands that are starting to thrive in the 607 scene are: Hold Fast (hardcore/ambient), Vice & Virtue (pop/ pop punk), Sorrow of Batavia (progressive/ death metal), Revoked (Original Hardcore), and Walking With Titans (west coast HC/ metal core) are just some of the local bands. What I've been doing though is bringing in the surrounding regional bands, or bands from within a 1 or 2 hour drive that will still bring out other people from their area to these shows. Some of these bigger bands include : The Last Ten Seconds of Life (whom i still technically consider a local band to our area) My Heart to Fear, Trippin on Sunday, Fall to the queen, Nefeara, Through the Flood ,and Acentria. To view the full list of bands that we have booked go to
www.saveoursceneproductions.com and click on the link "The Bands"
SM: Damn talk about hospitality, you should get some sort of buffet and a show going on (laughs). Well with June on it's way there's one thing on everybody's mind, summer. Any big things going on this summer at S.O.S?
JS: I'd like to try and find some sponsors who will help out with that. We keep our shows low budget so everyone can come out. If we could find some investors, we would be able to go bigger on advertising and other aspects. We have literally invested at least 75% of the profit back intro the company. We have our own sound system now!! I use my taxes to cover most of it and am just paying myself back slowly. Also, we did a fundraiser in Corning in march and we raised 1200.00 and put it into future shows and our sound system! We really need a new set of speakers and a small trailer.
Yeah we are working on a fest in Williamsport as well as some bigger bands this summer!! i think the biggest show we have so far is with "Destruction of a King" (LA Hardcore on Hotfoot records) with "In Alcatraz 1962 and Silence. This will be the heaviest show we have done so far! Not many people up here know, but I'm the one who put together that August burns Red and Set your goals show in Williamsport PA in March. Oh well...
As I said, if I could just get some investors to help us out for some really big shows, we would bringing Binghamton the music they really want! Our ultimate goal is to own a venue.
SM: Sounds like big things are in store for you guys! Any last shout outs or last words you would like to say?
JS: I'm sure this will look like the back of a CD cover and I dont want to leave anyone out so lets go with first our promoters: Kate Kinney and Dustin Smith, our sound technician in training Josh Davis and my little brother Jake Mead who is learning as well. Our former chief of security Josh Wolcott who helped us as much as possible from the start until his band finally launched! Kaitlyn Azersky who was our small time investor, she helped up pay our deposits and out first pieces of sound equipment until we were on our feet. Marissa Hitt for supporting me personally and putting up with me, Justin Sherwood and Nick Martinson who first gave me a shot at promoting as well as Joey Lanzillotto of Point Blank Graphics who does all of our designs. TLTSOL & MY2F for letting me work with them so we could grow together. ALL of the BANDS, FANS, VENUES, STAFF & CREW who have ever helped us out!! Save Our Scene isnt just one person, it is everyone who has been any part of any one of our shows. We take pride in Calling S.O.S a family! as much time and work as i have put into this i will never say "i did" or "this is MY/Mine" i always say we or us!!
SM: Seems like the 607 knows whats up! Well last question, if you could book any 5 national and any 5 local bands for an S.O.S show who would they be and why?
Ok, if i were to put together my favorite show (this is hard) the 5 non regulars/nationals I would have on this would be : Norma Jean, Stick to your Guns, Destruction of a King,Mummified in Circuitry and the Plot in You. Then for my S.O.S local/ regionals, well this is really hard because I am such good friends with so many bands but it would be: My Heart to Fear, The Last ten Seconds of Life, Walking With Titans, Arcanum Creek, and A Dawn Becoming. I feel bad because i left out so many good locals (laughs) but that would be my ideal show. Those locals along with Black Friday, Annihilus, and a few others I have been working hard to get noticed. And it is working! The Last ten Seconds of Life and My heart to Fear are both doing some major touring this month and next! TLTSOL will be on tour with Demolisher in June while MH2F will be touring across country for 90+ days! Then they are coming back and playing at I Matter in Elmira with August Burns Red, Emery, Impending doom, Texas In July, Life in Your Way and a ton of others!! I worked like crazy to get them on that show! *
With that being said here are the tour flyers featured in this interview. Check their website and facebook page for more upcomming bills and support the guys in S.O.S Productions and the 607!
Photos thanks too Brandon Courtright!
