OLD FARMERS BALL: 'A PRETTY BIG DEAL'

Cabinet (Photo by Jim Gavenus)By Michael Lello

The word “unique” comes up over and over again when discussing the Old Farmers Ball. 

And rightly so. 

The festival, hosted by Cabinet, is the first of its kind:  a lineup of non-major label bands, many of them local, playing at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain, the Scranton venue operated by concert conglomerate Live Nation.

Even more unique:  It was Live Nation’s idea.

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NEW VENUES PLANNED FOR PHILLY

Two new venues -- a rock club in the former Spaghetti Warehouse on Spring Garden Street and a House Of Blues near the SugarHouse Casino on the waterfront -- are coming to Philadelphia, according to this report in the Philadelphia Daily News.

According to the Daily News article, the club will be operated by Bowery Presents, which operates the Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall, Terminal 5 and Music Hall of Williamsburg, all in New York, as well as the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J.

With a patron capacity of at least 800, the new Bowery Presents venue on Spring Garden Street - reportedly to be called Union Transfer - will compete most directly with the Trocadero and TLA in size and potential ticket gross. But with The Bowery Presents' new Northeast corridor multi-night buying power, its Philly club is likely to also attract some touring bands who otherwise would land here in a larger venue such as the 2,500-capacity Electric Factory, the Larry Magid/Adam Spivak venue located a mere four blocks away.