Welcome to the 7th Annual LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival in Historic Downtown Lancaster, PA! Bust out your notebooks, guitars, tickets or badges, and (if you must) ear plugs, because we are GO!

Artists & Attendees who are returning, and those experiencing LAUNCH for the very fi rst time, travel distances ranging from several blocks, to several hundred miles, to thousands of miles, all in search of greater opportunity, education, and some serious fun!

Since it’s inception, LAUNCH has been about education by day, and entertainment by night. I invite the mildly curious, to the career-driven; the casual fan, to the music enthusiast, to partake in either, or both aspects of the event.

The Friday and Saturday daytime program consists of panels and seminars, where these passionate musicians, fervent would-be industry professionals, and even casual-to-curious observers can network, digest advice and knowledge, and inquire about all things industry-related. The panelists, from all across the country, have been selected due to their exceptional bodies of work, their remarkable experience in, and knowledge of, the industry, and their approachable nature.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, music will travel up and down the streets of Lancaster, music that appeals to audiences of all ages

and genres, spilling out of venues, sized great and small, as well as across several outdoor stages. While some artists were enlisted for their previously known material (our Marquee Showcase Headliners), the vast majority are here to play for you, perhaps for the fi rst time; to bring their level best, and leave it all on the stage. Discover some of the fi nest LAUNCH 2015 performers, awarded the opportunity to play for you after undergoing a competitive submissions process.

There are many moving parts to LAUNCH, and so many partners I wish to thank. Our venue operators are some the most ardent supporters of live music in this great city. The City of Lancaster, The Lancaster County Convention Center, and the Lancaster business community have been stalwart advocates of the event, from the beginning. LAUNCH Sponsors provide the critical fi nancial and formational assistance contributive to the lowest possible attendance prices, giveaways and discounts to at risk youth and student organizations, as well as to the growth of the event, year-in and year-out. I am truly grateful to our LAUNCH Panelists & Presenters, for their generosity with their time and expertise. The LAUNCH Staff & Volunteers, a talented, diverse, and devoted group, is among the most integral ingredients to its success, and without whom, none of this would be feasible.

To YOU, the Attendee, both from the greater Central PA area, and from across the country. I count you among LAUNCH’s greatest attributes, whether it is participating in the conference program, the live-music concert events and showcases, or both. As a result of your love of music and your support, The LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival continues to thrive. Thank you!

Jam out to bands, connect with people, soak in knowledge,

enjoy this magnifi cent city, and make memories!

Jeremy WeissLAUNCH Music Conference & Festival

Director & Co-Founder

WELCOME TO LAUNCH 2015

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Jeremy Weiss, Conference Director, poses with a LAUNCH 2014 attendee

LAUNCH MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 2015 STAFF

Assistant Director: Elizabeth MaurerAssistant Director: Spencer CarpenterDirector of Art & Design: Andrew ZellProduction Manager: Bryan NaranjoRegistration Coordinator: Paige SodanoRegistration Attendant: Alexis Sanfi orenzoExhibitor Liaison: Tammy EnoVolunteer Liaison: Eddie NesbitConference Assistant: Kristen LutzConference Assistant: Ali ChiavettaConference Assistant: Samm ReeseConference Assistant: Ben YoheConference Assistant: Taylor Weiss

Conference Assistant: Jeremy HooverConference Assistant: Nicole GalbraithProduction Assistant: Joseph Smith Production Assistant: Jason RhoadesProduction Assistant: Ryan MacalusoProduction Assistant: Andrew PettitProduction Assistant: Kyle FisherProduction Assistant: Matt WilsonProduction Assistant: Vincent MartinContributing Writer: Julia Hatmaker (PennLive.com)Conference Photographer: Dan GillespieConference Videography: Springwood ProductionsTravel Agent: Robin Ernst (Bon Voyage Travel)

Advisors:Jennifer Baker (City of Lanc Off . of Promotions Director) Greg Marco (City of Lanc Off . of Promotions Board)Josh Nowak (Lancaster County Conv. Ctr.)Jennifer Mercandetti (Lancaster County Conv. Ctr.)Rick Gadd (Decadent Suite/Gadd Agency)Marshall Snively (Lancaster City Alliance)Chuck Farrell (PA Entertainment Group)Roger Fitzwater (Woodcrest Audio)Justin Hershey (Central Penn Productions)David Silbaugh (Summerfest/Yellow Phone MusicConf) Joe Devoy (Tellus 360)Ken Mueller (Tellus 360)

Julia Hatmaker | Pennlive.comPrinted with permission from

PennLive.com

Atreyu shows no mercy with its blend of metal, hard rock, and hardcore, so LAUNCH fans better get ready.

“We’re going to crush this show,” said lead guitarist Daniel Jacobs in an email interview.

The band takes to the stage at the Lancaster County Convention Center at 9:15 p.m. on April 24 and Jacobs wants everyone to be prepared.

“I just hope anyone who attends is ready, because they’re not going to know what hit them,” he continued. “Our recordings get people’s attention, but our live show is what seals the deal. We take no prisoners.“

Atreyu began winning over the hard rock community in the late 1990s before getting signed by Victory Records in 2001. It went on to have songs (including a Bon Jovi cover) featured in several soundtracks, including ones for blockbusters “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “Underworld: Evolution.”

The group went on hiatus in 2011 before reuniting in 2014. A new album is in the works and slated for a fall debut, but Jacobs refused to spill any secrets about it. He did tease that information regarding its release would be coming out soon.

Playing in Lancaster will be a bit like going back to the pre-hiatus days for the group. They fi rst played at the Chameleon Club, a CI Productions show, during one of their fi rst tours with Boy Sets Fire and Snapcase, Jacobs said.

“Tours that far back are pretty blurry for me, but I remember really enjoying the Yuengling on tap and the energy of the crowd,” he recalled.

Energy is important for Jacobs, who believes it’s contagious.

“When you are really passionate about what you do, people can feel that and will connect with the songs, as well as the members of the band,” he said. “When you aren’t, they can feel that as well and in turn will not connect with it. Be true to what you do and love it with passion. In return, your fans will do the same.”

That passion is a requirement for a musician, he feels. “Only do [music professionally] if you love it and you’re willing to put everything you got into it,” he said. “This goes for every show, every song, every time.”

That’s part of the reason it was important that Atreyu went on its hiatus.

“We were getting burnt out

from touring too much and genuinely needed a solid break,” he explained. “Our heads weren’t in it anymore and we were touring/writing songs because we felt like we had to and not because we wanted to. The passion fi re had burned out.

“Taking this time off helped us clear our heads and get ourselves mentally back where we needed to be to be the best version of Atreyu we can be,” he continued, adding later “Our passion fi re is

back and burning stronger than ever.”

Atreyu performs at 9:15 p.m. April 24 at the Lancaster County Convention

Center, 25 S. Queen St., Lancaster. Tickets for the show are $20 adv / $25 d.o.s. and are included in the weekend VIP pass ($70 adv/$75 d.o.s.). Tickets are half price with a regular weekend pass ($40 adv/$45 d.o.s.) and Friday

only pass ($30 adv/$35 d.o.s.).

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT

ATREYU: BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Julia Hatmaker | Pennlive.comPrinted with permission from

PennLive.com

Kevin Lyman, founder of Vans Warped Tour and noted music industry guru, is returning to LAUNCH this year… and he can’t wait.

“I just like the whole vibe of the festival,” Lyman said in a phone interview. “I think Jeremy (Weiss, creator of LAUNCH) has done a great job with it.”

Lyman attended last year and was impressed with what he saw. “I liked the talent. I like that little market across the street from the hotel,” he said. “To be honest, it was fun to be able to walk around from venue to venue. The size of it was for me was conducive to actually have conversations with people.”

“Personally, I think it’s the perfect size for people to perform at,” he added later. The fact he could walk around easily meant he saw more acts than he normally would.

While he may catch a concert or two, Lyman will be at LAUNCH to talk as much as he listens. Together with his company, The Entertainment Institute, Lyman will be sharing his knowledge on how the music business works and how to succeed in it.

The Entertainment Institute seminars will teach you how to think like an entrepreneur and how to make yourself stand out in a crowd.

“The thought is, while we’re still somewhat relevant in the business, let’s pass on our knowledge to the

next generation,” Lyman explained.Lyman will also be moderating

four spotlight sessions, which allow industry professionals to talk more about their career and what exactly they do. Each session will also include a question and answer period.

Dakota Gartner, creative director for The Entertainment Institute, will be joining Lyman in moderating these sessions.

“I think it’s important, no matter what industry job you’re getting into or what you’re trying to gain from the conference, to really fi nd out what these people are doing,” Gartner said.

“People ask questions all the time: why isn’t my favorite band playing a festival? Who books this person? What’s happening with this band and why did they cancel this show?” he continued. “Well, these are the people

who are making those decisions.”

Lyman’s hope is that his talks at LAUNCH will get people thinking. “I hope they walk out with one thought provoking thing that makes them think in a diff erent way,”

Lyman said.He also wants people to be ready

to tackle the status quo, to disrupt the norm.

“I think that’s the story of my life,” he laughed. “That’s how I’ve been able to be successful, I disrupted the norm of the music business [with Vans Warped Tour].”

That’s what the music business is all about, he believes — doing something diff erent. That’s where those attending LAUNCH come in.

“You’re going to create the new businesses that are going to be successful,” he said, adding, “If I’m nice to people, maybe they’ll let me hang around a little longer.”

As for Warped Tour, Lyman said there is at least one major change this year – the addition of a comedy tent. He also added that the full lineup will be out closer to the tour’s date and that people will be pleased.

“Some of the kids, if you read [their comments] online, aren’t happy with it, but I know we’re going to announce all the bands they’re complaining about right now not being on the tour,” he said.

Lyman is also working on the

It’s Not Dead festival on Oct. 10 in California, a gigantic punk rock event.

For more information on Lyman and The Entertainment Institute, visit thinktei.com.

On April 25, Lyman will be involved in The Entertainment Institute’s programming at LAUNCH. Lyman is speaking at two seminars

(“Turn your Career Up to 11” (10:20 a.m.) and “Can You Handle the Truth?” (2:30 p.m.)) as well as moderating four spotlights (artist

manager, talent agent, concert promoter and tour manager) starting at 10:30 a.m., all at the Lancaster County Convention Center, 25 S. Queen Street, Lancaster. His events are free

with a weekend passes ($70adv/$75 day of for VIP, $45adv/$50day of for general admission) and the Saturday-only pass ($25adv/$30 day of) A pass is required to attend Saturday’s

conference portion.

PANELIST SPOTLIGHT

KEVIN LYMAN: A WELCOME RETURN

“I JUST LIKE THE WHOLE VIBE OF THE

FESTIVAL”

Julia Hatmaker | Pennlive.comPrinted with permission from

PennLive.com

In 2001, it was nearly impossible to turn on the radio and not hear Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal.”

A nu-metal cover of Michael Jackson’s hit, Alien Ant Farm’s version was a major success by itself, reaching the top spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Fans can expect to hear it again at the group’s show at LAUNCH on April 25th at the Chameleon Club.

But frontman Dryden Mitchell hasn’t always been in love with the song.

“There was a time period when I hated ‘Smooth Criminal,’” he confessed, describing how it got annoying playing the song show after show.

That’s no longer the case.“Now, I really embrace it,” he

said. “It’s so cool and it’s given us a huge podium to stand on.”

It also won Alien Ant Farm a lot of fans, as people picked up the group’s album “ANThology” because of the song and discovered other gems, including the band’s second hit, “Movies.”

Alien Ant Farm is more than just its past successes, having released its latest album, “Always and Forever,” in February.

“I feel like there’s some relevance here,” Mitchell said of “Always and Forever.”

“I don’t want to be an older band that’s just doing this to get some money,” he said. “I feel like the songs on this record stay with the times. I don’t feel like we’re beating a dead horse.”

The music industry has undergone massive changes from when “ANThology” was released in 2001 and when “Always and Forever” came out.

“It’s so diff erent now, I wouldn’t even know where to begin [if I was starting out],” Mitchell said. “Social media and everything has made it so everyone is sitting in your living room with you. You have 7,000 bands at your fi ngertips.”

Alien Ant Farm has embraced the new social media world though, even raising money for “Always and Forever” through crowd-funding on the website PledgeMusic.com.

“It’s like the wild west,” Mitchell said. “Bands can succeed and can win -- it does happen. It puts more power into a band’s hands.”

That being said, it isn’t necessarily better.

“In the earlier days, these budgets [from labels] were outrageous,” he said. “Not to say

money does everything, but it does a lot as far as getting a song across the country.

“I’ve always thought that to get heard by as many people as possible, by any means, is not the worst thing in the world.”

Still, Mitchell wants Alien Ant Farm to be more than the songs that made it on the radio, more than just the group that plays “Smooth Criminal.” The band is alive, creating new music, playing shows and spreading the Alien Ant Farm

love.“The last thing I want to be is a

nostalgia band,” Mitchell said.

Alien Ant Farm performs at 10 p.m. on April 25 at the Chameleon Club, 223 N.

Water St, Lancaster. Tickets for the show are $16 advance, $20 day of show. The

concert is free with a weekend VIP badge ($70 advance, $75 day D.O.S.) and only

$10 with a standard weekend badge ($45 advance, $50 D.O.S.) or a Saturday-only

badge ($25 advance, $30 D.O.S.).

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT

ALIEN ANT FARM: ALWAYS AND FOREVER