ATMOSPHERE MUSIC FESTIVAL EVENT DETAILS
● WHAT: There will be music and activities, including DJs and food trucks, outside beginning at noon and the show starts at 4 p.m. Nineteen acts will perform until midnight.
● WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 2
● WHERE: Ritz Theater, Wyoming Avenue, Scranton
● TICKETS: General admission and VIP tickets are available.
A group of passionate artists and music enthusiasts is making waves with Atmosfere, and not just sound waves.
After establishing Northeast Pennsylvania’s first hip-hop music festival last summer, the founders have built a brand and planned a bigger event for this year.
“The premise of the festival from year one to year two remains the same,” said Keven Martinez, one of four chief executive managers. “[To] build a platform and have hip-hop, R&B shine in this area.”
A total of 19 acts will perform at the Ritz Theater in Scranton on Saturday, Aug. 2. A mix of locals and out-of-town talent will take the stage.
Atmosfere: What's in a name?
“When we go into a room we're changing the atmosphere," said Drew Chase, one of four founders.
"That's what we're here to do, and not just us," he continued. "It's Atmosfere as the brand … the people, the culture, the community, the artists, everybody who stands behind it is what Atmosfere is.”
It started with a need for artists to have a space to perform in front of the right audience and connect with other like-minded creatives.
Since last year’s debut event, the group hosted a charity basketball tournament to raise money for United Neighborhood Centers. They also held a few pop-up Atmosfere Lounge events highlighting local artists.
“We have created a bit of our foundation and fan base,” Martinez said. “We have people who are consistently tapped in with us, looking for our next move."
“We are finding our crowd,” he added. “Bringing the city together, one event at a time.”
Northeast Pa.’s hip-hop scene
“There's a lot of talent in the hip-hop community,” said Kelly Parker, known as Methadonix.
The Dunmore native has been making music for about eight years with the help of music producer Steeze Pa and Encore Studios.
Steeze PA said last year’s event, in which every performer was local, really made an impression.
“It was a surprise to see how many people we can get to perform and support and just be involved,” he said. “And it was a shock, I think, to all of us and everyone in the city.”
They say there is a stigma around the music genre. Atmosfere highlights artists who “portray a good message about rap,” Steeze says.
“We want to set the precedent of having Atmosfere be the safe place,” he said. ”We don't want people talking about anything illegal. We don't want to involve that. And a lot of rap involves that. So we find the needles in the haystack of rap and hip-hop that doesn't involve that kind of language and tone or overall message.”
Relic Rhymes, a rising star based in Atlanta, will headline this year’s festival. Other performers will include Lawsy and Creez Cooper.
Bringing in bigger artists from bigger cities this year presents opportunities for collaboration.
“There's a lot of future projects with artists on the bill,” Parker said. “In the future, you're going to be hearing those, maybe even at Atmosfere Music Festival 2025.”
