SCRANTON — Camp Bisco has put Northeast Pennsylvania on the electronic dance music map, and one local deejay is hoping to use the local EDM scene to turn the Electric City into an incubator for local electronic artists.

On Jan. 21, DJ Isobe’s event +GLITCH+ will turn The Leonard Theater in Scranton into an all-night trap and dubstep dance party for patrons 21 and over. The ultimate goal for the DJ, real name Nicholas Lipinski, is to capitalize on Scranton’s strengths to cultivate a monthly electronic music event at The Leonard Theater to showcase up-and-coming local artists.

“We know Scranton used to be a prominent area for music, not so much for electronic music, just in general,” Isobe said. “Electronic music is prominent among the drinking crowd nowadays, and Scranton is now also home to one of the largest electronic music festivals of the summer, Camp Bisco. I think that it’d go hand-in-hand. Not everyone at the festival comes from out of town.”

Isobe plans to build monthly bills of local artists around prominent visiting acts from the EDM community. +GLITCH+ will feature Isobe, a North Scranton resident, as well as Wilkes-Barre’s Woogie, with Philadelphia’s Architekt filling out the night’s roster along with New Jersey’s Christian Lucas.

This isn’t Lucas’ first trip to Northeast Pennsylvania — he met Isobe and other members of the local EDM scene at Camp Bisco in 2015 and was offered the chance to play a side stage at the festival last year. Lucas turned the opportunity down because he didn’t feel ready, but half a year later, the wedding DJ turned EDM artist is excited to return to the area and perform at The Leonard Theater.

“Usually when I’m DJing I’m at a bar and I have to cater to a lot of different people, so this is different,” Lucas said. “Rather than me spinning all this regular pop stuff for five hours, it’s more like what I would want to spin. It’s a trap show, so I’m going to stay in the trap mode. Since I’m opening and those guys are laying down some pretty heavy stuff, I’m going to be laying down some chill, futuristic sounding trap.”

Isobe’s end-goal is a bi-weekly electronic music showcase with national caliber acts that rivals events in Philadelphia. Rallying the local EDM scene may be a tall order, but Isobe plans to add incentives like ticket discounts for frequent attendees. Leonard Theater executive director and genre fan Steve Masterson is on board.

“I’m very ambitious about the EDM scene in the area,” Masterson said. “I’ve been a big electronic fan for years now and with the addition of Camp Bisco selling out the last few years I see the potential in the area. EDM is thriving in other cities — that’s why we want to try and bring it to this market.”

New Jersey resident Christian Lucas will open the Jan. 21 EDM event at The Leonard Theater in Scranton. Lucas, who entered the DJ world by working weddings, said his shift in focus came when he began attending festivals like Scranton’s Camp Bisco and ‘fell in love’ with electronic music culture.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Christian-untoned-1.jpg.optimal.jpgNew Jersey resident Christian Lucas will open the Jan. 21 EDM event at The Leonard Theater in Scranton. Lucas, who entered the DJ world by working weddings, said his shift in focus came when he began attending festivals like Scranton’s Camp Bisco and ‘fell in love’ with electronic music culture. Submitted photo

North Scranton’s DJ Isobe was one of the local acts featured at Camp Bisco in 2016. Last December, Isobe started a monthly series at The Leonard Theater in Scranton to continue to give himself and other local artists a platform to perform.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Isobe-2-1.jpg.optimal.jpgNorth Scranton’s DJ Isobe was one of the local acts featured at Camp Bisco in 2016. Last December, Isobe started a monthly series at The Leonard Theater in Scranton to continue to give himself and other local artists a platform to perform. Submitted photo
The Jan. 21 event, +GLITCH+, features local acts DJ Isobe and Woogie, along with Philadelphia’s Architekt and New Jersey’s Christian Lucas

By Gene Axton

gaxton@timesleader.com

IF YOU GO

What: +GLITCH+ electronic dance music showcase

When: 9:30 p.m. Jan. 21

Who: DJ Isobe, Woogie, Christian Lucas and Architekt will perform

Where: The Leonard Theater, 335 Adams Ave., Scranton

How Much: $10 at the door, with $3 Coors Light pounders.

Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter @TLArts