ATWS #52: Ben Rothermel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ben Rothermel is a young hard-working singer-songwriter from right here in Lancaster, PA who pours his whole heart and soul into his music. He released his first full length album, Blue or Green, during the summer of 2011.
Ben will soon be releasing a digital pay-what-you-will album called Basement Sessions. The songs were recorded in his basement during many midnight hours while his family slept overhead. According to Ben, “the songs on the record were burning a hole in me trying to escape and this album is them escaping in the rawest form. It’s an extremely personal lo-fi album with most of the songs precluded by personal anecdotes. To me, Basement Sessions is four things: Personal, Simple, Lo-Fi, and Perseverance.” Starting next week, he’ll be releasing one song per day online with the full project available on April 14. Check out this website for details.

A big thanks to everyone who has already kicked in to help fund the upcoming Wood Stove House theater production called Play Grounds: Theater on Site. Play Grounds consists of three short plays written specifically for three sites in Lancaster that will be performed a total of three times over Lancaster ArtWalk weekend on May 5 & 6. These performances are free and open to the public, but you can help make them happen by clicking the Play Grounds banner at the top of the page.

• Saturday 5/5 @ 3:45 pm
• Sunday 5/6 @ 1:15 pm
• Sunday 5/6 @ 3:45 pm

It’s almost time for the fourth annual LAUNCH Music Conference right here in Lancaster, PA. By day LAUNCH is a music conference for artists and music industry professionals to network and attend workshops about all aspects of working in the music business. By night Lancaster becomes home for performances by over 200 bands in just three nights. Visit LaunchMusicConference.com for details on attending the conference workshops or just grabbing a wristband for the weekend and getting access to all of the shows.
Last year LAUNCH introduced the Wood Stove House to some of our favorite national artists including New York’s Stephanie Carlin, Pittsburgh’s Brook Annibale, and the Winter Sounds, from Nashville, TN. Look for more LAUNCH interviews with bands from all around the country on Around the Wood Stove after this year’s conference.
Coming up this Friday, April 6 is a new play reading brought to you by the Lancaster Dramatists’ Platform. The play is called Cherubs Need Love Too by James Craig and will be read by a handful of local actors at the Fulton Theatre’s Education Building at 24 N. Prince St. in Lancaster at 9:00pm. This reading is free and open to the public.
Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.
You can now hear Around the Wood Stove while on the go with Stitcher SmartRadio. Stitcher is a free news and talk mobile app available for your iPad or smart phone with access to 1000s of programs without syncing or downloading. Click here and enter the promo code WOODSTOVE to have a download link for the app sent directly to your email inbox. Plus, you’ll be automatically entered to win $100. Stitcher is the smart way to listen to radio!