MONDAY MAY 25TH 2024:
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME
ANNOUNCED A “SPOT AWARD” FOR “PROMOTER OF THE YEAR” TO 717 ENTERTAINMENT

Hello, Nick here. Just wanted to throw out a few words about being honored w/ an award from the CPMA’s this year. To say it was unexpected is an understatement but I do want everyone to know it means alot to me. I’ve been doing this an awful long time. 17 years in fact. In fact it was almost 17 years ago to the day of my first show that this announcement came out and I was told of it. The first show I ever did was an Awards show which ended up running for 8 years straight and I’m still very proud of that to this day. Its the show I get asked about more then anything. Are you bringing back the 717 Music Awards?

Truth be told I have opened up my Notepad or word documents on my phone and jotted down categories and even at one point I had a few of them filled w/ potential names. Obviously one of the driving forces was fan voting so I didn’t have anything completed but I was pretty far in the process of potentially doing one. Ultimately I just feel like it ran its course, it did its job at the time it needed to. For years after the final one I never felt we could possibly match it. The lineup, the show, the people in the room it was just a magical night. From Ashes To New played only thier second show as a band headlining it. Observe The 93rd was still a young band playing it and one of the area’s absolute best hip hop artists of all time Windchill was a performer. Now I feel that w/ the CPMA’s its just a new time. I always felt ours was more the underground MTV awards type thing where as the CPMA’s are more as they say The Grammy’s. Could they both exist together? I’m sure they could but… I don’t know, I still never say never.

Anyway… I tell that story just to give a quick background and insight into what has been a very long journey for me. I do want to thank the CPMA’s for the award and commend them on 5 years of this. I have no doubt it’ll make it to ten and beyond. I’d like to name a few folks who w/out them it would never have happened. Every Single Person at Lovedrafts who on a weekly basis gives me the oppurtunity to live out this dream of booking bands beyond my wildest dreams, I booked Ugly Kid Freaking Joe last year. That one still blows my mind. That venue is improving every single month and bands, agents and everyone is now catching on that it’s the premier venue in Central Pennsylvania and I’m so proud to have been involved since very close to the beginning. Espcially Justin, Mykl and Josh who have been incredible to me. My crew, Sean and Reese who help make these shows run so smoothly. w/out them and the venue being so insanely accomodating these bands wouldn’t leave w/ such an unbelievable experience. All the agents that provide me w/ such amazing shows. The bands I’ve worked with. I’d say 90% of them have been an absolute joy to work with. Every Single person who’s bought a ticket or snuck in, whatever. If you walked through the doors of any of my shows you are thanked. IrockRadio, Rock Documented, OMG Promotions, PA Muscian and My wife & kids who all put up w/ my wierd hours. :) .

This got really long winded and i apologize, I’m practicing to be a writer I guess. Also Sidenote: Congratulations to all the other winners of the awards this year. IrockRadio got one to which now that I think about it, really makes me question thier process. hahaha. I’m kidding.. Ok, Over and out…