Videos will spotlight musicians from the region

The first Press Room Recordings are now online.

The video is a performance by the bands String Therapy and Paul Wag and Friends, local acoustic “jam grass” bands. It can be seen on YouTube and on Armstrong Cable’s channel 100.

Press Room Recordings is a collaboration between The Tribune and Armstrong Cable to showcase local and regional bands.

The cable company is sponsoring the videos, which are recorded in the newspaper press in The Tribune’s office in Ironton.

“We wanted to give local musicians a platform to showcase their talents,” said Sarah Simmons, the general manager of The Tribune. “This area is filled with talented individuals and we just wanted to put a spotlight on them.”

The artists featured in the first batch of videos will be performing this summer in Ironton at the Ohio River Revival on June 29, which will feature 10 bands, including String Therapy, Paul Wag and Friends, Town Mountain, Restless Leg String band, Shelf Life String Band, Sour Mash String Band, Charlie Woods and Deep Hollow, Knockin’ Spirits, Moonshine Crossing and The Candy Ass Mountain Boys.

“It is going to be a free festival with music, vendors and inflatables for children,” Simmons said. “It will be a nice family event that won’t cost you a penny. We just hope to bring a lot of people to Lawrence County and Ironton to view these local and regional musicians, with many being regionally touring acts.”

The name Press Room Recordings comes from the fact that the musicians are filmed in the area of The Tribune where the newspaper is printed.

“The Tribune is one of the few newspapers in the area that still has a press in-house and we’re proud of that,” Simmons said. “It was a chance to one, promote these bands and all they are doing in the area and two, take viewers ‘backstage’ of our own production.”

Simmons said it is important for local companies to promote local artists.

“Everything is better with collaboration,” she said. “Whenever we pool our talent and resources together, we are able to deliver a better product and give all of our readers and viewers a better experience.”

To see the video, go to https://youtu.be/vTtRw_Lz5S8 or watch it on Armstrong Cable channel 100 at 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

For more information on the festival, visit www.ohioriverrevival.org