The Pennsylvania-grown experimental bluegrass band, Cabinet, is preparing to celebrate a busy year on the road with a two-night New Year’s Extravaganza here in Williamsport.

The shows on Dec. 30 and 31 at the Scottish Rite auditorium will be a true Pennsylvania affair, with area bands opening for Cabinet both nights and vending from the Rusty Rail, the Bullfrog Brewery and Old School Pizza, to name a few.

The shows mark an initiative of growth in Williamsport and abroad for the bands, the vendors, and Bear’s Picnic Productions, the company putting it on.

Artistic collective

Cabinet began in the Wilkes-Barre area in 2006 and have since become a national touring act, but celebrate their Pennsylvania roots at every landmark on the road.

They’ve created a collective through creative merchandising, eclectic original music, and a fan-centric approach all culminating in the ever-evolving live Cabinet experience that CabFam follows all year.

The band has built a dedicated fanbase who refer to the community as the Cabinet Family, or “CabFam” for short. The band is excited to return to Williamsport for the first time in nearly 13 years after their local debut at the Bullfrog Brewery in 2009.

An open approach

“I don’t think we’ve played as a band in Williamsport past 2009,” Pappy Biondo, one of the founding members of the band, said.

Pappy Biondo played Jeremiah’s above the Bullfrog in October with a trio as a step back into Williamsport before the big upcoming shows. The October show gave him a chance to reminisce about that original Williamsport gig all those years ago.

“That show in 2009 was really our first time on the road as a band,” Pappy Biondo said. “We were having our people travel with us in a caravan from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area.”

For many Williamsport-area fans, that show was their first exposure to a Cabinet sound that has evolved over the years.

“Back then, we were trying to do our own version of Bluegrass,” JP Biondo, another founder of the band, said. JP and Pappy are cousins. “Even then, that version wasn’t completely traditional, but it has changed over the years to include more electric instruments. We’re more comfortable as a band now and we’ve really just opened up to playing more styles and becoming our own sound.”

Although the band remains in the vein of Americana and roots music through their instrumentation and approach, a full set from the band will weave through traditional bluegrass, rock, reggae, and funk inspired elements as well as moments of improvisation that defy definition to create a unique sound that keeps fans returning.

“At some point, we let it be what it wanted to be and stopped trying to control it,” Pappy Biondo said. “I think we’ve all benefited from opening it up.”

‘Getting back out there’

The band has had a busy year with gigs and festival appearances all over the East Coast supporting their newest album, The Sugarhouse Sessions.

This year marks the return of frequent touring for the band with all the original members and one new addition on percussion.

“We were getting back out there and rekindling our relationship with the fans in a live setting,” JP Biondo said. “This year was an experiment for us, too, to see if it felt good and it does. We’re happy to be doing this.”

In the past, the band has hosted New Year’s Eve celebrations at hotels with packages that included rooms and other perks. The move to a theater was deliberate and Williamsport meets that need and serves as a meeting point for many of the original fan base throughout the state.

“The all-in-one hotel and show thing came with its own challenges and its own benefits, but we wanted to move away from it,” Pappy Biondo said. “We were looking for a real theater experience … from places that don’t normally have stages to venues meant for performing. Williamsport has the hotels and the other benefits we were looking for as well.”

The city also comes with the opportunity to rally fans all over the area before another year.

“Coming back out of hiatus and the pandemic put us in a position to attach ourselves back to our roots,” Pappy Biondo said. “To rebuild and focus on where we came from and Williamsport is on that list. We know we want to build our PA ranks so that we are able to branch out elsewhere.”

‘A big step’

Between lighting, sound, hospitality, ticketing sales, and advertising, there’s a lot that goes into throwing an event like this. But Ben Ehrsam, the founder of Bear’s Picnic Events, has had experience doing it for years for other major companies.

He founded the local production company in 2005 to remain closer to home and has had a close relationship with Cabinet since they started.

He has most recently put on the festival that Cabinet hosts, The Grateful Getdown, and has included them in shows at the Susquehanna Valley Event Center, in Selinsgrove, which he manages through Bear’s Picnic.

“We were trying to do something like this the past couple of years,” Ehrsam said. “We’re very thankful for the space and it’s going to be a big step for everyone involved.”

Regarding the new year, the Biondo’s said that the Williamsport area music scene is worth investing in and that Cabinet’s evolution will continue.

“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves,” JP Biondo said. “We’re excited to bring some stuff to the table and unique things for our fans.”

Cabinet or information about the event can be found on their social media pages or at their website, https://www.cabinetmusic.com