
On August 14, 2021, organizer Dave Mayersky and several Clearfield music scene partners staged the first Upstage Music Festival at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds. The first event took place outside, and featured 17 different local and regional rock, punk, metal and hardcore acts.
For the second event in 2022, Upstage expanded to two days, and moved inside the Fairgrounds’ Expo I building. Here they could fit two stages with alternating entertainment, accommodate more people and have climate control without worrying about rain, storms or extreme summer heat. The event expanded to 33 performing acts over those two days, including its first headlining national recording act, Madball, and New York-based Tool tribute group Schism. The third year’s event in 2023 featured even more bands plus several national touring acts including Life Of Agony and Sick Of It All. Green Jelly and Downset headlined the 2024 edition.
The Upstage Music Festival has grown into a multi-genre event that has drawn increasing attendance, while raising funds for local charities and nonprofits such as the Clearfield Skate Park, Allegheny Spay and Neuter Clinic, Clearfield Revitalization Corporation, the Clearfield Volunteer Fire Department and the Childrens Aid Society. Upstage prides itself as a professionally run event that represents a diverse collection of music genres. The event also offers a variety of merchandise vendors and food vendors from the local region.
This year’s fifth annual Fest will take place over three nights, from Thursday through Saturday, August 7 through 9, again at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds Expo 1 building. Some 35 local, regional and national bands and performers will take the stages during that span, with proceeds this year helping out Mature Research Resources (formerly Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging), which provides food “blizzard boxes” to the elderly and shut-ins during the winter months.
Here is a breakdown of what will take place each day:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7: Billed as the “pre-party,” Thursday will feature six hard-rocking bands: The Wasted, SamarA, Dabs, Ronin, Orlando Furioso and Hate Grenade. Headlining the night will be something new to the event – a professional wrestling card, courtesy of Buffalo, New York-based Empire State Wrestling (ESW). Doors open at 3 p.m., with the music starting at 4 p.m. Wrestling will start at 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8: Friday will present a mixture of sounds, ranging from hard rock and heavy metal to country and southern-fried rock – culminating with the night’s headliners, eastern PA-based Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute Street Survivors. Leading up to their performance will be sets by Hardtack, Bad Year, Theriaca, Randy Clark and Below 7. Doors open at 4 p.m., with the music starting at 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9: A multitude of heavy-hitting bands takes the stages on Saturday, leading up to headlining performances by national recording artists Kings Never Die (featuring Biohazard drummer Danny Schuler), Mephiskapheles, Brick By Brick, Kaonashi, Ringworm, E-Town Concrete and Sworn Enemy. Setting the day’s tone will be performances by The Skluttz, Man In Reverse, Onion, Paperback Tragedies, Inverter, Sonic Bomb, Last Call in Jonestown, Coffee With Lions, Gone Cold, Secret Bound, Brass Knuckle Brigade, Endbringer, At Hopes End (reunion performance), Supreme Mystic, Incendiary Device and Xtinguish the Code. The doors open at 11 a.m., with the music beginning at 11:30 a.m.
In addition to music, there will be a Chinese auction featuring guitars, celebrity and horror movie items and memorabilia. Also happening will be games and games of chance, a variety of vendors including artists, distilleries, band vendor tables and merchandise, CD’s and vinyl records, band clothing and more. There will also be food vendors and trucks, located both inside and outside the Expo 1 building. A beer tent will also be present.
A variety of options are available for ticket purchases. One-day, two-day and three-day passes are available, as well as an a la carte menu of VIP and camping passes, hotel accommodations and more. Advance tickets can be purchased through the website www.theupstagemusicfest.com. Advance ticket prices are $25/person for Thursday and Friday, and $40/person for Saturday. Ticket prices at the door on the days of performances will be an extra $5 per ticket.
Volunteers to work the event are welcome; to apply, fill out contact form at the “Contact/Vendor Application” link on www.theupstagemusicfest.com.
As mentioned before, the Upstage Music Festival has grown steadily since the beginning, as it continues to provide a showcase for local, regional and national musical talent. The event draws more national interest every year. According to Dave Mayersky, “You just treat bands well, work with the agents, treat their bands well, and we get a good name and good reputation that way…They start reaching out to us…”
For Dave, the most rewarding part of organizing the Upstage Music Festival is the end result of a successful event each year. “There’s a LOT of planning that goes into this…,” according to Dave. “In November, I start the planning process of everything, contacting who I need to call, get all the right players in place, and see it all come together – get the sponsors, the vendors, everything…And to see it all come together and…you’ll see me look around at the crowd; it’s like, ‘I did this, everybody’s having fun, this is great!’”
A great team effort helps Dave to make this event happen. Local and regional sponsors are a big part of the Upstage Music Festival’s success. This year’s top sponsors include Visit Clearfield County, Curaleaf, Spanky’s Courthouse Café, Gray Matter Records, Edgar Snyder and Associates, Women of the Pit, Spite Clothing, Pennsylvania Grain Processing LLC and Rock/Ruthless Tattoo Parlor.
The Upstage Music Festival grows in size and attendance every year. Fest attendees have come from Michigan, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine. The event has also seen audience members travel in from Puerto Rico, Canada and Germany. The Fest is now a destination and voted 3rd “must see” mixed genre music festival in Pennsylvania. Moving forward, the fest hopes to continue its momentum. There is much planning time and finances that goes into it; please consider donating or sponsoring.
Final words from Dave – “See you at the fest!”




