Warped Returns to Scranton: Inside the First-Ever Road to Warped Tour With Josh Balz

Exclusive Interview with the man behind The Road to Warped Tour coming to Scranton, PA June 12-15th

The Full Final Lineup for The Road to Warped Tour

When I first heard that the only official sideshow event of this year’s Vans Warped Tour 30th Anniversary run would be happening in Scranton — not New York, not Philly, not LA — I knew I had to sit down with the guy making it all happen: Josh Balz, owner of the Ritz Theater, promoter of the event, and longtime force in the alternative music world.

The festival — happening June 12–15 in downtown Scranton — will bring 50+ bands, two outdoor stages, carnival rides, tattooing, wrestling, and a ton more to the heart of the city. It’s the first-ever official  Warped Tour Sideshow, taking place while the main Warped Tour hits Washington, D.C. the same weekend.

I spoke to Josh in depth about the vision behind the festival, the bands, the surprises, the carnival elements, the local community — and why Scranton was the only place this could happen.

Here’s the conversation:

“Warped was my life for 20 years.”

Scott: First off — why Scranton? Why here, and why now?

Josh: “We could’ve done this somewhere else. We had options. But I own a building here. I love this city. Scranton’s becoming something. And Warped was my life for 20 years. It’s important to introduce it to a new generation, while reviving a scene that’s been missing for a long time.” It feels great to be able to do it and do it at home

A young Josh Balz during his early days of Warped Tour

Bringing the event to Scranton

Scott: So owning the building was a key factor?

Josh: “Yeah. We had a lot of options, but being able to control the venue and put this in downtown Scranton — that was huge. I want this city to win. And I want to keep supporting the local scene.”

The Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton, PA. Home to the Road to Warped

Personal connections with the bands

Scott: You have a lot of personal connections to the bands on the lineup. How much of this is personal for you?

Josh: “Very personal. I hand-selected about 95% of the lineup. A lot of these bands are friends — people I toured with, people I’ve known forever. This is a reunion for me, for them, and hopefully for the fans, too.”

Who needs sleep anyway...

Scott: So with only a few days before the first band hits the stage, when do you think you’ll get to sleep again?

Josh: (laughs) “I don’t expect to sleep for real until Monday. (joking) I'll probably have a sleeping bag out on the street to make sure everything is going well. I might sleep on the Strange and Unusual Stage at times, so if you see me out there sleeping on the stage at the end of the night, um, just don't bother me.”

Scott: And you do sleep while hanging upside down right, so no one should be alarmed?

Josh: “Of course. I am the prince of darkness, or the princess of darkness, whichever way you look at it.” (laughing)

The drive behind organizing

Scott: This is a pretty insane undertaking — a four-day, 50+ band festival with carnival rides and more. With everything you having going on, what motivated you to do this?

Josh: (laughs again) “Probably some level of psychopathy. But honestly, I just felt like we needed this. It’s been missing here. There were a million reasons why I shouldn’t have done this, but I couldn’t not do it. If you don't go forward, then you go backwards, so I'm not going to dwell on some idiot taking money from me, or some other nonsense, I'm going to try to bring great things to this city. If put myself in the ground trying, I’ll fucking go down swinging!”

A Warped aesthetic — with a darker twist

Scott: You have a very distinct creative aesthetic — a darker, gothic style. How do you balance that with the classic Warped Tour vibe?

Josh: “Warped always had a goth and emo undercurrent. My Chemical Romance, Motionless (In White), started at Warped Tour. We’re unapologetically leaning into that. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it with my style and be passionate about it. The Ritz, Noir Dark Spirits, Strange (& Unusual), Parlor, every one of those bleeds a part of me and my style. It just kind of happens. At the same time, we’re keeping the lineup diverse — indie, acoustic, rock, metal, pop punk. It’s important to me that this also reflects the unpredictability that Warped was known for.”

Stage vibes and artist diversity

Scott: How did you decide on the vibes for each stage?

Josh: “We’re running two outdoor stages — the Gallery of Sound Stage and the Strange & Unusual Stage in addition to the Main Stage inside The Ritz. Some days will be a little more themed, but overall we wanted it to feel like classic Warped: diverse, a little chaotic, and very fun. Oh, and there will also be live music sets inside Goblin Alchemy, inside the Ritz building. So, baiscally there will be music everywhere you go, all weekend."

Must-see sets

Scott: What bands or sets are you personally most excited about?

Josh: “I want to see Millionaires, they were such an integral part of Warped Tour, and they're such a party band. They're fun. They're exciting. I'm really excited for Millionaires. I'm excited about Traverse the Abyss. I love seeing those guys put on shows. I think they're great. Selfishly, I cannot wait for Armor for Sleep and Saosin. It's going to be crazy!

Again, I booked this entire fest myself, for me to sit down and enjoy myself for once. I get that double-edged sword where fans get to enjoy it, and I get to enjoy it too. I love every single band that is on this show. So, for me really, it's all day, every day. I'm very excited.”

Surprise sets and secret moments

Scott: Any surprise sets fans should know about?

Josh: “Absolutely. We’re planning some special unannounced sets. There’s one Thursday night that’s going to be special; I’ll leave it at that. And some other moments that won’t be pre-announced — they’ll just happen. That’s Warped!

Ferris wheel, carnival rides, and tattooing

Scott: Hot Topic Carnival sounds insane, what will go on there?

Josh: “Yeah — a Ferris wheel, man. I still can’t believe it. You’ll be able to watch bands from the top of the Ferris wheel. Imagine seeing these bands from the top of a Ferris wheel downtown with the city setting, I can’t wait to see that picture. It’s like I get to live my childhood dreams of just having my own circus at my own music festival, which is insane.”

Skate park and tattooing elements

Scott: Did you consider adding a skate element?

Josh: “We tried — we reached out to local skate groups like Bazaar. It didn’t come together this time, but if they see this, check your DM’s we want you to be a part of this!”

Scott: And live tattooing?

Josh: “Yep — Thirteenth Realm will be live tattooing inside the Ritz on every day. They’ll have Warped-themed and Ritz-themed flash tattoos available.”

Meet & greets and band interactions

Scott: What should fans know about meet & greets?

Josh: “We aren’t doing official paid meet & greets — we don’t take money from bands for that. But some bands, like Escape the Fate, have organized their own. And most bands will be at their merch tents, hanging out the way it used to be.”

Smashmaster Wrestling

Scott: What’s the plan for Smash Master Wrestling?

Josh: “It’ll be running all weekend. It’s gonna be nuts. I’m hoping to stone-cold stunner somebody in the middle of some band’s set!” (laughs)

Scott: So, we might catch you pulling a move off the top rope this weekend?

Josh: “You might see a lot of things this weekend.”

Food, beverage, and vendors

Scott: What can people expect as far as food and drinks?

Josh: “So, The Ritz and the bar will be open inside, three bars with full options actually. We’ve got barbecue from Backyard Ale House, a gyro truck, taco truck, Italian ice, …I’m forgetting more. Plus other vendors selling clothes, snacks, collectibles — a good mix.”

Scott: Will there be any root beer?

Josh: (laughs) “We’re working on getting Parlor here with some root beer. I know a guy.”

Official site map for this year's event

Supporting local businesses and reentry policy

Scott: So, besides the food and beverage options within the site map, what else can fans expect?

Josh: “Because this is about community. We want people to explore downtown. We’re allowing reentry with security checks specifically so people can go check out local businesses — places like Bar Pazzo, Scanlans, Catch 21, Backyard Ale House, Atera, Da Vinci’s, Electric City Pizza. We want this to benefit the whole city.”

Brand partnerships and sponsorships

Scott: How did you build the brand partnerships for this event?

Josh: “Friendships. These are people I’ve known forever — Vans, Hot Topic (they actually used to sell “I Heart Balz” shirts), Gallery of Sound (where I bought my first CD ever from Underoath. They are an institution in this area), Strange & Unusual, Loop Internet (which provides internet to The Ritz), United Outdoor (who I’ve worked with forever for billboards and signage), American Musical Supply. It’s all built on long-standing friendships and mutual support. Every brand you see here has been very integral and very supportive in my life in some way.”

Transportation, parking, and ticketing

Scott: What should people know about transportation and parking?

Josh: “Ride-share drop-off and pick-up will be to the right of the Ritz. The street won’t be blocked, so access should be easy. There are multiple parking garages within a block of the venue, $1/hour. And street parking too.”

Scott: Will ticket prices change day of show?

Josh: “Yes — they’ll go up $10–$15 day of show. So definitely buy tickets in advance.”

Hotel partnerships

Scott: What hotels are participating?

Josh: “Hilton (on Adams Ave.), Mariott (on Montage Mountain), and Holiday Inn (downtown Scranton). Rooms are filling up fast, so if you need one, book now.”

Payment methods

Scott: Will vendors accept cash and cards?

Josh: “Yes — bring both. We have an ATM inside the Ritz, and most vendors will accept both cash and card.”

Quite the "Undertaking"

Scott: Have you ever promoted a four-day festival like this before?

Josh: “Nope. I’ve worked on huge festivals like Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Sonic Temple. But this is my first time personally running something of this size. We’re a small team. There will probably be some small mistakes. I just ask people to be patient — we’re giving this everything we’ve got.”

Fan experience

Scott: When this is all over, what do you want fans to take away?

Josh: “Pride. I want people to feel proud to be from NEPA, from Scranton. You don’t have to move to NYC or LA to do something cool. You can do it here. Stay here. Build things here.”

Dunder Mifflin

Scott: How many Office references are we going to get from bands this weekend?

Josh: (laughing) “As many as humanly possible. I hope every single intro to every single band is the office intro because I love the office. I have an office tattoo, so I support any tomfoolery when it comes down to the office at all. I hope bands have backdrops and video things that are the office. I hope they have cutouts. I hope they're wearing masks of Dwight. I’m now encouraging bands to throw as many Office references as they want into their sets!”

Charity

Scott: Anything we might be leaving out?

Josh: “YES! I didn't really tell anybody yet, and it's a very big thing! We are donating a portion of every ticket sold to benefit Kevin Lyman's charity, Unite the United. So, everybody that buys a ticket, a portion of their ticket does go to support that charity. So please, again, buy your tickets. It's not only supporting something like, the Ritz Theater and the arts downtown, but it’s also contributing to a larger cause.”

🎟️ Road to Warped FAQ🎟️

Dates: June 12–15

Location: Ritz Theater & outdoor stages, downtown Scranton

Ages: ALL AGES

Stages: Gallery of Sound Stage, Strange & Unusual Stage, Main Stage inside The Ritz

Bands: 50+ acts

Tickets: Individual daily tickets/4-day weekend passes -- Prices go up day of — buy early

Parking: Street and parking garages (addresses to follow)

Ride-share drop-off: 200 block of Wyoming Avenue to the right of Ritz Theater

Hotels: Hilton Scranton, Mariott at Montage Mountain, Holiday Inn Scranton Dunmore — book now

Re-entry: Allowed with security check

Food: BBQ, gyros, tacos, Italian ice, full-service bars, many downtown eateries within 2 blocks.

Vendors: clothing, snack, merch, collectible vendors

ATM: Inside Ritz

Carnival: starts at noon daily

Show times: 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM on the Gallery of Sound and Strange & Unusual stages. 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM on the Main Ritz Stage

Smash Master Wrasslin’: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Charity: Portion of tickets support Unite the United

Surprise sets: Yes — including Thursday night

Parking Garage information:

·       Linden Garage: 305 N. Washington Ave.

·       Connell Garage: 117 N Washington Ave.

·       Medallion Garage: 140 Adams Ave.

·       Casey Garage: 101 Adams Ave.

·       Electric City Garage: 300 Spruce St.

·       Marketplace at Steamtown: 300 Lackawanna Ave.

·       Forum Parking Garage: 242 Franklin Ave.

Live Music Schedule at Goblin Alchemy:

Thursday, April 12th:

·       Apollo Putnam 2:00 pm

· Acid Rat 3:00 pm

· Apollo Putnam 4:00 pm

· Cowgirl pills 5:00 pm

Friday, April 13th

· Churches & Trains 2:00 pm

· Cyan 2:45 pm

· Converse Kid 4:00 pm

· Cyan 4:45 pm

· Cicada Safespace 5:30 pm

Saturday, April 14th

· Cowgirl pills 2:00 pm

· Acid Rat 4:00 pm

Sunday, April 15th

· Kitchen teeth 2:00 pm

· Cnidarian 3:30pm

· We're From Antarctica 4:30pm

INDIVIDUAL DAILY SCHEDULES

👉 Tickets & Info: GET TICKETS HERE

👉 Updates: www.threefromthepit.net | @threefromthepitmag