Added on 12/18/2025
Rich Howells
Clarks Summit , Dickson City , music festival , New Jersey , punk , Ritz Theater , Scranton , ska , Union Vapors 570
To most people, the holidays mean Christmas trees, Santa Claus, snow, manger scenes, and other traditional symbols of the season.
To Ray Meoni, it means upbeat rhythms, brass sections, skanking in a circle, and a music festival that has become a new Scranton tradition.
The 29-year-old West Side native is the founder of Skalidays, an annual concert that packs as many lively local and touring ska punk bands into one cold December day as possible. It started with renting spaces like Clarky’s Billiards and St. Mary’s Center, turning pool halls and old ballrooms into mosh pits. For its fourth go-round on Saturday, Dec. 20, they’ve upgraded to The Ritz Theater (222 Wyoming Ave., Scranton), a true music venue equipped to handle all eight bands, including headliners Catch 22 and Folly.
“The first three years were held to bring ska shows back to the area more regularly, have more local bands of the genre shown in the spotlight, and make an experience for all ages to enjoy. I am happy that I can still continue to do this year after year, building it to now being able to bring it over to The Ritz and having national acts on the lineup,” he enthused.
“Ska music, for me, was something that I got into when I was young and it never left. It takes me back to when I first started going to shows in general. Ska shows specifically were some of the first shows I went to see. It’s also where I met the majority of my friends. Two shows that really stick with me are Queeftober Fest and seeing B-Side Bastards in the basement of Everything Natural [in Clarks Summit].”
Meoni is the kind of promoter who attends more shows than he books, making music a lifestyle rather than a profession. Wanting to see more hardcore, punk, metal and, of course, ska shows in the Scranton area led to him starting Diavolo Booking, which has hosted events throughout Lackawanna County since 2022. He has always relied on friends and connections he has made over years in the scene to make it all happen but, in particular, the increasingly ambitious Skalidays have required many more elves working overtime to produce this festive gift to music fans of all ages.
“None of it would be possible just doing it alone. I would not be anywhere near where I am now without some of my best friends, Kyle Johnson from Amplified Backline Services and Justin Goreschak and Teresa Whitehouse from Ionic Development,” he emphasized.
Admittedly, it took Johnson yelling at him last time to realize that he needed way more help if a fourth time was ever going to happen, so he teamed up with Riot Squad Media, the independent powerhouse behind Camp Punksylvania, to make this one for the books.
“Last year was an eye-opener on how I can’t be the only one organizing something like this and I need a team to help me. This venue will make you feel that you are actually at a music festival, more than past years,” Meoni noted.
“Working with Riot Squad has been the best experience I could ask for, needing the help to start bringing on bigger bands and making Skalidays the biggest it’s ever been. None of this would be possible without [CEO and co-founder] Laura Rose.”
In addition to “ska legends” Catch 22 and Folly, he said Keep Flying, Working Class Stiffs, The Chemical Imbalance, and The What Nows?! will be returning for their second year as “fan favorites” alongside festival newcomers and “heavy hitters” Stop the Presses and Pink Slip. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the music starts at 5 p.m. General admission tickets, which are $43.78 (all fees included), are on sale now via Tixr. Use promo code RIOT25 for 25 percent off.
Unable to contain it all in one day, Riot Squad and Diavolo added a Scranton Skalidays Pre-Show at Union Vapors 570 (1945 Commerce Blvd., Dickson City) with Prize Fighter, The Squanches, Goblin City Rat Boys, and Fire Set By Kings on Friday, Dec. 19. Admission is $10 at the door.
“Choosing the bands for me is always the fun part. I always love to bring something new every year or even try to get a reunion from a band that hasn’t played in a while. This year specifically, with it being four years of doing this, I wanted to bring in a bigger band that lot of people in this area haven’t seen in a while. On top of that, my love for hardcore will always stay somewhere in the lineup, as well as some two-tone and the mozzarella sticks-loving ska everyone enjoys. I want to present something where everyone can have their little slice of whatever they like, and it’s nice to break up the genre a little bit,” he explained.
“There’s a ton of surprises in store for this year – a lot of things can’t be said. Just know this year is going to be completely insane, so if you’re sleeping on tickets, I recommend waking up and grabbing a ticket now!”
Meoni may wear his love of ska like a black-and-white suit with a checkerboard hat, even fronting his own short-lived band Noskaratu, but he isn’t doing all of this just for himself.
“There’s a ton of people that will come up to me at Camp Punksylvania, letting me know how much they love Skalidays and saying they can’t wait for the next one. For a lot of people, this is a yearly thing for them. A lot of people drive five hours or more just to come to Scranton for a ska fest, and I just think that’s awesome. I’m sure there’s a few people who have been to the festival in the past, loved it, and now they secretly love ska, which is so sick to me,” he beamed.
“My favorite thing is being able to see all of my friends I met along the way showing up, and it’s almost like a family reunion. A lot of my friends that work with Camp Punksylvania that I don’t really get to see that often, they all make it down, and just being in the same room and enjoying something you put on is an experience unlike anything else. Also being able to see some of my friends who are parents actually able to go out to shows and bring their kids is awesome. They get to show their kids the experience they had when they were younger, which that is why I started Skalidays to begin with. I missed seeing my friends being able to go to shows, so I took it upon myself to throw a festival right around the holiday so they have something to do with their kids.”
Learn more about Meoni, Skalidays, and his former band Noskaratu in Episode 182 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
Photo of The Chemical Imbalance by Jason Riedmiller Photography, photo of Noskaratu by Rich Howells/NEPA Scene
by Rich Howells
Rich is an award-winning journalist, longtime blogger, photographer, and podcast host. He is the founder and editor of NEPA Scene.