The Devil Strip JUNE 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #7 • THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
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r u t l u C & t r A , ic s u M n Akro
50+ Things to do with your kids this summer! (pg. 25) Who is Mr. Van Awesome? Meet the Most Interesting Person We Know (pg. 6)
Akron Al Fresco: Our favorite places to eat “Heaven isn’t too far away” outside (pg. 13) plus, our guide to local Remembering Warrant drive-in theatres (pg. 16) singer Jani Lane (pg. 20)
growing upAkron Join us at
AUGUST 14, 2015 at Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
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“Somewhere there’s a score being kept, so you have an obligation to live life as well as you can, be as engaged as you can. The human condition means that we can zone out and forget what the hell we’re doing. So the secret is to have a sense of yourself, your real self, your unique self. And not just once in a while, or once a day, but all through the day, the week and life. You know what they say: ‘Ain’t no try, ain’t nothing to it but to do it.’” – Bill Murray
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The sweet: Thanks to our talented freelancers, my gifted wife and you, our generous readers, we’ve produced an impressive collection of fun, summertime stuff to do around Akron. As I combed through the lists—from the summer events guide to the patio primer and 50+ things your kiddos will love—I was repeatedly hit with a pinchme sense of joy that I get to live here in Akron. I hope you experience a similar giddiness when you read through.
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Twitter: @akrondevilstrip
Instagram: @thedevilstrip _______________________________________
Publisher >> Chris Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com
Art Director >> Alesa Upholzer
Illustration and Design >> Bronlynn Thurman, Edgar Woolley
Photographers >> Svetla Morrison, Paul Hoffman, Bronlynn Thurman, Ilenia Pezzaniti and Shane Wynn
The bitter: We’re running two stories about two different tribute shows that will honor two very different guys who passed away too soon.
who excelled at living. Yes, he could be blunt and if he didn’t like you, he didn’t waste his energy on you, but that’s because he was selfless with the relationships that mattered to him. Especially with his students. The Danstravaganza takes places over two nights at two different venues, where the community that sprouted around Dan Van Auken—some performing in Houseguest and Drummer that night—will come together to celebrate. Total strangers, like me, are welcome too. The proceeds will join the thousands of dollars already raised by Dan’s former students and colleagues to build Van Auken Field, a running track at the school where he taught.
Akron’s greatest strength, I think, is its people. So, to do my part, I just want you to take one thing with you when you finish this issue: Live life as well as you can and be as engaged as you can because you only get this one shot. Take Care, Chris
One, born John Oswald, emerged from a mid-80s glam metal chrysalis as Jani Lane, the blue-eyed blonde singer who led Warrant to worldwide fame with a string of hit songs like “Cherry Pie.” In her profile on him, Jenny Conn tracks Jani’s rise through Akron and Kent on the way to stardom. His former bandmate, Billy Morris, and Cinderella’s Tom Keifer take the Civic Theatre stage June 18 to raise money to help Jani’s daughters, a fact that made it impossible for me to ignore that Father’s Day is almost here. As a dad, I like the excuse to hang out with my little girl (and con my wife into letting me eat badly). But as a son, it still stings. My dad suffered a massive stroke in the summer of 2009. Nearly two years later, on April 1, at the age of 55, he died. The last time we spent any real time together before his stroke was at an Atlanta Braves game. The night he passed, I sat by his bed in hospice watching the season opener on TV as he slipped away. I’ve watched a lot less baseball since.
Contributing Writers >> Holly Brown, Jenny Conn, Jessica Conti, Abby Cymerman, Katelyn Gainer, M. Sophie Hamad, Noor Hindi, Carley Hull, Jecca, Chris Kessinger, Isaac Kelley, Eric Morris, Christopher Morrison, Brittany Nader, Ilenia Pezzaniti, Sarah Stubbs, Bronlynn Thurman, Elizabeth Tyran, Katie Wheeler, Joanna Wilson _______________________________________ The Devil Strip is published bi-monthly by Random Family, LLC. Akron Distribution: The Devil Strip is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Copyright: The entire contents ofThe Devil Strip are copyright 2015 by Random Family, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
A die-hard Cleveland Indians fan, Dan Van Auken may not have liked me, at least immediately following the 1995 World Series, but I am certain I would have liked him. Just as I’m certain I want to be more like him now. In fact, I want everyone to be more like him. He wasn’t famous like Jani Lane, or like his childhood friend Patrick Carney. He loved music but didn’t become a musician like some of his friends. He graduated college with a broadcast communications degree but never spent a day in that field. Instead, he became a 5th grade math teacher—Mr. Van Awesome, as his students called him. Initially, I did not want to speak to his dad, Steven Van Auken. It was my own selfishness. Fortunately, Betsy Van Auken Walker, Steve’s daughter and Dan’s sister, made it happen. Like everyone else I interviewed for this story, he was generous with his memories, filling out the portrait of this man
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Arts, Culture & Entertainment
BREW AT THE ZOO TAKES YOU— BUT NOT YOUR BEER— ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE ‘80S
Spotlight
Brew at the Zoo Wednesday, June 10 at 6 pm at Akron Zoo
Ohio Chautauqua Tuesday, June 23 to Saturday, June 27
If you remember Cyndi Lauper, Guns N' Roses, Bruce Springsteen and Beastie Boys, then you are not going to want to miss this Brew at the Zoo as we take you back to a great decade and spin some of your favorite records while enjoying summer brews. Enjoy a casual beer tasting from local breweries as you stroll through the zoo. Tastings are included and full-size beers will be available for purchase.
You may remember when Joanna Wilson wrote about Akron inventor Lewis Miller in our “Big Ideas” issue, she mentioned he helped organize the first Chautauqua Assembly near Jamestown, NY in 1874, which spawned a national adult education movement most popular in the 1920s. Each year, the Ohio Humanities Council takes the iconic red-and-white-striped tent from city to city across the state, stopping in Akron this year thanks to the Summit County Historical Society and the Akron-Summit County Library. Starting at 7:30 each night with live local music, we’ll get to meet (actors portraying) Titanic Survivor Edith Russell, Indian captive Olive Ann Oatman, philosopher Henry David Thoreau, ‘49er J. Goldsborough Bruff, and Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. During the day, the same actors will hold workshops for kids and grown-ups alike about the people they’re portraying. That week will also include walking tours of Oak Place, the home of the aforementioned Lewis Miller.
AKRON NATIVE DEBUTING HIS ‘FUNNY DOCUMENTARY’ AT THE NIGHTLIGHT “Schmo Bizness” Sunday, June 14 at 9 pm Michael “Zombo” Devine comes home with this zany chronicle of Those Generics, a nationally touring comedy outfit in the 80s and 90s. A veteran of King Dapper Combo, The Surfaholics and the Graveyard Rockers, Devine’s film documents the reunion of comics who haven’t seen each other in almost 30 years after working “the trenches of grade B comedy clubs” for about 15 years. With back story lines illustrated by cartoonist Eric Luden and a soundtrack of all original surf music, the archival live footage is woven together to give you 70 minutes out of the ordinary. Watch the trailer on YouTube.
AREA S T N E EV Ongoing
JSK Cafe Every Friday through September 4 11am - 1:30pm at John S. Knight Center 77 E Mill St, Akron Now in its 16th season, the JSK Cafe is a delicious downtown staple. Help decide the Burger Challenge between last year’s champion, the Cowboy Burger, and the new contender, The Caprese, or get one of their other sandwiches, and enjoy al fresco dining. For more information, visit johnsknightcenter.org. Rob Allen June 9-13 at Funny Stop Comedy Club ($7-$14) 1757 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls The Funny Stop welcomes back an old friend and all-time club favorite, Rob Allen. His comedic experience includes tours in eight different countries and appearances in six different courtrooms. Most recently, Rob Allen has been performing as part of the "Standing Ovation Tour" with host Sommore and Bruce Bruce, Tommy
4
CHAUTAUQUA BRINGS DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, THOREAU AND OTHER HISTORICAL FIGURES TO HARDESTY PARK
Davidson, Earthquake, Mark Curry and more. Rob Allen is a legend in the world of stand-up comedy, if for no other reason than for being the first comic ever banned from B.E.T.'s ComicView (just for being stupid). The Akron All-City Musical: Shrek Opens June 12 at Akron Civic Theatre ($10) 182 S Main St, Akron Make room for ogre-sized family fun as the greatest fairy tale never told comes to life in a whole new way in this breathtaking Broadway musical adaptation of the hit movie Shrek! Featuring over 100 Summit County high school students as the cast, crew and orchestra, this is a show you won’t want to miss! Visit akroncivic.com for dates and times. The Market at Lock 3 Opens June 19 11:30am at Lock 3 (FREE) 200 S Main St, Akron The Market at Lock 3 is a unique, outdoor, producers-only market managed by Downtown Akron Partnership. Enjoy fresh produce, handmade
| THE Devil Strip / JUNE 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #7
FUN FACT If you’re celebrating something’s 175th anniversary, it’s called a centeseptequinary. Example: This year marks the centeseptequinary of Summit County’s founding.
cheeses, fresh baked goods, home crafted gifts and more. Kick off the market season on June 19 at Downtown Akron Employee Appreciation Day and enjoy a build-your-own sundae bar, and don’t miss the pickle and salsa contests later in the summer! Ohio Chautauqua June 23-28 (FREE) An exciting mixture of education and entertainment, Ohio Chautauqua 2015 will explore the transformative journeys taken by a variety of historic figures. Featuring workshops, music, living history performances and much more, this unique event celebrates Ohio’s history. Visit ohiohumanities.org for details and full schedule.
flow and art in a beginner friendly series taught by a certified Nirvana Yoga instructor. Register at akronartmuseum.org Art Talk: Your Art in an Akron Gallery 7:30pm at Summit Artspace (FREE) 140 E Market St, Akron Join Courtney Cable to learn more about the Akron Area Art Prize, including an overview of the submission process and a few tips on how to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
THURSDAY, JUNE 11
Yoga in the Galleries 6:30pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE) One South High St, Akron The transformational power of yoga for individuals, relationships, and communities comes alive in the Akron Art Museum galleries. Combine breath,
Founders’ Day Weekend at Stan Hywet 10am-4pm June 12-14 (FREE) 714 N Portage Path, Akron Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens honors the 80th anniversary of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous at its Gate Lodge during Founders' Day Weekend. Admission to the Gate Lodge is free, and entertainment will be provided all weekend by 91.3 The Summit.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
Arts, Culture & Entertainment
AKRON HISTORY Where Bill W. and Dr. Bob
CHANGED THE WORLD by Joanna Wilson
“No artist from anywhere, however, not even Shakespeare, not even Beethoven, not even James Whitcomb Riley, has changed the course of so many lives all over the planet as have four hayseeds in Ohio -two in Dayton and two in Akron. ... Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith and William Griffith Wilson were in Akron in 1935 when they devised the 12 steps to sobriety of Alcoholics Anonymous. By comparison with Smith and Wilson, Sigmund Freud was a piker when it came to healing dysfunctional minds and lives.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
‘Kids’ 11:15pm at The Nightlight Cinema ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron Part of The Nightlight’s ongoing series about being young in cinema in 1995, Kids showcases a day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking, and deflowering virgins. Also showing June 13 at 11:15pm.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Craft Cocktails at the Market: Vodka 10:30am at Howe Meadows ($20) 4040 Riverview Rd, Peninsula Every foodie knows that the perfect cocktail can make or break a meal. For our first in a 3-part series on craft cocktails with celebrated Cleveland bartender Lorilei Bailey, we'll focus on vodka. Vodka lends itself to virtually any flavor, making it an excellent choice for letting the flavors of local produce shine. Learn how to infuse vodka with the fruits and herbs of the season, and compare flavors developed by infusing fresh ingredients into a spirit as opposed to a syrup or puree. Visit cvcountryside. org to register! Sow and Grow Farm Festival 10am - 5pm on June 13 & 14 ($10) Hale Farm and Village, 2686 Oak Hill Rd, Bath Experience the past and present farming lifestyle – including wheel plowing a garden, bee keeping
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
You’re so Akron if...you hear the louder-thanusual rumble of motorcycle engines on W. Market Street in June and smile knowingly that it must be Founder’s Day. This year, the annual Founder’s Day celebrations take place June 12-14 in Akron, the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous and 2015 happens to be the 80th anniversary of the founding of AA, the self-help group that has had an enormous impact on our society. Not only does the group help alcoholics achieve sobriety but it introduced the Twelve Step program for selfimprovement. The Founder’s Day celebrations bring visitors from all over the country and the world to our city to honor the group’s origins and to join with others who share the recovery experience. The roaring sound of motorcycles on W. Market Street is an annual experience because it has become popular with AA members who own bikes to make the annual journey. Akron’s west side has several landmarks important to those commemorating Founder’s Day and these locations have become must-see destinations over the years. At the top of the list is Dr. Bob’s Home at 855
from the Summit County bee keepers association, and exploring the gardens on property maintained by the Great Lakes Brewing Companies and the Bath Gamma Garden Club. The festival also features oxen and draft horse demonstrations, fiber dying and much more! 20th Annual Art Auction 6pm at Akron Art Museum ($300) One South High St, Akron Join us for our 20th Year Celebration at the Annual Auction to benefit the Akron Art Museum! Art, fine wine, great food, tempting auction lots and some of the most exciting people in Akron contribute to one of the most successful events in our community.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Food Truck Frenzy & Summer Concert 4pm at Keyser Barn (FREE) 851 W Bath Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Akron’s best food trucks converge on Keyser Barn for a food truck frenzy! Featuring Swensons, Wholly Frijoles, Zydeco Bistro, The Orange Truk and more. There is music and kids activities starting at 4pm, and 6pm the Wanda Hunt Band takes the stage. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy music and food in a beautiful park setting.
Ardmore Avenue. The modest arts and crafts home was where Dr. Bob, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and his wife lived for years. The Akron home has since been turned into a museum with its own gift shop. Another popular destination is the Gate Lodge at Stan Hywet. This is the place where Dr. Bob first met Bill W.--the other co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. At meetings at the Gate Lodge, the two men shared their experiences and understood each other’s struggles with alcohol. Although they didn’t originate the concept of group meetings, it was the power of the shared experience that convinced them to incorporate it as an important element of AA
place and a popular place to honor the man who dedicated his life to helping others. Several other destinations of historical importance include the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel downtown where Bill W. used the public phone in the lobby to call Dr. Bob--the man who would help to change his life. Additional locations include the AA Archives located on N. Main Street and the Dr. Bob’s Way street sign (Olive Street) next to Summa St. Thomas Hospital in North Hill, which acknowledges Dr. Bob alongside Sister Ignatia Gavin’s work with alcoholic patients.
You’ll probably also see people gathering at Mount Peace Cemetery on Aqueduct Street in West Akron. The rolling green span is Dr. Bob’s final resting
Museum and gift shop on Ardmore Avenue.
MONDAY, JUNE 15
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
Akron History Hike 1pm or 7pm at John Brown House (FREE) 550 Copley Rd, Akron Join Summit Metro Parks and the Summit County Historical Society for this hike from the John Brown House to the John Brown Monument at the Akron Zoo.
13th Annual Summer Solstice Festival 4pm at Sarah’s Vineyard (FREE) 1204 W Steels Corner Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Don’t miss this outdoor wine, art, and music festival! Featuring Sarah’s Vineyard wines exclusively, local food vendors, art vendors, and live local bands. The festival continues all weekend visit sarahsvineyardwinery.com for the full schedule.
‘Let Me Go’ 8pm at The Nightlight Cinema ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron A fractured narrative builds toward an impending confrontation as a haunted young woman realizes the specter of guilt has taken up residence in her home, bringing to the fore a terrible secret known only to her husband. Through a surrealist daydream, the past, the search for truth, and the process of healing are met with the transcendent intercessor of music. Sound becomes touch and music, a catalyst for forgiveness.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Carl Strong June 18-20 at Funny Stop Comedy Club ($7-$14) 1757 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Hold on to your seats and your funny bones… It's almost impossible to categorize Carl Strong. He delivers a blend of satire, observational comedy, impressions and off the wall characterizations that set him apart from other comedians.
Local Artists Showcase 5pm at Old 97 Cafe (FREE) 1503 Kenmore Blvd, Akron Join Old 97 Cafe to support local artists and artisans, including Urban Buzz’s handcrafted beeswax candles, Lindsay Jean-Marie’s knit and crochet women’s outerwear, and Eric Young’s repurposed silverware jewelry, among others! Elevation Benefiting the Cuyahoga Valley National Park 6:30pm at The Ledges Shelter ($75) 701 Truxell Rd, Peninsula Elevation is the only summer party where there's a drink bar AND a trail mix bar, and your trail shoes and dancing shoes are one and the same. Start your evening off with a hike on the Ledges Loop in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, then enjoy live bands and delicious food and drink. Sit around a campfire, dance under the stars, and enjoy the (continued on page 8)
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United Way of Summit County
most interesting person
WhaT ThIS place needS IS MORe paThWayS OUT Of pOveRTy.
United Way is a champion for building a more prosperous and sustainable Summit County community, for all of us. That’s why we support Bridges Summit County, a community collaboration to reduce poverty in a comprehensive way. Bridges Summit County brings people from all sectors and economic classes together to support those who are moving out of poverty.
cOMMUnITy WORkShOpS
Join our work to end poverty in Summit County! One-day Bridges Summit County community workshops are an opportunity to understand the dynamics that cause and maintain poverty. This training also provides tools and strategies for everyone in our community to help with the effort to prevent, reduce and alleviate poverty. Find out more at: summitbridges.org/workshops
“GeTTInG ahead” WORkShOpS
Are you looking for your own pathway out of poverty? Getting Ahead is a series of workshops that help people in poverty build their resources for a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and their community. Each workshop has 8 to 12 people, and meets weekly for nine weeks. Find out more: summitbridges.org/getting-ahead
BECAUSE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE lIve UnITed. United Way of Summit County UWSUMMIT.ORG
Dear
Mr. Van Awesome by Chris Horne
D
ave “Doc” Rich has posted only two videos on YouTube. In one, it’s October 8, 2011 and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is playing at Doc’s wedding reception. No one, however, is even pretending they know the dance. Not that it matters because one man has seized control of the dance floor and with it the wiggling crowd. He is thin, bald, be-spectacled and amazing. Fans of “Arrested Development” might mistake him in the poorly lit venue for Buster Bluth. But it’s a cheap comparison; Buster never had moves like this. Mate the prisyadka—those squatleap-kicks in the Russian kazatsky—with the Funky Chicken then add plenty of freelancing, and you’ve got it about right. This—“the Dirty Bird,” as he called it—was not just Dan Van Auken’s signature move but a series of them, performed like jazz, all-engrossing and improvised. One by one, it spreads but only in pieces because no one but Dan could do it in whole. While not at his absolute best there, he was at least at his better, a practiced abandon of the
unassuming and straight-laced posture that marked his non-dancing moments. The other video, over an hour long, is from Dan’s memorial service almost two years and nine months later. It is, of course, solemn and quiet, the period at the end of a sentence that began when he was first diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a brutal and aggressive brain cancer that stole him from his family, friends, students, colleagues and a romance that ended too early. This cancer would rob him, an avid runner, of his mobility, his energy and in time, some of his cognitive abilities. But it could not keep him out of the classroom, and it would not become an excuse to put himself above others. He was as extraordinary in his grit, selflessness and devotion as he was remarkably, if not deceptively, average—a Clark Kent nesting doll inside of whom was something seemingly indestructible.
This is how to live like Dan Van Auken. WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
most interesting person Perhaps the bully thought Dan, who was born without his left hand, was an easy target. That part is unclear but what his dad, Steven Van Auken, knows is that the bully was unsuccessful. “The other boys wouldn’t have it,” Steve says. “They took care of him.” These other boys were Dan’s friends. This circle began in kindergarten at Case Elementary with Philip Swift, Gabe Schray, Pat Carney and Steve Caynon. Their numbers grew as they grew older, adding Doc Rich, Ted Mallison, Ben Tausig, Mark Brncik, Greg Madonia, Eric Pollack, Nick Milkovich and others. Somehow they’ve stayed tight through adulthood despite the geographic distance between them now.
“He came close to hurting my feelings a few times,” Doc says. Their first meeting foretold of such bluntness. Doc joined the group to play guitar for the soundtrack, which he had to do live on set because they had limited editing ability. Dan took one look at him and asked, “Who’s this asshole?” This brotherhood was evidence of the adaptability Dan had to master. It’s one thing to learn to type one-handed, but his bigger challenge learning to navigate a world that sometimes rewards smallminded people for their meanness. “I’m sure he encountered cruel statements,” Steve says, “but he never liked to talk about it. He wanted to put his energy into friendships.”
to know each other over email as he recovered from chemo. Eventually she asked him out and on Halloween, in lieu of beer, they met over decaf tea at Starbucks. It went well, but abruptly Dan said, “I have to go.” It was still early in the evening and raining outside, so Katie assumed she’d done something wrong. But they swapped numbers and he kissed her sweetly on the cheek before leaving, later texting that he was sorry to bolt but that he was exhausted from his treatments. The cancer didn’t scare her. “At that point, it wasn’t anything I was worried about. To be totally honest with you, it sounded like he was so confident in being well that it didn’t
was bleak. They had been through this before. Their friend Steve Caynon passed away in 2004, at age 24, after fighting leukemia for three years. A charismatic guy who played in Houseguest and starred in several of the short movies, he was the true subject of Philip’s documentary, “Sincerely, PV Reese,” which opens as a commemorative for the 10th anniversary of “Dear Mothman” before exploring their collective grief. For Dan’s family, the journey ahead of them was likewise heartbreakingly familiar. In 1994, when he was only 14 years old, and Betsy just 11, Dan lost his mother, Karen Van Auken, to an illness. “It was hard for him to see his mother suffer,” Steve says. “It forced him to find more strength. He’d been tested and was able to relate to great suffering. I think that’s part of the reason he went into teaching.”
Opposite page: Katie and Dan and Dan running a marathon. Left: Dan w Houseguest: (L to R) Gabe Schray, Dan Van Auken, David Whited, Steve Clements and Ted Mallison (Photo courtesy of Dave Rich)
--------------------------------------------------------------“They were their own crowd,” Dan’s sister, Betsy Van Auken Walker, says. “We joked he didn’t have girlfriends because he was hanging out with his friends all the time.” On June 20-21, most of these friends will be in town again for the Danstravaganza, a two-night, two-venue fundraiser featuring three otherwise inactive bands, including one of Dan’s favorites, Houseguest, and Drummer, famously featuring the aforementioned Mr. Carney. Already, it’s raised $20,000 to help pay for Van Auken Field, a new running track at the school in Wadsworth where Dan taught.
The friendships, which Steve once worried might never materialize, multiplied. In those last few months, he would sometimes get jealous of the time these friends got with his son so he reminded himself it was all a gift. When the cancer was discovered, on May 3, 2013, it was so advanced Dan was rushed into surgery the same day. Steve and his wife Christine were in Florida when they got the call.
In high school, they were less a clique than a collective, making music and short movies that lived in the overlap on a Venn diagram of Mr. Show, Dogme 95 and Elephant 6. The weirdness of their work— examples: “Close Quarters Celebrity Trivia” and “Basquiat 2”—fits the primordial soup from which these guys arose, a heady mix of their teenage boredom and Akron’s late 90s stasis, that calm between the rubber industry’s collapse and the city’s relatively recent revival.
“I thought Dan would die before we could get back,” he says. “Every day after that was a bonus.”
Dan was one of the stars of “Dear Mothman,” which at 56 minutes was their longest feature. He portrayed a skeptical reporter who, despite Deep Throat-like calls from the comically high-pitched P.V. Reese, refused to believe the Mothman existed and blasted anyone who did. The character hewed closely to Dan’s personality. “In our group of friends, we all played a different role. Dan was the level-headed individual,” says Philip Swift, who helmed most of those flicks behind his VHS camera, which led him to teaching digital media for Young Audiences New York. His early onset maturity inspired nicknames like “Grandpa Dan” and “Old Man Dan,” which inspired his friends to frustrate him with elaborate pranks, like wrapping his bed in aluminum foil. But Dan was no shrinking violet. One of Houseguest’s most dedicated fans, he was also their official critic because he didn’t blink when asked his opinion. That performance? Not your best. Your new song? He didn’t like it.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
--------------------------------------------------------------It was not love at first sight. In fact, Katie Krumreig didn’t think much about it when she first met Dan. She was still married at the time—“So, not looking for a boyfriend.”—and he had just started at Central Intermediate School in Wadsworth where she was teaching music part-time. She vaguely remembers that he was “very quiet, very nice.” Four years later, she moved to another building. In the spring of 2013, friends of hers who worked with Dan explained what he was going through. Katie sent an email wishing him well but didn’t hear back, which made sense. She kept him in her prayers and moved along.
faze him either.” Katie and Dan may have been alone in their confidence. His sister Betsy says her hope was shattered shortly after his surgery when a nurse told the family— without tact and in a public setting—he didn’t have long to live. Dan didn’t acknowledge that. “He put his faith in medicine and science and clinical trials,” she says. But every MRI was anxietyproducing because they never came back with good news. “Part of the hope would be gone after each one but he would say, ‘I’m going to continue to fight.’ He never felt sorry for himself—no ‘woe is me,’ he just stayed focused on the future.” Steve, who researched glioblastoma multiforme, which Dan refused to do, says he was briefly optimistic his son could be “the guy who beats this”—and Dan took part in medical trials to avail him of every opportunity—but “no one has ever gotten better after being diagnosed” with GMF. According to American Brain Tumor Association statistics, the median survival rate is 14.6 months. The tumor cells come from normal brain cells, which
Months later, that September, she thought she saw him in Highland Square but wasn’t sure and “didn’t want to be that weird, creepy girl,” choosing instead to email him again. It worked. He wrote back and said he was out with friends watching the Browns game. And if she had come up to him? “He said, ‘I probably would have chalked it up to another woman throwing herself at this gorgeous specimen of a male.’ And I’m just like, ‘Okay. You’re funny.’” As it turned out, they were also both Michigan fans. His mother graduated from the university and he embraced the opportunity to out-of-place. Once, he ran through the school cafeteria with an enormous Wolverines flag. So Katie and Dan got
mask them, and they reproduce in large numbers quickly, sustained by the brain’s ample blood supply. “It was hard to be hopeful,” Doc says. For this group of friends, it wasn’t just that Dan’s prognosis
It was no small miracle that Dan convinced his principal, Joanne Gahan, to let him address his students on speakerphone the day after he had a softball-sized tumor removed from his brain. Her nervous faith was repaid as he went, kid-by-kid, asking them questions about their day. He even got big laughs when he asked one pupil if she was wearing pink, which she was, as usual. Victoria Albanese, a Wadsworth school counselor who was his “work mom,” says the call “was his way of saying, ‘I see you and you’re here with me.’” Facing a diagnosis most everyone else considered a death sentence, Dan remained stubbornly himself. That meant getting back to the classroom after the surgery prematurely ended his previous school year. He made finishing the next school year his one goal. “The fight was never for him,” Katie says. “It was for his dad. It was for his sister and brother-inlaw and his new nephew, and his students.” Betsy says, “His commitment to teaching was how some people would commit to marriage.” Elizabeth Davis, who worked with Dan for six years, rotating teams of the same students, praises Dan’s work in the classroom but remembers him in that holistic, more-than-a-teacher teacher way. One year, the powers-that-be assigned to his class a young man who had, like Dan, been born without his left hand. The kid stayed in his shell but Dan patiently waited. He didn’t push it. Nothing seemed different the day that student walked into Elizabeth’s class, took his seat and volunteered to answer a question as she quizzed the room. When he raised his left arm, all she could see was the smiley face drawn on his nub. She burst into laughter. He told her, “Mr. Van Auken said he used to do that to his teachers too.” (continued on page 24)
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out and about
Go ahead... just TRI it by Katie Wheeler
S
o there I was… staring at my computer at the intersection of “I haven’t tried anything new in a while” and “what’s the worst that could happen?” A couple years ago, I signed up for my first triathlon. I was online looking for a new challenge and somehow stumbled out of the running events pages and into the triathlon section – and then I apparently blacked out. For the life of me I cannot recall what made me think signing up for a triathlon was a good idea. I had no idea what went into a triathlon and had certainly never trained for one. I was on a swim team for all of about five seconds in middle school and didn’t even own a bike when I registered, but apparently my brain decided that was enough and I was good to go. I met up with a friend who was doing the same
race that I had signed up for, and had raced in triathlons before. She started telling me about things like “transitions” and “fueling,” and the more she talked, the more wine I drank. I mean, until then I didn’t even realize I would have to figure out how to swim AND bike AND run – all in the same clothes. What kind of mystery outfit can do all of those things?! The day of the race, the waves in Lake Erie were so big that they had to cancel the swim. My first foray into multi-sport events would actually be a DUathlon, or a run-bike-run, which was probably better for my survival in the long run. It went better than you probably would have expected, but I was ticked off that I was only a du-athlete and signed up right away for another triathlon. I was hooked. It’s two years later and I have fallen in love with
(continued from page 5) company of fellow park lovers! All proceeds benefit the TRAILS FOREVER Legacy Fund to preserve our national park trails. Visit conservancyforcvnp.org for tickets.
one of the oldest car shows in America, the 58th Annual Classic, Antique & Collector Car Show at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, presented with the Ohio Region Classic Car Club of America. On display are 400 classic, antique and collector cars manufactured from 1925-1990.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
Free Akron Yoga Summer Solstice Festival 6pm at Howe Meadow (FREE) 4040 Riverview Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Celebrate the beginning of summer with 108 salutes to the sun and Kirtan with the sensational Brenda McMorrow! In addition we will offer a yoga dance party, local music, healing modalities, meditations, and other fun activities for the whole family. Visit facebook.com/freeakronyoga for more information.
Akron Autism 5k Run & Walk 9am at Lock 3 ($30) 200 S Main St, Akron Let's Lace It. Race It. and Face Autism Together! Join us for the fifth annual Akron Autism 5k Run and Walk! This is a fun, healthy, and effective way to show your support for all those impacted by autism in our community and to raise funds for the Autism Society of Greater Akron. Visual Rhythm 1pm at Summit Artspace (FREE) 140 E Market St, Akron Part of Summit Artspace’s Fresh Art exhibit, at this kid-friendly workshop attendees will use words to construct a fun collage! Find your inner voice with this unique take on art and language. Visit akronareaarts.org for registration details. ‘Top Gun’ 11:15pm at The Nightlight ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron Do you feel the need, the need for speed?
SUNDAY, JUNE 21 58th Annual Father’s Day Car Show 9am at Stan Hywet ($14) 714 N Portage Path, Akron Celebrate Father’s Day at an Akron tradition and
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TUESDAY, JUNE 23 The Boiling Point: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime 7pm at Metro RTA Downtown Transit Center ($5 suggested donation) 631 S Broadway, Akron The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was first a book written by novelist Mark Haddon and then adapted by Simon Stephens. The story is set in Swindon and London, England, and is about the mystery of the death of a neighbor's dog and the investigation of the dog’s death by fifteen year-old Christopher Boone, who is on the autism spectrum. The story also explores his relationships with his parents and his school mentor. Everyone is welcome to come and read or simply listen and join the discussion afterwards.
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the world of triathlons. For someone like me who gets bored very easily in the face of routine, the idea of having three sports to pick from on training days is awesome. I’ve also found that it’s a lot kinder on my body. Swimming hurts a lot less for me than running does, and you can get so much farther on a bike in the span of an hour than you can running. You see some awesome things while you’re out there pedaling along. I still enjoy running, but the cross training has really helped me improve as a runner too. There are more opportunities in this area to get involved in multi-sport racing than you would think, and the triathlon at Munroe Falls Metropark on June 21 is the perfect race for a new duathlete or triathlete. It’s a smaller race so you don’t have to worry about fighting through a mass of people, and a lot of it is contained
Outdoor and athletic events RACES AND SPECIAL RUNS Irish 5k Run June 13, Cuyahoga Falls riverfrontirishfest.com Firestone Metro Park / Warner Road Lot June 16, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 550 E. Warner Rd., Akron Munroe Falls Triathlon June 21, Munroe Falls champracing.org Rubber City Race Series, 8k, 1 mile June 27, Akron rubbercityraceseries.org Stow Firecracker 4 Miles (4 mile and 3k) July 4th, Stow FunInStow.com Firecracker 5k and Youth Race July 4th, Hudson champracing.org Liberty Park/Pond Brook Conservation Area July 7, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 3973 E. Aurora Rd., Twinsburg Silver Creek Metro Park/Pheasant Run Area Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 5000 Hametown Rd., Norton
within the park. If the swim is the part that’s scaring you, you can practically touch the bottom for the entire swim, and the bike course is well policed. The run is nice and shady and the race finishes right along the lake. Anyone who is even remotely interested in multisport races should absolutely give it a go, and one of the best races to jump in and get your feet wet is right around the corner. Go ahead and TRI it, Akron. What's the worst that could happen? For more info on the Munroe Falls Triathlon: www.champracing.org/2015_tri_schedule/ triathlon__munroe_falls
Rubber City Race Series, Half Marathon, 10k August 15, Akron rubbercityraceseries.org
Health and Wellness Complimentary Community Classes at Lululemon Akron Showroom Saturday mornings at 9am
Ongoing Run & Ride!
APEX Running Wednesdays after work, this run starts at 6:30 pm from the Urban Eats Trailhead in Akron's Downtown Historic District and continues along the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Portage Lakes Running Club Roads - Every Tuesday at 6pm at various places around Akron Crooked River Trail Runners Trails - Every Thursday at 6:30pm at various locations in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Akron Bicycle Club Every Thursday at 6:30pm from Deep Lock Quarry Parking Lot Bike Party Akron A festive evening social ride through the City of Akron. Every 3rd Friday of the month.10-12 miles. Bring Lights, Bring Music. Ride starts @ Lock 3 @ 7pm
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Summer Around Akron
How to make the most out of your
SUMMER AROUND AKRON
Though our summer selves hibernate all winter, somewhere in the back of the mind of every Akronite there’s the small, comforting knowledge that no matter how bitter the chill or how deep the snow, one day we’ll get to play outside again. From this knowledge springs a small kernel of hope, which itself may be the core of this city’s seemingly boundless optimism, the faith that Yes, this may be bad but it’s going to get better so keep moving forward. And now, here we are, at our reward. The summer.
RECURRING EVEN TS Brew at the Zoo ($14-$31) Wednesday, June 10 at 6 - 9 pm Enjoy a casual beer tasting from local breweries as you stroll through the zoo. Tastings are included and full-size beers will be available for purchase at $4 each. This first one kicks it old school with an 80s theme. “Christmas in July” (July 15) and Football Tailgate Night (September 9) follow. Buy tickets online at akronzoo.org Akron Racers Thursday, June 11 at 7:05 pm Firestone Stadium 1575 Firestone Parkway, Akron The Racers return to Firestone Stadium to open
their season at home with Browns legend Bernie Kosar will throw out the first pitch. Later in the homestand: Superhero and Princess Day (June 14), Trick or Treat Night (June 17), Summit Co. Softball HOF night (June 21) and many other fun nights. Visit akronracers.org for details and tickets. Season runs through August 11. Akron RubberDucks Canal Park Whether it’s “Two for Tuesdays” tickets, “Thirsty Thursday” draft beers, “Friday Night Fireworks” or their many special promotions, the RubberDucks always have something for you to enjoy. Plus, baseball! Home games continue through September 3. Get details, merch and tickets at akronrubberducks.com
WONE’s Rock the Lock Fridays, May 22 - September 4 (FREE) Tribute bands perform free at Lock 3, including the aural doppelgangers for Rush, AC/DC, Bruce (continued on page 10)
The Ohio Chautauqua Series Comes to Akron!
Presented by Summit County Historical Society and the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
Tues., June 23 - Sat., June 27 @ Hardesty Park, 1615 W. Market St., Akron Performances under the big tent every night. • Local Musicians at 6:30pm. • Humanity Scholars’ Journey Stories at 7:30pm
Tues., 6/23 – Edith Russell, Titanic Survivor Wed., 6/ 24 – Olive Ann Oatman, Indian captive Thur., 6/25 – Henry David Thoreau Fri., 6/26 – J. Goldsborough Bruff, Gold Rush ‘49er Sat., 6/27 – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Youth and Adult Workshops Each Day For information, www.summithistory.org or www.facebook.com/OhioChautauquaInAkron
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summer around akron
(continued from page 9) Springsteen and George Thorogood with local opening acts like Angie Haze, Shivering Timbers, Elipsus, the Whiskey Kings and more. Gates open at 6 pm and the concerts start at 7 pm. For more information lock3live.com
Saturday Night Concerts at Lock 3 (up to $10) Saturdays, June 27 – September 5 at 6 pm The series opens with “Old School Soul,” includes tribute bands of the Stevie Wonder Experience and the Beatles then ends with the real Sheila E. For more information, visit lock3live.com
Hardesty Park Concerts (FREE) Mondays, June 8 – August 10 at 7-9 pm 1615 W. Market St., Akron Featuring Wanda Hunt Band, Howard Street Blues Band, Acid Cats and more. akronohio.gov/communityevents
Summer Biking Spree July 1 - August 31 Explore by bike the multipurpose trails managed by Summit Metro Parks – and earn rewards during this third annual event! Cycling forms with the list of trail sections available June 15 at summitmetroparks.org.
Firestone Park Concerts (FREE) Tuesdays, June 9 – August 11 at 7-9 pm 1480 Girard St., Akron Featuring The Kingbees, The Juke Hounds, Swizzle Sticks and more. akronohio.gov/communityevents Shadyside Park Concerts (FREE) Wednesdays, June 10 – August 12 at 7-9 pm 1235 Kenmore Blvd., Akron Featuring Conestoga, Southbound, JiMiller, Mystic Taxi and more. akronohio.gov/communityevents
Gospel Sundays Sundays, July 26 – August 30 at 5 pm – 7 pm Lock 4 (off Bowery St, behind the Civic) Featuring Henry Dunn’s Road to Glory on the Road, the Gospel Tracks and First Apostolic Faith Church. For more information, visit lock3live.com
Lock Bottom Blues & Jazz Club (FREE) Wednesdays, July 8 – Sept. 2 Lock 4 (off Bowery St, behind the Civic) Enjoy great blues and jazz acts like Dan Wilson, the Wanda Hunt Band, Horns & Things and The Stingers in one of Akron’s best outdoor (and most overlooked) venues. For more information, visit lock3live.com Flicks on the Falls (FREE) Falls River Square, Cuy Falls Thursdays, June 4-August 13 Family friendly film fare for free: June 18............................................... new “Annie” July 9................................................. “Paddington” August 13........................ “Muppets Most Wanted” Cartoons start just after dusk and the feature presentation starts at dark. Stadium-style seating is available but you can bring your own chairs and strollers for the kiddos. Just don’t bring your pets. More at cfo.cityofcf.com/web/our-city/falls-riversquare/flicks-falls Downtown@Dusk (FREE) Thursdays, June 18 – August 6 at 6:30-8:30 pm Akron Art Museum, One S. High St., Akron Outdoor concerts featuring The Numbers Band, Mo Mojo, Umojah Nation, Ryan Humbert and more. akronartmuseum.org Goodyear Heights Metro Park Concerts (FREE) Fridays, June 12 – August 7 at 7-9 pm 2077 Newton St., Akron Featuring Horns & Things, Dixie Soul, Juke in the Box, Gary Shreve & Memphis Prowlers and more akronohio.gov/communityevents
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Brunch on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Every Saturday and Sunday through summer The Brunch Train (“…you’re on a gravy train with biscuit wheels…”) departs Akron-Northside Station at 10:45 am. Special breakfast and lunch menus for Father’s Day on June 21. Details at cvsr.com/calendar The Market at Lock 3 Fridays, June 19 – Sept. 11 (except. July 3 or 10) Load up on fresh, local produce and specialty food items while SummaCare provides recipes and healthy eating tips. Prizes every week. Summer Concert Series (prices vary but include camping) Nelson Ledges Quarry Park 12001 Nelson Ledge Rd, Garrettsville (440) 548-2716 | nlqp.com July 10 - July 12..............................Blue Oyster Cult and David Allen Coe July 17........................................ Grateful Fest 2015 August 14..................................... Willie Nelson and Old Crow Medicine Show Sept 4.......................................Summerdance 2015
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Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival (FREE) Interactive kid’s program by UA Dance Institute at 7:45pm; Performances following at 8:45pm Akrondancefestival.org July 24-25......NEOS Dance Theatre at Firestone Park July 31-Aug 1............. GroundWorks Dance Theatre at Glendale Cemetery August 7-8.................. Verb Ballets at Hardesty Park August 14-15............................... PHILADANCO! at Goodyear Hts. Metro Park
Ohio Chautauqua (FREE) Tuesday, June 23-Saturday, June 27 Hardesty Park Education and entertainment collide at this reenactment of the famous Chautauqua movement when that red-striped tent goes up and actors portray historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry David Thoreau and Olive Ann Oatman, among others. For more information, visit Summithistory.org
Akron Symphony Orchestra Sundays July 26............................................... Firestone Park August 2.................................... Glendale Cemetery August 9.............................................Hardesty Park August 16........................Goodyear Hts. Metro Park
MON TH OF JUNE Riverfront Irish Festival June 12-14 at Falls River Square 2085 Front St., Cuy Falls Music, food, beverages, games and entertainment all weekend with a 5k on Saturday morning and mass at 11 am on Sunday. Details at riverfrontirishfest.com Free Metro Parks lake swimming Saturday, June 13 Munroe Falls Metro Park 521 S. River Rd., Munroe Falls Silver Creek Metro Park 5000 Hametown Rd., Norton Celebrate summer with a day of free lake swimming from 10 am to 8 pm. Regularly, daily admission will run you $4 for adults and teens and $3 for ages 2 to 12. Kids under 2 are free. For details, season passes and more programs, visit summitmetroparks.org Summer Concert Series and Food Truck Frenzy Sunday, June 14 at 4-8 pm Keyser Barn, 851 West Bath Rd., Cuy Falls Summer Solstice Wine, Art & Music Festival ($10) Friday, June 19 – Sunday June 21 Sarah’s Vineyard 1204 West Steels Corners Rd, Cuy Falls Admission at this 3-day outdoor festival includes tasting tickets and a Sarah’s Vineyard wine glass. Lots of food vendors and live performances by Alex Bevan, Get on UP, Brian Keith Wallen, the Alan Greene Band, Mike Lenz, Steve Cipriano Band and Mo’ Mojo. Details at sarahsvineyardwinery.com Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team vs. Akron Fire Firefighters vs. the Akron Racers Saturday, June 20 Firestone Stadium projectsummitohio.com
Rock the Docks Friday, June 26 - Sunday, June 28 2459 Canfield Rd, Akron Food, fireworks, music and lots of family-friendly fun down by Springfield Lake. On Sunday, get $3 off wristband with donation of two canned goods. For more, find Rock the Docks on Facebook. Thirsty Dog 8K & I Mile Race Saturday, June 27 InfoCision Stadium, Akron The kickoff of the inaugural Rubber City Race Series culminates with an on-field finish at InfoCision Stadium followed by a Thirsty Dog Beer Festival. REPEAT Thirsty Dog Beer Festival! Learn more at rubbercityraceseries.com Glendale Steps Murals official unveiling Saturday, June 27at 3-6 pm Glendale Steps Glendale Ave. or S. Walnut St., Akron Enjoy the murals produced by a 2014 Lock 3 Summer Arts Experience program through the City of Akron, which hired artists to develop art projects to be produced and displayed within downtown. Doubles as the end stop for the "Akron2Akron" neighborhood tour.
MON TH OF JULY Rib, White and Blue Festival (FREE admission) Wednesday, July 1 - Saturday, July 4 at 11am-11pm South Main Street Barons of the barbeque from around the world gather to battle for rib supremacy with a soundtrack that includes ZOSO, Hollywood Nights, Fleetwood Mix (not a typo) and the Akron Symphony Orchestra with the Freedom Brass Band and Alex Bevan. Details at akronribfestival.org Downtown Akron Fireworks July 4 at 9:45pm, Lock 3 Locate yourself and loved ones somewhere near downtown, affix your body/eyes in downtown’s general direction and look up at the sky near the appointed time.
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summer around akron Music by the Lake Tuesday, July 7 at 5 - 8 pm Munroe Falls Metro Park/Lake Area 521 S. River Rd., Munroe Falls Enjoy free lake swimming beginning at 5 pm and a one-hour concert by the Metro Parks Ensemble near Maple Beach Shelter at 6:30 pm.
MON TH OF AUGUST Bridgestone Invitational August 5-9 Firestone Country Club In case you want to see some of the world’s best doing their thing in person without taking too long a drive from home. Details at PGAtour.com
Italian-American Festival (FREE admission) Thursday, July 9 – Saturday, July 11 11am - 11pm Lock 3 A family-friendly festival with an “infectious Italian atmosphere” and lots of food to enjoy. Nightly concerts, including Bon Jovi tribute band Crush and Journey tribute band Separate Ways. Details available at it-am.org
summer bucket list
"It isn't summer until I have enjoyed..." How our friends are spending their Summer Vacation
“Disc golf, laying in the pool, walking the dogs in the Goodyear Metro Park and my very favorite hobby of kayaking and fishing.” — Vickie Uhl “Karaoke at the Upper Deck!” — Michael A. Black “Riding bikes on the Towpath or the Bike and Hike trail.” — Colleen Segedy
Festa Italiana! Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19 Falls River Square 2085 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls Authentic Italian food, grape stomping, Italian language lessons, morre, bocce tournaments and much more! The Festa 5k on Saturday morning with a Zumbathon from 10:30am to 2pm and mass at 11am on Sunday. Details at festaitalianacf.com African-American Festival ($10 after 5 pm) Sunday, July 19 at 11 am-9 pm Lock 3 All day festival concludes with a performance by rock band WAR at 8 pm. For more information, visit akronafricanculture.com Taste of Akron Thursday, July 23 at 6-10pm Hardesty Park 1615 W. Market St., Akron Get the full flavor of Akron by sampling appetizers, entrees and desserts from a variety of area restaurants and food trucks. Admission is free but samples’ll cost ya. Food tickets are $2 each. akronartsexpo.org/taste_of_akron.html TubaSummer Sunday, July 26 at 7 pm Guzzetta Ampitheater University of Akron 224 E. Buchtel Ave., Akron If you love the tuba like we love the tuba, we know you’re going to love TubaSummer. Summit County Fair July 28 – August 2 229 E. Howe Rd., Tallmadge (330)633-6200 | summitfair.com From rides, pig races and a petting zoo to the lemon-eating contest and the Rock ‘n Country Cloggers, the Summit County Fair has something for everyone who is interested in the kinds of family-friendly you can typically find at a county fair. Rides & concessions open at 12 pm. Admission is $6 (ages 8 and older). An all-day ride pass will set you back $14.
National Hamburger Festival ($5) Saturday, August 8 – Sunday, August 9 Lock 3 Park, Downtown Akron At this point, who cares whether Akron’s Menches Brothers really invented the hamburger? We have the National Hamburger Festival with its live music and more than 50 different ways to enjoy a good burger. Learn more at hamburgerfestival.com Flair Fest (FREE) Friday, August 14-Saturday, August 15 Lock 3 at Main Street, Akron This LGBT festival, featuring art, food and entertainment, brought the Indigo Girls to Akron last year, coinciding with 2014 Gay Games. It’s back this year to celebrate and commemorate the success of the games, featuring Four Swedes (ABBA tribute), Mystic Taxi and *the* Taylor Dayne with Alex Newell, Rachel Roberts and the Ruthless.
“Cheap seats, Rubber Ducks games.” — Dominic Caruso “Picnic on the lawn at Blossom and listen to the orchestra under the stars.” — Arnold Tunstall “Sitting on the rooftop patio at the Lockview.” — Joanna Wilson “Blueberry picking at Greenfield Berry Farm!” — Lauren Garcia-Duplain “Rent pontoons from Pier 619. Taking youngsters around Akron to historical sites including the canal locks in CVNP (Cuyahoga Valley National Park) and through town, eventually going to Canal Fulton to experience riding the canal boat in the canal.” — Brenda St Clair “Hiking the Cuyahoga River bed starting at Blue Hen Falls, ending at Buttermilk Falls.” — Alicia Wagner
“The Summit County Fair for sure!” — Sarah Emily Diaz “Take a walk in Stan Hywet's amazing gardens. Ohio Shakespeare Festival —awesome outdoor theatre. If it's raining and you want unusual shopping, visit the Bomb Shelter! Eat breakfast at Blue Door for up-scale or at the Front Door for a taste of reality served with love.” — Carolyn Behrman “Rubber Ducks game, Portage Lakes fireworks, hamburger cook off, concert at Lock 3, hiking in the most beautiful state parks in the country.” — Peggy Jolly Weaver
“The Soap Box Derby!” — Erin Stevens “Downhill longboarding” — Jonathon James Smith “The Akron Zoo! ...and the good old slip n' slide, of course.” — Rebecca Wesley Porch Rokr (FREE) Saturday, August 29 With bands, arts and lots of community, if Porch Rokr isn’t already Akron’s signature event of the summer, it’s fast on its way. This year, the party moves to a stretch along Merriman Road from Edgerton Road down to West Market. For details, keep checking porchrokr.org
“Hiking the Gorge with the grandkids and Countryside Farmers' Market—my new favorite!” — Jeanne Tassiello Jordan “Kayaking!” — Rachael Gilliland “Porch Rokr, hike to Mary Campbell cave at Gorge Park, biking from Akron to Barberton on the Towpath with a stop for Hamburger Station’s lemonade.” — Rick Pavelko “Ballet in the park.” — Laura Baker Cosentino “I love the Saturday morning markets at Countryside Farmers' Market at Howe Meadow. That defines summer and what is great about our area. It’s located within a National Park, and just 15 minutes from my house.” — Nancy Brennan “Mini-golf and drive-ins.” — Stephanie Baker
“Hiking the Summit Metro Parks!” — John Vendetti
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hike and picnic
EXPLORING THE RITCHIE LEDGES AT VIRGINIA KENDALL PARK Roots and Recovery in a Primitive Swamp Bed by M. Sophie Hamad
The Virginia Kendall Park Ledges Trail is my favorite hiking trail because it saved my life.
The Overlook at Virginia Kendall Ledges
I’ve been hiking the Ritchie Ledges at Virginia Kendall Park for as long as I can remember. My dad and I visited them, usually at my request, on many of our weekend father-daughter visits. We would often follow our hikes with a meal of toasted zatar bread with goat cheese. After leaving Ohio as a teenager, I lived in other areas with abundant natural beauty and exotic cuisine, so I didn’t think I could miss the Ritchie Ledges or my dad’s goat cheese pizzas. I was wrong, and when I moved back to my Dad’s house in Akron in May of 2007, brokenhearted and withdrawing from heroin, I realized how much I had missed them. I spent that entire summer on the Ledges Trail, sitting on boulders and thinking. Hiking gave me an escape and helped me rediscover my roots. It gave me the adrenaline rush I desired. It made me breathe, which I needed after sniffing toxic opiates for five years. When my anxiety started up, I would go hike the Ledges. When my legs and back started to feel restless, again the Ledges came to my rescue. When I felt sorrow and regret and guilt and time lost—again the Ledges, always the Ledges. Hiking the Ritchie Ledges was my private rehab. This May marked eight years opiate-free. Of course I had to celebrate by going to the Ledges. My husband and I stopped at Sanabel Middle East Bakery and took our kids and my brother for a hike and picnic. The Ledges Trail makes a big loop around the Ritchie Ledges and a large meadow. There are several shortcuts, as well as several connecting trails, so this hike can be as long or short as it needs to be. We had a short hike, because toddlers make everything take longer.
The Ledges Trail provides incredible sensory stimulation. It smells like wet earth. Trees take root on rocks and cliffs covered in moss and lichen. 320 million years ago, the Ritchie Ledges were part of a steamy swamp. The swamp deposited sand and pebble sediments that compacted and became Sharon Conglomerate, which was then shaped by erosion into its current state of pebble-speckled ledges and cliffs and boulders—a world of wonder. Starting on the paved Ledges Road at the northeast end of the parking lot, we took the first connector trail down to the Ledges Trail. This section hits all the best Ledges, as well as the Ice Box Cave. Sadly, the Ice Box Cave is currently closed to the public due to a declining bat population. It didn’t matter, though. There is so much awe-inspiring beauty radiating from the Ledges themselves that I have never actually gone into the cave farther than a few feet. (Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with fear of dark, tight spaces filled with bats.)
pieces in true Lebanese fashion and dipped into labne (strained yogurt), fresh hummous and baba ghanouje. We also tried spinach pies. The light, fluffy dough was stuffed with tangy spinach and onions. We tried both kinds of stuffed grape leaves, and both were delicious. The tender leaves were stuffed with lightly seasoned fillings: parsley onions, tomatoes and chickpeas for vegetarians, seasoned rice and beef for omnivores. Sanabel’s tabbouli was light and fresh, as was the house salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and onions in lemon dressing. We enjoyed our meal from what is quite possibly the best natural vista in Northeast Ohio. Then we stood atop the Ritchie Ledges and took in more beauty with full bellies and happy hearts. As I
stood there, with one toddler in a baby carrier on my back and his big brother at my side, I felt deep gratitude for such beauty, and for all the Ritchie Ledges have done for my soul’s path to inner peace. Above: Sanabel Middle East Bakery 308 East South Street, Akron, OH 44311 (330) 253-4505 www.facebook.com/SanabelBakery // Writer M. Sophie Hamad could eat Middle Eastern food every day.
The stone steps are another shortcut back to the paved Ledges Road. We hiked up the steps to the paved road and then to the parking lot, grabbed our picnic cooler from the car and headed toward the big meadow. We crossed the meadow to look for one of the surrounding picnic spots with a table. All of the picnic spots have tables and grills, and several have nice views. The one with the best view is near the top of the Ritchie Ledges, behind the Ledges Overlook. We found it empty, and set up our feast. We brought Sanabel’s fresh baked zatar bread, cheese bread, and pita, which we ripped into
The Ledges Trail Bridge
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The Akronist Archives
THREE SISTERS launch Kickstarter for Nepali mobile food business by Chris Miller Originally published on May 18, 2015 at akronist.com
After marrying into a Nepali family, Tiffany StacySubba realized that her new sisters-in-law have a knack for cooking “momos,” a signature dish that uses cabbage and meat in a hand-folded dumpling. Realizing the difficulty mothers face finding flexible work schedules, Stacy-Subba teamed up with her two sisters to launch Three Sisters Momo, a mobile food business that aims to bring this Nepali cuisine to neighborhoods and events around Akron.
women who have children to find employment that’s flexible.” The money donated will go toward a tent, a tarp, pots and pans, a custom-built portable sink, a /new camp stove, two portable tables and a variety of utensils.
momos
To date, the sisters-in-law have operated on a shoestring, and Charly Murphy of Stray Dog Cart has generously donated equipment to a signature dish the startup, along with that uses helping to sell and serve cabbage and meat their food. Three Sisters in a hand-folded The momos have been Momo also operated from a dumpling. popular among the refugee popup location in North Hill at community in North Hill, and the Better Block event now the three sisters are seeking May 15-17. community support to serve other Akron residents. The sisters use locally sourced ingredients, and the dumplings are naturally vegan-friendly because A recently lunched Kickstarter project seeks to raise no eggs are used in the dough. (The Akronist’s $1,800 to cover the cost of a mobile setup, with own Working Class Vegan Man, Greg Milo, had plans to expand and eventually offer employment to an opportunity to try the vegan momos and was other refugee women in the community. impressed.) “When I first married into the family, I tried to convince them that we should start a business (making dumplings). It took a while to convince them,” says Stacy-Subba. “It’s very difficult for
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
To find out more about their crowdfunding effort, search “Three Sisters Momo” on Kickstarter.com. For more info about Three Sisters Momo, visit facebook.com/3sistersmomo.
NUEVO MODERN MEXICAN & TEQUILA BAR
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR SEATING BUT ADVENTURESOME TASTE BUDS REQUIRED FOR DINING
«««««
"This is the 3rd time we've been, and the 2nd time we ate at Nuevo (the first time we went, we just had drinks). The drink selections are always unique and delicious, and the food is outstanding. My husband had the carnitas, and he absolutely loved it. I had the soft-shelled crab special, which was superb. Great atmosphere, wonderful and friendly service. We will definitely be back!!" — Dined on 5/22/2015
54 East Mill St. Akron 44308 (330) 762-8000 nuevomodmex.com Hours: M-Th 11-10, F 11-11, Sat 3-11
in the kitchen
Truckin' it with Kevin and J.J. Altomare, Chefs/Owners of
THE BEACHCOMBER TRUCK by Abby Cymerman
If you ever need to find Kevin and J.J. Altomare, they’re most likely at a local sushi spot. The brothers enjoy fresh seafood so much, they decided to add the Beachcomber Truck to their 3 Foodies portfolio of growing businesses, which already included two Hudson’s Restaurant locations and a catering company.
That’s what challenges us as chefs. You use the ingredients that you have, or that are in season, and that’s what drives me: Did we bring enough food? Did we write the right menu? Did we get the right price point? The idea is to sell out; you don’t want to bring the stuff back. What menu item do you suggest for our readers? Kevin: The lobster roll is fun and different. We poach the lobster and cool it. Then we make a creamy salad with chunks of lobster meat, tarragon and celery on a sweet split-top bun with spring greens.
“Food truck followers are getting tired of tacos and barbecue,” J.J. says. “As chefs, this creates a new avenue for us. This is beachy, coastal cuisine with
Dressed in matching aloha shirts, chefs/owners Kevin and J.J. Altomare are ready to serve coastal cuisine from The Beachcomber Truck. Floribbean flavors. We put a menu together that went along with the name of the truck.” They bought the food truck in mid-April from Kendra St. Charles, who had been using family recipes from her grandfather, the late Nick Yanko, a restauranteur whose Beachcomber Sandwich was a favorite at his Fairlawn eatery in the late 1960s and ‘70s. The Altomares have the recipe for the
sandwich and the rights to sell it when the food truck makes a stop in Fairlawn.
pretzel bun with caramelized onions, kraut and Stadium Mustard.”
“I can’t base an entire menu on one item. We have to have cuisine that makes sense,” J.J. says. “We will do a lot of shrimp, fresh fish and other items for people who don’t like seafood, like a ¼-pound hot dog wrapped in bacon and served on a
The Beachcomber Truck will hit the parking lots of Northeast Ohio until late October.
. F L E S R U O FOEUERIDSH YOUR COMMUNITY.
We almost bought a food truck six years ago to use for catering. We went to buy it, and they had sent the truck to auction that day. We pulled the trigger too late. Right after we lost that truck, we opened the Hudson’s location in Fairlawn so we wouldn’t have had time to do it so we put it on the back burner.
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JOIN US AS THE AREA’S BEST FOOD TRUCKS SERVE UP SCRUMPTIOUS LUNCHES AND TREATS TO SUPPORT CHILD GUIDANCE & FAMILY SOLUTIONS.
EVERY FRIDAY
THROUGH AUGUST 28
11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 18 NORTH FORGE ST. IN AKRON.
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What will having the food truck allow you to do from a culinary point of view? Kevin: The food truck has a short season – six months – but it's peak for local ingredients. We’re using The Pierogi Lady, Trigo’s Market Bakery out of Cuyahoga Falls and Cleveland-based companies like Cleveland Kraut. We work with Thaxton’s Organic Garlic here in Hudson; they’re like family to us. And, we buy from Sunrise Farm in Millersburg. J.J.: Over the last couple of years, we’ve done a lot of Farm-To-Table Dinners on the catering side. So when we started this truck, we said we’re going to try to do new food that has our twist on it and work with these farmers as much as possible. It helps to build relationships with them for our restaurants too. It’s brought another aspect to it; the food truck allows us to get out of the restaurant and see other things.
(AT THE CORNER OF EAST MARKET ST.)
Will the menu remain the same each time the truck goes out? J.J.: We can change the menu based on the event, where we’re going, what the demographic is, and that’s the part that intrigued us six years ago. We can create a new menu every single night.
FOLLOW AKRON FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY ON FACEBOOK FOR WEEKLY SPECIALS AND A LIST OF FOOD TRUCKS WHO WILL BE SERVING. CGFS_FTF_DS-Ad.indd 14 | THE Devil 1Strip
Why did you decide to start a food truck? Kevin: It was something that we had always toyed around with doing, and then we were approached about purchasing The Beachcomber Truck so we looked at it, and it just ended up being the right deal.
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Together, you own four businesses. Are you guys kind of crazy? J.J.: If you’re a good chef, you’ve gotta be. Kevin: Maybe we should change the name of the company to 3 Loco Foodies. To catch up with The Beachcomber Truck, follow it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. // Writer Abby Cymerman’s new favorite word is “Floribbean.”
HITTING THE ROAD Check out The Beachcomber Truck this summer at the following locations: JUNE 12, Akron Food Truck Friday, 18. N. Forge St., Akron, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. JUNE 13, Summer Second Saturdays, Downtown Hartville, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. JUNE 15, Riverfront Cruise In, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, 4-8 p.m. JUNE 19 TO 21, Sarah’s Vineyard Summer Solstice Festival, Fri. from 4-10:30 p.m., Sat. from noon to 10:30 p.m., and Sun. from noon to 6 p.m. JUNE 22, Riverfront Cruise In, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, 4-8 p.m. JUNE 26, Riverfront Concert Series by IROK, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, 5-10 p.m. JUNE 27, Hudson Flea at Evaporator Works, 51 S. Main St., Hudson, 11 a.m. to sellout JUNE 28, Adopt-a-Pet Palooza, 9500 Sweet Valley Drive, Valley View, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. JUNE 29, Riverfront Cruise In, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, 4-8 p.m.
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Akron al fresco
WHERE TO EAT LOCAL when you want to enjoy the weather outside by Abby Cymerman
ELEVATED EATS Nuevo 54 E. Mill St, Akron (330) 762-8000 nuevomodmex.com
Portage Lakes Brewing Company 503 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron (330) 644-2337
BY A BODY OF WATER Lockview 207 S. Main St, Akron (330) 252-5128 thelockview.com
On Tap Grille 562 Portage Lakes Dr., Akron (330) 644-1664 ontapgrille.com
BY THE GLASS
Upper Deck Bar 357 W. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd, Akron (330) 644-2338 upperdecklakes.com
Nauti Vine 3950 S Main St, Akron (330) 644-5444 nautivinewine.com
The Coffee Pot Café 60 S High St., Akron facebook.com/librarycoffeeshop Valley Café 1212 Weathervane Ln., Akron (330) 865-0101 valley-cafe.com
FOR SPORT The Game Bar and Grill at Canal Park 300 S Main St, Akron (330) 252-0804 thegameakron.com Edgar's 530 Nome Ave, Akron (330) 869-3000 edgarsrestaurant.com
DOWN IN THE VALLEY Johnny J’s 1282 Weathervane Ln., Akron (330) 865-6504 johnnyjspub.com
Pictured Above: The Pavilion at Sarah’s Vineyard is open for the season and they’re serving fresh pizza out there with their intoxicating wines (PHOTO: Sarah’s Vineyard/Coville Photography)
Sarah’s Vineyard 1204 W Steels Corners Rd, Cuy Falls (330) 929-8057 sarahsvineyardwinery.com Uncorked 22 N High St, Akron (330) 374-1850 uncorkedakron.com Wolf Creek Winery 2637 Cleveland Mass. Rd, Norton (800) 436-0426 wineryatwolfcreek.com
BY THE CRAFT-BREWED PINT Aqueduct Brewing 529 Grant St #106, Akron (330) 606-6583 facebook.com/AqueductBrewing Craft Beer Bar 1846 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls (234) 571-1409 craft-beer-bar.com
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT Akron Zoo 500 Edgewood Ave, Akron (330) 375-2550 Akronzoo.org Chin’s Place (outdoor garden patio) 474 W Market St, Akron (330) 434-1998 chinsplace.com
AFTER A RUN…OR BIKE…OR HIKE The Winking Lizard 1615 Main St, Peninsula (330) 467-1002 winkinglizard.com Fisher’s Café 1607 Main St, Peninsula (330) 657-2651 fisherscafe.com
WHEN YOU WANT TO CAFFEINATE YOUR EXPERIENCE Nervous Dog 1530 W Market St, Akron (330) 864-2326 nervousdog.com Angel Falls 792 W Market St, Akron (330) 376-5282
Pub Bricco 1841 Merriman Rd, Akron (330) 869-0035 pubbricco.com The Merchant 1824 Merriman Rd, Akron (330) 865-9510 themerchanttavern.com
WHEN YOU’RE FEELING “SQUARE” Aladdin’s 782 W Market St, Akron (330) 535-0110 aladdinseatery.com Mary Coyle's 780 W Market St, Akron (330) 253-1511 marycoyle.com Mustard Seed Market & Café 3885 W Market St, Akron (330) 666-7333 mustardseedmarket.com
Pictured above: The outdoor seating at the Old 97 Café’ is almost as cool as the indoor. (Photo courtesy of the Old 97 Café Facebook page)
LIVE MUSIC FRIENDLY Baxter’s 205 S Main St, Akron (234) 678-0761 baxtersbar.com Old 97 1503 Kenmore Blvd, Akron (330) 745-5493 old97cafe.vpweb.com
FALLING FOR THE FALLS Burntwood Tavern 2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Cuy Falls (330) 794-7085 burntwoodtavern.com Cashmere Cricket 2235 Front St, Cuy Falls (330) 928-8200 cashmerecricket.com Chowder House 2028 Chestnut Blvd, Cuy Falls (330) 794-7102 thechowderhousecafe.com The Firehouse Grille and Pub 2097 Front St, Cuy Falls (330) 940-2000 thefirehousegrilleandpub.com
FOR THE MARGARITA CROWD El Rancho 1666 W Exchange St, Akron (330) 864-3300 elranchoakron.com
BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SELF-PROMOTE Always read Sophie’s “Hike & Picnic” column and go where she goes. Pictured left: Since opening in May, the patio at the Mustard Seed Market and Café has been a popular spot for Highland Square residents. Photo by Paul Hoffman
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film and feast
(SUMMER)COMES EARLY WITH HOME FRIED COOKING WATCHING ‘500 DAYS OF SUMMER’ & EATING AT HARTVILLE KITCHEN by Chris Kessinger, The Film Freak MOVIE: “500 Days of Summer” (2009) STARS: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel IN A TWEET: Brilliantly original and tastefully relatable, “500 Days of Summer” is the perfect on-screen deconstruction of a relationship, and the step by step process of such a misery. WHAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT: Tom (Gordon-Levitt) is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Upon encountering his boss's beautiful new secretary, Summer (Deschanel), Tom discovers that the pair have plenty in common, despite his inability to function around her. Tom believes deeply in the concept of soul mates, and he's finally found his. Unfortunately for Tom, Summer sees true love as the stuff of fairy tales, and isn't looking for long term. Unaffected by his lover's casual stance on relationships, Tom summons all of his might and courage to pursue Summer and convince her that their love is real. WHY IT'S GOOD: This was director Marc Webb's first feature film, and in his debut he showcases a knowledge for relationship patter that very few have captured. The on-screen chemistry between
the two protagonists is believable because of its familiarity to the highs and lows of relationships past. Webb's stylish cinematography is presented in backgrounds being drawn before our very eyes. Our characters and their stories are presented in a storybook telling of sorts that is beautifully eye appeasing. On top of it, there is a killer soundtrack of classical and modern among the likes of The Smiths, The Temper Trap and Regina Spektor to name a few. HOW IT'LL SURPRISE YOU: Most romantic comedies are disliked because of their predictability, but this film totally takes the opposite direction. While it is romantic and a great watch for couples, it has no problem playing for laughs while casting an awkward aura in the room with the couple's ongoing trysts. The film plays love for being the single greatest force in the universe, but it never feels sappy or degrading to its characters. The ending is totally against anything you will ever see coming, and keep your ears open for a wink to the audience coincidence in the movie's final line. SYMBOLISM IN THE FILM: Red is intentionally not used, and the color blue is often conveyed to
WHY YOU HAVE TO GET TO A
drive-in THIS SUMMER
written by Matthew Wilkening with photos courtesy of Eric Haggard While the number of drive-in movie theaters has decreased nationwide from 4,000 to less than 350 over the past five decades, the greater Akron/ Cleveland area is somehow still blessed with no less than six active outdoor theaters. Even better, all of them have successfully made the expensive transition from film to digital projection – an unavoidable and very expensive obstacle still threatening to close about 50 of the remaining drive-ins around the country – and are now prepared to show Hollywood’s latest hit films with the same brightness and sharpness as your local indoor theatre. If you haven’t been to the drive-ins in years, you should also know that in addition to massively
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upgrading the occasionally dim or out-of-focus picture quality, these venues have also kissed the tiny, tinny window-hanging speakers goodbye in favor of gorgeous FM stereo broadcasts. So it’s the perfect summer to introduce or re-acquaint yourself to the Midway Twin, Magic City, Blue Sky, Aut-O-Rama, Mayfield Road and Lynn Auto drive-ins. Every night between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, you can bring as many family and friends as you can (safely) fit into your car and catch two hit movies under the stars, typically at a total cost of less than two normal movie tickets. To make your night out even more fun, several of the local theaters have playgrounds for the kids, and the Midway Twin is planning a series of special
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represent love or happiness. Also, the film's blue-centric color scheme was done to intentionally bring out Zooey Deschanel's eyes. FARMER'S FEAST: A relaxing and peaceful drive down State Route 619 will transport you to a land of fields as far as the eye can see, and some of the best home cooking that Summit County has to offer. Hartville Kitchen opened in 1966 as a Mom and Pop owned small restaurant. Its influence in Hartville and surrounding cities grew immensely when word broke of its deliciously hunger quenching soul food, as well as tasty desserts to buy that will give you memories that last for days. The portions are generous, and the prices are cheap enough to lure you into their country gift shop full of sweets and irresistible goodies.
experience by adding on some of their savory Mashed Potatoes and Jojo's to complete a three piece hunger healing. Be sure to save room for dessert however, as the pies are entirely out of this world. The Black Raspberry or Dutch Apple is a safe bet, but the Cherry pie offers a sweet taste of what this township really has to offer. // Chris Kessinger is the Devil Strip’s resident reviewer. For more of his work, visit thefilmfreak.com
FILM FREAK SUGGESTION: You have to go with the delicious fried chicken if you are a first timer. Summit County has always been famous for producing some of the very best chicken that the country has to offer, and a lot of that comes from this true gem in Hartville. Complete the
pre-movie concerts on their brand-new musical stage. North Ridgeville’s Aut-O-Rama will also be bringing back “Retro Tuesdays,” a weekly series matching up two classic, crowd-pleasing films. This year’s schedule is still being finalized, but in previous years we’ve caught “The Blues Brothers” with “Animal House,” “The Breakfast Club” with “Pretty in Pink,” and “Jaws” with “Jurassic Park” on local screens. (The Midway Twin is pondering a few special “Retro” weekends for later in the year.) If you’re new to this experience, here’s a handy three-point Drive-In Survival Guide. First off, remember that your hard-working local theater operators make most of their money from food and drink sales, as the lion’s share of your ticket purchase goes straight back to the movie studio. So either load up at the concession stand, or if you’re bringing your own grub, do the right thing and pay the small outside food & beverage fee required by most of these establishments. Second, have warm clothes ready - even the warmest summer evenings can get chilly as it gets late. Lastly, check out the owner’s manual for your car and get to know exactly how your car’s accessory mode works, to make sure you have your headlights off and your radio on in a way that won’t drain your battery. (Don’t worry, they have a jump-start kit on hand if things do go awry!) // Matthew Wilkening is the Akron-based Editor-in-Chief of ultimateclassicrock.com
Hartville Kitchen 1015 Edison St. Hartville, OH 44632
Theatres:
MIDWAY TWIN DRIVE-IN THEATRE State Road 59 (1/2 Mile East of Kent. West of Ravenna): funflick.com/midway.html MAGIC CITY TWIN DRIVE-IN THEATER 5602 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Barberton: magiccitydrive-in.com BLUE SKY DRIVE IN THEATER 959 Broad Street, Wadsworth: blueskydrive-in.com AUT-O-RAMA TWIN DRIVE-IN THEATER 33395 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville: autoramadrivein.com MAYFIELD ROAD DRIVE-IN THEATER 12100 State Road 322 (Just West of State Rd. 44): funflick.com/mayfield.html LYNN TWIN DRIVE-IN Junction of State Routes 21 & 250, Strasburg: lynndrivein.com
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the wanderer
THE DISH
A Vegetarian’s (brief)
Guide To Eating in Akron curated by Jessica Conti
BREAKFAST The crepes at the Blue Door Bakery and Cafe
dining out in akron by Holly Brown
Breakfast Burrito at Birchwood Tavern 2 eggs any style (poached), hashbrowns, and toast at Akron Family
LUNCH Baked Potato soup at The Stew Pot Kitchen Avocado sushi and Edamame at Cilantro
DINNER The #6: cheddar cheese and apples (remove the bacon) at the Lockview Veggie burger with sprouts, avocado, roasted red peppers, and cheese at Pub Bricco The “Bambino” Pizza at Three Palms
DESSERT Toffee Sundae at Mary Coyle’s Any smoothie at Mustard Seed Cafe
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
One of the most difficult things about moving to a new city is leaving all of the friends you stuff your face with on the regular behind. Consequently, one of the best things about living in a new city is sharing that city with your favorite people who have never been there. Keelie and I have been best friends since we were ten years old. Possibly my and Keelie’s favorite activity is talking about/eating cheese of all kinds; thus we get along pretty well. In the middle of May, Keelie and her boyfriend, Joe, came to visit me in Akron for the first time. And, if you have read this column before, you can probably guess what the major Akron highlights were: food. Disclaimer: picking the few places to take them in three days was excruciating; there’s about a thousand more places I wanted to take them (just means you’ll have to come back, right guys?!). Keelie had read my first column and as soon as she told me she was coming, her exact words were: “Can we go to that grilled cheese place?” Night one: Lockview. It’s basically impossible to dislike grilled cheese, especially when you can choose to have it one of thirteen different ways. Of course we started with beer and mac and cheese bites before fried cheese. I’m pretty sure our server came back no less than three times to see if we had decided on sandwiches. If you can think way way back to the first time you went to the Lockview, perhaps you can remember how difficult it is to pick your first grilled cheese. After much deliberation, Joe ordered The Number Six (cheddar, apples, bacon) and Keelie went with the infamous Number Twelve (American, mashed potatoes). I had to have The
Number Four (Mozz, sundried tomato pesto, arugula, parmesan) because on this particular day, that was my favorite one (my favorite Lockview grilled cheese changes probably multiple times in one day… just saying).
no way for me to resist the Mani Siracha Chicken Tacos because the promise of not only aged cheddar but also peanut sauce was too enticing. One last word of advice: when at Nuevo, always get the pepita green beans.
Since we had already done the cheese-scapade, night two was for something different. First, pre-dinner drinks at the new Mustard Seed Market in Highland Square. As I live in Highland Square, I am all about this place. You get a great view of the whole square, even some of the downtown skyline. I think standing up there may have been the real game changer in getting Keelie and Joe to truly love Akron. There’s something about seeing the rugged beauty of the city from all the way up there that really makes you happy to be right where you are. Maybe that’s true of all rooftop beer drinking, but I digress.
On their last night in Akron, Maya and I decided to take Joe and Keelie on our typical Thursday night escapade, to fully immerse them in our weekly rituals.
After sunset and some beers, we made our way to Nuevo for a Mexican feast. The margarita flight is a must at Nuevo, so obviously we ordered three of them…and house guacamole (Joe revealed his deep love of avocados to me at this very moment, hard core taking down some guac). Keelie’s favorite marg was the passion fruit, Joe’s the raspberry. As for me, I have a hard time resisting the jalapeño cilantro because hot damn (literally) I’ve never had anything like it before, and though I do love the sweet stuff, I’m all about that spice. It was another tough dinner decision but the end results were as follows: Achiote BBQ Pork Tacos for Joe, Michelada Shrimp Tacos for Keelie, and ultimately there was
4. Swing by Matinee for one more drink.
1. Drinks at Mustard Seed on the patio (a newer addition). 2. Quick slice of pizza at Capri (mushroom for me…mmmmm). 3. Power hour at Ray’s Pub (8-9 on Thursdays means $1 Rolling Rocks for this guy!)
5. Mr. Zub’s because there is actually not a single person that visits that doesn’t have to see the place with the mac and cheese and bacon sandwich. It is a staple of my Akron descriptions. Back at my apartment, eating Zub’s, amid questions such as: “How do you not weigh 5,000 pounds living around all of this crazy food?” (I ask myself that daily.) Keelie and Joe told me how much they truly loved Akron, and I couldn’t have been happier to know I showed it off right.
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Music, Bars & Nightlife
CELEBRATING
JCK’s homecoming birthday at Musica
Maid Myriad with The Beyonderers and The Fine Constant by Madison Cummins
Walking into Musica on May 23 was like walking through a festive, celebratory homecoming of musicians, families, and friends. The main act was Maid Myriad consisting of lead singer and guitarist Jeff Klemm, drummer Greg Meisenberg, and bassist Mario Tonathy. After their 40-show tour titled Woven In Haste, Maid Myriad ended with a show at home in Akron. The first words that came out of Jeff’s mouth were, “Holy hell, is it good to be back in Akron. Hello family and friends.” Playing music off of their last album as well as some newer songs, Maid Myriad provided an explosion of lively rock music with incredible,
melodic lyrics. The crowd was on their feet singing along with their heads bobbing. What blew me away about Maid Myriad was their spirited energy and Jeff’s amazing, crystal clear vocals.” Their sound is heavy and ruminating while staying melodic and their presence is very memorable. A favorite song of mine was called “Shake Them Off”. Opening for Maid Myriad were The Beyonderers and The Fine Constant. The Beyonderers, made up of guitarist Dave Rich, keyboardist Stephanie Falk, bassist Andrew Rich and drummer Anne Lillis say they play “future surf music.” I would describe them as the perfect musicians to play in
Music & COncerts
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10
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The Womacks 5:30pm at Howe Meadow (FREE) 4040 Riverview Rd, Peninsula This unique Americana folk/rock quartet from north-central Ohio shares beautiful three-part vocal harmony and sincere lyrical insights, with highenergy musical passages reminiscent of the days of tie-dye and vinyl.
THURSDAY, JUNE 11 Bob Niederriter Trio 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($10) 47 E Market St, Akron Join us in welcoming back one of Northeast Ohio’s leading names on the jazz guitar, Bob Niederriter, as he joins forces with Columbus-based B3 organist & pianist, Jim Luellen, and renowned bassist, Roger Hines. This will be a very special Thursday at BLU, indeed!
FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Soul Asylum 8pm at Hard Rock Live ($15) 10777 Northfield Rd, Northfield Formed in the summer of 1981 by high school friends Dan Murphy, Karl Mueller, and Dave Pirner, Soul Asylum (named Loud Fast Rules up until 1983) quickly became frontrunners of American college rock, following in the tradition of fellow Minnesota bandsHüsker Dü and The Replacements. They’ve been topping the charts ever since!
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a 1950’s surf movie recreated by Quentin Tarantino. I was blown away by Dave’s guitar skills and the band’s badass drummer Anne Lillis. The Fine Constant—guitarist Sarah Longfield, guitarist Steve-O Wilkes and drummer Steve Meyer—returned home after touring alongside Maid Myriad in the Woven In Haste Tour. What I loved about this group of musicians was the technicality of their guitar playing skills. Their songs would go from intense alternative songs to slower, dreamy tunes that kept the audience on their toes.
After this show, I wish I could have seen The Fine Constant and Maid Myriad on tour in some of their other venues and I’ll be keeping an eye out for The Beyonderers. Not only was this gang of bands celebrating the end of the successful Woven In Haste Tour, but it was also Jeff’s birthday.” By the end of the night, there was a sea of satisfied audience members singing Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs.
Liz Woolley Band 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($12) 47 E Market St, Akron The Liz Woolley Band is a jazz/pop quintet featuring the original music of singer/songwriter Liz Woolley as well as the arranging and musical talents of guitarist Dennis Hodges, vibraphonist Dylan Bram, bassist John Allen, and drummer Brian Ellerman. The Liz Woolley Band blends a traditional jazz sound with modern pop influences to showcase the wonderful voice and overall musicianship of Liz and the musical prowess of the instrumentalists that stands behind her. The Outer Vibe with Kate Tucker + The Sons of Sweden and The HolyWalk 8pm at Musica ($10) 51 E Market St, Akron Through their music and live performance, The Outer Vibe captures a “Big America” energy that is larger than a 1960s Detroit assembly line. Their sound is a collage of the motor city’s passion and power, the upbeat, good feelings of the West coast, and a cinematic southwestern nostalgia, a blend they like to call “surf disco.” Seattle-born, Nashville-based Kate Tucker + the Sons of Sweden play lush, layered indie rock with sparkling melodies and shimmering soundscapes.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Long Tall Deb 5:30pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron It’s not just her honey and molasses-soaked voice or her keen, nuanced songwriting that blend experience with a hint of mysticism (Long Tall Deb’s Texas/Mexico border roots are never far away from
her songwriting). What Long Tall Deb brings to the studio and the stage is nothing short of one-ofa-kind. She goes beyond the “my-man-done-mewrong” songs to paint a stunning picture that is deep, full-bodied and a reflection of who she is. David Mayfield’s Bluegrass Parade 7:30pm at G.A.R. Hall ($15) 1785 Main St, Peninsula David Mayfield grew up playing bass and touring with his family’s bluegrass band. As a teenager he established himself as a hot picker collecting national awards for his dexterity on guitar and mandolin. He took his skills and personality when he joined the bluegrass outfit Cadillac Sky, playing sold out shows with British folk revivalists Mumford and Sons. Join us for a rare acoustic appearance from this grammy nominated artists, as David returns to his Bluegrass roots and brings some of his favorite “pickers” with him to the G.A.R. Hall! Rob Thomas 8pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($43) 182 S Main St, Akron Rob Thomas has been one of modern music’s most compelling and commercially successful artists for well over a decade – between Matchbox Twenty, his solo work, and his various collaborations with iconic artists like Santana, Mick Jagger and Willie Nelson, his tally now stands at more than 80 million albums sold worldwide. Don’t miss this performance with special guest Plain White T’s! Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions 8pm at Blossom Music Center ($44) 1145 W Steels Corner Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Get ready as Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions is coming to Blossom Music Center! The classic
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spotlight
Cinderella’s Tom Keifer with Special Guests Joey D of Liquid & former Warrant guitarist Billy Morris playing a tribute to Jani Lane
Thursday, June 18 at 7:30pm Akron Civic Theatre ($27) 182 S Main St, Akron This great night of music will be led by Cinderella's Tom Kiefer performing all the Cinderella hits, and songs from his new album. Joining him on stage will be Billy Morris, former guitarist of Warrant. This concert is a tribute to Jani Lane (John Oswald), the founding lead singer and front man for the MultiPlatinum selling artist Warrant. Also taking the stage for a song will be Eric Oswald, Jani's brother.
games that you all remember will be brought to life by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as they perform live in perfect synchronization with the video footage. Don't miss this unbelievable opportunity to meet-up with friends catch, battle, and trade Pokémon from your favorite games in a way you've never seen before!
MONDAY, JUNE 15 Arson’s Harbor with Entrendre and Firmament 7pm at Empire Concert Club ($7) 1305 E Tallmadge Ave, Akron Forming in a small suburban basement in Lynchburg, VA, Arson’s Harbor is an alternative rock band with only one goal in mind: to write loud, heavy, face-melting songs. Entendre combines wailing guitars, thunderous drums, chilling vocals and a heavy dose of synth.
Tuesday, June 16 Boys Of Zummer Tour With Fall Out Boy And Wiz Khalifa 7pm at Blossom Music Center ($20) 1145 W Steels Corner Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa & Hoodie Allen come to Blossom Music Center! The pop punk pioneers co-headline with the Blacc Hollywood MC on what was very nearly called The Happy Buddies Fun-Time Hugs And Hangouts And Bunnies And Unicorns Tour With Wiz Khalifa And Fall Out Boy. Thankfully, Wiz decided that it was "…the dumbest tour name I've ever heard", and they decided to go for The Boys of Zummer Tour instead. Either way, it's going to be the highlight of your summer! Book your tickets now – this one's going to sell fast!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Clear Water 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($8) 47 E Market St, Akron With their music being compared to the bass drops of Skrillex, grooves to Soundgarden, and overall feel to 70s Miles Davis, Clear Water is pushing the
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Jeff Klemm & The Letters Friday, June 19 at 8pm
Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron Jeff Klemm may be the Hardest Workin’ Man in Akron Show Business, or so it seems between his touring with Maid Myriad, recording, running sound and the 15* other bands he’s in. This appearance at Jilly’s marks the first full show for his side project with The Letters, which highlights his “crooning acrobatic vocals” and spiderweb fingerpicking acoustic guitar. They’ll be joined by Scott Paris and his group of assorted vagabonds bringing danceable, singable, get-drunkable goodness wherever they go, and Witch Fist: loud and heavy, soft and pretty, wherever the musical ebb and flow takes them. (*may not be the actual number of bands in which JCK plays)
envelope in the music world. The union of this electronic/acoustic duo is greatly defining the sound of the “Electro Jazz” – a jazz fusion subgenre comprised of dubstep, rock, and jazz.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Cinderella’s Tom Keifer with Special Guests Joey D of Liquid & former Warrant guitarist Billy Morris playing a tribute to Jani Lane 7:30pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($27) 182 S Main St, Akron This great night of music will be led by Cinderella's Tom Kiefer performing all the Cinderella hits, and songs from his new album. Joining him on stage will be Billy Morris,former guitarist of Warrant. This concert is a tribute to Jani Lane (John Oswald), the founding lead singer and front man for the MultiPlatinum selling artist Warrant. Also taking the stage for a song will be Eric Oswald, Jani's brother.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
Danstravaganza, Pt. 2: Drummer, Houseguest and The Man I Fell In Love With
Sunday, June 21 at 7pm Musica ($25) 51 E Market St, Akron What happens when three beloved local bands reunite to honor their friend Dan Van Auken, a marathon-running, movie-loving math teacher who passed away from brain cancer last year at the age of 34? Well, they sell-out 400 tickets for the first show at Tangier in just three hours and have to open up a second night at Musica. Whether you’re going because you love Houseguest, are in the know about overlooked underground band The Man I Fell In Love With, or never got to catch Pat Carney’s side project Drummer, your attendance at the Danstravaganza will help his students and CIS colleagues in Wadsworth construct a running track and name it Van Auken Field in his memory.
Jeff Klemm & The Letters with Scott Paris & The Assorted Vagabonds and Witch Fist 8pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron Don’t miss local favorites Jeff Klemm & The Letters, highlighting his crooning acrobatic vocals and spiderweb fingerpicking acoustic guitar, at Jilly’s Music Room! Joined by Scott Paris and his group of assorted vagabonds bringing dancable, singable, get-drunkable goodness wherever they go, and Witch Fist: loud and heavy, soft and pretty, wherever the musical ebb and flow takes them.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Lady Antebellum 7pm at Blossom Music Center ($32) 1145 W Steels Corner Rd, Cuyahoga Falls The all-star country trio Lady Antebellum are back and joined by top supporting artists Hunter Hayes & Sam Hunt. This will be a night of fantastic country pop music!
Dan Pugach Nonet 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($12) 47 E Market St, Akron Dan Pugach Nonet features Pugach’s original compositions and contemporary arrangements of the Great American Songbook. Drawing influence from the legendary Gil Evans, Maria Schneider and Thad Jones, Dan also integrates middle eastern traditions from his homeland Israel as well as Brazilian nuances from his studies in Rio de Janiero. This exciting new arrangement of the Nonet features five-horns up front, bass trombone and acclaimed New York jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis.
The Temptations and The Four Tops 8pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($45) 182 S Main St, Akron For more than forty years, The Temptations have prospered, propelling popular music with a series of smash hits, and sold-out performances throughout the world. The Four Tops were one of soul music’s most popular and long-lived vocal groups. This quartet from Detroit endured for more than 40 years without a single change in personnel. This is a night of music you won’t want to miss!
Scars on 45 8pm at Musica ($12) 51 E Market St, Akron Presented by 91.3 The Summit, British alt-rock ensemble Scars on 45 make yearning, melodic pop that combines the big guitar rock of Oasis with the melodic, country-influenced sound of Fleetwood Mac. Their music has been featured on CSI: New York and Grey’s Anatomy.
Drummer, Houseguest and The Man I Fell in Love with for Danstravaganza 7pm at Musica ($25) 51 E Market St, Akron Three great local bands getting back together to honor their friend Dan Van Auken. Dan was a great man who passed away far too early last year at the age of 34 after a battle with brain cancer. All proceeds from this Danstravaganza concert
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Music, Bars & Nightlife
will go toward the building of a running track to be enjoyed by future generations of Wadsworth students, where Dan was a teacher.
MONDAY, JUNE 22 Ben Nichols of Lucero 8pm at Musica ($13) 51 E Mill St, Akron Ben Nichols is the frontman of Lucero, an American country-punk rock band based in Memphis, Tennessee. Their punk rock roots flavour their now “country-ish” music, while their Southern roots give them the twang that they have come to be known by. This solo tour will feature stripped-down versions of Lucero tracks, as well as Ben Nichols’s own solo work.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Little Yellow Dog with Anderson Ferry Band and Ezefeld 7pm at Empire Concert Club 1305 E Tallmadge Ave, Akron Little Yellow Dog’s music has melodic influences from folk and country, while the lyrical content tends to take a page out of indie and punk artists arsenal. Anderson Ferry has a mix of funk, psychedelic rock, and jam music, while Ezefeld is an experimental band who encourages you to decide for yourself what his music is. J Roddy Walston and the Business 8:30pm at Musica ($16) 51 E Market St, Akron For J. Roddy Walston & The Business, embracing weirdness means a mumble-out-loud celebration of that great and terrible burden of being human. Forcing the oft-clashing worlds of art and rockand-roll to make nice, the band deals in a scrappy yet sublime sound that honors both their Southern roots and punk spirit.
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'Heaven isn't too far away’
Music, Bars & Nightlife
REMEMBERING
ROCKER
JANI LANE by Jenny Conn
Those of us who lived the Akron area’s hair metal glory days know Jani Lane’s story well. We followed him through his early bands at the Akron Agora, Ramone’s, Filthy McNasty’s in Kent and Peabody’s Down Under in the Flats. We were wild with pride when he went to L.A. and the rest of the world caught on to his talent. And when Lane’s star rocketed in the mid-80s with Warrant we all took the ride with him.
On June 18, the Akron Civic Theater hosts a tribute to this hometown boy, which benefits Lane’s two daughters and was put together by friends who loved and respected him from his childhood in Brimfield to his untimely death at 47 years old. The headliner is Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, with special guest Joey D of Liquid and former Warrant guitarist Billy Morris playing the band’s hits.
Lane, born John Oswald, died unexpectedly in California in August 2011. The details of his death are sketchy at best yet widely reported. But this isn’t a story about his tragic end. It’s about a local boy who made good; a boy who instinctively knew how to meld his natural talent and fierce dedication to make it to the rock ‘n roll big time. WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
Music, Bars & Nightlife
Young rockers in Brimfield
Quick rise to stardom
Randy Arehart first met John Oswald at the age of 15. Oswald went to Field and Arehart, who is co-organizing the tribute, went to Mogadore. The boys met through youth football leagues and rival bands. In those days, young rockers had plenty of local talent shows to play.
Graduating from high school in 1982, Oswald had a football scholarship to Kent State University but he chose music instead. His band Cyren was gaining prominence, opening for popular bands such as Risque at McNasty’s and the Agora. Cyren soon made way for the band Dorian Gray.
“We were the kids wearing bandanas out of our back pockets and gigantic combs,” Arehart says. “We were wearing spandex with leg warmers back when we were 16 years old.”
Oswald moved to Florida in 1983, still drumming in Dorian Gray until Risque front man Dave Brooks advised him to get out from behind the drums and sing. Oswald followed Brooks’ advice. He formed Plain Jane with future Warrant drummer Steven (Chamberlin) Sweet, adopted the stage name Jani Lane and the two moved to L.A. By 1986, Plain Jane was a well-known act on the Strip.
Tall and athletic, Oswald was a talented quarterback, got excellent grades in school and was already dedicated to music. The youngest child in a large musical family, Oswald was turned onto the Beatles classics by his older brother, Eric, which fine-tuned his ear for melody. Oswald would often be found after school sitting on his bed, guitar in hand, picking out melodies with catchy hooks. “When you walked into his room when he was just learning to play acoustic, you felt he had been playing for a long time,” Arehart says. “He also played piano and he was a most incredible drummer.” The boys listened to the Babies, AC/DC and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Although music was the focus, they sometimes cut loose, scoring Canei wine, which they’d drink by the railroad tracks in Mogadore or out behind White’s Fish Farm. Sometimes they’d set up a card table in the yard and play poker, Monopoly or Life. But beyond Oswald’s musical skill, there was something different about him. “You just knew being around him—his aura, his presence— he was going to be the leader of the team, the driver of the car and he was going to be a superstar,” Arehart says. “He thought the whole thing through and he was going to do whatever it took to make his dreams come true.”
According to local legend, Lane and Sweet were considering moving back to Florida when they came back to their rehearsal studio to find a note on the door from Warrant founder Erik Turner, asking them to jam with his band. Warrant was already gaining notoriety and by 1987, Lane and Sweet had joined a band on the rise.
a pre-release tour that brought the band to Peabody’s. At the time, Morris’s band Spoyld was the biggest glam metal band in Cleveland and a natural opening act for Warrant. On that tour, Lane and Morris, who was in Warrant from 1999 to 2006, began a friendship that lasted to the end of Lane’s life. About the same time, Arehart got a surprise call from Lane asking a favor. The song “Down Boys” was in a competition on MTV and Lane wanted his old friends to call and vote for the song to make the countdown. “I said whatever you want brother, let’s make it happen,” he says. “Back then you were still flyering telephones poles and stores, doing whatever you could to get the word out.” It worked. Arehart was starstruck when a few days later the video aired and there was his childhood buddy John on MTV.
True to his roots, Lane always came home for holidays, making appearances at his old haunts, Ramone’s and heavy metal Sunday nights at McNasty’s. That’s where Morris first met Lane, when a soundman pointed Lane out telling Morris, “That guy’s going to be a superstar.” Local musicians all knew Lane was on the move. “He used to come watch us at Ramone's and play foosball with us,” said John Stevens, Autumn’s Ruin guitarist. “It was an exciting time for our scene. He got signed. It gave us all pride and hope….” With videos playing a huge role in music, Lane’s good looks and songwriting prowess contributed significantly to Warrant’s success. Signed by Columbia in 1988, Warrant’s first album, “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich,” had four hit singles. Among them, “Heaven,” a song Lane had written at 17, charted at #2 on the Billboard 200. Lane wrote most of the band's big hits, including “Cherry Pie,” “Down Boys” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” co-written with his brother Eric. Prior to the debut album, Warrant did
“We did our customary Crown and Coke before we walked on stage but it wasn’t that binge drinking,” he says. “They wanted me to keep him straight, which I did.” He remembers when a New Year’s Day show in New Jersey was cancelled because of a snow storm, closing the airports. “He wanted to see his kids so badly, we rented a car and drove home,” Morris says. “We got lost in Philadelphia and at midnight we’re sitting in the car, it’s snowing and we’re eating cheesesteaks.”
Love of friends, family and sports No goodbyes Friendship mattered to Lane and he was passionate about Ohio sports. A favorite memory for Morris is going with Lane in 1993 to a Browns game against the Redskins: “It was a driving ice storm and he said to me, ‘I would rather be here right now than at the Led Zeppelin reunion.’” Lane also wanted his friends to be successful. In the early years, whenever Warrant was coming to town, Lane would give Morris the heads up to book a gig for his own band. Then Lane would announce from the stage of the Richfield Coliseum that after the show the band was going to the bar Morris’s band was playing. “There would be like 2,000 people there,” Morris said. “The band would come up and destroy our equipment for an hour and we would love it.” Even when the grunge scene moved in and metal began to lose momentum, Warrant continued recording and touring. But the lifestyle was taking a toll on Lane. He brought Morris into the fold in 1999, in part because he needed someone from home he could relate to. “He loved L.A., he loved that superstar mentality, but he got me in the band so he could relate to someone,” Morris says. “He wanted me because I could relate to the Buckeyes, the Browns, the Indians and we could watch sports and room together and really live Ohio.”
The last time Morris saw Lane was in February 2011 when he looked fit and seemed clear. He and Morris had been planning a summer tour with an all-Cleveland band and had high hopes for the summer. But it never happened. “I loved the guy like a brother,” Morris says. “I owe him everything because he made my rock-and-roll dreams come true.” A few months before Lane’s death, Arehart was in L.A. He got a pass to be on set of “That Metal Show” the day Lane was to be there. “I asked him to come home,” he remembers. “I was offering words like a father. But I could see the grasp of where we’d been some 30 years before was a gray area, a cloud in his memory.” A few months later Arehart got a call from a member of Faster Pussycat about Lane’s death, which had not yet hit the news. “It hit me that I lost a childhood buddy,” he says. “I only saw the things the guy ever did that were great. He was a hometown guy. He loved life and loved his children. He was the most magnetic guy.” A few Lane tribute events on the West Coast have been held in bars. Arehart and Morris want this tribute show to honor Lane’s life in the right way. “We’re doing this at the Civic,” Arehart says. “It’s theater, not a bar and it‘s seven miles from where the guy grew up.”
Morris was able to help keep the partying down.
John dancing with Kathy Rice
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
The Jani Lane Tribute show is Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. Buy tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 330-253-2488.
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in the crowd
House parties and the Akron DIY circuit with
Penny Arcade written by Jessica Conti with photos by Victor Petrella
For Nick Muffet, making music was never a question, but rather an answer. In high school, he created Penny Arcade as a place to house his confessional-style songs that reference literature, death and growing pains. Inspired by emo legends before him, Muffet wanted to give his musical endeavor the room to grow organically without being limited to only his birth name. Even if at the core, Penny Arcade is just Nick Muffet. Growing up in Ohio creates a certain perspective that only people from similarly-sized Midwestern towns can understand. It’s hidden in the drastic weather changes and the way that the seasons are either never ending or so brief they are forgotten. It’s the kind of environmental influence that challenges its residents’ moods, their sense of normalcy, and usually fosters some extreme creativity even if it was painful to get there. For Muffet, this helped challenge him lyrically. “I am definitely a product of my environment. The seasons, for example, I think correlate with our
moods and outlooks. That’s something that comes through in a few songs. Any references to the seasons in songs, I think might carry a little more weight coming from here.”
Akron from the suburbs to downtown and they all share one common thread: everyone loves music.
Penny Arcade tackles heavy topics and Muffet’s kind demeanor elevates his songs to another level of thinking. Over the course of Penny Arcade’s existence, Muffet too has grown-up. He’s moved on from drinking Polar Pops and skateboarding in parking lots to working at a record store and finishing up a degree in business. He’s the anti-pop punk hero with an increasingly pop-punk aesthetic. As he ages, so does his music. His songs are getting more emotionally complex while adopting a poppier sensibility and it’s working really well.
Muffet’s favorite house to play is It’s a Kling Thing! which has been around in some capacity since 2007. It supports both local and national underground bands. Muffet plays at It’s a Kling Thing! the most and is incredibly inspired by the scene they have helped create and continue to help grow. “Everyone is really welcoming and nice. I think the fact that everyone wants to contribute to and be a part of the scene is what ties it together more-so than each band sounding a certain way does,” says Muffet. As an acoustic act, Muffet benefits greatly as he needs less time to set up and has greater flexibility than full-sized bands.
Muffet has found an outlet and a place for his songs in the Akron D.I.Y. house show circuit. Akron has a plethora of houses that open themselves up as music venues. Sometimes these shows happen in sweaty crowded basements, sometimes on living room couches, and occasionally in both. These houses are spread throughout various parts of
Currently Muffet is collaborating with local musician Zach Myer’s who previously drummed for the Origin Animate. Together, Muffet and Myer’s plan to turn Penny Arcade into much more than an acoustic act. While it started as Muffet’s solo project he wants everyone he works with to have as much creative control and freedom as they want
to have. “That’s what I’m most excited about; is for someone else’s musical tastes and habits to influence Penny Arcade and make it something more interesting.” Muffet plans to spend the summer playing shows with a full band both in Akron and in other cities (mostly) for the first time. With Myer’s, Muffet intends to create new music, push himself harder, and record the best possible recording he’s released up until this point. Even if that means stepping outside of the boundaries of self-recording. Muffet explains, “We (Myer) both really love recording and self-recording means a lot to me, but I’m definitely ready to take the next step and make something that sounds professional and that I’m willing to call an official release -- not a demo like everything else I’ve put out. We’ll see what happens. If that means going to a studio to record, so be it.” This is the start of the next Penny Arcade chapter, the one Muffet has been working on since he was a teenager. But for the rest of us, it’s just the beginning and we cannot wait.
What I’d find on those Lawson's
SPINNER RACKS? by Isaac Kelley By 1993, at the age of 11, I had become hooked on superhero comic books. I enjoyed the melodramatic conflict and the morality play nature and the soap opera storylines, however the thing I liked best about these comic books was the shared universes. Almost every title published by the two major American comic book publishers, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, treated all the other books in in the publishing line as being part of the same fictional universe. Most of these books had been running for hundreds of issues, stretching back decades. Starting to read from the beginning was simply not a valid approach to these stories. In the history of the human storytelling there has never been anything quite like the dense, jumbled, group-authored narratives created by the shared universe storytelling of DC and Marvel Comics. Every issue of every story set within those universes is a tiny part of a colossal Uberstory, a work of graphic literature so dense that reading the entire thing is all but mathematically impossible. I had always been a voracious reader, but these superhero comics were a wholly different kind of thing.
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At the time I began reading these books, there was no Wikipedia and there were no message boards. I didn't have anyone to explain what was going on in these titles. I had no road map to these worlds. For me, that made diving into them all the more exciting. The only way for me to learn was to read as many books as I could. The thing was, I didn't have a lot of money. I was a kid from a working class family and at a $1.50 for seven minutes worth of entertainment, comics poised a questionable value proposition. Never mind the fact that I would re-read each issue over and over again, you could rent a video game for a whole weekend at the price of one comic book. I tried to buy the four Superman titles and Green Lantern every month. That pretty much ate up my entire comic book budget. In those days any decent drug store or supermarket would have a rotating wire display rack that would display about forty different titles for sale, called a spinner rack. That is where I would go to buy my comic books. Whenever my mom would go shopping, I would come with her and make a beeline for the spinner rack. I would
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pour through as many books as I could before my mom grabbed me, with no intention or ability to buy the ones I was reading. Soon, that wasn't enough. There were more titles to read than my mom's shopping gave me time for. I started volunteering to make solo shopping trips for the family on foot, picking up milk and bread and the like. Of course, to my mind, the groceries were a secondary concern. Once I arrived at the store I would read the racks dry. I'd spend hours standing around these spinner racks. If anyone objected, I didn't notice. I would read almost every title on the racks. Soon, I figured out that different stores had slightly different stock, so I would have to make tactical decisions: go to Lawson's if I wanted to read Slapstick, go to Stop N Shop if I wanted to read Showcase '93, go to Discount Drug Mart if I wanted to read anything published by Image. I'd start with the books that I actually liked, of course, but then I would keep going. I would move on first to the boring titles like Iron Man and the overly convoluted tiles like
X-Force. If it had a superhero in it, I would read it. I wasn't reading just to be entertained. I was also reading to learn all about these superhero worlds. I was gaining an education. I was a shy, awkward kid at that time. I had no real friends to speak of, and peeling back the history of these comic books filled some void I desperately needed filled. Bit by bit, I learned the relationships and the histories of these vast fictional worlds. I learned which characters were friends and which were rivals. I learned about the legacies of the heroes that had died and about the secret wars and the crises that had come before. I took it all in and familiarized myself with these intricate worlds inside ours. By reading comic books off of the spinner rack at Lawson's without paying, I slowly turned myself into an expert in the field of superheroes.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
fashion
Life in Red Lipstick Local Treasure Hunting by Natalie Ulm
Arrive early. Remember, the early bird gets the vintage. Bring cash. I’ve never met a dealer who accepts any other form of payment (besides at some estate sales). Avoid silly ATM fees and come prepared. Check the weather. For those of us living in Northeast Ohio, this might seem like a no-brainer, but I always bring rain gear, sunscreen, and an extra jacket. Bring measuring tape. That way, you won’t get all mussed up awkwardly trying vintage clothing on. Don’t be afraid to haggle a little. Pricing can be somewhat tricky when it comes to antiques, so if you’re looking for something specific, do your research beforehand to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
The birds are singing, the temperature is warming up and the sun is (mostly) shining. For a vintage and antique hunter like me, that means only one thing: flea market, estate sale and yard sale season. Dealers have been collecting all winter long, and I can’t wait to see what I can score in this summer’s treasure hunts.
Bring a pull-along mini cart. I feel like someone’s grandmother pulling the thing around, but I wouldn’t dare leave home without it.
Here are a few upcoming events to be sure not to miss: Saturday Flea at The Cleveland Flea: Saturday, June 13 from 9 am – 4 pm. Tyler Village, 3615 Superior Ave, Cleveland 44114 This “urban treasure hunt” highlights 160+ vendors featuring Cleveland’s best artisans, makers, and culinary creatives—Coquette Patisserie’s French
Springfield Flea & Antique Show: June 21 & 22 from 8-5 on Saturday and 9am – 4pm on Sunday. Clark County Fairgrounds: 4401 South Charleston Pike, Springfield 45502. If you don’t mind the drive, try your luck treasure hunting at the Springfield Flea, one of the largest outdoor flea markets in the area. Take some time to explore the Clark County Fairgrounds, too—the location was an airport from the 1920s to the 1940s. All Day Yard Sale: June 20 and Independence Day Flea at Hartville Marketplace: Saturday, July 4. All day. 1289 Edison Street NW, Hartville 44632. The Hartville Flea Market has come a long way since it started as a livestock auction back in 1939. Check out hundreds of outdoor vendors, and make sure to pick up some locally-grown produce and fresh honey under the pavilions. Akron Farm & Flea: Saturday, August 1 from 9 am – 2pm. The Musica complex at Maiden Lane and East Market Street, Akron 44308. Find this local market downtown in our Historic Arts District. You can visit its unique local vendors on the first Saturday of every month until October (besides July). Check the classified section in your Beacon Journal or West Side Leader for information about local yard and estate sales. Happy hunting! // Natalie Ulm is a 21-year-old vintage collector, bookworm and red lipstick enthusiast. You can usually find her at Akron Family Restaurant or at a rummage sale chatting with your grandma.
by Dina Younis
Stylish People
I’m often questioned about how I discover such gems—I’ve been thrift shopping and digging through bins at yard sales since I was a little girl. My mother and grandmothers are amazing bargain-hunters. It’s in my blood, but these skills can be learned, too. Here are a few of my tips for attending any flea or estate event… Whether you’re a beginner or a historic hoarder, keep these points in mind and you’ll be golden.
Splurge on the unique. I’m a fairly frugal person and rarely spend a lot of money on anything. However, if I come across something like a 1930s evening dress in my size, chances are, it’s coming home with me. If you don’t pick it up, someone else will.
macaroons are reason enough for me to go. Parking is kind of scarce at this location, so try carpooling with family and friends rather than driving alone.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Girl:
Guy:
Maeli, 19 years old. Freshmen at UA. Loved her casual, easy campus style.
Gabriel, 20 years old. Sophomore at UA. Loved his t-shirt and top knot!
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Misc.
Above: Dan with his brother-in-law, sister, nephew, stepmom and Dad. Right: The Van Auken family at ribbon cutting (continued from page 7) Dan was an advocate for the voiceless and recognized how often children are overlooked or ignored by adults. “He really respected them as people,” Elizabeth says. “He had tons of patience with where they were and never treated them like little kids.” In turn, they called him Mr. Van Awesome. One day, the students and staff threw a big breakfast in his honor, giving him a “Super Dan” cape, which he kept on all day. When a kid asked why he was wearing it, Dan joked, “Why aren’t YOU?” If things had gone according to plan, Dan might have instead become spokesman for his beloved Cleveland Indians. However, after graduating with a communications degree from Ohio University, he didn’t find work in the field so he became a paraprofessional at a school for children with behavioral needs. It ignited something in Dan and soon he was back to school for a second bachelor’s. He was working on a master’s when his GMF was diagnosed. --------------------------------------------------------------It took everything he had but Dan made it through the school year. He lost pieces of himself in the process, forgetting how to tie a tie and struggling with his balance. He couldn’t be left alone overnight. As it worsened, he gave up on his rule against beer and coffee, which was as close to conceding defeat as he got. “I never heard Dan say he was going to die,” Victoria says. “I kind of wished for that. You can’t say how much you’re going to miss someone if they don’t acknowledge it’s going to happen.” He was forced into a wheelchair then suffered a bad seizure. In hospice care, he could no longer speak but Dan hung on for another three days. His dad says it was to give everyone time to say goodbye. “I think he was functioning as a teacher for all of us,” Steve says. “He was teaching us how to
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handle this because we’re all going to get there— we will all have our dark night.” This is the hard part. Now is. Dan died July 6, 2014. Since then, Elizabeth has been consoled by their former students who come by with a hug and a confession that they miss Mr. Van Auken too. Others have channeled their grief into projects like Van Auken Field, the scholarship fund established in his name and fundraisers for both, like the Danstravaganza. A couple of friends are organizing a 5k in his honor, and that finally convinced Katie to give running a chance. It’s one way she’s handles missing him. “I’m still grieving what I would have hoped would have been,” she says. Most of his adult life, Dan professed no faith, but that changed during his last year when he started attending services at the Unitarian Universalist Church with Doc. He even became a member. “It was surprising,” Betsy says. “But he needed a higher power than himself to give him faith that he’d be okay.” Towards the end, Katie says, a hospice minister came to visit Dan and asked how he wanted to be remembered. “He said, ‘I don’t know if I really want anyone to remember me, but I think people in general should practice kindness and thoughtfulness and generosity.’” Then Katie says Dan turned to her and his stepmother Christine and asked, “Do you think that would be true about me?” Absolutely. For the longer version, featuring more stories about Dan, his teaching, his friends and running, visit thedevilstrip.com/danvanauken
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WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
50+ WAYS TO
summer 101: fun for kids
JUNE Old School Photography June 11, 1-3pm. Registration required. Akron Art Museum, 1 South High St., Akron. Ages 7-12. akronartmuseum.org/calendar Summer Night Out June 12, 6-9pm, Tuscarawas Meadows, 2620 Harrington Rd., Akron. Picnic, games, and campfire. www.summitmetroparks.org/Activities/ ProgramsAndEvents.aspx Lowe’s Build and Grow June 13, Iron Man’s Avenjet. Free Building Clinic for Kids. lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/ fullschedule.aspx
ENJOY AKRON
Superhero Summer Camp June 15-19, 9am-12pm. Cafe O’ Play. 911 Graham Rd., Suite 27, Stow. www.cafeoplay.com/events/ event-calendar Art Tales: Summer Road Trip June 18, 11:15 am–12:30 pm, Akron Art Museum, All ages. akronartmuseum.org/calendar/ Flicks on the Falls June 18, Falls River Square. Annie (2014). Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf.com/web/our-city/falls-river-square/ flicks-falls
WITH YOUR
KIDS THIS
Li’l Sprouts June 19, 10:30-11:30am. Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Rd., Akron. Kids 3 and older learn how to identify weeds and garden plants. Wear old clothes and expect to be dirty. www.summitmetroparks.org.
SUMMER
Father's Day Celebration Sun, Jun 21, Akron Rubber Ducks vs. SeaWolves on Family FUNday with the kids running bases afterwards. akronrubberducks.com Dad’s Day at the Zoo June 21, Akron Zoo. akronzoo.org Paddle the Parks June 21, Tannery Park, 8:30-12pm and 2-4pm, 100 Stow St, Kent. Kayak or canoe 4.5 miles down the Cuyahoga River from Tannery Park in Kent to Brust Park in Munroe Falls with a Metro parks naturalist as your guide. Cost: $20/kayak; $30/canoe. www.summitmetroparks.org. Archery for Father’s Day June 21, HH/Archery Range, 1940 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls. Dads, uncles, granddads: Celebrate Father’s Day by bringing a child, ages 9-17, to learn archery together. All equipment provided. Must be 50 inches or taller. summitmetroparks.org. Father’s Day Breakfast June 21, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Departs Rockside Station at 9am. For tickets and information, visit: cvsr.com/calendar
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Art Babes: Curiosity Garden June 24, 11 and 1pm, Akron Art Museum. 0-18 months. akronartmuseum.org/calendar/
Flicks on the Falls July 9, Falls River Square. Paddington. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf. com/web/our-city/falls-river-square/flicks-falls
Flicks on the Falls June 25, Falls River Square. The Lorax. Movies begin Pancakes with Penguins at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf. July 11, 8-10am, Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave., com/web/our-city/falls-river-square/flicks-falls Akron. akronzoo.org/ Sidewalk Beach Party June 25, 11am -3pm, Akron Art Museum. akronartmuseum.org/calendar Lowe’s Build and Grow June 27. Captain America’s Motorcycle. Free Building Clinic for Kids. lowesbuildandgrow.com/ pages/fullschedule.aspx 2nd Annual RubberDucks Comicon June 28, featuring free comic books and an appearance by NEO Ghostbusters on Family FUNday with the kids—some dressed as their favorite superheroes, running bases afterwards. akronrubberducks.com
Canal Days Duck Derby July 11, 11-3pm, Cascade Locks Park. Fun, food, music, festivities and prizes all day. www.cascadelocks.org Music in the Valley Festival July 11, 10am-5pm. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Rd. www.halefarm.org Pirate Days Treasure Hunt July 18, 11-3pm., Portage Lakes State Park, Swim Beach, 5031 Manchester Rd., Akron. Treasure hunts, crafts, food, costume contest, face painting, for all ages. Free. www.plkiwanis.org FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship July 19 to 25 at Derby Downs aasbd.org
JULY Summer Movie Matinee July 1, 1pm, Akron Public Library, Odom Branch. Epic. akronlibrary.org Stuck in the Middle with You: Middle Child Appreciation Night July 1 at the Akron Rubber Ducks vs.Baysox akronrubberducks.com Flicks on the Falls July 2, Falls River Square. Escape from Planet Earth. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf.com/web/our-city/falls-river-square/ flicks-falls Downtown Akron Artwalk July 4, 5-10pm. 103 S. High Street, 4th Floor. Downtown Akron Partnership. downtownakron. com/enjoy/artwalk
Summer Movie Matinee July 20, 1pm, Akron Summit County Public Library, Odom Branch. 600 Vernon Odom Blvd. Brave. akronlibrary.org Dance Camp July 20-24, 9am-12pm (4-6 years); 2-5pm (7-12 years). Cafe O’ Play. 911 Graham Rd., Suite 27, Stow. cafeoplay.com/events/event-calendar Flicks on the Falls July 23, Falls River Square. Planes, Fire & Rescue. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf.com Yo, ho! Let's go! A Pirates Life for Me Puny Pirate Party July 26 at Akron Rubber Ducks vs. the Curve for Family FUNday when the kid run the bases after the game. akronrubberducks.com
Ohio Shakespeare Festival Much Ado About Nothing, July 2-5, 9-12, 16-19 2015, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, For tickets and information, visit: stanhywet.org/events
Mark Wood Magic Show July 28, 1pm, Akron Summit County Public Library, Goodyear Branch. 60 Goodyear Blvd. Cowboy magician does comedy, juggling, etc. akronlibrary.org
Preschool Library Story Time July 8-29, 1pm, Fairlawn-Bath Branch. Children ages 3-5 can join Miss Pam for stories, music, and more. fairlawnbathbranch.akronlibrary.org
Flicks on the Falls July 30, Falls River Square. Big Hero 6. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf. com/web/our-city/falls-river-square/flicks-falls
Drop-in Dance Party July 9, 6:30pm, Akron Public Library, Mogadore Branch. Ages 3 and up. mogadorebranch. akronlibrary.org/
Yoga for Kids July 31, 1pm, LP/Nature Center. Ages 6-10 years. Registration required and begins 7/3: 330-865-8065. summitmetroparks.org/Activities Peter Pan on Stage July 31- August 16, 2:30 and 4:30pm. Weathervane Playhouse, 1301 Weathervane Ln. weathervaneplayhouse.com (continued on page 26)
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big ideas (continued from page 25)
AUGUST Flicks on the Falls August 6, Falls River Square. Ratatouille. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf.com Summer Safari August 7, Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave., Akron. akronzoo.org Nature Connect August 8, 1pm, Akron-Summit County Public Library/Maple Valley. 1186 Copley Rd., Akron. Contact for Emmalee Coontz at ecoontz@akronlibrary.org Princess Tea Party for Family FUNday at Akron Rubber Ducks vs. SeaDogs August 9. Be a princess for a day and do crafts with your favorite princesses. (Take part in the RubberDucks 5k, running the streets of downtown Akron on game day. Ticket and 2 beers or sodas are included with race registration
Hey Cristina... what’s the
big idea for ‘Akron’s International District’?
Indiana Jones Adventure Camp August 10-14, 10am-2pm. Weathervane Playhouse. Ages 7-13. $180. Contact: 330-836-2626, www.weathervaneplayhouse.com Hot Wheels Derby August 11, Akron-Summit County Public Library/ Nordonia Hills, 9458 Olde Eight Rd. Northfield. www.akronlibrary.org/nordoniahills/ Flicks on the Falls August 13, Falls River Square. Muppets Most Wanted. Movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit cfo.cityofcf.com Summit for Kids August 15, 10am-4pm, Knight Center, 77 East Mill Street, Akron. summitforkids.net/
Name / Age: Cristina González Alcalá / 29 Hometown/Home now: I am from Durango, Mexico and I currently reside in North Hill. Occupation: Research Associate at Summit Education Initiative; Co-owner at Not Yo' Daddy's Contact: notyodaddys.com or on Twitter @notyodaddys or @cgonzalezalcala Big idea: A year-around market in North Hill, similar to Cleveland's West Side Market, that showcases the vibrant cultures of the neighborhood while providing the shared space to help immigrant entrepreneurs.
Quote: “A friend of mine, who is also a resident of North Hill, once asked me if it was okay to go inside a place that only had Spanish words written on the outside, or if that was a hint for Americans to stay out. Recently, I was talking to Hem, one of the owners of the Nepali Kitchen, who asked for suggestions to help him attract diverse clients. This reinforced my perceived need for a place that could serve as the epicenter and landmark of Akron’s International District. …the conversation and energy around urban revitalization and neighborhood branding, thanks to young professional groups’ leadership, the Akron Better Block and Akron2Akron, seems to be the perfect mirepoix to get this idea going.”
From the
Akronist Archives
Community Day at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens August 16. stanhywet.org/events/community-day Kids Scientist Day August 23, at Akron RubberDucks vs. SeaWolves for Family FUNday Gym & Swim August 24-28, 10-12pm. Shaw JCC of Akron, 750 White Pond Drive. Ages 3-6. $50 Members; $60 Guests. www.shawjcc.org. Summer Legos August 24-28, 1-3pm. Shaw JCC of Akron, 750 White Pond Drive. Ages 3-8. $50 Members; $60 Guests. www.shawjcc.org.
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North Hill’s Better Block event gave a number of new businesses the chance to get valuable face time with customers. In a video at akronist.com, Cristina Gonzalez Alcala, founder of Not Yo Daddy’s Salsa, explains the origins of her business and the valuable secret recipe behind this flavorful product. Alcala’s temporary storefront led to sellouts of her product, and she explains why she brought this blend of chiles and spices from Durango, Mexico to Akron. For more information, you can find Not Yo Daddy’s Salsa on Facebook and Twitter or visit notyodaddys.com.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
Scene
BRINGS AMERICANA ACTS
Elephant Revival and The Speedbumps TO HISTORIC G.A.R. HALL by Brittany Nader with photographs by Jim Lightcap
E
very Friday, G.A.R. Hall, the noted historical treasure trove in Peninsula, becomes a grand-scale music box as acts both national and local make their way to the venue to entertain with traditional roots music. As part of the hall’s Voices in the Valley series, touring bands roll through to bring fresh new sounds and faces to the Greater Akron area. Local bands are showcased as well, filling the crowd with loyal listeners and music lovers delighted to see up-and-coming acts making big noise in the intimate venue. Akron-based indie folk band, The Speedbumps, kicked the show the evening of May 31, a few weeks after releasing their new album, “Soil to the Seed.” Dreamy acoustic Americana notes ring out, met with much cheering and applause. Guitar player and vocalist Erik Urycki pauses a moment to take in the scenery and muse at what a special place the historic venue truly is.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
“I feel like G.A.R. Hall is our personal home,” Urycki says. He explains that the venue’s staff let the band play and rehearse in the space several nights while recording their new album. It’s not surprisingly that the doors were graciously opened to the local band, as the hall feels much more personal than a standard local venue or bar. It has been a gathering place for the community since its early days in the 1800s. From a church to a schoolhouse and meeting place for Civil War veterans, the building has seen its share of faces and, undoubtedly, holds an important collection of stories within the knots and splinters of its wooden walls. Outside, attendees break after the first set for street food, local beer, wine and a perusal of the merch table. Despite the rain and chill, the warmth of the packed room carries out into the valley as the
musicians and crowd congregate outdoors. Inside, a bar with mixed drinks sees light foot traffic as many attendees venture downstairs to hover under the low ceilings to take in the history of the space. Soon, resounding notes call the crowd back to their theater-style seating, and the headlining act begins its set. Clad in long dresses and attire that certainly fit the feel of the hall, Colorado-based touring band Elephant Revival packs the sold-out room. A menagerie of instruments sparkles from the stage, including washboard, musical saw, stomp box, banjo and mandolin. The quintet mixes folk, bluegrass and traditional roots music with carefully crafted dynamics that inspire awe from the crowd of locals. “This is such a special place to play music,” says fiddle player Bridget Law. “We’re just drenching our souls in history playing in this room.”
Bonnie Paine paints scenes with her collection of instruments and soft melodic words. An a cappella tune called “Raven Song” enraptures the audience, while more boot-stompin’ ditties inspire certain folks to get up and dance in the narrow aisles of the hall. The two bands showcased on this evening are a great introduction to the heart of the Voices of the Valley concert series. More than a showcase of old-fashioned sounds and local music, these nights are reserved for the community to relax and join together a little outside of the hustle and bustle of the city streets. Like a family barbecue or miniature festival, G.A.R. Hall makes concertgoers feel at home in a majestic setting rich with the tales and lore of yesteryear. G.A.R. Hall will welcome bluegrass acts Gold Heart and David Mayfield’s Bluegrass Parade to the venue June 12 and 13 as part of its Voices in the Valley concert series.
With stories songs of sea monsters, winding rivers and pastures, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist
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Something for Everyone. Eat. From small bites on the go to inspired culinary masterpieces, many of the city’s best dining options are right here on our block.
The Akron you’ve been waiting for has been here all along. Dine, shop, and be entertained at the crossroads of commerce, culture, & cuisine!
Drink. The Historic Arts District has it all: draft brews, small batch bourbons, bottled craft beers, signature cocktails, & more!
Be Merry.
Meet the Neighbors.
Retail shops, an indie movie theater, art museum, jewelry shops, & handcrafted art to put a smile on your face.
BLU Jazz+
Live Jazz • Fine Food • Spirits • Photo Gallery Featuring the best in regional, national, & international live jazz talent, Wed-Sat. Inspired fine dining, signature cocktails, craft beer, and more!
Uncorked
MAID
Wine Bar • Gathering Space • Acoustic Music Intimate space for events ranging from small gatherings to large soirees. Boasting a vast selection of reds, whites, and bubbles!
E. M ARKE T ST REET
N. HI GH S TREE T
N. M AIN STRE ET
Live Music • Event Space • Bar Follow the sizzlin’ orange glow to the all-new vibrant bar layout and scorching sound & lighting systems. Special events include live rock/folk/alternative shows, open mic, karaoke, dance parties, & comedy.
EN L ANE
Musica
Find your Way.
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Urban Eats
Pop Art Cafe • Wraps, Paninis • Coffee Daily specials feature specialty wraps, paninis, flatbread pizzas, soups from scratch, coffee, espresso, pastries, & Mary Coyle ice cream! Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm.
Even more reasons to Visit (& Stay). • Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar • 3 Point Restaurant • Crave
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Plenty o’ Parking. • Free parking in the deck attached to the Akron Public Library on High St. • Metered street parking (free after 6pm) • Valet Parking
• Rubber City Clothing • Nightlight Cinema • WE Gallery