MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 • THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
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What’s the big idea, Square Scullery? FEATURE STORY: The Corner Pocket Easy speak with Chef Ernest Cornelius FREE
40 Years of Restless Invention WELCOME BACK, MR. MOTHERSBAUGH — ARTIST, MUSICIAN, AKRONITE
Akron Art Museum | Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia EVENTS Artist Talk Mark Mothersbaugh and curator Adam Lerner Saturday, May 28 at 2pm Akron-Summit County Public Library 60 S. High St., Akron 44326 Tickets: $10 for Akron Art Museum Members, on sale May 2, and MOCA Members, on sale May 9; $20 for general admission, on sale May 16. To purchase, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/eventregistration
Myopia: Free Opening Party Saturday, May 28 from 3–7pm Akron Art Museum
Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia May 29 – August 28, 2016 a shared exhibition presented by AKRON ART MUSEUM & MOCA CLEVELAND Myopia is the first retrospective of the work of Mark Mothersbaugh, spanning the beginning of his career in the early 1970s through the present. Born in Akron, OH, and co-founder of the New Wave band DEVO, Mothersbaugh has been making art for more than forty years—since before the band’s inception in the early 1970s. This body of work presents a unique combination of cultural criticism and personal expression through drawings, films, paintings, sculpture and music. But more than that, his work provides a missing link in the history of contemporary art and culture. At once an artist, musician, and tinkerer, he offers a key to understanding the current state of art, with its hybridity, subjectivity and fluid boundaries. Mothersbaugh’s work reveals his unique artistic voice and also asserts his role in the intersecting legacies that have formed contemporary culture. Myopia at the Akron Art Museum turns its attention on Mothersbaugh’s visual art practice, including installations of recent sculpture, prints, rugs, and a collection of 30,000 postcard-sized drawings the artist has created and utilized for inspiration and exploration throughout his career. The Akron Art Museum is partnering with MOCA Cleveland to jointly present Mothersbaugh’s work in simultaneous exhibitions across Northeast Ohio. By visiting the exhibition in both venues, audiences will get a wideranging perspective of Mothersbaugh’s prolific output of artwork, music, ideas, restless invention, and distinctive sense of humor.
Energy Dome Planter Workshop with Amy Mothersbaugh Thursday, June 2 at 6:30pm Gear up for the museum’s soon-to-be-open garden with artist and Studio 2091 gallery owner Amy Mothersbaugh by transforming a terracotta flower pot into an energy dome and placing a plant inside. For tickets, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/ eventregistration The Yoga of DEVO & Mark Mothersbaugh Thursday, June 2 from 6:30-8:30pm Grab your red energy dome hat and your yoga mat and join us for an evening of yoga and meditation with Maria Santoferraro. For tickets, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/eventregistration Mothersbaugh-Inspired Sun Catcher with Amy Mothersbaugh Thursday, June 23 at 6:30pm What shines with beauty and glows with more natural Akron energy than a red glass DEVO dome inspired suncatcher? Learn basic soldering techniques as you create a sun catcher with a decidedly Akron flavor. For tickets, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/eventregistration Art Talk: The Beginning Was the End Thursday, June 30 at 7pm Jade Dellinger and David Giffels, authors of the definitive band biography Are We Not Men? We Are Devo! talk about the many worlds of Mark Mothersbaugh. Zine Workshop with Amy Mothersbaugh Thursday, July 7 at 6:30pm Join the zine craze and learn about Mark Mothersbaugh’s early adventures in zine making. Participants are encouraged to bring images and scraps to personalize your zine, but materials will also be provided. For tickets, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/eventregistration Everything Is Awesome: Mark Mothersbaugh Painting Party Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm Join smARTStudio to paint a portrait of Mark Mothersbaugh on canvas. Learn the process of photo transferring onto canvas and painting FUNdamentals. For tickets, visit AkronArtMuseum.org/eventregistration
Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Its presentation at the Akron Art Museum is generously sponsored by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, John P. Murphy Foundation, AudioTechnica and EarthQuaker Devices. Special thanks go to the Department of Print Media & Photography at Kent State University and TKM. Media sponsorship is provided by Western Reserve Public Media and 91.3 The Summit.
AKRON ART MUSEUM • One South High • Akron, OH 44308 • 330-376-9186 • akronartmuseum.org
table of contents
The Devil Strip
24
24 FEATURE: The Corner Pocket: When a neighborhood is a neighborhood unto itself
12 E. Exchange Street 2nd Floor Akron, Ohio 44308
Publisher: Chris “has all the best words” Horne
Email: chris@thedevilstrip.com Cell phone: 330-555-NEVER-ANSWERS
Art Director: Alesa “doesn’t sleep” Upholzer Managing Editor:
M. Sophie “Has Many Names, Wears Many Hats” Hamad Email: sophie@thedevilstrip.com
30 43
10
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Big Idea: The Square Scullery
10 New column: Not Lost in Translation
27 40
Sales Director:
TJ Masterson Email: TJ@thedevilstrip.com
The Editorial Team
15 Indie Link levels the playing field
THE ARTS Lead Editor........................................Bronlynn “Space Kitty” Thurman Asst. Editor.............................Megan “Oxford comma slayer” Combs Literary Arts Editor..................Noor "Nervous Poodle Poet" Hindi
17 The League of Extraordinary Women
COMMUNITY & CULTURE Lead Editor ................Katie “Miss Jackson if You’re Nasty” Jackson Asst. Editor...........................................Jessica “Spreadsheets!” Cherok Asst. Editor................Ilenia “Our Short, Tired Garbanzo Bean Eatin',
.
WTF Video Girl Writer” Pezzaniti
21 Rollin’ deep in New Blimp City
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT Music............................................. Brittany “Sass Master Flash” Nader Music..................... Clay “Needs a Whimsical Middle Name” Chabola Entertainment............... Andrew “Has a Mighty Fine Beard” Leask
23 Power of the Pen
Staff Writers, Columnists & The A/V Club:
27 The Small Business Chronicles
table of contents
Visuals Editor: Svetla “The Balkan Comrade” Morrison Copy Editor: Jessica “My name is not Jecca” Cherok
30 Chef Ernest’s Northside Kitchens
Emily “Lady Beer Drinker” Anderson; Holly “The Wanderer” Brown; Emily “Potty Perfectionist” Dressler and Marissa Marangoni, Bathroom Culture Enthusiast; “Lost in an Altered Realm” Dan Gorman & Brian Dunphy; Paul “I don’t write” Hoffman; Chris “the Film Freak” Kessinger; Jacob Luther, the Towny Townie Toonist; Theodore “Quieter Days” Mallison; TJ “Don’t Call Me Shirley” Masterson; Mary “not so contrary, in fact, quite easy to get along with” Menzemer; the absolutely real and totally non-fictional Georgio Pelogrande; Roger Riddle, Wears the Purple Pants; The Shane Wynn Supremacy; Gabe “Softballin’” Gott Contributors:
31 Wander into the Front Porch Cafe
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34 Bar Crawler taps PLX
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40 Standing Room: 6 Bands to Know 43 On the Record with The DREEMERS
6
46 Urine Luck’s first re-review
Allie Angelo, Rick Bohan, Dominic Caruso, Mary Menzemer, Shelby Heitzenrater, Brit Charek, Craftiest Staff Writer/Maker of Empires; Jessica Conti, Says She’s Not That Clever But Must Be Lying; Heather “Doctor, Doctor” Braun; Eric Morris, Was Abducted By Jojo Pizzaface’; Scott Piepho; Bert Stevens ———————————————————— CONTACT US: Office .....................................................................(330) 842-6606 General Info .........................................info@thedevilstrip.com Advertising ........................................... ads@thedevilstrip.com Distribution ..................................... distro@thedevilstrip.com Website .................................................. www.thedevilstrip.com Facebook ....................................Facebook.com/thedevilstrip Twitter ..................................................................@akrondevilstrip Instagram ................................................................ @thedevilstrip ————————————————————
Thinking about life after Scarborough by Chris Horne
If you think you have Scott Scarborough Fatigue (new syndrome, totally made it up), imagine how I we feel. Then quadruple that and you’re close to understanding the on-campus antipathy shared by most faculty, according to the latest Akron AAUP survey. But whether he should stay or go isn’t really the question bugging me these days. Instead, I’m worried that the anti-Scarborough sentiment has gone so far that everyone will think everything is awesome at UA if he’s ousted. There were, as he’s rightly pointed, serious issues when he arrived. There are, I think, more now — some worse than before. So the really big question, which needs to be addressed regardless of who is in office, is “What will it take for the University of Akron to grow again?” Starting the first week of May, we’ll post those stories online at thedevilstrip.com, addressing roadblocks to that growth with questions like: Why don’t the trustees want the public to see their evaluation of Dr. Scarborough? And, what made Scarborough think the former Akron Beacon Journal publisher was the right fit for the university’s vacant Chief Diversity Officer position? If there are layoffs coming because of the fall’s enrollment plummet, what happens when Stark State opens its downtown campus? I hope it’s obvious that we all want a healthy, vibrant university. It’s foolish to believe in a single bullet solution but if we look, we might just find a roadmap.
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| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
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 of The Devil Strip are copyright 2016 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.
pub notes
Pub Notes >>
About the Cover Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia Mark Mothersbaugh, “School Days — My first pair of glasses,” courtesy of the artist.
Do you understand how important it is that Mark Mothersbaugh is coming home — to Akron — for this exhibit? Not that he’s shied away from his roots, but it’s a big deal. Not just that he would be willing to do it, but that there’s a place like the Akron Art Museum (and MOCA in Cleveland) where he can. My hometown of Macon, Georgia, birthed Little Richard, Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers, among others like REM’s Mike Mills and Bill Berry, but until recently, you probably wouldn’t have known it because outside of a couple of named bridges and streets, there were few markers to note these world-class musicians and little infrastructure for it either.
My mom and I were yelling
dictator-y Hugo Chavez. What changed was my
Speaking of, take a look at this issue’s New/
at each other again when I said it. It’d been awhile
story of Macon.
Native for a glimpse of why our arts editor Bronlynn Thurman and entertainment editor
since we’d gotten along,
The old story had been of a city without
Andrew Leask are among my favorite people.
so the arguments weren’t a surprise but I can’t shake how this one went. I
opportunity, one where I’d get stuck working in the same damn zipper factory as my dad
They remind me of a Mos Def line from “Oh No”: “The kids better buy my rookie card now/
was a high school senior and had just moved
had (or worse), one where I’d never get to be
Cause after this year the price ain't comin
back in with her for the summer after living for
creative for a living or make the kind of friends
down.” I mean, the Browns wish they could
a couple years with my dad, which is another story altogether. However, he was heading to
who’d both accept my weird, grumpy ass and still challenge me. The new story emerged
draft talent with this kind of upside. Fortunately for Akron, some of our best organizations
Atlanta to start a business with his brothers
slowly, reluctantly as the city gave me a cadre
have recognized the opportunity. Andrew
and I needed somewhere to stay before college started in Nashville.
of irreplaceable friends, like Roger Riddle; a creative outlet in (and then employment with)
just joined United Way of Summit County as their Marketing Manager and Bronlynn is now
The 11th Hour, our spunky start-up arts and
Program Associate for the Knight Foundation in
“I can’t wait to get out of this shithole town!” I
culture mag; and eventually my darling bride.
Akron, as well as the GAR Foundation’s contract
said, echoing every angry teenager on TV or in a movie (or in a TV movie).
Soon, I was carried by the natural gravity of
“Why?” Mom asked, her voice breaking. She sounded vulnerable, which never happened when we fought. Maybe that’s why this sticks with me. “All I ever wanted for you and your sister and brother is to feel like you have a home.”
giving myself to the city and getting more back, which made me give more, and so on and so forth until one day my story about the future of the city changed too. Macon looks now a lot like the city I hoped it’d be. Story can’t be the only thing that changes, but it can (and does) lead change.
Recalling it now makes me collapse a little still. My eyes water, my throat catches. What a brat. My mom was the second youngest of five
Creative placemaking — using the arts, culture and creativity to transform public spaces — can change the place and then change story. Think
kids in a family run by a conservative Christian missionary. They grew up in southeastern Africa, untethered to any place until she was ready for college. As a kid, the way I saw it was my mom had adventures. She’d been to London and stood at the foot of Egypt’s
about Inside/Out and the winning projects of the Knight Arts Challenge. Of course we love that, but I think of what we do at The Devil Strip and Unbox Akron as narrative placemaking. We’re telling a story of the Akron we see right now so we can all collaborate, as
pyramids. The way she experienced it: She wasn’t from somewhere. No lasting friends. No way to build real relationships.
a community, on the city we want to become.
program assistant.
My wife says I get my smarts from my mom, which I think is an insult to my mother’s intelligence, but I do believe I’ve inherited a few things from her. Aside from sarcasm and a distaste for housekeeping, she gifted me with the longing for sense of place. After I pulled a six-year stint in Nashville, I moved back to Macon, practically against my will. But a decade later, I’d completely rebuilt my self-perception around intense civic pride.
I love my fellow newbies and the natives who never left, but I have a real fondness for repatriated Akronites. They, as Johnny Cash once sang, “went out there in search of experience — to taste and to touch and to feel as much, as a man can before he repents,” and then, like me, returned home, changing their story.
Thing is, Macon didn’t change a whole lot in the time between leaving it at age 17 to coming back at 23. In some ways, it got worse. The biggest employer shut down and the already controversial mayor was doing crazy stuff like offering letters of support to the
Once you change your story, you change what’s possible. That’s why we do what we do.
This won’t be the last shout-out I give for members of our little family, especially considering what all they’re already doing — Svetla Morrison’s “Hi Neighbor” project, Noor Hindi’s Nervous Poodle Poetry blog, Shane Wynn’s Knight Arts-winning #overlooked and M. Sophie Hamad graduating then coming on soon as our full-time managing editor. These people — all our contributors, the folks we write about and those we’re going to write about — are the story of Akron, the one I knew was here when I first visited. My mom may hate that we’re not in Macon anymore, but I have found a home because she taught me how to look for it.
Take care,
Chris
Mom, it hasn t always been this easy and fun, but I know you always have my back and I will always love you. Your boy, Chris
None of them, however, were artists in the same sense as Mothersbaugh, whose career began in visual art and carried over into music with Devo, then movie scores, postcards and even eyewear. Hell, my kid knows who he is because he taught her to draw on “Yo Gabba Gabba.” There aren’t a lot of creatives with the varied resume that Mothersbaugh boasts. Personally, I hope this exhibit, which runs from May 29 to August 28, 2016, only brings Akron another step closer to embracing its greats so they can return the favor. - Chris H.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
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New / Native: The Devil Strip Staff edition Compiled by M. Sophie Hamad and Ilenia Pezzaniti What do you wish was on more Akronites radar? I grew up in Puerto Rico. Although my wife and I usually visit the island during the holidays, what I miss most between visits (besides my family) is the cuisine. Alas, there’s nowhere in Akron to get Puerto Rican food— which, by the way, is nothing like Mexican food. Until that changes, I may have to resign myself to only getting my mofongo fix once a year.
new Andrew Leask Age: Occupation:
30 Marketing Manager, United Way of Summit County Hometown: Bayamon, Puerto Rico Neighborhood: Highland Square
What is your favorite local cultural asset? Two come immediately to mind, and fortunately, they’re within a block of each other: the Nightlight Cinema and Blu Jazz+. They’re wonderful, intimate venues that provide entertainment that’s hard to find elsewhere. Every city, not just Akron, could use those. When did you fall for Akron? I started writing for the Devil Strip last October. Since then, I’ve met with and spoken to a lot of
started to fall for the place myself.
turned me into a salted caramel believer. I love the massaman curry at Cilantro. It’s my
Where in Akron do you like to escape? It’s not a specific place, but in the past year,
favorite Thai curry dish, and Cilantro makes it differently—thicker and richer—than other
I’ve gotten into taking long walks. It gives me
places I’ve had it. And I love the carrot cake
an opportunity to think, listen to music or an
they sell at the Mustard Seed Market. I live just
audiobook, and get some exercise all at the same time. On most days, this means walking
across the street from the Highland Square location, and my struggle to keep from eating it
down Market Street from my apartment in Highland Square. I’m sure it doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but it gives me the opportunity to be inside my own head for a while, which I find very useful as a writer.
every day is very real.
Why should everyone try your favorite local restaurant? I can’t bring myself to pick just one favorite restaurant, but I’ll gladly list some of my favorite things I’ve eaten in Akron
Maybe it’s a cop out not to name one restaurant, but that’s part of what I’ve grown to love about Akron. There’s a lot of people— artists and businesses alike—that are working to find their own niche, and the excitement of being new to Akron comes from seeing how they are succeeding.
know) and the creativity, the art, the likeminded individuals just blew me away.
I wish Akronites outside of Downtown, West
Bronlynn Thurman
26 Contracted Program Assistant for Knight Foundation and Contracted Program Associate for GAR Foundation
Hometown: Ak-rowdy Neighborhood: Downtown
BIG IDEA MATTHEW J. ULICHNEY
Age: 29 Occupation: Chef, Catering Chef, Cook, food truck owner operator and everything else in between. Hometown: Norton, Ohio Home Now: Akron Ohio, Highland Square, The 330! Contact: 330-760-9123; SquareScullery@gmail.com
HEATHER ULICHNEY Age: 27 Occupation: Professional Photographer/Owner operator of Retro Peacock Photos. Right hand boss lady of Square Scullery Food Truck Hometown: Akron, Ohio Home Now: Akron, Ohio, Highland Square, The 330! Contact: 330-907-9755; heather@retropeacockphotos.com
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since I moved here. There’s the salted caramel
a great place to live in. After getting to see macarons at Sweet Mary’s Bakery. I usually Akron through their eyes, it wasn’t long before I roll my eyes at food fads, but those macarons
What do you wish was more on Akronites' radar? Our art scene is growing and thriving.
native Age: Occupation:
people who are devoted to making this city
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
Akron, and Highland Square were more aware of it. What is your favorite local cultural asset? The Metro Parks. Hands down. When did you fall for Akron? It was the
Where in Akron do you like to escape? The Nervous Dog on West Market is my go-to spot when I want some quiet time. Why should everyone try your favorite local restaurant? The Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls is a gem. It uses local, farm-fresh
Spring of 2014. I had just moved back to Akron after living in Virginia for a year and Kent for more than 4 years. I believe that it was my first time visiting Highland Square (I know, I
ingredients, its menu is always new, creative and delicious, and it stays away from corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc.
WHAT’S YOUR BIG IDEA? Our big idea is to provide the streets and events of Akron, as well as the rest of Northeast Ohio, with chef-inspired, locally-sourced modern comfort food. We will offer ever-changing seasonal menus to highlight the best of what Ohio has to offer
and family thought we were a little crazy to throw everything that we had into doing this. However, we do know that Akron is an amazing city where the opportunity to thrive is present. When we started talking to everyone around us about what we were setting out to do the excitement and support just came pouring in. We have taken every opportunity to show people what we create and have had nothing but the desire to want more.
WHY PURSUE IT? Matt Ulichney: Because I crave it! We've gotten this far in life by taking major risks, to pursue our dreams, so why would this be any different? There is nothing more gratifying to me than feeding people. Whether it’s family, friends or complete strangers. I love everything that comes with what I do. The blisters, burns, sweat, long hours, living life in a constant state of chaos. It is something that is addicting. With the love and support of my wife and two boys, I am always searching to do the next bigger and better thing. When the opportunity to make a long term goal a reality we had no other choice but to dive in head first. WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOUR BIG IDEA WAS A GOOD IDEA? We still don't know if it was a good idea, but we do know it’s a big one. (haha!). Our friends
HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR BIG IDEA HELPS AKRON GROW? We hope to help Akron grow by showing the people in the community what all their city has to offer. We want to not only purchase as much as possible from local providers but promote them as well by letting people know where their food is coming from. We also will be giving back to our community by once a month providing meals to people in need as well as the people that help keep Akron as great as it is. Watch for The Square Scullery’s kickstarter campaign to go live later this month at kickstarter.com/profile/squarescullery // Photos by Retro Peacock Photography
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
agenda
WHAT I WISH I KNEW...
Adoptable Pets
What Akron's 427 Design has learned in a decade of graphic design, web-making, photography, animation and screen printing awesomeness. You may not have seen 427 Design's office, which is amazeballs, or recognized their people when you saw them, but you probably have seen some of their work, which is among the most creative you'll find, here or anywhere. Now, this wild bunch is celebrating 10 years in the business, so their annual open house — May 26 at 4:27 pm, 190 N. Union St., Akron — is even more special-er than usual. To get this party started, we asked to Brad and Justin, the guys who started it all, to share something about the lessons they've learned the hard way. Visit them online at 427design.com.
Morris
BRAD HAIN (President) is a very social, friendly and outgoing guy who
"I wish I would have known how gratifying and fulfilling it is to be a business owner in a community like Akron. Akron is full of hard-working, talented and gracious businesses and organizations who are doing great things. And we are lucky, and oftentimes inspired, to be asked to bring their ideas and initiatives to life through great design, motion graphics, photography and the other services we offer. If I could change one thing, its that I would have started 427 Design sooner.
adores being pet and being loved! Morris loves everyone he meets and likes to greet you with a friendly meow when you approach him. He enjoys playing with cat nip filled toys, sitting in laps and snoozing on comfy cat beds! Morris seems to get along with other cats and dogs. Morris is FIV positive but we know that will not hold him back from finding a forever home soon due to his stellar personality! If you would like more information on FIV please call our shelter at (330) 487-0333 and we would be happy to give you tons of information! Morris
I also could have worked more to promote 427 Design early on. We have intentionally flown under the radar, relying on word of mouth and referrals to provide new opportunities for ourselves. Our clients have always been my best PR and salespeople. Our subtlety has become a part of our brand and one of the things that make us who we are. We plan to engage more national accounts, and to make that happen we'll be marketing ourselves more aggressively in our next ten years."
is hoping you stop by PAWSibilities, Humane Society of Greater Akron soon and ask to meet him today!
JUSTIN TOKOS (Creative Director) "I wish I would have known, or perhaps better understood, the value and importance of community involvement and networking. I get a lot of enjoyment from local projects and it makes me feel great to see our work appear around town. That "hey we helped with that" feeling never gets old and now it's one of my favorite kind of project to work on. There's a lot going on in Akron, and we could have been more in tune to that in the early years."
OPEN HOUSE • SAVE THE DATE
Jessie
is around 8 years old and weighs about 25 pounds. Despite her age, Jessie has spunk!! She loves toys of all kinds and is a self-entertainer. After a got a good play session, Jessie is ready to cuddle up and get some pets and belly rubs. She shows potential with the right dog but wouldn't mind being the only pooch in the palace either. Stop down and meet this lovely lady today at PAWSibilities, Humane Society of Greater Akron!
THURSDAY, MAY 26TH From those of you who "broke bread" with us in the beginning, to those who have joined the "fight" along the way, we invite you to join us in celebrating a Decade of (427) Design. Pictured right: We think this photo and Justin's handlebar mustache speak for themselves.
190 N Union St, Akron
PROJECT SOAPBOX:
EDUCATION BROUGHT TO LIFE by Greg Milo
PAWSibilities Humane Society of Greater Akron 7996 Darrow Rd., Twinsburg, OH 44087 1.888.588.8436 | 330.487.0333 info@summithumane.org www.summithumane.org www.facebook.com/summithumane
One-by-one, a dozen 10th graders from Akron Early College stepped to the front and told the area’s leaders exactly what they think about the issues that matter to them — and their ideas for making Akron a better place. Teacher Brad Scott’s brainchild, Project Soapbox brought together an impressive list of guest judges for the competition: 34th Ohio House District Representative Emilia Sykes, Summit County Executive Russ Pry, Akron City Councilman Jeff Fusco, former APS Board of Education President Lisa Mansfield, Akron Public Schools Community Relations Director Carla Sibley, Adam Motter-APS social studies curriculum specialist, Early College High School Principal Cheryl Connolly Akron and senior class president Alexandria Couch. “My goal was to show students that they were important and their opinion was important,”Scott told Greg Milo, “and that if they want their community or city to be great, it is up to them to make it great. No one will do it for them.” You can read about the power of Project Soapbox in Greg’s full story at thedevilstrip.com.
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Urban Explorer: Firestone Park words and photos by Kristina Aiad-Toss
As much of Firestone Park’s population ages, too many storefronts and houses lay idle or vacant. However, among the “closed” and "for sale" signs, these hidden gems are breathing life into one of Akron's proudest neighborhoods.
Calhoun Records
Miss Julie’s Kitchen
Boardwalk Thrift
Mod Salon & Gift Gallery
356 Reed Rd Akron, OH 44301 330-212-5334 Hours: Tues-Sat 12pm-6pm facebook.com/calhoun.recordshop
1809 S Main St Akron, Ohio 44301 (330) 819-3834 Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm msjulieskitchen.com
1501 Aster Ave Akron, OH 44301 (330) 835-7570 Hours: Fri-Sat 11pm-5pm facebook.com/Boardwalk-ThriftStore-532845273517592/
357 Reed Ave Akron, OH 44301 (330) 724-9040 Hours: Tues-Wed 9am-9pm, Thurs 1pm-9pm Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm
Signless for two years, this record store hides nameless amongst the empty buildings of the neighborhood. Numerous colorful funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, rock and rare records for sale at a reasonable price vinyls adorn the walls, span
Permeating with hippy vibes and scents of heavenly sweet potato cake, this rare vegan restaurant offers a cozy ambience and delicious home-cooked food made from local organic ingredients. With a cuisine unique among other
Beckoning to visitors with a colorful mural consuming outside, intricate oddities and charismatic antiques populate the inside of this inviting and cozy thrift store. Amongst towering stacks of old framed paintings and
Do you ever wish their was a place where that styles hair and has a gift shop? From the canvases baring sarcastic quotes to elaborately decorated mugs, this gift shop’s quirkiness shines through both its uncharacteristic
the tables, and consume the floor—flashin names of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, and rock
Akron restaurants, this venue is perfect for enjoying a healthy meal while surrounded by
arrangements of vintage furniture, treasures lie waiting for the fortunate antique hunter to
location and the oddball items it sells. This venue is painfully unique—offering traditional
legends. The breakdancer owner, a veteran of the business and a competitive breakdancer, has an in-depth knowledge of music that rivals the store’s selection.
the feeling of familiarity that bleeds both from the atmosphere and the friendly staff.
discover. In addition to a diverses selection of rarities, the owners of the store are extremely friendly and offer an environment where customers will always feel welcome.
salon services, like manicures and hairstyling, in addition to a intriguing store offering merchandise teeming with personality.
WHYKickapoo IS IT CALLED THAT? It’s not all black & white Avenue By Lenny Spengler
by Amanda Sedlak-Hevener
Another housing development trend follows street names. It’s common to give all of the streets in a development names that follow along a particular theme. In the case The first housing developments appeared of Kickapoo Avenue, that theme is Native in Goodyear Heights in the early 1900s. American tribes. Other streets that run parallel Just like with Firestone Park, the Goodyear to Kickapoo Avenue are named after the Ute, Rubber Company wanted to create affordable Cree and Shoshone tribes. However, none of housing for its employees – but with one those tribes have ties to Northeastern Ohio. The difference. Firestone Park housing was designed Kickapoo are from the Northwestern part of the specifically for employees, while Goodyear left state, as well as from the Ohio and Miami River its possibilities open, and allowed non-factory areas. The other tribes are from further west – workers to purchase their houses. When you proof that street names don’t necessarily need consider the fact that most well-known housing to have specific ties to their namesakes. developments began to appear around the // Amanda Sedlak-Hevener is a local historian and a U.S. in the late 1940s and 1950s, it’s amazing graduate student at the University of Akron. to think that Akron companies were ahead of
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damn!
the trend, one that continued in the city until the post-World War II period when most of the houses in the Kickapoo Avenue area were built.
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
© 2016 Lenny Spengler
Some street names are more unusual than others. To the casual observer, Kickapoo Avenue, located off of Eastwood Avenue (and near Brittain Road) in Goodyear Heights seems like just another street, full of post WWII era houses. However, when you look at the names of the streets around it, a story unfolds.
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agenda
The Mediterranean Revival style building was erected in 1924 as a vaudeville and silent
credits, and is currently applying to have the building added to the National Register of
film theater, seating up to 1,000 patrons. It
Historic Places.
operated as such until 1962 when the theater
The $1.2M Plan to Resurrect the Historic Falls Theater words and photos by Katie Jackson After years of interest and speculation, it appears that plans are finally moving forward to renovate and repurpose the Falls Theater located in the Riverfront District in Cuyahoga Falls.
was purchased by Loew’s Corporation and converted to a modern cinerama with reduced
CIC has been working closely with developer Lauren Burge and her company, Coming
seating of 630 seats. Many locals have fond
Attractions Development, LLC, on a proposed
memories of seeing iconic films at the Loew’s
$1.2 million dollar plan to renovate the former
New Falls cinema, especially their weekly
theater site. On March 28th City Council
showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
approved legislation to help advance the
In addition to the theater, the building housed
proposal to convert the building into a mixed
two storefronts on either side of the theater entrance and four apartments on the second
use space that will include a brewery in the former theater location, as well as reviving
floor. However for the past 27 years the
the original footprint of two storefronts and
building site has remained vacant.
four apartments. If the historical tax credits are
The City of Cuyahoga Falls owned the property until recently when ownership transferred to the non-profit organization, Cuyahoga Falls Community Improvement Corp. (CIC). On March 1st, Cuyahoga Falls City Council voted unanimously to approve historic landmark designation to the building. The historical designation is more than just a talking point for the City though. With that designation, CIC was able to file for both state and federal historic preservation and rehabilitation tax
Akron HERstory: By Ilenia Pezzaniti Jean Palmer was a draftsman who worked for Goodyear in the late 1920’s, becoming the first female draftsman to work on Goodyear airship plans.
This proposal is one of many exciting and upcoming changes to the Cuyahoga Falls Riverfront District, and a perfect example of the kind of local preservation and revival we hope to see more of in our communities. // Photo credit: Katie Jackson
Jean Palmer
At Goodyear, a barely 5 foot tall Jean who always wore 4-inch heels, was in charge of drafting the electrical wiring systems of the USS Akron and USS Macon (We finally got Akron and Macon in the same sentence!) Jean left Jean was born in 1902 in Govan, Scotland Goodyear just before the USS Akron debuted, where she learned draftsmanship at a Glasgow but when World War II started, she went back shipyard and served four years as an apprentice. to work as a draftsman at Goodyear Aircraft, She and her husband, John Palmer, moved where she worked on war blimps. to Akron in 1928. From 1929, to 1931, Jean worked on blueprints for U.S. Navy dirigibles. Jean and her husband John started the
United Way of Summit County
received, the building will be sold to Coming Attractions, LLC., and they hope to complete the project by 2018.
American British Progressive League in the 1940’s, a program that helped immigrants get citizenship here. In 1965, Jean retired as a drafts(wo)man at the Summit County Engineer’s Office. She was 80 years old when she died of cancer in 1983. Pictured: Jean Palmer was the first female draftsman to work on Goodyear airship plans like the USS Akron, pictured here.
TOGEThEr wE caN rEwrITE ThE fUTUrE sTOry fOr ThE chILDrEN Of sUMMIT cOUNTy United way’s imagination Library provides free books from birth to age five and improves early childhood literacy across summit County.
fIND OUT MOrE @ UwsUMMIT.OrG
whaT ThIs pLacE NEEDs Is EarLy rEaDErs.
great things happen when we LIVE UNITED! United Way of Summit County UwsUMMIT.OrG
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
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agenda
Not Lost in Translation by Steve Van Auken
The farming life was the backbone of this country for centuries. It left us with a legacy
"Make hay while the sun shines." Invest as much as
of practicality, self-reliance, inventiveness, closeness to nature, and a sense of community. Thank God it's gone.
you can in that promising new start-up before everybody else finds out about it.
Most of us don't want the agrarian life back. Life on the farm often meant being too cold, or too hot, bug-bitten, and tired. This is because crops and animals do not turn themselves into food all by themselves. They require hard work, every day. You could be the best farmer for miles around, do everything right, and still end up ruined if a big storm blew in one night.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
I try to think about that any time I feel upset because a client or a colleague doesn't fully
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
appreciate all my special qualities.
When your aunt buys you an iPhone6 for your birthday, don't tell her you wanted the iPhone
yard with a hatchet. But as with all change that is mostly good, there are also some good things that are becoming lost.
6s+ instead. Unless you want nothing but socks and underwear
Our fore-mothers and -fathers acquired a lot of wisdom while they were working hard all those years. They put some of their best thoughts into pithy phrases to guide others toward success. Their wisdom survives and it would be a great shame to lose it. But much of it is locked in old-timey metaphors that don't speak to us anymore. We need to be able to translate from their language to ours, to bring their hard-won knowledge into our lives.
as presents for the rest of your life.
Our ancestors lived close to nature, as most of us do not. Many of their insights, their aphorisms, refer to a natural world we no longer inhabit. They, on the other hand, did not live in a world shaped by instant access to information , or indoor plumbing. So it requires some reworking to allow their insights to come into our world in order to guide us in the lives we live today. Here are some of their "old saws", with translations.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If your software is working alright, don't trade it in for the newer version. It might be a dog that think your seed corn will somehow the sales guy is trying to unload so they can grow your business if it is floating bring in the really improved version. around the Caribbean on a yacht. "The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." You'd better get that software fixed this week while things at the office are kind of quiet, because next week you will be on deadline for that big project. You won't have time to make the change then and you'll really be up the creek without a paddle.
"Shallow brooks are noisy." The people who send the most tweets are the people who have the least useful things to say.
"Don't get up the creek without a paddle." Use a little planning, or you'll end up walking home through muddy water, or you'll have to paddle your canoe with a stick. Have you ever tried paddling with a stick? No, I didn't think so. Or else you would have made that software fix by now.
"A new broom sweeps clean." When Apple hires its new CEO she will cancel all the projects the old CEO had started.
"Don't eat your seed corn." Don't spend your research and development money on an executive compensation package. Unless you
10
Illustration by Paul Hoffman
Most of us are glad to be able to work in a warm office, instead of mucking out the barn early on a frosty morning. We are grateful to be able to go to the store and buy chicken for dinner without having to chase it around the
Don't invest your kid's college fund in that "can't miss" oil stock your brother-in-law told you about.
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Not every DOT.com start-up will ever earn enough to move its headquarters out of mom and dad's garage. "No sense shutting the barn door after the horse has run off." Don't bother installing good virus protection the day after hackers associated with the Chechen mafia have made off with all your data. "The early bird catches the worm." It was only the very first investors in Microsoft who got to be billionaires. Your missed that worm, and it's not crawling back.
over social media, don't be surprised when someone finds yours. With a bit of translation we can bring the wisdom of our ancestors into our own lives. We are not so far separated from them in place and time that we can't in most cases understand what they were thinking. Except maybe in a few matters, such as why they thought the two-seater outhouse was a good idea. Or what they meant by, "Don't buy a pig in a poke." No one knows what this means. Perhaps it can't be translated, or doesn't need to be. But to be safe, the next time somebody wants to sell you their pig and it is sitting there in something you don't recognize but which might be a poke, just say no.
"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." If your idea of a good time is finding someone's flaw and denouncing it all
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agenda
R M A F
Memories: The Curds in The Milk Of My Brain by Georgio Pelogrande Anyways, I sleep in the basement at my parents' house. The ceilings are low so sometimes I hit my head, sometimes I don't. But what's more interesting than that, is the fact that I'm surrounded by Pelogrande family history. So I'm going to subtitle this little article, "Nostalgio Por Georgio." Let's explore the relics found in the darkest corners of this historic, often damp, and relatively smelly archive. C'mon. Let's go. 1. HOT TUB: For years, the subtle whir of hot tub jets would lull me to sleep as my head lay ever so gently next to the asbestos insulated tub that was dutifully installed in the basement by my uncle Roncito. I was truly blessed with blissful, baby-like sleep amid the dull hum of the SonoJet motor. Unfortunately, one night about three months ago, the electrical components caught fire and the whole thing went cajingo. Also, my mustache was singed and I lost my left eyebrow. Luckily my chest hair was saved because it had been given a healthy protectant coating of Manlay's Nighttime Chest Hair Conditioning Sheep Slaw during my bedtime routine. 2. GREAT UNCLE CHI-CHI'S VAUDEVILLE VENTRILOQUIST TRUNK: Old uncle Isman (stage name Chi-Chi) was still alive when I was a kid. He told stories of old Vaudeville that harkened back to a simpler time. Tales of a budding entertainment business captivated us children and he recounted his interactions with various singers, actors, dancers, puppeteers and magicians. He was often ridiculed in the Vaudeville community because of the hyper-realistic size and overall scary look of his puppet "Carl," but the family still considers him to be an unrecognized pioneer in the field of ventriloquism. Being outcast from the entertainment world tore him apart and that shameful sting stayed with him well into his old age. He died when I was seven of what the doctors called a "myocardial infarction," but we all know he really died of a broken heart.
back and forcing him to talk by threatening not to feed him if he didn't perform. Ironically, the "puppet's" name was also Carl. Coincidence? Probably not. 3. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT FOR COUSIN CARLO'S BEST SELLING BOOK: My grandpa's cousin's name was Carlo. In 1926, he wrote a book called “Living With Gout, A Uric Acid Trip Down Memory Lane.” His original notes, outlines and the manuscript, which would become the West Parma best seller is still intact, along with the photos that were professionally taken of him for the cover. He was a proud, handsome man (despite the gout).
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
FLEA STARTS
10AM
MKT
his best-selling book and never really worked much after its release (which is good because he was, of course, riddled with gout). To cement his legacy, in 1942 he founded what would eventually become Pelogrande and Son Taste of Madrid Family Style Buffet, although he never really worked at the restaurant much (on account of his gout.) 4. AUNT MIRANDA'S HOLLYWOOD SCRAPBOOK: Aunt Miranda was known as "failed child actress" in most Hollywood circles despite the fact that she only ever auditioned for one film. When she was six, she tried out for the role of the title character in the movie “The Incredible Shrinking Child.” She lost the part to one Shirley Temple. The film was eventually scrapped because the studio thought it was stupid to shrink a child considering most children are already small. And that, folks, is the magic of Hollywood. I shall now leave you with my favorite quote about nostalgia: "For if I only knew what the word meant, I would cherish nostalgia the way an old person cherishes his or her prunes. For prunes are truly nature's most disgusting fruit." -Georgio Pelogrande Be nicer than you were yesterday, and read a math book. Thank you and you're welcome.
most Saturdays on the Altered Realm Radio show on KRMAradio.com.
ENDS
2PM
JOIN US ON THESE DATES!
JUNE 12
JULY 10
AUG 14
Located at Urban Eats / 51 E. Market St.
He made quite a nice living just on the sales of
// Catch Georgio Pelogrande from 8 pm to midnight
Years later it was discovered he was just jamming a pistol into a very, very short man's
2016
Music Festival Checklist Bring Guitar Pack Camper Van Bring AAA Card
Hit the Road & Rock on
SEPT 11
Your news feed is full of parenting advice.
So are our pediatricians. To find a pediatrician near you, visit akronchildrens.org/achpediatrics.
the arts
EXPLORING THE ARTS IN AKRON
15 INDIE INKSLINGERS FINDING HELP FROM AKRON'S INDIE LINK 17 GET TO KNOW THE WOMEN’S ART LEAGUE OF AKRON 18 AN EYE-CANDY SMORGASBORD OF LOCALLY CRAFTED COMICS
ACE EPPS
Ace Epps reads to a packed house at the Cashmere Cricket in Cuyahoga Falls for an event hosted by ArtsNow and Collide, a collaborative organization dedicated to helping create a vibrant Cuyahoga Falls. (PHOTO: Svetla Morrison/The Devil Strip)
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
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the arts
í
ç
ê
The palette: May events Our picks for arts events in May by Noor Hindi and Bronlynn Thurman
è
å
ë
é ‹ Mom, The Masterpiece Friday, May 6 at Summit ArtSpace, 6:30 pm
production called Lend Me A Tener, a rousing comedy about an Italian opera singer who is
Jennifer Davis of SmART Studio is back again with another painting event. This time, in celebration of Mother’s Day, you get the chance to paint that very special someone in your life,
drugged and replaced by an assistant. Mishap, misunderstandings and mayhem ensues. Don’t miss it. Tickets are $22, but there will be a $12 preview on May 12 only. Find more information
your mother. Davis is a fantastic teacher who does a brilliant job of guiding those who are
at coachhousetheatre.com.
initially hesitant about flexing their creative muscles. Tickets are $40 per person and those interested can find more information at facebook.com/events/1686792391577159/.
é Give My Regards to Broadway
å Just Go With It Improv Friday, May 6 at Akron Center for Art Music & Performance, 7 pm Join local improv group, Just Go With It and Oberlin College’s improv group, Sunshine Scouts as they tickle your funny bone and you laugh yourself into stitches. The show starts at 7:30pm and tickets are $5. Visit facebook. com/events/2002270679997518/ for more information.
ç Hack the Arts Tuesday, May 10 at Akron Civic Theater, 5:30 pm Collaborating for the first time, ArtsNow and OSC Tech Lab seek to bridge the gap between the blooming art and tech scenes in Akron. This event will give attendees an opportunity to interact and find innovative ways to reinvent Akron. This event is free, but registration is encouraged. Visit nvite.com/HackTheArts/b623 for more information.sweets. Hurry and get your tickets before they’re gone. Members pay $6.27, while non-members pay $11.54.
‹ Lend Me A Tenor May 12 - June 5 at Coach House Theatre Coach House Theatre is putting on a
14
May 13-14 at Springfield Junior/Senior High School, 7:30 pm Join Springfield High School for its first musical, “Give My Regards to Broadway.” It’s an intriguing story about a young boy’s passion for baseball, which overtakes his father’s love of acting. Admission is $7 at the door.
included photographing friends after they’ve had three glasses of wine.
Mothersbaugh’s work reveals his unique artistic voice and also asserts his role in the intersecting
ë Riverfront Art Walk
legacies that have formed contemporary culture.
Saturday, May 21 at Riverfront Merchants, 11 am Join the Riverfront Merchants for an afternoon of shopping to help promote small business, local arts and downtown Cuyahoga Falls. This celebration is a great way to kick off your summer and spend time with family and friends. Visit facebook.com/ events/1125983074112558/ to stay up-to-date on all information.
í Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia
Saturday, May 28 Artist Talk featuring Mark Mothersbaugh and Saturday, May 14 at Curator Adam Lerner 2-3 pm. Ticket Required: Our Lady of the Elms, 7 pm $10 for Akron Art Museum Members and Breath of Dreams is a fundraiser for the MOCA Cleveland Members, $20 for General organization Alchemy, a group that has received Admission. FREE opening party for the the National Arts and Humanities Youth exhibition from 3-7 pm Program Award from the President’s Committee for its commitment to helping urban male Exhibit runs from May 29 to August 28 youth. Alchemy facilitators use the telling and Myopia is the first retrospective of the work of analysis of myths and fairytales to help urban Mark Mothersbaugh, spanning the beginning adolescent boys develop a sense of purpose in of his career in the early 1970s through the life and to thrive as members of a family, school present. Born in Akron, OH, and co-founder of and community by “becoming the hero in their the New Wave band DEVO, Mothersbaugh has own story.” This event is free, but registration is been making art for more than forty years— encouraged. Visit alchemy.ticketleap.com/elms/ since before the band’s inception in the early to register. 1970s. This body of work presents a unique combination of cultural criticism and personal expression through drawings, films, paintings, ê Wine and Shine Friday, May 20 at sculpture and music. But more than that, his Hazel Tree Interiors, 7 pm work provides a missing link in the history Join photographer Svetla Morrison for an of contemporary art and culture. At once an evening of wine, stories and laughter. Brazilian artist, musician, and tinkerer, he offers a key photographer Marcos Alberti inspired Svetla to understanding the current state of art, with through his photography project, which its hybridity, subjectivity and fluid boundaries.
è Breath of Dreams
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
The Akron Art Museum is partnering with MOCA Cleveland to jointly present Mothersbaugh’s work in simultaneous exhibitions across Northeast Ohio. Myopia in Cleveland focuses on experimentation, performance, and sound. Works on view present the Mothersbaugh’s early sketchbooks and ephemera, documentation of DEVO’s first performances, the band’s commercial and conceptual development, and Mothersbaugh’s ongoing experimentation with manipulated musical instruments. Myopia at the Akron Art Museum turns its attention on Mothersbaugh’s visual art practice, including installations of recent sculpture, prints, rugs, and a collection of 30,000 postcard-sized drawings the artist has created and utilized for inspiration and exploration throughout his career. By visiting the exhibition in both venues, audiences will get a wide-ranging perspective of Mothersbaugh’s prolific output of artwork, music, ideas, restless invention, and distinctive sense of humor. Taken together, this incredibly unified body of work reveals the artist’s persistent attempt to navigate between the conflicting forces of cynicism and freedom, and irony and originality. Like his early work with DEVO, Mothersbaugh explores the complex relationship between what is synthetic and what is authentic. For questions or more information call 330.376.9186 x214.
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Five Tips For Comic Creators
arts
Strengthening the Weakest Link
Joe shares five tips for comic creators and illustrators who are just stepping into the market. 1. “Make sure your heart is in it. Success won’t happen immediately, but if your heart is in it, you’ll be able to
How Indie Link is bringing comic creators and illustrators together by Megan Combs
keep going.” 2. “Have discipline and put in the hours needed to get your work done. Don’t get jaded by other people’s success. If
So you’ve got an idea for a
“There is only one comic book distributing
comic creators to share pro tips on his site in an
comic book, but no one to illustrate it. Or maybe your
company,” Michael said. “And you have to make a certain amount of money before they
effort to help others save money on marketing or from making rookie mistakes. There are
comic book is complete,
distribute you. So it’s hard for people who are
also tips for creating an effective kickstarter
you put in the time and effort, you’ll
but now you don’t know
just starting out to get anywhere.”
campaign, how to videos, a community forum
get there too.”
how to distribute it. That’s where Indie Link comes in.
3. “Be diligent when it comes to choosing your collaborators. A project can be destroyed by the wrong creator or illustrator. Then be patient with the people you do end up working with.” 4. “You’ve got to have tough skin. There are always going to be critics and naysayers.” 5. “Build a strong network of support from local shops and fellow creators. Don’t treat this like a competition, just think of it as a bunch of collaborations.”
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Created by Akron native Joseph A. Michael, the website Indie Link (www.indielink.us) was created to be a space where comic illustrators and creators can share tools and tricks of the trade for people who are just starting out. Anyone who joins Indie Link has the opportunity to create a profile and use it as an online portfolio to showcase their talent. Users can then add release dates, convention dates and more. It’s also a place where comic shop owners can create profiles to reach out to users looking to distribute their work.
and more. Not to mention competing with the likes of Marvel and DC for shelf space. Indie Link was born out of the struggles Michael and his comic creator and illustrator friends faced on a daily basis. As the creator of the comic book series “Only Human,” Michael wanted to share his experiences and how he overcame them to help others. “I’ve experienced years of struggle and hundreds of hours of research, lost sleep and money,” Michael said. “It’s not an easy industry to break into. There is a steep learning curve.”
“I want the independent creators to have a voice among the big players,” Michael said. “Right now there is no singular voice for us and it’s sad. We all try to support each other and that’s my hope for Indie Link.” The website is still under construction, and Michael plans to relaunch in about three or four months. Until then, Like the Indie Link page on Facebook to connect with other creators around the nation. // Megan loves writing about comic illustrators and creators. Tweet her at @WhoIsMeganCombs if you’d
Michael has asked some more established
like to be featured.
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A Merchant Millennial
How Barberton’s Merchants Association has been shaping up since its first Fourth Friday words and photos by Mary Menzemer
into her own personal business. Her story
coming from Akron
Association include a representative from the
on a big challenge. There is no job description,
and Canton and
mayor’s office, a member from the South
human resources department, or anyone to
adds an interesting
train her on what her duties will be in the coming months, or possibly, years. What was
twist on the ever-
all over the region. We’ve had to expand
Summit Chamber of Commerce and a rep from the Barberton Community Foundation. All
the event into Second
together, the association has 30-plus contacts
Twenty-three year old Hannah Gerbec is taking
once a three-person job is now a one person
going conversation about millennials,
job: the head of newly formed Barberton
many of whom are
Street, and we already and resources to help them to continue to have five more grow and revitalize the downtown area into an
Merchant’s Association.
urban dwellers and
businesses who want
young professionals.
to join in.”
When three high school seniors from Barberton High School, Justine Liddle, Ashley Cook and Katie Ebner, formed the monthly Fourth Friday event in downtown Barberton, they encouraged businesses to form the Barberton Merchant’s Association alongside. But now they are busy with graduating high school, applying to colleges, and attending the DECA International Career Development Conference competition in Nashville which was April 23-26. So with the teens unavailable, who better to be the forefront of the association than one of Barberton’s very own small business owners? “I’ve always had an attachment to this town, and I really want everyone in the association to work together and grow so we can have even more events,” Gerbec said. “It’s the direction where I want to take my life, and continue to be involved in business and politics. As stressful as it may be, I’m enjoying it.” Gerbec helps run Aunt Hannah’s Antiques and Collectibles with her mom, and has even recently purchased some real estate to turn
Other business owners have seen the benefit, too. “We’ve done really well on Fourth Friday, and it’s been pretty consistent,” said Jason Miller, owner of Stuff Genie Emporium on Tuscarawas. “People have been coming into my store and saying ‘we just moved here’ or ‘we’ve just moved back’. We’re trying to make it a more trendy, artsy area.”
There has been plenty of talk about what young professionals are doing, and how kids are coping with life after college, but what about young entrepreneurship? Could Barberton start becoming the perfect breeding ground for young entrepreneurs, or for those who don’t like so much the idea of college, and are looking to use their interpersonal and leadership skills?
independently run art mecca. “The area alone definitely has a strong art feel to it considering the rich history of the downtown buildings,” Gerbec said. “Every kind of art is gaining popularity in the area and everybody just wants to hit one location. That’s why all of the stores work so well together.” The Merchant’s Association wants to continually advertise their event and try to make it stand out from the First Friday event in Canton. Miller says they also hope to gain some funding over time to help pay musicians and artists who are currently dedicating their time for free for the evening. // Mary Menzemer believes in maximizing the
It very well could be, but it would have to be based upon high population growth and hip, startup businesses making their headquarters there. While these things aren’t impossible, they’re tricky, and would most likely take a number of years to completely settle in.
potential of any city. She also just started a blog Miller has recently taken leadership over Blue called Peace Signs & Pulp. Check it out at Sky Drive In in Wadsworth, hoping to turn it back into a farmer’s and flea market. He’s also a peacesignsandpulp.blogspot.com. part of the board of the Merchant’s Association, owns an auction shop, and is a contributor on
“The first night of Fourth Friday we had traffic jams in the store,” Gerbec said. “People are
There have only been three Fourth Friday events so far. Among the others in the Merchant’s
the Altered Realm radio show on KRMA Radio.
Creative Devils
The next Fourth Friday will be from 5 to 8 pm on May 27 on downtown Barberton’s Tuscarawas Street.
Harrison Nevels, Junior “I used to be really bad at art, but now it’s something I like and that I’m good at. My freshman year, I did a Gandalf portrait in chalk. I want to get into tattooing or special effects makeup after high school. I just like the idea of being able to do something that you like for a career, and I
They may not get a certificate and recognition on the loudspeaker, but some Barberton HS kids deserve our recognition for staying true to their art and themselves
don’t feel pressured when I do art. It’s just something that I want to do, nothing that I’m told to do.”
words and photos by Mary Menzemer
Mikaila Carrington, Senior Remember the cool angel sketch we published last month done by Xavier, a high school senior? Or how about those bloody, but oh so cool, anime sketches done by Jazmin, high school freshman and aspiring animator? We have some more awesome things that other teens have done, and we’re not stopping there. Here’s what these Barberton High School students have to say about their work, in their own words. Know any art students worthy of recognition? Email arts@thedevilstrip.com and tell us about them!
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| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
“Making jewelry is fun. I draw posters for my room, too. I have them everywhere. I started drawing when I was little because I didn’t have a TV or anything. I want to teach art in high school. I think education should be to improve the individual rather than the entire class as a whole. So I’d focus on each of the kids. My mom one time wanted to get a tattoo of a fairy, and I had done one in 3D. She took it and got that tattooed on her chest. That’s the art accomplishment I’m most proud of.”
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Photo courtesy of Bright Star Books and WIC
arts
arts
Photo courtesy of Bright Star Books and WIC
Book Worm Bright Star Books Brings Literacy to the Children of Greater Akron by Melanie Anderson
Imagine what it would be like to grow up without books. For many low income children
books. Many of these donations are due to book drives. These are a great opportunity for
in Summit County, this is a reality.
children to actively participate in the community In addition to book fairs, Bright Star Books by giving to others in need. also recently expanded to work with Summit County Public Health’s Barberton, Summit Bright Star Books is also partnering with the Lake, and Graham Road Women, Infants, and “This City Reads!” coalition to host a “This Children (WIC) clinics, which collectively serve City Reads!” event at the Akron Rubber Ducks about 3,000 children in the greater Akron area. Because of the success of their donations so far this year, Bright Star Books is able to contribute five books twice a year to all children served by these clinics, reaching more than two-thirds of all children up to age 5 living in poverty in Summit County.
This came as a surprise to Christin and Keith Seher’s then 3-year-old son in 2014. Upon telling him that many children do not have books to read at home like he did, he replied, “Then we have to give them some!” Since then, Keith and Christin Seher have founded Bright Star Books, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the literacy needs of low income children in greater Akron.
home with them.
“What we discovered when we started two years ago was that the most pressing need for books was for limited-resource, 0- to 5-year-old
Already, the program has proven to be immensely rewarding. Keith shared an incident
children,” said Keith, co-founder and executive director of the organization. “More than 60 percent of these children have non ageappropriate books in their homes, and therefore are not exposed to the amount of speech or the number of words that a growing brain needs. Too often this leads to children starting school
that occurred recently: “As I was leaving the Summit Lake WIC clinic after dropping off some books, I heard a little boy come in and ask, ‘Mommy, can I go get my books now?’ For him, a trip to WIC has turned into something special. He was excited about his new books. For us, that is exactly what success sounds like.”
developmentally behind their better-resourced peers -- a gap many children never close.”
game on June 15. With this event, anyone who donates a new or gently-used children’s book can purchase game tickets for $6. The books reach children through events such as Bright Star Book’s first “Free Book Fair,” held at Findley Community Learning Center in Akron last month. At the book fair, every student had the opportunity to pick out five books to take
or follow them on Facebook. // Melanie is an aspiring writer and professional wanderer who is freshly emerging from the undergraduate student life and is still looking for hidden portals to Narnia.
Uniting Women Artists of Akron by Bronlynn Thurman
respect and support of the community.” They achieve this goal through supporting the Akron youth. Each year they sponsor a scholarship for an Akron area, female high school student who wishes to study art.
before admittance. These days the process is not nearly as rigorous. The WAL now allows all those interested in art and currently boasts a In addition to scholarships, they also hold a Spring juried show. This year’s show will be held membership of 70 women. at the Almond Tea Gallery in Cuyahoga Falls To learn more, visit from May 24 through June 30. womensartleague.org.
Their mission is “To unite the women artists of Akron who are interested in the advancement of the arts, who desire to be of service to the In the past, potential members had to have community in a way that merits the recognition, their artwork judged by current members
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
no goats no glory — Custom pieces include lighting, wood pieces and metal fabrication as well as custom jewelry, aprons, boho-style clothing, gypsy flags as well as monthly tarot and oracle reading and massage therapy, acoustic artists and more. — HOURS: Mon-Tues 12-6 * Wed closed Thurs-Fri Sat 10-6 * Sun 12-4
To find out more, check out the organization’s website,
Women’s Art League of Akron Behind the doors of the Akron Women’s City Club, an art league that has spanned nearly seven decades convenes. Started by notable women like Gertrude Seiberling, Germaine Verheyden and Amy Goehring, the the Women’s Art League of Akron (WAL) gather on every second Saturday between September and May.
LIVE MUSIC, CARD READERS, POETRY, MASSAGES AND MORE
brightstarbooks.org
Over the year and a half since the organization began, Bright Star Books has been able to collect more than 55,000 books to put into the hands of disadvantaged children. It recently exceeded its 2015 total of donations, bringing the total for 2016 up to more than 32,000
MONTHLY EVENTS:
// Photos by Sara Heston
Photo courtesy of Shane Wynn
may Comics • may Comics • may Comics
culture & community CULTURE CLUB
22 WAY BACK WHEN THE BLACK HAND GRIPPED AKRON 24 COULD AKRON'S FUTURE DEPEND ON ITS HIDDEN NEIGHBORHOODS? 26 WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? IT'S NICER THAN IT SEEMS
The only time Andy Bixenstine and Michael Purdy get to ride bikes anymore is when they're testing them out before putting them out for sale. Get to know them in Ilenia Pezzaniti's profile on Blimp City Bike and Hike, page 21. (PHOTO: Ilenia Pezzaniti/The Devil Strip)
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
BLIMP CITY BIKES
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‹ Babywearing Salsa
Friday, May 6 at The Bit Factory, doors open at 7 pm, event runs from 8-10 pm PechaKucha International hits Akron again. As always, there will be free food and a cash bar. The event is free, but a $2 donation is suggested to support PK International. Seats must be reserved in advance through eventbrite.com.
å March for Babies presented by
Tuesday, May 10 - Uncorked Wine Bar, 7 pm Parents will learn basic steps for salsa and merengue--all while wearing their babies in a baby carrier! The dances learned will be fairly low to moderate intensity for beginners. Be sure to dress in comfortable clothing that allows for movement, and wear suitable shoes (any shoe that has support, but doesn't have a ton of grip, such as a jazz shoe). Cost is $8 per parent, available at the door or through eventbrite.com.
Saturday, May 7 at Lock 3, 9 am-1 pm
é Exploring the World
March of Dimes
Get ready to walk in the March for Babies! It promises to be a fun day out with people who share a passion for improving the health of babies. There'll be family teams, company teams and people walking with friends. Money raised will go to help babies right here in our community. The March for Babies is a 4 mile walk or 1 mile family fun route that starts at Lock 3 park, ending back at Lock 3 for food and entertainment.
ç Akron Symphony and
GroundWorks DanceTheater Present Carmina Burana
Saturday, May 7 at EJ Thomas Hall, 8 pm EJ Thomas Hall will reverberate with the power of nearly 200 musicians when the Akron Symphony Orchestra (ASO), conducted by Christopher Wilkins, and GroundWorks DanceTheater, directed by David Shimotakahara, present Carmina burana, Carl Orff’s well-known work celebrating fate and chance. The production will feature 24 adult and student dancers performing new choreography to music presented by ASO and the Akron Symphony Chorus, as well as sophisticated lighting to create a projected set. The evening will also feature the On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite by Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein’s Academy Awardnominated score for the 1954 film was the starting point for the Symphonic Suite. A year after the release of the film, Bernstein adapted the score into a 20-minute suite consisting of six continuously flowing movements. Some consider it to be one of the most distinctive symphonic portraits of an American scene.
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through Storytelling
Saturday, May 14 at Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Branch, 10 am-4 pm Once Upon A Time...the stories of the world come alive in an interactive and multidimensional festival. The festival celebrates stories of the world and multilingual and multicultural storybooks. The celebration includes interactive, handson experiences through which students and families can explore world cultures with authentic cultural exhibits, stories and book readings, music, art, dance, storytelling, puppets and world languages. For more information, check out the facebook event page: facebook.com/events/937455006368061/
è Social Media Marketing Panel Monday, May 16 - OSC Tech Lab, 6:30-8:30 pm What does the future of Social Media look like? The power of social media is radically transforming the marketing function for startups and the role of the marketing professional. Join our panel of experts for a conversation on social media trends for 2016. Our panel will share their insights, experiences and predictions that will change the way you use social media for your brand or business, while sharing best practices for applying them. The panel discussion will be followed by drinks and networking courtesy of Launch League.
‹ The Club @ the Civic Motherhood presented by Wandering Aesthetics Friday, May 20 at Akron Civic Theatre, 8 pm Motherhood is a beautiful thing, but do you really know your mother? While she was busy
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
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MAY May 7 // ACCESS Race to a New Start 2016 3807 Ridgewood Rd, Copley A fundraiser to support ACCESS, a local
community events
‹ PechaKucha Akron, Volume 3
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Akron 5Ks
adoring you and taking care of your every need, she was also busy being a person– a wife, daughter, co-worker and friend… did you see all the balls she had in the air? Get to know your mother at this storytelling performance. This is a cabaret performance, set on the Civic stage. Performers and audience are on the beautiful Civic stage for the performance. Seating is limited!
‹ Just Be: A Relaxed Gathering
for All Women
Saturday, May 21 at The Bit Factory, 9:30 am-4 pm Just Be is an opportunity for women to come together and do just that: “Just Be.” Women will be encouraged to be themselves, share their hearts’ desires, begin charting their goals, and expose their areas of challenge. Moreover, the attendees will have the opportunity to hear from various speakers throughout the course of the event who used life’s challenges as a platform to boost themselves to higher ways of thinking and new ways of approaching and conquering their personal, family, career, and community goals. Just Be will provide access to local business and community organizations who have programs, products, and services that are in alignment with the overall well-being of women (mind, body, and spirit). Additionally, there will be the opportunity for local business and other organizations to showcase their offerings in an area designated for vendors. Tickets are $45 and available through eventbrite.com.
‹ A Walk in the Garden Night Thursday, May 26 at Buchtel Community Learning Center, 5:30-8 pm; Wetland Play from 7-8 pm in the auditorium Check out the new community garden, native shade garden, walking path and exercise garden, and hear student composed music, student-created videos, and presentations centered around a healthy environment and community. Students have written a wetland play and will perform it in the auditorium to end the evening. Bring the whole family and come have fun with the students and community of Buchtel CLC! (continued on page 45)
organization working to empower homeless women and children by providing tools they need to create their new beginning. May 8 // Mother’s Day 5K 2016 521 S. River Rd, Munroe Falls A stroller-friendly course fundraiser and “friendraiser” for the Metro Parks Foundation, celebrating Mom’s on their special day. May 14 // ADM Recovery Challenge 5K 3445 S. Main Street, Akron, OH A fun obstacle course challenge and fundraiser to support those who are in recovery. May 21 // Torchbearers AKRun & Crawl 1735 Merriman Rd, Akron 10th Anniversary run AFTER DARK with a Flashlight Glow Run along the Towpath Trail followed by a bar crawl through Merriman Valley. May 28 // Akron Color Vibe 5K Run Lock 3, 200 Main St, Akron Have a fun time and get blasted with color while you run, celebrating with a dance party at the finish line!
JUNE June 4 // Rhino Rush 5K Run/Walk Portage Lake State Park 5031 Manchester Rd, Akron An event dedicated to preventing the extinction of rhinos from the wild through habitat preservation, surveillance, and antipoaching techniques, presented by the Akron Zoo Chapter of AAZK. June 18 // Akron Autism 5K Run & Walk Lock 3, 200 Main St, Akron, OH A family friendly walk for Autism awareness with proceeds helping to fund programs for the Autism Society of Greater Akron (ASGA) serving those in Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne Counties. June 18 // 5KRunDead Zombie Run Heritage Farms, 6050 Riverview Rd, Peninsula Test your speed, endurance and strength while trying to avoid ravenous zombies. Runners must make it to the finish line with at least one flag or become one of the walking dead! June 25 // Akron Marathon Race Series: National Interstate 8K & 1 Mile InfoCision Stadium, 361 S. Union St, Akron The first training run to prepare participants for the Akron Marathon this fall. This course will highlight The University of Akron’s campus with a unique tour of downtown Akron.
culture & community
FROM LEGOS TO WHEELS
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How Blimp City Bike and Hike Bike Shop was born words and photos by Ilenia Pezzaniti A carnivalesque popcorn machine sits beside the counter. Crotch-shaped seats cling to the wall nearby. Rows upon rows of bikes hang upside down like bats. Some stand tidily, their front wheels wedged between metal rods that keep them separated. A “Beware of Killer Dachshund!” sign is tacked to a back wall, despite there being no actual dog in sight.
it goes along with the fact that I actually like cycling as well,” Andy said. Andy has over 30 bikes of his own.
Blimp City Bike and Hike Bike Shop, a family business that’s relied mostly on word of mouth by Akron’s citizens, has a sense of playfulness, embodying the adventurous nature
Manager, with the help of his stepfather and shop owner, Michael Purdy, they’ve been open for seven years. Michael, who worked as a North American sales rep traveling the country,
contracted mechanic, the guys can find busy season challenging, bringing in over 200 bikes, “Sometimes it’s a struggle to take care of everybody properly. And if you can’t do that,
they propose.
“shopped around” bike shops the first few seasons. In October 2009, they found their first
what’s the point? No matter how much money you make, if you can’t take care of people
It all started with Akronite Andy Bixenstine “skibummin’” in Vail, Colorado. Home for the summers, he’d work at Century Cycles in Medina, fueling his love for mechanical apparatuses. He’d take home “dead bikes”, aka donated bikes, and fix them up. “Growing up, I loved Legos. Disassemble. Reassemble. Do it as you’re supposed to or do it your own way. That kind of tinkering kinda just kinda fits. Then
building. By Black Friday, doors opened in the Merriman Valley.
because they didn't like your service they’re not coming back,” Andy said. “The nice thing is, it always works out. I think it’s because Michael and I make a good team. I keep it kinda enthusiastic, and he keeps it real. A good balance.”
n
Andy and Michael are proud to be located in Akron and want to see the city thrive. “Akron has a lot of potential and it’s a little painful to see how slow progress moves in this area but at the same time, my enthusiasm for bikes, my enthusiasm for skiing- I have the same
FRIDAY MAY 20TH
• NURSE APPRECIATION NIGHT & BIEBER FEVER FIREWORKS! PRESENTED BY CLEVELAND CLINIC AKRON GENERAL
FRIDAY MAY 27TH
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• $1,000 CASH DASH! & DAVID BOWIE FIREWORKS PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
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Ready to pursue his dream after working at other outdoor sports realms, Andy left his initial idea of combining a ski and bike shop, settling on two wheels. Now the General
enthusiasm for the potential this area has. After living in a resort city like Vail, an area that’s pretty walkable, you come back here and, you know, we’re very auto-centric. We’re behind the times on that kind of stuff. My passion for Akron is to see it grow.”
he said. “The coolest part of the job? Well it’s just playing with bikes all day instead of calling it work,” Andy said. May is their busiest month. Pay them a visit at their new location. Ya buy a bike, ya get a free t-shirt.
With a small staff, the two of them plus a
Michael’s favorite part is interacting with the customers, “I love coming in here every day,”
Pictured above: Their new building, located at 1675 Merriman Road, is much larger than the last, creating more room for more bikes and mechanic work
Blimp City Bike and Hike Bike Shop 1675 Merriman Road, Akron, OH 44313 (330) 836-6600
blimpcitybikeandhike.com
SATURDAY MAY 21ST
SUNDAY MAY 22ND
SATURDAY MAY 28TH
SUNDAY MAY 29TH
• 3RD ANNUAL RUBBERDUCKS COMICON • SUPERHERO SHIELD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 1000 FANS) PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON • HAPPY GILMORE NIGHT • SHOOTER MCGAVIN BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (FIRST 1000 FANS) PRESENTED BY CLEVELAND CLINIC AKRON GENERAL • APPEARANCE BY CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD
• TOUCH A TRUCK! • FAMILY FUNDAY - PLAY CATCH ON THE FIELD! KIDS RUN BASES AFTER THE GAME!
• DINO DAY! • FAMILY FUNDAY - PLAY CATCH ON THE FIELD! KIDS RUN BASES AFTER THE GAME
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! VISIT AKRONRUBBERDUCKS.COM OR CALL (330) 253-5151 AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
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culture & Community
The Black Hand
When Mobsters Ruled Akron by Katie Jackson
From the outside, it appeared to be an average
As Borgio’s empire spread throughout the city, so did the growing disdain for the illegal activity
neighborhood general store
by the Akron police force, who remained largely them for arrest he was shot three times.
was never charged with additional crimes, and
in North Hill. But inside the backroom? Alarms armed
untouched by Borgio’s extortion. By 1918, officers began raiding Borgio’s gambling dens
Passerby George Fink saw the incident and quickly ran to flag down other officers. The two
on February 21, 1919 he and Mazzano were executed by electric chair at the Ohio State
the front and back doors.
and brothels, arresting both gang members and
assailants, Frank Mazzano and Paul Chiavaro,
Penitentiary. The Akron Beacon Journal reported
Foot-long spikes were built into pits beneath the stairs. A trapdoor hid an arsenal of submachine guns, rifles and pistols at arm's reach. The owner? A well-connected businessman with most of the city’s politicians on the payroll. Also known as the most feared man in Akron in the 1910’s: Rosario Borgio. Borgio, an Italian-American mobster, arrived in Akron at the turn of the century as an eager henchman. It didn’t take long before he was first in command of the local chapter of The Black Hand, a criminal empire of bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, and blackmail. The gang, reported to have gained its reputation by delivering threatening extortion letters signed with a sketch of a hand in thick black ink, was
two suspicious men. Richards trailed and apprehended the men, and while preparing
clientele. In retaliation, Borgio called a meeting of his Black Hand thugs to declare war on the Akron police force. Offering a bounty of $250.00 on the head of any officer, it didn’t
were captured and arrested. Sadly Richards passed away, but not before confirming the identity of his killers.
take long for the first victim to fall.
to Richard’s killing and confessed to an even larger story: the murders of all four officers were connected. Not only were they connected, but they were ordered by the infamous mob boss, Rosario Borgio.
Officer Robert Norris was patrolling his evening beat on Market Street when he witnessed what appeared to be a robbery. As he
infiltrating Italian-American communities across the midwest.
While in custody, Mazzano admitted
a gruesome Triplett Road murder, with the hope that it would delay his execution. Borgio
their deaths in detail, describing Borgio as dying within 20 seconds of electrocution. Unfortunately, Borgio’s criminal influence did not die immediately with him. Within weeks of his death, three other Akron Police patrolmen were shot while on duty by revengeful members of The Black Hand, resulting in the death of yet another officer. Additionally, fifteen years after his arrest, Lorenzo Biondo’s life sentence was inexplicably repealed by then-Governor George White. Biondo fled to Italy and virtually disappeared. The Black Hand organization gradually vanished from Akron, and across the United States, in the mid-1930’s as police forces cracked down harder on organized crime. As a result, many
confronted the suspected assailant, Norris was shot twice in the back and left for dead. He passed away on Christmas Eve 1918. A few With an influx of young men to Akron to fill the weeks later, officers Edward Costigan and
Black Hand members reintegrated themselves Borgio and five of his gang members - including into society as neighborhood “protectors”. Frank Mazzano, Paul Chiavaro, Tony Manfredi, Pasquale Biondo and Lorenzo Biondo - were While Akron might not be as tough and well-
assembly lines of the bustling rubber factories, Borgio and his squad were nothing if not flush with clients. There wasn’t a bottle of moonshine or a late night mistress that couldn’t be traced back to Borgio’s Furnace Street operation. Nor were there many elected officials who weren’t turning a blind eye to the activity in exchange for some form of bribery.
arrested and indicted for the officer’s murders within weeks of the confession. With the exception of Lorenzo Biondo, all were sentenced to the death penalty.
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Joseph Hunt found themselves in a similar pursuit and were also gunned down and killed. The police, unaware of a connection between Borgio and the murders, were baffled and unable to find a motive for either of the killings. In early 1919, Officer Gethin Richards was patrolling a railyard when he spotted
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known for underground mafia activity as New York, Chicago, or even Youngstown, we were not unaffected by its reach. // While not traveling or daydreaming, Katie shares
While awaiting his fate in the Summit County jail, the weakened Borgio was reported to have confessed to a string of other crimes, including
the responsibility of renovating an 1868 farmhouse with a handsome troubadour, two dogs, and a curious 8 year old.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
culture & community
POWER OF THE PEN: WRITING TEAMS READY TO TACKLE COMPETITIVE WORDSMITHING Area schools expanding a new tradition of team writing by Patrick Worden
Unless you run impossibly fast, you can’t play football by yourself. And if you believe that writing is always a solo endeavor, you’ll be amazed to meet our area academic writing teams, who are going head to head against other schools in timed composition tournaments. The organizations that are making this happen, PoP (Power of the Pen) in area middle schools, and PenOhio in high schools, have thrown down a gauntlet in terms of their stated mission, vowing to make writing teams as ubiquitous in schools as football squads. The middle-school version has been in existence since the mid-1980s, an offshoot from an inclass competitive writing program developed by Nordonia Hills teacher Lorrainne Merrill. More recently her son, Tom Merrill, was tapped to roll out PenOhio to Northeast Ohio high schools. Their first regional tournament will be held on Saturday, May 14th.
and forty minutes to complete a paper. Each student writes independently, and competes directly against a member of the other team (teams are rotated, round-robin-style, so that no two students compete against each other twice in the same tourney). Essays are judged by a panel of volunteers, local librarians, and by the teacher-coaches, who only review papers
major fiscal sponsor of PenOhio, although additional sponsors and volunteers are actively being sought. The organization is in the process of establishing itself as a 501c3 nonprofit, and offers free program participation to public, private and parochial high schools. Its inaugural year has seen schools in Cuyahoga, Summit and Stark counties sign on, with goals to expand
authored by opposing teams. Competition continues through three rounds until a winning team, and a single highest-scoring composition, are crowned. Prizes include scholarships, with the teacher-coaches earning continuingeducation credit and the opportunity to bring an unconventional writing emphasis into their curricula.
throughout Ohio and beyond over the next two years. Power of the Pen, meanwhile, is coordinating 42 middle-school writing meets per year, with 500 schools participating at the district, regional and state levels.
It works like this: teams are comprised of six students. In each round they’re pitted against an opposing school and given a writing prompt, The Cuyahoga County Public Library is the
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Both programs, Tom Merrill tells us, help kids get college-ready by exposing them to different forms of narrative and expository writing, and to new writing techniques. With writing skills
so central to all academic disciplines, not to mention in the workplace, Merrill says that competitive writing benefits not just students who want to pursue writing careers, but all students. Teachers and schools likewise benefit with supplemental course material geared to help them meet new state learning standards, and to prepare students for the recently increased weighting of the English sections of standardized tests like SAT and ACT. Academic competitive writing, born in Northeast Ohio and poised to expand far beyond, just might transform how an entire generation approaches team activities, and the written word. It’ll be fascinating to see how it also comes to impact the ways they learn, work and live. // Pat Worden lives, writes and BBQs in East Akron.
PenOhio needs sponsors and volunteers! Please visit penohio.weebly.com or email penohio2016@gmail.com
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The Corner Pocket When a neighborhood is a neighborhood unto itself. The pocket neighborhood. If you’ve never lived
may have been quickly surrounded by industrial
swamps, rivers, canals and other waterways—
in one, then you’ve probably never seen one, since they are often hard to find. Often hidden,
shops, small factories and other commercial businesses that were created to support Akron’s
can set a natural neighborhood boundary. In some cases, they can serve as a scenic amenity.
and more often forgotten, these are the small-
Rubber Boom. In other cases, housing may have
to-medium-size enclaves of houses that exists in been quickly erected in areas where zoning
SEMI-UNDEVELOPED LAND – this can include
cities everywhere. Akron has them, too—hidden or development was still in transition – due to behind factories, walled off by expressways, demand and expediency. Later in the century,
a large park, cemetery or forest land, large recreational areas—like ball fields, reclaimed
obscured behind urban overgrowth and stashed the expansion of the highway system also across a bridge or perched at the end of a played a major factor in creating some of these narrow lane. pocket neighborhoods.
urban land (cleared of prior structures) as well as brownfields (cleared industrial lands) and even open areas, like landfills.
A few were created with intention. Most were created by accident; when geographic and socio-economic development factors collided
What makes a pocket neighborhood unique is not necessarily its size—though they are generally not very large—but its sense
TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS – commonly these include major transportation arteries like highways, but can also include railroad tracks
and left them as the inevitable result. In this case, they are often the residue of short-sighted and too-rapid land development, poor road planning and general neglect.
of isolation. Commonly, these types of neighborhoods are bordered on three sides by various types of barriers, leaving only one side (or in some cases, a single street) connected to the outside world. These barriers can take a number of forms, for example:
and rail yards (in use and abandoned) as well as airports.
This was especially the case with some centralcity neighborhoods during the early part of the 20th century. Several blocks of viable housing
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ZONING & INDUSTRIAL BARRIERS – These include factories, large scale retail developments and everything that goes with them—including parking lots.
TOPOGRAPHIC BARRIERS – like hills, valleys,
Akron’s Pocket Neighborhoods
laird st. area
excelsiormerriman
northside
englewood
culture & community
Looking back over the years, it’s easy to see that in a hilly, fast-growing industrial city like Akron, there would have been plenty of opportunities for small neighborhoods to get cut off from the rest of town. Here are just a few examples.
LAIRD STREET
EXCELSIOR – OAK PARK HILL
This small neighborhood in old Middlebury, nestled on a high bluff overlooking Case Avenue on the north, is hemmed in by the old AC&Y rail line on the east, and East Akron Cemetery and Seiberling Field on the South. The only entrance is via two access streets on the west side, Willard and Fulton, which run off of E. Market between two old Goodyear parking lots. Most of the houses here were built by 1910, and for many years, this neglected area became run down and a haven for crime. A close look at Google Maps reveals that housing density in the neighborhood has been significantly reduced through aggressive demolition; about 40% have been removed, with the result that this area has been mentioned as a possibility for future redevelopment.
Centered around the old Lewis Miller Estate, this tiny enclave of apartments and old houses is surrounded by Glendale Cemetery on the west, Glendale Park on the north, and finally cut off from the rest of town when the RT 59 Innerbelt was constructed along its east and south sides. Generally well-maintained, the area remains its “own little world” and provides excellent views of downtown Akron.
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ENGLEWOOD LEAGUE STREET It would be easy to miss this tiny enclave of about 20 houses as you pass south under I-76 along Innovation Way (formerly Martha Ave.). Tucked between the highway and Middlebury Run Park, it probably dates from about the same period as Laird Street, though the circumstances of its envelopment center around the fact that it was largely cut off from the rest of East Akron by the construction of I-76. Earlier, an industrial plant had encroached from the east, and major rail lines (now abandoned) had formed the boundary to the south. On the west was the huge Goodyear Plant II complex, now home of the company’s Tech Center and International HQ.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
culture & community
Big Plans for Tiny Places? These are just a handful of such neighborhoods; and easy highway access is a plus. The same and there are many others scattered throughout holds true for the tiny “village” of Englewood/ Akron. What makes them interesting is not only League St. near Goodyear’s World HQ. their individual character and the way they were created, but also what they have to offer for the Pocket Neighborhoods have their advantages. future. Some of these Pocket Neighborhoods, like those off Merriman Rd., will continue to provide comfortable family living. Northside, small-but-mighty, continues to mature into an exciting mixed-use neighborhood with the addition of a new hotel. Small as it may be, Oak Park Hill may have an important role to play as a visual anchor with the eventual redevelopment of the Innerbelt.
Many are quiet, with limited access and street traffic, plus the added security of neighbors who may know or at least recognize each other. Another thing to consider is that even though they are small, they can have a big impact on larger areas – serving as an anchor of stability, an outpost of innovation or even “weirdness”, or a potential laboratory to try out an urban development idea on a very small scale.
The future is less certain, but no less interesting for areas such as Laird St. The high percentage of vacant lots points to eventual redevelopment in the future—residential or otherwise—and its close proximity to the East End development
Sometime in the spring, take a look at a map of Akron, get on your bike and visit some of these pocket neighborhoods. Take a look at them with a city planner’s eye. What kind of potential is there? What would you do with them?
MEET THE UNBOX AKRON
member of the month
WKSU's Amanda Rabinowitz!
Roger Riddle: What was your favorite item in March's box?
MERRIMAN AREA – BASTOGNE DR. AND WINFIELD WAY The two small enclaves have been Pocket Neighborhoods from the very start, and retain their sense of separation due to topographic reasons (they are on the edge of a valley) steep grades and railroad tracks that lie on both the east and the west. Access for each is by a single road; in the case of Bastogne, it crosses over a rail line.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
NORTHSIDE A couple of decades ago, we might not have thought of this as a neighborhood, but since the completion of the Northside Lofts and the condominium units on Howard Street, this unique “pocket neighborhood” provides a great example of mixed use development. Furnace St. offers a narrow access corridor from the east and west, but the area is separated from the rest of town by the slopes of the Valley and its railroad line, undeveloped land and the formidable swath of MLK Blvd that was the result of the RT-59 / Innerbelt terminus. Cut off from the rest of downtown, the future may have looked bleak 30 years ago, but the area has survived and thrived, becoming a popular city hot spot.
Amanda Rabinowitz: Since it was my first box, I didn’t know what to expect! I loved having samples from places throughout Akron that I didn’t even know existed. I really enjoyed the caramel popcorn from Metropolis Popcorn! It was fresh and tasty and most importantly, local! RR: Which family member or friend wanted which items from your last box? AR: I loved showing off my first box at work. I showed it to all of my coworkers and they wanted to know where to sign up! My coworkers were especially jealous of my buy-one-get-one free ticket to the Nightlight Cinema! RR: Where would you take someone who only had one day to spend in Akron? AR: I would show them around Lock 3 and take them to the Akron Art Museum then take them somewhere to eat, like the Lockview or Crave. Rubber City Clothing is a cool place for an Akron-themed souvenir. I love the Metro Parks so maybe take them for a walk at the Nature Realm and finish the day with some drinks at the new Northside Speakeasy!
To sign up for your subscription, visit UnboxAkron.com
culture & Community
SPRING BREAKTHROUGHS
UA’s Experiential Learning Center Brings Together Local Teens for a Week of Community Problem Solving words and photos by Andrew Leask For most high school students, spring break means sleeping in on weekday mornings. It means hanging out with friends or staying up late playing video games. It means a week of rest and relaxation. When most high school
For Ian Schwarber, Resource Director of the EXL Center, the most surprising aspect of working with the students, most of whom are sophomores, is how aware they are of issues affecting their community. “Their minds are
Allan Thomas, a sophomore from Akron’s STEM High School.
students make plans for spring break, they don’t expect to spend four days working with strangers to develop creative solutions to pressing issues in their community.
given $1,250 to give to the local organization of its choice during a public pitch meeting. For Thomas’s group, Team Yin Yang, which chose to work on the issue of prescription painkiller addiction, this meant donating to the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental
here, that they gave us this opportunity and the chance to actually do something like this, and actually having someone listen to us.
Yet that is precisely how the teenaged
so exposed to so many things that I wasn’t,” he said. Looking ahead, Schwarber and the EXL Center hope to grow “What’s YOUR Problem?”, first by expanding the number of participants for next year, and eventually by turning it into a summer program. The
participants of “What’s YOUR Problem?” — an alternative spring break program hosted by the University of Akron’s Experiential Learning Center — chose to spend their vacation.
program fits within the EXL Center’s larger goal — to foster entrepreneurship within UA and to promote civic engagement between the university and its surrounding community.
Health Services Board.
Pictured Above (from left to right): Group picture:
From March 28 to 31, the pilot program brought 22 local high school students to the
And indeed, their hard work will have a real-life effect. At the end of the week, each team was
the audience. “Usually, as teenagers,” she said, “a lot of people don’t take the time to listen to us, because we don’t know anything.” The audience laughed at this, but she continued. “It does really mean a lot that you guys came out
“Thank you.”
(from left to right) Allan Thomas, Erica Frazier, Will Freeman, Megan Sutterluety, and John Bulgrin of
As the students huddled together to prepare their pitches for the upcoming reception, their
Team Average Joes, which focused its work on homelessness, chose to support Haven of Rest Ministries. Team We HATE Country Music — named after the first thing its members realized they had in common — chose to fight hunger
University of Akron campus for four days of workshops, team exercises, and mentoring sessions with community leaders. Throughout the week, the participants, as part of four randomly assigned teams, identified pressing issues in the Akron community — from
enthusiasm for the Akron community — as well as their hard work — was on full display. Though most of the students had not met before starting the program, by the third day, they had developed an easygoing rapport. Though they were giving up four days of their
in Northeast Ohio by donating to South Street Ministries. And Team A Blank Canvas, which focused on finding ways to promote urban farming, made its donation to UA’s Hult Prize Competition team, which has developed a type of foam brick which can be used in place of soil
ideas; Jeff Hoffman, Founding Director of the EXL
homelessness to hunger — and then worked to develop and propose ways to solve them. On the final day of the program, during a reception
spring break to take part in the program, they were having fun.
to cultivate plants in urban spaces.
at the Williams Honors College Complex, each team pitched a solution to its chosen problem.
“In school, we learn problem solving, but this is problem solving we can use in real life,” said
Team Yin Yang present a check to the County of Summit ADM Board; Daniel Hampu, Project Manager at the University of Akron Research Foundation, gives program participants advice on how to pitch their Center, introduces the teams during the Presentation Reception; Naudia Harris, of Team Average Joes, discusses her team’s chosen issue, homelessness; Tommy Sarayath, of Team Average Joes, discusses his team’s chosen issue, homelessness. // Andrew Leask likes reading and taking long walks
As Team Average Joes finished its presentation,
down Market Street. He writes fiction in the
Courtney Libby, a student from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School took a moment to address
company of his wife, Amy, and their two cats, Monty and Nigella.
Grocery Shopping Flavored With Local Art! – COMING SOON! 1835 W. Market St., Akron
Jean Blackburn 10 Trees
Neil Sapienza Character Counts
Diane Pribojan Our Neighborhood
Shop Your Newly Remodeled 26
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
#1!
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culture & community
SMALL BUSINESS CHRONICLES West Hill Hardware words by Rick Bohan; photos by Katie Jackson
You run a small, somewhat organized
you’d like to do a better job of maintaining, if
part they need even when one of the big box
“Our market niche,” adds owner Richard
hardware store in northwest Akron. Stained glass windows, plumbing fixtures, single pole switches, and knick-knacks salvaged from nearby homes as they were being demolished
you can find the time. Lowe’s has a quarter of a million employees, Home Depot has more. At your store, there are just three employees.
stores doesn’t. The folks at those stores will sometimes send customers our way for certain items they know they don’t carry.”
Tschantz, “is made up of the owners and residents of all these old houses in the area. Some of the homes are a century old and more. They need hardware that’s not easy to
share space on your shop shelves. One of your competitors, Lowe’s Stores, sold more that
The question is…how do you compete? How do you stay in business for 85 years? How do
Staying in the hardware business for nearly a century isn’t a given. The West Akron area
find at other stores. So they come here. Lowe’s has any part you might need so long as your
$56B worth of single pole switches, plumbing fixtures, and other goods and services last year. It spent about $800M of that on advertising. Another direct competitor, Home Depot, sold $83B worth of goods and services and bought the same amount of advertising. Your own advertising consists of a Facebook page that
you carve out your niche?
has seen larger stores, like DIY and Builders Square, come to the area and fail. And the competition keeps coming with a new Ace Hardware of Wallhaven having opened its doors in February. (Ace Hardware is a co-op rather than a franchise or corporate store, so all stores are independently owned.)
house was built after 1970 or so. If your house was built in the ‘50’s, that’s a new one in this neighborhood.”
“Customers come here for a number of reasons but mainly because their parents and grandparents came here,” says employee Vern Christian. “Another reason is that they know we are likely to have the plumbing or electrical
When asked where he gets such a hard to find inventory, Taschantz replies, “Some of it (continued on page 45)
CALL FOR ENTREPRENEURS Proposals are now being accepted from local companies interested in operating a new café/coffee shop in the Akron Global Business Accelerator, 526 S. Main Street. The café is slated to open in late 2016, early 2017. Proposal requirements may be found online at: Akronaccelerator.com/cafe. No phone calls or emails please.
lifesourceyoga.com • 330.835.9945 AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
THE Devil Strip |
27
culture & Community
Theron Brown Months and months ago, we heard that Theron Brown, who is the epitome of the cool, jazz musician archetype, would portray pianist Herbie Hancock in "Miles Ahead," Don Cheadle's biopic about the legendary (and mercurial) Miles Davis. That's a layer cake of amazing news for one sentence. Well, the cherry on top was debuting it at The Nightlight downtown with Mr. Brown in attendance for a Q&A followed by a live performance around the block at Blu Jazz. Though it sold out quickly, photographer Shane Wynn was in attendance to capture the event. Photos by Shane Wynn/The Devil Strip
Opening May 6th
Linklater’s Sequel to Dazed and Confused
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! Directed by Richard Linklater
SHOWTIMES AT
NIGHTLIGHTCINEMA.COM
30 N HIGH ST AKRON HISTORIC ARTS DISTRICT NEAR CRAVE, URBAN EATS, & NUEVO
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
Food & Drink AKRON FOOD SCENE
31 THE FRONT DOOR CAFE WITH MARY O'CONNOR 32 RAMPING UP FOR SPRING, LOCAVORE STYLE 34 BAR CRAWLER TESTS THE PLX DRINKING HOLES
Speakeasy bartender Bryan Burns and DBA chef Ernest Cornelius enjoy dinner for two before guests arrive. Go into the kitchen with Ernest on page 30. (PHOTO: Ilenia Pezzaniti/The Devil Strip)
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
THE Devil Strip |
29
Photos courtesy of Ernest Cornelius
food & Drink
In the Kitchen From dishes to handburgers, speaking easy with Speakeasy’s chef de cuisine, Ernest Cornelius by Ilenia Pezzaniti THE DEVIL STRIP: You're now working at two of the nicest places to get a meal in Akron — D.B.A. and Speakeasy — but your start in the culinary industry wasn't so glamorous. How did you begin your career? ERNEST CORNELIUS: It’s funny you say that because I always tell my cooks that starting at the bottom and working your way up allows you to see if working in a professional kitchen is what you actually want to do as a career. I personally started working in a kitchen at the young age of 14 because I wanted to go to concerts with my friends, and my mother cut me off financially because the idea of her mohawk-adorning son being out late in Cleveland at some dive bar was less than appealing, and I’m sure didn’t allow her much sleep. I started at 14 as a dishwasher, something I now look back on and appreciate more than anything. The work was hard and the pace was very fast, but I developed a very good work ethic years before any of my friends even thought about finding jobs to make some extra money for themselves. I actually still remember the first food related job I had in the kitchen. It was a busy Friday and after I got all my dishes caught up from the lethargic and always drunk daytime guy, I was asked to portion sour cream. 2-oz portioning spoon,
30
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
plastic ramekin and a lid. Seems simple right? I think I got more sour cream on the prep table than in the cups, but over the course of two 5-pound containers, I had effectively found a method that worked better, and by the last 30 or so cups I was running very efficiently. Trouble shooting and patience were learned in one shift, and I was hooked. I thought to myself, “If I can apply what I learned today to other tasks in the kitchen, I think I could be very good at this.” Now here I am, 15 years later, still learning every day. One sour cream cup at a time. TDS: It seems obvious you bring a lot of your personality to your work and each of the restaurants where you are chef de cuisine have their own unique personalities. How do you bring those things into balance with the art of cooking itself? EC: With being the Chef de Cuisine, I have freedom with the menu but I still have to remember that Chef Dante markets his restaurants, and especially Restaurant DANTE and Dante Boccuzzi Akron, as “Modern American fine dining with Japanese and Italian influence” I come from a different school, with my family heritage being predominantly Swedish. I sneak in my influence where I can,
whether it’s technique or ingredients, but sticking to the mold is something I’ve had to learn. TDS: As if you weren't busy enough, you also started ECdiets earlier this year. What exactly is it and what possessed you to take on that challenge? EC: Ahh, ECdiets. So a couple years ago I had the idea of getting healthier, prepared meals into the hands of people who are maybe less compelled, fortunate or able to do so for themselves. My business model is 100% based off convenience. I want to fit into the part of your day where you may make a decision that affects you selecting something healthy to eat. My meals consist of a lean protein, a low GI starch, fiber rich seasonal and green vegetables and a clean fat based sauce. My clients range from body builders, diabetics, business professionals and students. All in all, feeding people something they don’t have to feel guilty about is rewarding at the end of the day and something that I have also adapted into my day-to-day as well. You wouldn’t believe how much better you feel after removing some of the toxic dietary decisions you’ve made in the past from your life. Live well.
Photos courtesy of Ernest Cornelius
food & Drink
The Wanderer Hanging out on the Front Porch words and photos by Holly Brown
The first time I went to the Front Porch Cafe, it was a beautiful day in April. The sun beat down on the freshly renovated brick building. Everything was quiet with the exception of the bright red and yellow “open” sign that rustled in the spring breeze. It was 11 o’clock A.M on a Friday, I was hungry, the day was beautiful and budding, and in the wake of this place, I couldn’t help but feel possibility.
connect unemployed and underemployed men and women from the recovery and reentry communities to transition into employment in the food service industries.” More than anything, Front Porch serves to be the literal front porch of South Akron: it is a meeting place, a place for anyone in need of company, recovery, family to talk, work, eat.
Once across the threshold, I was greeted by my dining companion, the miraculous Mary O’Connor. I had the immense pleasure of getting to know Mary through the NEOMFA
When I moved to Akron, alone, almost two years ago, the time when I was the most lonely was when I cooked dinner. For me, food is connective tissue, it brings together families, cultures, countries, and in the case
where we shared our writing, taking a
of the Front Porch: Akron, comprised of so
nonfiction workshop during the fall. It is a singular delight to know that you have found
many amazing people, the place I have been seamlessly welcomed into, the community I have
someone at once warm and fascinating, whose work you admire and whose company you enjoy. After the semester came to a close, Mary e-mailed me from the airport on her way to Key West for an acting
grown to love and call my own. From the moment I walked into The Front Porch, I felt welcome.
gig over winter break (because that’s just the kind of thing that happens to Mary), saying she read my latest Wanderer column. After a few more e-mails back and forth, she invited me to The Front Porch Cafe, enticing me with a photograph of the French bar soap holder in the ambi-gender bathroom. Mary has been involved with Front Porch since she moved to Akron from New York City. She is the Architect for the ongoing renovation, but is moving into a career as a writer. Mary is one of those people who surrounds herself with stories, the Front Porch is one of them. The Front Porch Cafe opened its doors in 2011. The Cafe itself is run by South Street Ministries and has two major goals: create community under its roof and serve delicious food. Here, arms are open to those who need it; their self-described vision “is to train and
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Mary led me through what was once a hall, the bones of which are still there in the stage at the back, the high ceilings, the open floor plan. The room is airy, a mess-hall style eatery with classic touches including the faux stained-glass lamps and, of course, the French bar soap holder. Mary and I sat across from one another at a long table. There was a smattering of other patrons, some with friends, some working at laptops, all eating home-cooked delicacies ranging from omelettes to hot subs. My decision was a game-time one, as many of my food related decisions are. Mary requested a clam, cheese and tomato omelette, handing our server a bag of her own clams from home, “the benefits of being ‘in’ with this place,” she said to me and chuckled. I wanted a diner-style sandwich, something warm and hearty and the spring air had given me a hankering for barbecue sauce. I wanted nothing other than a pulled pork sandwich (pictured above). (continued on page 45)
NUEVO MODERN MEXICAN & TEQUILA BAR
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR SEATING BUT ADVENTURESOME TASTE BUDS REQUIRED FOR DINING
Wow! The food was so delicious, the margarita flavors were unique, and the service was amazing! I have been hearing about this place for awhile and have been wanting to try it. My husband and I were not disappointed. I got the margarita flight where I chose 3 flavors of margaritas. The jalapeño cilantro was my favorite! We ordered the habenero jelly guacamole which comes with house chips as an appetizer and it was so good! Our entrees were equally delicious. The prices weren't bad and the service was superb. Well done Nuevo! We will definitely be back! (3/3/2016 on Yelp)
54 East Mill St. Akron 44308 (330) 762-8000 nuevomodmex.com Hours: M-Th 11-10, F 11-11, Sat 3-11
food & drink
Get to know one of
Akron's Hidden Gems
Locavore Lovin’ from the Oven A TASTE OF SPRING
words by Lia Pietrolungo; photos by Paul Mangus How I’ve lived nearly twenty-two years on this
reserving the leaves for later use. Heat the broth. It is important to keep it warm
more embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t all too
throughout cooking to ensure that the
knowledgeable about these fleeting springtime lovelies, until my friend Taylor told me about a patch that he found while hiking. Ramps (Allium Tricoccum) are one of the first vegetables to poke through the soil in the spring, and only stick around from late March to mid-May. This delicate plant declares itself with a strong garlicky & onion flavor that begs to be pickled, caramelized in butter, or grilled
A quality community cafe in South Akron that brings people from different backgrounds together Now serving homemade grits & healthy salads that will fill you up.
whole. I chose to celebrate their complexities by caramelizing the whites for risotto and blanching the greens for a peppery pesto.
Visit us for breakfast or lunch Monday through Friday • 7am to 3pm 798 Grant St., Akron, Ohio | (330) 375-1991
I have the fondest memories of making risotto with my dad as a kid. It’s definitely a comfort food for me. With all of the change in the air this spring, my soul was in need of some
southstreetministries.org
We Get You ...
Spring’s arrival also brings the most anticipated Lambing Day at The Spicy Lamb Farm, a family-operated farm nestled in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is part of the Countryside Initiative and the Urban Shepherds grazing program. The farm is over one hundred years old, and is located on 12 acres of lush, lovingly nurtured land. The owners and farmers, Michael and Laura Minnig, were kind enough to give me a personal tour, where I got to hold a sweet little lamb and learn about the history of the farm and the land.
• Where you want to go -
• What you want to know -
The spice blend used in this recipe is from American Lamb, and is a combination of rosemary, mint, mustard seed, garlic, and salt.
with TripTik® Travel Planner maps and directions
with hotel, discount and gas price information
For the risotto: 2 bunches of ramps, rinsed 2 cups Arborio rice
• Help along the way -
with easy road service request
Our apps keep you mobile. Download today. AAA.com/mobile
temperature remains even in the risotto pan. • Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it no longer foams and crackles. Add the ramps and stir constantly until browned and tender, about 3 minutes. • Add the rice and coat with the ramps, stirring frequently. Once the rice takes on a pale, golden blonde color and has developed a slightly nutty aroma, pour in the wine and continue to stir until it is fully absorbed. • Turn the heat down to medium-low. Begin adding the broth to the risotto cup by cup, stirring in-between additions until the liquid is fully absorbed. • Finish with a fresh pepper, to taste. For creamier risotto, stir some grated parmesan directly into the rice before serving.
childhood nourishment.
After becoming emotionally attached to my little lamb friend, I was relieved to learn that the farm sources their meat from Sugar Valley Meats in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Their lamb is grassfed, antibiotic & hormone free, and is flashfrozen to preserve freshness. The chops that I used were tender, juicy, and slightly sweet as lamb should be. The Spicy Lamb Farm’s Dorset sheep are used for wool, which Laura makes into beautiful blankets and other cozy goods.
© Sigrid Olsson / Alamy
• Thinly slice the clean the ramp whites,
earth without ever having encountered a ramp is beyond me. As an amateur chef I’m even
½ cup dry white wine 6 cups chicken broth, divided Parmesan cheese to your heart’s content 2 Tbsp. olive oil 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
For the Pesto: 2 bunches of ramp leaves, rinsed Drizzle of olive oil + more as needed A decent-sized chunk of Parmesan cheese Lemon juice and zest • Blanch the leaves in boiling water for about 50 seconds. Drain in a mesh strainer and run under cold water until completely cool. • Transfer to a food processor (or blender). Pulse until a paste forms, adding olive oil as needed. Toss in the cheese and pulse until smooth. Add lemon to taste.
For the Lamb 1-2 pounds of lamb chops 1 tin of American Lamb Spice Blend 3 cloves of garlic Mint jelly Olive oil • Combine about half of the rub with enough olive oil to make a paste. Mince the garlic and add to the rub. • Rub onto the chops and refrigerate for one hour. Remove the chops about 20 minutes
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Food & Drink
CRAF T Y
AKRON PIZZA TASK FORCE Brickoven Brewpub
n.
o
er,
by Stephanie Baker, Kevin Wirth and Justin Lyons (@akronpizzatf) This month the Akron Pizza Task Force went to Ellet to try The Brickoven Brewpub at 604 Canton Rd. The Brickoven Brewpub has only been around for a couple years, but they have found a niche in the pizza arena.
a
ed d
, d
n
t un
s
gh
e
MART PRESENTS:
Brickoven Brewpub has all the topping options you’d expect with some nice additions: namely goat cheese and house made soppressata and Italian sausage. They also offer some interesting specialty pizzas and feature a special of the week that can be more unusual. A past special of the week was a gumbo pizza with gumbo, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cajun seasonings. When you walk through Brickoven’s doors you see their awesome wood fired oven adjacent to the dining room. It’s fun to watch the pizzas cook, and it gives the whole restaurant a great aroma. There’s also seating available at the bar in the back room.
and was cooked well. The wood fired oven left the crust crispy and dark in color. The margherita pizza was not what we expected based on the pizza featured in Brickoven's facebook profile picture. Our pizza had a generous amount of fresh mozzarella spread over the pizza, and though it had more basil than we typically enjoy, the pizza was still delicious.
Brickoven Brewpub does have a second focus, draft beer! Though we won’t be reviewing the beers, check out this year’s Annual Manual for a review of their beers. // Akron Pizza Task Force are professional
We want to hear from you! Tweet us @akronpizzatf ...
by Leslie Shirley Nielson (The Bar Crawler)
1090 Brown St. • Akron, OH 44301 I remember this being a great neighborhood bar. Nice location in Firestone Park. If done right, could have potential.
// Lia is slightly obsessed with novelty salt and pepper shakers. Her cat, Heathcliff, is slightly obsessed with finding ways to break them.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
w o N
Lunch and r o f n Di Ope
Th eB
The Brown St. Cafe
Devour every last bite!
47 N. MAIN STREET | AKRON, OH 44308
n ne
r!
What are your favorite pizza toppings?
Adopt-a-bar
before grilling. • Grill for about 7-8 minutes on each side, or until desired tenderness. • Serve with the risotto, pesto, and mint jelly.
THE TROLLY BARN
DOWNTOWN AKRON
Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at Brickoven Brewpub. It’s great to have a pizza restaurant in town that is using quality ingredients to make interesting pizzas. We look forward to coming back and trying their deep dish style pizza.
pizza consumers.
We stopped in this month to try their margherita (pictured) and plain cheese pizza. The cheese pizza was good with a sweet sauce
BEER JUNE FOOD 25 CRAFTS 2016
Thank you to Michael and Laura Minnig of the Spicy Lamb Farm for the wonderful tour! For more information and to check out their upcoming events and workshops, visit thespicylamb.com. Remember to harvest ramps sparingly & sustainably to ensure that they return next spring.
e r a rewpub in Highland Squ
HAPPY HOUR: 1/2 off appetizers and $3 house drafts LUNCH SPECIAL: M-F 11:30am-3:00pm Late night menu after 10pm
Live music beginning in May! For details visit or www.ohiobrewing.com 804 W. Market Street, Akron, OH 44303 • (234) 208-6797 (at the corner of Highland Ave and W. Market St.) Hours: M-W 11:30-midnight, TH-Sat 11:30-Close, Sun 1pm-midnight
food & drink
Every month, the Bar Crawler scouts around the great greater Akron area for his new favorite
Dietz's Landing 401 W. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd.
Howie’s on The Lake M.T. Pockets Bar and Grill 4856 Coleman Dr.
drinking holes, hideouts, dives and neighborhood bars. Have a drink in one of his picks and
330-644-BOAT
330-644-8343
2758 Manchester Rd. 330-745-6677
post a selfie with the hashtag #AKBarCrawler for a chance to get a t-shirt from The Devil Strip. One of my favorite things about Akron is that you can get almost anywhere here in 15 minutes or less, barring traffic or bad directions. So why are we reluctant to leave our own neighborhoods for one of these quick ventures across town? People in North Hill generally party in North Hill. Same for the folks in Highland Square and so on. I’m asking myself, as well as you. I mean the cops in this town aren’t total jerks, like some of the suburban areas that come to mind. Maybe the Akron cops get it. They like to blow off steam like the rest of us, right? A former mayor (not mentioning any names) could pick up what I'm throwing down here. I mean, if I were a policeman or even the Mayor, I imagine that come beer:30, I would be hitting the sauce after some of the crap I had to deal with on my last shift. Again, it’s a part of the Rust Belt survival guide, so why not have more fun with it? Public transport isn’t too bad in this town, so if you're a rookie, a lightweight or just can't find a designated driver, please take advantage of it. What I’m trying to encourage you boozehounds to do is, to take a short trip to the Key Largo of Akron, one of the most unique areas of our city, the place we call Portage Lakes. How many cities have an area in town like Portage Lakes? I’m thinking very few. Rich in history (and drinking history too), it has been a leisure destination for almost 200 years and not nearly enough of us take advantage of the fun that can be had out there. A recognized landmark dating back to the War of 1812, Portage Lakes is connected to both Lake Erie and the Ohio River and was used by natives and early settlers alike. In 1825, as Akron was being laid out, Irish laborers working on the canals settled here and over time Portage Lakes became less of commerce resource and more of a vacation destination. Watering holes, hotels, marinas, brothels, gambling halls and restaurants all made their home in this area. Now, million dollar homes are popping up on the Lakes, but you can still find a lot of that old history out there,
Area in Akron
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Established
1940s
1950s
1999
Happy Hour
Every Minute
4-7pm
11am - 7pm
Biggest sellers beer/liquor
Bud Lt./Jägermeister
Bud Light/Tito's
Craft Beer/Crown Royal
Entertainment
Bands, Karaoke
Trivia
Live music, Karaoke, Pool
Food
Full Menu
Full Menu
Full Menu
Previously
Dietz's Grocery
Has always been Howie’s, but used to offer more services like gas and groceries
Lawson’s
Celebrity personality
Willie Nelson meets Kevin Costner
Goldie Hawn meets Kurt Russell. Guess I should have just said Kate Hudson.
Dennis Quaid meets Pat Benatar
Comments
One of the many places in The Lakes that you can get to by tugboat.
The one bar in Akron where it's actually easier to get there by boat.
I wish they offered a chip dip martini.
minus the brothels and gambling halls (...I think). The more I've learned about this area, the more I want to apologize to The Lakers, as they are known out there, for letting their little secret out. But it must be shared. My stubbornness and sworn duty as The Bar Crawler will surely lead me back to try again. In the meantime, know that a micro-vacation is only minutes away, so venture out to these places and take a selfie, with drink in hand. Like Harvey Firestone used to say, "I'm going to Portage Lakes to drink gin and juice, with my mind on my money and my money on mind.” And remember to tell your bartender that The Devil Strip sent you!
Cheers and enjoy responsibly, Leslie Shirley Nielson
U O R
ND T
Name: Jeremiah Cooper Favorite place to eat: Luigi's Go-to dish: Lasagna
H
the dish OF
34
FICE
Name: Rachel Whinnery Favorite place to eat: The Lockview Go-to dish: craft beer
Name: Byron Delpinal Favorite place to eat: The Lockview Go-to dish: #9
E
A
The Bar Crawler
Name: Roger Riddle Favorite place to eat: Bajaa Fresh Go-to dish: I just learned about Bajaa Fresh from the OSC Tech Lab crew. Their chicken burrito is the best burrito I have ever had. Name: Nick Petroski Favorite place to eat: Cilantro Go-to dish: pad see ew spicy level 4 extra noodles
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
Name: Eric Browning Favorite place to eat: Nepali Kitchen Go-to dish: thukpa soup, try it with pork and get it spicy! Name: Sophie Hamad Favorite place to eat: Pad Thai downtown Go-to dish: Avocado curry with rolled tofu. The rolled tofu is unlike any tofu I’ve tried. In a good way.
Name: Patrick Regan Favorite place to eat: Diamond Deli Go-to dish: Old Bald Guy // compiled by Noor Hindi Pictured: Bajaa Fresh Burrito (PHOTO: Roger Riddle) Old Bald Guy (PHOTO: Patrick Regan)
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food & Drink
It’s a tough job but someone’s got to drink it
N K ʼS PL A C A E FR
by Leslie Shirley Nielsen
Royal Gardens
Sam-E's Lounge
Sand Bar
Upper Deck
660 Carnegie Ave.
3822 S. Main St.
The Basement at The Lakes
Tonix Bar
690 W. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd.
3090 S. Main St.
357 W. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd.
Morse code
330-745-2600
330-644-9058
3420 Manchester Rd.
carrier pigeon only
330-644-2338
DIVE PICK of the MONTH
330-644-4000
CuSTomer APPreciATion niGHT�
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes
1948
1999
1980s
2009
2008
1989
6-9pm
noon-6:30 pm
Always
11am-7pm
4-7pm
5-7pm
Bud Light/Smirnoff
Bud/Washington Apple
Bud Light/Crown Royal
Craft Beer/Three Olives
Bud/Jack Daniels
Craft Beer/Fireball
Darts and I probably shouldn't make this public, because I'll never be able to get on the damn thing now, but they have an old school bowling machine. I'm such an idiot
Pool
Pool, Keno
Darts, pool, cornhole (can't they come up with a better name for this?), D.J.s
Bands, Pool, Darts
Bands
Full Menu
Bar Menu
No food
No food
Full Menu
Who needs food when you have booze?
Always has been
The Interloop
Drink'em Up
K.C.'s Lakes
Red Bull
The White House
Shelley Duvall meets Dennis Hopper & peppered with Charles Bukowski
Ted Danson meets Johnny Cash
Sam Elliot meets Bonnie Raitt
Urban Meyer meets Tim Allen
Jim Varney meets Marisa Tomei with a splash Eli Wallach
Sandra Bullock meets Merle Haggard
Not much has changed about this place in 68 years, other than a few flat screens. Old music on the jukebox, horseshoe bar, wooden booths, vintage popcorn machine, and a freaking bowling machine!! Pretty much everything I want out of a dive bar, and I love old school dive bars.
This place feels like you are partying at your neighbor’s house, only there's a cash bar.
A nice man wearing a cowboy hat, holding the door for me, said "Howdy!"
What most would look for in a sports bar.
Is it normal for your GPS to say, "Your next stop after this destination is Orianna House"? Kinda freaked me out on the way there.
I was told that this is the oldest building in Portage Lakes, dating back to the mid-1800's. If this place has ghosts, they probably have an Irish accent.
FARMERS' MARKET SEASON IS UPON US!
Countryside Conservancy is excited for both of its popular outdoor markets to be returning. Countryside Farmers’ Market at Howe Meadow will open for the season on Saturday, May 7th and will feature over 70 vendors offering a wide selection of local food. The market recurs every Saturday from 9 am to noon and runs through October 29th. Countryside Farmers’ Market at Highland Square will feature 18 vendors, the popular Countryside Kids program and rotating community activities. Opening day at Highland Square is May 19th and will be celebrated with live music; market hours are 4pm to 7pm every Thursday through September 29th. Countryside Farmers’ Market at Howe Meadow is located at
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Mondays
4040 Riverview Rd, Peninsula, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Countryside Farmers’ Market at Highland Square is located on the corner of West Market Street and Conger Avenue. Countryside Farmers' Markets are free and open to the public. For purchases, customers may use cash, check, credit card, or the Ohio Direction Card. Ohio Direction Card holders are also eligible for Carrot Cash, a program that provides matching funds for purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables. For more information on Countryside Farmers’ Markets, visit
cvcountryside.org.
Buy One Drink, Get One 9:00 p.m. until midnight Compliments of TPH Productions $1.75 Pint Special $5.50 Burgers DJ Larry starts at 9 pm with early trivia Tuesdays Taco Nights $1.50 to $3.00 Drink Specials Available Wednesdays Chef Todd’s Food Specials Thursdays HALF OFF Regular Burgers (dine-in only) Fridays 12oz Strip Steak $12.00 Saturdays Check Out Our Live Music Schedule Sundays Karaoke hosted by Natalie (Now 9:00 to 1:00) $0.50 Wings (dine-in only) Super Power Hour From Open - 8:00 P.M. $3.50 Well Drinks $3.50 Bud Light Drafts
HAPPY Hour
Monday through Friday Until 8pm Monday through Friday open at 2pm Saturday & Sunday open at 12:30
549 W Market St, Akron Phone: (330) 376-8307
ap
food & Drink
arnie’s public house
LADY BEER DRINKER
Elegantly Casual Dining featuring Modern Twists on Your Favorite Comfort Foods and Classic Cocktails
330-867-0154 Open 7 days a week 11:00am-2:30am
OUR F O E N TRY O TE PLAZA A WESTG RANTS! U RESTA
As many of you are probably already aware, the Ohio Brewing Company is up and running at their new Highland Square location. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you really should. The brewpub features 20 taps of high-quality craft beer, half of which are OBC beers made fresh in-house. The liquor selection is wide, with
I asked him to chat with me a bit and here's what I learned:
signature cocktails like the OBC Manhattan on the menu. I’m not a wine drinker so I won’t judge the choices, but they looked pretty cool.
Chris Verich standing with his brewing equipment
You can get a flight of beer for $9, and tasters of bourbon are always available. The food menu is full of hearty sandwiches, fresh salads, PIZZA, and original appetizers like beet chips with garlic aioli. If you’re like me, everything I mentioned above sounds like a pretty sweet deal, but you have some questions about the Ohio Brewing Company. Like, Is this the same OBC as the old one? Are the owners the same? What’s the deal with the pizza? Is this an environmentally and socially conscious business that I should support?
Akron’s Home of the All Day Breakfast featuring a Bloody Mary Menu, Mimosas and much more... 1688 W. Market St at Westgate Plaza in Akron 330-867-1114 Open 7 days a week 6:30am-3:00pm Sundays 8:00am-3:00pm
Thinking about these things as I ate a blue cheese burger with a tall O’Hoppy Ale at the OBC one day, a man walked up to me and asked me how everything was. Turns out this man was Chris Verich and he runs the place.
Chris founded the OBC in 1997 in Niles, Ohio with his brother. He was inspired to open a brewery by his love for beer, home brewing,
and world traveling. After a few years, the brewery was moved from Niles to Youngstown and Chris was bought out by his partners in 2004. Chris opened OBC again in 2008, this time in Akron, and after that location closed and OBC beers were produced “gypsy style” for a few years with the help of other local breweries like Platform in Cleveland. The new location comes with new ideas and a slightly different vibe. He was convincing and enthusiastic about his business plan. The goal is simple – provide the people of Akron with good, homemade beer and food in a fun, cool environment. Chris says that this smaller operation gives him the opportunity to be more eclectic and try more things. He has a passion for classic styles, but uses local ingredients in his food and beer whenever possible. The pizza dough is made with spent grain from the brewing process, and the sauce
behind the bar
1682 W. Market St at Westgate Plaza in Akron
words and photos by Emily Anderson
has Cardinal Ale in it. The urinals are made from repurposed kegs. Big plans this summer include lots of traveling the country for beer competitions, live music from local bands at the brew pub, opening the patio, and a walk-up pizza window that will serve extra-large pizza slices after 10pm. Chris not only runs this operation, he is also a State Representative. Some social media accounts from previous OBC operations still exist, but the Facebook page is current and tap updates are posted daily. I for one am thankful to have a little brewery down the street from my apartment and I hope Chris enjoys sweet success at this location. Cheers! // Emily Anderson isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions after a few beers. Find her on Twitter @ohiobeergirl
Name: Julie Corl Bar: Frank's Place on Market Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y. What was your first night like? “The bosses bossed me around and it went well. ...At some point, a guy changed his shorts at the bar.” Best tip you ever received? "Always wait 30 minutes after eating, before swimming." Good or bad, what is the one thing you wouldn't have known if you weren't a bartender? "Gin cleans glasses the best." Where do you go when you are not at work? "Globetrotting, I travel as much as I can. Recently, Florida." Do you have a signature drink? "Blackberry bourbon lemonade"
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
music & entertainment AKRON’S MUSIC SCENE
39 ACID CATS AND SNARKY PUPPY GET ALONG ON STAGE 42 ON STAGE WITH ... THE GOT IT GOT IT NEED IT 43 THE DREEMERS GO ON THE RECORD
a local music showcase every third Thursday from May to September in one of Akron's most unique spaces. Thanks to the good folks at the City of Akron and Lock 3, there'll be food trucks, craft beer (Thirsty Dog in the house!), yard games like cornhole and a giant Jenga, and a few other surprises from 5 pm to 10 pm. We get started every month with DJ Roger Riddle on the 1s and 2s, followed by two bands, including Jeff Klemm & the Letters, Jul Big Green, Rebekah Jean, the Gage Brothers, Michael Black, The Beyonderers, Gretchen Pleuss and a few others. For details, visit us at thedevilstrip.com (PHOTO: Shane Wynn/AkronStock.com)
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
LIVE@LOCK4
On May 19, The Devil Strip is launching Live at Lock 4,
THE Devil Strip |
37
music & entertainment
é
Lenz performs his own original compositions, as well as classics of American roots, blues and country. Admission is free.
theatrical, highly skilled prog rock playing, Musica is the place to be. Chicago’s District 97 is making a stop in Akron as part of their European/Eastern U.S. tour in support of
è By Light We Loom,
The Dreemers (CD Release)
their new album, “In Vaults.” Local musicians Axon-Neuron will also be performing tracks off
Friday, May 13 at Jilly’s Music Room,
of their latest release, “Metamorphosis,” an
exciting double-disc album featuring a 21-piece 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Celebrate the release of Akron rock ‘n’ roll band orchestra. The lineup continues with Akron’s Figurehead and Titles from Detroit. Tickets cost The Dreemers’ new EP (reviewed in this issue;
Photo by Scott Green
å
ë
ê í
by Andrew Leask & Brittany Nader
Imarhan, Relaxer, Obnox, Original Soundtrack
Friday, May 6 at Musica, 8 p.m. For more than a decade, EarthQuaker Devices has produced guitar pedals for some of the most exciting and legendary artists of our time. The local biz presents a special event downtown, introducing locals to Algerian desert rock band, Imarhan, who are making Akron their initial stop in their first-ever U.S. tour. Also on the bill are Northeast Ohio favorites Relaxer, Obnox and Original Soundtrack, who bring an eclectic range of rock ‘n’ roll to the Rubber City. Admission costs $10, which also includes a raffle ticket for a chance to win your very own EQD pedal.
ç Tall Tales of Akron Friday, May 6 at Uncorked Wine Bar, 8 p.m. Unwind at Uncorked with a glass of wine and the rock-tinged folk harmonies of Tall Tales of Akron. Lean back and let your shoulders sway. It’s as relaxing an end to your workweek as you’re ever going to find. The group may even
38
introduce a few surprises, including a new lead guitarist and just-inked songs sure to move you. Admission is free.
é Radical Brass Night, feat.
Detroit Party Marching Band, All Over The Place, Environmental Encroachment, Detroit Pleasure Society Friday, May 6 at Hive Mind, 8 p.m. Where else will you find a guerilla marching band, bebop, ska, performance art and a magic circus bunny band all in one place? Expect a vivacious evening full of horns, eclectic improvisation and plenty of boogying from musicians based out of Chicago, Detroit and Northeast Ohio. Suggested admission is $5 at the door.
‹ Mike Lenz Band Thursday, May 12 at The Tasting Room at Hoppin’ Frog, 8 p.m. Knock back a few beers at one of Ohio’s best breweries while listening to the stripped-down sound of blues multi-instrumentalist Mike Lenz.
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
‹ Rubber City Beatlefest
Dreemers and a special guest at 9 p.m. $5 cover Saturday, May 21 at Akron Civic Theatre, 6:30 p.m. for those under 21. This year’s tribute to the greatest band of all
ê David Mayfield, Mo’ Mojo
‹ Sports, Harbor, GHOST SLIME, From Borealis
The Devil’s Dozen å EarthQuaker Devices Presents:
$10 or $12 for attendees under 21.
husband and wife indie-pop duo By Light We Loom will perform at 6:30, followed by The
Saturday, May 14 at Jilly’s Music Room, 5:30 p.m. Originally hailing from Kent, David Mayfield has established himself as one of the most original Americana performers on the scene. Now residing in Nashville, Mayfield has spent the last several years performing with the likes of The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and dozens of celebrated musicians at Bonnaroo. Joining Mayfield on the bill is female-fronted zydeco group Mo’ Mojo, who have been a standout for their big-band sound and reggae, Cajun and funk influences. Admission is free.
è
ç
see pg. 43) at Jilly’s Music Room. Cleveland
time features an exhibit of the work of rock photographer George Shuba and performances by The Liverpool Lads, The ReBeats and Hard Day’s Night. Tickets are available at AkronCivic. com for $25.
‹ Benefit concert for CANAPI, feat. Tatsuya Nagashima Tuesday, May 24 at Pub Bricco, 6:30 p.m. Pub Bricco hosts its annual fundraiser for the Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative featuring a performance by Tatsuya Nagashima. A renowned classical pianist, Nagashima has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, as well as throughout the world. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased over the phone or in person at Pub Bricco.
Monday, May 15 at It’s a Kling Thing! House, 7 p.m. If you dig the post/math rock sound of local trio From Borealis, you won’t want to miss this cohesive lineup of dreamy alternative soundscapes. Sports, residing in Boston, and Chantanooga, Tenn. players Harbor join From Borealis and GHOST SLIME for a basement party at your favorite venue for house shows. Suggested admission is $5.
‹ CityCop, Gillian Carter, Wallcreeper, Sorry Wednesday, May 18 at Fool Mansion, 7 p.m. Midway through the band’s spring tour, Gillian Carter swings by Akron to rattle the walls with attention-grabbing screamo and loud, fast beats. Local hardcore punk outfits CityCop and Wallcreeper keep the energy going, while Drew Baker, under the moniker sorry., brings things down a notch with his unique blend of lo-fi sadpop. Suggested admission is $5.
ë Mint Condition Friday, May 20 & Saturday, May 21 at The Tangier, 8:30, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Mint Condition had their first success with 1991’s “Breakin My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” and have been churning out R&B hits ever since, working with music legends like Toni Braxton along the way. Tickets cost $55 and up and can be purchased in advance at TheTangier.com.
í District 97, Axon-Neuron, Titles, Figurehead
Friday, May 20 at Musica, 8 p.m. If you’re in the mood for some complex,
Live & Local
The Gage Brothers w/ Veseria and Gretchen Pleuss Saturday, May 21 at 9 PM, Musica Akron-born, Akron-lovin’ brothers Ben and Zach, of the eponymous Gage Brothers, are coming home, fresh off a Cleveland gig (and a TV appearance on Fox 8) with the Speedbumps. This time, the quartet (two brothers, two others — Chris Volpe and Brendan O’Malley) headlines Musica with their face-melting original Americana stylings. They’re joined by the Devil Strip-reviewed-and-approved local Gretchen Pleuss, as well as Veseria, an indie rock band from Indy, Indianapolis. This is an allages show that’ll only set you back a Hamilton, unless you’re under 21 in which case you pay $2 extra. For details, visit the damn show. Seriously, go have a good time so you can be the person who gives your friends the details when they start asking questions about your new obsession with the Gage Brothers.
WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
music & entertainment
&
Acid Cats photo by Luis Arocho Jr.
ANNABELL'S Z.E.R.O.S RESURRECT THE AKRON
+
ACID CATS JOIN SNARKY PUPPY
Make like the undead on May 14 at Annabell's for the Akron Zombie Walk. Admission is just $5 and two nonperishable food itemsat the door. All proceeds benefit the Akron/Canton Food Bank. (Additional make-up costs are separate.)
BRINGING UNIQUE JAZZ STYLES TO CLEVELAND by Clay Chabola
Doors open at 12:30 pm. The Zombie Walk starts at 4:30 pm The Acid Cats are one of the funkiest bands in Akron, and they are playing a sold-out show with the Grammy-nominated supergroup,
“I’ve always told musicians that if you want to get better that you should play in styles that you aren’t comfortable with,” Tibbs says. “I
Snarky Puppy, at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern on May 9. The Acid Cats — composed of Justin Tibbs (sax), Michael Vincent (guitar/ keyboard), Cameron Bickley (drums), Blaine
think even Miles [Davis] said something like, ‘You need to decorate your room with different genres of music.’”
Klein (steel pan), Tommy Lehman (trumpet/ vocals/organ) and Zachary Wolfe Nagi-Schehl (bass) — bring their own unique style to the acid jazz scene. They are a talented group that have been playing around Akron for a while, and they are ready to pump up the crowd at the Beachland for the Snarky Puppy pre- and post-party.
This is a huge show for the Acid Cats, and will serve to promote the ever-increasing lineup of talented musicians that Akron is dripping with at the moment. Tibbs thinks the scene in Akron is only getting better, and calls Akron “the next Nashville.” There are tons of great shows happening in Akron all of the time, and the scene has never been stronger.
I recently sat down with Tibbs and Vincent at the Mustard Seed Cafe in Highland Square, and they were both unquestionably excited about getting to perform with Snarky Puppy. Vincent and Wolfe Nagi-Schehl play in another group called Broccoli Samurai, a progressive electronica band created in Cleveland, and one of the members helped to book the Acid Cats at the Beachland Ballroom. Vincent said that they lucked into the gig at the Beachland, but they are an immensely skilled group, and I truly believe that they orchestrated this opportunity themselves.
“That’s why I think Akron is very unique,” Tibbs says. “Because you have the niche where you have jazz musicians, rock musicians, punk musicians, country musicians, and we all intermingle with each other.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what The Acid Cats are capable of and where they are taking the Akron music scene. Each player’s diverse range of skills, backgrounds and influences has played a role in their continued success. Sharing the stage with such a uniquely progressive fusion band like Snarky Puppy is a no-brainer, considering how much Acid Cats’ style blends genres, decades and styles.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
The Acid Cats have events coming up next month at The Mustard Seed Cafe in Highland Square, Neuvo in downtown Akron, and they are playing a dual show with Jon Ingram’s Slugfest at the Stone Tavern in Kent in June. If you haven’t heard any of their albums, I highly recommend heading over to their Bandcamp page, acidcats.bandcamp.com, to check them out. You can also find out more info about upcoming gigs on their Facebook page, Facebook.com/AkronAcidCats. If you want to stay cool this spring, you need to turn up the A/C: the Acid Cats. // Clay Chabola is musician in Akron and eventually wants to become a grownup someday.
with buffet and live bands to follow. Visit the Annabell's page on Facebook for more info at facebook.com/akronannabells. Photo courtesy of Paul Hoffman Photography/paulhoffmanphoto.com
Fri 5/6
Accidental Seabirds
Sat 5/7
Big Big Mess (early) followed by Lazy Ass Destroyer, Automatic Evolution
Thu 5/12
The Painbirds, Punch Drunk Tagalongs, Birthday Noose
Fri 5/13
Enhailer, Iron Jaw Guru
Sat 5/14
FEDS / ZOMBIE WALK, Time Has Come, Smash N Grab
Tues 5/17
Lost In Society
Wed 5/18
The Misery Jackals, The Imperial Rooster
Fri 5/20
Aaron Novak's Birthday Show: Worship This!, Shitty Neighbors, Heart Attack Man, House of Wills
Sat 5/21
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOSERS LAST SHOW EVER
Tues 5/23 Weird Penis, Eviction Party, Some Kind of Nightmare, - Thu 5/26 Feral Children, Neil & The McGangbangs Fri 5/27
The Arbitration, Violent Troubadours, The Abstract, Sleepjacket
Sat 5/28
Sarah Lovelace Birthday Party: The Brothers Band, Northern Gold
Tues 5/31
Honeytomb
Akron Apex of ENTERTAINMENT
music & entertainment
Standing Room
Six Akron Area Bands You Should Know
INTIMATE PRFORMANCE SPACE, TOURING ARTISTS & LOCAL SONGWRITERS
MAY 6
IMARHAN W/ RELAXER * OBNOX * ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
MAY 7
LOCAL H - AS GOOD AS DEAD 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR!
MAY 12 PRESTON FRANK W/ MO MOJO
å Backtalk
a smaller group, made up of highly active,
“DIY OR DIE,” once the mantra of the aggro hardcore/punk rock scene, has been
prolific Akron-based musical masters. Vincent recently performed at Jilly’s Music Room with
adopted by a new sect of local indie rockers and emo projects. Backtalk released a split six-song EP with Cleveland doomy hardcore band Anxieties, the result of which is was made possible through the help of Flowerpot Records, friends and local supporters. While Anxieties’ sound is heavy, dense, and accented with pained yowls and words of anger, Backtalk’s tracks play the role of the fresh and welcomed opposition. Described as “the good and evil sides of the Midwest,” Backtalk’s Akron influences serve as the more emotive
local jazz players Max Brady on trombone, Matthew DeRubertis on bass and Holbrook Riles on drums. The trio’s fusion of jazz, soul and funk was a perfect fit for the venue, lighting up downtown with red-hot tunes from this new group of collaborators. If there’s one thing the Akron music scene definitely isn’t lacking, it’s incredible jazz played by a diverse group of skilled performers. Vincent’s trio is certainly one to watch this year.
heart of the new release. The duo consists of Jack Johnson on vocals and guitar, along with drummer Ryan Brown, and can be found
ê Yokai
online at Facebook.com/backtalkoh.
MAY 13
MAURA ROGERS & THE BELLOWS W/ THE HELP & THE HAND
MAY 14
ROYAL VASA
MAY 20 DISTRICT 97 & AXON NEURON
MAY 21
THE GROW WILD TOUR (4:00PM SHOW)
MAY 21
THE GAGE BROTHERS W/ VESERIA & GRETCHEN PLEUSS (9:00PM SHOW)
MAY 26
ANAMANAGUCHI W/ LINDSAY LOWEND
MAY 27
A CONCERT FOR THE STEEL ANGELS
MAY 28
OLDBOY / JOHN PATRICK & THE OUTSIDE VOICES W/ THE MOXIE COLLECT
MUSICA
51 E. MARKET ST. AKRON, OH 44308
LIVEATMUSICA.COM
Akron’s punk rock roots run deep, and devout listeners still come out in droves to experience loud, fast playing and on-stage
shenanigans at live shows around the city. The sound has been embraced and reinvented by several bands thriving from the magic of this ç Mildrid Solo artist Mildrid’s angelic acoustic tunes are a deafening music. Like a car crash just outside breath of fresh air in the Northeast Ohio scene. your window, Yokai aim to make ears bleed in Her cherubic voice and melancholy chords the best of ways with loud, heavy tunes like chime out songs of longing, loneliness and “BlackMedicine” and “Underwater.” The trio the ever-changing qualities of Ohio that have consists of Chris Brown, Eric Starr and Paul inspired much of her original demos. Her cover Hooper and can often be found tearing up the of Julian Baker’s “Go Home,” is a standout, stage at Annabell’s. Check ‘em out online at with a captivating voice that aches out words Yokai.rocks. like, “There’s more whiskey than blood in my veins,” painting a portrait of hard drinking and the anxiety of being alone. Mildrid will play a ë The Conway Brothers Trio Inspired by that good, old-fashioned ‘60s and house show at Akron’s Fool Mansion Sunday, May 15. Hear her hushed and effortless demos ‘70s soul, Corey and Dylan Conway add a fresh funk flavor to songs influenced by the now at Mildrid.bandcamp.com. likes of Freddie King and The Meters. Local bass players Spencer Cutlip and Steve Clark have fleshed out the brothers’ sound over the é Husbands & Wives With solid pop hooks, dynamic years at venues like Jilly’s, Empire Concert Club instrumentation and guitar-driven melodies, and the Riverfront in Cuyahoga Falls. Though Husbands & Wives’ sound is nothing short of few in members, the rich, blues-soaked tunes addictive. Think the Britpop revival meets mid- fill the Rubber City, adding a little spice and 2000s garage rock with catchy Replacements/ zest to our humble home. Keep up with Big Star-inspired melodies tossed in for good The Conway Brothers Trio’s news, shows measure. The trio debuted new material at and recording updates at Facebook.com/ Annabell’s back in March and is in the process TheConwayBrothersTrio. of releasing a new recording, a follow-up to their debut album, “Prepare to Meet Thy God.” Marc Dottavio, Tony Scarpitti and Brian // Photos courtesy of the artists; Husbands & Wives photo courtesy of Rob Quicci; Michael Vincent photo McCoy’s unforgettable original tunes can be courtesy of McKenzie Beynon. found online at Husbandsandwives.net.
è Michael Vincent Group Noted in the local music scene for his groovin’ guitar playing with festival favorites Broccoli Samurai, Michael Vincent has put together
å ç
é
è ê ë WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM
music & entertainment
Celebrate a Month of May Bass Madness at Pub Bricco by Brittany Nader
If you are searching for a place to relax, unwind and experience live jazz in an intimate setting, you’re certainly in the right city. Weekends in Akron provide the perfect opportunity for couples and groups to be serenaded with the cool, smooth sounds of horns, bass, drums and guitar from highly skilled local musicians. While downtown may be regarded as the epicenter of jazz performance around these parts, the Valley on Wednesday nights is often the best place to go to discover some of the most proficient, masterly playing to get you over the hump of the work week. Pub Bricco’s small and charming Jazz Room, part of the None Too Fragile theatre in the back of the restaurant, has been a hidden gem of sorts, hosting some of the greatest music in the area, from gypsy jazz to acid jazz rock and bombastic jazz vocalists. This month, Pub Bricco will hold a special concert series spotlighting several of the very best jazz bass players in or from the region. Owner David Glenny said the idea for the themed performances came about when he had the opportunity to book Mike Forfia, an Akron native who currently resides in New York, who is one of the most accomplished and versatile upright and electric bass players from the area. As a performer and educator, Forfia says his “aim is to present media that evokes a passion for social change.” He was recently awarded Arts Leadership Program funding from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, which will allow him to intern at St. Peter’s, “The First Church of Jazz,” in New York (conitnued on page 45)
Sounds Like Home The Akron Symphony Orchestra crowdsourced everyday sounds of Akron to compose a unique piece of music.
We can rattle off the sights, smells and tastes of Akron, no problem. But the sounds of Akron? That’s a tad trickier. The Akron Symphony Orchestra commissioned, with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, composer Clint Needham to capture the sounds of our fair city. Needham, a Texas native, posed the question to Akronites. Many people said nature, blimps and cars driving on brick-paved streets, Needham told the audience at the world premier of Sounds of Akron: City meets Symphony on April 16 at EJ Thomas Hall. Many more submitted sounds of laughter, children playing in the yard and people singing through the Sounds of Akron smartphone app.
words and photos by Nicole Stempak “You sent me not just a lot of city sounds,” Needham said. “You sent me a lot of heart.” He went on to say, “Composing the Sounds of Akron: City Meets Symphony was a journey of Akron, a little pastoral to industrial to present day. I’ve sure enjoyed getting to know you as a city. I hope I’ve done you proud.” Akron Symphony Orchestra photo courtesy of Nicole Stempak.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
Highland Square
LIVE MUSIC
LINEUP Sunday, 5/1 • 12 – 3pm Sonny Moorman – Blues Guitar &Vocals
Cinco de Mayo Celebration Thursday, 5/5 • 6pm – 9pm Pete Cavano – Acoustic Guitar Prince Tribute Concert Friday, 5/6 • 9pm – Midnight Zach & The Bright Lights – Soul & Inspiring Indie Folk-Rock Saturday, 5/7 • 9pm – Midnight Ray Flanagan & The Authorities – Roots Rock Sunday, 5/8 • 12 – 3pm Ted Yoder – Folk Friday, 5/13 • 8pm – 11pm Jazz Shepherds – Jazz 1 Year Anniversary Celebration Saturday, 5/14 • 9pm – Midnight F5 – Rock & Roll Sunday, 5/15 • 12 – 3pm Little Steve-O Blues Duo – Blues Friday, 5/20 • 9pm – Midnight Umojah Nation – Reggae Saturday, 5/21 • 9pm – Midnight Soulshine – Blues & Rock Sunday, 5/22 • 12 – 3pm Jen & Anthony – Blues, Jazz, & Old-Time Friday, 5/27 • 9pm – Midnight The Jen Maurer Project – Original Roots Saturday, 5/28 • 9pm – Midnight Ahi-Nama – Akron’s Only Live Salsa Band Sunday, 5/29 • 12 – 3pm Ryan Humbert – Americana, Pop & Rock *NO COVER CHARGE HIGHLAND SQUARE: 867 West Market Street Akron, Ohio, 44303 • 330-434-7333
www.MustardSeedMarket.com
music & entertainment
On Stage with >>
The Got It Got It Need It, an Akron/Canton-
his guitar to work out the guitar and vocals
based blues-hard-rock band, recently recorded
parts, which he then records with an app on
its second EP with John King at RealGrey
his phone so that he can remember them. He
Records in Canton.
will then either email the ideas to the other members of the band or bring the recordings
“It was a small room with really big ceiling, and
to practice for the other members to get the
it sounds perfect in there,” vocalist and guitarist idea, so they can figure out the song together. Jason Goodwin says. “We came in with a However, while songwriting and practicing are certain idea, and John was down with that idea. necessary, he really enjoys performing for a live We wanted to record live — we wanted to have audience.
By Gabe Gott
it sound like when we perform. [John] kept up with how fast we wanted to move, how quickly
“When we’re writing and practicing, I’m really
we wanted to record, and he was very open to
lighthearted and open to ideas and really
our ideas.”
thinking about working and stuff like that, but on stage I am a different animal. Like, believe it
The three-song EP, titled “The Villain” after its
or not, I’m a pretty big dude, like almost seven
featured track, has no release
foot tall and 300 pounds, but
date yet and is currently being mixed and mastered. According to Goodwin — who goes by Jaybird Goodie when on stage — they plan to release it as soon as possible and then build up to a full-length album in the next year or so. He explained the appeal of releasing an EP, which is a popular format for bands right now.
when I’m on stage, I’m jumping around that stage,” he says. “The only reason why when we play Musica I’m not on those subwoofers on the sides of the stage is because I have to sing. It becomes an adrenaline rush, so I’m not even seeing the room anymore — I’m not even feeling the ground.”
“I think it has to do with people’s attention spans,” Goodwin says. “Some people are still buying LPs, but a lot of people are just listening to things from Spotify or iTunes or um, Bandcamp, and they just want to hear, like, a little bit, you know? It’s a good
Goodwin thinks the Northeast Ohio music scene is a good place to be a fan of music, comparable to that of Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans or Austin, Texas.
thing and it’s a bad thing. It’s a good thing that they’re at least going to listen to something, but the bad thing is, being an artist,
people that like hip-hop and R&B, and of course there’s always a big country crowd around here,” he says. “But
I want to show them my whole palette of what I’m doing. But, if three songs, or five songs, is their attention span, if it is what they want to hear and they’ll enjoy, then that’s what we’ll do — and it’s mostly cost-effective.” The Got It Got It Need It started as a duo with Goodwin and a good friend, who have since gone their separate ways, and is now a four-piece with Goodwin, Josh Garrett on guitar, Dustin DeMattio on drums and, the most recent addition, Reed Parker on bass. Goodwin describes the band’s sound with the current lineup as being “less jazzy and bluesy and more just straight-ahead rock.” The band’s first EP, appropriately titled “First EP,” was released last June with the original lineup, but Goodwin is excited for the new one, as it features this thicker, fuller version of the band. “[The first EP] took a really long time, and we recorded it in a step-by-step process,” he explains. “I was happy with it at the time, but it’s just that the next one that’s coming out will blow the old one away.” Goodwin is the band’s main songwriter, and he describes his creative process as being “the usual process.” He generally sits down with
42
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
“I like that there’s rock ‘n’ roll fans. You know, there’s always
there’s people out there that want to go out on a Friday and Saturday night, or any night of the week, and they want to see a live rock ‘n’ roll band play, and they don’t care — they want to see local and see what you’ve got, kind of thing, which is very rare. People don’t know how lucky we are. You can go and see something pretty decent almost every weekend.” The Got It Got It Need It recently shared Musica’s stage with Southern Ohio’s Buffalo Killers (whose 2008 album, “Let It Ride,” was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach), and on June 11 will be opening for Nashvillebased rock band Simo, whose members are currently on a national tour. “This is fun. This band has been together for five years,” Goodwin says. ““I am the longest lasting member, and this is the most fun it’s ever been. You know, the songs are really good, the performances are really spot on — there are worse things that I could be doing with my time.” // Gabe Gott was born during a showing of "This is Spinal Tap," and has been a music fan ever since. His amps also go up to 11.
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music & entertainment
ON THE RECORD:
Carrying on The Akron Sound, The Dreemers Debut EP ‘Is Is’ Leaves You Wanting More by Gabe Gott If you have seen The Dreemers play around the
first single, is also the first track on the set.
area over the past year or so, then you, like me,
The six-plus minute song goes by quickly, and
have probably been eagerly anticipating the
you find yourself wanting it to keep going (if
East Akron group’s first official recording.
not for the rest of the songs). It immediately captures your attention with a reverb-soaked,
On Record Store Day this past April 16, the
blues-tinged guitar line, which the bass and
band gave us a taste in the form of a released drums pick up for a short moment, then single. However, on May 13, the trio, comprised switches gears when the main riff — which is of Benjamin Patrick on vocals and guitar (and
reminiscent of the tight grooves of DEVO —
a little drums), Robert Keith on bass and vocals
takes over, and Patrick and Keith begin their
and Natalie Grieshammer on drums and vocals, will be releasing their debut EP, “Is Is,” which contains the single, “little Asian Things,” and three other songs those familiar with their live set will also recognize. If you aren’t familiar with it, then you are in for a treat.
dual vocal exchanges.
As fans of the band already know, The Dreemers sound is distinct and original, yet familiar, all at once, and that is captured well on this debut. A listener can pick out a variety of influences from garage soul and surf to the more new wave side of punk (à la The Talking Heads), with a healthy dose of the Akron Sound
The lyrics are delightfully quirky, and you can’t help but sing along to the chorus: “Little Asian Things, Little Asian Things, Little Asian Little Things.” I’ll let you decide on your own interpretation of what they’re singing about. Just when you think the song is over, it is only really about half through, but that’s OK because what follows is a big part of what makes this song so interesting. The trio really gets a chance to jam out and play around with the sounds and the rhythms of the song.
thrown in the mix. “Little Asian Things,” in addition to being the
The next track, “If I Were Older,” is another fun (continued on page 46)
Hollow Bone Records would like to thank everybody who came out and supported us on Record Store Day 2016.
We pay cash for Vintage Vinyl Located at: 2721 W. Market St. Fairlawn, OH 44333 (234)334-7484 AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
THE Devil Strip |
43
music & entertainment
MAMA MIA FILM FREAK
(Dermot Mulroney) in a tragic auto accident. The solitude of her luxurious family estate, the
an emotional onion, peeling back one layer at a time. India feels like a girl whose world has
peace of her tranquil town and the unspoken
just crumbled down around her and, perhaps, a
somberness of her home life are suddenly upended by not only this mysterious accident,
piece of herself has died with her father. There's so much within the way Wasikowska performs
but also by the sudden arrival of her Uncle
this character that is reminiscent of the silent
Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never
pictures era of film. Her character proves
even knew existed. When Charlie moves in with that actions speak louder than words, and it her and her emotionally unstable mother, Evie makes for a very hypnotizing, scene-stealing (Nicole Kidman), India thinks the void left by
performance. She doesn't just shine going blow
her father's death is finally being filled by his closest bloodline. Soon after his arrival, India
for blow with on-screen mother Kidman, but their brilliant interactions and on-screen
comes to suspect that this mysterious, charming chemistry provide a symbolic passing of the man has ulterior motives. Yet, instead of feeling
torch for the majestic Wasikowska.
outrage or horror, this friendless young woman
by Chris Kessinger (The Film Freak)
A
s far as acting chameleons go, Mia Wasikowska plays a magically diverse range of characters over the course of her career. Unbelievably, in just 12 years on the silver screen, the 26-year-old Australian has carved a reputation for being a quiet storm of sorts in the roles she takes on. Her characters’ hushed personalities offer just enough mystery behind the sort of seductive smiles that leave us wanting more. That's when the real genius of her spell takes place. Through playing opposite of some of Hollywood's hardest hitters, Wasikowska time and time again steals the show from the very best because of her undeniable emotional depth and ability to get lost in every character. Beginning May 27, Wasikowska will once again reprise her role as
44
Alice Kingsleigh and fall into Wonderland in “Alice Through the Looking Glass.”
becomes increasingly infatuated with him. This
There's also a lot of deeper meaning below
dangerous game of cat and mouse has India
some of the tense and claustrophobic feelings
discovering things about herself she never envisioned she was capable of.
(continued on page 45)
If reading the plot to "Stoker" doesn't make you feel awkward enough, the dark and ominous atmospheric tones for the movie will. Park's films always view the world as an unforgiving place, and "Stoker" is certainly no different. His use of silence and the effect it has on character, mood and composition really serve as a delightful strength to the film's STOKER (2013) growing cloud of caution. This is a family with Chan-Wook Park's North American directorial a tortured past that really comes back to haunt debut centers around brash family motives them in the present day. We as an audience get embraced by mysterious characters. India Stoker the feeling that anything is possible within the (Mia Wasikowska) is emotionally reeling after enigmatic psyches of our main characters. Most
However, not everything has been sunshine and talking hatters for the Aussie. To understand why she's so great as a childlike adult who refuses to ever grow up, you must first witness the darker side to this stigma. Lets check out one of the most astonishingly deranged films I have ever seen.
the death of her father and best friend Richard
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
notably in India, who Wasikowska develops as
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MISC. (continued from page 44)
(continued from page 20)
of India's experiences with Charlie that is easy to pick up on. One can translate India's awakening externally as a sort of modern-day, growing-up tale when the child becomes the adult. There's certainly enough evidence to support this in India's daily wardrobe, suited to look like an early 20th-century schoolgirl. We see a couple of times in the movie where she is handled and treated like a fragile little girl, despite her look and age being a completely
ê Food Truck Frenzy and
different telling. One scene in particular
Food Truck Fridays
showcases Charlie tying India's shoes for her so that she doesn't fall. Scenes like this and
Friday, May 13 kick-off event, 4-8 pm
the subtext of one character standing higher
11:30 am-1 pm In the CG&FS parking lot facing East Market
Every Friday May 20 through Sept 2,
than the other on a staircase more than communicate to the audience the kind of adolescent coming-of-age tale that screenwriter Wentworth Miller (Yes, of TV's "Prison Break" fame) was trying to tell. It's a transformation that the audience can believe in, if only for the wellbeing of India's mental stability. "Stoker" is a beautifully twisted story, artfully composed and fiercely performed. This film triumphs as a hyper-visual gothic masterpiece that can't be missed. At the helm is a spellbinding performance from Wasikowska, who executes a psychological storm of emotional depth years ahead of her prime.
Small Business Chronicles (continued from page 27) is just here and has been for years. We also do some salvage, though not as much as we used to. Overall, we keep our inventory small as we can. The big box stores can carry every type of electric hardware you can imagine. We just carry a few but it’s the few that the neighborhood seems to need.”
problem and are hoping we can help them find the parts they need and give them advice on how to fix the problem. We spend time with them, giving them the right instructions. You can’t be sure of getting that sort of service at a big box hardware store. And if we can’t help, we have a list of trade people that we trust who we recommend.” “It is a challenge competing with the big guys but we have a pretty loyal customer base that seem to like what we’re doing, so I guess we’ll stay at it for the time being,” says Tschantz.
Find more film reviews by Chris Kessinger, The Film Freak at thefilmfreak.com
Good service must be a part of any small business’ strategy and West Hill Hardware is no exception. Vern Christian describes the personal touch that all West Hill Hardware customers receive: “About half our customers know what they need when they come in. The other half don’t have any idea. They have a
The Wanderer (continued from page 31)
Bass Madness at Pub Bricco (continued form page 41)
Maria Jacobs at Blu Jazz+ and performs at Pub Bricco May 4 to kick off the May Bass Madness
Mary and I sat and chatted, she told me about the renovations of the Front Porch that had concluded earlier this year, we talked about writing, about our love for Akron. Somewhere in the midst of talking, food appeared and I was grateful. My sandwich was perfectly executed.
City and develop new initiatives in jazz programming, education and local and global outreach efforts. Glenny says Forfia will bring a trio from Rochester with him to the Jazz Room stage on May 11.
series. Glenny says he doesn’t have plans for any additional themed events just yet but tries to keep his options open. In this circumstance, he was lucky to have had such diverse, established bass players open to hitting the Jazz Room stage this month as they continue their varied education, conducting and performing
“Mike Forfia is rarely available anymore, so The hoagie roll was crispy and flaky on the outside, doughy on the inside, the ideal vehicle for pulled pork (the inside will absorb the sauce BUT the bun will remain intact due to crust). The pork itself was tender, totally scrumptious. I love barbecue sauce, though (like anything) in moderation. I want to taste the meat and not just the sauce. This pulled pork had literally the perfect sauce to meat ratio; I got tang and kick but I also got that rich, chewy meat. I love food. Food is so much more than sustenance, than energy, than even keeping us alive. Food has the capacity to make us live, to bring us together, to share, to have happy bellies. Because the Front Porch Cafe can use food to do this, I am in awe.
when I have the chance to book him, I do,” Glenny says. “Then, coincidentally, Aidan Plank was headlining for the first time at the Pub, so I thought of the theme at that point.” Plank serves as the bassist for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra’s current season and works as both a performer and composer, having played for crowds at Carnegie Hall, Severance Hall, The Knitting Factory and other notable venues around the U.S. He, along with pianist Rock Wehrmann, will bring his skills to the much smaller Pub Bricco stage May 18. Glenny says Plank has performed there in the past with other groups but reached out in hopes of securing his own gig. From there, Glenny spotted a trend of bass players who were interested in showcasing their skills as individual artists, and he sprung into action to book other accomplished bassists at the venue. “That’s when I reached out to Dan Pappalardo
798 Grant St. Akron, M-F 7 am - 3 pm to continue the theme since he is the young // Holly Brown is about to finish her second year (of three) at the NEOMFA. She is looking forward to a summer filled with long runs, poems, and of course eating lots of yummies.
AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE
and upcoming guy from Oberlin,” he says.
West Akron residents, and beyond, hope that West Hill Hardware stays at it for at least another eight decades.
Street at the corner of North Forge Street They are back! Food trucks are serving to help our kids. Child Guidance & Family Solutions (CG&FS) and food truck chefs are partnering again to bring the best of ‘street food’ to Akron for the summer. This is the third year for Food Truck Fridays and the trucks and the staff at CG&FS are excited for the summer eating season to begin. Favorite trucks will be returning – OrangeTruk, Wholly Frijoles, Manna Truck, Firetruck Pizza, Stone Pelican, The Spread, Beachcomber, Swenson’s, and Popsmith; joined by new trucks that include to-date Lobster Louie’s, Betty’s Bomb A** Burgers, The Slop Truck, Hunger Squad and ForkfulTruck. Each week there will be a selection of 4-5 trucks offering a variety of tasty lunchtime choices. Check the CG&FS website or Akron Food Truck Fridays Facebook page to see which trucks will be there each week. Rain or shine, they will be serving the best of truck food – tailgate and eat it there or pick up enough for your office and take it back. This is some great eating at more-thanreasonable prices.
with larger groups, ensembles and orchestras. Glenny says the bass madness will conclude with a performance on May 25 by Sausalito, featuring Dorianne Denard and Kyle Magilavy, who are regular staples at Bricco’s Wednesday jazz nights.
This year, to kick off the Food Truck Friday season, CG&FS and the trucks are creating a ‘Frenzy’….a Food Truck Frenzy! On May 13th from 4-8 pm more than a dozen trucks will be serving up their specialties, from crab cakes to tacos, fruit pops to mud cake.
“Their bass player, Johnny, is not normally featured, but they are going to [feature him] this night,” Glenny explains. “His claim to fame is he had never played upright bass – just guitar – until Kyle Magilavy put an ad on Craigslist looking for a bass player.”
All the trucks donate a portion of their proceeds to support the work of CG&FS. Since 1939, Child Guidance & Family Solutions has been helping our children become healthier, our families and our community richer by providing mental, emotional, and behavioral healthcare to children and adolescents who are suffering. With offices in Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls and Twinsburg, CG&FS works closely with doctors, hospitals, school districts and the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board (ADM Board) to provide a safety net of services for children who are facing the challenges of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues. For more information about the programs of
Each May Bass Madness performance begins at 7:30 p.m., located at 1841 Merriman Rd. Admission is free, and audience members can enjoy food and beverages from Pub Bricco’s expansive menu. More information about the restaurant and its Jazz Room can be found at PubBricco.com.
Child Guidance & Family Solutions, call CG&FS at 330-762-0591 or visit cgfs.org.
Pappalardo has shared the stage with musicians and vocalists like Russ Nolan, Sam Blakesee and
MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5 /
THE Devil Strip |
45
back of the book
UrineLuck:
Summit ArtSpace Review NUMBER 2
Are you looking for a place where you can
We could hang out in here. Maybe they
maybe fall in love and talk about Big Ideas and Art and what it means to search for happiness?
should add a chair or a cozy loveseat. A small hammock! Maybe a seat right outside the
You think there is no such place in Akron? Dear
restroom so people can at least hope to catch
Reader, there is!
some of the ambiance. We know, we shouldn’t
When we were first invited to Summit
be offering suggestions after such an extensive bathroom overhaul, but we just can’t help it.
ArtSpace’s Loolapalooza, we noted its April
The flashy fixtures and artsy additions have
1 date and wondered if we were signing up for a public teepeeing or to be the sad victims of an April Fool’s prank, but this gala was no joke: Summit ArtSpace celebrated everything a bathroom is, should be and can become. These Urine Luck writers could not be more delighted in the changes!
started us thinking about all the possibilities bathrooms hold within their bowels.
The recently renovated first-floor men’s and women’s bathrooms are actual works of art. But the kind where you can pee and poop in the same room as the art, and no one tells you to stop. We are really impressed with the way the artists at SA collaborated with the community to use and improve upon what they had. The toilet trophy we presented to Summit ArtSpace officials is on display outside the men’s bathroom. Soon, toilets all across Akron will compete for such a trophy. And they will have to up their game to compare to the hot new look of the dashing dumpers at Summit
Next to the antelier, the other stunning feature in the men’s room is the aforementioned infinity mirror. Sure, women’s rooms seem to take
#URINELUCK selfie station (PHOTO: Chris Horne/The Devil Strip)
additions, but they look sleek and modern.
It probably goes without saying, but the new
We did not expect the noxious smell to be
and improved women’s restroom at Summit ArtSpace gets an impressive, and the first ever, 5 out of 5 toilets from us.
taken care of--we figured it was due to the water quality, but to our surprise, the sewer smell hasn’t just dissipated. In fact, it--dare we say--smells good in a way that provides patrons
with just the right amount of freshness in the air. This is probably one of the most difficult LADIES FIRST things to achieve in a public bathroom, and First (since women are more important), the rarely have we encountered it, but here it is, women’s restroom: Obviously, we love the Urine shining like a diamond in the rust belt. Luck selfie station at the mirror, and we hope the sign stays up forever and ever (#urineluck). The artwork in each stall is a nice and easily This is where we will bring out of town guests underlooked personal touch. We hear there are and dignitaries. This is where we will take our plans for a spotlight that turns on when you sit LinkedIn photos and our children’s preschool down? Clearly, something needs to compete
the vanity stereotype more seriously, always including large reflective surfaces for hair-fixing and food removal from teeth, but what about the men? Summit ArtSpace is giving them what they need, too--offering a mirror where they can see themselves forever and ever and ever. This bathroom does not celebrate style over substance. Like the women’s room, it demonstrates and defines the intersection of art and public space. For a cool place to hang out infinitum, go to the first floor men’s room at Summit ArtSpace and see for yourself why this men’s room gets 5 out of 5 toilets.
ArtSpace.
graduation photos. This is where we could have had our baby showers and weddings. Future business idea for Summit ArtSpace: rent out those bad boys! The women’s room retained its original fixtures and colors, but the newly added art, sparkling surfaces, fluffy towels and complimentary emery boards fulfill the potential that was already in this bathroom space. The red soap and paper towel dispensers are simple On The Record (continued from page 43) song lyrically, and it reminds me of an early ‘60s rock ballad, while “Feeling Fine” has a definite surf-rock vibe in the vocal harmonies and heavy reverb on the guitar. The latter gets stuck in your head the most, but that’s OK (at least I am OK with it), because if you weren’t feeling fine before hearing it, you will be afterward. The title track is also notable: It works well as the closing number, leaving you wanting more, and
46
with the antler chandelier in the men’s room, and a spotlight is the right direction, but let’s keep generating ideas. A tampon ceiling fan? Maybe a personal strobe light instead of a bigger spotlight? What about a music feature? Not all women think peeing and pooping sounds are cool, and they might not want a spotlight for the occasion, but a soundtrack for a bodily function that is often considered a nuisance (though it should be celebrated)? Count us in! is probably the darkest tonally — although not that dark. There are also little bits and pieces between the songs that sort of tie it all together and leave you hanging at the end so you might just let it repeat a time or two. Patrick has a soulfulness to his voice and can howl out lyrics with the best of them. Keith has unique sounding vocals that pair well Patrick’s singing, but his bass playing is really the glue that holds it all together. Grieshammer’s drumming is tight and steady, and there is just
| THE Devil Strip / MAY 2016 • VOL 2 • ISSUE #5
MEN'S ROOM You know how men always wonder why women use the restroom in groups? I bet you anything that male visitors at Summit ArtSpace start heading to the restroom together to pose for selfies in front of the swanky infinity mirror (#urineluckman). Soon they will understand. We don’t visit nearly enough men’s restrooms, so this is now our baseline.The antelier (Summit ArtSpace coined this term. It’s a chandelier/ antler, and it is the Next Big Thing) light feature is a marvelous touch and feels like you’re at a rustic disco. The men’s room also gives off a cigar club vibe, but this aesthetic does not compete with the rustic disco vibe. A cigar club could comfortably meet with class in this establishment (if, of course, smoking were legal in public bathrooms--maybe there could be a special dispensation for a monthly meet-up). enough of a flair that it keeps it interesting. One might think of Alan “The Human Metronome” Myers of DEVO, with a slight Meg White edge. My only real criticism is that it ends too soon. Of course, it’s also pretty expensive to record, and a lot of people only really listen to the first four or five songs on an album anyway, so I can see why The Dreemers (and many other bands right now, for that matter) go for the shorter format. “Is Is” was recorded in analog
// Emily Dressler lives in Akron and writes stories and not-stories. She probably has to pee. // Marissa Marangoni definitely has to pee. Every five minutes. She is working on her second novel, but it’s not about peeing.
140 E Market St, Akron, OH 44308 (330) 376-8480
summitartspace.org at the band’s eastside studio, The Electric Company, on an eight-track reel-to-reel, which contributes to the throwback feel of the songs. It was engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Nate Bucher and the band, and Patrick and Keith are the main songwriters. The Dreemers will celebrate the release of “Is Is” with a release party at Jilly’s Music Room on Friday, May 13 at 9 p.m. where you can pick up your own copy and, if you haven’t already, see the band live.
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