The Devil Strip, Issue 13 by Chris Horne

The Devil Strip SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 • THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

FREE

e r u t l u C & t r A , ic s u M Akron

t u o b a y r r o w t ' n o D . d r i e w n o r k A g n i p kee . E B O T Y A W R E H T O Y N A W O N K 'T N O

WE D

What's the deal with Akron's "Odd Fellows"? (Page 8)

Space is the final frontier but the party's on the PNC's 16th floor (Page 24)

Can you smell what Chef Dick is cooking? (Page 14)

a note from chris

The Devil Strip lture

Akron Music, Art & Cu

Publisher >> Chris "Doesn’t Answer His Phone” Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com

Art Director >> Alesa Upholzer, Talented and Patient

Copy Editor >> Jessica “My name is not Jecca” Cherok

Staff writers, photogs & cartoonists >> Holly “The Wanderer” Brown Jenny Conn, Real O.G. Storyteller Brit Charek, Craftiest Staff Writer/Maker of Empires Megan “social cat” Combs, former loser/hoser/poser Jessica Conti, Says She’s Not That Clever But Must Be Lying M. Sophie Hamad, Poet Mom Staff Writer Noor Hindi, Will Get Back to Chris about That Paul “I don’t write” Hoffman Isaac Kelley, Nerd-In-Chief Chris “the Film Freak” Kessinger Jacob Luther, the Towny Townie Toonist Greg Milo, the Workin’ Class Vegan Man Christopher with K “not to be confused with Chris H” Morrison Svetla Morrison, The Balkan Comrade Brittany Nader, Sass Master Flash Ilenia Pezzaniti, Our Short, Tired Garbanzo Bean Eatin', WTF Video Girl Writer Roger Riddle, Wears the Purple Pants Bronlynn Thurman, Culture writer in eggplant purple Natalie Warren, a Life in Red Lipstick Katie “Um, can you repeat the question?” Wheeler Joanna Wilson, Director of the Dept. of Tattoos & Morrissey The Shane Wynn Supremacy

Contributors >>

Dominic Caruso, Swiss Artsy Knife; Susan Covey; Emily Dressler; Katie Jackson, Miss Scarlet in the Conservatory with a candlestick; Kyra Kelley; Marissa Marangoni, Bathroom Culture Enthusiast; Eric Morris, Was Abducted By Jojo Pizzaface’; Scott Piepho; Elizabeth “Only in Akron” Tyran

————————————————————

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 The Devil Strip is published bi-monthly by Random Family, LLC. Akron Distribution: The Devil Strip is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Copyright: The entire contents ofThe Devil Strip are copyright 2015 by Random Family, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above.

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

Almost exactly a year ago, it was my birthday and I was sitting in the same seat I am now, drafting my fantasy football team for the keeper league I’ve been in for about a decade. Clint Bob, my best friend since middle school, is the commissioner and he lives in Georgia. At the time, I didn’t feel as connected to Akron as I’d hoped I would when we moved. I didn’t think I’d made many friends— certainly no one who would want to bother with me. Skyping in for the draft was a nice fix. Heather doesn’t understand anything about the draft except doing it makes me happy so she gives me license to really enjoy myself. Hot wings, beer, deep-fried whatever. Typically on Sunday afternoons, I’d get grumpy because soon I’d have to be back at work. My shift at WEWS in Cleveland began at 4:30 am, meaning bedtime was around 8-9 pm so I could wake at 2:30 in the morning. But since it was my birthday and draft day, I felt pretty good. Until my wife interrupted to say someone had dropped by to wish me a happy birthday. “Stupid Facebook,” I thought. I was busy. I had trash to talk and some sleepers to monitor. My brilliant, beautiful and patient wife smiled sweetly. It wouldn’t take long, she promised. I groaned. “Ugh. Fine.” I descended the stairs in a huff. But instead of a lone weirdo offering birthday wishes, I found a small crowd of familiar faces—friends, I think they’re called—who’d sacrificed their afternoon to surprise me with cake and beer, which is, for the record, the way I prefer to be surprised. I immediately felt unworthy of their kindness. I’d done nothing to deserve it. Then, I saw my friend, Kimmy, who suffered that early morning shift with me but still drove an hour to surprise me. And there was the “Big Truck” cake, which is a story for another time. When the house cleared of these lovely people, I knew two things for sure: My wife loves me dearly and I have friends here. That means I’m at least marginally worth a damn. With my confidence rising, it wasn’t long after, maybe only hours later, I started talking seriously about quitting my job and

starting a magazine. When, a couple weekends after that, we went to our first Porch Rokr, my fate was sealed. The event was fantastic, but what blew me away was the crowd, a demographic potpourri I hadn’t expected to find. That convinced me the magazine would have an audience, even if it didn’t yet have a name.

she counted 50 through the evening, some who stopped by after the mayoral debate at Summit Artspace. The depth and variety of people—almost all of them have played some part in making this magazine both possible and good—was overwhelming, which put in context how much has happened over the last year.

This year, my birthday fell on a Monday and the draft was a week later. I’d been neck deep in a series of investigative stories, prepping for the next issue and engineering some serious schedule and format changes for The Devil Strip, which had just celebrated six months in print. All I wanted—I thought—was a quiet evening alone with my amazing wife to breath deep and be grateful I’m still alive. She promised me she wouldn’t surprise me two years in a row and I believed her. After all, we’ve traveled a lot this summer and when we weren’t, it seemed we had visitors. All the while, Heather was busy researching and writing on the verge of another semester. When would she have had the time to surprise me?

This issue represents the first part of the changes we’re making. It’s our first monthly issue. Each one will get a little larger. Each month, we’ll print a couple thousand more than before. Pulling back on our schedule means we get to grow faster and it means we’ll get to do stories that dig deeper. In the meantime, you can start expecting daily posts on our website and social media with an email newsletter that will go out every Tuesday.

On the way to dinner, she said we had to stop by Stonehedge because Liz Tyran and Jason Scala, who own Urban Eats, were bowling and wanted to give me something on my actual birthday. Of course, I was skeptical, which comes with this journalism thing I sometimes do, but as we entered, I saw no one and figured, “Heh. She was serious. Cool. Wonder where we’re eating.” Then, a small parade of some of my favorite people in Akron (or anywhere), led by Heather’s co-conspirator Liz, rounded the corner. Heather said

Thanks to everyone who showed up to bowl with us. Many of you have been the engine driving this thing. Thank you to Liz for being Liz, which is to say incredible. And to my bride, thank you for being blind to the fact I just don’t deserve the light and beauty you’ve brought to my life. For all our friends, supporters and readers, my thanks to you is our dedication to making sure this magazine just keeps getting better and does more to contribute to this great city.

Yours, Chris ____________________________________________ Above: Group selfie photo credit to Ryan Dyke and Cody Stanley from the Spoils of Akron podcast

About the Cover

We're cheating a little bit. This photo came out of the awesome shoot Shane Wynn did for our second issue, which was all about music. But as we put together this issue, our lucky 13th, I kept thinking about this one image. Yeah, it's a nice tie to the Spacewalk tour and party that Launch League is hosting, but more than that, it's always spoken to me of the unusual blend of artistry, craft and weirdness that makes Akron, well, Akron. So, go out and be weird. Own it. Stop pretending like you can help it. To check out more of Shane's work, visit shanewynn.com

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

the agenda

Some of our favorite, most interesting and sometimes weirdest stuff to do in Akron this month

SPOTLIGHT

repertoire. Better still, the good eats are a gateway into the cultures of the people who immigrated or were refugeed and are now making their homes in the Rubber City. Enjoy an array of authentic ethnic music, dance, crafts and games as you’re united with people from all cultures, celebrating what connects us and makes us different. For more information, visit akrongvf.org.

engineers,” so you can enjoy this as a grown-up too. The exhibit is organized by the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature and features 80 original works from more than 16 of the duo's dynamic picture and pop-up books, including artwork from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “the Encyclopedia Prehistorica series,” “Young Naturalist's Pop-Up Handbook: Beetles and Butterflies,” “Cinderella” and… drumroll please… “Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxies.”

BONUS: Pop In Pop-Up Drop In Akron Art Museum October 15 from 6 to 8 pm (FREE) If you dig the pop-up book art then make sure you put this related event on your calendar so you can enjoy the vintage pop-ups, learn how they’re made and give making your own a shot.

Downtown Akron Restaurant Tour All September All over downtown Akron Apparently a week just wasn’t cuttin’ it anymore, so the good folks who make September delicious—downtown restaurateurs and the Downtown Akron Partnership— expanded the famous week to last all month. On top of that, they’re offering gift certificates worth up to $30 for getting stamps in your DAP passport. (We don’t recommend using your US Passport. Them’s expensive.) For all the big details, call 330-374-7676, read the story on page 13 or visit downtownakron.com/enjoy/downtown-akron-restaurant-tour

Phases and Squares A Hole in the River Through October 3 (see hours below) BOX Gallery That’s right: Two shows, three local artists, one gallery. Phases and Squares features the collages and paintings of two friends, Susan Mencini and Helen Wilson. Wilson’s collages employ an experimental process to convey “the many layers of the world that surrounds us.” Mencini uses a painting method in “Squares” gives the acrylic paint a transparent, watercolor quality as she works with themes of redemption, squares and the act of painting itself. Both sets of work will be on view in the Small Box gallery. Meanwhile, the solo exhibition of Bradley Hart’s photography, A Hole in the River, will be on display in the third floor, featuring a photographic series of in-camera multiple exposures that “seek the connections between his subjects, himself, and the intangible fabric of the Universe.” This series is meant to address the perception of experience and contest the memories derived from it. The BOX Gallery is FREE and open to the public. The opening reception will be held on Sept. 5, 2015 from 5-9pm. Special gallery hours: Fridays from 12 to 9 pm; Saturdays from 12 to 5 pm; and during the Artwalk on Saturday, October 3 from 12 to 9 pm. Open Sundays by request only, call 330-203-6465

‘ET, the Extra-Terrestrial’ Free Akron Outdoor Movies Great Meadow in Glendale Cemetery Friday, September 18 at 6:30 pm Dude, it’s “ET.” If you need us to explain why you need to go see ET on the big screen then maybe you’ve just awoken from a Reese’s Pieces-induced coma. Plus, consider the setting. How amazing, right? Free. Movie. ET. Glendale Cemetery. Plus, there’ll be children’s activities courtesy of smART Studios and food vendors like Stray Dog Cart, Ms. Julie’s Kitchen and Popsmith. Trolley service starts at 6:30 pm and the movie starts at 8 pm. Again: Free, ET, Glendale, food and fun. Do it.

Summit Lake Mini-Farmers’ Market (See photos on page 7) Tuesdays, September 22, October 6 & 20 from 4 to 7 pm Get in on the last three mini-farmers markets of the season at Summit Lake, organized by the good folks at Let’s Grow Akron.

connect2akron Akron Civic Theatre Thursday, October 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm The chatter increases as a steady stream of individuals enters the lobby, exchanging handshakes at the door. Papers shuffle. People comb through the brochures, postcards and other trinkets in their swag bags. Excitement and curiosity fill the room as attendees catch up with familiar faces and meet new ones, smiling and talking at the bar or previewing the table of giveaways. At least, that’s what it was like last year when more than 200 people gathered for the inaugural connect2akron event. This year, organizers are planning for 300 college students, recent grads and young professionals to connect with more than 30 nonprofits and six young professional organizations. And it’s all for free. Ready to connect? Want details? Visit ypakron.org/c2a for info or to register then “like” connect2akron on Facebook and use “#connect2akron” to be part of the conversation.

6th annual Joyful Tastes of Life Global Village Festival Sunday, September 13 at 12-6 pm Lock 3 Park If you want to eat well during the summer in Akron, all you really have to do is hang out near Lock 3. While you might be thinking of the rib or burger festivals, don’t overlook the Global Village Festival, which may actually be the best of them all. That’s because the cuisine may hail from all over the world but it’s being made at the GVF by members of Akron’s growing international community. That includes cooking demonstrations if you’re trying to add to your kitchen

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

Wizards of Pop Akron Art Museum Thursday, September 24 through Nov. 15 Don’t be ashamed. You still think pop-up books are cool, don’t you? Yeah, we thought so. Well, the Akron Art Museum is going to let you take your interest to the next level with an exhibition of “magnificent works of paper engineering” by celebrated children’s book creators Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. If you have kiddos to take, that’s cool, but each of their books is, as AAM education director Alison Caplan says, “a complex work of sculpture meticulously hand designed by this dynamic duo of paper

Thursday, October 15 from 6 to 9 pm St. George’s Family Center 3204 Ridgewood Rd., Akron Enjoy wines from around the world and the best local craft beers from around Akron while helping raise much needed money to support end-of-life patient care, hosted by Akron General Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service. The evening also includes food, a silent auction and a raffle for a $1500 vacation package and a 40” Smart HDTV. To get more information, visit akrongeneral.org/joy or call the Akron General Foundation at 330-344-6888.

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

The Agenda

Jeff Goldblum and smART Studios

On September 5, art lovers (and/or the local chapter of the Goldblum Appreciation Society) gathered at Musica to empty their hearts onto canvas under the tutelage and guidance of Jennifer Davis from smART Studios. This celebration of actor/humanitarian Jeff Goldblum produced work that is nothing short of breath-taking. Frankly, it belongs in either the Guggenheim or the Met, wethinks. Such important and truly meaningful art shouldn't go unappreciated by a wider audience. Kudos to the assembled! Photos courtesy of Tim Fitzwater and smART Studios

4TH ANNUAL

September 5-October 3

Akron Art Prize is an exciting Downtown Akron arts experience giving artists the opportunity to display their work in participating venues over one month. It provides an entryway into the Downtown arts district and public eye where populous vote decides the winners of $11,000 in cash prizes. Follow us on

Download the FREE app to vote!

#akronartprize15

Universal venue hours: Thurs.-Sat. 12-9 p.m. all month Details at akronartprize.org Generously supported by

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

2015DART Ad_cropFINAL.pdf

9/4/15

11:58 AM

the agenda

e r u t l u C & s t r A

s g n i t s i L t n Eve

DOWNTOWN AKRON

ONGOING

RESTAURANT TOUR

Downtown Akron Restaurant Tour Sept 1 - 30 in Downtown Akron (FREE) Purchase entrees at participating restaurants; receive a stamp in your dining passport. Receive a dining certificate starting with five stamps! The list of participating restaurants is long - check out the full list at downtownakron.com

CMY

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9

Akron Art Prize 2015 Sept 5 - Oct 3 See some of Akron’s best visual art throughout September, and vote for your favorite piece to help the artist win $5,000 and a chance to display their piece at the Akron Art Museum! Art will be displayed in Summit Artspace, The Nightlight Cinema, Palladian Palatte, and the 43 Furnact Art Complex! For more information, visit downtownakron.com/enjoy/akron-art-prize

TOUR

Brew at the Zoo: Football Tailgate Night 6pm at Akron Zoo ($25 for members; $31 for nonmembers) 500 Edgewood Ave, Akron Enjoy a casual beer tasting from Thirsty Dog, Ohio Brewing Company, Hoppin’ Frog, and more as you stroll through the zoo, plus classic rock band Cold Blue Steele and food trucks. Tastings are included and full-size beers will be available for purchase.

RECEPTION

SAT 9|19 (4PM)

SAT 9|19 (6PM)

INTRODUCING A LAUNCH LEAGUE EVENT

SPACEWALK T W E N T Y F I F T E E N Come dressed as your favorite space character as we tour downtown and launch something BIG!

RSVP HERE: LAUNCHLEAGUE.ORG/SPACEWALK2015

COSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP

Taste of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 5:30pm at Pro Football Hall of Fame ($150) 2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton Meet Pro Football Hall of Famers and enjoy tastings from local chefs and wineries while raising awareness and dollars toward the fight to end hunger! All proceeds benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

‘The End of the Tour’ Opens Sept 11 at Nightlight Cinema ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron In 1996, shortly after the publication of his groundbreaking novel Infinite Jest, acclaimed author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) sets off on a five-day interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg). As the days pass, a tenuous yet significant relationship develops between journalist and subject, but the interview is never published. Five days of audio tapes are packed away in Lipsky’s closet, and the two men never meet again. ‘The End of the Tour’ is based on Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter that he wrote following Wallace’s suicide in 2008. How the Other Half Loves Opens Sept 24 at Coach House Theatre ($20) 732 W Exchange St, Akron One set serves simultaneously as the home of two different couples who are trying to conceal thier mutual love affairs.

Five Million Steps: Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail 6:30pm at Coventry Oaks in Firestone Metro Park (FREE) 40 Axline Ave, Akron Experience the challenging and life-changing adventure of author Robert Grau. Hear his unique story and see photos of his 2,191-mile hike over 14 states and 170 days. Book signing to follow, and all proceeds benefit cancer patients.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10

Inside|Out Block Party: The University of Akron & University Park 6pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE) 1 S High St, Akron

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

agenda Join the Akron Art Museum for a free celebration of the Inside|Out artwork installed at the University of Akron and University Park!

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11

auction - your ticket is your donation, so you’re free to enjoy the evening of food and blues.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

Art in the Park Festival 10am at Fred Fuller Park (FREE) 497 Middlebury Rd, Kent Fine art festival in Fred Fuller Park, visit over 90 artists, children's art areas, live music on 2 stages, variety of food vendors and live art demonstrations!

Yankee Peddler Festival Opening Weekend 10:30am at Clay’s Park ($10) 13190 Patterson St NW, North Lawrence Yankee Peddler opens this weekend with food, Operation Orange fun and entertainment for the whole family! 10am at Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank (FREE) Immerse yourself in a time when crafting was the 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron only way of life - all crafters and vendors dress Gather your family, friends and coworkers and sign in period-appropriate attire and demonstrate up for a volunteer shift during the Akron-Canton their handiwork. Runs Sept 12-13, 19-20, and Regional Foodbank’s third annual 24-hour volunteer 26-27. Visit yankeepeddlerfestival.com for more event, Operation Orange! Every hour during information. Operation Orange, approximately 125 volunteers will be working in the Foodbank’s 83,000 sq. ft. Akron Square Fest warehouse on an assortment of projects to keep up 11am at Highland Square (FREE) with the growing demand for emergency food. Come one, come all! This street party is family friendly and full of fun! Artists of all sorts will be Party at Prime: ASO Season Kickoff out in force to deliver a day of entertainment that 7pm at Prime 93 ($100) is sure to leave the thrill-seeking creative palette 4315 Manchester Rd, Akron satisfied. Celebrating the vibrant community of Celebrate the start of the Akron Symphony Highland Square and encouraging its growth Orchestra’s 2015-16 season, with performances and stability, one party at a time! Hope to see by Wanda Hunt and Helen Welch. No raffles, no you there!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 13

Akron Heart Walk 10am at Stile Athletics Field House (FREE) 384 Carroll St, Akron Raise money for the American Heart Association by walking in the event, or come cheer the walkers on and enjoy the festivities! The Akron Heart Walk features fun activities and a non-competitive 2.5 mile walk through The University’s campus and around InfoCision Stadium and Summa Field. Global Village Festival of Greater Akron Noon at Lock 3 (FREE) 200 S Main St, Akron The Global Village Festival of Greater Akron is a celebration of international and ethnic diversity in our community. This event will highlight the dynamics of the cultural diversity in our modern urban environment, and is designed to enable distinctive cultural expressions – including performances, exhibitions, international cuisine, and much more. Artist’s Talk: Charles Beneke 2pm at Akron Art Museum (free for members, $10 non-members) 1 S High St, Akron Join us for an artist's talk by Charles Beneke, a Professor and Printmaking Area Coordinator at the University of Akron’s Mary Schiller Myers School of Art. Beneke will present the ideas that went into his installation, Specter, which addresses our penchant for excessive or unsustainable consumption and the impact of that excess on our environment.

MONDAY, SEPT. 14

‘Gayby’ 7pm at Nightlight Cinema ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron Part of the Akron Film +PRIDE series, presented in partnership with the Akron Pride Initiative. Jenn (straight) and Matt (gay) are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, they decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together... the old fashioned way.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15

Gemini Sept 15-19 at Funny Stop Comedy Club ($5-$14) 1757 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls Everything about Gemini and his show is a cut above fantasy. His magic, his jokes, the way he reads the audience easier than a front page headline. Because of his unique style of showmanship he not only keeps the show in motion with his jokes, he has several magic sets as well. The "Maestro of Magic & Laughter" is also an accomplished ventriloquist, with several "friends" that keep the audience in the palm of his hand. (continued on page 8)

Summit Lake Photos from the first Summit Lake Mini Farmers' Market, which took place in August. There are three more scheduled on Tuesdays, September 22, and October 6 and 20. It's a project led by Let's Grow Akron to bring more access to healthful foods via community gardens and farmers markets in the East Akron, University Park, and Summit Lake neighborhoods. The work involves collaboration between a number of nonprofits including Let's Grow Akron, South Street Ministries, Akron Summit Community Action, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation and Haven of Rest Harvest Home. While they're helping vendors make a living, these organizations are dedicated to making sure folks can get their hands on fresh veggies and fruits for healthier eating. (Photos courtesy of Let's Grow Akron)

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

agenda (continued from page 7)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

That one time downtown… 5:30pm at Cascade Plaza (FREE) 1 Cascade Plaza, Akron Bring a blanket and spread out on the Cascade lawn to hear Downtown stories from local characters. Grab a bite from a food truck and enjoy the city skyline just before sunset. Hear stories from Maria Varonis, Al Mothersbaugh and David Giffels with host Heather Burns. Photography Panel: Reality and Fiction 6:30pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE) 1 S High St, Akron Photography has always been awarded a special status for truthfully recording the world, but how truthful is it? In the digital age, we’ve become accustomed to photographs manipulated through Photoshop, but photographers have been altering images, through cropping, dodging and burning, and manipulating subject matter since the Civil War era. The discussion will feature artists Josh Azzarella and Barry Underwood as well as photojournalist Peggy Turbett and will be moderated by Akron Art Museum Assistant Curator Elizabeth Carney.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

Crafty Mart at Thirsty Dog Brewing Co 11am at Thirsty Dog (FREE) 529 Grant St, Akron Head to Thirsty Dog, grab a brew, and enjoy Crafty Mart! Stroll, shop, eat, drink and enjoy Akron! Akron’s First Grown-Up Play Date 7:30pm at St Thomas Hall ($75) 555 S Cleveland-Massillon Rd, Akron Leave the kids at home - it's time for the grown ups to play! The Akron Children's Museum invites you to be a part of our first annual evening benefit. Activities include; casino tables, interactive games, DJ & dancing, appetizers, cash bar, fundraising activities and silent auction. Through the Lens: Milestone Moments at BLU 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($15, includes tickets to Dan Wilson show) 47 E Market St, Akron Professional fine art & portrait photographer, Cindy Nichols, has photographed many milestone performances at BLU Jazz+ since the venue opened in October of 2014. BLU Jazz+ is excited to unveil a wonderful curated collection of photographs which she has captured along the way in a new gallery show – “Through the Lens: Milestone Moments at BLU!” These beautiful full color and black & white photographs will be made available for purchase, and Cindy will be on-hand throughout the show and afterward to autograph your very own copy!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

Stand-Up Paddleboarding 12pm at Silver Creek Metro Park Boathouse (FREE) 5171 S Medina Line Rd, Norton Ever wanted to try paddleboarding? Join the Summit Metro Parks with a certified instructor and naturalist! No experience needed, but advance registration is required - call 330-865-8065.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ Opens Sept 18 at Nightlight Cinema ($8.50) 30 N High St, Akron Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner, The Diary of a Teenage Girl recounts the coming-of-age adventures of Minnie Goetze, a San Francisco teenager growing up in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. Lonely and artistic, Minnie chronicles her trials through expressive drawings and painfully honest missives confided to a tape recorder.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

International Red Panda Day 10am at Akron Zoo ($11 for adults; $8 for children) 500 Edgewood Ave, Akron Join the Akron Zoo to celebrate International Red Panda Day! Learn fun facts about red pandas (like the fact that they’re the “original” panda, having been discovered nearly 50 years before giant pandas) and enjoy our beautiful zoo.

Akron Marathon 7am at Downtown Akron ($115 full; $100 half; $48 relay) 217 S High St, Akron The world-class Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay presented by Time Warner Cable debuts a new course featuring an exciting new start line, traditional Akron landmarks as well as new sections including North Hill, Exchange Street, Merriman Road, Hardesty Park and more! Fall Farm Festival 10am at Spicy Lamb Farm ($10 for adults; $5 for kids) 6560 Akron-Peninsula Rd, Peninsula Celebrate the season with farm animals, craft vendors, games, demonstrations, and Music on the Porches band, plus watch herding and spinning demonstrations, at one of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s farms!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

Paddle the Gorge 9am at Gorge Metro Park Main Entrance (FREE) 1160 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls Kayak the Cuyahoga River at the Gorge to see

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

towering rock ledges and breathtaking scenery from your boat. Led by ACA-trained staff from Crooked River Adventures and a Metro Parks naturalist. Only 10 spots are available (unless you have your own kayak) so reserve your place at 330-865-8065! ‘Women of ‘69 Unboxed’ 2pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers) 1 S High St, Akron The 370 women who graduated from Skidmore College in 1969 skipped a traditional yearbook for something innovative—a Yearbox. The Yearbox was a portfolio, consisting of unbound, oversized poster style pages in a box. The box featured unusual portraits that evoke the spirit of the times, celebrating creativity, free choice, and collaboration. Focusing on 19 of the women, this film explores the tumultuous times of their college days and their lives as mature women through the lens of this unique photography project. Art Reach Theatre presents Little Red Riding Hood 2:30pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($10) 182 S Main St, Akron Little Red has a simple job to do: make it through the woods to her Grandmother’s house. Simple, right? All she has to do is stay on the path and follow directions. But with so many interesting distractions, how can she stay focused? And then there’s the charming Woodsman and that very craft Wolf… See this enchanting NEW adaptation of the classic Charles Perrault fairy tale, co-written by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s own Jay Goodlett and local playwright Chris Stewart.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

Ohio Mart 10am at Stan Hywet ($9) 714 N Portage Path, Akron The 49th annual Ohio Mart is Stan Hywet’s annual artisan craft showcase and a major fundraiser for the estate. Enjoy gorgeous autumn weather and major retail therapy with 120 artists and exhibitors talented in sculpture, garden art, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and hand-crafted furniture and more! Runs through Sunday, Oct 4.

connect2akron 5:30pm at Akron Civic Theatre (FREE) 182 S Main St, Akron If you’re a college student, recent grad, or young professional who wants to connect with nonprofits and volunteer opportunities in Akron, don’t miss connect2akron! More than 25 organizations will be on hand to help you decide where and how to connect. Inside|Out Block Party: Highland Square 6pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE) 1 S High St, Akron Celebrate and learn more about the Inside|Out pieces in West Hill and Highland Square!

Dracula Opens Oct 1 at Weathervane Playhouse ($22) 1301 Weathervane Lane, Akron Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades must hunt down and destroy the profoundly evil Count Dracula in this action-packed, blood-soaked, thrilling, chilling retelling of the classic tale of horror!

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

Macbeth Opens Oct 2 at Summit Artspace ($14) 140 E Market St, Akron Rubber City Shakespeare takes Shakespeare’s classic tale of human nature and sets it inside a Rubber Factory around the end of the Great War (WWI), and ending around the great depression. As the play progresses we will see the transformation of the Macbeth's from workers, to leaders, to warriors. Full Circle Storytelling: An Act of Kindness 7pm at The W.O.M.B. (FREE) 915 E Market St, Akron Open to the public, Full Circle Storytelling events revolve around a theme and the idea: everyone has a story. By encouraging community members to tell their own true tales, each storyteller is placed at the center of his or her own life journey. We use narrative as a way to promote understanding between diverse peoples, building bridges – not walls – within our community.

SATURDAY, OCT. 3

Akron Farm & Flea Market 9am outside Urban Eats (FREE) 51 E Market St, Akron The first Saturday of every month, head to Urban Eats and Musica for shopping, eating and entertainment that is uniquely Akron. Vendors will change each month and will include rummage, vintage, arts, crafts, farm produce, food and services. (continued on page 10)

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

Akron History

Something Odd in Glendale Cemetery

Who in the world are the Independent Order of Odd Fellows? by Roger Riddle

While visiting Glendale Cemetery, you may have come across one mausoleum with three links over the top with the letters I.O.O.F. beneath. It is such a unique sight that one cannot help but wonder what it means. I.O.O.F. stands for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It is a fraternal order that started in England and has roots in Christian teachings. The earliest surviving records of an “Oddfellows” lodge comes from London and is dated 1748. These early members became known as “oddfellows” because they were so selfless that they were willing to place the welfare of others above their own. Apparently it was very odd at that time to find people organized to give aid and pursuing benefits for the greater good of the people. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded in the United States in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819. They consider "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan" to be the command of the I.O.O.F. Their symbol is three chain links that sometimes contain the letters F, L and T, which stand for Friendship, Love, and Truth. This progressive fraternity became the first in the country to allow female members starting in 1851, with female members being called Rebekahs–based on teachings from the Bible–while male members are referred to as Odd Fellows. The first Odd Fellows chapter in Summit County was established in 1845. Akron established its own

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

chapter in 1873. However, William B Doyle stated in his 1908 book titled “Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens” that “The greatest event in the history of Odd Fellowship in Summit County was the dedication of the magnificent New Temple on South Main Street in Akron.” This seven-story building is considered Akron's first skyscraper and had Akron's lumber and construction magnate, Andrew Jackson, as one of its contractors. To pay for the $60,000 construction job, the Odd Fellows started the Akron Odd Fellow Temple Company and sold stock to its members. If you are looking for a unique piece of Akron memorabilia, you can still find these authentic stock certificates on eBay. com and through antique dealers. The Odd Fellows called the temple on Main Street home until 1918. Around that time, the building was demolished to make room for the Civic Theatre, and the Odd Fellows purchased the former mansion of Andrew Jackson (the aforementioned magnate, not

President) on East Mill Street. This would be the fraternity's home for almost 70 years. At its peak, their membership was totaling over 3000 members. To accommodate such large numbers, they removed all of the interior walls on the second floor to make a large meeting hall and banquet room. In 1975, the Odd Fellows became embroiled in a battle over the property with the Akron Board of Education and a major court case ensued. The Board of Education wanted to bulldoze the house to make a parking lot for Central-Hower High School. However, once the jury on the case set the value of the property at more than they were willing to pay, the school board decided to look for an alternative plot of land to suit their needs.

landmark by the Federal Register of Historic Places to be sure that no one would try to tear down their temple again. Because they protected the home, it now houses the offices of the GAR Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. In the early 90s, the fraternity's membership had dwindled to only 15 members. The Akron chapter put the Andrew Jackson house up for sale and combined with a chapter in Green, bringing the new total membership up to 75. Eventually, even the Green chapter disappeared. There are still active chapters of the I.O.O.F. around Ohio, however none of them have returned to the glory of those early days. While the Independent Order of Odd Fellows have faded away here in Akron, the unique history they have left behind is...well, odd.

After coming out on top in that legal struggle, the Odd Fellows had the house declared a national

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

new / native

The Dalys Show Penny came back to the Rubber City, brought Dave and now they’re about to bring a new Akronite into the world

New Native

so having the Rubber Ducks playing at Canal Park right in downtown is just swell. 69 Taps for the draft beer selection, the always poppy, sometimes trashy music, and the nice outdoor seating. All the blimps that were, are and will be.

When did you fall for Akron? When I met Chris Horne! Seriously! Well… when I met Chris and other awesome folks on the Devil Strip softball team. Winter was long and dark and that team coupled with better weather was my introduction to the wonders of summer in Ohio. The people make the place totally rad! Rubber City Ratz 4 Lyfe. Name / Age: Dave Daly / 31 Hometown: Braintree, Massachusetts Current Akron Neighborhood: Maple Valley, West Akron Occupation: Community Garden/ Farmers’ Market Coordinator

What do you wish was on more Akronites’ radar? I think lots of people know this, but just in case… How awesome the Akron Public Library system is! Aside from loads of books, they have a top-notch graphic novel selection, movies, music and a freakin’ seed library! Get your flower seeds for next season on the first floor for FREE! What are your favorite local cultural assets? The Towpath, metroparks and CVNP are all awesome and incredibly accessible. I love baseball

(continued from page 8) Hale Harvest 5K 9:15am at Hale Farm ($25) 2686 Oak Hill Rd, Bath The Hale Harvest 5K loop course invites runners and walkers to experience the natural beauty of Hale Farm & Village as they run along nature trails, in the sugar bush, past historic houses, through farmyards, rural pastures and creek crossings. The 5K benefits InHale, an educational initiative that uses historic and natural resources to develop innovative programs that promote Family & Community Engagement and Health & Wellness. Runners get free admission to the Harvest Festival! Harvest Festival 10am at Hale Farm (FREE for members; $10 for adults; $5 for kids) 2686 Oak Hill Rd, Bath Celebrate the fall at Hale Farm with wagon rides, a corn maze, early American craft demonstrations, Johnny Appleseed and more! Celebrate the fall bounty amid the sights, smells and tastes of the Cuyahoga Valley.

When did you fall for Akron? The Akron Marathon! Such an awesome way to see the city. There are so many fun places, from neighborhoods to parks, to train for the race. Where in Akron do you like to escape? I love to spend time in the metroparks. Each park has such a different feel and lots to offer in terms of trails. We’re about halfway to our goal of hiking each of the metroparks. Hoping to get in some cross-country skiing this winter!

Where in Akron do you like to escape? In the vegetable garden, on the Towpath, a dark, air conditioned movie theatre, Annabell’s basement, grilling out anywhere. Why should everyone try your local favorite restaurant? Luca’s New York Style Pizza in Stow is the best pizza in and around the area, no question. I like a basic, plain (cheese) New York-style pie and they do not disappoint. How do you think Akron will be different in five years? There will be more bike lanes crisscrossing the city. The Towpath and Freedom Trail have gotten a lot more people on bicycles and I believe cycling can only increase in popularity as the city adopts and implements plans friendlier to alternative forms of transportation.

What are your favorite local cultural assets? Rubber Ducks baseball games. Such a fun and affordable way to spend a summer afternoon.

Name / Age: Penny Daly / 31 Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA → Akron, OH → Palm Springs, CA Current Akron Neighborhood: Maple Valley, West Akron Occupation: Social Worker

What do you wish was on more Akronites’ radar? I love exploring different neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own unique feel. It’s fun to explore new spots through neighborhood events such as Porch Rokr, Better Block, concerts in the park, etc.

Akron Art Prize Finale Celebration 8pm at Akron Art Museum (FREE) 1 S High St, Akron After an intense month of voting and viewing great local art, we come to the finale night and the announcement of the winners and runners-up. Everyone is welcome at the Akron Art Museum for the Finale Celebration, where the winner will be announced at 9:30 pm!

Why should everyone try your local favorite restaurant? Nepali Kitchen. Such awesome food that reflects the neighborhood. How do you think Akron will be different in five years? Local businesses are taking off! Love all the options for food, coffee, movies, clothing and most importantly newspaper. Can’t wait to see what new local businesses open!

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

‘Gone Girl’ 6:45pm at Lake 8 Movies ($8.50) 588 W Tuscarawas Ave, Barberton Presented in conjunction with The Nightlight Margaret Cho Cinema and featuring a special guest appearance 8pm at Hard Rock Live ($29.50) from Carrie Coon (Margot Dunne)! On the Downtown Akron Artwalk 10777 Northfield Rd, Northfield occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick 5pm in Downtown Akron (FREE) Margaret Cho is best known for her critiques of Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Experience local art, live music and fun for all ages social and political issues, and nothing is too private Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under at the award-winning Artwalk in Downtown Akron. for her to turn into a punchline. Don’t miss your pressure from the police and a growing media Venues include galleries located in the Northside chance to see this groundbreaking comedian in frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to District, North High Street, and East & West Market Northeast Ohio! crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior Street. Don’t forget to stop by Crafty Mart’s Pop Up have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Shops at Summit Artspace! Nick Dunne kill his wife?

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

SUNDAY, OCT. 4

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

community We were never your typical “American” family. No football on Sundays. Bacon was never on our breakfast menu, and my family never drank. But we had our own traditions. We loved spending our Sundays with my grandparents, piled up inside their small Akron home, sipping black tea and waiting for dinner. You would always find my grandmother placing her love into the many dishes she would make, or the bread she would spend hours baking. “Eat, eat,” she would tell us at dinnertime, and so we ate, the many of us. My family, consisting of 11 aunts and uncles on my dad’s side, would bundle up next to each other after dinner, drinking strong Arabic coffee or playing UNO. There was never a lack of noise at my grandparents’ house, but that is what made those evenings special. As a kid, I never imagined my family living anywhere but Akron. But 14 years earlier, they chose to drop their language, their culture, and their livelihood to live here. This wasn’t an easy decision to live with. I remember my dad carrying his English to Arabic dictionary with him like others would a Bible. Each time he heard a word he was unfamiliar with, I would watch him as he flipped through the pages, repeating the word to himself, until he found it. My siblings, ages 12, 9, and 7 at the time, were faced with the pressure of starting school with very little English knowledge. I was two years old at the time, but I can remember many afternoons spent watching Full House in an attempt to learn how to

My International Story TA

But despite the large amount of sacrifices my parents made to come this city, Akron has paid us back by embracing us. When my mother chose to wear the hijab, she was afraid of being judged, but her anxiety was quickly quieted when a woman at Chapel Hill Mall chased her down just to tell her how beautiful her scarf was. While my father’s thick accent is sometimes hard to overlook, people are continually willing to listen, patiently, as he weaves his words into sentences. And they are always quick to forgive when they hear his hearty laugh. Growing up, I used to feel ashamed of being “different” from my friends. But even they have been willing to cross cultural barriers for a bite of my mother’s tasty hummus, or to laugh at the ways in which we hip-hop between Arabic and English when speaking to one another. Over the last 18 years, my family and I have unified two distinct cultures, creating something powerful. And sure, our stories may be different. But that doesn’t make it any less beautiful.

St. George’s Family Center 3204 Ridgewood Road, Akron

J OY

When I ask my mom how she felt when she first came to Ohio, she looks at me sadly and states that it was “hard.” She missed her family, and the distress of suddenly not hearing Arabic forced her to watch reruns of one of her favorite shows back home in Jordan. She felt disconnected, lonely.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 6-9 P.M.

by Noor Hindi

speak and comprehend English.

• Sampling of seasonal foods from some of the area’s best restaurants • Wine and craft beer tasting • Live music, silent auction and an exciting raffle

E F LI

- 1st prize: $1,500 New York City vacation package (Donated by Chima Travel) - 2nd prize: $500 Cash - 3rd prize: 40” Smart TV (Donated by Underwood Motors, Wooster)

Only 1,500 raffle tickets will be sold! Event tickets are $50 and raffle tickets are $10 or 6 for $50. To order tickets: purchase online at akrongeneral.org/joy or call the Akron General Foundation at 330-344-6888. To benefit Akron General Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service in providing end-of-life patient care and supportive services. AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

CHARLES BENEKE S PE CT E R THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2016 Artist’s Talk: Charles Beneke at the Akron Art Museum September 13, 2015, 2:00 pm • Free Admission This exhibition is organized by the Akron Art Museum and supported by the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation.

One South High | Akron, OH 44308 | 330.376.9185 | www.AkronArtMuseum.org

food

The Wanderer An Akron adventure, Eastern European edition by Holly Brown

The beauty of writing a column about wandering through food is that you have complete and total license to drag your friends to restaurants which all of you know very little about and have no expectations for, and which you get showered in praise for finding once you all realize it is completely and totally delicious. For the entirety of this summer, I have been tending grapes. No joke, I work on a vineyard and grapes, that will soon be wine, are my little babies. This doesn’t have much to do with the article other than this: harvest is right around the corner and to celebrate the impending intense manual labor, my fellow vineyarders and I went out for drinks. This is where I revealed to them my alter ego as The Wanderer, badass food writer with an insatiable appetite for cheese (among other things). That’s when the recommendations started pouring in. It was once we began discussing the intricacies of Hungarian food that I heard about the New Era Restaurant, and truth be told, I went there for dinner that very night. New Era is a big brick building which looks like it could just as easily house legal offices or perhaps someone’s dentist. Once we stepped inside, it became obvious what their specialty was. Travel

posters of Eastern European cities are hung on the walls, and next to the front counter, there is a cooler displaying decadent homemade desserts: pies, cheesecakes, and glorious strudels (we shall return to the strudel). I haven’t been exposed to many dishes from Eastern Europe, with the exception of one truly enlightening experience with chicken paprikash. The New Era Restaurant specializes in many home cooked meals, like lasagna and pigs in a blanket, but the most intriguing things on their menu were things I had never eaten before from Eastern Europe. I was feeling adventurous on this, one of the last weekends of summer, and Maya, Ryan, and I decided to jump right in and try new things, each getting a different dish and sharing them, family style. Because there was no way we weren’t going to try the chicken paprikash, we ordered that. I had been told vehemently to order liver and onions, so we also got chicken livers sautéed with onions and mushrooms. Lastly, we got an order of ćevapi, a Serbian-style sausage. Heaping plates of meats, sauces, and dumplings crowded our table. We had so many plates that

it was literally impossible to move anything Table full o' food including Chicken Livers around. Everyone kept handing scoops of their and Chicken Paprikash dish to the others, splashing sauce on the table and definitely dropping more than a few bits I got it all smothered in gravy and dumped my side of food while we laughed and stuffed our faces. of peas right in for a nice crisp texture variety. It really felt like I was eating at my grandparents’ house with all of my relatives trying to feed each I was borderline ready to explode at this point, other, singing the praises of their individual dishes. but we knew we had a cheese strudel coming our way. I’m fairly certain that there is an entirely Chicken paprikash was just as good as I separate stomach for dessert, so even though my remembered. Tender chicken and deliciously dense dinner stomach was full, my dessert stomach was dumplings in a thin orange sauce that coated remarkably empty. That’s a good thing, because everything and dripped with every forkful. The the strudel was both creamy and flaky, buttery and ćevapi was more savory than spicy, just the right cheesy, and the three of us ate the whole thing in amount of garlicy. They cut like butter with just under five minutes. a fork and melted in your mouth. Full disclosure, Ryan and I used our leftover ćevapi for omelettes Go to the New Era Restaurant, and when you do, the next morning and that was an amazing order something new, something you’ve never had decision. I recommend bringing home leftovers. before. You will be served as if you are family and your belly will reap the rewards. Now, like most children, I had been trained to grimace at the thought of liver and onions and // Holly Brown loves adventures and food. She loves going on adventures for food. She now loves liver and onions. held on to that aversion subconsciously into my adult life. I am frankly super pissed off at myself for doing so, because it was incredible. The livers THE NEW ERA RESTAURANT were absolutely decadent, rich and minced with a 10 Massillon Rd, Akron crunchy fried outside that took on the earthiness of Mon-Thurs : 11am – 9pm, Fri-Sat: 11am - 10pm, both the cooked onion and mushroom. Of course Sun: 11pm - 8pm

September downtown restaurant tour includes

food passport an Akronist staff report The Downtown Akron Restaurant Tour has returned for its fifth year, but with a few twists. Formerly Downtown Akron Restaurant Week, the new tour will run now through Sept. 30 and include a passport. The tour is developed by Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) Emerging Leaders and encourages the Akron community to explore the dynamic and expanding food scene in Downtown Akron. Also new this year is an interactive passport. Customers earn stamps for each entree purchased at participating restaurants to redeem for gift certificates at the following levels: Left top to bottom: Bricco (Photo: Shane Wynn, AkronStock.com); David DiDomenico, owner of the Coffee Pot Cafe on South Main Street, holds up a copy of the passport you can get stamped as part of Downtown Akron’s September restaurant tour. (Photo by Chris Miller)

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

5 stamps = $10 dining certificate 10 stamps = $20 dining certificate 15 stamps = $30 dining certificate Passports will be available at all participating restaurants and at Downtown Akron Partnership’s office, 103 S. High St., 4th Floor, Akron, OH 44308. In addition, the Downtown Akron Restaurant Tour expanded to include all meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, at the participating restaurants. The month-long event showcases 18 Downtown Akron restaurants and bars. Visit downtownakron.com/ restauranttour for details. Be sure to “like” the DAP Emerging Leaders Facebook page and join the Downtown Akron Restaurant Tour Facebook event. Share your experiences on Twitter and Instagram at #EatAkron for a chance to win gift certificates and other prizes.

2015 Participating Restaurants 3 Point Barley House Baxter’s Bricco Brubaker’s Cilantro The Coffee Pot Cafe Crave DBA (Dante Boccuzzi Akron) Diamond Deli The Game Grill + Bar Jilly’s Music Room The Lockview Natalie’s Nuevo Modern Mexican Pizza Fire Urban Eats

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

Art & Culture

Akron Adolescence The Edge of Education with the late, great Steve Pryseski by Chris Kessinger, The Film Freak (TheFilmFreak.com)

The sun always seemed to shine a little brighter on the first day of school. We were alive with the promise of a fresh start, energized by the ability to be and do anything we wanted in the future that lie just ahead. Remember the smell of the new textbooks, the sound of kids rushing through the doors and trying to get a look at your crushes. I spent three years at Akron's Ellet High School, after a troubling freshman year at Cuyahoga Falls High School. My parents divorced when I was nine years old, and I decided to move in with my mother to start fresh in new surroundings. I remember being nervous because I only knew a couple of people in the entire school. Something about high school just didn't fit well for me up to that point. A victim of bullying, I’d become a rebellious teenager and lacked interest in my studies, aided in part by uninspiring teachers who didn't seem to want to be at school any more than I did. But Ellet was going to have to work because I’d already decided not to attend college. What I didn't realize at first was how much I’d learn there outside of the classroom.

At Ellet, I met the late, great Steve Pryseski (pictured above)—Pry, as I called him—who would change my life forever. He was the English teacher and yearbook editor, as well as voice of our football team at games. As I got to know him, Pry was also a devoted husband and father to two children. He didn't seem real because he never tired despite consistently exerting top-notch effort in every aspect of his life. No one I’ve met is as big an Ohio State football fan as Pry, who favored Woody Hayes in profile. The first day we met, we talked about school studies, but it was our after class discussions about film that inspired me to be a film critic. Steve would always ask me what in particular I enjoyed about a film. He told me to always convince him like he was someone who never saw the film—to try to interest him in it, make him understand why he’d want to watch it. He may have seemed, on the surface, like your typical high school teacher, but there’s a reason he was so special to me. He opened my eyes to culture and proved to me that I could be

anything I wanted. Pry instilled in me a confidence I still carry. He was also the closest thing I had to a father since I didn't have much a relationship with my own at that time. But Pry never let me feel like I was less, even when I struggled, whether it was with descriptive verbs or conveying what certain films meant to me. He worked with me and made me feel like I was unique, despite the fact he was doing this for hundreds of other kids, eight hours a day. He did a lot for me but nothing bigger than this: He not only helped me graduate high school; he helped me prove to myself I could work harder and do better. I was an average student but Pry knew I could do better. He helped me study every day after school while he was doing yearbook classes. By my junior year, I had a 3.2 GPA. School felt easier with Pry over my shoulder. Then, I woke up and was a senior. I wasn’t slowed down by “Senioritis.” No, my problem was that I didn't want to leave the

only person I felt like I had, the man I considered a mentor. Eventually I would have to go and even then, after I left, Pry continued to write me once a week to check in on me. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2013. He never got to read any of my in-depth film reviews, or my work for this newspaper, but I like to think that he is still watching over me, serving as that voice in my conscious to always push me to do better. With students returning to school over the last month, I’m sure you all have your memories like mine. Maybe you have met your Pry, maybe you haven't. Keep your eyes open. You never know when the biggest influence on your life will make an appearance. In closing, I’ll quote the great Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it". Thank you, Pry. GO BUCKEYES!!!

1 CHEF/2 NIGHTS/3 FLOYDS BEER CHEF-PREPARED FOOD PARED WITH ‘LEGENDARY’ BREW AT LEGENDS

Chef Dick Kanatzar will serve a delectable five-course meal at Legends Sports Pub & Grille on September 24 and 25. Each course will be pared with brew from 3 Floyds Brewing Company— Zombie Dust, Yum Yum and Alpha King, plus two surprise beers that won’t be announced until the evening of the dinners. The Akron born and raised Kanatzar has been a corporate chef, a trainer for Michigan-based Brann’s Steakhouse and the sous chef at Vaccaro’s before helping open Noodlecat in Cleveland, among other gigs, which eventually led to becoming Vaccaro’s executive chef. Now he melds his deep love of the 330 with his skill for spiking farm-to-table, sustainablysourced and locally-inspired cuisine with “twists and flavors from all over the world.” Nowhere else is his drive to be part of Akron’s cultural revitalization more apparent than in his pop-up restaurant, “Chef Dick’s Kitchen.”

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

The menu for 1 Chef/2 Nights/3 Floyds will include these meals: A first course of Devils on Horseback (dates stuffed with chorizo, chilies, cojita, wrapped in bacon, quinoa, and corn crème); a second course of Scotch Egg Salad (citrus chicken sausage, 6-minute egg, cucumber, pickled red onion, chef-grown micro greens, white French drizzle); a third course of Black Slider (black challa bun, peppered Ohio bacon, blistered purple tomatoes, smoked cheese, black garlic aioli, purple mustard greens); a fourth course of Family-style Braised Beef Shin and Marrow (served with grilled bread, confit potato and carrot, and mashed peas); and a dessert of “Bloody Doughnuts” (raspberry blood, death by chocolate ice cream, torched bananas). Prices include the five-course meal and the beer pairings for $55 on Thursday, September 24 and $65 on Friday, September 25. To book, visit legendssportspub.com/event or call 330-896-4433.

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

art culture

Summit Beach Park From July 4, 1917 to Labor Day 1958, Summit Beach Park was what thousands upon thousands of people did with their summer vacations. Sitting on the shores of Summit Lake, this amusement park had roller coasters, rides, roller skating, two carousels, a grand ballroom, an enormous mosaic swimming pool and even a monorail. It was nicknamed the "Million Dollar Playground" for all its grandeur. Hard to imagine all that now, but these old photos help bring it back to life. (h/t TBone8n69 for posting these online and Christopher Esker for sharing them on Facebook)

Aerial view of Summit Beach Park, circa 1920s.

Jack Kaster's Pipper coaster, built for concessionaire John Ballard.

WhaT ThIS PLaCE NEEDS IS MORE BOOkS. Get FREE Books to Read with your Preschool Child!

The great success of the Dixie Flyer prompted the construction of the Over the Top coaster, billed as the Fastest and Steepest Coaster in the United States.

Through the United Way of Summit County’s Imagination Library, preschool children receive free books! Each month, a brand new, age appropriate book will be mailed to every child enrolled.

Car ascends the first hill of the Over the Top coaster. It was at approx. This point where the fatal accident occured on July 7, 1918

With the arrival of the first book, the classic “The Little Engine That Could,” children begin to experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mailboxes. These moments continue each month until the child turns five, and in their very last month in the program the book they receive is “Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.” All children ages birth to five in Summit County are eligible! Eight to ten weeks after your registration has been received, books will begin arriving at your home and will continue until your child turns five. Register your child online today at uwsummit.org/imaginationlibrary.

The Monorail, built in 1957, was the last ride constructed at Summit Beach.

GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE UNITED. With the installation of this Philadelphis Toboggan Company carousel in 1918, Summit Beach became one of only a few parks in the country to operate two carousels.

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

United Way of Summit County UWSUMMIT.ORG

NUEVO MODERN MEXICAN & TEQUILA BAR

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR SEATING BUT ADVENTURESOME TASTE BUDS REQUIRED FOR DINING

««««« ««««« «««««

FOOD AMBIANCE SERVICE

Another great dinner enjoyed by two We went there for our anniversary and they never disappoint! They gave us a great table and the best waitress, Taylor A. She was a delight the entire evening and we never had to grab her attention, she was right there whenever we needed something. That is why you go out to dinner, great service. I can cook great food at home, but I cannot give myself great service!! Thanks Taylor A. Food was fabulous. I had the special, walleye with chile gooseberries, and my husband had scallops. Wonderful. - posted on Open Table

54 East Mill St. Akron 44308 (330) 762-8000 nuevomodmex.com Hours: M-Th 11-10, F 11-11, Sat 3-11

WHAT I DID WITH MY SUMMER VACATION…

THE LONG ROAD TO PORTLAND, OREGON words and photos by MacKenzie Mehrl

his summer I took a cross-country road trip with my girlfriend to Portland, Oregon. We took our time getting there, stopping in The Badlands, South Dakota to camp under the fiery sunsets and whipping winds.

The tent to our right was a man on a motorcycle who had one of the smallest tents I’d ever seen and just enough belongings to fit in his backpack. Next to him, an older couple. While one of the women was doing a painting of the sunset in front of her, her partner was across the way on a hill, playing bongos softly while watching the sunset as well. Everyone in this middle-of-nowhere campground was cheerful and welcoming to whomever they passed, each

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

cover story

seemed to have their own quirk about them and it was exhilarating to be in their midst.

opposing mountains in colors an artist could never mimic. One melded into the other but you could never pinpoint exactly where. The air was so crisp The next stop we made was in Montana. We drove you found yourself taking large gulps just because an hour into Flathead National Forest to the Hungry it invigorated your body. We were three days into Horse Dam, which is where our campsite was for our trip and I felt like I was in a different country. It the night. We pitched our tent and walked the is one thing to see a photo of a Montana landscape small trail to the lake and there it was—a deep blue and think, “Wow that’s nice,” but it doesn’t lake created by the dam in the mountains. We were connect in your head that this landscape exists only surrounded by unthinkably tall trees at the mouth a handful of hours away from your home. of this deep cobalt lake. I never expected to see something like that in my lifetime. At the top of Seeing all of this first-hand drove home the fact our mountain, we witnessed the sun setting on the that these varying terrains exist within the US,

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

which excites me about my future. You see, this is the summer when many of the people who are close to my heart are leaving town. Some were moving just an hour or a state away, but others like my girlfriend are making the cross-country leap. It was bittersweet to think of not having them around anymore but while I was on this trip helping Sunny move to Portland, it opened my eyes to all of the opportunities and perks of looking into relocating. Now, of course when everyone talks about “moving away after college” it’s all about where the jobs are or where you could realistically afford to live, all of

those stuffy reasons we have to consider during the process – but that’s not what you should focus on right out of the gates. After having been able to ride alongside Sunny for her move it showed me what really matters when picking where to live, what aspects will make you feel comforted and give you that “homey” feeling that we all know and love. The trick is knowing what kind of environment is right for you. I’m drawn to wilderness and being surrounded by a lot of green and trees. Others (continued on page 19)

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

AKRON’S PREMIER CREATIVE AGENCY

PRITTENTERTAINMENTGROUP

VIDEO • PHOTO • ANIMATION • GRAPHIC DESIGN BRANDING • LIVE EVENTS

PRITTENTERTAINMENTGROUP.COM

cover story

ith What did I do w tion my summer vaca “Riding new sections of the towpath, kayaking at Wingfoot and doing the Rubber City Race series! Had a great summer right here in Akron!” — Renee King Kochis “I worked every day and shuffled kids - BUT, my daughter was chosen as a participant in the Lock 3 Summer Arts Program! She worked on the stained glass window project that is located at Lock 3. It was an amazing experience for her, and for all of the kids who were chosen! We have yet to see the finished product, as it took longer than anticipated. Now that I'm speaking of it, today we shall make a trip downtown picture to come!” — Kelli Martin “Saw U2 in Toronto, then we took a train across Canada (Toronto - Vancouver).” — Steve Brightman “Be very glad to be home where what’s considered an argument anywhere else on earth is merely a lively conversation in Northeast Ohio.” — Susan Covey “Took a cruise from Seattle up to Alaska, into British Columbia, back to Seattle because my son had his wedding on-board the ship.” — Cheryl Crist Dobbins “I got to see Chris Horne speak at Creative Cog. #epic” — Craig Wargowsky

“Swimming almost every day with the kids in exotic Ellet. Wouldn't change it for the world!” — Jennifer Lane Wicks “I totally finished writing that book on August 29 (wink emoticon) one year and one day after I started. Next up? Edits and agent query! And starting the next one to sell as series.” — Devon Pearl “And four weekends of Heinz Poll, watching my daughter dance.” — Joann Toth “Three weeks in south Florida. Everything from Miami to Orlando, Kissimmee, Sarasota, Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Venice beach, and more. Got to watch the sunset over the gulf with my daughter too.” — Jason Russell “Swimming at sunrise three mornings a week in Lake Medina.” — Mary Linton Miller “Simple stuff...checking the tomatoes and melons, eating the tomatoes and melons, fire in the fire pit, riding my bike through my cool neighborhood.” — Robin Watton Stevens “Going to the theme parks in Orlando with annual passes in hand, all of the parks.” — Frank Pratt “I wrote a poem.”

— Wendy S. Duke

(continued from page 17) crave a city-like setting where there is more concrete than grass. To each their own. If you’re looking for a new home, pick somewhere you love first, and then see if it meets your needs—career, financial, cultural, etc.—afterwards. Oregon won my heart swiftly. Its landscapes vary from mountains and winding rivers to stretching bridges and cloud skimming buildings—all the things I could ask for. After spending a few days in downtown Portland cruising the sidewalks and getting to know the city, I felt like I fit. All summer, I watched my friends make these immense decisions for their post-college life but I had successfully put off the thought for myself. It was too frightening, too close to being a reality. But after coming home from my two-week trip, my perspective about moving away has completely changed.

I learned not to cower away from new experiences, clinging to the comfort of what I know, but rather to seek out opportunities to be empowered by them. I’ve only had a small taste of it so far but now I’m driven to make my move a reality this next summer. If, after living in one place your entire life, you may find you’re having new experiences less frequently. But don’t shy away from your curiosity. It can lead you on an intoxicating adventure if just make the first move.

Day in the Life of a Four-Year Old at Mustard Seed Market by Noor Hindi

Four-year-olds are sassy little creatures, but I’m convinced that Akron, and only Akron, is equipped with the necessary amount of awesome people and places to handle such high levels of sass. Let me tell you why. When my sister and nephew Oman flew in from Qatar to spend a month with us, I knew I had to take them to the new Mustard Seed Market in Highland Square. I felt it would be a great way to spend time with my sister, and I figured my nephew would busy himself watching the cars pass by (he loves cars). But Omar had other plans. These plans made him the best part of our visit.

my t n e p s I w o H n o i t a c a v r e summ AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

While he pretended to be defender of four year olds everywhere by throwing imaginary fists at the air and fighting off vegetables, naptimes, and baths, he paid very little attention to the waiters carrying

food to and from the kitchen. We tried to prevent a disaster by steering Omar away from employees, but the kid was entirely absorbed in his self-imposed war, so it was next to impossible. Thankfully, employees didn’t have a hard time catching the humor.

supplementing us with all of the Curious George books we could ever read, for Mary Coyle for providing “very yummy” vanilla ice cream, and Swensons for satisfying our little foodie with a hot dog time and time again. Oh, and Mustard Seed for not kicking us out.

“Hey buddy, I think you’re winning.” Thanks for a great summer, Akron. They were right. P.S. - Omar thinks you’re pretty “cool.” After five minutes of employees successfully avoiding his little fists and quick feet, they relented, engaging him in a play-fight that caught the attention of all. My sister and I sat back, listening to our favorite little man laugh hysterically at the waiters. Yes. This is Akron, I thought. But Mustard Seed wasn’t the only place that Omar loved. Thanks to the Akron-Summit County Public Library for

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

Music & Entertainment

August 7th The Mostly Blue Band 7pm

Bone-Up Your Record Collection Hollow Bone Records opened Sept. 1 in Fairlawn photos and words by Megan Combs

September 26th August 9thfeaturing Music on the Porches The Speedbumps Krisitne Jackson, ~ SOLD Brown OUT! ~ Rachel

“Akron has always been my home. I’m an Akron man,” Woll smiled. “You can’t stay away from Swensons for too long, right?”

& Becky Boyd October 1st by accompanied Roger Hoover presents Emma Shook “pastures of plenty” 7pm

So why Hollow Bone? For the better part of 30 years, Woll’s nickname has been Birdman. When he decided he was going to open the shop, he wanted a name that was something bird-related. After researching birds, he learned they have hollow bones. When a friend suggested Hollow Bone Records, Woll knew he struck gold.

October 2nd August 13th Boy=Girl

The New Soft Shoe 8pm4th October Aoife O’Donovan

August 14th October 16 Sarah Clanton A Blues Gathering 7pm

featuring Jon Mosey, Mike August Lenz, Kristine Jackson 21st and Austin Walkin’ Cane

The Numbers Band 7pm October 17th Tim Easton

August 22nd Roger Hoover October 23rd 8pm Becky Boyd October 28th 29th August The Ballroom Thieves Red Tail Ring 7pm

August 29th Run Boy Run Tickets 8pm at

www.peninsulahistory.org August 30th Mandolin Orange 7pm

Q: A:

If you were sent to a deserted island, what five albums would you take with you?

Jerrod Woll, owner of Hollow Bone Records in Fairlawn, shared his top five in less than a minute.

Hollow Bone opened at 2721 W. Market Street, next to House of Hunan, on Sept. 1. Woll offers a wide selection of collectible records, some CDs, jewelry made of recycled vinyl, a small selection of record players and band T-shirts. He said it was about time something like his store opened on the west side of Akron. “I lived in Chicago for 15 years, and there were lots of places to buy music,” Woll said. “When my wife and I moved back, I was looking for places to buy more, but there were no niche shops.” Woll, an Akron native, and his wife moved to Fairlawn from Chicago roughly nine years ago when they found out they were having twins and learned the cost of raising a family in Chicago. Plus they had family here.

Costello’s “King of America,” Wilco’s “Being There,” Prince’s “Sign O’ the Times,” Frank Turner’s “Tape Deck Heart,” and the Replacements’ “All Shook Down.” What albums are on your top five? // Megan, who can dance to pretty much any song, would bring Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Lord Huron’s “Lonesome Dreams,” Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers,” The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness,” and Beck’s “Morning Phase.”

“The name just really rang to me,” Woll said. “It had that right edge that I was looking for.” At the back of Hollow Bone, customers can listen to a record on one of Woll’s two record players, or even check out a pop-up acoustic show from a local band on his little stage. “I’ve visited a lot of record shops, and some spaces had intimate spaces for bands to play,” Woll said. “I didn’t want to regret not having a stage for something like that.”

Hollow Bone Records’ hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 8 pm, and Sundays noon to 6 pm, but times are subject to change. If you’re interested in getting your band on Hollow Bone’s stage, email jbird@hollowbonerecords.com.

His first performance was local band Run Thomas Run on Labor Day weekend. “It’s all about building relationships,” Woll said. “How, as locals, can we help each other out? It’s all about the community.” So back to the top five albums. Woll’s would be Elvis

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

Entertainment

We Get You ...

The sights and scene at PorchRokr 2015.

Photos courtesy of Paul Hoffman.

• Where you want to go with TripTik® Travel Planner maps and directions

• What you want to know with hotel, discount and gas price information

• Help along the way -

with easy road service request

Our apps keep you mobile. Download today. AAA.com/mobile

The seasons they are a'changin' so come to the pub to watch the Browns and enjoy one of our new fall pumpkin ales.

816 W. MARKET STREET | AKRON AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

music & entertainment

Music spotlight >>>>>>>>>> The Admirables

Wednesday, September 16 at Nuevo, 7:30 (FREE) Yeah, you know about Cinco de Mayo—not that you remember what you did—but what better way to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day than chillin’ on the patio at Nuevo, sipping some kind of damn good tequila and getting funky with The Admirables? This Akron-based soul band packs some serious butt-shaking funk and a raw energy you can’t deny. Frontman Nathan-Paul Davis moves the crowd like a Baptist preacher in a church heaving with people, encouraging them to get up and dance until they drop. So don’t go unless you plan to have a good time.

DINING DESTINATION IN AKRON

DJ Roger Riddle & The Beyonderers

Saturday, September 19 from 6 to 8 pm at the Spacewalk There is no other place in Akron—and we’re guessing the State of Ohio, maybe the entire country and perhaps the world—where you’ll find a bunch of people all dressed up like they’re from outer space and dancing on the 16th floor of a building, specifically the PNC downtown. But that is exactly what our buddies in the Launch League have prepared for you, featuring live performances from The Beyonderers, whose identities and origin are a complete mystery, and new Akronite DJ Roger Riddle, who lit up the Silent Disco at Porch Rokr this year. You have to register to attend (search “Spacewalk 2015” on EventBrite) and the sad but likely fact is they may have already sold out by the time you see this. So why make this a spotlight event? To make you feel just a little sad at first and then excited when you hear there (may, we think) be a next time. Maybe not another Spacewalk, but definitely another weird, small but fun party you’ll want to attend.

Mo’ Mojo

Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26 at Jilly's Music Room

Expires 9/30/2015.

If you’ve wondered where your favorite Zydeco band has been lately, well, one you should know if they’re your favorite. Seriously, where have *you* been? Two, here’s a short list of places their engagement with the U.S. State Department (yep, that one) has taken them: Belize, Panama, Mexico, Barbados and Colombia. When they weren’t doing that, they’ve been putting together a damn fine album (you may have noticed the review on page 22). Well, as good as it is, as much as it makes us want to move, there is nothing like seeing Mo’ Mojo work it live. They’re holing up at Jilly’s for two nights of that Zydeco music done up with a blend of reggae, Cajun, instrumental and indie rock for an extra kick. As usual, these shows are free, which is good because it means you can order an extra drink to go with grub off Jilly’s delicious tapas menu.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

One per visit. Expires 9/30/2015.

One per visit. Expires 9/30/2015. Green Location Only

Music & COncerts

One per visit. Expires 9/30/2015. Green Location Only

Dorian Wallace 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($12) 47 E Market St, Akron Ohio native composer & pianist now residing in New York City Dorian Wallace returns home for an intimate night of improvisation, new works, and live accompaniment to silent film! Don’t miss what is sure to be a unique presentation.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Salt-N-Pepa 8pm at Hard Rock Live ($42.50) 10777 Northfield Rd, Northfield

Salt N Pepa was one of the first all-female rap groups and has won multiple awards for their music, which helped change the face of hip hop in the 1980s. Don’t miss your chance to see this classic hip hop group live! Chris Greene Quartet 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($15) 47 E Market St, Akron The Chris Greene Quartet, a premier Chicago-based acoustic group that is grounded in the jazz tradition but equally influenced by R&B, funk, hip-hop, AfroCuban, blues, gospel & more makes their BLU debut! Join BLU Jazz+ as the Windy City meets the Rubber City in a presentation of one of the Midwest’s most exciting jazz collectives! The Dear Hunter 9pm at Musica ($17) 51 E Market St, Akron The Dear Hunter mixes elements of progressive rock and alternative, with lush instrumentation and an elaborate story being told across multiple concept albums. Their live show is a unique experience that’s not to be missed.

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

music & entertainment

Music spotlight >>>>>>>>>> Laura Varcho Trio

Wednesday, September 30 at Pub Bricco, 7:30 pm (FREE) This installment of Pub Bricco’s Wednesday Jazz Calendar features a dynamic and accomplished vocalist who has opened for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Boney James, Kenny Rankin and Kim Waters, and been featured for the last decade in Tri-C Jazzfest Cleveland’s “Women in Jazz” series. Laura Varcho is an entertainer who moves audiences with her ability to convey the deepest, most personal emotions as she weaves her way through her riveting live sets of carefully selected jazz, pop and blues tunes. And you—you lucky dogs—get to enjoy all that goodness for free. Plus, you can buy food and drinks from Pub Bricco.

Boy=Girl Friday, October 2 at GAR Hall, 7 pm ($7) Both successful bandleaders on their own, Jen (Mo’ Mojo) and Paul (Hillbilly IDOL) bring together their natural vocal blend, multi-instrumental skills, song-writing, and appreciation and understanding of American music styles, with their love of performing with each other. They may play sparse & intimate. They may rock it out. Either way you get penetrating harmonies and captivating playing. A mix of traditional and contemporary music, with an emphasis on originals.

Wayne Hancock with Johnny & The Apple Stompers 9pm at Musica ($15) 51 E Market St, Akron Wayne has been called "The King of Juke Joint swing," a "Roots Renaissance Man," a "Country Singer's Country Singer" and "Hank Williams meets Gershwin." Johnny and the Apple Stompers are a bluegrass-based band with plenty of country, ragtime, jazz and blues with a gritty old time tinge.

Tony! Toni! Toné!

Friday, October 09 at Tangier If the rhythm feels good to ya, baby, let me hear you say… Two tickets, please! There may not be anyone in the band named Tony (or Toni or Toné), and we may be a couple decades past their heyday, but Tony! Toni! Toné! didn’t manage three consecutive platinum-selling albums by accident. It’s also weird to say, considering their sales, but this chart-topping 90s R&B act produced some of the most underrated (and soulful, funky) music of the era. Do yourself a favor, grab a copy (or hell, download it from iTunes) of “House of Music” and work your way backwards until you’re convinced to get tickets for this show

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

Down Home with Josh Hill Band and Rebekah Jean 8pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron Down Home is a group of eclectic musicians playing a blend of folk rock, alternative country and Southern blues. They’re joined by Josh Hill Band, a blues/rock power trio from Nashville, and Rebekah Jean, a singer/songwriter who mixes Appalachian country with Northeastern Ohio’s rock n roll sound.

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

Swing Dance Party feat. Johnny Boyd and Get Hep Swing Dancers 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($12) 47 E Market St, Akron Bringing back the nostalgic charisma of a bygone era, the prolific West Coast vocalist & His Sensational Swing Lover Band seamlessly blend swing, jazz, pop, country, gospel & rock for a sound that fans from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Cash will enjoy. Featuring the renowned Get Hep Swing Dancers for a throwback-themed night of music & dance!

musician at BLU with an all-star band! The Admirables 7:30pm at Nuevo (FREE) 54 E Mill St, Akron Head to Nuevo for a soul, funk dance party to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

The Mike and Ruthy Band 8pm at GAR Hall ($15) 1785 Main St, Peninsula The Mike and Ruthy Band plays with jubilation–as TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 exciting and powerful as any quintet out there, Random Act of Music mixing up fiddle and banjo with drums, bass, 7pm at Goodyear Heights Metro Park (FREE) pedal steel and organ. Their concerts dance from 2077 Newton St, Akron Americana ho-downs to sassy blues, Motown Join the all-volunteer Metro Parks Ensemble for an soul, old-timey harmonies, rock-n-roll energy and hour of traditional marches, big band standards and infectious, inspired songwriting. oldies!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 John Raymond Quartet 7pm at BLU Jazz+ ($20) 47 E Market St, Akron John Raymond is one of the most promising musicians in New York, with a sound that is steeped in the jazz tradition, yet progressive and full of modernity. Don’t miss this up-and-coming jazz

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Helen Welch performs The New American Songbook 8pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($25) 182 S Main St, Akron For years people around the world have loved and performed music from what has come to be called The Great American Songbook. But worthwhile music didn’t end with Cole Porter and Irving

Berlin. For this show Helen and her trio explore some of the great music from the decades just after that revered golden age as they pay tribute to songwriters who made their mark in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.—hence the titleThe New American Songbook. Mike Peters of The Alarm 8pm at Musica ($18) 51 E Market St, Akron Hailing from North Wales, The Alarm have been performing for more than 30 years and have appeared on stage with the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and U2. Mike Peters, lead singer and guitarist, is playing a solo show, presented by 91.3 The Summit.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 The Juke Hounds 7pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron When the Juke Hounds start to play, it’s impossible not to get up and start shaking along to the rhythm. Their fast moving sets offer bluesy defiance -- swagger in the face of adversity -and a pace that feels like an accelerating train moving inexorably toward deliverance from our earthly burdens. (continued on page 24)

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

Music & entertainment (continued from page 23) American Journey: Opening Night for the Akron Symphony Orchestra 8pm at EJ Thomas Hall ($35) 198 Hill St, Akron A journey through the great age of American musical innovation: the 20s, 30s and 40s, and introducing Clint Needham, composer of Sounds of Akron: City Meets Symphony in April 2016. Gershwin’s jazzy masterpiece, his “New York Concerto,” caps the night.

as a “whiz kid,” and dubbed “incredible” by the Montreal Gazette. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear this exceptionally talented and versatile rising star and his band! Who’s Bad 8pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($16) 182 S Main St, Akron Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to Human Nature, or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is THE ULTIMATE music-anddance driven Michael Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while embodying Michael Jackson’s mission to bring people together of all races, genders, and cultures through music.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Dan Wilson 8pm at BLU Jazz+ ($15) 47 E Market St, Akron Akron’s own guitarist Dan Wilson returns to BLU, with Theron Brown, Kip Reed, and David Throckmorton! Get your tickets early - his last show at BLU sold out! Mary Bridget Davies presents “A Night with Janis Joplin” 8:30pm at Akron Civic Theatre ($25) 182 S Main St, Akron Tony-Award nominated singer Mary Bridget Davies started performing in local bands in Ohio in 2001 and hasn’t slowed down since. The powerhouse rock and blues singer’s love of music was instilled by her parents, and upon gaining local acclaim for her work in various rock bands, she was asked to sit in with Big Brother & The Holding Company (Janis Joplin’s original band, with whom she would later tour). Her travels have taken her all around the world, including a run on Broadway in “A Night With Janis Joplin,” for which she received her Tony® nomination for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.”

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Ed Caner 7pm at Hines Hill Conference Center ($8 member, $10 nonmembers) 1403 W Hines Hill Rd, Peninsula Ed Caner has performed as a sideman for over 50 major acts. He is also a founding member of his own band, Hey Mavis. Each month, Ed invites guest musicians to perform with him in the cozy Hines Hill Conference Center.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 The Record Party 6pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron Head to Jilly’s Music Room on the last Wednesday of every month and join The Record Party and their “vintage pop music” covers from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Northeast Ohio Bass Summit 8pm at Jilly’s Music Room (FREE) 111 N Main St, Akron Celebrate the low end of music with a collection of the finest bassists in Northeast Ohio! Past events have included The Juke Hounds, the Jon Mosey Trio and Scarlet & the Harlots. For more details on this month’s show, check out facebook.com/ tbplayermusic

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Jackie Greene with Derik Hultquist 8pm at Musica ($20) 51 E Market St, Akron Jackie Greene’s distinctive melodic sensibility is matched with thoughtful, introspective lyrics that confront some profound philosophical issues with plainspoken eloquence, inspired by old blues songs. Derik Hultquist is a Nashville-based troubadour known for his reflectiveness and deeply personal lyrics.

Truslow and Slow Penny 8pm at Musica ($8) 51 E Market St, Akron Truslow is an Alternative/Pop/Rock band from the heartland of Ohio. From their anthem styled choruses to their heartfelt piano ballads, the music is something you can connect to regardless of your state of mind. Shiny Penny is relatively new to the scene, but successfully got overfunded on Indiegogo to record and produce their newest album.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 Music on the Porches 11am in Peninsula (FREE) Merchants and residents throughout the Village of Peninsula,welcome musicians to their porches to “make a joyful noise” and fill the valley with music of all genres throughout the day and into the evening. Now in its seventh year, this year’s event features workshops, food vendors and a performance at GAR Hall by The Speedbumps at 8pm. Ms. Fever Blister 7pm at Empire Concert Club ($8) 1305 E Tallmadge Ave, Akron Entertainer Extraordinaire, Extraordinarily entertaining, The Incurable Ms Fever Blister serves up a DD sized dish of bountiful tease. Ms. Blister believes in ambitious exploitation of her female assets.. Her speciality is BURLESQUE ENTER*TEASE*MENT, running the gammit from comedic to classic. Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators 8pm at Hard Rock Live ($42.50) 10777 Northfield Rd, Northfield Legendary guitarist Slash comes through Northeast Ohio with his solo band, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators! Don’t miss your chance to see one of the best guitar players at the Hard Rock Live!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 Nir Felder 7pm at BLU Jazz+ ($25) 47 E Market St, Akron Nir Felder has been called “the next big jazz guitarist” by NPR, hailed by the New York Times

This dynamic quartet play Scottish traditional music at its best! As tight and versatile as any band in the Celtic music scene, the Tannahill's potent mixture of traditional ballads and fiery instrumentals leaves their audiences spellbound.

Super bob 8pm at Empire Concert Club ($8) 1305 E Tallmadge Ave, Akron Super bob have averaged more than 240 shows a year for several years, touring with Trapt, Sevendust, Hed PE and more. They will grab your attention and won't give it back until they are down with you. Roger Hoover’s Pastures of Plenty 8pm at GAR Hall ($7) 1785 Main St, Peninsula A new program dedicated to cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples, Roger Hoover’s Pastures of Plenty performs songs from Smithsonian Folkways’ vast, musical catalogue, presenting the songs from their historical context in intimate settings. We perform the songs live with a set list centered on modern topics such as Civil Rights, Environmentalism, Labor, etc. Using a combination of pamphlets, sheet music, interactive tools, living history and live performance, we give new relevance to folk music in a modern context and empower our audience – through education – to carry on this strong legacy by writing/singing/ sharing their own versions of these songs.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 Boy=Girl 7pm at GAR Hall ($7) 1785 Main St, Peninsula Both successful bandleaders on their own, Jen (Mo’ Mojo) and Paul (Hillbilly IDOL) bring together their natural vocal blend, multi-instrumental skills, song-writing, and appreciation and understanding of American music styles, with their love of performing with each other. They may play sparse & intimate. They may rock it out. Either way you get penetrating harmonies and captivating playing. A mix of traditional and contemporary music, with an emphasis on originals.

Jeffrey Osborne 7pm at The Tangier ($45) 532 W Market St, Akron American Funk and R&B Musician smooth, yet darkly seductive vocals make him a fixture of the Pop and R&B charts - and now for his new CD, Jeffrey reunites with veteran producer - composer, George Duke to create a dreamy jazz tinged R&B offering. Also performing Oct 2 at 8:30pm at Oct 3 at 9pm. Wayne Hancock with Johnny & The Apple Stompers 9pm at Musica ($15) 51 E Market St, Akron Wayne has been called "The King of Juke Joint swing," a "Roots Renaissance Man," a "Country Singer's Country Singer" and "Hank Williams meets Gershwin." Johnny and the Apple Stompers are a bluegrass-based band with plenty of country, ragtime, jazz and blues with a gritty old time tinge.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4 Aoife O’Donovan 7pm at GAR Hall ($22) 1785 Main St, Peninsula Aoife is known for her ethereal vocals and substantive songwriting. Her powerful performances — including appearances everywhere from Glastonbury to Newport Folk to Roskilde — continue to garner her praise in the folk world and beyond with “the ability to surprise an audience with the contrast between her gentle appearance at the microphone and the invisible punch of her performance.”

Tannahill Weavers 8pm at Happy Days Lodge (FREE) 500 W Streetsboro St, Peninsula

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

arts & entertainment

Ma’Sue production celebrates Billie Holiday ‘archetype of black genius’ by Connie Williams, The Akronist

At 14 years old, John Dayo-Aliya’s teacher brought a panel of disabled people into the classroom. He had a lot of preconceived notions about what disabled people were capable of and what he could learn from them. One of the guests, a blind woman with cerebral palsy, stood up and began to scat Ella Fitzgerald’s “How High the Moon.” She had his attention.

After high school, John attended University of Akron, majoring in Classical Voice. During his time at Akron, John discovered his passion for theatre. Up to that point he had only been exposed to musical theatre, and “straight, dramatic” theatre was something new, the something he felt he was meant to do. He embarked on a theatre major, but the path was not smooth.

Next, she sang Billie Holliday’s “Lover Man Where Can You Be.”

“I loved so many things about my experience at Akron and I learned a lot there, but I did struggle to find relevance in the program as an AfricanAmerican man. I wanted to do work that was relevant to my world view, and I often felt marginalized.”

“I couldn’t believe how much beauty was inside her. She changed my life that day,” said John, the writer-director of “BLUE, Miss Billie,” currently being staged by his theatre company, Ma’Sue Productions. Many things changed that day. He experienced the birth of his love of jazz and desire to create it. He also gained awareness of his own ability to make assumptions about people without first trying to get to know them. John left school that day and went straight to the Maple Valley Public Library and checked out “The Ultimate Billie Holiday.” When he got home he played it. And he hated it. “The lady at school’s voice was so melodious and Billie’s was so weird. I didn’t get her because I didn’t know how to listen to her yet.” John kept trying to “get” Billie’s music. When he finally connected to her music, the moment was powerful. “I heard ‘Good Morning Heartache’ and I could see her in her kitchen. The picture was clear in my mind. It was visceral. I had never connected to music that way. I ran right out to Radio Shack and bought myself a $70 keyboard and started writing songs. I felt I had something to say. People kept calling my songs poems and so I started reading them (aloud).”

After a year at Akron, John auditioned and was accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. He moved to New York but soon discovered how difficult it was to afford to live and study there and he came home to Akron to save money.

Finding Relevance

The following spring, John enrolled at Kent State with a major in Pan-African Studies. His time at Kent was pivotal. “I met all these beautiful, talented black people who loved and embraced being black and I was exposed to lots of African American literature.”

After graduation, John returned to Akron and began to work with his sister, India, who had formed a theatre company in Akron and named it after their beloved grandmother. Ma’Sue Eventually a teacher heard John’s poems and Productions was formed as an African-American connected him with Wick Poetry Center at Kent theatre company, one that would tell stories State University, where he was able to write and relevant to the black experience, stories that would perform his own songs, his poems. Those first not marginalize African Americans, but would experiences sharing his own work onstage ignited a rather be theatre for the black community, by the desire to continue. black community. Ma’Sue aimed to tell stories

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

about the rich culture, heritage, and diversity of the black community that had, up to that point, been absent from his own theatre experience.

Finding Billie

John first saw Caorl Eutsey, the actor who portrays Billie Holiday in “BLUE, Miss Billie,” after returning to Akron in 2012. He says he knew he would write a play about Billie and that he’d write the staring part for Caorl. “I saw in her a strength and a vulnerability at the same time, like Billie’s. That juxtaposition is what makes them both brilliant, compelling, difficult women.” Caorl was drawn to the project immediately, but pinning John down to bring the play to the stage was not easy.

Caorl Eutsey portrays Billie Holiday in ‘BLUE, Miss Billie,’ which opens Sept. 3 at Balch Street Theatre. muse and is a muse for so many of us. She helps us to understand the value of choice and leaves the legacy of using the best of herself in her art. Black lives are too often left out of the genius of American life and art. Billie is our genius, our Beethoven. She is an archetype of black genius.” As we parted on the sidewalk, I couldn’t help thinking that I had just spent time with another such archetype. “BLUE, Miss Billie” runs Sept. 11 and 12 at 8 pm at 220 S. Balch St., in Akron. To learn more, search Facebook for “BLUE, Miss Billie.” (This story has been edited for space considerations. The original can be read online at akronist.com/upcomingproduction-celebrates-billie-holiday-archetype-of-blackgenius – Ed.)

“I feel like I have been on the heels of John’s pants forever to get him to do ‘BLUE, Miss Billie.’ When I researched Billie Holiday, I discovered that she and I have a lot in common. Billie loved through conflict, as did my mother. I recognized my mother in Billie and in many ways I understood my mother for the first time. I found a new love for my her.” Fast-forward to 2015, and finally John and Caorl were both at a place that was right to bring “BLUE, Miss Billie” to life. As rehearsals began, Caorl became nervous about the role. “I was scared. I didn’t think could do it. John gave me confidence and pushed me to another level. I began to realize that Billie didn’t sing those records; she lived them. Music became a tool for her to express and survive her pain, and I connected to that.”

The cast of “Blue, Miss Billie”: Tyson Sebree............................. Fred Worthy Caorl Eutsey..............................Billie Holiday Eula Bill...................................... Louis Mckay Benjamin Isaiah Black.............Henry “T-Boone” Jenkins Claudia Simms...................................... Lorus Keana Seals- Reefer................Mae/Maybelle Nicole Romo....Donna Worthy/Mildred Harpo Shalanda Lee.......................................Ursula

Before we wrapped up our interview, I asked John to sum up what the “Blue, Miss Billie” experience has meant to him. “Billie Holiday is my

Mark Seven.................................... John Ives

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

Photos courtesy of James Slowiak, the University of Akron

etc.

hen you ask an Akronite what makes our city special, there’s no limit to the love. From our diverse music scene, to our sustainabilityconscious eateries, to our fun and funky art installations—there’s a flavor to Akron’s creativity you won’t find anywhere else. Steeped in history and filled with creatively-minded professionals, Akron is littered with hidden gems. One of its best kept (open) secrets is our live theatre. Looking for fresh, exciting live theatre? Too many folks will send you away: “Yeah, in New York…” “...there’s one playing in Chicago…” They’re not wrong but we have a thriving theatre scene that bursts with the unique perspective that keeps Akron real. It starts with our robust theatre education. Grades four through eight study drama at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts before moving to Firestone’s Akron School for the Arts. Then, of course, there’s The University of Akron’s School of Theatre and Dance, which offers professional-level training. Each school functions separately, but they all share the mission of inspiring students to become active, thoughtful community members. How do they do this? By exploring the classics with a fresh perspective and urging entirely new works. Although they are some of Akron’s youngest artists, Miller South students are held to high standards. They each declare an “interest area,” which determines how they spend a portion of their school day. This season, Miller South’s drama department will mount two full-length mainstage productions in addition to the individual performance projects developed in class. Leading the department is Alex Funk, a first year teacher and University of Akron graduate. Funk expresses excitement toward increasing his involvement, and that of his students. “Children have the power to change their community...my goal is to empower them to be leaders, in school and out.” Miller South’s fall production “The Anthology of Children’s Literature” is headed by Robert Keith. Now serving as technical director at the school, Keith is a local performer and a Miller South/ Firestone alumnus. “Anthology” cast members will select folklore and fairy tales from around the globe. Keith feels there is much to be gained by allowing the students to take total ownership of performances, so they will write their own scripts through theatre games and movement exercises, using the stories as a guide. The school will take a more traditional route in the spring with “Once on This Island,” a Tony-nominated Broadway musical.

Back-to school special Theatre

atre

by Kyra Kelley

a dark comedy with music, will run in October. Mark A. Zimmerman, who is director of the theatre program and of the three mainstage shows at Firestone this year, knows his students and tries to give them what they need.

with the quality of performance, but in their ability to tackle modern adult themes. Firestone Theatre alumni have what Zimmerman calls “hard skills,” or skills that are marketable outside of the performing arts world. In addition, these students have a real respect and love of art.

“Teenagers are a lot more adaptable to serious material than we give them credit for...They long to be taken seriously.” Which is not to say all of Firestone’s shows are serious: with Neil Simon’s “Odd Couple (Female Version) and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” in the mix, there’s plenty of room for laughs.

Change is in the air at UA, and that means exciting things for the University Theatre Department. A small full-time faculty comprised of James Slowiak, Dr. Susan Speers and Adel A. Migid, has set out to revise the focus of the theatre program. Known for his alternative approach to performance, Slowiak—who also serves as co-artistic director Zimmerman received his Master’s degree in Acting of New World Performance Laboratory and and Directing from UA and has been teaching president of the Center for Applied Theatre and at Firestone for 21 years. In that time, he has Active Culture—explains that these changes will increased the number of shows the school produces “capitalize on the strengths of the program... annually, and created a stage management community engagement, physical theatre, and training program. His students strive to “surpass devised work.” Classes demonstrating social and the expectation of high school theatre” not only business entrepreneurship and local activism will

not only further the education of students, but better the city of Akron. The Theatre Department’s theme for this school year is, “Making Theatre Work.” With a limited budget and smaller-than-average faculty, that can be a real challenge. But that hasn’t stopped anyone yet. This season includes Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors,” “Hedda Gabler” and a short play festival. UA is still the only school in the region to offer an Arts Administration graduate degree. And maybe you’ve heard of Rubber City Shakespeare Company, Wandering Aesthetics, or Ma’Sue Productions. All are Akron-based theatre companies, founded by graduates of the theatre program. These students gladly “make it work,” whether in school or in the community. In fact, that’s true of Miller South and Firestone too. The secret is out: Akron theatre is here to make it work.

Music Festival Checklist üBring Guitar üPack Camper Van üBring AAA Card

Hit the Road & Rock on

Firestone High School is also working outside of the box this fall. “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,”

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

the arts

In the Collection Exploring fictions that evoke deeper understanding of reality by Dominic Caruso

I recently watched a video of quintessential street photographer Garry Winogrand. The video, a grainy black and white rectangle, was made in 1977 during a talk he gave to photography students at Rice University, and barely contains his larger than life personality. Winogrand is rambunctious, constantly moving in his chair, waving his arms. He puts his feet up on the block holding the microphone, tilting his chair backward fearlessly, and he speaks as though he can’t get the ideas out fast enough. At one point in the talk he says, speaking about his photographs, “What do you know from a photograph? They don’t have narrative ability. The interesting thing is, there’s a seeming paradox functioning. They’re not ambiguous. There’s nothing ambiguous about any of these photographs, yet you don’t know what’s happening. Well, ambiguous is almost the opposite of being specific. These things are very specific.” Video posted by the National Gallery of Art: bit.ly/1UiVtlv The paradox he spoke of caught my attention, because, like most people, when I see a documentary photograph—even one capturing a fleeting glimpse—I have the feeling that I can read the story being told. Because there are familiar, even mundane elements captured by such photographs, I imagine, mistakenly, that I understand the trajectory of events contained therein. But that story is probably not the reality of what happened. It’s impossible to know what happened, because all I can see is one moment, one frame. At the same time, I think it’s reasonable to assume I’m seeing an expression of a kind of truth or reality. This moment, this place, these people, this particular gesture, this particular angle of sunlight, this whisper of what it means to be human, etc. When I look at a meticulously staged photograph like the dreamlike “Revenge of the Goldfish” by Sandy Skoglund, the idea of truth and reality seems to evaporate. However, what attracts me to photographs that are staged—aside from the obvious richness of the imagery—is the idea that through the creation of a carefully constructed fiction, the artist can speak to broader truths about human experience. Skoglund seems to echo this herself in an interview from 2008:

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

“Since the eighties, I have been fascinated with interiors and invading these interiors with problems and interruptions usually by animals. The animal presence to me is the link between ourselves and the natural world. We look at a dog and the dog looks back at us. During that moment we know we are not the only consciousness at work in the universe. The world of earth is an inhabited place, full of many living entities that do not and cannot see reality in the same way that we do… So, in my work, I am trying to show reality as it actually is, as a rupture through the fabric of our human consciousness." ©2008 Interview between Luca Panaro and Sandy Skoglund, accessed online at bit.ly/1goewhf In a similar way, Barry Underwood’s photographs create fictions that seek to evoke a deeper understanding of reality. In the artist’s statement from his website he writes, “Each perfectly lit photograph is a kind of fiction. My photographs capitalize on this history, and combine its influences with my early theatrical training as a technical director. Each image is composed for the camera in replicating of the way one would arrange a theatrical stage… Ultimately, the photographic documents of my intrusions reveal the uncanny beauty and mysterious potential within an everyday scene." Barry Underwood artist statement accessed at bit.ly/1N63hGM Both documentary and staged photography can lead to the exploration of broader truths in unexpected ways. If you want to explore these possibilities further, you should join us at the Akron Art Museum on Thursday, September 17 at 6:30 pm for the free photography panel: “Reality and Fiction.” The panel will feature artists Josh Azzarella and Barry Underwood, as well as photojournalist Peggy Turbett. Moderated by Akron Art Museum Assistant Curator Elizabeth Carney, the panel will take place in the museum’s Arnstein galleries, allowing the artwork on view to further enrich the discussion.

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

etc.

Long-time comics store will now operate as

Rubber City Comics

Stew Pot owner takes in comics shop after UA closes retail at Quaker Square The Akronist staff reports Quaker Square Comics will relocate from its former University of Akron facility at Quaker Square to share space with The Stew Pot Kitchen at 23 S. Main St. in Downtown Akron this month. The longrunning comic book shop also will change its name to Rubber City Comics.

subscribe to the comic books of their choosing. More information will be available the shop’s page at www.facebook.com/quakersquarecomics.

Established in 1974 at the former Quaker Oats factory turned quirky shopping center, Newstand Comics (later known as Quaker Square Comics) was acquired in 2007 when the University of Akron purchased the hotel, conference facilities and shops. It was announced in July of this year that the University would be closing the last of the retail operations and contracting the banquet facilities to an outside company. Thom Hoff originally operated the comic book shop within Quaker Square and continued to manage the operations under the University. “As a landmark business in Akron, we wanted to continue to serve the many dedicated customers who have been patrons of our store for decades,” said Hoff. “We were looking for someone with an established business that we could partner with.”

AKRON MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

Rubber City Comics opens in its new location September 16 with the following hours. Enter Scott Malensek, a comic book fan and owner of The Stew Pot Kitchen. Teaming with Hoff, Malensek will relocate the Quaker Square comic retail operations as part of the space at his downtown eatery. “We didn’t want to see such a cultural institution in our city disappear, and we have a lot of regular customers who are comic book fans,” said

Malensek. Because of the relocation, it was decided the shop’s name might need a new vibe as well. “Rubber City Comics just seemed to fit and it’s very Akron-centric.” Rubber City Comics will complete its move later this month and will continue to provide a wide range of new and back issue comic book titles. The shop also offers a special discount for those customers who

Monday 11:30 to 5:30 Tuesday 11:30 to 5:30 Wednesday 11:30 to 6:00 Thursday 11:30 to 5:30 Friday 11:30 to 5:30 Saturday 12:00 to 5:00 Sunday Closed

SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13 /

THE Devil Strip |

Bathrooms and Books

UrineLuck:

Fairlawn Target and 77 S Rest Stop Bathroom Reviews

by Marissa Marangoni and Emily Dressler

presence of a “Caution - Wet Floor” sign also could have marked recent sanitization, but the tile was pretty dry.

have many opinions on, for all the obvious reasons. There are also toilet seat covers. I’m not sure how you feel about those, but I do not partake, thankyouverymuch.

The Target restroom has five toilets, five sinks, and five soap dispensers. This seems excessive. Every time I have visited, there has never been more than one other person in the place.

No Assembly Required at Target Restroom in Fairlawn by Marissa Marangoni Target is making its toy section gender neutral (pink and blue for everyone, I say!), but gender specific bathrooms are the norm at the Fairlawn big box store. Target does not screw around with bathroom placement. When I’m in emergency mode, I can find the Target restroom right where it should be: directly inside the main entrance. “Emergency mode” is the state in which a person must find a toilet or terrible things will happen. When I visited this bathroom, a behind-the-door chart indicated its recent cleaning. Toilet paper on the floor said otherwise. But maybe some moron had just run in and TPed all the stall floors. The

Stainless toilet stalls catch the eye in this neutral space. People love stainless steel. I, however, feel like infinite germs are amassed on this type of surface and are simply smeared around when cleaned. Why would I prefer a surface that can never be fingerprint free over one that effectively hides evidence? Each toilet stall in the Fairlawn Target features seat cover dispensers. I wonder how sewage systems handle such items. Comparatively, the covers have greater volume than a few toilet paper squares. Of course, if you are a nester and make a TP barrier between ass and seat, well, then, the volume of your creation versus the volume of the pre-fab cover is probably greater. I’m not sure there are statistics on nesters versus hover-ers versus the people who just don’t care, so there may be no way to gauge the environmental damage here. The Fairlawn Target bathroom gets three out of five toilets. There may be toilet paper strewn about, but you can keep your butt safe from germs without assembling a shield.

TARGET 2801 W Market St., Fairlawn, OH 44333-4028 (330) 865-9001 Mon-Fri 8am-10pm; Sat 8am-10pm; Sun 8am-9pm

| THE Devil Strip / SEPTEMBER 2015 • VOL 1 • ISSUE #13

The sink faucets are also automatic, and both worked. The automatic hand dryers were lackluster. Because I am impatient, I did not stand there through three or four cycles to dry my hands, and instead wiped them on my pants.

Have toilet will travel by Emily Dressler Thanks to a long ago episode of America’s Most Wanted, I am forever terrified of interstate rest stops. I do not like being here alone, but I am getting over my fear. Interstate rest stops are woefully under-utilized. The rest stop on 77 S (mile marker 140.89) is a decent resting place with a men’s room, a women’s room, a family room, vending machines, and picnicking areas. Come to this beacon, you road weary traveler, and remember that traveling is about the journey, not the destination.

On my way into the tiny bathroom building, I passed a worker cleaning the windows. On my way out, he was cleaning the doors. I apologized for getting in his way, but he said it was okay and that it would just get dirty eventually. This guy is a courageous saint. For eight hours a day, he cleans the whole rest stop. That is a serious job, and we should bring him picnic lunches and eat with him under the pavilion. From 5:30 - 7:30 pm, there is no one working until someone comes in for the 7:30 pm - 3:30 am shift. This is a better person than you or I. From 3:30 until 9:30 am, there is no staff. Because I am a wimp and afraid of the dark and many things, I avoid the rest stop during these hours. This restroom gets a sparkling 4 out of 5 toilets.

I-77 S REST STOP Hours: 24/7

The women’s restroom was surprisingly clean, especially considering how busy the location was during rush hour. This restroom is not overly welcoming (in fact, the stall has a “prison” feel to it) but whatever. The toilets are automatic flush, which I

WWW.THEDEVILSTRIP.COM

6TH ANNUAL CORPORATE

DERBY CHALLENGE

On Friday, August 21, Derby Downs welcomed the United Way of Summit County and several participating companies for the 6th Annual Corporate Derby Challenge, hosted by the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby. Corporate teams built and decorated their own soap box cars and raced them down Akron’s world famous track. As you can see in these photos provided by the All-American Soap Box Derby and United Way of Summit County, there were some really creative entries. In the end, it wasn’t just about fun. This event raised money for the derby and United Waysupported programs directed to improve education, income and health for some of the area’s most vulnerable citizens. So we can’t wait to get a car for The Devil Strip into next year’s competition.

OCT.10 2015

akronsymphony.org