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Anthony Scrofano
Getting to know one of our local musicians
It all started on Christmas Day, 1993, on Lorain's east side. That was the day a five-year-old Anthony Scrofano received a gift from his parents that would change his life. The gift was a "kind of fake, cheap" electric guitar that Scrofano says sent him down the path toward being a musician. By age 12, he was taking lessons. By 16, he was writing songs and playing in a high-school rock band, and by the time he was 21, he was playing his first paid solo gigs. "The first place I played was Quaker Steak in Vermilion, and I was not ready," Scrofano recalls with a laugh. "I probably had an hour of material. And I did the national anthem like Jimi Hendrix, and everyone was like 'turn it off!'"
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Now at age 33, Scrofano has gone from those humble beginnings to playing his music all across Northeast Ohio. A staple of the growing entertainment scene in Lorain, Scrofano has played several establishments in town, including Speak of the Devil, Union Town Provisions, The Lorain Elks Lodge, Broadway Mary's, and The Shipyards. Scrofano's first musical influences came from the CDs he would pilfer from his older siblings.
Lorain Local Magazine | page 28
photos by Jason Shaffer
by Chris Smith
"Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Ace of Bass, Bush —all those bands, all those CDs that I would kind of steal from them, get those songs stuck in my head," Scrofono recalled. "So that really made me want to get involved with music." A multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano, Scrofano describes his style as folky indie, combining elements of '90s grunge-rock with more eclectic sounds and techniques. "I like to jam with people electric [sic]. But I do like looping acoustic guitar and making beats. A lot of falsetto and high-strained voice, too." Scrofano credits being born and raised in Lorain with helping to broaden his musical sensibilities, citing Lauryn Hill as an unlikely musical influence. "We grew up in a very diverse area, and I think it gave me a preview for everybody's music," he said. "It's a very diverse city, you hang out with a lot of different people, and you pick out different things." Scrofano's mix of eclectic sound and raw vocal power has been a successful formula, earning him regular bookings nearby. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he frequently played outdoor events at The Lorain Palace Theater and around the area. He credits the support of his wife, Ciara Scrofano, and a vibrant community of friends and family for his success.
