By Denver Collins

With the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach announcing plans to move to Nashville while Lebron still waits in limbo on his new contract, Akron may still have a reason to smile. The Suede Brothers have created a homestyle flavor of music on their new album, “The Night,” an incredible 10-track explosion of ground-shaking bass and alluring vocals, best described as Rustbelt Rock.

The Night Album Cover

It’s hard as steel with a rusty quality, adding just the right amount of distortion on top of heavy riffs to provide a teeth-gnashing, headbanging album from a band that kills it from the first track to the last.

This new sound mirrors the region from which it was spawned, slightly vintage sounding,  while there’s something new and alive about it. The band is hard working, the music is honest, and the sound is undeniably Akron. It’s clear and distinct, stripped down to the bare essentials, comprised of a drummer, bassist and lead guitar. Lead singer/guitarist Dylan Francis provides piercing vocals with a sharp edge. His high-pitched wail has traces of Wolfmother or Jack White, while still retaining its originality.

“The White Stripes showed us we could do just about anything,” says bassist Kevin Naughton, about the band’s influences. Their experimentation with their style of playing has led to one hell of an album that even they were pleasently surprised by.

“I’ve never been more proud to put my name on something,” Kevin says. “This is the best thing we’ve ever done.”

Popularity: 11% [?]

By Denver Collins

Every year on July 4th weekend, hidden among the hills and winding roads of Garretsville, the hallowed grounds of Nelson’s Ledges ring with the sounds of freedom, celebration and the Grateful Dead. The 11th annual Gratefulfest is in full effect this year, hosting three nights of Dark Star Orchestra, two sets of Keller Williams, and a plethora of other musicians from Donna Jean Godchaux to Boombox to Peter Rowan’s Bluegrass Band to Youtube sensation Isto, among many others.

Gratefulfest

Dark Star is one of the most talented and critically acclaimed cover bands to take to the stage, recreating the music and the energy of the classic psychedelic band in an effort to “raise the Dead.” They have also played with five members of the original band, including Godchaux, who was a vocalist for the Dead. As a frequent guest of DSO, she says that “playing with Dark Star Orchestra is something that feels just exactly like it felt when I was playing with the Grateful Dead.”

This strong commitment to the original music and attention to detail is the staple that holds Gratefulfest together, allowing fans to celebrate the inspiring, mind-bending music which most of them were not around to hear in the 60s and 70s. Set up right next to the scenic quarry, the stage at Nelson’s Ledges is the perfect venue for hearing some classic jam bands, complete with a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man on top, while the shady woods provide an enchanting place for camping over the holiday weekend. Vendors selling art, jewelry and clothing are lined up along the beach, while families swim during the day and Deadheads party all night. It’s an intimate experience with no VIP section and a solid lineup, where everyone can have the same experience listening to great musicians recreating some great music.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Independence Day without a kickass fireworks show and setting a guy on fire. Okay, that last one may only apply to the Ledges, where every year The Burning Man is lit up  and sent running into the quarry. On top of that, clowns and fire-spinners will entertain the crowd into the wee hours of the morning, as there’s always something weird to see at Nelson’s.

The festival begins July 2nd and goes on until the 5th and tickets are $95 for the whole shebang.   A modest price, as you’re guarateed to have at least $100 worth of fun.

Popularity: 42% [?]

By Denver Collins

The rising young, soulful group The Woovs might just put Barberton on the map. They’ve been making great music since 2006, when life-long friends and Barberton natives Adam Lengyel and Bryan Delauder got together with Kevin Hamric to play the open mic circuit, starting out as an all-acoustic double-guitar and keys ensemble. After gaining some attention, they began playing their own gigs and added a bass guitar and drums.

The Woovs

With the addition of Jay Price on bass and Dave Dibello on drums, the band is in full force, garnering a solid fanbase and turning heads in the process. They now tour all over northeast Ohio and even parts of New York, Michigan and Missouri. Their own style of slower, sadder progressive rock still retains its excitment, while delivering strong vocals and poignant lyrics. They brand themselves as a soul/rock/R&B band, bringing a lot of emotion and melancholy flavor to their songwriting.

Their next show is at Harbor Inn in Akron on Friday, July 2nd. Anyone looking for a powerful new group with excellent vocals and enchanting guitar licks shouldn’t miss this one. With an ego-free attitude and a solid comprehension of songwriting, The Woovs are sure to please.

Popularity: 13% [?]

By Julia Kazar

On December 25^th 2006 America lost The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, but you can still hear his music, as well as the music of other R&B and soul musicians of the 70’s and 80’s, performed live. On Saturday, July 3^rd, at The Northside Bar and Grille in Akron Get On Up, a tribute band, will be performing the soul singers greatest hits. As if singing Brown’s hits wasn’t enough the band also tackles other classic acts including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth Wind & Fire just to name a few. So, no matter what kind of funk and soul music Get On Up decides to play on Saturday it is sure to be a fun show.

While nothing compares to the original, Get On Up is exactly what a cover band should be, a talented band that sounds like the original. The cover of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder that they have on their MySpace page sounds eerily similar to the original version. And if that is any indication, the show on Saturday is sure to be filled with plenty of songs that sound just as good.

Get On Up is Akron’s premiere funk band. They put their heart and soul into their music and do everything they can to make sure that the audience has the best time they possibly can. They like to have fun with their music and their live performances and you can see this in pictures of past shows. Although they work hard to make sure their music sounds as good as it did when it was first recorded, they know how to have a good time too. So come on out and relax and enjoy the show, it is definitely one that any soul fan won’t want to miss.

Popularity: 4% [?]

By: Julia Kazar

Richard Christy from The Howard Stern Show and Tim Ripper Owens, the former lead singer for Judas Priest, were at The Tap House in Akron last night for a meet and greet before they launched their tour for their band Charred Walls of the Damned. The band came out to The Tap House to meet the fans, have a good time and to pose for plenty of pictures for Buzzbin magazine, which you can check out on our website. Don Jamieson, comedian and host of That Metal Show on VH1, also did a short set that evening. If you’re a metal head come check out Charred Walls of the Damned when they hit Peabody’s in Cleveland as part of their summer tour on July 6th. The show starts at 6:30 don’t miss it!

Photos by Marissa Hoover & Julia Kazar

Popularity: 18% [?]

By Julia Kazar

Ohio Shakespeare Festival

For the ninth year the Ohio Shakespeare Festival is returning to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens to perform two more of Shakespeare’s famous plays. This year the shows that will be performed are; The Taming of the Shrew, and King Lear. Both shows are performed outside on the beautiful grounds of Stan Hywet. One of the things that make this production unique compared to all the other ones out there today is that they use some of the structures that are already in existence at the lagoon area of the grounds. It really helps the play come alive and seem much more natural.

The Taming of the Shrew, one of Shakespeare’s most hilarious comedies, will run Thursdays through Sundays July 8^th – 24^th. And King Lear will run Thursdays through Sundays from July 29^th – August 15^th. Both shows start at 8:00, but there is a greenshow that takes place at 7:30 and dinner and snacks are also available so come early and relax and eat before the show begins.

If you’re not familiar with the plot of The Taming of the Shrew you might at least be familiar with one of the many adaptations there have been, most famously was Kiss Me Kate, and the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. The play revolves around two plots, first the relationship between Petruchio and Katherina, the shrew. Petruchio is the gentleman courting Katherina, he is hoping to tame her wild outspoken ways and then make her his wife. At first Katherina is against the relationship, but eventually comes around to the idea. The sub-plot revolves around a competition for the heart of Katherina’s younger and more beautiful sister, Bianca, who is not allowed to marry until her older sister does. Of course nothing can be as easy as it sounds, and the chaos and miscommunications that ensue will leave even the most cynical Shakespeare conservative amused.

King Lear on the other hand is a tragedy, often considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest works. The play centers on King Lear as he slowly goes insane. Lear wants to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom between his three daughters based on how much they love him. When his youngest daughter states that there are no words to describe how much she loves her father, Lear becomes so upset that he decides to disown her and divide the land between his two oldest daughters only. This becomes a problem and Lear soon learns his mistake. The play is exactly the kind of play you think of when you hear the word ‘Shakespeare’ but don’t get too bogged down by that, even if you’re not an expert on the playwright you will still be able to enjoy this show.

The Ohio Shakespeare Festival is a great way to experience a Shakespearian play the way it was meant to be seen, live in an outdoor theatre. So come out to Stan Hywet sometime this summer and enjoy a night to remember.

For tickets and more information visit; http://www.ohioshakespeare.com/performances-upcoming/

Popularity: 20% [?]

Roller Derby is huge.  And now is your time to win some tickets courtesy of the NEO Roller Derby Girls & Buzzbin Magazine.  All you have to do is sign up below – its that easy!  We have two sets of tickets which will be given away Friday morning July 9th.

Entering is easy just sign up below and we’ll contact you via email on July 9th if you win!

Popularity: 17% [?]

By Julia Kazzar

Let’s face it, the jokes about Wang Chung-ing have been done to death ever since the song “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” first came out back in 1986, everyone from Frasier Crane on Cheers to the Gilmore Girls have made some reference to it. Whether you know what it is or not you will have one more chance to do it when Wang Chung comes to Musica on Wednesday. The band is touring this summer in support of their latest album, Abducted by the 80’s. The album consists of eight songs, mostly new songs, with the obvious exception of a new version of the bands biggest hit “Everybody Have Fun Tonight,” which sounds just like you would hope an updated version of this song would sound. It has a more modern sound, but essentially, what made it a hit in the first place is still there.

The rest of the album consists of three other classics remade, and four new songs that the band has been working on for some time now. Including the title track “Abducted by the 80’s” a song that features a poem of the same name. The whole album is available for preview or purchase on the bands website, you might be surprised at how much the band has changed and updated their sound since their 80’s new wave days. They have made a conscious effort to update their sound for a modern audience while still staying true to who they are.

Wang Chung

So, if you Wang Chung-ed back in the 80’s or if you want to try it out now, come check out Wang Chung when they perform at Musica on Wednesday June 30^th. It’s definitely a show that you won’t want to miss.

Popularity: 13% [?]

By Denver Collins

Octiger

It’s a night of hard-rock and metal, fresh new bands and a convergence of talent. Annabell’s is packed with Akron music fans getting their first glimpses of two brand new amalgamations of the Akron music scene: Duunes and Octiger, with the increasingly popular Megachurch sandwiched between them.

Duunes are up first, priming the crowd with ear-splitting distortions before diving into their brand of aggressive rock. The riffs go from funky to metal, and their range keeps it interesting. The Duunes are made up of ex-members of Sofa King Killers, Six-Parts Seven, Hell’s Information and Beast. It’s only their third show, but their sound was solid.

Band member James “Matt” Haas said their music is a product of “too much practice,”

“I don’t get out of the house much,” he said. “And when I do, it’s for practice.” Drummer Brad Thorla is pleased with the crowd turnout.

“This is great man, I wasn’t expecting this.” The crowd was equally receptive, as the Duunes left the stage with booming cheers from anxious fans.

The stand-out band Megachurch plays next, wearing their Sunday best, setting out to be a religious experience or a gospel for the misguided. Their sound is hard and loud, but tight and very clear. Their bassist, Brian, throws in sound-clips with a tap to his foot-pedal from evangelical sermons, “The Exorcism,” and other famous voices. The music goes right along with it, creating an awesome, hard-rock sound with a message.

“We’re not anti-religion or anything, we’re just kind of anti-hypocrisy I guess,” Brian says. It’s a different kind of band, hard to define even for its own members. “Basically it’s two basses and drums, and it’s really loud.” Brian says.

But it’s more than that. It’s teeth-grinding, smoother-than-metal, hardcore romp of biblical proportions, producing a greater diversity of sound than should naturally come out of two bass guitars and a drum set.

They do most of their songwriting as a collaborative effort, by messing around at practice and letting the music write itself. Their cohesion and their ability to play off of one another all comes down to trust.

“If you don’t trust your band mates or if there’s a clash of egos it’ll send you into a downward spiral. That can be the death of a band,” Brian says. “We just don’t have that.”

Last up is Octiger in their “first public display of affection,” as they call it. Only their second show, Octiger produces eardrum-shattering metal for the Annabell’s crowd, packed like sardines in the basement. Made up of ex-members from Interfuse, National Suicide Day and Concordia Discors, the band is unmistakably metal. With two drummers and two bassists, along with the slashing, gnashing, grinding lead guitar and screaming vocals, Octiger leaves its brutal mark on Akron’s metal scene.

Popularity: 36% [?]

By Denver Collins

Rachel Roberts, the lovable indie-folk Akron native, will play at Annabell’s Thursday, July 1st, along with Plug-In Reindeer and Shivering Timbers.

Rachel Roberts

Roberts, known for her mellow music and lulling voice, keeps it simple with an acoustic guitar and solid songwriting. Her influences range from classical to classic rock, and has performed with many of the big-name acts from the area such as Chrissie Hynde, DEVO and The Black Keys. She’s working on finishing her second album “Lighting Loves the Kite,” as well as an album with her band, Rachel’s Secret Stache. Her voice is clear and mesmerizing and her lyrics are often very clever and catchy. Her song “Mango,” is a quirky little number about the passion friut that will leave audiences feeling passionate about Roberts.

The Shivering Timbers are also from Akron, and have a Black Keys connection as well. Their debut album, set for release in late summer was produced by Dan Auerbach. Jayson and Sarah Benn make up the band, a married couple with a two-year old daughter to whom they credit most of their inspiration. While the duo is often joined for a few songs by various drummers, both Sarah and Jayson are multi-instrumentalists playing upright bass, electric guitar, drums, banjo, and trumpet. Their wide range of talent, coupled with diverse musical interests, combine to make some very eclectic and inspiring arrangements.

The show is free and starts at 10 p.m.

Popularity: 9% [?]