Thousands flock to 2003 Vex Fest

The 12-hour concert showcased downtown's potential and local musicians' talent.
By MATT BIXENSTINE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The sound of Vex Fest 2003 echoed through the streets Sunday, carrying with it an overriding theme of downtown's potential for revitalization.
A large crowd was on hand all day in Federal Plaza to hear 30 bands perform the third annual Vex Fest concert, which began at 1 p.m. and ran for 12 hours.
"It just puts a smile on my face and, I think, puts a smile on the faces of a lot of people," said Fred Rafidi, owner of The Plaza Cafe, which sponsored the event. "We've got all these people downtown during the day on a Sunday."
Concert-goers, some of whom participated in mosh pits, crowded the plaza for 12 hours, hovering around the three stages to hear as many bands as possible.
Cleveland product Mushroomhead headlined the show, marking the first Vex Fest performance by a national act. Most of the other bands were local products.
"It's ridiculous, there's so much potential in Youngstown," said Jeannine Hunter, co-founder of Youngstown Imagine, a nonprofit organization that helped organize the concert.
Hunter created Youngstown Imagine with her sisters Rachel Conner and Megan Vitt in an effort to help develop and revitalize parts of the Mahoning Valley.
Aiming at revival
The sisters' late father, former Youngstown Mayor Jack C. Hunter, originally was responsible for construction of Federal Plaza.
"Twenty-five years ago, these buildings were full and people were shopping [in the plaza]," Jeannine Hunter said. "We want to get people back here."
For Rafidi, Vex Fest is a means of accomplishing just that. He combined efforts with local band Cyrus to create the concert two years ago.
"It was started to showcase the best and hardest-working music talent in Youngstown," Rafidi said. "We feel we have a vibrant music scene."
After costing $10 per ticket and drawing about 1,000 its first year, Vex Fest became a free concert last year, funded primarily by sponsors. The result: an attendance increase to almost 3,000.
"This shows people downtown is a good place to party -- that if there's something worthwhile here, people will come," said CD 93.3 The Wolf's "Fast" Freddy Woak, one of the concert's hosts.
Vendors lined the plaza's sidewalks with kiosks to sell food and other items to the concert-goers. Michael Billock, owner of Lakeside Bicycles in Cortland, paid $150 for space to promote his recently opened bike and skateboard shop.
The bands, many of whom are accustomed to playing in front of crowds no larger than 500 people, also welcomed the exposure provided by the concert. A waiting list had to be formed because more than 30 bands wanted to participate in this year's Vex Fest.
"We love it," said Jason Harvey, bassist for Cyrus. "You can't put a price on this for us."
Added Justin Arroyo, bassist for My Sister the Sun: "It's giving something back to the people who pay for other acts the rest of the time."
But while the city, the vendors and the musicians stood to benefit from Vex Fest, the fans, many of whom were teenagers, simply enjoyed the music.
The event was peaceful, according to police, except for one incident.
Altercation
At 11:30 p.m. Sunday, police broke up a fight between two men near 1 Federal Plaza West and arrested Steven Harakal, 26, of Arrel Road, Lowellville, on a charge of felonious assault.
The victim, Donald Price, 53, who lives at Amedia Plaza on Boardman Street downtown, told police that Harakal hit him with a brick. Price was taken to at St. Elizabeth Health Center for treatment. He was reported in stable condition this morning.
Harakal told police that Price was begging for money and wouldn't leave him alone, reports show. The verbal altercation escalated to punches, according to a security guard at the event.