Vexfest will make its comeback downtown
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — Vexfest is back.
The downtown music festival that ran aground after its third installment in 2003 returns Aug. 12, with more than 40 bands playing on four stages.
An all-day, all-ages free affair, Vexfext IV is also a unique opportunity to see in one day practically every pop music band of note in Youngstown ... plus a few from outside the area.
The festival began in 2001 and was a hit from the start. The most recent one, in 2003, drew 5,000 fans. The promoters of the resurrected event expect to draw a similar number this time around.
Vexfest rose from its ashes when Fred Rafidi, who owns the West Federal Street building that houses Barley’s (he also operated the Plaza, an earlier incarnation of the bar), hooked up with Jimmy DeCapua, who runs a MySpace page tagged Youngstownlocalmusic that serves as a clearinghouse of information. DeCapua also fronts the band Jones 4 Revival.
Both men shared a love of music and a desire to advance the city’s downtown music scene. They joined forces with Jason Tibolla of Third Arm Promotions and Dan Crump, owner of Barley’s, and through a series of weekly planning meetings, made Vexfest IV a reality. “We know promotions,” said Tibolla.
Youngstown is also supportive of the event and is chipping in part of the cost to pay police for security.
Changes
The event will be an improvement over earlier editions.
“This will be the first time we’ve had Federal Street open,” said Rafidi, referring to the fact that the crumbling old Federal Plaza pedestrian mall was eliminated a few years ago, replaced by the reopened street. Federal Street will be blocked off between Phelps Street and Wick Avenue with stages set up at both ends. Bands will also play at two indoor venues on the block: The Core and Barley’s.
There will be one band playing outside and one or two playing indoors at all times, said Rafidi. Performance schedules will be passed out to festival-goers.
A row of vendors and a merchandise tent will be set up along the north sidewalk of the block, as will be a bar. A concessions trailer will set up shop on the south sidewalk.
Headliner
The first few Vexfests had national headliners, but this year’s has more of a local flavor. Whereas Mushroomhead capped the 2003 event, the Mahoning Valley’s grandiose ambient-sound rockers Asleep will put Vexfest IV to bed.
“We did look around for a national act but decided to keep it local,” said Tibolla of Third Arm productions. “There are hundreds of talented musicians in the area,” he added. “This year’s Vexfest is already so much better than the ones in the past.”
DeCapua, of Youngstownlocalmusic, envisions bigger things in the future. “We want people to know about this festival all over Ohio, so that they’ll travel here just for Vexfest,” he said.
The musical lineup is diverse, but doesn’t include any groups that will spur any crowd ugliness, said Rafidi.
Acts range from the power pop of The Kellys to the jam-funk of Mystic Wip Hustler, and from the metal fury of Grand Fury to rapper Lucky Penny to the alt-country of Danielle Lyn.
One thing that hasn’t changed, of course, is the name — but what does it mean?
“It was thought up by the band Cyrus, which no longer is together, but started the first festival,” explained Rafidi.
“It didn’t mean anything,” added DeCapua. “But now it does. People know the name. Vexfest.”