Putting the Valley on the rock 'n' roll map

YOUNGSTOWN — The list of hard rock bands that have performed in the Mahoning Valley in the past two years reads like a roster of current multi-platinum powerhouses.

Korn, Staind, Disturbed, Seether, Hinder, Shinedown, Saliva, Buckcherry, Breaking Benjamin and Three Doors Down have all made tour stops here since the summer of 2005, and more shows are on the way.

It never used to be this way. In fact, for years Youngstown was barely a blip on the rock world’s radar. The few concerts that did come here tended to fall in the classic rock or nostalgia genres.

So what happened? How did this Rust Belt metropolis suddenly become a mecca of metal for bands in their prime?

See complete story in Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.