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Pabsolutely Festival rocks Youngstown
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Melanie Verdream, left, and Casey Cox rock out to punk rock band "The Cheats" at the Royal Oaks bar in Youngstown. Several bands played all day for the event, dubbed "Pabstolutely" after its main sponsor, Pabst beer.
By Sean Barron
Some of the proceeds went to help a social services agency.
YOUNGSTOWN — Dylan Francis, Kevin Naughton and Mike Varga aren’t out to become household names, but they hope to be self-sufficient enough to make a living doing what they love: playing rock ’n’ roll.
“We want to make this a job,” Naughton explained. “We don’t care about being famous, but playing for a living.”
Nevertheless, the three members of the Cleveland-based band The Suede Brothers, who describe their style as “Rust Belt rock,” did get added exposure when they played a set during Sunday’s first Pabsolutely Festival, a free all-day outdoor musical event at the Royal Oaks Bar & Grill, 924 Oak St. on the city’s East Side.
Their type of music reflects what the band members say are the grittiness and tough times the Great Lakes region from roughly Detroit to Buffalo, N.Y., has endured over the past 30 years, such as the loss of steel mills and manufacturing jobs.
All three are quick to point out, however, that they’re proud to be from, and to promote, the area, including Youngstown.
The band members were recently playing at Cedar Lounge & Restaurant in Youngstown, where an organizer liked what he heard and told them about the Pabsolutely Festival, Francis recalled.
Summerlike weather greeted the dozens of people who came to the festival, which was a fundraiser featuring 12 bands that played punk, metal, indie and rockabilly, or a combination. Half of beer sales benefited the Purple Cat at Marinelli Manor, a social services agency that helps those with various mental challenges.
Other sponsors were Artistic Dermagraphics, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, Tri-County Distributors, Small Planet Comics, Stomping Grounds Skate Park & Shop, Touch the Moon Candy Saloon and CD-93’s Home Grown show. A variety of comic books, T-shirts and candy were for sale.
Also happy to be part of the festivities was Mandy Lashua, a singer with the four-member band User Sets Mode, of Akron.
Lashua’s rock band, which formed earlier this year, also has made its presence felt at Cedar’s. A friend asked User Sets Mode to be part of the festival, she said.
“We thought it would be a lot of fun, just a lot of fun,” she added.
The other 10 bands that played sets of about 45 minutes each were ThunderRider, The Pleb, Turbo Lovers, Posture Coach, Rebreather, Pittsburgh-based The Cheats, Album, Bob’s Country Bunker, and The Sweet Ones and Guitar Bomb, both of Brooklyn, N.Y.
The other major ambition of the festival was to bring added exposure to some area businesses and showcase local bands, noted Joe Stilson, a promoter. Many of the bands that played have a connection to the Royal Oaks, he continued.
Stilson said he hopes to have the festival each year in October, before it gets too cold for outdoor events, yet late enough so it doesn’t clash with the numerous concerts that occur during the summer.
“It’s a good way for people to come to a city event,” he added.