Pabstolutely rock festival returns to Royal Oaks

September 9, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

YOUNGSTOWN

Pabstolutely, the annual rock festival at the Royal Oaks bar, returns Saturday.

The street party will feature 17 bands — four more than last year — and vendors. One block of Lansing Street will be closed to traffic.

“We have eight new bands and a couple of new vendors,” said Joe Stilson, organizer. Booths will be set up on the grounds, including Touch the Moon Candy Saloon, and Artistic Dermagraphics of Boardman and Bareknuckle Tattoo of Austintown. The two tattoo parlors will be doing tattoos and piercings.

Headlining the show will be Jason and the Punknecks, a Nashville-based band with a strong local following. The list also includes The Cheats, The Twin Towers, Microwaves and Undercover Saints (Pittsburgh); The Rakehells, Guitar Bomb and The Sweet Ones (New York); The Whiskey Daredevils and The Hot Rails (Cleveland); and local acts Turbo Lovers, The Suede Brothers, Rebreather, Fillmore Jive and The Suite D’s (Youngstown); The Blood Meridian (Hermitage, Pa.); and Larry Shankman and the Foreskins (Sharpsville, Pa.).

Because Saturday is Sept. 11, Guitar Bomb will pay tribute to the victims of the 2001 terror attacks with a rockabilly-surf version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” said Stilson.

Pabstolutely also will feature the only local screening of “Stay Gold,” a skateboard film produced by Emerica skate company. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said Stilson. “It’s only been shown in New York and Los Angeles so far, and we expect people to come just to see it.” The one-hour film will begin at 8:30 p.m.

Pabstolutely begins at noon and ends at 2 a.m.

Food will be handled by The Royal Oaks. “We’re leaning toward a veggie-friendly menu,” said Stilson. The inside of the bar also will be open for food and football games.

The event benefits Golden String, a Youngstown-based nonprofit agency that provides recreational and social activities for people with mental and physical handicaps.

“A dollar from all beer sold outdoors will go to Golden String,” said Stilson. “There will also be raffles and a dunk tank with local celebrities to benefit Golden String.”