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The year’s top local entertainment stories
Royal Oaks Bar Rescue
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Royal Oaks bar owners and bartenders were among the first to enter the newly renovated bar that was apart of the Spike TV show Bar Rescue.
Bar Rescue Royal Oaks Premiere
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Bar Rescue The Federal
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By GUY D’ASTOLFO
There are a ton of reality shows on the tube, and the Mahoning Valley routinely finds itself in their crosshairs.
But there was something different about this summer’s “Bar Rescue” invasion at two Youngstown establishments.
The August visits by a film crew from the Spike series to the Royal Oaks and Martini Bros. Burger Bar were shrouded in secrecy and generated weeks of fun and speculation. Their effects continue to linger.
That’s why it’s The Vindicator’s entertainment story of the year.
“Bar Rescue” isn’t the highest-rated show on the air, but bars are important to the Valley, and the show seemed to touch a nerve.
Maybe it’s a testament to “Bar Rescue” and its host, Jon Taffer. They seemed to do their homework and showed both establishments pretty much they way they were in real life, and then improved them in meaningful ways that reflected their place in the community.
Of course, the fact that they didn’t have to exaggerate too much to produce good television is a reflection of the colorful reality at both bars.
In any event, the impressive makeovers (and, in the case of Martini Bros., name change to The Federal) were lauded by the owners of both bars and their guests.
And when the episodes premiered in October, they fueled water-cooler (or barroom) chatter for weeks.
Here is the rest of our list of top entertainment stories:
2. Elton John concert announced. The rock ’n’ roll icon gave another surprise early this month when it was announced that he would play Covelli Centre on March 22. It will mark the third time in a six-year span that the British superstar will play the arena in downtown Youngstown. John also played Covelli in 2010 and 2014.
3. Packard Music Hall turnaround. For as long as anyone can remember, Packard Hall in Warren was a sleepy and underused place. The multipurpose theater facility, owned by the city, played host to a smattering of entertainers, lectures and school events. Then the city entered a management contract with Eric Ryan’s JAC Management Corp., which also operates Covelli Centre. The turnaround was immediate and obvious. JAC booked a series of sold-out shows – 12 in 2015 – that made Packard into a regional entertainment mecca. Concerts and shows in 2015 included Joe Walsh (two shows), Blue Man Group, Blondie, Huey Lewis and the News, the Beach Boys and Rob Zombie.
Foo Fighters
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4. Foo Fighters come to Niles. The stars aligned this summer when Warren-born rock superstar Dave Grohl brought his band, the Foo Fighters – one of the planet’s top draws – to play a concert for 150 people in an empty storefront in a Niles shopping plaza April 18 – National Record Store Day. It has become a tradition for rockers to play shows at independent record stores on this day. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony happened to be in Cleveland this year (it’s in New York three out of every four years), Dave Grohl was scheduled to perform at it, and since he is from Warren, he looked for an independent record store in or near his hometown. The Record Connection in Pine Tree Plaza fit the bill perfectly.
5. Don Guthrie dies, Bob Black retires. Two of the most-popular and long-standing local television news personalities were in the news. WKBN meteorologist Don Guthrie died Jan. 25 at age 71 after a battle with cancer. His death set forth an outpouring of memories and appreciation for the beloved and respected broadcaster, who was a TV fixture in the Valley for four more than decades. Then in November, Bob Black, who had been an anchorman at 21 WFMJ-TV news for 18 years and a Valley broadcaster for four decades, retired.
Covelli Show Time
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6. Covelli Centre hits milestone on a high note. The city-owned arena in downtown Youngstown turned 10 years old in October. In February, it reported that the $707 million it brought to city coffers in operating surplus ($485,234) and admission tax ($221,485) in 2014 marked its best year, and exceeded the principal and interest payment by $234,129. The financial numbers for 2015 will likely be released in February. Major concerts at Covelli in 2015 included Brad Paisley, Def Leppard, James Taylor, Darius Rucker and Shinedown.
7. Oakland Center for the Arts closes. The community theater, founded 29 years ago, and located in the Morley Building in downtown Youngstown since 1999, succumbed to its financial woes in March and closed its doors. After falling behind in its rent, it canceled the rest of the 2014-15 season, as well as the 2015-16 season, but left the door open for a return at some point in the future. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Purple Cat Productions, the theater arm of the agency that serves developmentally challenged adults, moved into the space formerly occupied by the Oakland.
8. Bentley Lenhoff dies. A towering figure in the Mahoning Valley theater scene, Lenhoff died July 8 at 85. Lenhoff was the director of the Youngstown Playhouse during its golden years from 1965 to 1985. When the theater hit hard times in 2004, he returned to take the helm and restore its footing. Other notable deaths this year include Kathy Earnhart, who had been the public-relations director at the Butler Institute of American Art for 27 years, Oct. 21; and Sean Tims, who was the owner, founder and operator of the Calvin Center for the Arts, Nov. 22.
9. “Fat’N Furious: Rolling Third”is renewed for third season. On June 22, the Discovery Channel announced that the reality show that follows the crew at Christmas Automotive in Boardman as it acquires old and dilapidated muscle cars and restores them to racing condition, would be back for a third season. The often-humorous, family-friendly show is led by Tommy Christmas of Boardman, who is the owner of Christmas Automotive, and his crew mates: Chuck Kountz, Steve McGranahan and Andy Pivarnik. The third season is expected to begin in the first half of 2016.
Steel Valley Supernationals
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The Steel Valley Supernationals got underway today at Quaker city Raceway near Salem, OH.
10. Hot Rod Super Nationals return to Canfield Fairgrounds. After 10 years at Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem, the muscle-car extravaganza commonly known as the Super Nats announced early this month that it will be returning to the place where it began: the Canfield Fairgrounds. The Super Nats, which will take place June 24-26, draws about 15,000 per day and about 3,000 muscle cars. It also has an ancillary event: a massive car cruise in the evenings, which in the past have been along the U.S. Route 224 corridor in Boardman.