Ted Nugent, David Crosby are locked in a stranglehold

Ted Nugent and David Crosby are about as far apart as you can get in terms of music – and socio-political views.

The two rockers got into a war of words in April after Nugent visited President Donald Trump in the White House, and their battle recently flared up again.

Crosby, a liberal activist since the Vietnam War era, said this week that the reason Nugent hasn’t been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is because he’s not good enough.

He was responding to a question about whether Nugent’s ultra-conservative political views have kept him out of the hall in Cleveland. Nugent “just isn’t good enough,” said Crosby, who also used an expletive to describe the “Cat Scratch Fever” singer.

Nugent had told an Albany, N.Y., radio station last week he hasn’t been inducted because of his support for gun rights and his membership on the National Rifle Association’s board of directors.

Crosby has been inducted into the Hall twice for his membership in the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He founded both bands.

Local fans can catch both acts and decide each one’s merits on their own. Nugent will play Packard hall in Warren on Wednesday, while Crosby will play Kent Stage on Nov. 5.

It’s a good thing they won’t both be in town on the same day. It could turn into a free-for-all.

Rubino will do ‘Under Covers’ show at Cleveland’s Cain Park

Liz Rubino, the vocalist, actor and performance educator who hails from Austintown, will bring her “Woman Under the Covers” cabaret show to Cain Park in Cleveland Heights this Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets ($28, plus fees) are available at ticketmaster.com.

The “Woman” show takes its name from Rubino’s 2016 album, in which she interpreted pop songs that are associated with male singers, including ones by Billy Joel, Bing Crosby, Bob Seger, Dave Matthews, Elton John and others.

One record reviewer described Rubino as “a pop singer with a saloon aesthetic.” Writing in Midwest Record, Chris Spector went on to say, “Rubino has the chops and she puts them in service of something out of the ordinary. ... Fun stuff for mature listeners that are simply looking for something juicy to dig in to.”

ACTOR FROM CANFIELD LANDS ROLES IN FILMS, MINISERIES

Christopher Mele of Canfield, who has appeared in small roles in several major movies that were shot in the region (including Best Picture nominee “Fences”) has been cast in a Showtime miniseries called “Escape at Danemora.” Directed by Ben Stiller, it stars Benicio del Toro and Patricia Arquette and will begin shooting in New York in November.

Mele also will appear in two films that will be released later this year: “Marshall,” starring Chadwick Boseman, Kate Hudson and Josh Gad; and “My Friend Dahmer,” starring Ross Lynch and Anne Heche.

BARAGONA’S LEGACY AS A VALLEY PROMOTER

The Valley lost a pillar in the entertainment promotion field last week, when Dominic Baragona died.

Baragona started his career in radio at WNCD-106 FM and went on to found Mid America Events, which still owns and operates the Canfield Scaregrounds, Ghost Lake (at Conneaut Lake Park) and the Mahoning Valley Home and Garden Show. He also handled the Mahoning Valley Rib Burnoff and many other past events.

Corey Ward, owner of Ward Core Promotions, which formerly ran the Super Nationals, considered Baragona a mentor.

“Dominic was a leader and an innovator in the promotion and event business,” said Ward. “When I first started promoting events in the late ’90s, Dominic taught me how to properly plan and execute an event. I will forever be grateful for his leadership and friendship.”