Thursday, June 27, 2019
Dean Anshutz and Anthony LaMarca have been on a quest to unearth records made in Youngstown.
The two Valley rockers – Anshutz is the drummer for Red Wanting Blue, and LaMarca is a member of Grammy-winning band The War on Drugs – have amassed collections of 45 RPM singles and albums made in Youngstown in decades past.
They have tracked down a lot of the records burned at Peppermint Records over the years by Youngstown acts such as Human Beinz, Tony March, Iron Knowledge, Alias Funk & Soul, Blue Ash, Poobah, Steel City Band, The Todd, Left End, Sister Ray, The Executioners and more.
Anshutz and LaMarca play them at DJ shows they do at Westside Bowl under the name “Peppermint Pals.”
Now they will be able to reach a wider audience
At 5 p.m. Sunday, a recorded “Peppermint Pals” program made by the two will air on The Summit Radio, 90.7 FM WKTL. Anshutz and LaMarca will play songs from their historical cache and talk about the bands that rose out of the area from the 1950s to the 1980s.
You might also hear some real rarities, including a booster-ish song made by long-time local television news anchor Stan Boney, and an exercise record by Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.
By the way, Peppermint Records is still going strong. It’s located on East Indianola Avenue on the South Side, and is still owned and operated by Gary Rhamy. The studio has been recording singles and albums by Valley bands for more than 40 years.
The Mahoning Valley has always been a polka music hotbed, and Peppermint Records has become synonymous with the genre. It’s the home of Valley greats such as the Grammy-nominated Del Sinchak orchestra.
While Anshutz and LaMarca acknowledge the polka music of Youngstown, their radio show sticks to rock, funk, soul and rockabilly.
If you miss Sunday’s program, fear not. Brad Savage, program director for The Summit Radio, said the “Peppermint Pals” show will be repeated at an as-yet undetermined time next week.
LOTS OF LIVE MUSIC IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS
We have now entered a six-day stretch that will bring a spate of concerts to the area.
The Ribs N Rock Festival will begin tonight at Southern Park Mall parking lot, with The Clarks taking the stage at 8 p.m.
Other headliners will include Hinder on Friday, Scott Stapp of Creed on Saturday, and Red Wanting Blue – with “Peppermint Pal” Dean Anshutz on drums – on Sunday. See stories on page C1.
At the new Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, legendary brass rockers Chicago will perform Friday, and hit-making icon Lionel Richie will be at Covelli Centre the following night.
The classic rock continues Wednesday when Kansas returns to town for a show at Stambaugh Auditorium.
THE SONG THAT WAS ON EVERYONE’S LIPS in 2006
The return of the hard-rocking band Hinder stirred a memory of their biggest hit, “Lips of an Angel.”
This was back in the summer of 2006, when that power-ballad ode to infidelity was climbing the charts. I happened to be in a bar playing pool one Saturday evening, when “Lips” came blaring on the sound system.
A couple of girls at the bar started singing it. Then a few more joined in. By the second verse, the whole bar had joined in. And when it ended, everyone just continued on with what they were doing, as if nothing happened.
It was the first – and only – time I had ever witnessed such a spontaneous singalong among strangers.
Guy D’Astolfo covers entertainment for The Vindicator. Follow him on Twitter at @VindyVibe.