Last December, the Rialto Theatre and The Summit FM invited Akron’s music fans and concert lovers out of hibernation for a brand new festival called “Kenmore Winter Break.”
“Akron loves music and residents spend all summer going to outdoor festivals,” explained Rialto Theatre co-owner Seth Vaill. “Once October rolls around the outdoor music festivals and events all stop for the year so we thought why not bring those kinds of festivals indoors during a cold weather month when people are ready for a live music fix.”
The second annual Kenmore Winter Break will take place on Friday, December 2, and Saturday, December 3, and brings 12 bands and solo performers to the Rialto Theatre & Living Room stages.
Two of Akron’s most beloved bands were selected to headline each night of the event – punk/rock quartet Detention on Friday and rock/pop/indie band Big Pop on Saturday.
Sharing the Rialto Theatre stage with Detention and Big Pop are local hip-hop legend Floco Torres – who will be joined by Akron guitar hero Dave Rich (The Beyonderers, Houseguest), dad rockers Glenn Lazear, EarthQuaker Devices staff band Nervous Future, and Cleveland alt rockers LILIEAE.
The event also features six of Northeast Ohio’s best known solo performers in the Rialto Living Room, which is also home to Paninoteca – Kenmore’s newest eatery.
“The 330 area has so much lifeblood of music and culture,” said Brad Savage, Program Director for The Summit FM. “Our radio station supports independent and emerging hometown artists and is proud to have all this great music in our backyard. Kenmore Winter Break is a great way to showcase some of it heading into the Holiday season!”
The artists featured on the Rialto Living Room stage include musicians Rolling Boxcar International, Ray Flanagan, Katy Robinson, and Jeff and Thomas from Run Thomas Run, as well as poets Raja Belle Freeman and Danielle Nicole Nikki Dixon.
“Kenmore Winter Break was such a great time last year and we are thrilled that the Rialto is hosting it for a second year,” said musician and Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance Promoter & Experience Manager Corey Jenkins, adding “as a musician it’s a lot of fun to play, and as someone who loves catching live music on Kenmore Blvd. it’s something I am excited to attend.”
Performances begin at 6 p.m. both nights and run non-stop until the last band of the evening hits its final note in the theatre around 11 p.m. or so.
The Kenmore Winter Break Music Festival sponsors include Akron-based manufacturers SIT Strings and EarthQuaker Devices, as well as Kenmore guitar destinations The Guitar Department and Lay’s Guitar Shop, and Dave Burdge Recording – an Akron-based video production company. One hundred percent of sponsor contributions go toward paying the musicians performing during Kenmore Winter Break.
Single night tickets for Kenmore Winter Break are $15 and weekend passes are $25 and are available now at therialtotheatre.com.
Photos by Jason Chamberlain