The Vindys Will Cap Big Year with Hometown Concert
YOUNGSTOWN – The Vindys will cap a huge year with a hometown show at Westside Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 14.
It will be the Youngstown-based rock band’s final local show for a while. The next one won’t be until spring, when the band will release a new full-length album.
But some new music is on the way before then. Three Christmas songs will be released in coming weeks, each recorded last year at Peppermint Studios.
Jackie Popovec, the act’s chief songwriter and singer, said the set list for the Westside Bowl show will include some new songs that the band has been workshopping.
There will also be a collaboration with Youngstown hip-hop artist SR Will and a few other surprises.
The Vindys are looking forward to the show.
“We really feel at home and always have a fun time at Westside Bowl, and we can’t wait to share it with all our friends and family and hometown fans,” Popovec said.
In addition to Popovec, the band includes guitarists John Anthony and Rick Deak. That core is supplemented by a cast of players that includes Nathan Anthony, keyboards; Brendan Burke, bass; Owen Davis, drums; Garret Kuchmaner, saxophone; Kyule O’Donnell, trumpet; and Brian Mayle, trombone.
The show at Westside Bowl, 2617 Mahoning Ave., will start at 8 p.m., with opening acts Truss and Silver Tooth Cactus. Tickets are $15; click HERE.
The venue has a capacity of approximately 1,000.
After the Westside Bowl show, the band has two more shows on its schedule for the year. It will open for Ann Wilson of Heart at Stage AE in Pittsburgh on Oct. 21, followed by its first headlining show at Cleveland’s House of Blues on Dec. 30.
This year was one of unprecedented highlights for The Vindys, as the band expanded its reach and became one of the region’s most sought-after rockers.
The act even garnered some national attention, with placement of its song “Are You Ready” in ESPN commercials. The rousing tune – which lends itself well to sporting events – was also used by the ACC Network during telecasts of college softball games. Prior to that, it was used during Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins telecasts.
In March, The Vindys performed an unusual concert, backed by the full Canton Symphony Orchestra in that city’s Umstattd Hall. The concert , which attracted 1,200 fans, will be repeated April 26 with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra at Powers Auditorium.
The Vindys also appeared at both the Wonderstruck rock festival near Cleveland, alongside artists such as Nelly and Khalid, and then at the Wonderworks festival near Pittsburgh, which featured Jason Mraz and The Revivalists.
Closer to home, The Vindys were named Best Indie Rock Band by Cleveland Magazine.
The band also continued to win over new fans beyond its strongholds in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In August, The Vindys opened for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre near Detroit, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of 5,000.
The band’s video for “Bugs” – the title track of its latest album – was one of only eight music videos selected for inclusion in the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York. That put the band in some impressive company, as the list also included videos by Lizzo and The Black Keys.
Pictured at top: The Vindys are Rick Deak, Jackie Popovec and John Anthony.
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