Youngstown Band to Play after Guardians Game on Fireworks Night

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A popular Youngstown rock band will fire up the crowd after a Cleveland Guardians home game next month.

RDNA will play after the July 19 Guardians-Padres game at Progressive Field to get fans ready for a fireworks display.

The band will perform for about 20 minutes in The Corner Bar, located in the right field concourse. Its performance will be shown live on the scoreboard, with the music piped through the stadium sound system.

The crowd will easily be the biggest RDNA has ever entertained. 

The game – which is also a free T-shirt giveaway night – will likely draw a near-capacity throng for the league-leading Guardians. It will also be Youngstown State University night at Progressive Field, although that had nothing to do with RDNA being selected to perform. 

So how did the band, led by twin brothers Nico and Marco Morgione, get selected? Being in the right place at the right time had something to do with it. But, more importantly, it was their energy.

“We played in Cleveland for the first time in February, at a bar called Welcome to The Farm in the Flats,” Nico explained. “Just by chance, the live events coordinator for the Guardians was there.”

Months after the show, the coordinator contacted the band, explained that the team is doing a series of fireworks nights with regional bands, and offered RDNA the gig. 

It’s not the first time the band had luck on its side at Welcome to The Farm. Several months earlier, Marco and band member Nate Yingling, who both live in Cleveland, were at the nightspot and asked the server who brought their drinks who they should talk to about booking a show there.

“It was actually the general manager of the bar [who brought our drinks],” Marco said. 

He told Marco and Yingling to send a video of the band performing. They did, but a long time passed before they heard back from the club.

“When they finally did, they said, ‘We get inquiries to play here all the time, and we usually don’t act on them,” Nico recalled. “But the energy in your videos is insane, and we’d love to have you.”

There was just one problem. Welcome to The Farm is a country bar, and it expects bands to play at least 80% modern country songs.

RDNA promptly learned 21 country songs and landed the gig. 

RDNA’s current lineup has been together for about five years, during which time they’ve become one of the most popular cover bands in the Mahoning Valley.

The Guardians gig will help the band achieve its next goal, which is to expand into the Cleveland market, Marco said. 

The brothers split lead vocal duties, with Nico also playing keyboard and Marco on guitar. RDNA also includes Yingling on bass guitar, Nick Speziale on drums, Nik Killa on lead guitar, Gio DeVicchio on vocals and guitar, Garret Kuchmaner on saxophone and Darren Thompson on trumpet.

Both of the Morgione brothers have a day job. Nico is associate director for business development at YSU, and Marco is an asset management analyst for Weston Inc., a Cleveland real estate company.

But their rock careers keep them busy every weekend. RDNA plays regularly at Steel Valley Brew Works in Boardman and several other large local bars and festivals. It also gets a lot of wedding reception gigs.

To contact the band, email [email protected], or send a message via the band’s Facebook page.

Pictured at top: RDNA is, from left, Marco Morgione, Nick Speziale, Nico Morgione, Nate Yingling and Nik Killa.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.