Sat 5/13 @ 7:30PM
Youngstown rockers The Vindys debuted ten years ago and woodshedded for a few years in obscurity before their reputation in northeast Ohio started to snowball and eventually to spill out of the area.
They released a seven-track EP Red Wine in 2014, which served to announce their presence, and the nine-track Keep Going in 2016, which gave them some serious momentum. The band got a big push from Cleveland’s late (and much lamented) internet radio station oWow, and played festivals such as Brite Winter and recently the Wonderstruck Festival (formerly LaureLive) in Lake County.
During the pandemic they completed a new album Bugs, but held it back until they could play to support it, releasing several singles — “Want Your Heart,” “Morning Light, “Are You Ready” — to whet fans’ appetites. They announced its release with a concert at the 5,000 capacity Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre last summer.
If you give them even a quick listen, it’s clear what they’ve got when their charismatic frontwoman, singer/guitarist/lyricist Jackie Popovec, saunters up to the mic and unleashes her wild yet controlled howl that evokes classic R&B vocalists such as Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner, which is ably supported by the hard-rocking band, featuring john Anthony and Rick Deak on guitars and harmony vocal. (Bassist Matt Jackson and drummer Ed Davis recently left to focus on other things.)
It looks like they’ve got a busy summer. Their music video for their song “Bugs”, the title track from the album, will be screened at New York City’s Tribeca Festival in June, and they have dates on the calendar in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Michigan. They’re kicking it off at Akron’s Goodyear Theater this week where Detroit’s Indre and Ernie will open.
Go here for tickets.
Akron, OH 44305