Fri 4/13 @ 7PM
In October 2015, the Cleveland metal scene lost a beloved member when Jim Konya died unexpectedly of a stroke at the age of 44. The proud Parma native was known throughout the scene for his passion for music and his eagerness to share his musical enthusiasms with others.
Konya had been in many bands — he never stopped playing from his time at Normandy High School, where he graduated in 1989. The best-known and longest running were Schnauzer and Nunslaughter. He played drums for the latter for the last 20 years under the name “Jim Sadist,’ and toured extensively with them, expanding his network of musical pals around the world.
“A lot of people think of him as some crazy heavy-metal badass in satanic rock band T-shirts,” Bill Peters, host of Cleveland’s premier metal radio show, Metal on Metal, said following his death. “But the Jim I know is the kind of person who would offer rides to strangers at the end of the night — a good person and very giving.”
His large network of friends and fans gave birth to a tribute event called Konyafest which is now in its third year, taking place at the Agora Ballroom.
This year’s event will feature the reunions of two Cleveland metal bands, Escalation Anger and Cincinnati’s Estuary, as well as sets by Kurnugia, Shed the Skin and Crossface. All bands or their members had some connection to Konya; Escalation Anger was one of his favorites.
Admission is $10 at the door. It’s an all-age show. All money raised goes to the Jim Konya scholarship fund at Kent Stage University.