The local country music scene gets a few days in the spotlight with the inaugural Rockin' Country Festival, today through Friday night.

The festival was organized by Kent State graduate student, aspiring country music P.R. maven and big ol' country music fan Jodee Hammond, who got the idea while reporting from the 2010 CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

Is it me, or do the same damn acts come to Blossom every damn year!?

Anyway, multiplatinum selling starts Rascall Flatts will be bringing their latest tour to Akron/Cuyahoga Falls this summer.
Here's how the new show is described in the Press Release.

After two straight years of concerts at the Akron Civic Theare, longtime N.E. Ohio favorite singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren will return to the area in July for a concert at Playhouse Square's 1000 seat Ohio Theatre.

At the behest of fans Rundgren has used his previous two N.E. Ohio shows to premiere live "in their entirety" versions of his catalog albums A Wizard, A True Star and the twofer Todd, and Healing.

A few weeks ago I touched on Canton band Lovedrug’s “I Am Lovedrug” campaign which solicited fan donations to help fund the recording of their upcoming album. Well, local jazzman Josh Rzepka I also using the tiered fan donor/pledge model to get his third CD, a jazz quintet album to be recorded at SUMA Studios in June. He’s chosen Kickstarter.com which uses an all-or-nothing model, i.e. Rzepka has set a goal of $7500 if in the remaining 30 days he doesn’t reach the goal amount (he’s currently at $3904), no donors are charged any money and he is essentially starting again from square one. Rzepka’s a good dude and talented trumpeter and composer trying to realize his dream. If you want to check him out to see if he’s worth any of your money, he’ll be performing at The Massillon Museum as part of their Rhythms Music Series. Rzepka will be playing tunes from
both his jazz CD Midwest Coast with a trio (guitarist Bob Fraser and bassist Dallas Coffey) and selections from his classical CD “Josh Rzepka: Baroque Music For Trumpet” with pianist Chris Toth.

If the recent announcement of the Journey, Foreigner Night Ranger three-fer at Blossom this summer didn’t get you thinking about your old acid-washed jeans and the impressive hair height you were once able to achieve, then Musica is offering another chance to step through the Wayback machine when The English Beat comes to town Saturday night.

Ok, guys and gals, I'm going to make this easy for you.
Take your smooth-R&B-loving Significant Other to see Sade (and John Legend) and you'll get laid.
It's pretty much that simple.
You may not even have to take them to dinner beforehand.
Your chance for a sure thing will come Saturday, July 9 when the African-Englishwomen brings her sultry, smoky voice and catalog of simmering hits to the cavernous confines of Quickens Loans Arena on Saturday, July 9.

Sade is one of the few artists who can disappear for a decade (she hasn't toured since 2001), seemingly drop back on the scene out of the blue with a new album last year's "Soldier of Love" and a new tour and have millions of fans waiting to add her latest songs to their "lovemix" playlists.

90s Hip hop hook king Nate Dog died March 15. Cause has not been confirmed but the singer who helped make R&B hooks
a staple of hip hop had health issues stemming from the two strokes he suffered in 2007 which forced him to use a wheel chair and another 2008 that left him bedridden.
The four-time Grammy nominee was known for the buttery smooth voice and signature hummable hooks he added to many rappers songs throughout the 90s and into the 21st Century beginning with Dr Dre's 1992 classic The Chronic but also released three albums under his own name G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2, Music and Me and Nate Dogg

Among the many Nate Dogg laced hits are:

Charlie Sheen is inescapable...Here is an abridged interview with Devo's Gerald Casale wherein he praises Sheen as a prime example of our devolved culture as printed on San Diego.com

Since forming in 1973 at Kent State in Ohio, DEVO have gone on to become one of the most famous bands in the world, with their classic hits from the 1980s becoming part of the public conscious, thanks largely in part to the emergence of MTV, a new medium at the time. Though the band doesn’t tour as often as they used to, this past summer DEVO released their first album in over 20 years, called Something For Everybody. The album is a continuation of their distinct sound of straight-ahead punk rock combined with synthesized keyboards and various electronics. Currently preparing for their upcoming spring tour, founding member Gerald Casale talked with SanDiego.com about the DEVO musical that’s in the works, and the prospect of having Charlie Sheen join the band as lead singer.

What’s a typical day for Gerald Casale?

Hey Kids, Remember the 80s?

NO?