- The Downtown Canton Music Fest is Sept. 7 and 8.
- The event replaces the longtime Canton Blues Fest.
- Downtown Canton Music Fest will feature both original music and tribute bands, including The Shootouts, Ravenwood, Yankee Bravo, The Scenic Route, King's Highway and Out of Eden.
CANTON − More than a dozen bands and musical artists will perform at the new Downtown Canton Music Fest on Sept. 7-8.
Rock, pop, blues, R&B, jazz, Americana and western swing music will be among the genres played at Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton and on a second stage. Original music, including The Shootouts, Ravenwood, The Scenic Route, WINTRIP and Yankee Bravo, will be featured, as well as Tom Petty and Eagles tribute bands.
Admission is free to the new event, which replaces the longtime Canton Blues Fest, an annual summertime music showcase that had traditionally taken place for multiple days before being reduced to a single day in June 2022.
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The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce had coordinated the Blues Fest. The event's Facebook page is now dedicated to the Downtown Canton Music Fest.
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"The conclusion of Blues Fest was reached gradually through the evolution of downtown and the decision was not taken lightly," said Kelly Piero, vice president of marketing, communications and public affairs for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. "We know there are thousands of blues fans who enjoyed the event since its inception.
"We support the (Downtown Canton Partnership) taking the reins and imagining what a music festival in downtown Canton could be," she added. "We fully support them and will continue our leadership in other downtown events such as Vintage Canton and Light Up Downtown."
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The nonprofit Downtown Canton Partnership, formed in October 2022 by downtown property and business owners, is over theDowntown Canton Special Improvement District (SID), a designated area downtown where property owners pay a special assessment for services, such as landscaping.
“We’re thrilled to be able to take over where Blues Fest left off, and offer a music festival in downtown Canton," said Todd Herberghs, director of the Downtown Canton Partnership.
Two stages featuring Josee McGee, Groove Thang, other bands
Two stages will be used, stage A (the main one at Centennial Plaza along Market Avenue N and Court Avenue NW) and stage B (a smaller stage at Market Avenue N and Third Street NW).
Food trucks and alcohol vendors are planned. Downtown restaurants also will be open.
Stage A acts on Sept. 7 will be The Shootouts at 4 p.m.; the Robert Johnson Project (jazz) at 5:45 p.m.; Groove Thang (featuring Tony Watson and R&B and jazz music) 7:30 p.m.; and WINTRIP (a jazz and blues band featuring lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Wintrip and his son Christopher Wintrip Jr. on drums) 9:15 p.m. Performances will be an hour and 15 minutes per act.
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Stage B acts on Sept. 7 will be Josee McGee at 3:30 p.m.; Matt & Jerry, 5:15 p.m; Yankee Bravo, 7 p.m.; and New Delhi Monkeymen, 8:45 p.m. Performances will be 30 minutes per act.
Sept. 8 performances on stage B start with an open acoustic jam at noon; Wing It (featuring Brad Harper), 3:30 p.m.; Jeff Poulos, 5:15 p.m.; Bret Kuhnash 7 p.m.; and The Scenic Route, 8:45 p.m.
Sept. 8 performances on stage A will be the Starlight Band at 2 p.m., featuring Motown music, including the Four Tops and The Temptations; Out of Eden (Eagles tribute band) 4 p.m.; King's Highway (Tom Petty tribute band) 5:45 p.m.; Zygrt (Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis, Rush and Toto tribute band) 7:30 p.m.; and alternative rock band Ravenwood 9:15 p.m.
Joe Vitale Sr. appearing with Ravenwood
Ravenwood, headed by Joe Vitale Jr., also will feature Canton native Joe Vitale Sr. on drums, an accomplished percussionist who formerly toured with the Eagles and has recorded or performed with a host of other famous classic rock artists, including Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dan Fogelberg, Buffalo Springfield and Peter Frampton.
Vitale Sr. and Joe Walsh co-wrote the hit song "Rocky Mountain Way," which the elder Vitale plays with his son during Ravenwood concerts.
The idea was to feature a mix and diversity of music, said Chris Wintrip, who is both performing at the event with his band and serving as the festival's entertainment coordinator.
"It's something for everybody," he said.
September also was chosen instead of holding the event earlier in the summer, Wintrip said.
"In June, you're competing with Jackson Amphitheater and Canal Fulton Amphitheater (events) and the Thursday night concert series in Massillon," Wintrip said. "There's too many other things going on."
'Cool, new event like the Downtown Canton Music Fest'
The Shootouts are a Northeast Ohio-based western swing and honky-tonk band helmed by Ryan Humbert of North Canton.
Releasing "Stampede" earlier this year, the new album has cracked the top 10 of the Americana music chart, while the single, "I'll Never Need Anyone More," a Michael Stanley cover, broke into the top 20 of the Americana singles chart. Another highlight was performing in late February at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The band's "Stampede" mini-concert also was recently featured on SiriusXM satellite radio Outlaw Country Channel 60.
"As much as we've been on the road lately, it's always a blast to play a hometown show, especially for a cool, new event like the Downtown Canton Music Fest," said Humbert of The Shootouts. "It'll be our first Canton show in quite some time."
Another established Northeast Ohio group is Yankee Bravo, which released the new album "Carolina Sky" earlier this year. Featuring Americana, roots and acoustic-based rock, the new release features the songs, "Now That You're Gone," "On the Open Road" and "Hell to Pay."
The Scenic Route, a Stark County-based pop and indie rock band, features founding member and vocalist Rachel Crozier.
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Started when Crozier was in high school, the band won The Repository's former Battle of the Bands event. Earlier this month, The Scenic Route released a new single, "Just Another Scar," available on Apple Music and other streaming services.
The band released its debut album in 2014, "Epic," when Crozier wasa 17-year-oldsinger-songwriter. The Scenic Route continues to perform locally.
"Epic" was followed by the 2018 EP, "Ghosts" and numerous singles, including the 2020 release, "Wild," which made Akron-based91.3 The Summit's "Top 33 Local Songs of 2021 Countdown."
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com
On Twitter @ebalintREP
