1. Zach Hamlin
"Chuck was one of the first people to encourage me to write original music,"
Zach states. He went on to form a band and record a CD of his original music.
Zach is now a banker but still performs his music mainly at open mics.
Original CD cover for the Northside Collaborative Tribute
Larry Penman performing live
8. Johnny G
I first discovered John Gouskos (Johnny G) around 2007 at The Northside open mic where he performed his earthy, soul-infused "Road Worn" songs. He has been developing his unique yet very relatable home-style roots music with increasing beauty ever since. Here's an on-line description of his work that I think fits:
"Though he plays guitar, harmonica and percussion, Johnny G’s best instrument is his voice made rich by the passage of time and his unique abilities. His singing style has been loosely compared to people like Tom Waits and Van Morrison, and he’s known for emulating horn parts with scat phrasing.
Johnny G’s music is based in blues, jazz and indie, and his stories come from a life full of extensive travel.
An evening with Johnny G is as much like one on the back porch, swapping tunes and stories, as it is on the performing stage."
His latest CD: Road Worn Man is available at CD Baby & Square Records
7. Will Palmer
His music is highly creative and energetic -- seemingly disorienting at first but then transfixing as it grounds you into a different zone that's all too juicy.
What is he doing now? That's what I'd like to know!
<<< Check out the few links I found for him
6. Colin Shoff
Colin was a young nervous kid of 14 years when he began playing music at The Northside. He had a difficult time playing through a song without stopping and "starting over"... But after taking lessons with musical phenom, Mike Lenz, receiving encouragement from many people who saw his talent and playing at the open mic every week, he soon gained his uniquely dynamic stage persona. He wrote music, formed a band and now, after several band incarnations, has recently released his fourth -- and some would say best - CD to date:
Colin Shoff & Co.
Check out his links: >>>
5. Marilyn Dirrig
During her time of collaboration and co-hosting the open mics at The Northside, Marilyn formed her own label called: Raw Rubber Music. She produced two volumes of recordings of live performances of dozens of Akron musicians who performed at the venue.
In 2016 she released her first solo album CD entitled:
So Many Years In My Head
Her CD can be obtained by emailing her at: [email protected]
4. Mike Christopher
Mike Christopher had realeased a few CDs by the time he showed up at
The Northside open mic. He started playing as a one-man band with a kick drum/hi-hat and guitar and moved into musical collaborations with other musicians. He partnered with Larry Penman for the experiemntal music project: Disenchanted Youth Orchestra (mentioned above -- check the link of their music).
<<< Check out this early 2008 "on-the-fly" video I shot of him performing his locally famous song, "Protest" at Annabell's Bar & Lounge in Akron
3. Joe Garcia (aka "Hoseff")
Joe was the producer of the Chuck tribute album through his record label at the time, Primal Lemon Records. He atributes Chuck to being one of the first people to encourage him to sing and write his own music. He is now known as "Hoseff" and describes himself as: "a singer, songwriter, performer and producer who's name derives from a blending of the names Jose' and Joseph. He is know for his haunting melodies and spell binding voice. Like that of a gypsy story-teller his songs come directly from his experiences as an urban observer and metropolitan traveler."
In 2012, he released Hoseff -- Modern Gypsies
In 2016, he released Heart Hunter
You can find him at: hoseff.com >>>>
2. Larry Penman
Larry continued to create music/performance art pieces. His performances which often call for audience participation are a mixture of science, experimental music and mystical mahem as he attempts to channel forth other worldly insights and plain ol' fun. He went on to collaborate with Mike Christiopher to form Disenchanted Youth Orchestra (DYO) -- a group described as "Interactive Shaman Rock". You can find them on Reverbnation at:
http://www.reverbnation.com/disenchantedyouthorchestra >>>