Grapevine by Alex Vukoder

Last January, a group of eighth-graders from Revere Middle School embarked on a musical journey that would soon capture the hearts of our community. Myles Kelly on vocals and guitar, alongside Sam Hogan on drums and Lorenzo Ortiz on guitar, came together to form the band SLAM, initially as a project for the Revere High School Variety Show. Energized by their performance and fueled by their mutual passion for alt/indie/garage/classic rock, the trio decided to continue practicing together. Their inspiration comes from bands like The White Stripes, The Black Keys and The Beatles.

Christian Petit, a senior at Copley High, became the fourth member of SLAM after meeting Sam at the Fairlawn School of Music’s rock camp. With Christian on vocals and bass guitar, SLAM practiced every week at Myles’ house, covering their favorite songs as well as creating original music and lyrics. This February, they were invited to compete in Tri C’s “High School Rock Off” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a competitive platform for young bands to showcase their talent for industry professionals.

Their performance was electrifying and garnered immense community support and the highest ticket sales of the night. However, the contest rules state that 50% of the band must be in high school, so they were not qualified to move on to the final round. Even so, the experience proved invaluable for the band.

“It seemed stressful at first, but as soon as I got up there [on stage], it felt like home,” said Lorenzo.

Sam added, “Backstage, I think we all had a ton of nerves, but once we started playing, the nerves were replaced with pure joy.”

SLAM is gearing up for their next gig at the Richfield Solar Eclipse event on April 8. Behind these young rockstars are proud parents Mike and Karen Hogan (Sam), Daniel and Brittany Ortiz (Lorenzo), Zack and Sondra Kelly (Myles), and Louis and Katrina Petit (Christian), who continue to support and encourage their sons. Fans can stay updated on SLAM’s journey through their social media handles: Slam Band Rock on Facebook, slamband1 on Instagram and @slamband on YouTube.

The band SLAM performed at Tri-C’s “High School Rock Off” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Photo by @aterromusical.

The Akron Art Museum recently hosted “Mystery at the Museum: The Curse of the Hope Diamond,” a 1920s-themed live-action game based on the board game “Clue.” This fundraiser paid homage to the style and flair of the era in which the museum was founded. Thomas and Bridget Hite chaired the event and attendees included Steve and Tamara Boyazis, Aaron and Heather Broholm, John and Paige Nicholas, and Anthony and Christine Herrera. Volunteer actors added to the intrigue of the evening, with Revere High School senior Heidi Tucker and seventh-grade middle school student Melinda Tucker portraying twins Louisa and Adele Welsh, both suspects in the crime. Completing the volunteer cast were Ryan Fearon, Scott Roger, Meaghan Meeker, Ryan Davidson, and Elise Szabo.

The museum had many visitors at its ’20s-themed fundraiser including (l-r) Steve and Tamara Boyasiz, Alex Vukoder, Jon Fiume (CEO of Akron Art Museum) and Mark Munuz. Photo submitted.

A warm shout out goes to the Stewart family and Ken Stewart’s Grille for their generous contribution to the Safety Forces Support Center of Summit County. Their support ensured that 450 first responders were well fed and appreciated during the recent holiday season.

Sending many congratulations and much admiration to our community! I would love to share more stories and join in celebrating your accomplishments and good news. Please continue to send them to me at avukoder@gmail.com. ∞