From Akron & Beyond Podcast
From Akron & Beyond is a radio show/podcast that delves into the music and culture of a midwestern mecca - the past, present, and future of the ”Akron Sound!” Hosted by Bob Ethington (Unit 5) and Nick Nicholis (The Bizarros), the program features interesting guests, awesome music, and plenty of laughter. New episodes air at 10:00 PM Thursday nights on The Summit FM, and are then available on www.thesummit.fm -- or wherever you stream your favorite podcasts!
Episodes

Friday Mar 22, 2024
Friday Mar 22, 2024
Located at 923 Bank Street in Akron is one of the coolest places in town - The Bomb Shelter. A truly unique store, the Bomb Shelter sells (and buys) all sorts of vintage items, from clothes, to furniture, to vinyl albums, to… Well, frankly everything!In this episode, Nick and Bob chat with Bomb Shelter owner Kevin Royer, and discuss his devotion to preserving Akron’s history, the joys (and perils) of collecting, and how Kevin got into such an interesting business in the first place.Tune into The Summit FM, 91.3, this Thursday, March 14 at 10 pm, or listen anytime later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage!)

Friday Mar 22, 2024
Friday Mar 22, 2024
From the late glory days of newspapers to the internet, Malcolm Abram has been writing about local and national music scenes for decades. First known to Northeast Ohio readers from his work at the Akron Beacon Journal, he now is a Music and Entertainment writer for Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer.In this episode, Nick and Bob talk with Malcolm about his career, and how the news and music industries have radically changed over the years. Lots of insights - and great stories!Tune in to The Summit FM, 91.3, this Thursday, March 7 at 10 pm, or listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage!)

Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
In this episode, Nick and Bob pay tribute to some notable musicians whom you may - or may not - realize were from right here in Akron. Some surprises, and a lot of great music!Tune in to The Summit FM, 91.3 this Thursday, February 29, at 10 pm, or listen later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud (for complete songs), or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage!)

Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
Tuesday Mar 05, 2024
The homegrown Akron company, EarthQuaker Devices has become world-renowned for their innovative and quality guitar and effects pedals. Founded in 2004 by Jamie Stillman and Julie Robbins, their products are used and highly valued by musicians such as Paul Simon, Coldplay, the Black Keys, among thousands of others. In this episode, Nick and Bob visit with CEO Julie Robbins. We learn about their history, innovative pedals, community involvement, and plans for the future. An Akron phenomenon, they have truly “gone beyond” to amazing success.Tune in to The SummitFM, 91.3, this Thursday, February 22, at 10 pm, or later listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage!)

Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
In this episode, Bob and Nick visit with Howard Parr, Executive Director of the historic Akron Civic Theatre. A beautiful living landmark of Akron’s Downtown, we discuss its fascinating past and it’s vibrant present and promising future.
There are many interesting anecdotes and funny stories along the way!
Tune In Thursday, February 15 at 10 pm to The Summit FM, 91.3, or check it out later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud , or wherever you get your podcasts!
(Thanks to Brad Savage)

Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Mark Windt, born in Cleveland, later a resident of Holland, and now back in Ohio, performs under the name Kramies. Have you heard of him? We hadn’t. But Patrick Carney of the Black Keys has. So has Jason Lytle of Grandaddy. Kramies has performed with Spiritualized, Yo La Tengo, and Calexico, and currently is on tour with Tyler Ramsey of Band Of Horses. In this episode, Bob and Nick visit with Kramies, learn about his interesting career and listen to some of his evocative dream pop. And we discuss the current weirdness of the music business, how difficult and yet simultaneously easy it is to develop an audience, and get your music heard.Note: Kramies is also a very funny fellow, and this is a particularly interesting episode!Tune in Thursday, February 8, at 10 pm to The Summit FM, 91.3, or listen anytime on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage)

Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
The Nightlight Cinema is a true gem in Downtown Akron. Showing acclaimed new films, interspersed with occasional classics and popular favorites from the past, the Nightlight provides the most comfortable and enjoyable theatre experience a movie lover could hope for. In this episode, our guest is Jenn Kidd, Executive Director of the Nightlight Cinema. We learn about Jenn’s background and career, the founding of the Nightlight, and challenges faced running an indie theatre. And we celebrate their remarkable success, which has resulted in an exciting campaign to have a second screen at the Nightlight!

Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
In this episode, we pay another visit with historian and archivist Calvin Rydbom, this time with a focus on historical and iconic buildings from the industrial era of Akron. Listen this Thursday, January 25 at 10 pm on The Summit FM, 91.3, or anytime later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!(Thanks to Brad Savage!)

Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
What are your all-time favorite albums? For music geeks, this is an impossible question to answer. And yet…. It’s fun to try!In this episode, Bob and Nick dig deep into this futile task, and each conjure up their own respective Top 10 Lists. Is there some competition at play? Absolutely!And now, after leaving the first half with five albums to go (that’s called a “cliffhanger”), here’s Part 2 of our two-parter, and a lot of fun. Play along at home!Listen on The Summit FM, 91.3 on Thursday, January 18 at 10 pm, or anytime later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
What are your all-time favorite albums? For music geeks, this is an impossible question to answer. And yet…. It’s fun to try!In this episode, Bob and Nick dig deep into this futile task, and each conjure up their own respective Top 10 Lists. Is there some competition at play? Absolutely!This is the first of a two-parter, and a lot of fun. Play along at home!Listen on The Summit FM, 91.3 on Thursday, January 11 at 10 pm, or anytime later on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podbean, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts!