Last year, when the-nurse Lori Julien decided to hang up her scrubs to transform her “part-time passion into full-time work,” she never could have imagined she’d be part of a movement on Kenmore Boulevard.

Her shop, Marigold Sol, was one of 11 new businesses to open during the pandemic, one of five women to set up shop on the Boulevard within a 12-month span. But what she refers to as the “essential corner store” has quickly become a destination for anyone looking to buy a gift, take a class or pick up something special for themselves.

“Honestly, I’m surprised I did as well as I did during the pandemic,” Julien said. “Overall we’ve done really good here.”

While the business was new for Kenmore, it wasn’t an entirely new venture for Julien. She had operated a similar retail shop for four years in Wadsworth until the property she was operating out of was sold and the new owners had their own plans for the space.

After closing the Wadsworth location, Julien sold at shows and rented booth space at other storefronts, but continued to wait for the right opportunity to present itself for her to open new shop of her own.

Her chance finally came one day while she and her husband were walking down Kenmore Blvd. and she realized Dragon’s Mantle – which had occupied 962 Kenmore Blvd. since 2015 – had moved out.

Things moved quickly from there.

Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance Executive Director Tina Boyes put Julien in touch with the building’s owner, Julien signed the lease about a month later, and on April Fools Day 2021 Marigold Sol was cutting the ribbon on its new location.

“The support I got from KNA, the mayor, the media and the community, I was just blown away.”

Now a year later, Marigold Sol is in full bloom attracting customers with unique home décor, one of a kind furniture and frequent DIY furniture refinishing, painting and craft workshops.

It’s a favorite stop for antiquers, hobbyists and folks strolling the Boulevard at events like Kenmore First Fridays.

“I’m really looking forward to First Fridays this year, especially coming out of the pandemic” Julien said. “People are ready to get out. And I love the feel of the shop door being open, live music playing, people walking around.”

Friday, April 1 from 6 to 9 p.m., Marigold Sol’s hold its own celebration with a one-year anniversary open house event, which will include specials, giveaways, light snacks and refreshments. Marigold Sol is located at 962 Kenmore Blvd. in Akron and is open Thursdays and Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and by appointment by calling 330-803-0419. Shoppers can find them online at marigold-sol.com, on Facebook @marigoldsol and on Instagram @mymarigoldsol.

Jason Chamberlain is a musician, recording engineer, and artist who has resided in Kenmore for over three decades. Over the years, you may have seen him on stage with a guitar, behind the counter at The Guitar Department and Musician’s Bargain Basement, behind the mixing board at Studio 1008, or behind the lens of his camera during events or out on walk. Jason currently serves as the official house photographer at The Rialto Theatre.

1.) How long have you lived in Kenmore and what brought you here?

I have been here for thirty three years – it has been the most stable thing in my life. I have worked at several locations on the Blvd including the Dairy Queen when I was a teen, The Musician’s Bargain Basement, The Guitar Department, and Studio 1008. I also have family roots in this town as my father and his five sisters grew up here as well.

2.) You’ve been a musician most of your life, what inspired you to pick up the guitar?

I saw Kiss in 1979 when I was six years old. I looked up at that stage and saw the lead guitar player and I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life and I have on a smaller scale. I have been on two different independent record labels and have toured all over the country.

3.) You’re currently working on an album of new music, tell us about that – and do you think Kenmore has any influence on the music you make?

I have begun a recording-only project that I’m doing from home where I – for the first time – have decided to do everything myself. In the past, I have always written with a band where others have contributed.

And yes Kenmore has a huge influence on my musical style. I moved here when I was fifteen and made friends with other guitar players who introduced me to underground metal. I was very impressed by this, seeing these guys in this small town who had their hands on the pulse of underground music.

4.) You’ve also engineered/produced recordings for other musicians – how did you get into that and who are some of the artists you’ve worked with?

It started with me being in a band with two other Kenmore residents (we were in our mid-twenties) and went to studio in Deerfield where I was very intrigued by the whole process and after that I started my own home studio. I have had the pleasure of recording some of Akron’s finest talents such as Angie Haze, Zach, Run Thomas Run, and The Living Deads among others.

5.) You can often be seen around the community with a camera in your hand at The Rialto, during Kenmore First Fridays, or just when you’re out on a walk – when did you begin taking photos and what drew you to photography?

It began when I was in the recording studio (Studio 1008 on Kenmore Blvd.) and the band I was working with asked if I knew of any local photographers. I told them I didn’t, but that my mother had a really nice expensive camera I could borrow. I took a few days to learn the mechanics and we came up with a concept and I took the photos for their album cover and the inner sleeve photos. I was surprised by the results, so I bought my own camera and the rest is history. This was also around the time I got into graphic design and digital art and designed the BLVD logo on the banners that hang from the light poles on the Blvd.

6.) What is your favorite Kenmore memory or story to share with people?

Some of my favorite memories are from high school when I’d spend weekends with my guitar player friends. We would jam, teach each other songs we had learned, and help each other develop. It was pure and wholesome fun and kept us busy and out of trouble. 😂

7.) Favorite Kenmore restaurant and why?

That is easy, it’s Regina’s. Amazing cheesesteak sub.

8.) What concert or event would you love to see at The Rialto Theatre?

I know it’s known for its quality concerts but I would like to see standup comedy. Maybe now with the Living Room at the front of the venue it can be something that would thrive there. We all need a laugh these days.

9.) As a resident, where do you see Kenmore in ten years?

In the past few years I have seen more progress than any point of my thirty three years here. I can only see progress continuing with the right people in place.

10.) What do you want the world to know about Kenmore?

There are good people here, people who are making a difference. They are making the change we want to see for the betterment of our community.

Follow Jason on Instagram @jvc1073.

*All photos were taken by Jason Chamberlain in Kenmore.

The Rialto Theatre to host to Hey Monea, Labra Brothers and 10 other regional favorites April 1-2.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit two years ago, Northeast Ohio’s performance venues went completely dark, leaving local musicians to either hang it up or hunker down.

For Akron-based artist Angie Haze, it was a bit of both.

Now, she and her band are emerging from the pandemic with their first live performance in two years and a new, edgier sound as they headline the Kenmore Spring Break Music Festival April 1-2 at The Rialto Theatre.

“I sort of had a meltdown when COVID-19 hit and my biggest coping mechanism was ripped away. We were faced with a global catastrophe and I had no outlet,” Haze explained. “It really made me question who I was and whether or not I should even continue making music.”

Ultimately, the pandemic forced Haze to look inward, and in May she released “The Great Pause,” an ode to the worldwide shutdown.

Now, Haze said she’s finally feeling relieved and excited to hit the road again.

“I am truly grateful and proud of the community and my band, and it means everything to me to be able to get back on stage.”

The Angie Haze Project is one of 13 artists on the bill for the Kenmore Spring Break music festival, presented by The Summit and The Rialto Theatre in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood.

The music will kick off Friday, April 1 at 6 p.m. featuring full-band performances by Hey Monea, Indre and Shelby Olive on the theatre’s main stage. Alternating between acts in the Rialto’s intimate Living Room will be acoustic performances by Alex Bevan, Charlie Wiener and My Buddy Josh’s Band – all decades-long veterans of Northeast Ohio’s music scene.

Saturday, April 2 will kick off with a special 5 p.m. performance by the young jazz artists from Open Tone Music Academy, followed by Anya Van Rose and Youngstown’s The Labra Brothers. The Angie Haze Project will close the night, but not before Yankee Bravo’s Benjamin Payne, Reed Mitchell and members of Church of the Starry Wisdom fill the Living Room.

Along with the Rialto’s range of alcoholic beverages, organic tea, coffee and pastries will be available in the Living Room from Srina Tea House & Cafe. It’s all part of The Rialto Theatre’s drive to become Northeast Ohio’s most unique venue, which includes live album recording and an onsite recording studio.

“We’ve toured the country and our favorite venues are always the ones that feel intimate and offer that little something extra, something magical,” said Seth Vaill, co-owner of The Rialto Theatre. He and his brother Nate co-founded the venue after spending years as touring musicians. They launched the first Kenmore Break music festival in December featuring Big Pop and J.D. Eicher as a way to showcase the best local artists in one place.

“When it comes to recording and sound, we know what musicians like. And Nate is the best around,” Seth said. “We always pay attention to the room, how it feels, how it sounds, how bands experience the space. And we want the fans who come here to experience the same magic, from the coffee to the coziness and friendliness of the staff. We just want them to feel different and special here.”

Tickets to the Kenmore Spring Break Music Festival are $15 each and are on sale now. For more information or to purchase, visit therialtotheatre.com.

Akron Beacon Journal

Published March 8, 2022

Image credit: Akron Civic Commons/Tim Fitzwater

Akron Promise will host the Kenmore-Summit Lake Rock Me on the Water 7K this spring as part of the 2022 Akron City Race Series.

All proceeds from the race, to be held from 8 to 10 a.m. May 28, will go to the Kenmore-Garfield Stark State Scholarship Fund. The fund is available for up to two years of funding toward tuition and books for graduates of Kenmore-Garfield High School planning to attend Stark State College.

This is the fifth year Akron Promise, a nonprofit that that aims to assist students access educational support, resources and opportunities by facilitating scholarships and enrichment activities, has offered the scholarship for up to ten students.

“For many Akron students, finances are a major barrier to post-secondary education,” Tom Ghinder, Akron Promise’s founder, said in a release. “We believe all students deserve the opportunity for a post-secondary certificate or degree, leading to a satisfying career and quality of life.”

The route will begin outside Kenmore’s Rialto Theatre and circle the entirety of Summit Lake, including past the new Summit Lake Nature Center and through wooded areas of Summit Metro Parks before finishing on Kenmore Boulevard. Participants will receive a medal and enjoy strolling musicians and complimentary coffee, tea and pastries from SRINA Cafe.

Participants can register or make donations at www.raceroster.com/events/2022/58481/rock-me-on-the-water-7k. Participants registering before May 1 will receive a discounted race fee.

This past December, The Rialto Theatre and The Summit FM presented Kenmore Winter Break – a brand new two-day indoor music festival held at The Rialto Theatre.

Hundreds of music lovers flocked to Kenmore Boulevard to attend the event which featured some of the region’s finest musicians and made full use of both the Rialto Theatre stage and the new Rialto Living Room stage.

The Rialto Theatre and The Summit have teamed up once again for Kenmore Spring Break on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.

“Kenmore Winter Break was such a success we decided to replicate the format in springtime,” Rialto Theatre co-owner Seth Vaill said. “It’s not quite warm enough yet for outdoor festivals to return, but the ice is melting and people are ready to get out of the house again.“

Like its winter counterpart, Kenmore Spring Break boasts an impressive lineup and includes some of Northeast Ohio’s most established musicians as well as some up and comers.

Hey Monea, Indré, Shelby Olive, Alex Bevan, Charlie Wiener, and My Buddy Josh’s Band are all on the roster for Friday, April 1, while Angie Haze, The Labra Brothers, Anya Van Rose, Church of Starry Wisdom Lite, Benjamin Payne (Yankee Bravo), Reed Mitchell, and Open Tone Music Academy are slated to perform Saturday, April 2.

Follow the Rialto Theatre on Facebook and Instagram for updates and visit therialtotheatre.com for tickets.