Scream-OH Fest sharing new sounds

Downtown event set for Aug. 7

A festival full of emotive hard-core, or emo, music will make its way to Elyria on Aug. 7 for the city’s first ever Scream-OH Fest.

Nine bands from across the country will play from 6 to 11 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 300 3rd St.

Scream-OH Fest will feature acts that are the best and brightest for a single night, according to Eddie Marflak, co-founder and chief booking coordinator of music and arts venue for Blank Slate Elyria.

So far, the acts include Shizune, Lytic, Hundreds of AU, Coma Regalia, Worst Days, V-Trigger, Indisposed, Sonnets and Frail Body.

Marflak said the bands are from Chicago, Salt Lake City, Rhode Island, New York, Indiana and Elyria.

Shizune is from Italy and it will be their first time in the United States, Marflak said.

“Many members of the bands performing have been playing emotive hardcore music for decades,” he said.

Blank Slate has brought a wide-variety of art and musical acts to downtown Elyria through its venue on Kerstetter Way since opening in 2016.

Marflak said Blank Slate, which has booked almost 400 events, is becoming recognized as a dependable destination for independent musicians.

Blank Slate created Scream-OH Fest mostly by chance, he said, but that chance gave Blank Slate an opportunity to showcase music that was once part of the city.

“Elyria used to have a large scene of touring and local acts playing this kind of aggressive, introspective music,” he said.

“A concert with this much talent from so many different places could be inspirational to young teenagers looking for a positive way to express themselves, as well as to remind those who have grown up about the communities they used to be a part of.”

St. Andrew’s is providing a large event room for the concert, Marflak said.

Blank Slate and the church had discussed ways they could collaborate with each other and felt the concert would fit, he said.

“We primarily do music shows, but we are ultimately community driven,” Marflak said. “St. Andrew’s is an all inclusive church, so, we felt it was a good fit with our ethics.

“This particular event just needed more room than Blank Slate has to offer and St. Andrew’s has a great, large event room.”

St. Andrew’s will sell refreshments and snacks during the event.

Admission to attend Scream-OH Fest is $12.

Funds raised will go toward keeping the touring bands on the road, with a small portion going to St. Andrew’s and Blank Slate, Marflak said.

If the first Scream-OH Fest goes well, Marflak said he would love for it to become a yearly event.