Canton Repository entertainment writer Ed Balint takes a look at what’s happening in the local entertainment and arts scene.
Finney’s Arcade & Parlor in downtown Canton continues to take shape.
A recent stop at Finney’s showed great promise. Decor and signage are beautifully vintage, harkening to the days when the building was a drug store. An original sign from the old drug store was even unearthed and is now displayed in the arcade at 417 Market Ave. N.
The pinball and video game inventory continues to grow, boasting an eclectic mix of ’80s and ’90s classics and other machines. Pinball fun includes James Bond 007, Elton John, White Water, Willy Wonka, Congo, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Addams Family, Total Nuclear Annihilation and Pulp Fiction. Video games include Jurassic Park, Ms. Pac-Man, Gorf, Donkey Kong, Marvel vs. Capcom, Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, Big Buck Hunter, NBA Maximum Hangtime and 2020 Golden Tee.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“But we still have plenty more coming in the door in February,” said Ryan Miller, co-owner of Finney’s Arcade with Micah Dorward. There’s also Skee-Ball.
Ryan said Finney’s is in the “home stretch and buttoning up the last few pieces” before a planned opening in March.
Game timeNew Finney’s Arcade bringing Pac-Man, pinball and Skee-Ball to downtown Canton
Munchies also will be satisfied with movie theater-style candy and snacks, plus pies and ice cream. Miller hasn’t announced the purveyor of sweet treats.
A full bar will serve drinks, including custom craft beer from UnHitched Brewing Co., featuring Finney’s Brew Skee Ball Cream Ale.
John Hray’s sneaker expo is set for March 22 at the Executive Event Center, 5211 Tuscarawas St. W.
Previous sneaker events were at Canton Memorial Civic Center.
Eighty to 100 sneaker tables are expected at Sneaker Mania!!!, which will run noon to 6 p.m. Merchandise will include collectible shoes, vintage clothing, jerseys and hats.
Tickets for Sneaker Mania!!! can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/.
The opening reception for the new Cultural Center art gallery is Feb. 3.
“Surface and Structure: A Dialogue in Texture” will be displayed in the Cultural Center Gallery in the lobby of the Main Stage Theater at the Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Ave. N.
Art forms include fiber arts, sculpture, ceramics, painting and mixed media. Featured artists are Stephen Tornero, Tom Delamater, Jo Westfall, Emily Orsich, Benjamin Young, Alaska Thompson, Gayle Reaves and Tim Eakin.
The reception will be free and open to the public. Participating artists and curator Alaska Thompson will be in attendance.
Canton Palace Theatre will host a Galentine’s Day event Feb. 13 featuring the movie, “Magic Mike.”
Q92 DJ Nikolina will give away prizes before the movie.
Doors open one hour before showtime at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at https://cantonpalacetheatre.org/ or at the door.
Vinyl and Valentine’s day? Sure, why not.
That’s the attitude of Erie St Vinyl, Quonset Hut and The Auricle Venue + Bar, which are partnering again on a vinyl record swap and shop event.
A special Valentine’s edition of “Vinyl Revival: Stark County’s Record Swap & Shop” will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at The Auricle, 201 Cleveland Ave. NW in downtown Canton.
A DJ will play music, and The Auricle’s bar will be open.
Early admission from 10 to 11 a.m. costs $5. Admission from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. costs $2. Cash and credit will be accepted at the door.
The artwork of local school children will be exhibited at the Massillon Museum starting with an opening reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Art teachers at schools within and surrounding Massillon have been invited to submit work by their students from kindergarten through high school. Massillon Museum is at 121 Lincoln Way E in the city’s downtown.
Adam Deierling of Jackson Township is embarking on a new independent film project, “The Obsidian Mirror.”
Deierling, 38, is raising funds for the movie through the online Kickstarter platform.
He’s writer, producer and director of the new film, which is attempting to raise $30,000. Deierling’s other movie credits include writing and directing “The Other Side of Darkness,” which was filmed on a roughly $15,000 budget in Steubenville and West Virginia, as well as in Stark County and the Norton area.
“The Obsidian Mirror” is being released by Other Side of Darkness Films, a joint venture between Saturn Entertainment Studios and Villager Pictures. Deierling and Vinny Sisson are partnering on the project.
Making moviesFive cool things about Stark County filmmaker Adam Deierling and ‘Other Side of Darkness’
“The Obsidian Mirror” is comparable in tone and genre to the popular television series, “Stranger Things,” according to filmmakers. The movie is about four friends who are haunted by a dark spirit after unearthing a powerful Aztec artifact.
“The film delves into themes of losing loved ones before their time, capturing the heartbreak, unanswered questions, and dealing with the void left in your life,” Deierling wrote. “This project is my way of honoring that loss while telling a story that resonates with anyone who has ever wondered about the mysteries of life and the afterlife.”
For information about the Kickstarter campaign and to contribute, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/osodfilms/the-obsidian-mirror.
Akron musician Tracey Thomas will hold a book and album release concert Saturday at Weathervane Playhouse.
Thomas, former vocalist of the Akron band Unit 5, will release the studio recording “Words Can’t Save Us Now” jointly with her memoir, “Little Miss Akron.” Both come out Friday.
The album was produced by Stark County resident Ryan Humbert of the Western swing and honky-tonk band The Shootouts. Thomas’ music career has spanned more than 40 years.
Recorded to two-inch tape at Son of Moondog Recording Studios in Kent, the album features guest musicians Brian Poston, Emily Bates, Tim Longfellow, Bill Watson and Christine Petersilge.
The all-acoustic collection of music includes five songs co-written with Humbert. Songs by U2, The Waterboys and Taylor Swift are also covered.
Thomas will perform the new album in its entirety at the Weathervane Playhouse, joined by a six-piece acoustic ensemble, including members of The Shootouts and 15-60-75 The Numbers Band. Other songs from Thomas’ career also will be performed.
The Shootouts will be the opening band for the 7:30 p.m. concert at the Weathervane, 1301 Weathervane Lane in Akron.
Tickets cost $20 in advance and can be purchased at https://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/. Seating is general admission, and tickets will cost $25 at the door.
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) at @ebalintREP and on Instagram at ed_balint
