The Toledo Federation of Art Societies will host “An Evening with the Jurors, Tasteful Temptations and Conversations” on Aug. 19 from 6:30-10 p.m.
The event, at the Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, is a “festive, strolling dinner” with food and desserts prepared by the museum’s chef.
Previously known as the “Jury Dinner,” the event will feature two jurors speaking about the entries into this year’s Toledo Area Artists 93rd Annual Exhibition, which will take place Aug. 26. This year’s jurors are Toledo Museum of Art Director Brian Kennedy and Associate Curator Amy Gilman. During the dinner, a jazz group made up of students from the Toledo School for the Arts will be performing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Attendees will also be eligible to win prizes, including one of several works donated by artists from Toledo.
To reserve your spot, contact Leslie Adams by Aug. 14 at (419) 255-4321. Admission is $35 per person and seating is limited.
— Sarah Ottney
Mud Hens’ ‘Hot August Night’
Northwest Ohio Community Shares is hosting “Hot August Night” on Aug. 28 during a Mud Hens game at Fifth Third Field to raise money for local nonprofit organizations.
“It’s a really good event because everybody can kind of bring something to it,” said Angela Abbatiello, executive director of Northwest Ohio Community Shares. “It’s great to be able to participate in something that is such a wonderful community resource, the Mud Hens and Fifth Third Field.”
Northwest Ohio Community Shares is a federation of 28 Northwest Ohio nonprofit organizations, including Hannah’s Socks, Sylvania Area Family Services and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northwest Ohio. According to Abbatiello, the goals for the event are to raise money, highlight the agencies that are part of Community Shares, kick off the fall campaign and have fun.
“I’m looking forward to sitting out and watching the Mud Hens game after all our busyness is done, having an ice cream and watching the fireworks,” Abbatiello said.
The event begins at 4 p.m. with tickets available for $35 per person and $20 for those 12 and younger. This includes admission to the Mud Hens game and an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner. There will also be a cash bar, 50/50 raffle and live and silent auctions.
This is the first year the event will feature a live auction. Bill Roemer is volunteering as the auctioneer for the event. Roemer is affiliated with Rotary Club of Sylvania and Sylvania Area Family Services. Items available in the live auction include two one-week stays at a condo in Florida and a dinner for six at a fire station in Toledo.
Visit www.NWOhioShares.org for more information about the event.
— Jason Mack

Green Party Hip-Hop event
Toledo Green Party City Council candidates Anita Rios and Sean Nestor are hosting a Hip-Hop event to benefit their campaigns.
The event is Aug. 13 at the Lois M. Nelson Theatre in the Collingwood Arts Center. The headliner is Hip-Hop activist Head-Roc, the frontman of the group GODISHEUS from Washington, D.C. In 2010, Head-Roc wrote a battle rap for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which helped win a labor dispute. GODISHEUS is working on its debut album.
Other acts performing are DJ Benny Keys and The Great Lakes. Spoken-word artist Natural will host the event.
The show begins at 7 p.m. and is sponsored by Rios for Toledo and Nestor for Toledo. Tickets are $7 and are available at Culture Clash, RamaLama Records, People Called Women, AA Records, Original Sub Shop, Shakin Street Records, Colling- wood Arts Center and Allied Record Exchange.
The Collingwood Arts Center is not affiliated with any political party. It is located at 2413
Collingwood Blvd.
— Jason Mack

The first time I attended the Veggie U Food and Wine Celebration at the Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI) in Milan, Ohio, I had won the tickets in a contest. I put “pick me!” in the subject line of my entry e-mail, and couldn’t believe it when they actually did. Because those tickets were bestowed upon me seemingly by magic, the whole event took on a shimmering aura for me from that day on, which is why I was a little giddy as I joined the long line for the shuttle from the parking area to this year’s event a couple of weeks ago — that and the fact that Aarón Sanchez and Amanda Frietag, two of my favorite judges on The Food Network’s “Chopped,” were among the celebrity chefs appearing at the event.
The CVI is the research and development arm of The Chef’s Garden in nearby Huron, Ohio, a.k.a. the Jones Farm, which provides naturally grown vegetables, herbs and microgreens to chefs all over the world. The Veggie U program is an elementary school science curriculum developed and distributed by The Chef’s Garden to teach healthy food choices. The annual Food and Wine Celebration is Veggie U’s only fundraiser, so the organizers do it up right.
Attending the event alone and too excited to keep quiet, I started chatting with the people ahead of me in the shuttle line, Dave and Andrea Lenyo. Residents of Huron, they were attending the Food and Wine Celebration for the first time.
“Our kids did Veggie U in fourth grade,” Andrea explained, “so we know it’s a good program, and we wanted to support it.”
I was excited for them — they were attending for the right reason, and didn’t seem to realize what a great time they were in for. They did, however, have a local’s insight on The Chef’s Garden.
“I remember when the Jones Farm was a place for high school kids to get summer jobs picking vegetables,” Dave said. “They’ve really turned it into something.”
We chatted a little more on our ride to the event, but I lost track of Dave and Andrea as we all made our way off the shuttle and over to the first of four white tents set up among the CVI’s meticulous gardens, where we received our auction bid numbers, programs and wine glasses. We then proceeded to the Grand Tasting Tent and there at the entrance, greeting guests in his overalls and red bowtie, was Farmer Jones.
Yes, really.

Lobster nachos served at Veggie U.

Lee Jones, head of The Chef’s Garden, is a second-generation farmer and a respected authority on sustainable agriculture who speaks on the topic at culinary events across the country. He’s also the guy you’d cast as Farmer Jones if you were making a children’s show for PBS.
Forty stations were set up around the perimeter of the tent, offering either food or wine, and they were already busy. The protocol was, 1: Wade in and start eating. 2: Repeat. I waded into station seven for some smoked duck salad then moved down the row for a taste of wine. Glass in hand, I was making my way to a cocktail table trying not to drop anything when I saw him: Aarón Sanchez, the considerably handsome guest chef, was coming right toward me just like a regular person.
I don’t know what it is that comes over me in these situations, but shyness, it ain’t.
“Hi, I’m Amy,” I said, stepping squarely in front of him, probably keeping him from the drink he was after. “You’re practically the reason I’m here.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet,” he said very convincingly, at least to me. By the time he added, “Let’s get a picture,” I was already digging for my camera.
It seemed the people around us hadn’t noticed him yet; he wasn’t wearing chef’s whites so he kind of blended in. But then I asked a lady next to me to take the picture, alerting everyone at her table, and we barely got two snaps taken before Chef Sanchez was being distracted by fans from every direction. He was gracious to everyone, did a great job talking up his new show, “Heat Seekers” on the Food Network, but I knew my moment was over when two young women approached, one of whom launched a breathy flirting campaign that was … well, it was a little scary. And I’m not just saying that because she was half my age and still fresh in the stifling heat or because it totally worked. Really — I’m not.
Now, I’ve got 10 years on Aarón Sanchez, easy, but his appeal transcends such boundaries. As he walked on through the crowd, a woman about my mother’s age turned to me and said, “Is he adorable, or what?”
My brief encounter with Chef Aarón came so early in the evening that the food now seemed like a delightful bonus rather than the main event. Everything I had was delicious, but a few dishes stood out. Chef Cesare Avallone of Zinc Brasserie in Sandusky was offering “Watermelon & Heirloom Tomato Ceviche Snow Cones with Wahoo and Shrimp” that were so refreshing I eventually went back for seconds. Right down the row, Chef Demetrios Atheneos of Deagan’s Kitchen in Lakewood proffered “Lobster Nachos with Avocado, Corn, Sweet Soy and Coriander Blooms” that were a real treat. But classic comfort food all dressed up in its Sunday best may have been my favorite: “Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup, Caramelized Vegetable and White Cheddar Grilled Cheese” from Anna Kim of the Downtown Cleveland Marriott. If it’s not on her menu, it should be.
The longest food line, all night long, was for Jeni’s Ice Cream. The founder of the Columbus-based “scoop shops,” Jeni Britton Bauer, was appearing at the event for a book signing and cooking demo. Her booth in the Grand Tasting Tent was offering four of her unique flavors, and despite the heat, the line snaked through the crowd and often included staff from some of the other booths. Meanwhile, Britton Bauer herself was participating in a side-by-side cooking demo with Chef Govind Armstrong, creator of the 8 oz. Burger Bar restaurants in LA and South Beach, Fla. The chefs used volunteer assistants from the crowd to make backyard mint ice cream and sliders, respectively. Best of all, a Jeni’s Ice Cream employee plied the crowd with samples throughout the presentation.
After her demo, Chef Amanda Freitag told the crowd she was grateful to have been invited, and asked for a round of thank-you applause for Farmer Jones.
“This is my first time in Ohio, and I’m coming back,” Freitag said enthusiastically. “I love it!”
Near the end of the evening, Andrea Lenyo reappeared and I asked her how she liked the event. Her eyes widened a little.
“When we first got here we didn’t know what to expect,” she said, “but this is amazing.”
All I could do was agree.

Amy Campbell is Toledo Free Press Star Food Editor. Email her at star@toledofreepress.com.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is feeling the pressure.
Just as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and other teen-based female singers had to make the jump from Disney Channel cool to mainstream acceptance, the “Wizards of Waverly Place” actress Gomez, 19, realizes her teen years are almost finished.
While she’s ventured into feature films — most notably 2010’s “Ramona and Beezus” and the recent “Monte Carlo,” as well as “The Muppets” later this year — the pop singer just released her third studio effort “When the Sun Goes Down” as Selena Gomez and the Scene. Also, as if she needed any more exposure, Gomez is famously dating the teen idol de jour, Justin Bieber. Even though she was in the spotlight before, her new beau has decidedly upped the ante with the paparazzi.
“It’s annoying, it really is,” said Gomez, calling Toledo Free Press Star from outside of Atlanta. “It’s frustrating but I can’t be the person who sits here and complains. I don’t respect what they do. I always dreamed about being able to tour the world. I’ve always dreamed to do what I love. So unfortunately, it does come with it. Whether it’s my music, my acting, my TV show, I just want it to be about my work. Unfortunately, it’s just kind of been scrutinized about my private life at the moment, which is very frustrating. But if I just continue to work hard, which I’ve been doing for the past 11 years, I just want to be recognized for that.”
Among all the endeavors in Gomez’s life, she’s taking the temperature of her music career. Her new CD, “When the Sun Goes Down,” boasts a predictable array of sounds and styles within the electro-pop genre. Now for the first time Gomez is actually giving one of her releases the proper support. Her “We Own the Night Tour” rolls through Michigan on Aug. 10 at DTE Energy Music Theatre and Cleveland on Aug. 14 at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.
She’s viewing the concert as a unique party with friends, albeit tweeners praying Bieber makes an appearance (as he did earlier on the tour), with sections of the show finding Gomez playing different roles: from a soft-sided beginning to a hip-hop vibe and finally a party girl.
There’s also a Spears tribute, which for Gomez is extremely personal. Not only was the “Oops! … I Did It Again” singer the first she saw in concert she ever attended as a little girl in the late ’90s — Gomez said she’s also the first concert for many of her young fans — but Spears’ continued relevance a decade later is appealing.
Just like Spears in her late teens, Gomez now finds herself on the oftentimes treacherous and decidedly unpredictable path of not only growing up in front of her fans but attempting to bring them along. “When the Sun Goes Down” positions Gomez more front and center than her earlier efforts, but unlike her idol she’s not using overt sexuality to equate maturity.
Still, Gomez admits the leap from teen star to legitimate pop artist is an uncertain expanse.
“It’s so awkward, it really is, and I don’t know if I’ll make the transition well,” Gomez said. “I just know that I have the most devoted fans and most of them are younger, and I would never want to upset them. I really do appreciate everything they’ve done for me. I guess it’s about choosing the right kind of music and roles I want to perform in. So it’s just all about being careful.”
Basically, Gomez finds herself in the universal teen star Catch-22: Does she continue making pop music for tweeners or attempt to make the leap into credible pop artist?
“I’m going to have to grow up,” Gomez said. “It’s inevitable and it has to happen.”
That said, she’s not denying that “When the Sun Goes Down,” and specifically the “We Own the Night Tour,” is a make-it-or-break-it affair that could find her leaving music behind for good for the safe confines of feature films.
“Absolutely, I’m fully aware that it is make-it-or-break-it, which is why it is a lot of pressure,” Gomez said. “I’m trying to work as hard as I can and we’ll see.”

WHO:
Selena Gomez & The Scene with opener Allstar Weekend
WHEN:
7:30 p.m. Aug 10 (DTE Energy Music Theatre) & 7 p.m. Aug. 14 (Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica)
WHERE:
DTE Energy Music Theatre, 7774 Sashabaw Rd., Clarkston, Mich., and Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, 2014 Sycamore St., Cleveland
TICKETS:
$22 to $72 (DTE Energy Music Theatre) and $39 to $100 (Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica) at Ticketmaster outlets
INFO:
(419) 474-1333 in Toledo or www.ticketmaster.com

Denise and Michael Grupp-Verbon, the duo known as Tapestry.

Michael Grupp-Verbon first saw his wife Denise at a New Year’s Eve arts festival in Downtown Toledo.
He was managing sound and lighting for the zone she was playing in and had thought, “Wow, she’s a pretty cool chick.”
When he came back at the end of the night to tear down his equipment, he saw a security guard trying to help Denise with her instruments. The guard dropped her harp and it crashed down on the stage.
“Denise absolutely came unglued,” Michael said. She began shouting at the mortified guard and Michael was hooked.
“I said, ‘I gotta meet this woman. She’s feisty.’”
He got home around 4 a.m. and looked up her website.
“[I] sent her an email, and so emails turned into coffee turned into lunch turned into dinner turned into her asking me to marry her.”
When he and Denise began dating, she wanted to be able to play music together and bought him a guitar.
Michael had been a percussionist since middle school, including a two-year stint as a drummer in the Army band. He had experimented on guitar, but never advanced farther than simple chord accompaniment.
She was a classically trained musician with a master’s degree from Northwestern University in harp performance. At first, he could do little more than complement her music. But he began studying guitar formally with distinguished folk and classical guitarist Al Petteway and learned to play in an alternate tuning.
“He has a really good ear,” Denise said. “And somebody can play him a melody and he’ll will a minute and he can figure it out real quick. Whereas I come from what they call paper-trained.”
Since their first album “Variations,” the duo’s style has evolved to emphasize Michael’s own growing artistry, local fan Lewis Derr said.
Tapestry, the duo’s name, plays primarily Celtic folk music. They also mix in some pop elements. One of Derr’s favorites in their repertoire is “Stairway to Heaven,” and when the audience is largely children, Tapestry will even break out Disney tunes.
“Variations,” released in 2005, was heavy on Michael and Denise’s own arrangements of their favorite tunes — basically a cover album.
With the second album “The Journey” in 2007, Tapestry moved toward more original pieces. “The Red Leaf,” released this year, is almost entirely original work. Production techniques and the complexity of the instrumentation have also grown, as “The Red Leaf” was recorded at The Olive Bar Studio in Nashville.
The couple is laying the groundwork for Tapestry’s next album. Michael said he wants to tap into roots for this album, adding vocals and thickening the sound with bass and a trap set.
“I’m a rocker at heart,” Michael said. “I’ve been keeping the leash on up to this point, but I’m feeling the need to throw in a little bit more aggressive style.”
Denise and Michael host an annual harp festival, The Harp Gathering, at Sauder Village. Their latest album “The Red Leaf” is available on iTunes. Follow Tapestry online at its website, www.tapestryduo.com.

I have a question. What is going on with that huge pothole on Heatherdowns Boulevard? Who is in charge of fixing it? Is it even on the list to be repaired?
I have another question. When is that new Table Forty4 restaurant in Maumee opening? Will it take away from the restaurant on Monroe Street?
I have a third question. I just lost my job. How do I start applying for unemployment? Can I get mortgage assistance?
So who can answer these questions? That’s easy. As Toledo Free Press community ombudsman, this column is my attempt at being your 411, your mailbag, your information center if you will. Ask me a question, I will consider researching it, getting an answer and possibly publishing it.
So let’s get started. Here is a question I often hear. Follow this model when you send me a question.
Q: Does Mayor Mike Bell plan to run for re-election? It seems like he might have a good chance to win, but he has always said he isn’t worried about reelection, even during his 2009 campaign.
Resident on Dorr Street

A: Hi Resident on Dorr Street,
Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller and I met with the mayor a few weeks ago and asked him that very same question. While he would not confirm his bid for re-election quite yet, he did smile a lot and eventually said, “probably.”
The election is still two years away. Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez has been the subject of much speculation, but I haven’t heard of anyone else who is seriously interested. I did run into former mayoral candidate Keith Wilkowski in the hallway when I went to talk to the mayor.
On Aug. 3, I called Wilkowski and left him a message about possibly running again. We played phone tag. I then sent him an email and got this response: “I am having a wonderful time doing some really interesting legal work at my law firm, Marshall & Melhorn and enjoying my grandchildren in the off time. Running for office is the furthest thing from my mind.”
Do you have a question? A dilemma? A dying-to-know piece of information?
Send it to your community ombudsman.

To ask a question, send a letter to Community Ombudsman, c/o Brandi Barhite, at 605 Monroe St., Toledo, OH 43605, email bbarhite@toledofreepress.com or contact her through www.facebook.com/toledofreepress.

Toledo has a vast selection of local music to choose from; often we talk about Hip-Hop and R&B. But what about the inspiration for many genres of music, Gospel?
Cleveland-born J Anthony among the middle of six children raised in the church and was often the one put in the spotlight. He claims he doesn’t know why, but I’m guessing his mother knew early on that there was something special about his voice.
Around the age of 7, he formed a gospel group he would be a part of until he was a teenager. Struggling in those formative years between the church and secular world, J Anthony made the decision to leave the church. After high school graduation, he received a track scholarship to The University of Toledo, taking him away from his mother, who is a pastor, his family and church upbringing. But for J Anthony, returning to the church was inevitable. He received his bachelor’s and master’s from The University of Toledo and is currently a vice principal at one of the citiy’s public high schools, E.L. Bowsher.
What makes a vice principal with talent and a passion for guiding youth pursue a career in the music industry? I was able to ask about his musical calling and motivation for his debut album titled, “Bow Down,” a collection of soulful gospel praise. Anthony’s voice is smooth enough to grab and keep your attention. His CD shines on tracks like the title track, “Bow Down,” and “Honor You,” which displays his voice control complementing his lyrics with slow, soulful grooves and beautiful melodies. Anthony’s tenor prevails on up tempo tracks like “Nations” as well.  A mix of soul, jazz and praise, the album is receiving rave reviews and J Anthony is humbly taking the interviews as they come.

J Anthony

Martini Rox: After coming back to the church, what led you to the music ministry?
J Anthony: It was one summer when I came home [from College] a new pastor had [come] in to assist with my mom; it was like a whole band. It was a guy playing on the keyboard the whole style of music was contemporary and urban. [I] was like “Oh wow, this is cool!” Something just got in me and I was like “I’m about to take piano lessons!” Art Johnson [Toledo gospel artist] took the time and gave me like six months of [music] theory and I pretty much went from there.
Rox: What led you to a solo career?
Anthony: Anybody in the gospel industry knows who [gospel singer] Israel Houghton is, I had the opportunity to travel with him. This was before he got his Grammy, maybe seven, eight years ago. Before I met him I had been out of the country in Africa twice. Kenya, Nigeria, singing [in] Russia. I sung with a group. It was called 4 Christ. It was mission work, but we were singing.
Rox: How do you hope your gospel ministry will help with your youth ministry?
Anthony: What I want to do is not just the music. It’s bigger than music. It’s bigger than me! Anyone who invites me to be at their church events mostly it’s around youth. Sing obviously, then speaking, I’m all about encouraging the youth [because] I can relate to them well. I’m around them all the time. Whatever’s going on currently, I’m around it and I know. I think that’s what makes me unique and effective. I would help adults connect with [their] youth.
For more information on J Anthony, visit www.therealjanthony.com.
As we continue on …

Loni Love

“So, I really have to say because of my upbringing, and thanks to my mother being a strong woman — she told me I could do whatever I wanted to do to get out of the Projects. Because of that, that led me to know that if I see something I like to do, or think I can do it, I just work towards it. And I don’t let anybody tell me that I can’t do it.”
The Motor City native has defied such negativity ever since, leading to a career as one of Hollywood’s hottest comics, with regular hosting gigs, appearances as a regular panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” acting roles and more to her credit. She will appear in the Toledo area for the first time at Fat Fish Blue in Levis Commons starting Aug. 18.
Comedy wasn’t Love’s first choice of career, however. Her original plan, inspired by her time as an employee at an auto factory in Detroit, was to work in engineering. She got her degree from Prairie View A&M University in Texas. While attending school, however, financial necessity led to creative invention.
“It never hit me until I was broke in college, and there was a contest, and the contest paid $50 for the best story. And, I thought it was fascinating that they paid me, because I just made up a story, and I won that $50. And that kinda started my comedy career,” Love said.
“So, that’s what got me interested. I thought it was fascinating that people pay people to tell stories.”
She began performing comedy on the side, earning extra money here and there. It wasn’t until after her graduation, having already gotten a job, that she decided to pursue stand-up as a proper career.
“What encouraged me to go into comedy full-time was, I went to The Comedy Store down in Hollywood one day, and I saw that there were a lot of males, and there was only one female performing that night. And I just figured that there had to be more females out there that needed a female voice. And so that’s what got me involved in it,” Love said.
Love quickly rose through the ranks as a promising young comic, with a stint on the revival of “Star Search” helping to boost her visibility.
“It really taught me about how different live comedy is from what you see on television. It’s a whole different type of muscle when you’re doing comedy on TV. Because you may have a joke that you can do live, but you can’t do it on TV. It may not translate — it’s not about the language, it may just be your reference, or the way you look or something like that. Television is very much different, and that’s what ‘Star Search’ taught me,” she said.
Nowadays, Love is most visible as a regular panelist on E!’s “Chelsea Lately.” Like many of her fellow panelists, Love had met host Chelsea Handler while they both were touring as comics.
“The reason why the Chelsea show is a hit show is because of Chelsea. Chelsea allows each person to be whoever they are and she encourages them to be the best that they can be. She doesn’t care — if she does a joke about you, you can do a joke about her. She encourages you to just be yourself,” Love said.
Love plans on being herself at Fat Fish Blue. “All the television I do is either in acting, or you see me do one or two-liners. It’s not a full show, and it doesn’t describe me. People may have a certain concept or thought about me because they see me for one or two minutes on TV. When you come and see me live, you get to see a lot more of me, and get to see that I’m not necessarily what you think.”

The Cars

The final day of Lollapalooza 2011 opened and closed Aug. 7 with storms, but the few sets between the inclement weather were satisfying enough for a full day.

The highlight of the day, and one of the better shows of the festival, was watching The Cars perform several classic hits. The band broke up in 1988, and it reunited to release “Move Like This” on May 10. The Cars played some of the new material, but it stuck mostly with old hits, opening with “Good Times Roll” and closing with “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.” The band also played “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Let’s Go.” The Cars will never be the same without vocalist and bassist Benjamin Orr, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000, but the band can still rock.

Early thunderstorms caused me to miss acts such as Titus Andronicus and Imelda May, so I opened the day with a solid set from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The indie pop band is an under the radar talent well on its way with the release of its second album “Belong” in March.

Fans wait in the rain for the Arctic Monkeys set.

Throughout Portugal. The Man’s set, storm clouds gradually rolled in and cast an ominous look across the Chicago skyline. By the end of the set, it was pouring. The song “People Say” has been heavily compared to “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. The band had fun with this, splicing the first half of “People Say” with the second half of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” to close the set. Unfortunately, the fun didn’t last as the band’s van and trailer were stolen from an attended parking lot the next day. The band has taken to Facebook and Twitter looking for help in tracking down its stolen equipment.

While I waited in the photo pit in front of the stage for the Arctic Monkeys set to begin, I witnessed an amusing dispute. The soaked and muddy fans at the front of the stage directed a “colorful” chant at the VIP members sheltered in the balcony of the stage. One of the VIP members responded with a pair of “colorful” hand gestures for the crowd. Sadly, this was as much as I got out of the set. Once the video screens announced a weather delay, I decided I’d had enough music for one weekend. It was a shame to miss Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters, but concerns for the safety of my equipment outweighed the allure of partying in the mud with the other festival goers.

For photos from all three days of the festival, visit Facebook.com/ToledoFreePress.

Storm clouds roll in over the Lollapalooza crowd.

People hate rappers. They smoke weed, drink liquor, fornicate and have diva-like tendencies. They’re hard to work with, lazy and spend an unimaginable amount of time recording mediocre songs.
That’s what you thought, huh?
Luckily, DJ Avalanche saw the potential in the artists in the area. He put together the Midwest Closed Sessions, where a hybrid of Midwest artists, radio and television personalities and DJs come together, close the door, let the music play, and collaborate on six songs.
A room full of rappers? That’s definitely a recipe for disaster. Many would be frightened, turned off by
the potential aroma of cannibis and half-dressed hoochie mamas. But the entire time I was there, I couldn’t find any of that.
Artists from as far as Pittsburgh — and as close as local radio station Hot 97.3 — entered Monster Mouth Studios for the purpose of networking and putting together what would eventually become a mixtape.
Conspiracy, from Pittsburgh, loved the Closed Sessions. A true hustler, he came to Toledo solely for the event, and left the same night, around 1 a.m.
Bigg Eddie Bauer, personality for Hot 97-3, “dropped a hot 16” on a song. He said he loved the entire creative process with a “good energy.” He’s been rapping for 19 years, and releases music on his own time. When you can convince a semi-retired rapper to come bless the booth, the event must be pretty serious.
With recent shootings and random acts of violence plaguing the city, Closed Sessions was definitely an amazing idea for the Hip-Hop community. DJ Avalanche opened the doors of his recording studio to shoot a documentary that captures the true essence of what it means to be an emcee. The arrogance, negativity and bad attitudes are gone. And when an artist puts his or her arrogance aside for the sake of creativity, the sound that comes out is reminiscent of witnessing a child’s birth: an indescribable feeling of pure bliss.

DJ Avalanche

Floww, a Toledo artist, was elated to be in the same studio with artists who are usually separated by race, region or style.
“We’re all trying to get to the same place; there should have been more people here,” he said.
Everyone wants to be at the top, so why not support the artist who’s ahead of the pack? He encourages everyone to “be more of a helping hand than a hater.”
It takes a lot of confidence to admit someone in the same field as you is better. That accounts for a great deal of the hatred spewed from the artists in the city. Putting together an environment of artists who simply want to make good music is quite the accomplishment.
DJ Avalanche is a native Sandusky producer who moved to Toledo to expand upon the music scene here. After seeing a video similar to the documentary he’s putting together, he wanted the people to really see behind the scenes of the music-making process.
“The DJs are the backbone of everything. People hear a song and don’t realize what the producer was thinking when he put it together, or how the DJ would mix it with,” DJ Avalanche said. Instead of only focusing on the artist in the booth bringing his or her lyrics to life, this documentary will shine a light on the perfectionists who spend countless hours mixing sound levels, adding sound effects and presenting a product that is worthy of millions of listeners.
A follow-up to this documentary will depend on the success of the sales upon its release. For the sake of Hip-Hop, and its reputation in Toledo, do yourself a favor and do something out of the ordinary: support musicians before you see them on television.

Courtney Ingersoll

Senior guard Courtney Ingersoll is keeping a journal of her experience while the UT women’s basketball team visits senior guard Naama Shafir in her hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel.

We are heading into our fourth day of our 10-day trip. My knowledge about the Middle East and Israel’s relationship with neighboring countries is ever expanding. For Americans, it is a scary sight to see the protected borders between the Arab’s and Jewish citizens of Israel, but for residents of this state, it is just another day.

We played our first game, and came away with a 79-49 victory. Besides the constant noisemakers from Naama’s friends and family, the game went very smoothly for mostly everyone’s first international playing experience. The adrenaline was pumping to get the first quarter out of the way and get some hardwood time in with the team. Even though we only lost Jessica Williams and Melissa Goodall to graduation, we still have to find what this year’s persona will be. Being able to start this early will definitely help with the defining process. Naama has been playing in front of my friends and family for three years, so having the chance to see her relatives and schoolmates cheer her on will be one of my most favorite moments since I’ve played at Toledo.

So, I bet you are wondering why my title was “The Little Tree of Naama.” Well, Israeli citizens are extremely passionate about their trees and forests. When Naama was born, or any Israeli baby, their family or community plants a tree in their honor. Naama doesn’t exactly know what tree is hers, but I told her for the rest of the trip I would be looking for the best tree in the land to signify which one denotes her existence.

My Hebrew is getting better… well sort of. I’m able to communicate with one or two word sentences, but I have not been able to order my dinners or ask for directions. Now, I guess they could tell me anything they really wanted and I would have no idea, but if this is really the Holy Land, I don’t think they would lie to such a sweet and innocent American girl like myself.

FYI: For every one tourist to Israel, four Israeli citizens will find work. We have a group of about 40, so I’m proud to say I helped give 160 jobs to Naama’s home boys and home girls. I guess she can’t say that I’ve never done anything for her because now I can say I gave her countries people jobs and I saved her life, once. I saved her life a few years ago because I told her that there was bacon in the pinto beans at Chipotle, and for an Orthodox-Jewish girl, that’s a big deal.

Tomorrow, we are heading to a hospital and a partnership to hang out with little kids who are not necessarily as privileged as others. I am SO excited… SO SO excited. I think these kids will have a bigger impact on my life than I will have on theirs. If these children are as cute as our little-cutie Naama, then I think we are all in for a treat.

After our visit, we play our second game and have VIP BBQ with Naama’s family. Ido, I hope you are ready to teach me how to skateboard because I’m definitely jealous of your skills. Even though I’m pretty far out from being Orthodox Jewish, if another family could ever adopt me, I would pick Naama’s. Her grandma and mother are so sweet, and I can understand why Naama turned out to be the amazing friend that she is.

Even though I miss everyone in the states, I’m learning so much on this trip. This just increases my awesomeness, which means when I get back, everyone would pick me to ride with them in the cash cab.

I miss you Mom, Dad and Christine.

This is me signing out for now. Trust me and take my word, there are more amazing stories coming from me soon. Keep staying strong America. I’m happy that you were my birthplace. PEACE!!!

P.S. – Dear Andrew, Sarah misses you very much, and I promised her I would tell you. She brought a shirt of yours with her and tells me she sleeps with it every night. She also won’t let Israeli men near her because she is MARRIED and they stay away because of the big rock on her finger. “Big R” and “Fancy Nancy”, she misses you too, as do I. Sincerely, your wannabe flower girl.