The Vindys are revving up for Canton Palace show on Feb. 27
By Dan Kane
I'll never forget the last concert I attended pre-pandemic because it was epic.
The Vindys, a rising band from Youngstown, headlined the Canton Palace Theatre on Jan. 25, 2020, and played a roof-raising show for an impressively large crowd of 500-plus fans.
On Feb. 27, the Vindys will return to the Palace stage for a concert that can be enjoyed either in-person or at home via livestream. As in 2020, the show will feature the Vindys' extended "family band" lineup with keyboards and horns.
"Canton has always been so welcoming and we can't wait to see everyone again," guitarist John Anthony said.
To ensure social distancing, attendance at the concert will be limited to 250, with all seats reserved.
Here, the Vindys' electrifying vocalist Jackie Popovec talks about life during COVID, the band's upcoming albums, and offers a Palace preview.
Q. What do you remember about last year's Palace Theatre show?
A. The Canton Palace show was one of only two big shows we played at the start of 2020 before the pandemic. It is most memorable because it was the first time headlining the theater.
Q, Did the Vindys shut down for awhile due to COVID? Did you remain in touch?
A. As our shows got canceled or postponed, we didn't know how the rest of the year was going to look for the rollout of our new album. We have been cautious about COVID so we have done a lot of Zoom meetings together.
Q, When did The Vindys regroup to play together for the first time? Did it feel weird?
A. A week after the statewide shutdown, the band got together to support the Music Cares Program by doing an online live-stream fundraiser show. We were one of the first bands to actually get together in a space to do this which made me nervous, but all precautions were taken including temperature checks, social distancing, masking and sanitizing. I was very attached to my hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes at that point. It was definitely weird but also just great to play with the boys again.
Q. You played a show last summer at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater. How did that go?
"The stage was sprawling so we had space to feel comfortable. I think we were more concerned about our fans and their safety, but everyone was very respectful of guidelines and enjoyed seeing live music as much as we enjoyed playing it."
Q. What's ahead for the Vindys in 2021? New albums, finally?
A. We have two releases coming this year. The first will be our 'Live at the Westside Bowl' album that we recorded (in Youngstown) at the end of 2019. That will be available on all music platforms as well as on CD on March 12, with vinyl to follow. The second album, called “Bugs,” does not have a set date yet but we expect to release it before summer. The album contains new recordings as well as some of the songs we have released as singles via streaming. We are also excited to announce that we will again be featured on AT&T SportsNet for the upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates season as well as Penguins hockey. Several Vindys songs will be used throughout the seasons.
Q. Has the downtime brought any good things for the band?
A. We may not have a clear plan for what is to come but we have been writing a ton and the downtime has definitely been inspiring creatively.
Q. Can you offer a preview of the upcoming Canton show?
A. The Canton show will feature our new album as well as some of our older songs. It's gonna be a blast to play with everybody again. My voice has been resting for quite awhile so I am MORE than ready to put it to work again!