If you’ve been at the front of a local store, restaurant, bar chances are you’ve seen the stacks of free flyers, postcards, and newspapers.  You’re probably very familiar with Scene Magazine, Earth Watch, etc.  There’s a new kid on the block (well actually two, but Buzzbin Magazine deserves and will get a post all of its own very soon).  The new kid that I am talking about now is The Independent, which began local printing & distribution this past fall.  The captain of the Independent ship is local writer James Renner.  I became a big fan of James’ work at Scene Magazine and later the Free Times.  After a merger of Scene and the Free Times (if you recall I had a brief stint at Scene at that time too), James decided to start his own completely local paper.  In addition, James is the author of two true-crime books, Amy: My Search for Her Killer, about the tragic kidnapping & murder of Amy Mihaljevic, a Bay Village girl in 1989; and The Serial Killer’s Apprentice, a collection of unsolved mysteries in NEO- with a few in/about Akron.

(Especially this week) Pick up a copy of The Independent!  This week’s cover story is titled “20 Reasons We Love Akron”.  On the cover is our lovely friend Maya from Musica/Mocha Maiden who is modeling our Survival shirt like no other.   Flip to the cover story inside & you’ll see Maya wearing Route 8.  You’ll also see the “Top 20″ list of Akron, with RCC at #16.  XTC…that seedy “Gentelman’s” club on Brittain Rd. is #14…proving that in a game of shirts vs. skins, skins wins.  Alright, well I thought that was funny.  Anyway, The Independent is a wonderful publication, and a great place to read the things that mainstream publications might be afraid to write about.  And it’s FREE!!!

We are quite excited to welcome Blimp City Bike & Hike to the community of locally-owned businesses, and to announce that they are now a destination for Rubber City Clothing t-shirts!  Opening today, Blimp City Bike & Hike is the brainchild of Akronite Andy Bixenstine.  He’s created a one-stop shop for all your outdoor adventure needs.  You can find equipment for biking & hiking, as well as apparel & accessories; plus a GREAT selection of Rubber City Clothing t-shirts.  Stop down to the Valley- 1720 Merriman Rd, Unit A and welcome this new business to the area!

Here is the official press release for the new shop:

Blimp City Bike & Hike to Hold Grand Opening in Akron

Shop features bicycles and outdoor apparel; will open for business the weekend of Nov. 27-29

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Given today’s difficult economic climate, small business ownership represents a challenging endeavor for anyone, much less a young, untested entrepreneur. But for Akron native Andy Bixenstine, 26, the decision to open a bicycle shop in his hometown was much like riding a bike, itself - productive, satisfying and nearly effortless.

Bixenstine is proud to announce the grand opening of Blimp City Bike & Hike (BCB), a full-service retail shop specializing in selling, servicing and renting quality bicycles. Located at 1720 Unit A Merriman Rd. on the Towpath Trail in Akron’s Merriman Valley business district, BCB will open for business just in time for the holiday shopping season the weekend of Nov. 27-29.

“On behalf of the greater Akron community and bicycle enthusiasts everywhere, it’s with tremendous pleasure that I announce the opening of Blimp City Bike & Hike, ‘Akron’s Headquarters for Adventure at Home,’” said Bixenstine. “BCB fulfills the need for a bicycle shop in west Akron, and I’m excited to serve the community by offering a dynamic product line that will have something to offer every bicyclist, no matter what age, interest or skill level.”

BCB will feature bicycles from several up-and-coming brands within the industry, including Kona and Felt, and a wide range of bicycle accessories to complement a full-service repair shop and extensive rental offerings. In addition to bicycle-related merchandise, BCB also will sport outdoor apparel, footwear and accessories from leading brands within the outdoor specialty industry.

Despite being a twenty-something entrepreneur without prior business ownership experience, Bixenstine has lofty expectations for his upstart bicycle shop. He intends for BCB to promote healthy living, serve as an environmentally-friendly business and help bolster the greater Akron economy.

“I’ve aspired to own my own business almost as long as I’ve been riding bikes,” Bixenstine said. “I take great pride in being an ‘Akronite,’ and it’s my hope that Blimp City Bike & Hike will enable me to give back to the community that has given me so much.”

About Blimp City Bike & Hike

Blimp City Bike & Hike (BCB), “Akron’s Headquarters for Adventure at Home,” is a full-service bicycle shop dedicated to offering exceptional customer service and competitive pricing. In addition to selling, servicing and renting quality bikes, BCB carries a full line of footwear, apparel and accessories from the outdoor specialty industry. Founded in 2009, BCB is located in Akron, Ohio, at 1720 Unit A Merriman Rd. in the Merriman Valley business district on the Towpath Trail at the southern border of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For more information, please call 330-836-6600 or visit http://www.blimpcitybikeandhike.com.

Media Contact:
Matt Bixenstine
Public Relations Specialist
+1-330-571-1797
Matt@blimpcitybikeandhike.com

SOURCE Blimp City Bike & Hike

Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to wait till next year to see an awesome music festival.  In the spirit of Woodstock, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and many more, Firestone High School is hosting StoneStock 2009, A Rock-n-Roll Festival this Friday, November 6th.  Starting at 7pm in the Linda B. Kersker Auditorium, Akron music lovers have a chance to see a variety of local bands, including FHS student bands Granite Union, Katie Jetter, Polymerization, and Assassin Broadcast;  The Kristoffer Carter Show, Will Cleary, Tiger Fighter, our friends Maid Myriad; and some “old-school” Akron bands like The Bizarros, and a few members of Tine Huey & a Houseguest.

StoneStock 2009 is sure to be a great night for Akron music, and all proceeds will benefit the Arts program at FHS.  Tickets can be purchased at FHS, Square Records, Rubber City Clothing, and Made in Akron.  All seats are $10.

We are very excited to welcom Ryan Humbert to the RCC music family!  We now have his new album, Old Souls New Shoes, as well as the live (recorded at Musica) The Ryan Humbert Band One Night Only Acoustic Live CD/DVD.  Ryan is a big supporter of local music, and also dropped off the Ghost Town album by local artist Tracey Thomas.  Check out a performance by Ryan below:

From the good ‘ole Plain Dealer:

Cleveland TV’s Ghoulardi, Akron’s Knight brothers subject of documentaries

By Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer

October 23, 2009, 4:58PM

“Turn Blue: The Short Life of Ghoulardi” airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday on WEAO Channel 49 and repeats at 2 a.m. Wednesday and 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.Two new documentaries on men who made their names in Northeast Ohio — Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson and Akron Beacon Journal publishers Jack and Jim Knight — premiere this week.

“Turn Blue: The Short Life of Ghoulardi” uses interviews and clips to remember when WJW Channel 8’s late-night horror host Ghoulardi ruled Cleveland. Anderson played the character of Ghoulardi from 1963 to 1966.

“Turn Blue” airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday on WEAO Channel 49 and repeats at 2 a.m. Wednesday and 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. The documentary includes interviews with “Big Chuck” Schodowski, Dick Goddard, who appeared in many Ghoulardi skits, and The Plain Dealer’s Tom Feran and Mark Dawidziak.

“The more I learned about Ernie, the more I could appreciate him on many levels,” said “Turn Blue” producer-director Phil Hoffman, general manager of the student-run television station at the University of Akron. “The character of Ghoulardi and Ernie Anderson weren’t separated by much.”

Sneak previews of “Turn Blue” will be part of Ghoulardifest, a nostalgia convention running through Sunday at Cleveland Airport Marriott, 4277 W. 150th St. Go to theghoulardifest.com.

“Final Edition: Journalism According to Jack and Jim Knight” premieres at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron. “Final Edition” also will be on WEAO, premiering at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. A repeat will be 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

A discussion and reception follow the screening. All events are free.

Akron brothers John (Jack) and Jim Knight created the Knight-Ridder Newspapers Inc. group of 31 daily newspapers, including the Akron Beacon Journal, Detroit Free Press, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and San Jose Mercury News.

“Final Edition” tells the story of the Knight family, the Beacon Journal and the rise and fall of Knight-Ridder. The company was sold in 2006.

The documentary was produced and written by Paul Jacoway, of Paul R. Jacoway Productions of Akron, and Kathleen Endres, professor of communications at the University of Akron.

Some of you may have heard about a little front page article last week about our sister in Highland Square, Made in Akron.  Since then it has been madness for both stores- a good madness.  Special thanks goes to the Akron Beacon Journal & journalist Betty Lin-Fisher for writing such a great story about our company.  The love & support we’ve gotten from the community has been amazing!  Thank you & please continue to support local business & local pride!

This past Saturday was Meet the Artists day at Made in Akron in Highland Square.  It was a really amazing day of really talented artists, devoted Akronites, and a lot of local pride.  Over twenty artists set up booths to showcase their unique pieces and meet their fans & people interested in what they’re doing.  There was a really great turn out, a few hundred people passed through the doors of the little shop on South Highland Ave.  Here are some pics from the day:

Urban Kanvas Artist Jason Scala and local artist Dan Turner

10x Your City- really cool t-shirts (possibly cooler than ours)

Tags by Judy Rickenbacher

Shiny Distractions by Mina Hosfeld

Akron's favorite song-girl, Rachel Roberts gave a special performance.

Our intern, Danielle, working on one of her crochet pieces.

Draglyttes!

Roza Haidet and her fantastic mustache necklaces & other handmade jewelry.

Beautiful resin jewelry with found pieces & bugs.

Russ' Art Drawers- unique handmade panties.

Todd V discussing his paintings with some fans.

Rubber City Clothing has certainly been known to cause a good laugh, start a conversation, or piss some people off when they see “Where the Weak are Killed and Eaten” (here’s a hint, if you don’t like it…don’t look at it; and I’ll refrain from quoting Redd Fox or Red Foreman); but now our designs are INSPIRING!!!!

Introducing The Marble Champs

Equals 4

Isn’t it funny how sometimes a routine activity can turn into something potentially big and definitely cool? This past weekend as I did my usual rocking of t-shirt sales, I was asked about music in the store by one of the customers. She asked me if we ever sell stuff by local bands in the store. Without a thought, I said “well, not really, but we can now.” Turns out the customer was Dee Taylor, lead singer and guitarist for the band Equals Four, which just came out with a new album, Believe. And with that, she handed me a stack of their new album and a promotional poster (which is now prominently displayed behind the counter). Believe is on rotation in the RCC playlist, and is really good. The songs are fun & rockin’, and it’s the kind of music you know would be great to see live (sorry no upcoming shows listed on their site).

So it was definitely cool to meet Dee and find out about Equals Four, but then it got me thinking…. We’re an Akron store, with Akron Pride (on t-shirts), we blog about Akron, Akron, Akron, Akron. Why not Akron music too? So much of what we’ve done lately has been related to music, thanks to Chrissie Hynde, The Black Keys, and Devo. Why not promote Akron music in the store? We’re already working with places like Frank’s Place, The Barley House, 91.3 The Summit, and The Toy Marble Museum selling their swag.

So let it be known throughout Akron, Summit County, and lands beyond……while Rubber City Clothing is in fact a clothing store, we are also SOOOOOOOOO much more. We are Akron. We are the Rubber City. If you have a band, a bar, a restaurant, something that IS Akron, we want to be a part of it. We would love to have your CDs, t-shirts, etc. in the store. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be able to realize my dream of hawking Swenson’s hamburgers out of here (let’s be honest…I’d eat them all).

Come into RCC to pickup Equals Four’s new album, Believe, and look for more local bands to come!

If you’re interested in taking part in this Akron swag community, give us call!

330.434.4722 or email Sarah G- sgorring@rubbercityclothing.com.