Massillon rock show: Anya Van Rose and pop grunge. Akron bands The Bizarros, The HiFis

Ed Balint, The Repository
Updated ·6 min read
Anya Van Rose, a Canton-based alternative rock artist who describes her sound as "bubblegrunge," will be among the performers at a Massillon Museum concert on Thursday, which also features The Bizarros and The HiFis.
Anya Van Rose, a Canton-based alternative rock artist who describes her sound as "bubblegrunge," will be among the performers at a Massillon Museum concert on Thursday, which also features The Bizarros and The HiFis.

CANTON − Anya Van Rose was determined to turn her vision of a music video into a reality.

So much so that she had a handwritten note ready in case she spotted the perfect classic car for the video.

"I never ended up handing out the note ... but I got a lead by chasing someone down in a parking lot at Planet Fitness," explained Van Rose, an alternative rock artist from the Canton area. "I called that person and they hung up on me. They were angry I called."

Laughing at the episode, the 33-year-old Plain Township resident didn't let it deter her from pursuing the visual ideal of the video for her new single, "Lucky Stars."

"I would say it was all consuming for about four months of my life," Van Rose said of the video.

That same commitment has fueled her completion of a new 11-track album due for release on July 14. The album will be available on music streaming services and online at https://anyavanrose.bandcamp.com/ and https://www.anyavanrose.com/.

And she's excited to play those new songs with her band members at a concert Thursday at the Massillon Museum, part of the Rhythms Concert Series, featuring The HiFis and The Bizarros.

The Bizarros were part of Akron's punk rock scene in the 1970s before disbanding in the '80s and occasionally reuniting over the years. Fellow Akron band The HiFis define their sound as "honky-tonk reggae pop."

Tickets, $12 for the general public and $10 for museum members, are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/ and by phone at 330-833-4061. Massillon Museum is at 121 Lincoln Way E; the concert in Gessner Hall will be 7 to 10 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Who is Anya Van Rose?

Graduating from Lake High School in 2008, Van Rose has an old soul when it comes to her songwriting inspiration. Foremost influences include the grunge rock pioneers Nirvana, who exploded onto the mainstream music scene in the early '90s with the release of their landmark album, "Nevermind."

"When I was like 3 or 4 (years old), Nirvana was happening," she said.

Love for music would be a constant. Learning to play guitar at age 12, Van Rose's music memories include being taught by her late father how to play a Beatles song one chord at a time. She went on to play clarinet in the Lake High School marching band.

The 2012 Kent State University graduate majored in music with a concentration in guitar performance.

Van Rose manages Realgrey Records, a recording studio established by Ron Flack in Canton in 2003. She's also president of the singer-songwriter nonprofit group, "Bring Your Song."

What is 'bubblegrunge'?

Van Rose classifies her sound as "bubblegrunge."

"Bubblegrunge to me is a description of a post-grunge pop," she said. "I have a lot of like '90s elements like shoegaze for some stuff I'm putting out on this record. I have some heavier, more gritty sounds that I developed listening to Nirvana and Veruca Salt, which is a big inspiration to me."

"I think there's an energy that comes with it," Van Rose said. "And it feels powerful to me, and I think that same energy is what I'm harnessing myself, and I just feel powerful when I'm singing over top of like a gritty, dirty guitar."

Anya Van Rose, a Canton-based alternative rock artist, is shown in a classic car during the filming of her music video for the new single, "Lucky Stars."
Anya Van Rose, a Canton-based alternative rock artist, is shown in a classic car during the filming of her music video for the new single, "Lucky Stars."

New album features Courtney Love-style rockers

2020 saw the release of the five-song EP, "Golden Age," an introduction to Van Rose's guitar-driven rock paying homage to the '90s alterative scene with touches of personal reinvention, including the song "Walk By."

Van Rose said her new album ("Lucky Stars") propels forward with both melodies and crunchy guitar sounds. Clear, emotive vocals are reminiscent of the '90s female alt rock genre, including Juliana Hatfield.

Band members who recorded the album with Van Rose are Austin Wolfe, Austin Popovich, John King and Jake Trombetta.

"My EP is definitely more of a live sound," she said. "With this record, I've put a lot more thought into the production, and I've done some stuff you're not going to necessarily hear live; it's a pretty nice balance.

"If you ask me, there's three different moods on the record and it's not all one thing or all the other.

"... There's the slow, shoegazey like 1950s harmonies type of stuff. And there's the straight Courtney Love tunes. I enjoy not being like a one-trick pony, and it shows me what I'm capable of."

Anya Van Rose of Plain Township will be releasing her first full-length album in July. Van Rose is performing on Thursday night at Massillon Museum, a concert also featuring the Akron bands The HiFis and The Bizarros.
Anya Van Rose of Plain Township will be releasing her first full-length album in July. Van Rose is performing on Thursday night at Massillon Museum, a concert also featuring the Akron bands The HiFis and The Bizarros.

Video features rifle-twirling mother

The video for "Lucky Stars" is impressively elaborate for a regional musical artist.

An eclectic mix of parade, baton twirling and marching band imagery, the colorful, sunlit video was filmed at Minerva Airport. Van Rose also found the classic rides she was seeking, including a 1963 Ford Galaxie.

Funding the video with $5,000 of her own money, Van Rose also relied on volunteers and the experience and expertise of film director Peter-John Campbell of Claymore Pictures, art director and friend Magan McLaughlin and choreographer Julia Spizzichini. Van Rose's mother, a Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps alumni, makes an appearance twirling a rifle.

Anya Van Rose, shown in concert, will be performing Thursday night at Massillon Museum as part of a show also featuring the Akron bands The Bizarros and The HiFis. Tickets are $10 and $12.
Anya Van Rose, shown in concert, will be performing Thursday night at Massillon Museum as part of a show also featuring the Akron bands The Bizarros and The HiFis. Tickets are $10 and $12.

'I'm having the time of my life right now.'

Playing in a show featuring The HiFis and The Bizarros is a privilege, Van Rose said.

"I'm gleaning inspiration from a scene that was happening when I was too young to attend shows," Van Rose said of the Akron bands.

Van Rose also will be appearing at Kenmore's First Friday event on Aug. 4 and downtown Canton's First Friday festivities on Sept. 1.

A record release show will be on July 22 at The Auricle in downtown Canton. Doors open one hour before the 7:30 p.m. concert. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Opening acts are Angie Haze and Glenn Lazear.

Van Rose also will perform on Jan. 25 as part of the Canton Symphony Orchestra's Divergent Sounds Series at The Auricle in downtown Canton. Tickets go on sale Aug. 15.

New music will be the focus of her Massillon concert, although she's been known to sneak a Nirvana cover into her sets. Performing in her band will be Wolfe, Popovich and Devin Johnson.

"So that's really exciting to be able to finally have shows lined up, and to be putting out new work," she said. "I'm on top of the world. I'm having the time of my life right now."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Massillon Museum concert features Akron bands The Bizarros, The HiFis