As the crowd filed into the indoor skate park at Frogwood Boardshop in Heath, some people perched atop the wooden ramps while others hovered near the merch table. A few kids leaned against the wall, waiting to start a mosh pit. Multicolored lights illuminated rows of skateboards hanging from the walls.
The small room would soon be blasted with noise from speakers, clashing drums and amplified guitars. When Ray Houska, lead singer of the punk-metal band Voice of Crows, walked up to the mic with the first band of the night, everyone hushed. And then the metal show began.
Houska and drummer Manny Gonzalez met in college at Ohio University twenty some years ago. Along with guitarist Jordan Stoddard, they formed Voice of Crows in 2015, and have been performing since.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, Voice of Crows played alongside four other hardcore bands— Significant Threat, Unholy Swarm, Tundra and Belligerist.
Growing up in the hardcore community, Houska was always drawn to bands that had positive messages, but also were critical of oppressive systems in their music.
“I’d like to be a part of that tradition, keep it going the best that I can,” Houska said. “I want folks to feel like if they’re watching my band play or listening to my music, I want them to feel like all are welcome.”
This show attracted a big crowd, possibly the largest that Frogwood owner, August Bevard, has ever seen since he opened the room up as a venue in 2022. Bevard also emphasized the importance of inclusion, which is one of the reasons why these shows are family friendly and open to all ages. Some fans brought their toddlers with noise-canceling headphones. A group of teens brought the energy to the crowd.
“There’s a group of kids that come to every single show,” Bevard said. “They’re always front row, holding each other’s shoulders, headbanging at the same time. They’re usually the ones that get the mosh pit started.”
There’s something freeing about running in a circle and expelling energy together with the crowd, Bevard said. Bevard has always been a metal fan, but he’s really come to love the hardcore community through these shows. And since he’s started, the demand for an all-ages venue in Heath is apparent.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that Newark and Heath have been needing something like this for a while,” Bevard said. “So people definitely yearn for this, and I feel like since I’ve been doing it, it’s been growing as well.”
This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, to correct the location of the skateboard shop. The Reporting Project regrets the error.
Mia Fischel writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.