RISE ABOVE Media Solutions

Charity Brawl Will Benefit The Elyria YWCA 

Lorenzo Gentile of Gentile Boxing has announced the organization’s inaugraul event will be “Charity Brawl:  Fighting Together ” on Saturday, February 17 at the Elyria Catholic Coliseum in Elyria, Ohio.  Proceeds will benefit the Elyria YWCA. 

Gentile recently announced the new venture as a vehicle allowing him to give back to the Lorain County Community by producing family-friendly events to benefit one or more local non-profit organizaitons while also enabling him to spend more time with his father, boxing hall-of-famer Joe Gentile. 

“It’s been a few years since I last promoted a fight and I miss the excitement but not the stress,” Gentile said.  “This model, Gentile Boxing, is all about family and giving back at the local level.” 

“We want to give people an entertaining evening out while also raising money for a good cause,” he continued.  “We decided to put a spin on the traditional Charity Ball concept by offering an evening of amateur boxing, music, and celebrity appearances.” 

Proceeds from February’s event will benefit the Elyria YWCA.  Incorporated in 1913, the Elyria YWCA has continued to lead the way on issues of social justice and women’s rights.  Today, the YWCA offers transitional housing for women and children, empowering programming for adolescent girls throughout Lorain County, employment training and coaching for single mothers, and advocacy through our Community Anti-Hate Taskforce. 

“Proceeds from the Charity Brawl will help the women living in YWCA shelters with their fight to become independent. Historically, amateur boxing has been a vehicle for urban youth to focus on brighter futures. The Y is proud to be a part of this venture,” said Executive Director Jeanine Donaldson. 

General Admission tickets for Upper Bowl bleacher seating are $20.  Limited VIP packages are available for $40 and include floor seating and access to the VIP Lounge with private bar. 

Charity Brawl: Fighting Together takes place Saturday, February 17 at the Elyria Catholic Coliseum located at 725 Gulf Road in Elyria, Ohio.  Doors open at 5:00 PM with the First Bell at 6:00.  Tickets starting at $20 are on sale now and available online at charitybrawl.us or by phone at 440.986.0847.  Beginning January 8, tickets may be purchased in person at the Elyria YWCA, through the Elyria Catholic Box Office, and at Somers Agency.  All ages are welcome. 

For more information on CHARITY BRAWL and other Gentile Boxing news, please visit gentileboxing.com, charitybrawl.us, or @gentileboxing on most major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  For more information on the Elyria YWCA, please visit ywcaelyria.org.

Proceeds to Benefit Area Charities 

Area businessman Lorenzo Gentile has announced a new venture, Gentile Boxing.  The organization will hold its first event in February. 

Gentile’s goal is to give back to the Lorain County community by producing family-friendly events to benefit one or more local non-profit organizations while also enabling him to spend more time with his father, boxing hall-of-famer Joe Gentile.   

“My parents raised me to appreciate the opportunities I have had and the people around me,” Lorenzo Gentile said. “This community is what made me who I am today.  I am a firm believer in giving back and I can’t think of a better way to start than right here in my hometown, with my dad by my side.” 

Joe Gentile went from being an Italian immigrant who began fighting to defend himself against ethnic taunts to an amateur boxer with an impressive 52-5 record.  He then became a boxing trainer and promoter, training dozens of Golden Gloves champions and promoting multiple events.  He also served as a chief official for the Lake Erie Association, judging more than 5000 bouts during his 13-year tenure.   

He has been inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc Hall of Fame, the Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame, the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame, and the Legends of Leather Hall of Fame.  Joe was named Man of the Year by the Ohio State Former Boxers in 2005 and by Legends of Leather in 2007.  He was also honored by the Ohio State Former Boxers in 2015 with their Lifetime Achievement Award.   

Perhaps more meaningful than the accolades he has earned is the respect of the fighters whose lives he has changed.  Joe was known for taking many troubled youngsters off the streets and, using boxing as the vehicle, showing them they could achieve more with their lives.  Local police stations often called Joe when they had young men they felt could benefit from his guidance and he would bond them out and bring them to the gym.  Gentile also had the opportunity to train a fighter inside the Mansfield Reformatory who not only became a champion but also a productive member of society with a solid career and family.  Many of his former athletes credit him with turning their lives around and he is known in the boxing world for far more than his record. 

“Joe Gentile’s contribution to the sport of boxing is immense,”  said Ohio State Former Boxers President Mike Galassi.  “He is a stand up guy and his legacy in this sport is not only in the ring but also in the neighborhoods with the way he cared about his fighters and the lives he changed.” 

Although Gentile Boxing is a new organization, Lorenzo Gentile is not new to the combat sports arena himself.  Licensed as a promoter beginning in 2009, Gentile formed Gentile Promotions LLC and held three Mixed Martial Arts events locally under the “CageStars” banner.   Gentile then became the promoter for another organization which held an additional 20 MMA events in multiple states from 2010-2013.   

“I definitely miss the energy of promoting an event,” Gentile said.  “But what makes this model so exciting to me is the fact that 100% of the profits will benefit a cause and a community.  To me, it’s a way to pay forward what my parents taught me through a sport that has played such a huge role in our family.” 

Born and raised in Elyria, Gentile returned to the area after college.  He is President of Gentile Real Estate and Vice-President of Somers Agency.  He and his wife, Denise, live in Avon with their daughter.  Gentile’s parents, Joe and Francesca, continue to reside in Elyria.   

A major announcement regarding Gentile Boxing’s inaugural event in February is expected next week.  

10-Act Festival to be Headlined by Cheap Trick  

SAVAGE LIVE Concert Series returns on March 25 with ROCK THE ARENA II, featuring an impressive lineup and more than ten hours of music.   The all-day event will be headlined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Cheap Trick and also includes Lou Gramm - the Original Voice of Foreigner, Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, Warrant, Quiet Riot, founding RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy, Jack Russell’s Great White, Vixen, Autograph, and Trixter.   

With millions of albums sold, scores of chart-topping hits, and three-generations of fans, this lineup of bands is sure to keep the crowd rockin’ all day with classics such as “I Want You To Want Me,” “Surrender,” and "Dream Police" (Cheap Trick), “Hot Blooded," "Juke Box Hero," and "I Want To Know What Love Is” (Lou Gramm), “Nobody’s Fool,” and “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” (Cinderella’s Tom Keifer), “Heaven,” and “Cherry Pie” (Warrant), “Cum On Feel The Noize,” and “Mental Health: Bang Your Head” (Quiet Riot), “Round and Round” (Stephen Pearcy), “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” (Jack Russell’s Great White), "Edge of a Broken Heart" (Vixen), “Turn Up the Radio” (Autograph),  “Give It To Me Good” (Trixter), and more! 

Last year’s ROCK THE ARENA marked the return of self-promoted concerts to the University of Toledo’s Savage Arena.  The inaugural event sold out in under three weeks and generated unanticipated national exposure for it’s unique concept.   

“ROCK THE ARENA brings a festival atmosphere indoors,” says UT Official Chris Thompson.  “In fact, it could be an even more enjoyable experience in some instances since everything is on one stage, in one day.  Fans have the opportunity to see multiple bands from the pit or a reserved seat without having to worry about the weather, missing a performance on another stage, or losing their spot.”     

“Last year, there was something like 1800 fans through the doors in the first 15-minutes and more than 2/3 of ticket holders had scanned in by the end of the first act,” Thompson continued.  “We heard from community members who had never been to Savage Arena before and alumni who hadn’t been back in years and everyone talked about what a great time it was.” 

“That was one of the goals of SAVAGE LIVE, to bring more people to campus, as well as to provide additional entertainment options for our students, donors, season ticket holders, employees, alumni, and community members,” said Dave Nottke, Deputy Director of Athletics.   

ROCK THE ARENA II takes place Saturday, March 25 at John F. Savage Arena, located on The University of Toledo campus at 2025 North Douglas Road in Toledo, Ohio.  Tickets ranging from $39-125 go on sale Friday, December 9 at 9 AM and will be available online at UTSavageLive.com, by phone at 419.530.GOLD, or in person with no fees at the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena.  Limited student tickets will be available with current UT ID for $29 at the Ticket Office. 

For more information on ROCK THE ARENA II and other upcoming SAVAGE LIVE events, please visit utsavagelive.com or @utsavagelive on most major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat.  All events are open to the public, with discount tickets available to UT students.    

The Marshall Tucker Band to Headline Fundraising Event Benefiting Elyria’s Creation House 

Paul Grodell, Founding Pastor of Beyond The Walls Church (BTWC) in Elyria, announced today that The Marshall Tucker Band will headline ReCreation: A Concert For Change on Friday, June 24 at the Elyria School Performing Arts Center.  All event proceeds will go towards funding Creation House, a treatment and transitional housing facility to be built on the BTWC campus.  The event is the first Lorain County  appearance in over 20-years for the southern rock band currently in the middle of a 45th Anniversary Tour and best known for such as “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain,” and “Heard It In A Love Song.” 

In addition to The Marshall Tucker Band’s performance, the event will also include an optional pre-show dinner, silent auctions, raffles, and more as well as additional musical performances by Jimmie Bratcher and Jason Green & The Tritones, featuring Becky Boyd. 

Creation House will be a residential facility designed to reach the lost, restore the broken, and release the new creation and is based on highly successful models like Outcry in the Barrio and Teen Challenge.  

“I believe the heroin epidemic is the plague of the 21st Century,”  Grodell said.  “Lorain County has one of the highest percentages of deaths per capita in the nation, with 33 fatal overdoses this January & February alone.  Creation House will be a home to those in need, even those without resources, who want to walk free of their addictions and destructive lifestyles.” 

ReCreate: A Concert For Change will take place on Friday, June 24 at the Elyria Schools Center for the Performing Arts, located at 601 Middle Avenue in Elyria, Ohio. There will be an optional pre-show dinner with silent & live auctions and tickets for the evening will be available beginning April 22.   

ReCreation Concert will be the opening event of the larger ReCreation Weekend;  community activities on Saturday and Sunday on the BTWC campus will include a motorcycle run, community cookout, nondenominational services, and more.  

For more information, please visit recreationconcert.com.

Acoustic Performance Set for May 11 

Executive Chef, and Coda Owner, Dante Boccuzzi announced the next event in the Coda Underground Concert Series will be an acoustic performance by Kip Winger on Wednesday, May 11 at his Tremont venue.  Kip is known not only for his solo career but also for his role in the band Winger, whose 1988 debut album was recently named one of the 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine.  Winger’s hits include “Seventeen,” “Miles Away,” “Headed For A Heartbreak,” and “Down Incognito.” 

The show adds to the growing list of national acts who have played the Coda stage in the venue’s short history, including Jack Russell’s Great White Unplugged earlier this month.     

Also a classical musician, the World Premier of Kip’s piece “Conversations with Nijinsky” will be performed by the San Fransisco Ballet Orchestra on March 25.  He also appeared on the all-star Hollywood Dead’s album this fall, alongside Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Dave Growl, Paul McCartney, Slash, and others.   

“I am pleased to bring someone with Kip’s talent to Coda,” said Boccuzzi.  “This is a must-attend event.” 

Open Thursday through Monday, Coda provides local musicians and fans with a place to come together to hear great music, with professional sound and lights.  Several times a year, however, Boccuzzi will bring in some of the legends of rock ’n roll, like Kip, to play intimate shows for longtime fans as part of the Coda Underground Concert Series. 

Kip Winger Unplugged takes place Wednesday, May 11 at Coda, located at 2247 Professor Street in Cleveland.  Tickets include a pre-show dinner at Dante Next Door and start at $85.   VIP packages are $125 and include dinner and the show plus a cocktail party, lanyard, and Meet & Greet.   Tickets are extremely limited - only 60 total will be available - and are on sale now. 

For more information on Coda and upcoming events, please visit danteboccuzzi.com.

Salt-N-Pepa and Vanilla Ice to Lead 7-Act Lineup  

University of Toledo Associate Athletic Director Tony Zaworski announced today that the I LOVE THE 90’s tour will be making at stop at Savage Arena on Saturday, August 20 as part of the SAVAGE LIVE Concert Series.  The event will be headlined by the Grammy Award winning group Salt-N-Pepa, best known for their groundbreaking efforts as one of the first all-female rap groups and numerous hits that have endured throughout three decades.  The lineup also includes Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Tone Loc, Kid ’n Play, Rob Base, and Young MC.  

Fans can count on a fun-filled evening grooving to hits such as “Push It,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” “Ice, Ice Baby,” “Gansta’s Paradise,” “Wild Thing,” “Funky Cold Medina,” “Rollin’ With Kid ’n Play,” “It Takes Two,” “Joy and Pain,” “Bust A Move,” and more!  

I LOVE THE 90’s will be the second event in the SAVAGE LIVE, a multi-event concert series which kicks off March 19 with the sold-out ROCK THE ARENA, an 8-act rock fest headlined by Bret Michaels.  All shows will be open to the public with discount tickets available to current UT students.    

“We’re thrilled to announce I LOVE THE 90’s as the next event in the SAVAGE LIVE Concert Series,” said Zaworski.  “Our goal has always been to bring in entertainment that will appeal to both the campus and community and we believe this lineup does just that by taking us back to a decade that helped lay the foundation for today’s hip hop and rap artists with music that still permeates pop culture today.”  

“After selling out ROCK THE ARENA, we believe this next installment in our series will continue to show that Savage Arena is once again a thriving venue for live entertainment in Toledo, Ohio.”  

I LOVE THE 90’s takes place Saturday, August 20 at John F. Savage arena, located on the University of Toledo campus at 2025 North Douglas Road in Toledo, Ohio.  Doors open at 6:00 and music begins at 7:00.  Tickets starting at $35 go on sale Thursday, March 3 and will be available online at UTSavageLive.com or at the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena.  Limited student tickets are available with current ID for $25 at the ticket office starting Monday, February 29.  

For more information on this and other upcoming SAVAGE LIVE events, please visit UTSAVAGELIVE.com. 

8-Act Rock Fest Takes Place at Savage Arena on March 19 

University of Toledo Associate Athletic Director Tony Zaworski has announced two changes to the ROCK THE ARENA festival at Savage Arena on March 19; L.A. Guns is no longer available for the show but multiplatinum band Dokken has been added to the bill.  The Grammy-nominated Dokken is best known for songs such as “Burning Like A Flame,” “In My Dreams,” and “Alone Again.” 

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, L.A. Guns will not be performing on March 19; however, we are thrilled to have Dokken in the lineup,” Zaworski said.  “We can’t really say Dokken is ‘stepping in for L.A. Guns’ because, with over 10 million albums sold, they are on a different level.  Having Dokken on the bill adds value for the fans.” 

“We appreciate how great Don (Dokken) has been, even agreeing to play an early slot than normal to accommodate other bands’ travel schedules, which were already set.” 

ROCK THE ARENA will kick off the SAVAGE LIVE concert series, a multi-event concert series recently announced by The University of Toledo Athletic Department.  

The all-day music fest will be headlined by Bret Michaels, best known as the frontman for Poison as well as for his “Rock of Love” reality show, winning “Celebrity Apprentice,” and an extensive solo career.  The lineup also includes RATT, Warrant, Winger, Dokken, Lita Ford, Firehouse, and Trixter.   

ROCK THE ARENA takes place Saturday, March 19 at John F. Savage Arena, located on The University of Toledo campus at 2025 North Douglas Road in Toledo, Ohio.  Doors open at 12:30 and music begins at 1:30. 

Tickets starting at $35.50 are on sale at UTROCKETS.com or through the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena.  Currently, only single tickets for the event remain available to the public; however, limited University holds will be released on January 21 and February 5.   

For more information on ROCK THE ARENA and other upcoming SAVAGE LIVE events, please visit UTROCKETS.com or follow the concert series on Twitter and Facebook.

Savage Arena to Host 8-Band Concert on March 19 

Tickets are now available for ROCK THE ARENA which will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Savage Arena. The all-day music fest will be headlined by Bret Michaels, best known as the frontman for Poison as well as for his “Rock of Love” reality show, winning “Celebrity Apprentice,” and an extensive solo career.  The lineup also includes RATT, Warrant, Winger, Lita Ford, Firehouse, L.A. Guns, and Trixter.   

With millions of albums sold, scores of chart-topping hits, and three-generations of fans, this lineup of bands is sure to keep the crowd rockin’ with classics such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “Nothing But A Good Time,” and “Something To Believe In” (Bret Michaels), “Round and Round” (RATT), “Cherry Pie” (Warrant), “Miles Away” (Winger), “Kiss Me Deadly” (Lita Ford), “Love of a Lifetime” (Firehouse), “Never Enough” (L.A. Guns), “One In A Million” (Trixter), and more! 

ROCK THE ARENA takes place Saturday, March 19 at John F. Savage Arena, located on The University of Toledo campus at 2025 North Douglas Road in Toledo, Ohio.  Doors open at 12:30 and music begins at 1:30.  Tickets starting at $35.50 are on sale now and available online at UTROCKETS.com or at the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena.  

For more information on ROCK THE ARENA and other upcoming SAVAGE LIVE events, please visit UTROCKETS.com or follow the concert series on Twitter and Facebook.

Great White Frontman to Play Intimate Acoustic Set at Coda

Executive Chef, and Coda Owner, Dante Boccuzzi announced the next event in the Coda Underground Concert Series will be an acoustic performance by Jack Russell’s Great White on Thursday, March 3 at his Tremont venue.  Great White is best known for legendary hits such as “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me,” and “Save Your Love.”

Jack Russell’s Great White will be the second national act to grace the Coda stage in the venue’s short history; Ed Kowalczyk, founding member of the band Live, performed last month.  

Coda has been a longtime aspiration of Boccuzzi’s, who himself is a musician and avid fan.  “I wanted to create a club right here in Tremont where music is the sole focus,” he said.  

Open Thursday through Monday, Coda provides local musicians and fans with a place to come together to hear great music, with professional sound and lights.  Several times a year, however, Boccuzzi will bring in some of the legends of rock ’n roll, like Russell, to play intimate shows for longtime fans as part of the Coda Underground Concert Series.

“For me, Coda is becoming a dream come true,” Boccuzzi said.  “It enables me to invite all of my lifetime favorite artists for an intimate, up close experience…it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Jack Russell’s Great White Unplugged takes place Saturday, March 3 at Coda, located at 2247 Professor Street in Cleveland.  Tickets include a pre-show dinner at Dante Next Door and start at $85.   VIP packages are $125 and include dinner and the show plus a cocktail party, lanyard, and Meet & Greet.   Tickets are extremely limited - only 60 total will be available - and go on sale Thursday, December 17.

For more information on Coda and upcoming events, please visit danteboccuzzi.com.

Bret Michaels to Headline 8-Band Rock Concert

Savage Arena is about to rock!  The official lineup has been released for the arena rock fest, appropriately named ROCK THE ARENA, which will take place on Saturday, March 19 and will feature more than eight hours of entertainment.  The all-day event will be headlined by Bret Michaels, best known as the frontman for Poison as well as for his “Rock of Love” reality show, winning “Celebrity Apprentice,” and an extensive solo career.  The lineup also includes RATT, Warrant, Winger, Lita Ford, Firehouse, L.A. Guns, and Trixter.  

With millions of albums sold, scores of chart-topping hits, and three-generations of fans, this lineup of bands is sure to keep the crowd rockin’ all day with classics such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “Nothing But A Good Time,” and “Something To Believe In” (Bret Michaels), “Round and Round” (RATT), “Cherry Pie” (Warrant), “Miles Away” (Winger), “Kiss Me Deadly” (Lita Ford), “Love of a Lifetime” (Firehouse), “Never Enough” (L.A. Guns), “One In A Million” (Trixter), and more!

ROCK THE ARENA is part of SAVAGE LIVE, a multi-event concert series recently announced by The University of Toledo.  All events will be open to the public, with discount tickets available to UT students.  

“The goal of SAVAGE LIVE is to bring music and other special events back to our facility,”  University of Toledo Associate Athletic Director Tony Zaworski said.  “Savage Arena has a long history of hosting national acts and we are excited to once again be able to provide those kinds of opportunities for our students and our community.”

ROCK THE ARENA takes place Saturday, March 19 at John F. Savage Arena, located on The University of Toledo campus at 2801 West Bancroft Street in Toledo, Ohio.  Doors open at 12:30 and music begins at 1:30.  Tickets starting at $35.50 go on sale Thursday, December 17 and will be available online at UTRockets.com or at the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena.  Limited student tickets are available with ID for $29 at the ticket office starting Monday, December 14.

For more information on ROCK THE ARENA and other upcoming SAVAGE LIVE events, please visit UTRockets.com.