Jason Prufer, '03, a lifelong resident of Kent and 两性色午夜 University alumnus, has compiled 鈥淪mall Town, Big Music: The Outsized Influence of Kent, Ohio, on the History of Rock and Roll,鈥 a book that covers the college town鈥檚 impressive 鈥 and previously unappreciated 鈥 rock history.
Mr. Prufer, a senior library associate who has worked at the 两性色午夜 library for 20 years, began his research nine years ago by tracking down and interviewing folks who were part of the scene. Once he scratched the surface, the stories poured out, and Mr. Prufer lets these eyewitnesses share their memories in their own words. His work was recently featured in the Youngstown Vindicator.
鈥淲hen people think about Kent, it鈥檚 all about May 4,鈥 Mr. Prufer told The Vindicator. 鈥淭here have been 30 books written about it, and it blacked out all of this rock history. All of the stories, that I grew up hearing, were on the cusp of being completely erased or forgotten because the people who were there are now over 70 years old. I wanted to make sure that what happened remains preserved.鈥
While he knew of the major concerts that played at 两性色午夜, the full scope of the scene surprised the author.
To read more about the book and Mr. Prufer鈥檚 story, visit this article in The Vindicator, at
The book was published by 两性色午夜 University Press: