PorchRokr Festival 2017

Highland Square has always been renowned for its role as a home for Akron’s local arts and music scene. In addition to music venues and tons of events geared toward the community, Highland Square hosts the PorchRokr festival every year. The PorchRokr festival is exactly what it sounds like: all over the neighborhood, people open their porches for local musicians to use as stages. From each street come melodies, applause, and vendors serving an audience.

This year, the annual music festival hosted nearly 130 bands that ranged in genres from folk to jazz to celtic music to “electric soul”. Vendors selling food and artisanal products lined the streets, for people to enjoy while listening to local artists.

We spoke with some of the bands who performed at the PorchRokr festival this year. One such band was Modem, a punk rock band from Kent.

Following their heavy, energetic, entertaining set, we had a chance to speak with the band. This was their first time performing at the Porchrokr Festival.

They told us, “This is awesome because there’s a lot of people who don’t go out and see shows… it’s really diverse”

Much like many of the other bands, as well as fans, they said that the PorchRokr festival was an awesome time. We also spoke to Axon-Neuron, a progressive rock band from Akron. They told us about their inspirations, and their experience playing at the PorchRokr Festival for the past three years. As a six-peice band, all of which are professionals, they boast an interesting blend of jazz, metal, and elements of classical music. They told us, “At Porch Rockr, anyone can wander by and check out the music and be exposed to something they wouldn’t have otherwise thought to try.” This was an aspect of the festival that they enjoyed.
For the past six years, neighbors have offered their porches to Akron’s diverse music scene and an event that has become a summer highlight for many people. The PorchRokr Festival acts as an opportunity for locals, vendors, restaurants, musicians, and anybody with anything to offer, to open their doors and celebrate Highland Square.