A Slippery Rock University music instructor and alumnus was among the invited guests at a ceremony to unveil the naming of a street in New York City in honor of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. John Anthony, ’10, an SRU instructor of music, was recognized for his work with TeachRock by Experience Hendrix, the family-owned company that manages the Hendrix estate, June 10, as a street was officially renamed “Jimi Hendrix Way.”

The street in front of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland recording studio will be renamed after the legendary guitar player, and local educator and Vindys’ guitarist John Anthony will be a part of the festivities.

In the school of rock, John Anthony is a teacher. His latest lesson – about Jimi Hendrix – will be taught to students across the country. The course will get a very public kickoff in New York City next week, and Anthony will be part of the event. 

Austintown Local Schools rock band instructor John Anthony will be recognized at the official unveiling of Jimi Hendrix Way in New York City next week.

The lesson was co-developed with educator and musician John Anthony and features exclusive archival footage and expert interviews provided by Experience Hendrix, L.L.C., including Hendrix’s iconic 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival performance.

This was my first Vindys show and the crowd around me had started filling me in on what to expect: “Jackie is insane on stage, she moves around A LOT. They are going to have you grooving. You are in for a treat and you are going to love them.”

Earlier in the day, The Vindys, out of Youngstown, Ohio with their powerhouse vocalist Jackie Popovec, will fill Parkway Field with their blend of rock, soul and pop.

This year's Main Stage headliner is OK Go. The lineup there also includes Old 97’s and The Fixx, with The Vindys performing earlier in the day.

Co-developed with educator and musician John Anthony, it features exclusive archival footage from Experience Hendrix, L.L.C., including Hendrix’s iconic 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival performance.

The band’s recent release of “Trap Door” has a run-time of 41 minutes with 10 tracks. Popovec said this album has been in the works since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had not written these songs in a two-to-three hour, two-to-three week span like most people usually do. Instead, I was writing these one at a time, working on them maybe for months before I thought they were good,” Popvec said. 

The Vindys have now been around for 12 years. Youngstown’s popular rock band has played from coast to coast, and border to border. Friday will be a big day for The Vindys. The band will be releasing its third album.

The songs on The Vindys’ upcoming album, “Trap Door,” sound big. Each has a full-bodied arrangement that makes every moment count. 

Jackie Popovec can’t wait to open the “Trap Door.”

It’s not just students at Austintown Fitch High School who are benefiting from the teaching of John Anthony.

Then came The Vindys singer Jackie Popovec, who singlehandedly boosted the evening energy level into the stratosphere.

Dressed in a Bob Dylan jacket and oozing attitude from the stage, the incredibly talented vocal powerhouse turned in a jaw-dropping, soulful performance of the bluesy, string-driven “Everything.”

This was followed by the rocking “No Hard Feelings.” After strutting around the stage with her hair flying, Popovec punctuated the soulful tune with a Janis Joplin-howl that is still seamlessly echoing in the rafters. Wow.

During his visit to the Cardinals, Anthony collaborated directly with band members, offering tips on performance, musicianship and what he thinks it takes to succeed in today's music industry.

The band recently released their new single “Black Magic,” inspired by the film “Practical Magic“, a longtime favorite of frontwoman, songwriter, and guitarist Jackie Popovec.

A multi-genre Youngstown, Ohio, band who last year played with Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, toured with rocker Pat Benatar and her husband/guitarist Neil Geraldo in 2024 — which speaks to the breadth of its abilities — then played a headline show on Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks. "A favorite of mine" — especially singer Jackie Popovec — Brogan said.

The Vindys features musicians from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, who create eclectic song arrangements with front woman Jackie Popovec at the helm. We instantly loved the vibe of this indy band with Popovec sporting a retro satin logo jacket and cat-eyed glasses that reminded us of the ‘pink ladies’ from the movie Grease, and a neon sign reflecting their logo instead of your standard stage backdrop, her charisma shined through instantly.