![Akron's popular annual PorchRokr festival has been adapted to a virtual format in light of the coronavirus pandemic. [Highland Square PorchRoker Music and Art Festival]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e244143/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1523+0+0/resize/840x624!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2020%2F08%2F902180078_100287431.jpg)
The popular Highland Square PorchRokr Music and Art Festival, celebrated annually during August in Akron, has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, it's being reimagined this year as a virtual event called CouchRokr. The concert will be available to view on Facebook starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The festival traditionally features vendors, a beer garden, activities and more than 100 performers playing music on house porches across Highland Square. The virtual event will still spotlight the West Akron neighborhood, with 12 Northeast Ohio musicians performing filmed sets across six Highland Square locations.
The local businesses that opened their doors to provide performers a place to play include Oakdale House, Square Records, Annabell’s Bar & Lounge, Yoga Squared, Mustard Seed Market & Cafe and Zen Space by Yoga Squared.
Each set was filmed in advance by Alternative Attic, a film crew that works to provide a platform for musicians in the Akron area with an online music video series and recurring events.
Viewers can kick off the event by participating in online Zoom yoga with Yoga Squared at 11 a.m. Saturday. After the performances, there will be a virtual Zoom dance party, with DJ Vinny G and Precious, from 8-10 p.m.
WKSU Shuffle Producer Brittany Nader helps you plan your viewing of the concert from the comfort of home with these picks — and an accompanying Spotify playlist of standout tracks from each CouchRokr performer:
Genre: Original, acidic jazz funk
Members: Cameron Bickley, Tommy Lehman, Justin Tibbs, SmokeFace, Andru Dennis
Genre: Acoustic emo
Members: Eddie Gancos
Hear WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz’s Shuffle interview with Gancos
Genre: Retro, garage-rock supergroup
Members: Benjamin Patrick, Jeri Sapronetti, Samantha Grace, Justin Tibbs, Robert Keith, Nate Bucher
Genre: Instrumental surf thrash-rock
Members: Dave Rich, Andrew Rich, Anne Lillis
Hear WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz’s Shuffle interview with Rich
Genre: Punk, the original “Akron sound”
Members: Nick Nicholis, Don Parkins, Jerry Parkins, Martyn Flunoy
Genre: Youthful rock ‘n’ roll
Members: Luke Konopka, Elliott Carter, Evan Cox, Fritz Dannemiller
Genre: Hip-hop
Members: HR3, Floco Torres
Genre: Soulful blues-rock
Members: Hayden Gilbert, Ben Gravatt, John BonTempo
Genre: Dynamic hip-hop
Members: Luminari, Styxx, Reo Dinero, SMOKEFACE, Lou
Hear WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz Shuffle interview with Luminari and Styxx
Genre: “Future-past” indie rock
Members: Justin Seeker, Joel McAdams, Michael Voris, Joshua Weiss
Hear WKSU’s Amanda Rabinowitz Shuffle interview with Seeker and Weiss
Genre: Rock ‘n’ roll
Members: Jeri Sapronetti, Jammin Sam, Colten Huffman
Genre: Soulful pop-rock
Members: Zach Friedhof, Neil Keating, Charlie Trenta, Michael Marotta, Drew Thornberry
Hear WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia’s Shuffle interview with Friedhof
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