One of the best parts of this job is getting to hang out with you, the listeners as well as meeting the artists we play everyday in person.

Lat night at The Knight Stage, we did both! It was such a nice evening for great music by these two artists (who both sounded AWESOME) with the best listeners in the area! You helped us raise a lot of money for breast cancer which is a big help to so many people.

Not only that, I have to mention how nice of an evening it was outside for the walk to and from the venue! No cold, blowing winds...it was sunny and warm! Hope to see you next year!

I'll be honest, I'm bothered. Most of my blogs I want to make uplifting and positive, but writing this, I'm irate. Maybe this is a cliché topic or old news to most, but what is going on with access to 76 from downtown Akron? 

Taking a quick step back, our 3rd annual WQMX Think Pink Party for Bosom Buddies was a blast! HunterGirl and Corey Kent were amazing, and alongside the Klaben Auto Stores, we want to thank all our wonderful listeners who came out in support of breast cancer awareness. Check out our socials for all the pictures of this great night! 

Now, heading back home from that for me was a different story. It was awful. 

In the El Camino, I can hardly afford to drive all over as she really sucks down the plus-grade gas with that big V8. So, I figured I'd go straight from The Civic to 76 East and hitch it home. Well, what do you know, 76 East off South Main* said it was closed down for construction. No problem, I thought; I'll just head west and turn around at the next exit.

So that's what I attempted to do, and wouldn't you know it, that eastbound on-ramp was closed too! Wonderful. With the way that area was, I couldn't seem to just jump back on westbound to hit up the next off-ramp, so I took the backroads going that way (further west) instead. Eventually, cruising up to the area of the next exit, I noticed that ramp was closed too....

You've got to be kidding me here. 

Then, of course, I got all mixed up in that unfamiliar area with no directions and a dead phone battery. I tried following the detour signs, but they were just for the certain neighborhood streets and not the highway, and that messed me up even worse. I somehow went all the way to the Kenmore Boulevard looking for any plausible route before I surrendered and turned around. I back tracked all the way to South Main where I then continued running the back roads going east, parallel to the interstate. It wasn't until Kelly Avenue that I could find my way on to 76, and at that point I was ready to scream. I'm still so frustrated.

I must ask; how can they close down three* consecutive on-ramps like that? Doing so eliminates access for a huge radius of traffic and inconveniences lots of folks daily. My fifteen minute commute took every bit of forty-five minutes and then some. For that, I'm still irate. 

I was already up well past my bedtime, then there's this nonsense and I'm all amped up. Catching any shut eye before working the third shift went right out the window. Even before, it was a nightmare for me on the way to the show with the ATM glitching for a long time while my card was in the machine, alongside some other issues. And don't even get me started on the amount of expensive fuel I wasted. Oh, and my hubcap went flying into the ditch after I hit a nasty Akron pothole; so I had to stop and look for that as well when I should have been asleep. Hopefully my truck's alright.

My heart goes out to everyone who lives in that area and has to deal with the metaphorical middle-finger from whoever's responsible for what's going on with 76. To cut off access to practically the entire west-central half of the city is not cool. Then, of course, there's the issue with 76 to 77 South at the Central Interchange, but at least I can run up north by the University and turn around there, as these things should go at the minimum. I'm pretty sure 77 South to 224 is still shut off too, after all this time! It's totally out of hand with these Akron highway projects, and I just want to know why. 

I'm typically an easy-going individual, but I'm still bothered. Good music always helps better my mood, so I'll leave you off with a song that sort-of relates, below. Thanks for reading! 

*Update: I'm pretty sure South Main to 76 East is NOT closed. The signage suggested otherwise, I thought. Looking at the maps online, though, it appears open. My GPS tried to take me that way initially, too, before my phone died. Surely I read it wrong. You already know I'm going to go back and find out exactly where the disconnect was, though. Stay posted! 

Box Office Results - Planet Of The Apes  -  (57 million)

#2 – Fall Guy (14 Million)

#3 - Challengers (5 million)

New This Week –  If / The Strangers – Chapter 1 / Back To Black

NBC - Is Celebrating Jimmy Fallon ten years on the Tonight Show

Tim McGraw - Will star in an untitled drama series set in the world of competitive bull riding at Netflix

Double - The second season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut August 29th on Amazon Prime Video.

BOOM - The sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will hits theaters on December 5th, 2025

Happy Gilmore 2 - Is going to happen n Netflix with Adam Sandler

My -  Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Also - 50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 – Today #31 (Link)

If you missed the Northern Lights spectacle over this past weekend, don't fret. I know a lot of people felt some FOMO and disappointment Saturday when the internet became flooded with pictures, but hear this: it wasn't like they're portraying it. 

Some of these pictures are making it seem like the Aurora Borealis in the movie Brother Bear. If you don't get that reference, essentially, these photos show a vividly tie-dyed multicolored mystical canvas in the night sky. But it wasn't like that at all. Instead, those crazy snapshots were simply the result of camera effects from advanced smartphones. 

In actuality, the Northen Lights were dim and relatively dull. They're amazing, but if you had the expectation that they'd appear just like they do in these photos, you'd be totally underwhelmed. 

So, don't beat yourself up so bad if you missed them! If you have to use your phone to get a good look at them either way, I don't care who's taking the shot. 

And for some reason, I feel like this phone camera method detaches oneself from the experience. It's somehow different from using a telescope to see a planet, for example. I don't know; maybe that's just me, but it's like being at a concert and watching the big screen because you're so far away from the stage. It just feels like there's less of an impact. 

The Northen Lights are undoubtably cool, however you see them. As your Overnight host here on WQMX, I'll be sure to keep you informed on all such things after dark. Thanks for listening day and night! 

By the way, did you hear about the new Lainey Wilson Album? It's called Whirlwind, and she just dropped a second track off it, after Country's Cool Again. This one's Hang Tight Honey, and you can give it a listen below! Don't forget, Lainey's hitting the stage at The Country Fest 2024 here in less than one month. I can't wait, and hopefully we'll see you there! 

Big props to Jelly Roll! He just completed a 5K race that he has been training for. That is quite an accomplishment! 

Not only that, but in the process he lost another 50 pounds in his weight loss journey! Which is totally amazing! Of course his biggest chearleader was his wife Bunnie XO. Maybe now that he has completed that one, let's get him to sign up for our 5K race this Fall! What do you think?!

Taking a look at new releases that are available today and coming soon!

New singles available now:

Thomas Rhett "Beautiful As You"
Post Malone with Morgan Wallen "I Had Some Help"
Blessing Offor, Dolly Parton "Somebody's Child"
Carly Pearce "Fault Line"
Mitchell Tenpenny "Not Today"
Chase Rice "Fireside"
The War & Treaty "Leads Me Home"
Kylie Morgan "Scratching The Surface" (mama's song)
Avery Anna "Blonde"
Kassi Ashton "Called Crazy"
Tigirlily Gold "Leroy"
Drake White "10 Lbs of S#!T"

Coming on 5/16: 

Luke Combs “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma”

New albums available today: 

Scotty McCreery "Rise & Fall"
Brian Kelley "Tennessee Truth"
Lily Rose "Runnin' Outta of Time" EP
Orville Peck "Stampede Vol. 1"
Wade Bowen "Flyin'"

New albums coming soon:

5/31:
Travis Denning "Roads That Go Nowhere"
Willie Nelson "The Border" 
Kameron Marlowe "Keepin' The Lights On" 
Shaboozey "Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going"
Kelsey Hart "Life With You" 
Terri Clark "Take Two"

6/7:
Carly Pearce "hummingbird" 
Tracy Lawrence "Out Here In It" EP 
Matt Stell "Born Lonely" Debut Album 

6/21:
Petty Country A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty 

7/12:
Megan Moroney "Am I Okay?"

7/19:
Koe Wetzel "9 Lives"

7/26:
Tigirlily Gold "BLONDE" Debut Album

8/16:
Morgan Wade "Obsessed"

8/23:
Lainey Wilson "Whirlwind"

TBA: 
George Strait "Cowboys and Dreamers"

Happy listening! -Cherise, WQMX Music Director

...one week since I got my Hank! 

You see what I'm going for there? You know that Barenaked Ladies song? 

I'm corny, I know! 

Really, it has been one week since I've brought home my bloodhound puppy, Hank. I love him, and he's doing great! It's been a totally new experience for me to take on such a responsibility, and I think I'm doing alright. 

Hank is definitely a little ball of energy, and I can hardly keep up! Although he's pretty much always got someone at home with him, we're learning a little break within his crate can be a good thing, mutually. He calms down quickly, and I can secure a powernap. Aside from that, we do everything together.

Hank's been running errands with me and melting hearts along the way. He's a good boy in the car, but he's not great at shifting gears. He sure tries! I said, "Hank, you're going to make me go back to an automatic, huh?" Dude just wants to get all up in my business and I only have so many hands. One stays on the wheel, then one is split between his squirely butt and my shift knob. His leash buckles into the seatbelt, though, so at least I don't have to worry about him trying to exit the vehicle. 

Potty-training is going well, for the most part. He's still having some accidents, but he's learning! We're still nailing down what schedule works best for him when it comes to food and water and going outside. Prior to Hank, outside of work, my life was pretty spontaneous. I'm adjusting. 

That's about it. We had to pull a tick off of him yesterday, and that wasn't fun for anyone. Oh, and he is still not loving the leash taking walks. 

We'll get there! 

We have brand new music tonight that we are featuring today on WQMX. It's from Post Malone & Morgan Wallen called "I Had Some Help".

Coming up tonight at 9, it'll be your chance to tell me if we should keep the song or kick it out of a window! Listen to the song in its entirety and then vote at 330-370-2000 by phone call or text. Listen for the results at 9:50 tonight!

Let's hear what you think of the music!!

Bank For Hank Blood Drive til 6pm tonight at 501 West Market Street in Akron at American Red Cross HQ..   

Everyone who presents to donate will be entered for Neon Nights Passes!

 

 

 

 

 

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Here are my articles this week from WQMX.com in case you missed any of them.  Grab an coffee and earbuds and let's get you caught up!

Another May, Another Year!

Eat Of The Week

50 Most Important Country Songs 1980-Today #31

Forgotten Jukebox L-89

CMML - Lorrie Morgan - (Revisit)

Wynn At The Movies And More