Mall, but what
we
call the Shenango Valley
Hall.
It is one row. There was a north wing that had an arcade that I used to go to when I was a kid, the same one Trent used to go to. That wing is closed now. That place is hell. Our area is comprised of the East Park Mall and the Southern Park Mall—those are the two big ones. The Shenango Valley Mall is where everyone else goes because they’re too far away to go to the good malls.
Within driving distance of the mall, you’ve got three types of people. You’ve got the really ritzy people down by the golf course. Then you’ve got people from Sharon and Farrell, the ghetto. It’s gangster over there. It’s worse than Youngstown, Farrell. Then there’s Fredonia and Mercer—that’s the country. If you were to take an hour, you could hit all these areas in one big run. Mercer County, where Trent’s from, is another universe. The people who listen to Pink Floyd like Trent did and the people who love the music I listened to when I was in the mall are few and far between. Mercer people love their country, and they love their rap. Rascal Flatts and Nelly—it’s all just pop.
Our area is a cultural shock. There is nothing defining us. We were defined by our televisions, by the radio. They ain’t fucking kidding about Ohio, we’re “the heart of it all.” We just take what they give us, and pump it back out. You look around here and think, What am I going to do, am I going to own Goldstar Home Improvements? Am I going to own a coffee shop? Am I going to be a rock star in Youngstown? No.
When I was little, I had no hope. I thought Hubbard, Ohio, and Sharon, Pennsylvania, would be it for me. Ithought I’d be living here forever. Then I thought I was going to be this gigantic celebrity. I thought I had the entire world at my fingertips. I didn’t. My band opened for King’s X in Cleveland, and that was the high point. Now I’ve never felt the doors as wide open as they are because I let go of all the preconceived notions I had. Now I want to connect with the world like Trent did, whether it’s through music, writing, acting, whatever. I want to find what makes me unique, which is what he did. And I thank him for that.
Kinda I Want To
Michael, 35, Youngstown, Ohio
Michael is a supplier who often came into my mom’s office wearing a NIN shirt. My mom asked him whether he was a serious fan, and eventually his contact information was passed on to me.
We met up at a coffee shop on a commercial strip between my neighborhood and the adjacent, upscale neighborhood of Canfield.
Remember when
E.T.
came out? I was little then, and parents got me a Speak & Spell for Christmas. First thing I did was get my dad’s screwdriver and open it up. “How does this thing talk, man?” Electronics have been the theme of my life.
I was totally different from the kids who went to Poland High School. There was nobody who was into any kind of self-expression, bands, art, or anything like that. They’d bring me into the guidance office and say, “Junior year’s coming up. Go to the vocational school. They have some good programs there.” I’d say, “No, not interested. Next year I’mgoing to take advanced calculus!” I drove them nuts because I wore Metallica and Iron Maiden shirts, had long hair, and only went to school when I wanted to.
I had
ultra
-conservative parents. They didn’t react to me very well.
I moved out of my house when I was 18 and went to Youngstown State University. I tried to self-finance that while working at bars and odd jobs. I thought I would go into electrical engineering, but I took a couple of psychology and philosophy courses and liked that more. Education was important to me, but it came to a point where I couldn’t afford it. Also, I had the revelation that I could go to the library and learn anything I wanted to for free.
I began to manage a BP gas station in Canfield, and a guy I knew who was a drummer came in. He said there was an electrical
we
call the Shenango Valley
Hall.
It is one row. There was a north wing that had an arcade that I used to go to when I was a kid, the same one Trent used to go to. That wing is closed now. That place is hell. Our area is comprised of the East Park Mall and the Southern Park Mall—those are the two big ones. The Shenango Valley Mall is where everyone else goes because they’re too far away to go to the good malls.
Within driving distance of the mall, you’ve got three types of people. You’ve got the really ritzy people down by the golf course. Then you’ve got people from Sharon and Farrell, the ghetto. It’s gangster over there. It’s worse than Youngstown, Farrell. Then there’s Fredonia and Mercer—that’s the country. If you were to take an hour, you could hit all these areas in one big run. Mercer County, where Trent’s from, is another universe. The people who listen to Pink Floyd like Trent did and the people who love the music I listened to when I was in the mall are few and far between. Mercer people love their country, and they love their rap. Rascal Flatts and Nelly—it’s all just pop.
Our area is a cultural shock. There is nothing defining us. We were defined by our televisions, by the radio. They ain’t fucking kidding about Ohio, we’re “the heart of it all.” We just take what they give us, and pump it back out. You look around here and think, What am I going to do, am I going to own Goldstar Home Improvements? Am I going to own a coffee shop? Am I going to be a rock star in Youngstown? No.
When I was little, I had no hope. I thought Hubbard, Ohio, and Sharon, Pennsylvania, would be it for me. Ithought I’d be living here forever. Then I thought I was going to be this gigantic celebrity. I thought I had the entire world at my fingertips. I didn’t. My band opened for King’s X in Cleveland, and that was the high point. Now I’ve never felt the doors as wide open as they are because I let go of all the preconceived notions I had. Now I want to connect with the world like Trent did, whether it’s through music, writing, acting, whatever. I want to find what makes me unique, which is what he did. And I thank him for that.
Kinda I Want To
Michael, 35, Youngstown, Ohio
Michael is a supplier who often came into my mom’s office wearing a NIN shirt. My mom asked him whether he was a serious fan, and eventually his contact information was passed on to me.
We met up at a coffee shop on a commercial strip between my neighborhood and the adjacent, upscale neighborhood of Canfield.
Remember when
E.T.
came out? I was little then, and parents got me a Speak & Spell for Christmas. First thing I did was get my dad’s screwdriver and open it up. “How does this thing talk, man?” Electronics have been the theme of my life.
I was totally different from the kids who went to Poland High School. There was nobody who was into any kind of self-expression, bands, art, or anything like that. They’d bring me into the guidance office and say, “Junior year’s coming up. Go to the vocational school. They have some good programs there.” I’d say, “No, not interested. Next year I’mgoing to take advanced calculus!” I drove them nuts because I wore Metallica and Iron Maiden shirts, had long hair, and only went to school when I wanted to.
I had
ultra
-conservative parents. They didn’t react to me very well.
I moved out of my house when I was 18 and went to Youngstown State University. I tried to self-finance that while working at bars and odd jobs. I thought I would go into electrical engineering, but I took a couple of psychology and philosophy courses and liked that more. Education was important to me, but it came to a point where I couldn’t afford it. Also, I had the revelation that I could go to the library and learn anything I wanted to for free.
I began to manage a BP gas station in Canfield, and a guy I knew who was a drummer came in. He said there was an electrical
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