NEO Rewind Series Vanity Crash Presents Our Day Will Come: NEO Women Rock
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Friday, Mar 13, 2026 8pm
Location
The Knight Stage
182 S Main St
Details
Our Day Will Come Celebrates Legendary women rock artists through the years from Cleveland and Akron, presented by Thomas Mulready and Vanity Crash.
From The Poni-Tails to the Pretenders; from Ruby and the Romantics to Tracy Chapman and beyond; this original presentation hosted by Thomas Mulready and Vanity Crash honors women rockers through the years from Northeast Ohio with interviews, testimonials, live original music and historic covers by area female artists and women-led bands.
It's no secret that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders hails from Akron, Ohio. Fewer people are aware that Tracy Chapman, who's hit song "Fast Car" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1988 and #1 on the Country charts in 2023, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
But it turns out there's more to the story of rock & roll women from Cleveland and Akron. The Poni-Tails, an all-girl trio from Cleveland suburb Lyndhurst, Ohio, hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. And that's not all. In 1963, Ruby and The Romantics, an all-black R&B group from Akron, Ohio, fronted by Ruby Nash, scored several pop & R&B hits, topped by the #1 hit, "Our Day Will Come," later covered by Amy Winehouse and released just following her passing. The Secrets, an all-girl group from Cleveland, Ohio, took their hit, "The Boy Next Door," all the way to #18.
And the list of female rock & rollers from Northeast Ohio goes on and on. Debbie Smith
and Sue Schmidt formed The Poor Girls while attending Firestone High School in Akron in 1963, and before graduating had opened shows for The Who, Cream, and Steppenwolf, then went on to form Cinderella's Revenge with the legendary Peter Laughner, before touring the US as post-punk pioneers Chi-Pig. Another Firestone alum, Chrissie Hynde, spent her formative years on the fringe of the music scene in Akron and Cleveland before decamping for England to form the Pretenders. Akron-based The Waitresses were fronted by singer Patty Donahue and hit #23 on Billboard with "I Know What Boys Like,” while “Christmas Wrapping” is now a holiday perennial.
Through a series of live music events and exclusive interviews, Thomas Mulready presents the story of the region’s female artists and women-led bands who made an impact on rock & roll. The live show presents interviews with some of the legendary figures who achieved success in their heyday from the 1950s through the 1980s, along with others who observed the scene.
The live shows will also feature area women-led ensembles and solo artists from Akron & Cleveland will perform some of the hits that their predecessors made famous, along with a selection of their own original songs, soon destined for history. A second set each night will feature live original music by musical hosts, Cleveland's glam punk heroes, Vanity Crash. In addition, the show will highlight some of the many women who worked in the rock industry in the region, specifically DJs, photographers, and journalists.
