Author David Giffels, who has written seven books, primarily focused on life and culture in Ohio, is out with book number eight; a new, and deeper look at the '70's era, Akron-based New Wave rock band, DEVO.

As you'll hear in the following interview with WAKR Morning Show Host, Ray Horner, "The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio", was just released this month, and is a new exploration of material he and his co-author, Jade Dellinger, first mined in their 2003 (now out of print), book: "Are We Not Men? We Are Devo!"

In his new book, Giffels explains how the band labored long under the radar in Akron, honing their craft, trying to find places to play their decidedly "noncommercial" music (at least at the time), and really came to an inflection point that sparked a new level of creativity, after the May 4, 1970 National Guard shooting at Kent State that left four students dead, and nine wounded during an anti Vietnam War protest.

Find out how and why that dark moment in US history mattered, mesmerized, and transformed the band most people recognize by the colorful red plastic flowerpots they wore on their heads in the wild and crazy video for their hit song, "Whip It".

If you'd like to see Giffels and Dellinger in person, and have the chance to hear them talk about their new book; you can do so next week.

They're doing.a book launch event at the Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Branch, at 7:00PM on Monday October 24, and they're making a presentation on how the band was influenced by the May 4 shootings, at Kent State University's May 4 Visitors Center, at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, October 24.

Author, University of Akron English Professor, and former Akron Beacon Journal Columnist, David Giffels

Akron police say they took a 23 year old man into custody in connection with a shooting at about 4:45PM Wednesday afternoon, near the Stop And Go Mini Mart in the 1200 block of Diagonal Road, which left a 27 year old man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.

However, though they say it appears the shooting was the result of a prior argument between the men; they say the incident is still under investigation, and they have not actually arrested anyone yet.

Then, at 12:10AM Thursday, they found a 42 year old man with gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Rubber City Lounge in the 400 block of N. Main Street.

He was taken to the hospital, and is now in critical condition.

Police say witnesses inside the bar said they heard multiple gunshots, but that police investigators do not know yet who fired them.

In Canton, the Hall of Fame village is preparing for the cold with tickets for their Winter Blitz festival going on sale tomorrow.

The Winter Blitz which debuted last year, will run from Dec. 8th through Jan. 15th and feature a variety of attractions each weekend including, the Touchdown Tubing Hill, the Igloo Village Field Experience, Campfire Cocoas, and the Spirit of the Season 5k. 

For more information and to purchase your tickets you can visit https://www.hofvillage.com/p/play/winterblitz