For the past eight years, Jason Prufer has worked on
Small Town, Big Music: The Outsized Influence of Kent, Ohio, a book about Kent's music scene.
He's just completed the book, which is due out in early January. It includes a forward written by James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh.
Drawing on previously published concert reviews and firsthand accounts, Prufer shows how Kent embraced acts such as Pink Floyd, the Clash, the Replacements and Bruce Springsteen early in their careers.
“From back stages, hotel rooms, and the saloons of Kent, readers will travel back in time to the great rockin’ nights hosted in this small town,” reads a press release announcing that the 216-page book is finally in production.
Prufer, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Kent State University, has worked at the Kent State University Library for nearly 20 years. He’s also written the
Free Times,
Kent Patch, and numerous blogs and has spent the last several years as the publicist and social media manager for the Numbers Band.