Mitch Karczewski, owner of Lorain’s Red Parrot and former owner of the Flying Machine, died Tuesday. Karczewski was a longtime promoter whose Spotlight Talent had worked with Mushroomhead and organized the World Series of Metal festivals. At his passing, he’d been working with all-girl rock group Level C.
His wake will be this Sunday at Golubski Funeral Home (5986 Ridge Rd., Parma). In the meantime, Chris Akin, host of The Classic Metal Show, offered the below memory of Karczewski. Stay tuned to Scene to read more. And if you have any Mitch stories — everybody on the scene does — please post one. — DX Ferris
“Metal Show, who’s this?” the Warlock called out to a call that rang through on the flashing hotline in WMMS’ on-air studio.
“Hey guys! It’s Mitch Karczewski from Spotlight Talent and Anthony from the Agora. We’re down here with Dokken tonight, and could really use the help getting some people here. Could you guys tell people that if they want to see Dokken, they can come down here and get in free?”
The irony of the call hit me on a lot of levels. …

This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2007.

24 replies on “Mitch Karczewski, who owned Lorain’s Red Parrot and Flying Machine, dies”

  1. I myself, regret whole-heartedly to hear about the death of Mitch. He was a great guy, who always seemed to be looking out for the little guy. I’ve been involved in the local Cleveland music scene for over 7 yrs. He has always tried to give the bands I’ve been in (Xero and Erase The Grey) wonderful opportunities to open and headline many great metal and rock shows. He’s never tried to rip us off in any way. He was honest, fair and always willing to go the extra mile to make the best of any show I’ve been involved with. He will be missed dearly and I will make sure that he will be remembered by my band(s) for a long time to come. Long live Mitch!
    -Nate Morgan
    bassist for Xero.

  2. Thank you for the great stories and your support in our time of sadness. It is great to see how Mitch was loved my many and how he affected so many people in positive ways.
    Renae (Mitch’s daughter)

  3. Mitch you were a good, honest and honorable person and always a real friend – not just to myself, but to many others. And a brilliant promoter with a big heart. I will certainly miss you, music and the industry will certainly miss you as well… Godspeed my friend.

  4. Worked with Mitch for about 8 years with Slaves of Society, because of his generosity I have plenty of great stories to tell my grandkids in the future. He made it possible for Slaves of Society and countless other struggling bands to live out dreams most people can only dream of. He will not only be missed by the current generation of metal bands in the area, but future generations as well.

  6. Having met Larry in the early 90’s as helped Pro-Pain, and many times thru the years. Thank you and R.I.P. my friend.
    Pat Egan-Relapse Records

  7. Mitch, thank you for everything……..you gave me some of the greatest memories of my life. You were the “Wise old man on a rock” that I would turn to for guidance…..even though I didn’t always listen. We had many laughs, and I loved to hear the many stories that you had about music, bands, and life in general. If it wasn’t for you, Metal Symphony of Darkness would have never had the opportunities that you gave us. We could have ruled the world together…….but things happen beyond our control. I still can’t believe you are gone, and I called your office twice after I heard the news. You will be in my thoughts untill the day I get to see you again.
    Rest in Peace Mitch,
    Patrick Palumbo (Damian Bonadono)
    P.S. Yes, you were truely “THE KING OF METAL!!”

  8. Thanks to mitch many of the 80’s bands that many have forgotton about came through cleveland many times, Slaughter and Tuff are to name a couple and because of that, I met some good friends and in the end was able to get into the music business ! God Bless you Mitch, You were always a great friend to me and I will never forget that or You.
    You’re Friend,
    Mike

  9. This is definitely sad news. Mitch was one of the few promoters that always went out of his way to get the bands i represented on shows at the Flying Machine when they were coming through. I am truly saddened by this news. He will be missed.
    R.I.P. Mitch

  10. This is definitely sad news. Mitch was one of the few promoters that always went out of his way to get the bands i represented on shows at the Flying Machine when they were coming through. I am truly saddened by this news. He will be missed.
    R.I.P. Mitch

  11. I remember sitting with Mitch @ The Morgion show back in like 2003 @ The Flying Machine.the headliners Morgion wasn’t there he was really pissed off. we were gonna have to play really late like 2 am but then after a little arguing with him I had a talk with him and asked him if we could play at a reasonable time or my band just wanted to drive back to Cincinnati, which I wasn’t gonna let happen, needless to say we got to play at a more decent time, but the show was awful, the sound etc, but somehow talking to Mitch for hours about Mushroomhead on how they fired him @ the signing table in California, I mean this guy had been through it all, he was bitter, but as the time passed he became really kind and funny, you could see that he seemed to be really looking for a friend to just talk to on a down to earth level.
    I will always remember that night, Rest in Peace Mitch, he was also kool enought to put on the world series of Metal, which wasn’t a bad show at all, thanx Mitch.
    ps does anybody know how old Mitch was and what he died from?

  12. I did a show with Mitch 2 days before he passed. I will always have the memory of his smile and laughter that evening. I am truly honored that he gave me an opportunity to host shows at his venue and that he offered support to me in this business.
    I won’t be able to go to Lorain without thinking about Mitch, the stories he shared and his laughter. He will be missed by many.

  13. Mitch, it was so very hard to say goodbye to you tonight. But good to see old friends and re tell our Mitch stories.
    I cannot thank you enough for all the advice you have ever given me. Especially about family. You were my mentor but most importantly a friend. You will be greatly missed. Often imitated but never duplicated, “Uncle” Mitch is the measuring stick for Cleveland music promoters.
    God Bless you and your family.

  14. Mitch, it was so very hard to say goodbye to you tonight. But good to see old friends and re tell our Mitch stories.
    I cannot thank you enough for all the advice you have ever given me. Especially about family. You were my mentor but most importantly a friend. You will be greatly missed. Often imitated but never duplicated, “Uncle” Mitch is the measuring stick for Cleveland music promoters.
    God Bless you and your family.

  15. i can not believe you are gone. i can not believe it will take such a tragic loss for me to finally take your advice, and that will be to take some time off and enjoy my “youth”. i could never have hoped for a more positive and loving friend, and i will always remember all the kind words you spoke of me. i hope you really are on a heavenly beach, and when i take my next long needed vacation (to a beach) i will certainly think of you, although, i will surely be thinking of you more often than that. i thank you for all that you have done for me, and everyone else in the world, and my deepest sympathies are with your many friends and families. you will be missed, but we will all look forward to meeting you again on your heavenly beach. please save a margarita for me 🙂

  16. Mitch was a great guy who indeed did open doors for so many local bands and some of the most memorable stage experiences I had were solely because of Mitch. I was longtime member of the band Theater of Madness (later called Kurai) from Sandusky and played many shows for Mitch as well as worked the door for many shows he brought through our little town. I spent many days on the phone, driving to ticketmaster, making flyers and even picking up Quiet Riot in my ’69 Plymouth only to get in a fight with the singer, all in support of the man that cared enough to give us a chance to shine. God Bless you Mitch!

  17. I am so sorry to hear about this. All I can say is that Mitch ALWAYS treated me with kindness, dignity and respect. He supported me when I got sober and I didn’t yet know my comfort level out at shows (around all the partying and what-not). After a good while sober I made a point of thanking him, he was his humble self and tried not to take any credit. I had my way and thanked him for making me feel safe (I am really glad I got to do so). I loved him for that, I knew Mitch as a friend as well as a promoter – and I appreciated him as a person. I’ll never forget when he gave me a pile of tickets to pass out at my wedding reception so everyone could continue the night at the Flying Machine (my beloved old Chance’s!). All my guests who went there after the wedding had a blast! Mitch hung out with my mom and dad that night for quite a while and they really hit it off. This mutual respect of course gave Mitch the green light to ‘keep an eye on me’ even more than he already did! LOL He always made a point to make his way over to my parents every time he saw them out and to me it just shows how nice and decent he really was… So sad to say it in the past-tense. To Renae, I met you once after you had his grand babies (that he was so proud of and loved so very much). I recently also lost my dad suddenly. All I can tell you is that it really never is the same, but eventually you can breathe again… Just keep him alive in those babies – I know that’s what he would want – He became a different man the day they were born. He made the comment to me that he was happy and his life had come full circle – but when he became a grandpa he never knew joy like that before!!, I saw it in his face, and I am proud to say I also knew Mitch the grandpa! I had my daughter around the same time and he was always happy when I would stop by the Parrot with my kids. My teenage son thought the world of him because he spoke to him like he mattered and was interested in what he had to say. Simply put: Mitch was a nice man and he WILL be missed in many, many ways. Thanks for being my friend for so many years Mitch – and thanks for being proud of me. You were loved. Bless you and yours in the coming days. xoxoxoxoxo

  19. We are very saddened to hear of your loss.
    Mitch was ,and will, remain a legend to many bands around the world. I myself, like so many around the Cleveland area, had the pleasure of working with Mitch when we just started to perform in 1987. He gave us the chance to perform with most every National act that came through town. He was always up for a phone conversation, if you didn’t mind that he was working while working with you on the line. He always pointed us in the right direction in the early days. Though I hadn’t worked with Mitch since 2003, I always seemed to hear his name come up , whenever I caught myself talking about the glory days. A legend, a pinacle, and a true gem off the Cleveland music scene.He will be dearly missed.
    Our Condolences,
    Fatal Charm
    Joey D., Greg Hido, Keny Clark, Jon Pancoast.

  20. My dear friend and a brother you will be missed by so many.I will always remember the times we had. The good and bad shows we promoted together,those crazy people and their antics,those crazy bands and ridcules riders,and the hot chicks.The thing that sticks out the most is your kindness and respect you treated those people. Im sure those bands learned from that.I know I did. My thoughts and prayers to your family.You will always be in my heart and thoughts. Your friend Brian Scott. See ya on the other side.

  21. Wow… what a loss to NE Ohio. Mitch always kept his integrity high. He did what he said he would do and all my dealings with Mitch were 100% professional. He will be missed.

  22. A Tribute To Mitch of Spotlight Talent
    House of Blues Cambridge Room
    Saturday December 29 * Doors at 7pm *Show 8pm
    Tickets: $5.00 in advance All Ages
    Hosted by Chris Aiken; featuring performances by Terry Lee Goffee, Level C, Sugar, Jackie, The Knockouts, The Billy Morris Band, Lipstick (1st Time Reunion), Shane Vain & The Village Vandals & more!
    Mitch was an avid supporter of the Local Music Scene. He promoted every type of music from Rock to Pop, from Metal to Hip-Hop and gave countless local bands the opportunity to open up for National Bands. The bands playing are bands Mitch has worked with in the past – up until the present. This is a Tribute Show to Mitch Karczewski of Spotlight Talent – for all he has done for Local and National Acts in Cleveland for the past 25+ years.
    For more information or to be a part of the event email me at: Loriludeman@livenation.com

  23. Oh Mitch, how could you leave me? I was new to Lorain Ohio. I did not know anybody. I so wanted, and needed a kiss. I took a walk down Broadway in Lorain. The true thought in my head at the time was “I am going out to look for a kiss!” While talkinging to you at your bar, The Red Parret, I asked you if you wanteded to kiss me? You gave me the kiss that changed my life! Plus more! I took you into my world, and showed you all of my love for you. All That I wanted from you was- for me to Love you! Thank you Mitch…. for letting me love you!!!!!

  24. MITCH WE REALLY MISS YOU,AND YOU WERE ALWAYS GOOD TO US IN THE BAND KRAZY -JAYNE.IN THE LATE 90’S YOU GAVE US EVERY CHANCE TO PROVE OURSELVES AND YOU STOOD BE HIND US MITCH AND BELIEVED IN US EVEN AT TIMES WHEN WE DID NOT BELIEVE IN OUR SELVES.THANK YOU MITCH, FOR MAKING US BETTER MUSICIANS,PERFORMER’S,BUT MOST OF ALL,BETTER PEOPLE AND HOW TO BE FAMILY AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.GOD BLESS YOU MITCH,THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO KNOW YOU,EDDIE MORROW -BASSIT-KRAZY-JAYNE

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