Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:

• Lit Youngstown will mark its first decade with what organizers are calling an “(un)gala.”

For an organization devoted to promoting writers and the written word, it should be no surprise that the evening will include readings by Youngstown natives Allison Pitnii Davis, Cherise Benton, Dante DelBene and Jimmy Sutman. Terry Murko, Bill Mullane and Phil Brady will read works by important local literary figures.

Those attending are encouraged to come dressed as literary villains or however they would like to commemorate 10 years and the literary legacy of Youngstown. Lori Factor and W. Rick Schilling will judge the costume contest.

There will be music by Katherine O’Neill, food and desserts, cocktails and mocktails and a basket raffle.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Youngstown. Individual tickets are $45 if purchased by Jan. 25, and tables seating eight people can be reserved for $280. Admission at the door is $55. For more information go to lityoungstown.org.

• A little over a year ago, I wrote about Youngstown native Bob George, cofounder of the ARChive of Contemporary Music.

Currently located in Hyde Park, N.Y., the ARChive has a collection of more than 3 million sound recordings (2,500 signed by the artists who made them), 30,000 music books and millions of pieces of supporting material (posters, fliers, press kits, sheet music, etc.). It has records the Library of Congress doesn’t.

The story was about George’s search for a new home for the venue, one that would be able to be open to the public (the current location is in an area zoned agricultural).

Based on ARC’s year-end email, a new location should be announced soon.

The lead item in the email states, “First, and most importantly, we’ll be moving to our 24,000 square foot new home in upstate New York in the new year. Soon to be The Center for Popular Music. Details to follow when all the lawyers are smiling.”

It’s great the collection will be preserved, and the name change hints that it will be an archive accessible to the general public. It’s the kind of place I’d take a road trip to visit.

The only concerning item is that George said in 2023 that they were looking for a 100,000-square-foot building, and the proposed site is far smaller than that.

• No column last week because I was fighting a cold / sinus infection. I rang in the New Year lying in bed and binging the entire first season of “Shrinking” on AppleTV+ on my laptop. Season two was finished by Friday. (great show, highly recommend).

Since I didn’t have a column, I didn’t get a chance to correct an error in my year-end column. While Khaled Tabbara (Khaledzou) and Katiianne Timko-Tabbara (K808) were at Westside Bowl for Red Wanting Blue’s 2024 gig and joined the band for a song, their group MUNNYCAT did not open.

Maybe instead of a mistake, it was just a premonition that I’d be seeing them at Westside Bowl soon. Summit FM program director Brad Savage is turning his birthday into a three-day, three-city music celebration that will include a Feb. 22 Westside Bowl show with MUNNYCAT (based in southern California), Demos Papadimas and Ohayo. Canfield native JD Eicher is playing the Akron show the night before at the Rialto Theatre with Megan Bee and Katy Robinson, and the weekend ends Feb. 23 at Music Box Supper Club in Cleveland with Marc Lee Shannon and Kristine Jackson. Youngstown tickets are $12 in advance through Eventbrite and $15 at the door.

Andy Gray is the entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@tribtoday.com