LEXINGTON, KY - The Rock and Romp program that has seen success in other US cities such as Memphis, Boston, Philadelphia and Austin is on its way to Lexington to make a splash. This unique music/entertainment program allows local bands to perform daytime shows to audiences that include adults and their children. It represents not only a developmental and promotional platform for local musicians but also allows them to contribute to the community while providing a social outlet for Lexington's youth. Young people from all ages finally have a chance to mingle with their friends while also taking in some of the city's best homegrown talentÖ.without even having to go to the mall.
Neil Bell and his wife Sarah are working diligently to assure that the Lexington chapter of Rock and Romp is a success. The first show will be held at Al's Bar on March 20th and will feature local bands Tula and Fanged Robot. While Rock and Romp's main objective is providing fun, it also serves as a much needed launching platform for the future of the Lexington music and entertainment scene.
"I definitely believe this program is an investment in the community," he said. Young people who become plugged into the music scene at an early age will eventually become the driving forces behind the local entertainment business and will be instrumental in its much needed growth.
There has been an ever-escalating sentiment locally about the inherent lack of diverse music and entertainment options for Lexington's young professionals. The issue, while having a seemingly small impact on the city's economic concerns in the eyes of some, is central in attracting and keeping those young professionals that are vital to Lexington's development and overall vibrancy. Rock and Romp aims to be only one of many programs that will address and contribute to improvements regarding this issue.
The Bells and everyone involved are also making it a priority to include bands made of local high school age members as it helps them gather the much needed experience and exposure needed to become eventual players in the local music scene. For many youngsters, these events will provide opportunities for possible eureka moments when they realize that they can contribute to the local entertainment landscape by making music themselves.
"A lot of younger people think that music is created magically in a lab somewhere," he said. Neil Bell insists that many at that age do not realize all the blood, sweat, tears as well as the financial and logistical challenges involved in performing in a band.
Rock and Romp exists in order to give both adults and their children the chance to enjoy indigenous sounds from our town's own backyards, basements and garages. However, these events are not merely kid sing-a-long excursions. This is the same music that parents - especially younger ones - would seek out to hear themselves with the occasional kid song cover thrown in for good measure. The bands and musicians will often cater to the younger listeners without recycling the goofy vibes of Barney the Dinosaur and The Disney Channel, though Rock and Roll is still the order of the day.
The spirit of the program also hints at the growing consciousness and newfound desire amongst the local music community to become vested in each other's interests regarding both their art and their enterprise. Lexington Rock and Romp seeks to represent all parties involved including the musicians, venue owners and even parents themselves. It is always a positive when flag-bearers of the local scene strengthen ties while forming new bonds. According to Bell, "everybody gets something out of it," and that exposure of the Lexington's youth to this program certainly has an "impact on their lives," he said. Hopefully this impact will affect the future of the local music and entertainment business and provide results both creative and prosperous.
A small $5 donation is asked when attending the Rock and Romp events which will ultimately go towards covering the various expenses required to hold the festivities. To preserve the integrity of the events, attendees must be accompanied by a young person. Summer will also bring on the possibility of outdoor events. The initial goal is to hold Rock and Romp events on at least a bi-monthly basis.
"If this program gets wings, I envision many bands wanting to jump aboard," Bell said. "There is nothing but good that can come from it." Lexington's Romp and Rock program is poised to have positive influences on our youth, our working bands, music loving parents and hopefully the face of our city's ever-important music and entertainment enterprise.