Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

January 16th Recap

I think it's pretty safe to say that our second indoor show ever was a smashing success. How nice to have rain in the forecast and not have to worry about it! The staff at the Center for Southern Folklore was really nice and they went out of their way to make sure we felt right at home. With a bar, huge bathrooms, all the tables and chairs we could dream of, and an actual mop and trash guy, we felt absolutely spoiled!

We had no trouble keeping our rompy vibe despite being inside.



Our special guests, the Slomski Brothers, got things started with their modern vaudeville routine. I loved the suits, the fact that their mic stand had cup holders, and the cool sound of that crazy drum. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of these guys in the future.




Next up, we had the Kindergarten Circus, who came from Murfreesboro to play. They were all in their late teens, and this was one of their first live shows. They were awesome and really rocked it.





Once the Circus ended, the Slomski Brothers did another short set. Gustafer Yellowgold was up next and before we could even try and get all the kids settled in front of the stage, we noticed they were all already settled there waiting for Gustafer to get started. It was both awesome and freaky. I think Gustafer's visual aids drew them in.



Morgan Taylor, the man behind Gustafer, did a great job engaging the kids, who were absolutely riveted for his entire 45 minute set.



It was such a treat to have Morgan, his awesome wife, Rachel, and their adorable son, Harvey, in attendance. How awesome is it that a young family gets to make a living making good music? And go on tour?



The Yazoo Shakes closed out the Romp with their high energy performance. I loved seeing three women in one band, playing horns and strings. They were super fun.





And check this out--the kids stuck their heads under the quilt curtain in order to get a better look at the drummer!



When all the music stopped and the 500+ people who came to rock said goodbye, the hardworking, all volunteer staff of Memphis Rock-n-Romp stayed another 45 minutes to clean up. We asked people to recycle their Central BBQ cups, which they did a great job of, but we unexpectedly had a lot of bottles and cans too, which ended up in the trash. Check out our commitment to recycling! Sadly, this isn't an uncommon scene after the show--us digging through the trash. Hopefully next year we can devise a better system.



A final thank you to everyone who made this show so incredible! We could not have done it without the enthusiastic support of the Center City Commission and the generous donations from Central BBQ, The Hunt Phelan, Whole Foods, Bluefin, and The Rendezvous. And an extra special thank you to all of our volunteers!

Allen Elliotte was our substitute photographer and is responsible for all of the lovely photos you see here. View the whole set here. Add yours to our Rock-n-Romp Memphis Flickr pool.

We have a really exciting 2010 season coming up, so stay tuned for details. Our first show will be April 24th at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Mark your calendars!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Countdown to show time!

We hope that you are as excited about Saturday's show as we are! Check out the great article on Gustafer Yellowgold in today's GoMemphis: Musician's sketches lead to goldmine of fun. Gustafer goes on at 3pm. The Kindergarten Circus, the toast of Murfreesboro, will start the show and Memphis's own Yazoo Shakes will close us down at 4pm.

Admission is a $5 suggested donation for adults; kids are free.

Bring a blanket or chair and a snack to share.

We'll have ear plugs!

Beer is free for adults.

Discounted parking is available at the 100 Peabody Place Garage for $1. (The Center for Southern Folklore will validate parking passes.)

Also, the The Majestic Grille, which is just a few doors down from the show, has created a special kids' menu just for us, so stop by for dinner!

Kids have a choice of the following, plus drink, for $5.50:

Grilled Cheese & Fries
Pasta with Butter & Parsley or Red Sauce
PB&J (grilled with strawberry jelly) & Fries
Plain Cheese Pizza (standard Flatbread size)
Majestic Kid's Burger & Fries

Also, starting at 5pm, they have a 'pre-theatre menu' which is a delicious three course fixe prix meal for $24.95. The regular menu is also available.