It’s [Not] Only Rock ’N’ Roll: Creative, Venue-Filling Alternatives to DJs and Bands
DJs and bands are great, but some venues and promoters are experimenting with creative alternatives to discover new audiences. One example—which gives new meaning to the term, “ridiculous”—is the Kaiju Big Battel. Part professional wrestling, part Japanese monster movie mayhem—think Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Rodan, and things like that (Kaiju is Japanese for “mysterious beast”)—the Kaiju Big Battel pits an array of overblown characters against each other, in a ring, while crushing cardboard cities (and ostensibly killing their imaginary inhabitants).
Can’t picture it? Imagine the Kaiju villain, Dr. Cube—a man with a box on his head—who, according to the official website (which is gloriously old-school, as in state-of-the-art 2005), is “a very mysterious and expensive doctor” who has a “three-step plan to self-actualization [which] includes world domination by means of genetic modification, financial crime, and terrorizing mankind with his giant, city-crushing monsters.”
Those city-crushing monsters include Polo Cato, a “lovable American-style giant class smell creature;” Gomi-man (from New Jersey), with a “body cover of smash TVs, fleas, mix vegetable, rancid fruit, tin can, old gym shoe, and more dirt;” and Evil Potato, as in “the gone Evil”—get the picture?—the list goes on and on.
These villains battle the heroes—like American Beetle, Dusto Bunny, Forced Trooper Robo, and many others—who protect the cardboard cities, and somehow also involve a supporting cast of Rogues, Space Bugs, a referee, and an assortment of others. The battles are scripted, over-the-top spectacles, which seem to involve a lot of shouting, loud music, crushed cardboard, and faux machismo. They’re also outrageous, but in an unpretentious, parody-of-show-business way.
The first Kaiju Battles were staged in Boston in the late ‘90s and developed by Rand Borden, then a student at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. His inaugural event played to a sold-out crowd and exceeded his expectations.
“There were people crawling through windows in the back to get in,” Borden told Mashable in 2017. “I just had a lot of fun doing the show, and the audience really got into it. So I was like, ‘Oh, this could be something.’ So I just went with it.”
Now into their third decade, Borden and his team run about a dozen events a year at venues throughout the U.S. The next big show is for two days at the Once Ballroom in Somerville, Massachusetts (just outside Boston) in early November.
Another example, which is more low key than say, epic battles between unicorns, giant cheeseburgers, and evil animated French toast, is the Rock and Roll Playhouse.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a concert series for children under 10, plus their parents. Events are held about once a week at different partnering venues across the U.S. They feature concerts with titles like, “Reggae for Kids,” “The Music of the Beatles for Kids,” “The Music of Aretha Franklin for Kids,” and even “The Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids” (imagine “The Ballad of Casey Jones” with your toddler, maybe Gomi-man isn’t so outrageous after all?). On occasion, artists like Questlove, Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, Allman Brothers Band), Anders Osbourne, Warren Haynes, Eric McFadden, and others have sat in with the Rock and Roll Playhouse house band, which is cool, although it’s probably a bigger thrill for the parents.
“The sensory experience of a four or five-piece rock ‘n’ roll band might be a lot for a toddler to unpack, so all of our shows have a song where we introduce each instrument and layer to them one by one,” Amy Striem, the executive director of the Rock and Roll Playhouse told Romper in a recent interview, addressing the obvious concern that a live band could be too much for young children. “The drummer will start playing and the bandleader will quiz the kids by having them shout the name of the instrument. Each part is then added one by one until all instruments are playing together.”
The project is based in New York City and was started by Peter Shapiro, the owner of the Capitol Theatre. He collaborated with Striem, an early childhood and elementary teacher, who at the time was an administrator at his daughter’s nursery school. Their bands play a full set and stick to a specific formula, which according to their website, “follows a similar format for activities that we pair with the music. There will be a hello song followed by a rock and roll jump, rainbow streamers that will encourage the kids to move around and pretend during the show, a giant parachute to run under and play, and other activities such as call and response songs and freeze dance. The musicians on stage will play the music in the same way that you have grown to love it… [but] without the really long jams.”
Rock and Roll Playhouse performances last for about an hour and are usually in the afternoon, which means the host venue still has time to clean up and do soundcheck for whatever event is scheduled for later that evening.
Programming for children may be more low key than a room full of body slamming, Japanese-style movie monsters, but it’s still programming for children, meaning that “low key” is a relative term, and for some venues, that may be a bridge too far.
The Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts dials the intensity down another notch, and opens their doors in the afternoons for British Football viewing parties (that’s soccer for Americans). There’s no cover to get in, but aside from turning on a television, no real overhead either. The events are all-ages, food is served, and the bar is open (which can’t be the case with a roomful of nervous parents accompanying their children at Rock and Roll Playhouse performances).
For most venues and promoters , music is still the essential draw, but alternatives abound, and with a little creativity—and possibly fearlessness—the possibilities to attract new audiences are endless.
And if all else fails, some venues have discovered—like the Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City and Royale in Boston—that there’s always burlesque.
81 Comments
Leave a Comment
Related Post
Video Marketing with Purpose: Creating Unique and Fun Videos for Your Venue or Show’s Social Pages
One of the most critical components of marketing today is video. Video has become the most dominating aspect of social media and digital platforms. And it is one of the most powerful marketing tools for…
To Stream Or Not To Stream: Live-Streaming as a Source of Revenue
To stream or not to stream? Live-streaming has become a hugely popular means for audiences to receive content, with reports showing that 42% of the U.S. population has live-streamed online content — significantly more than…
Face Saving Tips for Turning Negative Reviews Into Box Office Sales
Whether a harsh one-star rating or a mildly dissatisfied three-star experience, a negative review lying atop your Google or Yelp page can often dissuade potential new patrons from visiting your venue, but only if you…
where can i buy viagra over the counter buy viagra canadian viagra
viagra 100mg buy cheap sildenafil where can i buy viagra over the counter
generic names for cialis and viagra cialis for sale cialis 20mg price
online doctor prescription for viagra viagra without a doctor prescription viagra over the counter usa 2020
viagra without a prescription erection pills viagra online ed treatment
google viagra dosage recommendations erectile dysfunction drugs ed medications online
no prescription viagra canadian pharmacy viagra how to get viagra
viagra without a doctor prescription canadian pharmacy viagra viagra walgreens
viagra for men online generic viagra viagra online
how to get viagra generic viagra online how much does viagra cost
ed meds online pharmacy ED Pills Without Doctor Prescription erectial dysfunction
website generic ed pills ed medications
treating ed ED Pills ed drugs
ed meds online without doctor prescription ED Pills ed medication online
ed drugs online from canada ED Pills Without Doctor Prescription comfortis for dogs without vet prescription
is generic cialis safe cialis online liquid cialis
generic names for cialis and viagra cialis online free cialis medication for providers
men with ed cheap medication online erectile dysfunction pills
erectile dysfunction treatments cheap medication online impotence treatment
payday loans no credit check payday loans
canadian pharmacy buy generic drugs online
instant online payday loans payday loans online fast deposit
buy generic drugs from canada medications buy generic drugs from india
sildenafil generic cheap generic sildenafil
generic ed drugs https://sildenafilxxl.com/ viagra walgreens
ed solutions canadian pharmacy review natural ed
what is cialis cialis online cialis free trial
viagra online viagra pill viagra generic viagra without a doctor prescription
erection pills online india pharmacies shipping to usa how to overcome ed
cheapest generic viagra viagra prices is there a generic for viagra
viagra without a prescription buy viagra best place to buy viagra online
pharmacy medications buy Doxycyline causes for ed
viagra without a doctor prescription best online canadian pharmacy viagra without a prescription
ed drug prices cheap Amoxil pet meds without vet prescription
injectable ed drugs: erection problems drugs to treat ed
comfortis for dogs without vet prescription: ed medicine online male dysfunction
canadian drug pharmacy canadian pharmacies shipping usa homeopathic remedies for ed
zithromax cost buy zithromax online australia zithromax generic price
roman viagra viagra prescription generic viagra walmart
canadian online pharmacy viagra order viagra online viagra without a doctor prescription usa
homepage canadian pharmacies online cheap erectile dysfunction pill
cialis vs viagra what are the side effects of cialis cialis without a doctor prescription
soma therapy ed how to buy cialis from canada natural ed pills
mexican viagra generic pills where can i buy viagra over the counter
generic viagra
buy viagra viagra without doctor prescription viagra prescription
cost of viagra
viagra coupons generic pills viagra prescription
viagra generic
buy Cenmox cheap Flagyl ed pumps
Doxycycline antibiotics buy Flagyl erectile dysfunction cure
Doxycycline Doxycycline best pharmacy online
buy Amoxil buy Cenmox male ed pills
compare ed drugs canadian pharmacy canadian pharmacy viagra
buy Amoxil buy Amoxil prescription without a doctor’s prescription
prescription drugs online without doctor buy cheap prescription drugs online canada ed drugs
cheap ed pills lipitor tablets where to buy lipitor
treating ed canada drugs online canadian pharmacies shipping to usa
cure ed best ed drug pet meds without vet prescription
ed treatment review best canadian online pharmacy drug prices comparison
buy viagra cialis buy cialis online coupon for cialis by manufacturer
drug store online ed trial pack online ed drugs
kgnqauvo generic viagra mexican viagra
canadian pharmacy generic viagra https://cheapvgr100.com/ sxzkamvh
generic acyclovir valtrex brand acyclovir buy online canada
buy yasmin online australia alesse medication yasmin prescription online
allegra 150 mg allegra 5.00 coupon zyrtec
400 mg benadryl buy allegra online india zyrtec price
shatavari price buy clomid online without prescription yasmin pills
clomiphene generic serophene serophene mexico
generic yasmin cost clomid prescription generic of yasmin
cvs viagra http://viagrastm.com/ viagra online canada vkkibotm
which is better – cialis or viagra http://cialisirt.com/ cialis 30 day trial coupon vwmcdumz
viagra online canada http://viagrastm.online/ online viagra hzeguomr
canadian viagra http://viagrastm.online/ cheapest viagra online zqtpdffe
when is the best time to take cialis http://cialisirt.online/ samples of cialis ozcndusf
vitality ed pills canadian mail-order pharmacy discount prescription drugs
natural help for ed canadian pharmacy online canadian online pharmacy
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious know-how about unpredicted emotions.|
how to overcome ed https://canadarx24.com/
natural treatment for ed
natural cures for ed https://canadarx24.com/
buy medications online
viagra for men online https://edcheapgeneric.com/ wbuyvgjv viagra 100mg price
best ed drugs http://canadarx24.online/ buy canadian drugs bfdbfwcv
ed medications over the counter http://canadarx24.online/ canadian drug yihhhoqe