School of Rock AllStars on tour next week!

For those who are not aware, the School of Rock is the real thing.

It existed years before the Jack Black movie, and has grown to more than 160 locations around the world with some 20,000+ students.

The best of the kids in each School form a band and gig around town and regionally. The very best can audition to become an "AllStar", and if they make it, they go on a national tour.

This year, the top 150 students have been assembled into six teams, and they are playing clubs and festivals from Austin to Chicago, and from Atlanta to New York City. They will be playing both Lollapalooza and Gathering of the Vibes.

Selection is entirely about skill and talent. There are kids as young as ten, but no older than eighteen. They learned what songs they will be performing three weeks ago, and are meeting for their first rehearsals today, with their first public performance this Sunday.

Each year, ticket sales are for a worthy cause - this year it is for The Who's Teen Cancer America.

Honestly, these kids are exceptional musicians. If you want to see classic rock played wonderfully well by some really great kids, please consider seeing one of these shows if you can.

Here are a few sample videos so you can get an idea:

King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man - School of Rock All Stars Team 4 - Metro

The Allman Bros - Whipping Post - School of Rock All-Stars - Team 6 - Metro

Rush -Limelight - School of Rock All Stars Team 1

Steely Dan - Kid Charlamagne - School of Rock All Stars Team 4 at Metro

 

I saw them play with Adrian Belew at a place outside Washington DC. They played several Crimson (opened with "Elephant Talk") and Zappa numbers quite well, and Belew seemed to enjoy playing with them. I'd gladly see them again.

 

Two of the first generation of the School of Rock AllStars, siblings Eric and Julie Slick, became two-thirds of the Adrian Belew Power Trio.



The composition of the AllStars bands change every year, mostly because they have to leave the school at 18. By that time, most of them have one or more bands already.

Our own marblesmike was a School of Rock AllStar, and traveled to Bad Doberon, Germany to play Zappa music at the Zappanale festival.

 

Silly me posted all that and forgot to paste in the locations!

I'll be shooting at the Record Bar in Kansas City on the 28th and at House of Blues in Chicago on the 1st.

Team 1:

Sunday, July 26th, 3 pm: Red 7, Austin, TX

Monday, July 27th, 8 pm: Club Dada, Dallas, TX

Tuesday, July 28th, 7 pm: Record Bar, Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, July 29th, 8 pm: The Old Rock House, St. Louis, MO

Thursday, July 30th: JBTV Studios, Chicago, IL

Friday, July 31st: Lollapalooza Music Festival, Chicago, IL



Team 2:

Monday, July 27th, 7 pm: Marquis Theater, Denver, CO

Tuesday, July 28th 7 pm: Record Bar, Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, July 29th 8 pm: The Old Rock House, St. Louis, MO

Thursday, July 30th: JBTV Studios, Chicago, IL

Friday, July 31st, 5:30 pm: The House of Blues, Chicago, IL

Saturday, August 1st: Lollapalooza Music Festival, Chicago, IL


Team 3:

Tuesday, July 28th, 7 pm: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

Wednesday, July 29th 7:30 pm: The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

Thursday, July 30th 7:30 pm: The Hard Rock Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA

Friday, July 31st, 7:30 pm: Thompson House, Newport, KY

Saturday, August 1st 5:30 pm: House of Blues, Chicago, IL

Sunday, August 2nd: Lollapalooza Music Festival, Chicago



Team 4:

Sunday, July 26th, 12:15 pm: Wicker Park Fest, Chicago, IL

Monday, July 27th, 2 pm: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH

Tuesday, July 28th, 7 pm: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

Wednesday, July 29th, 7:30 pm: The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

Thursday, July 30th 7 pm: The Knitting Factory, New York City, NY

Friday, July 31st 7:15 pm: Gathering of The Vibes Festival, Bridgeport, CT



Team 5:

Monday, July 27th, 7 pm: The High Watt, Nashville, TN

Tuesday, July 28th 7 pm: Vinyl, Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, July 29th 6:30 pm: The Chop Shop - NoDa, Charlotte, NC

Thursday, July 30th 7 pm: DC9, Washington, DC

Friday, July 31st, 6:30 pm: The Studio at Webster Hall, New York City, NY

Saturday, August 1st: Gathering of the Vibes Festival, Bridgeport, CT



Team 6:

Tuesday, July 28th, 7 pm: Vinyl, Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, July 29th 6:30 pm: The Chop Shop - NoDa, Charlotte, NC

Thursday, July 30th 7 pm: DC9, Washington, DC

Friday, July 31st 6:30 pm: The Studio at Webster Hall, New York City, NY

Saturday, August 1st: Gathering of the Vibes Festival, Bridgeport, CT

Sunday, August 2nd: Gathering of the Vibes Festival, Bridgeport, CT

 

Browsing around, I found a really great performance of the 2008 School of Rock AllStars with Jon Anderson performing I've Seen All Good People. The kids touring are obviously a completely different group of kids, but expect this quality of musicianship or better.

 

Looks like the Austin gig is a whopping $10. I had not planned on seeing this, but if things line up this weekend I may try to get down to Red 7 for a little while.

 

Please do. And it is for a good cause.

I'm 99% sure the Team 1 starting in Austin is the one being directed by Austin Punk legend Rick Carney (formerly of Jesus Christ Superfly). Every AllStar band I've seen that he directed has been incredibly tight, with him drilling the kids on things like swapping drummers without breaking the beat, etc.

As I said earlier, every teacher I've met at the School of Rock is a working musician, virtually all of them with currently active bands. For instance, the General Manager of the Plainfield, IL location is in four different Chicago area bands. I know, because I shot his birthday party where he played with all four. So there is a good chance you'll run into musicians you know if you're into your local music scene.

 

I've updated my plans. I'll be in Chicago at the Wicker Park Fest on Sunday for Team 4 when they play at 12:15.

 

Any plans for them to come out west, like Phoenix? I'd love to support them.

 

Sadly, no. This is a huge improvement over the last two years where 3 of the teams were playing various venues in the Chicago/Milwaukee area, and the other three teams were in Philly/NYC area. They started in Philadelphia and expanded westward, then moved the corporate base to the Chicago suburbs. Maybe next year they can do three tours - east coast, west coast and midwest.

Or maybe they were trying to avoid that whole East Coast/West Coast thing with the kids throwing gang signs at each other. Nothing ruins a concert like a drive-by.

 

The kids in the program are all between the ages of 8 and 18, but generally the AllStars tend to be 18. But that video of the King Crimson in my first post, the bass player was 13 at the time. This year, one of the kids is 10. How amazing do you have to be to beat out hundreds of other kids to join a touring band representing 160+ schools from all over the world?



The 10 year old is in the front, in the yellow shirt.

 

This sounds very cool...and just so happens to be playing in KC in just a few days. I may check it out. Thanks for posting.

 

I just watched all 4 of the videos and just couldn't keep from smiling, laughing, even crying. Hey maybe it's because it's only 5 am, but this is very exciting and moving to see these young and extremely skilled kids doing their thing and embracing great music. I'm in for the Record Bar show and I'll try to recruit a few friends.

 

Very cool! We'll see you there!

By the time they reach this level, these young people can, and have, played a wide variety of classic rock - prog rock, metal, country rock, arena rock, folk rock, funk, you name it - absorbing the lessons each can teach them.

I hope nobody thinks I'm spamming. I have no connection with the operation other than recording their shows and being friends with several of the teachers. I'm honestly a fan of the program, and have never seen a more effective way to teaching music.

 

I appreciate the post and the heads up. I wouldn't have known of this otherwise. I also found several other clips that were pretty amazing; "Highway Star," "In the Light," "Gimme Shelter." Should be a lot of fun. Hopefully folks at the Record Bar will get into it as much as the crowds in the videos. And the kids are obviously having the time of their lives.

 

Leah, the blonde girl in the Highway Star video is an absolute joy to watch. She's one of my wife and my favorites. That British Steel show, of classic metal, was not the sort of music we're normally into, but the playing and presentation was just so good that we loved it.

The Oak Park location has only been around for a year or so, but has a really exceptional group of teachers. For instance, I was knocked out by the bass work on the David Bowie show, which was directed by the Dennis Keith Johnson. Here's his resume:

Dennis has made a lifelong career as a bass player and currently leads the Dennis Keith Experience. He has been tirelessly touring and recording for many years and is thrilled to be able to share his expertise with the students at School of Rock. In addition to all of his band leading responsibilities, Dennis has performed and/or recorded with bands and artists such as: Chase (Epic Records), Survivor (Scotti Brothers Records), Software (Head First Records), Dennis DeYoung (A&M Records), Jerry Butler (Motown Records), B.B. King, Jim Peterik (Epic Records), and Steve Dahl; in venues that include Carnegie Hall, The Tonight Show, Newport Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Budukan (Tokyo), Radio City Music Hall, Chicagofest, Summerfest (Milwaukee), Poplar Creek and Holiday Star Theater. Dennis may also be heard playing on hundreds of TV/Radio jingles such as Sears, State Farm Insurance, United Airlines, McDonald’s, 7-11, Miller Beer, Anheuser-Busch, Old Style Beer and Nintendo.
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As I said earlier, it is a solid "day job" for any number of working musicians that is incredibly rewarding.

 

Chris, a friend who I'd recruited to attend this show Tuesday night just pointed out that the Record Bar's website lists showtime as 5:15. That's not too early for me but just wanted to give you a heads up.

 

Cool, thanks. I suspect the Show Team from one or more of the local schools will be opening.

 

Just shot the AllStars Team 4 at Chicago's Wicker Park Fest. My wife and I were really impressed with their covers of:

Frank Zappa - City of Tiny Lights
The Beach Boys - Sloop John B
Wilco - Impossible Germany (literally gave me goose bumps)

 

I just got an e-mail from one of the parents, and you're right. They moved the show from 7 PM to 5:15 so the Record Bar could fit in another show at 9 PM.

That's the sort of lack of respect that they get - they play Lollapalooza, but get to play the kiddie stage; or they open the Wicker Park Fest playing at 12:15 PM.

I still hope you and your friends can make it. I understand if you can't, what with getting there from Lawrence after work. Each AllStar band has a 90 minute set, so they'll have a good, soild 3 hours of music, so whenever you get there, they'll still be playing.

 

Here's Team 4 of the School of Rock AllStars with the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" at Chicago's Wicker Park Fest on July 26, 2015:

(OK, technically the Beach Boys covered a traditional song, but you know what I mean).

 

Team 4 with a really killer version of Frank Zappa's City of Tiny Lights. Just to give you some context - nobody on this stage is older than 18, they learned what the set list would be three weeks before and they met for the first time three days before. This is their first concert by this band.



Watch this video and tell me if it sounds like a band formed three days before.

 

Sorry to say some business came up that I had to take care of and couldn't make it over tonight. How was the show? And what about the crowd and response?

 

That's cool. The venue moved the show to a time far too early for normal humans to go out. Never the less, the kids did an amazing job. Connor, the kid who played with Jon Anderson in St Louis was there, as well as the bassist from the King Crimson video.

The crowd was great, but the venue must have been 90 degrees.

 

Thanks Chris. Will you be posting any video from the show, so I can see a bit of what I missed?