The Rock ‘N Race is a pretty popular annual event in Concord. In fact, there’s a good chance you or someone you know have run or walked in it before.
But how many people do you know who have played music during the race? After all, rockin’ is half of what the thing is all about.
We got to thinking last week: Everyone always talks about the running or walking portion of the Rock ‘N Race, but there’s not a lot of info out there about the musical side of things.
That’s why we hit up Lucas Gallo, the music coordinator/entertainment subchairman of the Rock ‘N Race.
Gallo knows a thing or two about local music – he does pretty much the same job for True Brew Barista, Market Days and Penuche’s. We think that makes him more than qualified to talk about all things rockin’ at the race.
There will be 11 bands set up at various locations throughout the course. On top of that, there’s a great rendition of the national anthem by Brian Waldron, who we’re told always does an excellent job.
But how do you determine who gets to play, and where they’ll play?
“When I was asked to take it over, there were a lot of bands who have played every year for a number of years, some have been there from the beginning and they still play year after year,” Gallo said. “There are spots reserved for them.”
Okay, but what about newcomers?
Gallo had an answer for that, too.
“The others are either bands who reach out or others that I know,” he said. “They come about a variety of ways.”
When you’re as plugged into the local music scene as Gallo is, the acts tend to find you. Since he works (and jams) with so many local musicians, it’s never that hard for him to find the acts to fill out all of the stages. Plus, he has a year between each race to get his ducks in a row.
Though some acts are yearly staples, others come for one show and then never come back.
“We always get bands who play one year then part ways, then form a new band and want to play again with that band,” Gallo said. This leads to a lot of familiar faces, if unfamiliar band names.
The way it’s all set up is there are little stages placed throughout the race course where bands play shortish sets – about 40 minutes or so. There’s always one main stage right in front of the State House that features a band that’s essentially the headliner. That main stage area is usually a hotbed of activity, with just-finished racers congregating to take a load off and take in some tunes.
Picking a headlining act requires a little bit more thought, considering how much exposure it gets compared with the rest of the acts. The first thing Gallo looks for is a local band that plays original music.
“I’m a big proponent of original local music, so we’ve gone original local bands,” he said.
The band’s vibe and message are also pretty key factors to consider.
“I try to think about bands from the area that are popular in the area, that have a really good vibe about them – this is a really big community event and for a really great cause, so I try to look for a band that has that vibe, has that positive community vibe and wants to be part of contributing to a great cause,” Gallo said.
It’s important to have a band with positive energy and a friendly vibe headline this family-friendly event. Not sure how well a Norwegian death metal band would go over in front of the State House (although we would totally be there rockin’ out).
This year’s headliner, the Cole Robbie Band, certainly has that friendly vibe, Gallo said.
“They have a great mix of reggae and rock covers that span over the decades,” he said.
Now wait a minute, didn’t we just get done stressing the importance of original music being played?
Don’t freak out – a couple of covers here and there never hurt anybody, right?
The bands are strongly suggested to play all original music, but if a cover slips in there when nobody’s looking, there won’t be any music police coming to take you away, thankfully. The headlining acts gets a little more leeway with the covers, since people tend to enjoy them.
Before we get too carried away with all these interesting facts, let’s give you the lineup:
National Anthem – Brian Waldron
On the Main Stage – Cole Robbie Band
Along the Course:
Amazing Hot Sauce Experiment at State and School Streets
Dopamine at NEA on South Spring Street
Bow Junction at Golden Gese Quilt Shop
Supernothing at Londergan Drive
Mad Dog at 24 South Spring Street
Matt Poirer at Tahanto and School Streets
Shaker Road School Rock Band at NH Hospital
Occasional Piracy at Parker Academy
The River Band at Centennial Inn
The Fletchtones at the AG’s Office
Whew, talk about a wide variety.
You might recognize some names – Mad Dog, a DJ, has been part of the Rock ‘N Race for “a really long time,” Gallo said. The River Band, Bow Junction and Matt Poirer have also been staples over the years.
Some newer acts include the Shaker Road School Rock Band and Occasional Piracy, two bands made up of students.
“That should be a lot of fun – they’re talented kids,” Gallo said. He said this is the first year in which student bands have been featured. Who knows, maybe these youngsters will end up being some of the next staple crop?
“They also happen to be connected to local schools, so I like the aspect of having those bands play this year,” Gallo said.
So the headlining act is supposed to have an upbeat vibe, and the same goes for the bands around the course, Gallo said.
“I try to shoot for the acts around the track to be of the same feel and vibe” as the center stage act, he said. “The genres definitely vary throughout, everything from some acoustic looping to some more jam type music to a little more rock, there’s some bluegrass, there’s a DJ.”
In other words, there’s a little something there for everybody (minus gangsta rap and death metal fans – sorry).
There are a lot of good local bands around here, and since Gallo knows so many, the challenge – it seems – is narrowing down the list to just a dozen or so. The process isn’t exactly black-and-white, either. But one thing is sure – there’s no payola system here.
“I would never support something that was pay to play, so they don’t need to pay to play,” he said.
“What it boils down to is, it’s a giant community event for a great cause, and I reach out to bands in the same way that somebody would reach out to vendors to be involved. It’s a fun time to come out and play music for a great cause,” he said.
The acts tend to be from the immediate area – Concord and little beyond. But that’s not because Gallo and the Rock ‘N Race team wants to exclude outsiders. Logistics play a major role in this.
“Generally the bands are from the Concord area . . . not to say that we wouldn’t want bands from the other parts of the state to be involved, but it’s a lot to ask a band from, say, Portsmouth to drive a five-piece band out to Concord for a 40-minute set.”
By the way, the bands don’t profit off of this, so it’s not like there’s this huge financial incentive for a band from Pittsburg to schlep down here for a half-hour gig.
There’s also a think-local component to it.
“Where it is a local event, I think it’s a really nice opportunity to showcase some of the great music we have right here in the area,” Gallo said.
The bottom line is basically that everyone’s there to have a good time – runners, walkers, spectators, musicians and everyone in between. Don’t forget that it’s not just a fun event for those taking in the music, but it’s pretty cool for those playing it, too.
“I’ve played it three or four times and there’s nothing like seeing a crowd of people so pumped to be in the same place together,” Gallo said. “ It’s a fun time for raising money for this great cause.”
So what’s next? I guess the only thing left to do is go to the race and take it all in.
Rock ‘N Race will be held May 19 starting at 6 p.m. on North State Street.
You can refer back to the lineup on page 19 to see where your favorite band is playing. That way you can either camp out there the whole time or make it one of your stops along the route.
The goal is to continue to do the race year after year, Gallo said.
“I love the idea of mixing the race with bands,” he said. “I’d like to help do as much as I can do to support it.”
You can support it by showing up to race, or just making a donation. To register as an individual, create a team, join a team or make a donation, go to goo.gl/hWo43E. There’s also lots more information on that website, so give it a good look before you head out.
Just don’t forget the most important thing: Have fun!
