Looking for something a little different this weekend? You’d be well served to try the Rock House Music Festival down in Reeds Spring! I hit up Jeanette Bair this week to get a little lowdown on the history of The Rock House and the fest:
What year did the Rock House start? I technically started hosting house concerts at the New Coast Gallery in 1990. The first band was called the Skirt Lifters from Fayetteville, Arkansas. This was an idea they had because I had a large space, and they wanted to play an evening gig after playing at Silver Dollar City. We called it the New Coast Art Gallery concert series.
What led to creating a venue in Reeds Spring? I loved going out to listen to live music but didn’t like the smoky bars and late nights.
Did the property come first, or did the idea? After 17 years at The New Coast, we moved it to a rock house that was built in the early 40s as a duplex. My husband, Bruce, did all the renovations to accommodate the concerts. We lived on one side and held concerts on the other, which we called our “music room.” It could hold about 60 people - with the overflow on our big front porch. Most out-of-town musicians stayed the night, and we would fix breakfast for them the next morning before they hit the road.
How many shows do you have annually? Nowadays, maybe 8 or 10. But before COVID, we were up to about 20. Overall, we are closing in on 500.
You obviously host a lot of local/regional artists, who are some of the biggest names you pulled in? Locally: Big Smith, The Skeletons, Mike Brewer (of Brewer and Shipley), Randle Chowning and Larry Lee (of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils), Molly Healey - really, there are so many! Regionally: The Rainmakers, The Nace Brothers, Pokey LaFarge, and Randall Shreve.
Any impossible gets? Shocks or surprises? Tommy Ramone of The Ramones and Tom Paley of The New Lost City Ramblers
Specific to this weekend’s show, how many of these have you done? Any future plans for the event? I think this one coming up is our 24th outdoor show. We love doing this now, but we also love going to other festivals seeing other music, so we take it one year at a time.
What can people expect down there on Saturday (music, food, activities, vendors, parking, etc.)? Any recommendations for attendees? We have grown it smaller these days and we cut it off at 100 people. This way we can have it in our backyard with plenty of space. Everyone brings a covered dish and we fix barbecue.
Finally, what makes Reeds Spring special, and what is one thing people should do if they’re in town? Reeds Spring is a small, historic town. I’ve lived here for over 40 years. It hasn’t changed much, but it attracts entrepreneurs and unique people who are always looking to make it a special spot. There is the (namesake) Reeds Spring that runs clear cold water year round in the middle of town. We have the famous Reeds Spring Pizza Company, and a great restaurant called the Midtown Café. There is a new bar/restaurant with live music and great sandwiches called Club 22, and of course the iconic Pop’s Dari Dell. But really, for me, it’s the laid-back vibe, beautiful scenery and really good people!
So, maybe take a little trip a down south on Saturday, and we’ll see you next week!
