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Moving Backward?
"I just flew-in from Cleveland...and boy, are my arms tired..."
Stand-up comedy was coming to Culpeper.
Was....
Back in the summer of 2006, I was spending my mornings at work as a painting contractor. After 30-odd years of this I was really starting to hurt. The knees were sore from too many climbs up the ladder, the wrists ached with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from too many repetitive swings of a heavy, paint-laden brush and my back was easily wrenched after lifting too many 5-gallon pails of paint, or sheet-after-sheet of heavy drywall or plywood. Despite my size, that stuff just kept getting heavier as years passed.
But despite it all, there was a light...not just for me, but for the kids in the community of Culpeper. I was spending my afternoons and evenings working on West Culpeper Street -- constructing my future and hopefully a legacy to hand-down to generations of Culpeper kids. It was the Culpeper Rock Academy.
Not to be too repetitive, but what is there to do in Culpeper if you're a teenager? Especially one who doesn't participate in sports? Well, there's the movie theater and more recently, a bowling center with an arcade. But then what is there?
What the Rock Academy did was supply a safe place for kids to hang-out and play or listen to rock music. The admission varied from $5-9, but never cost as much as a movie ticket.
Despite the media attention, the Rock Academy was never a bad, or unsafe place. It was not just a place for metal headsemotional, for you over-35 folks), or power-pop bands. It encompassed all of the above, as well as ambient, Christian, classic and even a touch of southern rock. (head-bangin' rock, or "death metal"). It was never focused on punk or hardcore punk. Not just a place for ska, emo, (that's
What I attempted to do was present all kinds of rock music to the kids of Culpeper, then let them decide what they liked on their own. The metal kids complained about "too many punk shows," the emo, pop and punk bands thought there was too much metal or classic. In reality, I doled-out a fair share of all rock genres. (I secretly kept track.)
In the 16+ months of Rock Academy shows we held, there was not a single fight. An altercation in the street occurred amongst kids leaving the movie theater, which spilled onto W. Culpeper, but none of those involved were in or outside the rock school. In another instance, a girl whacked another girl during a heated argument. This occurred after the show when there was hectic loading of band equipment and clean-up efforts. We missed it, but it was over as quickly as it started.
We never once saw, smelled or detected any drug use whatsoever. Even when a Culpeper police officer set-up an impromptu stake-out above us in the old A-1 Book Shop, no drug use was detected. There were three male individuals banned from the rock academy for alcohol use. All three were of legal drinking age and were banned as much for being way too old as they were for drinking. Despite this, Culpeper kids were never caught, seen or even suspected of drinking.
Cigarette and tobacco use was a problem. I have to admit. Kids were not allowed to smoke inside the Rock Academy, but if they left the property, they would smoke on the sidewalk or across the street in the town parking lot. After many months of cleaning that parking lot late at night or early Sunday mornings, I relented and decided to put cans on the sidewalk and kept the kids across the street moving -- even if it meant contacting the police. Unfortunately, I was rowing against a heavy tide, because many kids made no secret of their smoking habit, even in front of their own parents. Once the kids stepped onto the public sidewalk, I was no longer able to stop them from smoking.
Unless you were out of the country for most of 2007, you already know the story of our fight - not with the town and not with the kids, but with the landlord. For those who missed it, we fought eviction from a person who knew, without a doubt, what a "school of rock" was. He knew rock music was loud (we did sound checks prior to signing a lease) and he knew there would be teenagers there. When we fought back, it cost us a ton of money. If that money wasn't applied elsewhere, we would have been in the black by spring of 2007. I borrowed money, spent large chunks of my day job pay and even sold my old 1972 GTO. It was beginning to work until he stepped in and destroyed something that Culpeper sorely-needed. In the end, my spirit was sapped and the fight was all but gone.
But this blog is titled, "Moving Backward"
We moved our shows to Warrenton last summer at In Motion Sports & Dance. It was a great place to have a show or dance. The first few months were tough-- we had to re-establish a whole new venue in a new town. We bounced back and forth between Culpeper and Warrenton throughout the fall months until, on December 15, 2007, we hosted our last 'Peper show with Rude Rock Family.
Was it was the end of an era in Culpeper?
Not yet.
From my perspective, Warrenton's In Motion was a natural. The local media was excited, the kids were psyched and the owners were a very nice couple. He coached soccer and she taught dance. In my opinion, they were and are, pillars of their community.
But there was something about Warrenton that didn't sit right with me. It wasn't the people, the town or the owners...it was the building. Call me foolish or superstitious, but there was an uncomfortable vibe inside that old steel cable factory. Someone told me it was an incredibly bad place to work back in the old days. They told me it was very much the sweat shop and people spent their lives there, day-in-and-day-out, surviving on mediocre pay and miserble, hot, loud and unsafe working conditions.
I don't know if any of that is true, but after touring the rear bowels of the building, I would imagine it is at least partially true.
As we worked through the fall and past the Rock Academy's demise, we had problems. Outside in War-town, we would clean-up bag after bag of beer cans and bottles. We found eveidence of drug use. And ultimately, there were scuffles. At least they started that way, but soon they became real fights with punches, gouging and kicking. There were in-your-face altercations and horrible insults thrown at the females who worked at, or attended, the shows.
Lastly, there were thefts. Suddenly, we had girls complaining that their purses had been stolen while they danced. We had much larger numbers of kids trying to beat the system and find a way to sneak in. We needed more security, but the receipts were just barely able to cover the costs as it was.
After a fight between an individual, a band and another group of "good ol' boys," who stepped-in after the fact. It became obvious that the ship had run aground. It was on the rocks and being pounded to pieces. On Monday, February 11th, I cancelled all of our Warrenton shows. If someone was to be hurt, or mugged or ripped-off, it was not going to be on my watch. I didn't want to cancel the shows there. I really felt as though I had to.
In the past week, I have attempted to solicit shows at local Culpeper venues, but no one's biting.
To sweeten the pot, so to speak, I even offered to run adult stand-up comedy shows. I still have a few solid contacts in the comedy biz from my days as a humor writer for an entertainment company. (Imagine a comedy show in Culpeper? What fun!)
The veterans halls either won't allow live music, or won't return calls. The old "Pot & Kettle Club" was sold by the Knights of Columbus and the new owner claims the county won't allow paid attendance shows. The other halls are very, very expensive.
So, where do these kids go on a Saturday night?
If I hosted 100+ kids at the Culpeper shows, this can only mean that those 100 kids are now doing something else. Oft times this is not a good something else. It means parties at houses where parents are absent. It means hanging-out in out of the way places, where drug use, alcohol abuse and teen pregnancy will most undoubtedly occur. It can even mean fights and damage to personal property.
So, we're moving backward. We're back to square one. A bowling alley is one thing, but the kids need more. And they need more than just a rock venue, a bowling alley and a movie theater.
Where are the adults in this community? Is it too hard to do something for the future of the kids here? Is it too much of your time? Too much of a bother? Are you too afraid of teenagers?
Can you blame any of these kids for saying that they "can't wait to get out of this town"? If you are not a teen athlete in Culpeper, you are a nobody - or so they tell me. Is this a good way to develop into an adult? How will it effect our future here? Will it add to our problems? Our police or court system's work load?
I think most adults forget that these kids are tomorrow’s leaders. What type of leaders and citizens they become are up to us as adults.
–Diane Logan – Culpeper Renaissance, Inc.
I am waiting for one person to step up. One adult to take a chance. I'm not interested in making any money at this any longer. I am happy to go back to my day job. But I will not give up on these teens - and neither should this community. We don't need another landlord who's just in it for the money - a "put-up or shut-up" guy who doesn't give a rub about this place. We need a person willing to give back to the community.
We need a place for these kids to play music, a place for them to dance and sing -- a hall or a large room where these young people can meet and just be kids. Don't we owe them that?
Wendy and Shelton Weibe of Orange created "Orange Jam." The town donated a spot for them to hold Friday night concerts for their teens. Orange's population is tiny in comparison, but they got it done.
Why can't we?
I am willing to donate my time, energy and expensive sound gear for the teens of Culpeper, Virginia, but I need help.
What will you do?
"Blue Ridge Beat" is one of the more popular blogs at culpepertimes.com. (I get the report every month.)
;)
So why no comments?
There are plenty of comments about the neagtives (if you read news stories about CCSO alleged "sex in the car with a minor").
But where are comments about things that could help this community?
All I hear are the crickets!
<chirp>... <chirp>...<chirp>....
Posted by B_Keith_MacDonald
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After reading your latest article, I decided to share the blog link with friends, to stir the pot and get some of the good folks of Culpeper THINKING! Rest assured, more than just the crickets are out there! You're right - too many folks have been complacent, and our kids need more than just athletics. I hope your message will serve as a wake-up call to ALL - not just parents of teens. The kids need fun, enriching activities - they are a large part of our community. If we expect our children to be responsible, caring citizens in our community - shouldn't we all step up and set the expample by doing that ourselves?
Posted by reader123
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One kid said to me, "All the smart kids will move outa here and the dumb ones will stay behind and work here."
This is pretty sad.
Kids should feel proud about their hometown - not loathe it.
These teens are the town officials of Culpeper's tomorrow, when we all get old. How we shape them now will shape this community for many years to come.
I've seen too many people ignore this issue. It's not going away.
Posted by B_Keith_MacDonald
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