Rock Steady Live

It’s Not Easy Being Young

As we step into pre teen,teen and late teen it becomes hard to find a place for friends to meet and enjoy good music. Some venues are for “mature” audiences only and others start too late for teenagers to even enjoy. School is one thing. Teens need a place to connect with other teens and it must be in a well lit, well supervised environment.

Remember teens only get weekends off from school and all other days are covered by the ever popular curfew clause. For the lucky teens in Plano, Texas this all changed in the year 2006. As parents of the on the go, all the time teenagers weekends were strating to become more like teenends. These could be hectic and somewhat chaotic. It was all about the teens and less about the parents. Mom and dad had worked all week long and those without a driving license or those close to a driving age needed a chaffeur and these kids wanted to party. Lindy Denham and his wife Mary knew this feeling all too well. Every weekend it was a different venue where his kids could see local bands and they were not close to Plano. His weekend drives took him and the eager teens to Grand Prairie, Lewisville and the not so kid friendly Deep Ellum. His son was an aspiring rock star so every weekend was a chance to see the next big band and learn a thing or two. That is when Rock Steady sprung into action. It was a dream, then a plan, then a thought of “what am I doing?” and then this could be really good for my kids. It was time to rock.

My Dream, Your Hangout

For dad, Lindy Denham, the thought of owning and running a kid friendly hangout was the answer to his weekend driving nightmares. Also a close to home incident involving Denham’s son would be a key point in creating that safe venue for kids. His son was playing a venue(he’s now a part of the band Westchester) near Southern Methodist University. During that show someone was shot in the parking lot and Denham’s thoughts on safe venue playing changed forvever. His venue would be safe and age appropriate. On the plus side the venue would be alcohol free. This was somthing that was not common for the kids growing up in Dallas. Deep Ellum is a great place in Dallas for music, friends and fun. These venues, however, are not for children. For kids 13-18 Denham’s idea would be a safe spot to meet and develop important friendships. Plus you get to listen to music, at any sound level, that your parents may not be down with. Denham did not mind the loudness factor. He had earplugs for the heavy moments and they were good one too. Some three hundred dollars can tune out the best guitar riffs. Parents every where rejoiced when Rock Steady was planning to be opened and kids everywhere in Texas could not wait until the weekend. Rock Steady was on its way to being the coolest hangout around. And the honest to God truth was that there was really no competetion out there for this new type of venue. The closest venue that would even be considered competition to what Rock Steady offered was Fat Daddy’s Sound Shack and it was in Lewisville. Not even a stone’s throw away so Rock Steady was good on that one. On the other side there was Deep Ellum and with all of the crime and alcohol being poured from the bars into the streets it was a wonder why parents did not want their kids going there. Rock Steady just had to work. Denham would give all that he had, heart, soul and wallet. Also his kids got involved in the shaping of the new club. Don, the Denhams’ son, played in a band and his sister was equally into music. They both helped design and eventually paint the new venue.

If You Build It Rockin’, They Will Come A Knockin’

So the idea for a teenage friendly venue was in the works, but the setup was going to take some time and effort. Renting a space for the new Rock Steady venue would take owner Lindy Denham to his home city of Plano. It would not be a far drive. Thank goodness for that. Denham made plans to rent out an abandoned Tex-mex restaurant and with the restaurant naturally came margaritas and tequila. The restaurant space had a liquor license which was quickly overturned by Mr. Denham for his no liquor and more noise venue. The new address for Rock Steady would be at Parker Road and Central Expressway, 221 W. Parker Road Ste 400, to be exact. It was a safe location for kids to hear music without having to step into Deep Ellum, in Dallas. The location of Rock Steady had proved to be difficult to find, but worth the trip. March 3rd was the big day for rock cat to be let out of the bag. It was secluded off and did not exactly have big letters and neon signs begging you to come in. Maps with step by step directions could be found online by simply entering Rock Steady. It was a simple place with simple requests. Be respectful and listen loudly. Only one complaint was made from the strip mall by the venue for noise, but many shows have come and gone without one bit of notice. Also there really had not been any problems with the kids. One fistfight and one marijuana issue and that was it. Pretty good for a venue with all teenagers. The biggest headache seemed to be the advertising. Sure plenty of kids were coming in and jamming out. They had to be telling their friends, but advertising was not always easy. For the father of two, Denham, this kind of interfered with his day job as an information technology consultant. The radio spotlights could only do so much for Rock Steady. Besides there are a lot of radio stations these days. Not only the advertising gave Denham headaches. To open a venue was easy, to pay for it on the other hand, was not. Renting a space for Rock Steady was not going to cost nickles and dimes. The rent was 4,000 dollars per each month. Now while the kids were paying to see the bands, they were not dropping hundreds at the front door. With rent comes utilities and Rock Steady was not without. Denham reported that the air conditioner at the venue went out and of course had to be replaced. The cost was a staggering 9,000 dollars for the 20 ton piece of machinery. Do keep in mind that this was Denham’s half to pay. His landlord footed the other half of the bill. With money coming in from the kids and all of it plus some going out for bills and other expenses, Denham worried about the future of the rockin’ venue and hoped things would look up, even after a slight decrease in crowds for a Plano chess team benefit. No one showed.

It Had to Look Like It Rocked

The look of Rock Steady had to do the name justice. It had to rock, plain and simple. The new hangout held up quite a capacity for teens to hear their types of music, including emo, punk, rock and indie. The venue could hold up to 241 kids jumping around to the last beat of the last song. You could not miss the entrance to this awesome underage venue. It had an electric blue door and why not, it looked cool. It was stricking and very rememerable. Once inside you were to be adorned with the faces of rock. Of course the walls were black, the color of rock n’ roll forever. Those artists that were new with the times and some from rock’s rockin’ past. These included pitures lining the walls of Rock Steady with the new age punk band Green Day and the veterans of punk:Dead Kennedys and the Ramones. These were just the opening acts before the rocking show ahead. The walls for Rock Steady simply had to rock. They had to be raw enough and powerful enough to get kids screaming at the top of their lungs for the new big band of rock. These pics also gave the aspiring rock stars something to look forward too. The stage at Rock Steady was what was to be expected. It was a wooden stage that, at night, would come alive with the sounds of edgy guitars and screaming vocals. At night the stage would be lined with guitars, amps, drums, amps and electric cords. There was all that one needed to rock the house. The stage was rested upon piles of bricks that laid 13 inches off of the floor of Rock Steady. Above the stage was a low ceiling. It just gave the club an intimate feeling. Then black curtains were hung to enclose the club and bring all Rock Steady party goers together at the first sound of the guitar. The curtains were quite meaningful to Mr. Denham as his sewed them himself. Mr. Denham put all of himself into the creation of Rock Steady. It was not only for his kids, but for all of the kids that wanted to be rockstars(you know we all did) or those who just wanted to listen to the music of their generation without ridicule from their parents. Also kids gotta eat right? Well Denham did not forget that part either. One dollar nachos were easily ordered when bands changed for sets or a pick me up for all that jumping around that kids do to music was needed. Also 25 cent ring pops and 3 dollar Monster energy drinks could be purchased. The Gym Class Dropouts even created a song about nachos. These kids came to party and never slowed down. They were dancing, singing along to the band or playing tic-tac-toe. There was something for everyone.

For Those About to Rock

Live music in Plano. 2006 could not have come at a better time. With the curtains hung and the buzz getting around quickly, it was time to book talent for the up and coming Rock Steady. The shows were generally held on Fridays at 6:30 pm or Saturdays at 1:30 pm, but sometimes Sundays served up a rock dish as well with the time the same as on Saturdays. As long as the shows did not cut into homework time the parents were into it as well. All a kid needed was a 10 dollar bill, a seat on a bar stool and a gaze into the disco ball. The show was gonna rock. Parents were not required to pay if they came with their children. Rock Steady was bulit not only for underage teens, but also for local bands traveling around to make a living and do what they loved. They wanted to rock and be heard. This venue gave all this and more. It really brought the two together. The timing was just perfect. Bands were hired based upon the fact that they could bring in enough people or that they would bring friends that would pay. Headlining bands could make as much as two hundred dollars for each gig. Almost two years into making music avaliable to all that key point proved to be the cornerstone on which Rock Steady thrived. The venue was seeing great music acts each weekend. I, the Emperor had rocked the wooden stage. Gym Class Drop-outs, which Denham’s son was a part of before Westchester, and the Cadillac Incident had also graced the stage. For 8-12 dollars a show kids had a place to go and a place where they could rock out as loud as they wanted to new and newly loved rock bands. Other bands that came to rock included Sages and Saints as well as the Secret Handshake. The venue was known for giving rockers a chance to rock and kids to find new music tastes and groups they had never seen. Plus the club was small and kids could feel like part of the band. They were up close to those they idolized and those they had just found. For Patrick Alan Rock Steady proved to be a success. This lead singer of Shorelines End graced the wooden stage like so many others with his acoustic Indie rock and he eventually landed a record deal. There were, however, issues with booking bands for upcoming shows. Denham commented as saying sometimes the big headlining bands would back out last minute. This, of course, was not a good thing. It does happen though. Then the domino effect would come into play. Once the big headliner cancelled so did the local band that was opening for them. Some local bands wanted to play with those who had a following. They just did not want to play alone. As you can imagine the venue saved money by not paying the bands, but lost more from kids who did not come in at all. No bands equals no kids. Rock Steady was a success for club goers and artists alike. When they booked and kept good artists there were so many kids, you would of had to take the hidges off the doors to get all of them in there. Unfortunately the love from kids and bands alike was not enough to keep all well at Rock Steady. Since opening the whole venue was a loss financially. Only in the teens eyes and ears was Rock Steady the best thing they had seen for awhile.

All Great Names Must Come To an End

It is funny and sad to think about how two years can come and go in the blink of an eye. Rock Steady pioneered underage venues like none before its time. With everchanging lineups in bands and a great effort in making teenagers feel welcomed to groove to music in their own setting, Rock Steady should be forever saluted. Before closing its doors and opening under a new name, Denham did have an offer from a fellow Dallas club owner. Of course the owner felt that an teeny bopper club just was not doing the trick and he(his name was never mentioned) had plans for Rock Steady and its future. The eager owner could forsee the venue turning into a place acts could be groomed on their way to other venues where sex was on the menu. Not exactly kid friendly. Denham said no. Rock Steady had nothing but pure values and it needed to continue on in the same spirit. In environments where teenagers equal fun, Rock Steady showed the big kids how it’s done. The reviews for Rock Steady were nothing short of great and everyone seemed to dig it. Kids and parents liking the same things are rare these days and this showed that it could be done and done well. Lucklily enough for Rock Steady and Denham it got a chance to be carried on in that same aspirit as it was created in. There was pressure. It was easy to have fun according to the kids who frequented the venue. Now do not get your feelings down just yet, Rock Steady was transformed into The Door(in Plano). And yes it still plays the same types of music for teenagers with no alcohol included. For those who are avid party goers to the venue that goes by the name of The Door they will quickly realize that Rock Steady got an upgrade. The Door, which is located in Dallas in a little place called Deep Ellum, cries out with loud guitar riffs and blazing drum solos each week. The Door with both clubs now still caters to the young at heart and offers no alcohol and/or drinking and no smoking. They are just there for all ages to have fun. The Door in Plano will not disappoint. While the name is different, the game plan is just the same. It is a safe, fun environment to keep kids stimulated and happy. It is a club type setting where parents need not worry about their children. Older teens prepared with Rock Steady t-shirts were security and they did their job well. The kids safety was a top priority, well except maybe their ears. That music can get pretty loud and the kids sure do love it. Denham would be proud.

Still Rockin’ Steady

It seems that Rock Steady will be missed. A lot of fans of that venue were actually looking forward to the new venue, so we will see what the future shall bring. In 2009 the all ages venue known as Rock Steady had become success once again with the name The Door in Plano. Like The Door in Dallas before it, the Plano version would become just as great and be just as entertaining to the young folk as Rock Steady had been before it. Kids as young as 13 could be in a familiar setting and have fun while listening to the music that had brought them there to begin with. The only downside was that the staff of Rock Steady was long gone and they were really loved, the tall white letters out front had changed names and, of course, Mr. Denham was not there. His vision lives on though through The Door. For fans of the former Rock Steady venue, a Myspace page has been set up and those who still want to rock before curfew can click on and chat with one another. The page has songs on it download and add to your home page too. The pics on the page are quite unique given that they are the posters for every band that has ever played at Rock Steady. They are the originals and neat to look at. You can also view videos and playlists. Log on and become a friend of this ever popular ageless venue. There is a link to rocksteadylive.com although I did not get much out of it. This page is a great way to share stories, old and new, and learn about upcoming shows at The Door in Plano, AKA Rock Steady.