Rockin’ for the kids

It’s like the plot from one of those 1930s movie musicals: Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland shout out, “Hey kids, let’s put on a show” and save the day with their singing and dancing skills.

In this case, the talented teens are members of a Coeur d’Alene High School rock band who, with a lot of help from their parents, have organized a daylong rock ‘n’ roll show to benefit children in need.

The first Kids in Need Concert, next Saturday at the Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls, will feature 24 bands, mostly from area high schools. Proceeds will be divided among three Kootenai County charities, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Specialized Needs Recreation and Project Safe Place.

The project started when the four members of Iron Fanboy and a few of their parents threw out this “half thought-out idea about a concert,” said Bob Frisk, whose son, Alan, plays guitar. “The more we talked, the more ideas we threw out.”

Within a week they got the first public notices out about the show. Then the phone started ringing.

“One weekend we were talking about it,” said Fanboy guitarist Ian Nelson. “Then it just exploded into musical magic.”

A large part of the musical magic has come from the community. The Greyhound Park is donating the use of its facility. Impact Lighting will take care of the lights. The Guitar Stop is donating the sound equipment. The list goes on.

“The support we’ve gotten from the community has been awesome,” said Kim McIntyre, whose son, Ronnie Ross, plays drums. “People already are calling and saying they can’t help this year but would like to next year. We have planned on it being an annual event.”

The musical lineup will be heavy on the high school bands and heavy on the rock ‘n’ roll. Punk, techno, classic, grunge and Christian are a few of the rock genres on the menu.

But there will be variety. A youth group from the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, the Rose Creek Singers and Drummers, will open the show with traditional American Indian dancing and music. The St. Joseph’s Pipe and Drum Corps from Sandpoint will pack their electric guitars along with the bagpipes for a set of “electric Scottish rock.” “I kid you not,” Frisk said.

The youngest performers are expected to be The Foes, a rock trio of fifth-graders from Ramsey Elementary School who play their own songs. The oldest performers likely will be members of the Fishermen, a vocal quartet from the Lake City Harmonizers. The elder statesman of the Fishermen is 91. “The Fishermen are going to surprise some folks,” Frisk said.

Tha Lost Tribe, from Colville, will perform “native hip-hop,” while Cecil the Magician will entertain with his tricks of the trade. And maybe, just maybe, emcee Duke Clark will strap on the blue suede shoes and get all shook up as Elvis for a song or two.

For the young members of Iron Fanboy – Frisk, Ross, and bassist Josh Nelson are freshmen while Ian Nelson is a junior – part of the fun next weekend will be seeing all the other bands.

“I’m most looking forward to afterward, when we get to give the money to charity,” Alan Frisk said. “Meeting the other bands will be kicking.”

Ultimately, however, they’re looking forward to the experience.

“I really like playing in front of people,” Nelson said. “It’s cool that we can do what we like and help other kids.”