Parent of young musician starts Give Back Tour

On Sunday, June 29, several young Racine and Kenosha bands will take the stage in the lower level of Briese's Brew and McBride's Gyros on Hwy E and 22nd Avenue in Kenosha to kick off a series of shows intended to offer local bands an opportunity to give back to their community.

The idea for the series came to Jim Lingo whose teen son is a musician.

For young bands, one problem is that it's difficult to find venues that welcome them. Adult venues aren't really appropriate or accessible for them. Lingo was putting together a benefit concert and found that many venues won't host teen bands because they have had bad experiences.

Lingo's experience showed him a better way. He had been working with another parent from Racine, Jeff Gustin, who has hosted a half dozen well-managed teen concerts, successful in part because there was an adequate security presence who made the rules clear and kept the environment safe.

The average age of attendees was 13-15, too young for a lot of other activities. They want to support their friends who are aspiring musicians and they want to hear music from their own generation. Members of the bands range in age from 11-17 and having an audience to perform for is the fuel they thrive on.

Lingo recognized that young musicians would need to be very proactive to overcome the skepticism and earn a place of respect in the community. That's when he decided to organize local bands around what he's calling the Give Back Tour. Over the next year, Lingo will produce a series of shows involving local talent where all the proceeds will be donated to local causes.

The first show starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Bands scheduled to play are Labeled, Preying Mantis Theory, Pistofficer, SolarPlexus, Bury My Enemies, and East of You. For more information call 262.748.5654 or email Lingo.