With that in mind, the Rong Bros collaborated with local artists to put together a showcase this past January at the PNC Arts Annex. It featured some of the rising musicians and visual artists in the Dayton DIY arts scene — and it all happened midday.
Taking inspiration from art-forward showcases like Art Parkd, an annual DIY festival in a nondescript parking lot, the inaugural Rong Bros Brunch Bash offered an accessible alternative to late-night shows. So, instead of being out until midnight just to catch all of the performers, Brunch Bashers could have a communal arts experience and be home at a reasonable hour.
“What we loved about last time is everyone brought that energy into the rest of the day with them,” John said. “You’re celebrating music. You’ve got a whole evening to go and either wind down or go to local businesses around town.”
The second Rong Bros Brunch Bash will be on Nov. 17 at the PNC Arts Annex.
This upcoming event will feature many of the same musicians from the previous Brunch Bash — and this year’s Art Parkd — including Eleanor Dakota, Isicle, Paige Beller, Proxy.exe, Dos.Grandiose and Basura: the next evolution of Frank Calzada’s retired project, Frank & Friends.
Organizers and “porch punks” the Rong Bros will also be emceeing as the de facto house band, performing in between sets to ensure a consistent flow and narrative to the event.
Fea Fotos will have a photo (foto?) booth, and there will be a light installation by Lightclub (SOS Lightshow x Yesteronics) with CRT TVs and glitch cameras.
Rush Hour will have a food pop up that will put the brunch in Brunch Bash.
There is quite a bit of artist crossover with Art Parkd, organized by Fea of Fea Fotos, which comes back to the idea of collaboration.
“Art Parkd was kind of my introduction to this burgeoning DIY Dayton music scene that’s been happening,” John said. “We’re just a bunch of younger musicians just really excited about collaborating. There’s not really much of a sense of competition around it. Everyone’s mutually supporting each other.”
This year, John helped write the Culture Works grant for Art Parkd, which landed the festival a $9,000 grant. He also ran sound and played some of the background music during the transitional moments.
When asked what’s provoking the DIY art scene in Dayton, John cites an encouraging atmosphere.
“I was in Los Angeles before this and it was just not a supportive environment,” he said. “It’s very challenging to find a collaborative environment with other musicians, because everyone’s going for the same limited number of opportunities. And I think in Dayton, people are doing it because they love it.”
After this second go-around, the Rong Bros, along with everyone else involved in its production, are hoping to make the Rong Bros Brunch Bash a quarterly thing, to keep the momentum going.
“We really want to branch out and connect with other artists,” John said, “but this first year is the foundation and we’re just really stoked by everyone’s evolution. So to have one in January and November, we’re hoping to highlight the growth of everyone throughout the year.”
Last time, at the end of the event, all the musicians who performed got back on stage to perform Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster.” It was a tribute to both funk and Dayton. They plan on collaborating on another closing song to represent the ever-collaborative arts scene.
“We’re just really proud and believe in what’s going on here,” John said. “Our whole goal here is to contribute to the amazing stuff that’s already happening. The legacy of Dayton and just how many amazing people are here… we’re really proud of the city and proud to be doing it here.”
Contact this contributing music writer at branberry100@gmail.com.
How to go
What: Rong Bros Brunch Bash
When: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Nov. 17
Where: PNC Arts Annex
Cost: $18
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