Rock-n-Romp, like Fort Reno, is a D.C. summer concert series for post-punk music. Like Fort Reno, it caters to an underserved crowd. But while Fort Reno is for younger folks enjoying a wide open summer, Rock-n-Romp is trying to get parents out of the house. Running since 2002 in the backyard of the founder's house, and spreading as far as Austin and Memphis, Rock-n-Romp is now hoping to change the music scene in Silver Spring (flyer at right). Curious, DCist did a Q&A with the founder and DC organizer, Debbie Lee.

What motivated you to start this concert series?

Back in 2001, my husband and I had moved to Silver Spring from our Logan Circle condo to give our not-quite-1-year-old a nice yard with trees and more space to crawl/run around in. We were big fans of the local music scene, both playing in bands at one point or another, and knew that we wanted to expose Jack (our son) to good music, but didn't know of any place to take him. We were the first of our friends to even have a kid, so we were kinda making it up as we went along, you know? Anyway, we heard about a Dan Zanes show at Iota, and even though we weren't totally familiar with his stuff at the time (we didn't have ANY music targeted at kids in our CD collection), we were all for a live show that wasn't Raffi or Barney! WELL, we trekked to Arlington to a sold out show! We were bummed! But it was a nice surprise to see so many likeminded parents, some of which looked kinda familiar, like maybe I'd seen them at the Black Cat or something. There were other people with kids who wanted to see good music! The idea to do shows in the backyard just kind of hit me. I'm a product of the DIY 80s music scene in DC, where community centers and church basements and houses as venues for good music were just as popular as the 9:30 Club. I thought, why not? We've got a kid-friendly space, friends who play music, and at least a few folks who'd be interested in coming. And so, in the summer of 2002, Rock-n-Romp was born.

Are you breaking into adults-only territory with the Rock-n-Romp Showcase in Silver Spring? Is Rock-n-Romp about bringing music to non-traditional venues and neighborhoods as well as to children?

Well, the RnR Showcase kinda fell in my lap. My friend Joel Sparks, who writes music and restaurant reviews for some local publications, contacted me with the idea because he had started working with the new owners at the Quarry House to book live music. The Showcase is intended to promote the RnR series for kids and parents, and the kind of music that can be found at RnR, but I also think that just having live music in my neighborhood would be awesome! After 5 years of doing RnR, I've definitely made friends with a ton of great bands, and would love the chance to help them get new show opportunities. Silver Spring is sorely lacking in the live rock-type music department, so hopefully the Quarry House can pick up the ball and run with it. It's just a short walk from my house, so I know I'd be at every show I could, and I can think of a lot of people who would, too.

So what are the details of the showcase at the Quarry House?

There aren’t many places to see live music. There used to be a place, the Half-Moon Barbecue, but they mainly played roots rock. The cool thing about the Quarry House is that it is the neighborhood watering hole; it’s been around since the 30s, it’s got dark wood paneling, it’s not fancy. The new owners have redone the menu, added some new beers. The live music has come with the new ownership. I went there last week and there was a diverse crowd; the old timers who went regularly and younger people who are increasingly moving to Silver Spring. Very laidback. The band that played the other night was straightforward rock. I’m hoping to bring something different.

Spoils of Northwest has more of a psychedelic vibe. It’s hard to describe. It will be interesting to see how regulars receive [the music].

Any funny neighbor stories?

I live on a very busy stretch of road, which isn't conducive to hanging out on the front stoop and chatting with the neighbors, so it turns out that I know very few of them! Unless I've seem them at the park, I probably couldn't pick most of them out of a lineup! They've been very tolerant of RnR, but there was the impromptu (full-volume) reunion of Lesbian Boy Jr, a few years ago, which resulted in a visit from the police. They showed up after things had already quieted down and were like, "Keep it down. Why weren't we invited?"

How did the Austin Rock-n-Romp take off?

Austin RnR was born out of an email conversation I had with my friend Paige Maguire. She's a hardcore music lover (she writes for Austinist and Swoon, a music blog) and has a 4-year-old son. We were discussing my coming to Austin for a visit, and I threw the RnR idea out there and said I could help her put a show on. She loved the idea and grabbed the reins! Austin is such an amazing music town, so I know RnR will be well-received there. I'm very excited I get to be there for the first one! Oh, and for those who know folks in Memphis and Baltimore, there are also Rock-n-Romps in those towns!

I was talking to one of the organizers of the Baltimore Rock-n-Romp, where I heard I would have to bring a child or, seeing as I don't have a kid, he suggested I bring a pregnant woman. In your professional opinion, how is that done?

Ha ha! I haven't heard the Pregnant Woman Clause! Maybe you could get a woman friend to stuff a pillow under her shirt? Heh. Seriously though, I prefer RnR DC to be more organic, and am not so strict about attendance, though I certainly understand why the Baltimore folks feel that way. The truth is that my childless friends have been a huge help to me with RnR from the beginning, so not letting them come just isn't something I'd consider. Plus, I can always count on them to float the keg! Heh. And then there are always going to band members' significant others and pals from out-of-town who want to see them play, no matter what the venue. As long as there's room for everyone, I have no problem with that. The random child-free folks who show up tend to not come back when they see that they're in the minority. Or maybe they didn't like getting bubbles blown in their faces or sand thrown in their hair!

When you become a parent, the all-night drinking and rocking ends. I've heard such things, but I just wanted to confirm that.

I will say that the "all-night drinking" will probably end. Unless you're a glutton for punishment... dealing with a cranky toddler at 6 am while hung over is NEVER fun. As for rocking, I still love to go see shows, and until I can get Ted Leo in my backyard (I wish!!) will never stop going out when I get the chance. My husband and I are fans of the taking-turns-going-out method, so we don't have to deal with sitter fees, but if there's a band we really both want to see we will call in reinforcements. So the rocking doesn't have to end, you just need to modify it a bit with kids in the picture.

What are some of your favorite D.C. bands?

Oh man, that's a tough one! The truth is that there are a lot of DC bands I've never seen or heard, which I try to remedy by booking them to play RnR. I don't want to play favorites, so I will just say that if you check the RnR schedule and the roster of past shows, you'll find a lot of amazing local music played by great people. I guess you could say that DC bands who want to play for kids and their parents are my favorites!

Do you ever modulate the sound for the kids’ ears?

We asked bands to turn it down. The drummer uses band-aid sticks. Most kids like loud music and to be honest, they aren’t even paying attention. The music is more for parents than it is for kids.

Did you get inspiration from Pancake Mountain?

I took Jack to a dance party to see Deerhoof. I ran into Scott Stuckey. He said, “You are such an inspiration.” I guess he came across our MySpace page. When they did the Ted Leo danceparty, I wanted to go so badly, but I was out of town. What they’ve done is really impressive and I’d like Ted Leo to play in my backyard!

How has Silver Spring changed? Where is it going?

Ever since the Discovery Channel built their new headquarters downtown and the AFI theatre opened up …there’s been a lot going on. More young people are coming in. If this goes well, it’s really been a long time coming, especially with the development of the downtown area. When we first moved here, there was nothing. The day they opened a Borders, I was so excited because I could walk there with my kid. Since then they’ve opened a regular movie theatre and a bunch of chain restaurants and stores. If we get enough people, I hope we can continue to book other bands, other local DC bands.

Could this be a potential first play-date opportunity?

Play dates aren’t for the kids so much as the parents. A 3 year old doesn’t know how to interact with other kids yet and they have fun anywhere. It’s more so parents can be social. When I first had Jack we had just moved to Silver Spring and I knew no one, I was desperate to meet people. Rock n Romp can hopefully help parents meet other parents, too.

Author's Note: The Chance is no longer playing this show. Later today you can read a Three Stars piece on Greenland, the last band on the bill.