Van Halen Experience, Somewhat Petty & Ultimate Doors: How Cover Acts Are Helping Winston-Salem’s Ramkat Thrive

Love them for the nostalgia or hate them for devaluing the original music in the market, tribute bands are a readily available calendar filler for independent clubs who are increasingly looking for ways to attract a new generation of patrons.  

With concert ticket prices on the rise, tribute bands offer familiar music at an affordable price point for parents who want to connect with their children over the music they love.

“It’s definitely been part of our thinking as we program artists and cover bands of that ilk,” explains Andy Tennille, co-owner of The Ramkat in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “It does provide a low entry opportunity for families to come out and enjoy live music that they are familiar with. It’s not a guessing game where they hope they are going to like the music – they already know it. It’s certainly something that is easily accessible.”

Normally an 18+, 1,000-cap club, Tennille and co-owner Richard Emmett have made a habit of welcoming underage kids – as long as they are accompanied by a parent.

“Generally speaking, our age requirement is 18 and up, and there’s a lot of different reasons that that’s the case,” explains Tennille. “From a liability perspective, we are quick to tell anyone, ‘Yeah, we’re 18 and up but you can bring any age kid if they’re accompanied by a parent.’ That’s the way I was raised. My parents took me to see concerts all the time. And some of those are my most fond memories with my folks.”

At 10-years-old, Luke Rodelander was head-bobbing to Somewhat Petty’s faithful rendition of Tom Petty’s rock anthem “American Girl” tossing back a Shirley Temple alongside his dad Milan Rodelander, 51, of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina.

“I haven’t heard of [Petty], but it’s good,” admits the youngster in a Nike hoodie, who was proudly wearing a Ramkat pin given to him by lead bartender and hospitality coordinator Kelly Lowdermilk.

“It’s probably because I’m a kid, I guess,” he says of the spontaneous present. “It just feels like I’m special.”

“It doesn’t surprise me,” adds Milan Rodelander, a fan of Petty who died in 2017. “We’ve been to several concerts before that are a little more aggressive than this and they always make sure that he’s safe and attended to. …Regardless of whether it’s the real artist or not, it doesn’t matter.”

Lowdermilk says paying attention to the Ramkat’s underage patrons comes naturally.

“I have a soft spot for the kids. My dad is my concert buddy,” says Lowdermilk, who often gives the set list to a child at the end of the night. “It doesn’t take much to make somebody’s day.”

Upcoming shows include Jump America’s Van Halen Experience (tonight); The Rush Experience tribute to Rush (Feb. 6); The Ultimate Doors tribute to the Doors (Feb. 7); Tell Me Lies tribute to Fleetwood Mac Feb. 20.

Lowdermilk is taking it a step further and is creating a laminate she can hand out to kids that says “This is my first concert” when she sees them in the audience.   

“Kelly’s really a great embodiment of a very intentional kind of perspective on making our venue accessible to families,” offers Tennille.

Kids also have concerts of their own. The Ramkat regularly features a “Kids Dance Party” on Saturday afternoons. Kids pay $5 and parents get in free. The first 150 kids get a beaded necklace or flower lei. Juice boxes cost $1.

“When I started the Ramkat my kids were 3 and 7 – and I had friends who had young kids as well – and it afforded me an opportunity to bring my kids to the venue, we put a DJ on the stage and they got the wiggles out,” recalls Tennille. “It was an easy opportunity for all of us to gather, bring our kids to a safe space and they could run around and dance and play and do their thing and the parents could have a beer and relax and know their kids were in a safe spot.”

Tennille quickly realized that for many children, the Dance Party was their first exposure to a live music space.

“Our goal and the bread and butter of the business is not doing shows for kids,” admits Tennille. “But I like doing this stuff. I remember being that age and going to see shows and what a massive impact it had on me and likely influenced what I do today.”

Tennille’s first concert was at Yankees Stadium on July 4^th in 1988. After the game, a stage was rolled out to center field, “Full House” star John Stamos played bongos and the Beach Boys performed “Good Vibrations,” “Surfer Girl” and “Kokomo,” which was officially released two weeks later.

“I’ll never forget it,” admits Tennille. “Not too long after, my dad took me to my first Allman Brothers show at the Beacon Theater when I was 12. Those experiences? It’s what lit the fuse.”

Admitting underage patrons may be a personal mission, but it does present real challenges from legal adherence and rigorous staff training to reduced bar revenue.  

“Sometimes there are nights when you’ve got bunch of underage kids in the ring and it can be kind of stressful,” admits Tennille. “But in terms of the Ramkat, we need to do a better job at being open to that, to being open to doing kids dance parties, being open to hosting a high school band showcase, to be open to having college bands play the room – because rock ‘n’ roll is a young person’s sport. …I think more venues should do it, quite honestly.”