Young guns – High school-age rock bands learn the ropes

Baton Rougeans can hear the future of the local music scene this weekend. Three up-and-coming bands whose members are still in high school will perform at The Walden Clubhouse (1201 Thoreau Dr.) Friday at 8 p.m. Admission is $8.

The bands include You Know Who, a funk and blues duo, featuring vocalist/guitarist Taylor Gordon and drummer JP Rivers. Della, a ska/rock band featuring vocalist Sydney Nesom, guitarists Matthew Polito and Ryan DeJean, bassist Jack Burleigh and drummer Jason Guidroz, will also perform. Headlining the show is The Chambers, a psychedelic surf rock band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Alex Abel and drummer Jordan Farho.

The show, dubbed The New Bloods, comes from a partnership between Royal Cyclops Productions’ Rob Chidester and 17-year-old guitarist Daniel Padial. Padial was in between bands when he met Royal Cyclops’ head honcho last year.

“We were talking about turning Baton Rouge into a music city,” Padial says. “He wants to teach these kids how to put on a real concert so they’ll have that experience for the future.”

Padial started contacting a few of his friends who were in bands for an all-ages showcase. Though he and his friends had played all-ages shows at venues like Here Today Gone Tomorrow, those performances were largely unorganized.

Unlike a bar or local venue, the Walden Clubhouse is a community space with exterior and interior space. The interior facility has room for about 200. Though Padial won’t perform at this show, he’s looking to fill the space to capacity. Also with Chidester’s help, these bands and Padial are learning how to make a show an experience.

“It sounded like a great idea,” Padial says. “I’m all for playing music. I’m all for bringing together people to watch music. I got some time on my hands, why not?”