Shoppers at Perkins Rowe can find everything from fashion, to food, to films but for a select part of the year, they can also find live music.
The popular shopping community is kicking off its Thursday night concert series, Rock N Rowe, this evening with local band, After 8.
Each week, Perkins Rowe invites a different band to play in its Town Square Park, which is across from the Cinemark Perkins Rowe movie theatre. The free concert series is open to the public from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Perkins Rowe marketing manager Paula Biggs said the event’s been popular in the community for at least the past three years, and she’s looking forward to getting the concerts back up and running. Biggs said the majority of the bands they book play cover songs, so everyone can enjoy a variety of music they already know.
“We always have a really nice and family-oriented band,” Biggs said. “People get up and dance — it’s just a great family event.”
Those in attendance bring folding chairs, blankets and food from the surrounding restaurants and have a picnic, Biggs said. There’s also outside seating at some nearby eateries like VooDoo BBQ & Grill and California Pizza Kitchen, where guests can also enjoy the music from their respective locations.
As far as the crowd, Biggs said anyone from senior citizens to children attend. Some people make the concert series an opportunity for a family date night, complete with food, shopping and music, while others show up because they like the band, but either way, the event has quite the following.
“People are always calling and asking when we’re bringing it back,” Biggs said. “It’s something that we love to do because we love to see people having a great time at Perkins Rowe.”
Tina Mancuso, owner of All Occasion Entertainment, assists the Rock N Rowe crew when it comes to booking bands. She said she looks for bands who will appeal to the family-friendly crowd, which has reached nearly 2,500 people in the past.
So far, they have cover bands featuring The Beatles’ music, country favorites and an ’80s hair band. She said when the series first began, bands were playing club music, but she helped them turn the selections around to fit the classier environment.
“The bands that have consistently brought us the biggest crowd and everybody asks us for again and again are the ones we book,” Mancuso said. “For the extra dates, I seek out new and interesting things.”
The Rock N Rowe crew has even prepared for Louisiana’s unpredictable weather because they don’t want to cancel any concerts. Luckily, the Great Hall, which is the area around Cinemark, provides a covered location for any impromptu rain. The staff sets up some chairs, and the band puts on a show the same as they would in the Town Square Park.
The concert series doesn’t just benefit the public, but also the many businesses located in the area. Biggs said a lot of people go shopping during the concerts, so it brings more customers to Perkins Rowe’s retail stores.
“Whether they shop that night or not, hopefully they’ll come back,” Biggs said. “It’s a plus for the community, us and for everybody that’s coming to enjoy themselves. It’s something that I think everyone, no matter what their age, can enjoy.”
The series is returning after a winter break, but Biggs said there are plans in the works to hopefully continue the concerts through the summer months and into the fall. When they’ve held summer sessions in the past, the crowd still shows up, regardless of the heat.
Biggs said she thinks the series is worth attending because it’s such a great family event for all ages. The proximity of the concert, shops and restaurants allow visitors to participate in as many events as they want in just one evening.
“Any time you have great shopping, great food and great music, that’s a winning combination,” Biggs said. “We get people all the time that come up and thank us for doing this.”