Brandon Damm presents Unchained Park and Dead Sugar at Rock 4 Mental Health show

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams. In the studio with me today is Brandon Damm. Brandon, how's it going, man?
Brandon Damm:
All right. How are you, Jeff?
Jeff Williams:
I'm good. It's good to see you.
Brandon Damm:
As well.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. And Brandon is the director of The Rock 4 Mental Health and Rock and Run 4 Mental Health. Director, correct? Correct. Yeah. Just thought I'd have you come in and talk about what's been going on.
Brandon Damm:
Well, Rock 4 Mental Health, as you know, started in 2023 as just a 5K wanting to create awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. And now we're officially A non-profit.
Jeff Williams:
Nice.
Brandon Damm:
Doing more in the community to get the word out about mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. That first year when we kind of had little art shows set up and... That was the first year. That was the first year, right on. That's cool. And it seemed like right off the bat, that seemed like it was a, to me at least, seemed like a pretty good turnout, right?
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, I think the first year we had like 176 registered for the run. And last year we had like 431. So, over a few years, that's good growth.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, that's great. That's great for sure. So yeah, I want to thank you for times where you've had some of your art and some of our art shows. I just wanted to say thanks for that. It's always cool to see your art is always thoughtful, and especially for some of the subject matter of some of the events we were having at the time and so thanks a lot for contributing those types of things for real. But anyhow, as far as what you have coming up.
Brandon Damm:
It's on May 3rd at Boondocks. We're expanding this year to a second event. It's the Rock for Mental Health Awareness concert. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. So we're having an event at Boondocks. It's 3 bands, the local bands Unchained and Park. And then we're having a national touring act called Dead Sugar that's coming in town for the show as well.
Jeff Williams:
Dude, that's gonna be, that seems like this is gonna be a huge show, man.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, I hope so.
Jeff Williams:
I think it is, man. That's good to have it out at Boondocks, too. Before we'd played like the new Soil Festival last, I hadn't been out there in a long time.
Brandon Damm:
Right.
Jeff Williams:
It's a great setup out there for that too, so no matter how many people, it's still a comfortable space, not too packed up, but with Unchained and with Park, both being on the show too. I'm not too familiar with the touring band, really.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, they're a newer up-and-coming band. They kind of have a Linkin Park type sound. It's a female-fronted modern rock band.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. I saw Unchained was over at Pizza Records it looked like this past weekend, but Park, they don't play a lot of shows. So, for you to, so how did that kind of come about?
Brandon Damm:
I mean, it's a nice mix, obviously. Miles Park Hill, I have bought shirts from Miles T-shirts for probably 20 years now. So the relationship there, you know, for our runs, we've gotten our hoodies through Miles T-shirts, and it's something that he cares about. So we connected on that, him being the drummer for Park. Unchained, obviously they're popular in the Springfield area. The original plan was to have the show at the Curve Inn, which we had it scheduled for the Curve. Unfortunately, the fire occurred, and so we had to pivot. But Rick Major, sound engineer there at the Curve, connected us with Unchained, and they were all on board. So that's initially what got those groups together. And then Dead Sugar, they were through the area, played out at Danenberger Family Vineyards back in October.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, they had, okay, got you.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, WQLZ had a show out there for breast cancer. And I connected with them and then just kind of a meeting of the minds.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, no, that's great.
Brandon Damm:
Made it happen.
Jeff Williams:
That's great. That should draw a lot of people too. And also, it's like $10. Is that the ticket price too? Yeah.
Brandon Damm:
I wanted to make it affordable.
Jeff Williams:
For everybody so everybody can come. Right.
Brandon Damm:
More people come out, the better. And in addition to just raising funds for mental health, just having that community in the Springfield area, letting people know that they're not alone and that there's other people that are passionate about this cause or going through their own challenges and stuff. So the more people there, the better.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah. Well, and that's how a lot of times, you know, over the years, like some people would be like, man, you guys should charge more for your shows. You can hit. I'm like, yeah, it's not, it's not all about making some huge one-time thing. I get it, that can happen, but when you're able to make it where it is affordable for everybody and everybody can come out, everybody has, they just feel better. I mean, it's just a good feeling across the board. People don't have to dig too much into their pockets to do it. But then they can also support in different ways if they choose. But just like to be able to have everybody who can come out sometimes is more important than fewer people at a higher ticket price. Even if you make the same money or more, sometimes it just doesn't, it's not worth it sometimes.
Brandon Damm:
I'm sure you probably as an entertainer, you know, annihilate and such, like you'd rather play to a show of 250 people instead of just 50 people a year. It's a different energy and fill to the room where you have more.
Jeff Williams:
Thank you for that also for the community keep having those ticket prices where it's affordable for everybody across the board for the spring.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah that's the plan for this year the kind of first half of the year is that and then we're having our annual September, yeah, that's what I thought, September. Yeah, we normally have it around Suicide Prevention Day, and this year it's at Rochester Community Park again, September 13th, and we have the 66 Ramblers playing that show.
Jeff Williams:
So, when you do that, do you have the same 5K course or switch the course up?
Brandon Damm:
We have switched it up over the years. We tend to put out like a survey after the event and try to find ways to improve things and such. So it is slightly different this year, the course set up.
Jeff Williams:
Does it right on? That's cool. So does some of the course run like along the corridor, like trail that?
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, the IDOT, the Lost Bridge Trail.
Jeff Williams:
Lost Bridge Trail, yeah.
Brandon Damm:
It's kind of between IDOT and Rochester. Yeah, so it comes out of the park and onto the trail and then down to that first main stoplight in Rochester and then back up towards the park and ends by the pavilion area.
Jeff Williams:
That's a good time of the year to do it too. Hopefully, you know, it starts to cool off a little sometimes.
Brandon Damm:
We've been very fortunate for the last few years. No rain, and it's been sunny, and it's a little cooler in the morning, but not too cool. And it's been perfect.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. Now that first year, also, there was kind of like the visual art presence. Is there stuff like that this time, or is it kind of like how?
Brandon Damm:
We're wanting to bring the visual art part back.
Jeff Williams:
I know sometimes coordinating, there's a lot, we got a lot of coordinating to do.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, there's so many different variables because we have vendors, you know, community organizations, the music, food, the park, and all the different things. And then after DIM Art House was no longer an active presence, a physical building. So, we didn't do anything either in the second or third year… visual art wise. We would like to bring that back. But as you know, by getting artists they have their own things going on and getting enough where it's not just a few pieces.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah. It's, there's a lot of stuff to coordinating something like that. And speaking of that, or it's coordinating an event like you're putting on, like kind of talk us through some of that. Like the first, like when you, okay, there was a day you hadn't probably thought about doing this. And then all of a sudden one day it was like, that might be like there was an itch or something. And then it's like, wait a minute, I think I do want to kind of talk us through that, how it kind of, how that unfolds for a person.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, in, I think it was 2022, I realized Springfield was kind of lacking something for mental health. There is a suicide prevention And there's 5Ks for every cause under the sun. But we were really missing something, a bigger event for mental health. And I'm a person that's passionate about music and mental health. And at the time I was running very amateur, not very fast running, but running nonetheless. You know, doing 5Ks and such. So kind of combining those things together is what spawned the initial iteration of it in raising funds for various other nonprofits. The first year, there was like three different nonprofits we gave to. And there's been four since our inception. And this year, we're donating funds to provide counseling services for uninsured individuals.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, really? That's awesome. Yeah. So when you take some of the first steps like you to make it start to come to fruition? I mean, you have to talk to people from Rochester? What are some of the first steps you take to organize something like that?
Brandon Damm:
It's basically trial and error and kind of shotgunning your idea out there into the universe and trying to make contacts with the right people. At a few potential venues, contacted different park districts, and Rochester was one of the most cooperative. Because there's, at different places, there's fees and permits and all the red tape to get things up and going. And when it's a first year event, you don't have the financial back and your resources to do that off the bat. So, reaching out to potential venues, reaching out to different timing companies for a 5K, because there's expenses associated with that. and then kind of researching online, what's needed to do a 5K, everything down to bibs and pins and all this stuff. Yeah, setting up the course and such like that. And then contacting potential sponsors and reaching out to various bands to see if they have the date available, if they're willing to donate their time. So it's just a lot of communication and patience and sometimes you deal with rejection and.
Jeff Williams:
But then you're like a different pathway sometimes like okay cool that's not that's not going to work now I got to try you know I got to try a different path and see what goes down this way so yeah that's a thank you for doing that for one just because I know that's it's got to be a lot of a lot of work and In a way, there's probably some, like anxiety, quite a bit of anxiety, kind of losing, like waking up at night, kind of thinking about all the things as it's slowly coming together for that first time. But then, for example, after the first time, like had to feel super rewarding, like once you're kind of able to kind of relax and.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, it did. Because you never know with an event who's going to show up. Is it going to be successful? Is it going to be a dud? But yeah, it was great.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. And then being able to, continue it, and grow it, like you said. Once again, with Brandon Dam, in here talking about the Rock and Run for Mental Health. That's the official name.
Brandon Damm:
The run is called Rock and Run for Mental Health.
Jeff Williams:
Rock and Run for Mental Health. So if people want, website, as far as getting a hold of you or seeing more information about.
Brandon Damm:
Yeah, Rock for Mental Health is on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. If you go to our website, Rock, the number 4, mentalhealth.org, Rock for mentalhealth.org, there's the sign up link for the run and the ticket link for the concert in May.
Jeff Williams:
Nice. volunteers? Do you need?
Brandon Damm:
Oh yeah, always.
Jeff Williams:
So, is there a way on the website kind of to?
Brandon Damm:
On the website, there is a volunteer and sponsorship opportunities tab at the top as well.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. So anybody, seriously, if you want to come out. Because the thing is too, when you volunteer for things like that, it's a good time. You know what I mean? You're doing your part, but it's not like you're overly stressed. It's a good time. I encourage anybody out there, even if you haven't volunteered for something like this. It's a good way to get out. You kind of meet new people. It's for a good cause on top of it, but it's just, it's a nice way to spend the day. And, you know, there's stuff you have to do when you volunteer like that, but it's never, you know, it's not some huge, you've got the huge, you know, you've done all the heavy lifting for it already. They're just able to come out, kind of have a good time that day and volunteer. I encourage anybody to come out and do that. So once again, we're with Brandon Damm. And talk about the May event then?
Brandon Damm:
Yeah. So, it is Sunday, May 3rd at Boondocks in Springfield, 5pm, doors open at 4:30pm. Three bands… it starts with Dead Sugar… Park… and then Unchained. Yeah, we'll have a table out there with more information about our organization, shirts, stickers, bracelets for sale. The bands will have merch, encourage people to go out there, donate to the bands too, give them tips and buy their merch. They take their time to donate to this cause. Their gas is not cheap, especially for traveling artists. So definitely support them as well. And the venue too. They have food and beverages. They donate their venue and their time as well. and we greatly appreciate them for doing so. But it'll be a fun time, a cheap show for a good cause. Yeah, meet some new people, do it for a good cause.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, love it.
Brandon Damm:
Can I do a selfie?
Jeff Williams:
I was going to ask Beth the next thing because yeah, we got to do it because it'll be on the radio, but then it'll also be where anybody can go to the link. I have it where it's visually, it's typed out and they can listen to it. So either. All right, Brandon, thanks a lot for coming in.
Brandon Damm:
Thanks, Jeff.
Jeff Williams:
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