On Saturday, 3 February, four fan-favorite bands from lower Connecticut met to duke it out in the fifth annual Gates Restaurant Battle of the Bands, raising over $4,000 for Meals on Wheels in one fell swoop.
It was a win for the Pretty Nasty, a rollicking all-female group, who narrowly pipped last year’s winners, local rockers Mind the Gap, to the post in the final result.
The woman backstage, behind it all? Rachel Lampen, British transplant, dog lover and events company owner told the Sentinel it’s her love of music that started it all.
“We were always listening to music as a family — G&Ts out; happy hour with the records on,” Lampen recalls of her teens in Shropshire, England, and later in Brighton, where acts like James and Nick Cave were woven into the local music scene.
But it was five years ago that Lampen, drawing on her deep experience working in PR, realised what was missing in New Canaan, the town she has called home for a decade.
“I just thought, there’s nothing much going on after 8 p.m. — we need a Battle of Bands,” she says. She approached Jay Luther, owner of the popular bar and restaurant on Forest Street where live music is a regular fixture.
Targeting January for the event was strategic too. “It’s a terrible time of year; everyone’s depressed, the restaurants are empty,” said Lampen. “I wanted to get people out — and it still works with dry January!”
Luther gave her a shot. “He said, ‘Let’s see what you can do.’”
For the first two events, a couple of different charities benefited, but three years ago Lampen chose Meals on Wheels, who she occasionally delivers for, as recipient.
“It’s a wonderful thing for older people in the community,” Lampen said. Indeed the Battle has funnelled some $8,000 in proceeds to the charity in the last three years. Never one to miss a pun, Lampen spotted a perfect matchup between sponsored and sponsor, and approached the late Leo Karl Jr., community stalwart and former President of Karl Chevrolet. “He said it was a perfect fit,” she said.
But duelling musicians is not all Lampen has to offer in the way of fun.
At least once a month you can find her at the Bedford Playhouse, commanding a carefully curated balance of lighthearted and skull-scratching questions in her trademark trivia nights, which she also offers at senior centres, schools, and non-profit for special rates.
Trivia, music and food are at the heart of Lampen’s events company, Rock Paper Scissors, which she founded in late 2018 along with close friend Kristin Mitrakis, who has since stepped back from full-time events.
Along with trivia, Rock Paper Scissors presents the Food Revolution in May, an event originally started by Jamie Oliver, which aims to get people trying new foods, and the Taste of the Town stroll in August, which brings people together as families gear up for the new academic year.
But it’s safe to say it’s music that is closest to Lampen’s heart. Husband Graham is the drummer for Mind the Gap and their son Chaz plays keys for the band — although he is now working on his solo act (while pursuing further music study), most recently releasing “Closing Time,” a moving tribute to former band member Tim Pringle. The group can also be seen revving up the crowd at the town’s Family Fourth of July event on the patio at Waveny Park.
And it’s Lampen’s musical mind that brings together the acts, the format and the all-important final song for the Battle of the Bands. Eight competitors vie for a place in the final through four heats, each Saturday in January. Four make it through to play a twenty-minute set on finale night, from which the judges — this year including Paul Green of the original School of Rock — choose two to give it their best shot in competing versions of the same anthem.
This year it was U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name,” but in years past it has been anything from Aerosmith to Queen. “It’s got to be something that gets people going — rocky, but nothing too much,” said Lampen.
Soon the calls will start for next year’s roster of bands. Some of this year’s acts will be ready to compete again — but as the event gains popularity around the county, competition could get even stiffer.
“I get people approaching me now for next year,” said Lampen.
More info at https://www.rockpaperscissors.events/.
