a priority at new Riverside location

what we want to cater to.

Tinney: We’ve already done a reggae festival. We had a Caribbean night. We’ve done bluegrass events. We had jazz. We do an Americana thing. We had The Dead stuff. Head-banging kind of stuff. School of Rock kind of things. We’ve done some Latin dancing. We think there’s an audience for pretty much every genre here in Frederick.

One thing I know that’s been a topic among those who play in town is the ability to get paid, because sometimes, they’re asked to make little to nothing to play. Is this something you set aside a budget for? Especially when you talk about bringing in regional acts, that can be a heavy investment. Is that something you’re concerned about, or do you have that built in?

Thrasher: We’ll try it. A regional act that would be a bigger type of investment would be a ticketed show. As long as that door covers the band, we’re happy. We’re here to have that experience and have a fun time, but ultimately, we’re here to sell beer — not to be a venue and make money off the door. That said, we’ll give them a try, and if they don’t cover the door, that’s something we’re going to have to look at. We’re really looking for local acts and regional acts that draw a crowd and get people to want to be there.

Tinney: On the spectrum of what the experience is, we’re leading with beer and a taproom feel with music, but that doesn’t mean we can’t progress to a music space that includes beer, food and an artist of higher caliber. We just need to see how that progression goes.

be a lot of fun.

Thrasher: Right. And that changed from week to week [laughs].

Pistols, Bob Marley. I’d buy a ticket for all of that, obviously.

Matt had mentioned earlier you had music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in there. Are there designated days you want to have music? Maybe get it up to four or five nights a week?

Thrasher: It just depends on the demand and who shows up. Right now, we’re focusing on Saturdays. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday was because of our grand opening. I’d love to do it every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

to see music in Frederick at this point is almost all breweries. And a lot of breweries have found success in that. Is that something that drew you toward doing this? It sounds like you had the music tie-in from the beginning, though, right?

Tinney: Yeah, that’s what we’ve been shooting for. It’s one of those things where you have to do first things first, so we’ll hopefully get there over the course of the next six to eight months.

Thrasher: Everybody can relate to music. So even with us doing the beer names, it can be a song from the 1920s or a song from today, and everyone can kind of relate to that. It’s a fun thing. Is there any type of music you would not welcome in?

Thrasher: Well, we definitely have to finish that noise abatement [laughs]. I think all of us have different tastes in music, so no. We welcome everything. We’ve had a little bit of everything in here so far. We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into one genre, whatever that might be. We have different tastes, and we know the public does, too, and that’s

For any artists reading this, do you have a booker or a contact they can get ahold of if they have a band and they want to play at Rockwell?

Thrasher: We used to do it all ourselves, but we’ve got a new marketing and events director, Laura, who’s been working with a booking agent she’s worked with before. You can also go through us, info@rockwellbrewery.com.

You guys had an open mic for a while, didn’t you?

Thrasher: Yeah, that was really kind of hit or miss. You get some strange acts that can be polarizing. Our whole idea with entertainment is to get people in here to drink beers while they enjoy the entertainment. I can’t say they were highly consumable crowds [laughs]. I mean, we tried, because we liked watching it and doing it, but it just kind of ran its course. We might bring it back, but it needs a good lead — someone who knows how to draw from good entertainers who want to perform.

Yeah, open mics can be really tough, too, because people can be really finicky about it. It can be chaos, or it can

If you had an unlimited budget and three slots to fill, what would be the one dream concert you’d like to put together for Rockwell?

Thrasher: I’m going to speak for our brewer, Scott, and that would definitely be Clutch.

You could probably do it. They’re local.

Thrasher: They actually come in. John Paul, or JP, comes in quite a bit. Yeah, so if you’re reading, Clutch, reach out to Rockwell!

Tinney: Yeah, we’d love to have that happen. It’d be quite an event. We’d have to open up all the parking lots and shut most of Monocacy Boulevard down, probably.

Is there a band, dead or alive, you’d want?

Tinney: We do, but I hesitate to say it because then we’re laying out an expectation there, and I don’t know if we can afford it yet [laughs]. We’re fond of the 19th Street Band. They’re from here in town, they draw a good crowd, and they’re a pretty good band. I like them a lot. After that, we’ll keep it under our hat so everyone is surprised.

Thrasher: Dead or alive, I mean, you could do so much. Johnny Cash, Sex

Would you hope someday to go even beyond the space you just opened? Would you ever want to have a standalone music venue?

Tinney: Your timing couldn’t be worse. We’re still choking on this opening, so we gotta catch up with ourselves [laughs].

Thrasher: It takes community support. We’ve been fortunate to have great response and great community support since the day we opened. Now, with the jump to this new location, it’s been nothing but a positive response. It’s just, “Keep coming out and keep supporting us,” because without that, we’re going to fall by the wayside — all of us. It really takes a community to lift us up.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and space.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail.com.

“Nostalgia” — through May 28, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Nostalgia can mean a sentimental longing for the past, accompanied with happy remembrances of times gone by. It can also mean a longing accompanied with a sense of loss or missed opportunity. This group exhibition reflects 27 independently juried artists’ interpretations of the word nostalgia. 301-695-4050, staci@districtarts.com, districtarts.com/nostalgia.

”May Flowers” — through May 28, The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., Hagerstown City Park. Valley Art Association members’ exhibit. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. valleyartassoc.org.

Colored Pencil Extravaganza — through May 31, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Colored pencil art by award-winning artist Lis Zadravec and 10 of her students. Colored pencil demos every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

“Other Realities” — June 3 to 25. A photographer at heart, Mark Rothkopf explores “other realities” through his oil paintings, colored pencil drawings and photographs of local festival scenes.

Included in this solo show are blackand-white photographs of his travels through Canada and Iceland, as well as local Frederick sights. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. eastsidearts313@gmail.com, eastsideartistsgallery.com.

”Art as Refuge and Inspiration” — through June 25, Blanche Ames Gallery, UUCF, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Work by Mary Fletcher and Samantha Purvis. View Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday mornings or by appointment. bagalleryappointment@gmail.com or frederickuu.org.

”Family Album” — through June 25, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Oil paintings by Robert Cantor celebrate the peculiarities of nostalgia and memory while alluding to the way that time, technology and consumer culture have shared those memories and irrevocably altered the dreams and aspiration associated wit them. Starting with black–and–white snapshots from his childhood, Cantor uses figures from his extensive pencil sharpener collection to replace himself and his brothers wherever they appear. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Mike do this, Mike do that, Mike don’t do that” — through June 25,

Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Pencil and graphite drawings by Michael Bruner. Inspired by surrealism and memory, Bruner’s highly detailed drawings use beauty, humor, and repulsion to reflect on the complexities of identity and subliminal thoughts and emotions. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Romancing (Im)Perfection” — through June 25, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Ceramics by Danielle Hawk are domestic objects stripped of their purpose. Using their function as a metaphor for productivity and social performance, their uselessness becomes a symbol of the impossibility of achieving societal calls for constant perceived perfection.

“Comfort” — through July 1, FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. An interactive multimedia show of art related to coffee and tea and an exploration of the rituals and personal connections surrounding those drinks. frederickartscouncil.org.

“Making Memories as We Wait” — through July 1, FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Solo exhibition by Khánh H. Lê, who probes his personal and familial histories to carve out a cultural identity for himself. Through the collaging of materials such as acrylic paintings, glitter, prints and sparkling plastic craft jewels, Lê merges narratives — both horrific realities and idyllic fantasies — that are filled with tension as he explores notions of home, country and safety. 301-6624190.

”As I See It” — through July 2, Artist in the House Gallery at Locals Farm Market Restaurant, 19929 Fisher Ave., Poolesville. Featuring the work of Marcie Wolf-Hubbard. Her current work integrates her drawings in encaustic painting and mixed media to create unique surfaces, full of texture, and luminosity. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. National Juried Exhibition — through July 9, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Features works in a variety of media by artists from around the region and the nation. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

Harmonious Art Group’s Annual Exhibit — through July 9, Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. In celebration of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Works by 36 artists. Opening reception 1 p.m. June 10. 301-258-6394 or gaithersburgmd. gov.