A group of local high school students will stage a rock concert at the Mahwah Elks Lodge on Saturday night (January 5th). Bands including Spitphyre, Behind Bars, The Violetts, and Flat Earth will take the stage beginning at 7:30 pm, and the event should wrap up by 10:30. Doors will open at 7, and the event also includes an art show featuring the works of some Suffern High School students. Admission is $5, and there will be soft drinks and snacks available during the night.

It’s the second show at the Mahwah Elks for the Rockland Music Scene, following their debut in October. The “scene,” as it is known, is a collection of bands featuring young musicians from in and around Rockland County. Suffern High School seniors Jon Thomas, Rebecca Appel, and Michael Simon are in their third year of putting on shows, most of which have taken place at the Nyack Center. Requests from their growing audience caused the trio to look for new venues, and the Elks were happy to oblige.

When Thomas, Appel, and Simon took the reins of the “scene,” they decided to change things up; what had previously been a loosely organized set of house parties is now a well-run experience, with professional sound, video, and lights all adding up to a real value for the concert-goer. Also along those lines, and knowing the average age of the audience, there is a strict no alcohol/no drugs policy in effect.

For Simon and Thomas, these shows are great training for their planned careers: Thomas is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who plans to be a professional musician, while Simon will study Arts & Entertainment Management. For her part, Appel doesn’t currently plan to stay in the entertainment industry.

Appel, Simon, and Thomas inherited the “scene” from its previous organizers, and they want to make sure it continues for a long time to come – to that end, they’ve been working closely over the past year with the next group of Rockland County teens who will take over.