We are thrilled to interview two local rockstars behind the The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a popular family concert series at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Read on to meet General Manager of Brooklyn Bowl Anna Ayers and Executive Director of The Rock and Roll Playhouse Stephen Grybowski!
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Anna, what makes a Brooklyn Bowl concert different from the others?
Brooklyn Bowl is a unique place for both kids and adults to have an incredible time. Families can experience a concert from the general admission floor or book a bowling lane and enjoy the show while bowling! There’s really something for everyone, which makes it such a fun and memorable experience for the whole family.
What can parents expect at a Rock & Roll Playhouse show?
Parents can expect a fun, welcoming, and safe environment where kids can let loose, dance, and be themselves while experiencing live music. And because Brooklyn Bowl also has a full-service restaurant and bar, parents can grab a bite to eat or enjoy a drink while the kids have a blast!
I hear some families choose to host birthday parties there – how does that work?
We have 16 bowling lanes, and we love hosting birthday parties and family celebrations! We offer a variety of food and beverage packages to accommodate different groups and occasions. Each lane comes with a comfortable leather Chesterfield sofa and a dedicated server, so families can relax, celebrate, and enjoy the show while having everything they need right at their lane.
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Any particularly memorable Rock and Roll Playhouse shows?
I absolutely LOVE our Prince-themed Rock & Roll Playhouse events! It's so much fun seeing parents dress their kids up in creative, colorful outfits inspired by Prince. The energy is incredible, and it's a perfect example of how music brings generations together.
In your opinion, why is music exposure so important for kids?
Music is a universal language. It encourages creativity, movement, self-expression, and connection, and it can play a meaningful role in a child's development. Live music is especially special because it gives families an opportunity to share an experience, make memories, and connect with one another in a really unique way.
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Stephen, what is the history of The Rock and Roll Playhouse? How and where did it start?
The Rock and Roll Playhouse was born at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg in 2014. Peter Shapiro, who opened Brooklyn Bowl in 2009, teamed up with Amy Striem, a certified early childhood and elementary teacher, with a simple idea: families should be able to experience live music together in real rock clubs, not just in a living room or a classroom. Our very first show was Grateful Dead for Kids with Phil Lesh leading the band which set the bar pretty high. Brooklyn Bowl has been our flagship ever since and from that one legendary room we’ve grown The Playhouse into the largest family concert series in the country.
Where are your concerts?
Everywhere we can plug in an amp! We’re in 100+ venues across 35 states and have played more than 114 cities including all four Brooklyn Bowls (Williamsburg, Philadelphia, Nashville, Las Vegas), The Capitol Theatre, First Avenue in Minneapolis, ACL Live in Austin, Lodge Room in LA, and Higher Ground in Burlington. We’ve also moved into bigger stages and cultural institutions like Chase Center, Grand Central, and MLB games, plus festivals, corporate events, and even the Tribeca Film Festival. It should be said though that Brooklyn Bowl is our true home and the Williamsburg Sunday shows are still the heartbeat of everything we do.
What is your role in The Rock and Roll Playhouse team?
I’m the Executive Director so I oversee the whole operation. Booking shows, opening new markets and venue partnerships, developing new musical themes, and overseeing our marketing nationally. I’ve been with Peter’s team since 2012 and I also lead marketing across Dayglo Presents which includes all of our venues, Relix, and a lot of our destination events. The Playhouse runs on a small, mighty crew. Adam Roberts is our Musical Director and books the bands in every city, Juliette Drayton keeps operations and show logistics running across the country, and Charlie Ashmead drives our digital marketing.
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How has Rock and Roll Playhouse evolved over the years?
It started as one Sunday show in Brooklyn and is now 300+ shows a year nationwide. The catalog has grown with it. We still do the Dead, Beatles, Bowie, and Prince, but we also produced what we believe were the first ever Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Beyoncé, and Jay Z shows for kids, and now families can catch Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, and Dolly Parton for Kids too.
We’ve also grown beyond the stage. In 2024 we launched a record deal with Republic Records, working with Angela Santomero of Blue’s Clues, and we’ve now released four albums: Friends Rock!, Love Rocks!, School Rocks!, and Holidays Rock! On the live side we’ve built partnerships with MLB clubs like the Cubs, Nationals, and Giants, brought on sponsors like Little Spoon for free summer shows at Brooklyn Bowl, and played family festivals around the country. Through all of it we’ve kept giving back, donating ticket sales from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Earth Day shows to organizations like UNICEF, Femme House, Oceanic Global, Backline, and the Rex Foundation.
Any particularly memorable shows?
The first one will always top the list. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, leading a room full of toddlers and parents through Dead songs at Brooklyn Bowl. Having lost Phil since then, that show means even more to all of us. More recently, there was a weekend this past February where we sold out First Avenue, Bluebird Theatre, Ardmore Music Hall, Neighborhood Theater, and ACL Live all at once. Seeing that many families in that many legendary rooms on the same weekend was a real pinch me moment. And any Bowie for Kids show because the costumes parents put their kids in are unmatched.
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What do you wish more families knew about The Rock & Roll Playhouse?
That it’s not a kids’ show parents have to sit through. It’s a real rock show with professional bands in iconic venues built so the whole family has fun. Kids under 10 are the core but we’ve had little ones as young as one rocking out with ear protection on. If we’re not in your town yet, tell your local venue to call us.
Brooklyn Bowl is located at 61 Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Get tickets to an upcoming concert and follow Brooklyn Bowl and The Rock and Roll Playhouse on Instagram!
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