Origin Story: "Rock & Roll Reignited"

Rock & Roll Reignited has been entertaining audiences across the country since 2016, but what inspired Jared Mancuso and Nick Gallardo to create this high-energy Rock & Roll experience?

Jared and Nick first met while performing a tribute show called Rave On, celebrating such artists as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. The two started talking and realized that they both loved the music that they were performing, but wanted to present it in a refreshing, new way.

So, the two got together to create the show that would eventually become Rock & Roll Reignited. But they had quite the challenge ahead of them.

“We only had four days to put the show together and three days of rehearsal,” explained Jared. “It was a whirlwind.”

The original vision for the show was elaborate. It was called Buddy’s Back! and there were horns, sets, dancers, and more. The show was a success and the audience loved it.

Even though this big-scale show was fun to piece together and perform, Jared and Nick knew that traveling around with such a massive show was not sustainable.

That’s when Jared’s father pushed them to create a band version of the show.

Instead of having a brass section or elaborate choreography, Jared and Nick adjusted the show so the greatest hits of the ‘50s and ‘60s could be brought to life by a live, four-piece rock band.

They created new musical arrangements so that the songs “rocked out” a bit more. And they expanded the song list, adding in lesser-known songs like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Summertime Blues.”

These changes, in addition to bringing some new band members along for the ride, helped make Rock & Roll Reignited the hit that it is today.

Rock & Roll Reignited played in FST’s Court Cabaret from June 14 to August 7, 2022.