02.27.2026- Rockin' the Redhouse @ Redhouse Arts Center

Paul Branson
22 hours ago
2 min read

Jamison Coon of Defense Mechanism brought down the house with his version of The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done"

It was standing room only at this years edition of the Rockin' the Redhouse fundraiser which helps the Redhouse Arts Center make ends meet and continue in its mission of bringing theater and educational programs to the community. Five corporate bands were on tap to play their hearts out and hopefully woo the favor of the judges; lawyers, and engineers, and manufacturers, and insurers OH MY!

The house band Tribute to Badger bringing the rock and getting the crowd fired up.

There were no repeated songs, and the setlist ranged from Kiss's "Detroit Rock City" to Chappel Roan's "Pink Pony Club" and with stops in between such as Toto's "Africa" and "Take Me to the River" by Talking Heads. The bands were all different lineups, some had fiddles, others congas or key, or a saxophone, some had multipart harmonies and others were led by a single brave soul belting it out to the cheap seats in the back... even though they were all $25 ($30 at the door) and the theater is intimate enough that even the last row is pretty darn close to the stage.

Each band brought with them a devoted crowd of fans. The two that stood out the most were the fans of D&W Diesel's Ziggy and The Reman Band and The Verdict from Bousquet Holstein PLLC. The Verdict's fans showed up in force, and brought a music festival atmosphere with them, carrying signs and waving led wands while cheering their hearts out. Ziggy's fans showed up in matching black"World Tour 2026" tees (complete with its singular tour stop listed), stayed 'til the end even though their band played the first competition set, and cheered the loudest of any of 'em.

All of the bands brought their A-game, but it was a Battle of the Bands, and so awards had to be given and even with such a tight field, a champion had to be crowned. After an assortment of individual superlative awards, such as best vocalist and most tickets sold, it was time to announce the top three spots. Who would be going home with the cup, and who would go home with motivation to come back next year bigger and better? In the end, the engineers of Lockheed Martin's Defense Mechanism could not be denied, taking took home to the top slot (and most of the individual awards too)!