The long-time LT tradition is finally back. After a long break–discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic–it’s finally been brought back and is due to happen on March 14, barring any change. With its last performance staged in December of 2019, on the last day of full classes of the first semester, the wait is finally over. 

The origins of Brownstock date back to 2000. Its namesake—retired LT English teacher Glen Brown—began the formerly annual event as an opportunity for students to share their pieces of creative writing, songs, or poetry. Throughout the years, it grew from a small gathering to an all-day event held in the Reber Center. 

“Most people have no clue how difficult it is to put on a concert correctly,” LTTV sponsor and co-leader of the Brownstock resurrection Bill Allan said. “It takes an expert crew and the creative and technical leadership to pull it off.”

From there, LT English teacher Frank Alletto and Allan made a pitch to the administration. Students that are involved in both WLTL and LTTV will help with the production, sound, lighting, and broadcasts of Brownstock on both mediums. Both clubs’ students will handle the bulk of the grunt work in terms of setting up equipment and broadcasting the concert. 

Allan has been at the forefront of the resurrection of the concert, attempting to bring it back and making a pitch to the administration to allow for the hiatus to end. Along with Allan, Alletto has also been leading the charge for the resurrection. Allan calculated that it would take approximately 55 hours of involvement from adults and students to run Brownstock. 

“We made an outline about how the concert would go, how it would run, and we sent it out to Alletto and Allan,” Andrew Gallardo ‘25 said. 

Gallardo leads a coalition of students that has been attempting to bring back the yearly tradition since the fall of the 2024-25 school year. 

After an additional cancellation in 2022 due to an inability to livestream the event on LTTV as a virtual concert rather than in-person, the Brownstock Rock Concert had a total of five school years on hiatus. With approval from the NC administration pending, the formally annual all-day event could be back for good.

“Allan and Alletto are extremely passionate about it. They’ve run it since Brown retired, up until COVID,” Gallardo said. 

Student bands and teacher bands, along with solo artists will try out to perform at the concert, Allan said. Tryouts for slots will happen throughout the spring leading up to the all-day event. The show’s best talent pools came during the 2006-2008 and 2012-14 eras and the goal is to replicate those performances. 

With two tentative dates set for March 14 and March 20 if the previous date is canceled, the tight window gives them a better opportunity to fall back to the second date and have a successful show, Gallardo said. 

“If it all goes as planned, it will be amazing,” Allan said.