Businesses bring more rock to Branson music scene

The companies are owned by Richard Prochaska III, of Branson, and Jason Sweethy, of St. Louis. A third partnership between the two, Rise Again Graphix LLC, is in the works.

During its first month in business, Rise Again Management has acquired two Christian rock bands to manage – Dayton, Ohio, band Medford Drive, which has a record deal with Blood and Ink Records, and Oddacity, a five-member group from The River, a community church near Forsyth. Oddacity has been playing in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas since December 2006, and Rise Again productions is producing a full-length Oddacity album for release late this summer.

“I designed their entire (MySpace) Web site,” Prochaska said. “We think they have a marketable sound and image.”

Oddacity and Medford Drive will be two of six bands playing in Rise Again Production’s July 9 Christian Rockfest at The River.

While Rise Again won’t be focusing on Christian rock, Prochaska said the company will be operated with Christian values in mind.

“We’re trying to operate on the clean side of things,” he said.

College roots

Prochaska and Sweethy met as freshmen at Missouri State University, where Prochaska majored in graphic art design and minored in entertainment management and Sweethy earned a master’s degree in entertainment management. Both had their own production and booking companies teaming up for the Rise Again ventures, which they self-financed with $40,000.

Prochaska worked under RP3 Productions and Inferno Productions, booking bands in Springfield for events including the Battle of the Bands concert at Nathan P. Murphy’s in June 2006. Sweethy owned By the Front Entertainment in St. Louis.

“I mainly was doing rock shows and so was Jason,” Prochaska said. “We would have five people show up or 1,500 people show up. It took me five to 10 shows to see the big picture.”

This year, the two friends, who are now both 25 and married with children, decided to pool their efforts to provide management, production and graphic-design services, which include Web sites, album covers and promotional materials. Services include everything from band management to themed concerts, booking and promotion, and Prochaska also has a full recording studio.

Prochaska has worked with several bands, including Here I Come Falling, Iliana and S-Foil, all from the Springfield area, the Kansas City band Unorthodox and Neverset of Dallas.

Sweethy, who will remain in St. Louis, books about five to six shows a month, Prochaska, also employed as a sound engineer for a Branson music show, wants to produce more concerts for area middle school, high school and college students.

“We would like to develop them into full-blown concert venues where we can bring in a band every week,” he said. “We want to bring in a national band at least once or twice a month.”

Rise Again Productions has a Web site at www.myspace.com/riseagainproductions.