Senior Tori Rimes is taking to the Menchville Rocks stage in 2020- this time in front of the curtain.

Most audience members will recognize Rimes from her work as a stage manager for many Menchville productions, setting up audio equipment and giving cues over multiple years of Menchville Rocks and Menchville’s Got Talent. She describes the experience as “thrilling,” though admits that coordinating the backstage scene is far more stressful than performing onstage.

“This is the first time I’ll actually be stage managing and performing at the same event, so that’s going to be interesting,” muses Rimes, “popping in front of the curtain and back behind it.”

Despite all the backstage work, Rimes is no stranger to the spotlight. She regularly performs at the Wednesday Open-Mic Nights at Aroma’s Cafe in City Center, and, before moving to Newport News, she played with a band in Charleston, South Carolina called ‘Goat Bomb.’

“We did mostly rock and metal covers from the 80s,” laughs Rimes at the thought.

For the 2020 show, Rimes will be playing “Valerie” a la Amy Winehouse, as well as other songs yet to be determined- “probably something by Frankie Valli,” she notes. Her regular repertoire includes Beatles hits, alternative rock from the 90s, and an array of songs from the 60s-80s. At Menchville Rocks, Rimes plans to play the guitar while she sings, though she has also been known to take to the ukulele, piano, or melodica.

“My first instruments were guitar and ukulele simultaneously when I was 6,” she says, “I just kind of taught myself from people in my family that played instruments. In middle school I picked up the cello, and the last couple years picked up the piano.”

Both behind the curtain and in front of it, Rimes is looking forward to a fantastic final Menchville Rocks.

“I think it’s going to be a good show,” she says, “we have a lot of great acts this year!”

Come see Tori Rimes and other Menchville musicians at Menchville Rocks on Thursday, February 27 at 6:30 pm in the Menchville auditorium.