Kindiefest 2010: Bill Harley

IMG_1907.jpgEverything I so enjoy about Bill Harley is wrapped up in this picture. The Kindiefest panel that I'd moderated that included the amazing group of Bill, Suni Paz, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Kathy O'Connell had wrapped up some time before. I found myself talking with Bill near the exit and looked down at the garbage can just outside the window and saw my name card -- and just my card -- discarded on the top. "Aw, man!," I said, jokingly, and decided I needed to get a picture of the proof of my impermanence. At which point Harley said, "No, wait -- I need to get my card out and in the picture." We then ran outside like a couple of giddy 7-year-old boys, he found his own card in the trash, arranged it artfully on top, and then I took the picture. It's that ability to see the absurdity and humor in the day-to-day life of us all that makes Harley such a beloved performer. He's a hard worker (he said at the panel that he sets aside an hour or two each day to write), but it's that essential humanity (honoring the child, as he said) that's given him such a long career, I think. On Sunday, Harley performed at the public showcase. It was a fun set, though I was a bit distracted because I had to leave for the airport and so spent part of the set saying my last goodbyes. But I had fun, as did the rest of the crowd. Harley also let his friend Keith Munslow, who backed Harley up on keyboards, do a song of his own. Good stuff all around. Maybe that Bill Harley placecard's on eBay by now... Bill Harley (w/ Keith Munslow) - "Everybody's a Baby About Something" (Live @ Kindiefest 2010) [YouTube] (my favorite part of this -- also generally indicative of Harley -- is that he teaches the crowd to whine. In harmony. More pictures (of the actual Bill Harley) after the jump.

Video: "$9.99" - Caspar Babypants

Brilliant stuff from Chris Ballew aka Caspar Babypants. I've always liked the song "$9.99" from his More Please! disk, but this video -- which features a lot of help from Ballew's daughter Josie -- is, well, just wow. Another one of the incredible series of minimalist Babypants videos. Caspar Babypants - "$9.99" [YouTube]

Video: "Goodnight Irene" - Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack

A couple years ago, I was particularly charmed by Songs for Sleepy Beings, an album of lullabies put together by Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack and Half Moon, a band she recruited for the occasion. It's been awhile since I've heard from Eichberger-Kudlack, and since the Sleepy Beings website seemed to have lapsed, I worried that perhaps this would be a one-time deal. Thankfully, that's not the case, as I found out after getting in touch with her. For the moment, she's focusing on other things -- she's got a new website for the Northwest Michigan Folklife Center and she's directing two theatrical dance productions, among other things. But her kids music days aren't permanently behind her -- she notes that she plans to do another album for the "3-7 [year old] set, incorporating the voices of my now four year old daughter and her friend." For now, enjoy this very rewritten cover of "Goodnight Irene" (which makes Raffi's version sound totally faithful to the Leadbelly/Pete Seeger versions). It's sweet and features Eichberger-Kudlack's wonderfully clear voice. Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack - "Goodnight Irene" [YouTube]

Video: "Time Out to Rock" (Live) - The Not-Its

I'm gonna go out on a big limb here and say that this video, taped at yesterday's "A Child's Time to Rock" benefit, shows Seattle's Not-Its playing the title track from their forthcoming (July 2010) Time Out to Rock disk. Because, you know, it's titled "Time Out to Rock" and features fancy logo stuff at the end. I'm smart like that. Their timeouts apparently rock a little harder that my kids' -- those usually end up with reading books on the bed. The Not-Its - "Time Out to Rock" [YouTube]

Video: "Share" - Renee & Jeremy

Different house, different couch, and different song than last time, but the end result is still the same -- if Renee & Jeremy sang one of the drier parts of your air conditioning unit's installation manual, I'd still listen. Luckily, I'm a long-time fan of the song. (And a new fan of that couch.) Renee & Jeremy - "Share" [YouTube]