Lunch Money might have been the least-assuming of all the artists at this weekend's KindieFest (aka StinkFest 2009). Songwriter Molly Ledford spent a not small amount of time playing with the few kids while Jay Barry was pretty quiet (compared to a Chatty Cathy like me). And J.P. Stephens spent most of the day taking pictures. (He's not so talented that he can take pictures of the band while he's playing so all pictures here are mine.)
When they finally took the Jalopy stage, the last of the nine bands to play the showcase, Tor Hyams introduced the trio and pointed out that you can hear Ledford's smile when she sings, which goes a long way, I think, to explaining the band's appeal. The folks that had stuck around for this final set were rewarded with a setlist that featured both Lunch Money classics and new stuff. The band rocked, the crowd danced, and as Lunch Money played, Molly grinned.
On the video below, hear a new Lunch Money track, "I Want to Push Buttons." (Since I started recording in the middle of the banter, what Ledford is recounting is that when she was growing up she wanted to be one of two things...)
Lunch Money - "I Want To Push Buttons"
One more picture and one more video after the jump...
I guess that since technically speaking we could still call the whole H1N1 flu virus thing a near-pandemic, I'm not actually late with this. And, hey, washing your hands never goes out of style.
So, yeah, head on over to David Tobocman's site to pick up the jaunty "Brush Your Teeth" as a free download. Yeah, yeah, I know -- the flu doesn't appear to have spread due to a lack of proper dental hygeine, but the song does have a few hand-washing references. And besides, it's a cute, free song.
Of course, having started down this public health path, there is the painfully obvious (if very, very cool) video selection...
The next entry in a series of posts from this weekend's StinkFest 2009. More to come!
As a reminder, J.P. Stephens from the band Lunch Money has given me his permission to use his photos. All photos here are his unless otherwise noted; and if you want to see more of his work, visit him at Lumos Studio.Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, aka Cactus, rolled through Jalopy like he owned the place. His attitude was one of the more relaxed ones during the weekend. But he also made some of the more direct points of the day -- for example, why couldn't people figure out a way to have kids music concerts during the week when lots of kids went to see the new Hannah Montana movie during the week, too?
SA23Skidoo might've turned down a good paying gig in his hometown of Asheville, NC to come up to Brooklyn to play a free gig, but Asheville's loss was KindieFest's gain. Along with his friend William Sharp on vocals and KindieFest co-producer Tor Hyams doing whatever weird dancing he was doing, Skidoo turned in a dynamic set that had the crowd, which at this point had been there for close to 12 hours and had already heard 7 other acts, on their feet. "Gotta Be Me," that anthem of individuality and self-acceptance, might've been the overall high point, but the single most gratifying song for me was probably "I Like Fruit," a collaboration with Jeff Fuller from the LA band Egg, who flew in just to perform this one song. The combination of East Coast rapper and West Coast folk/pop-rocker seemed entirely natural in this new kids music world.
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo with Jeff Fuller (Egg) - "I Like Fruit"
More pictures and one more video after the jump...
Well, Justin Roberts already played his concert on behalf of the Listen To Your Buds initiative, which basically encourages kids to turn down that damn music. Or, er, to please turn down the volume on the music they listen to, particularly on their headphones.
I just liked this picture of Billy Jonas, who played the most recent "Listen To Your Buds" concert last week in DC, kicking off (a couple days early) Better Hearing and Speech Month, which is held annually in May. He's there with Sirius-XM Kids Place Live's Mindy Thomas, who's bangin' on a can...
I talked a couple weeks ago about the best places to see kids music live, but I specifically excluded summer festivals from my list. Now, sometimes those are big weekend festivals like Kidzapalooza or the KC Jiggle Jam, but they could also include ongoing series like Mad. Sq. Kids (that's their abbreviation, not mine) in New York City. It's their ninth season, and their lineup this year includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Father Goose, Trout Fishing in America, AudraRox, the Deedle Deedle Dees, Dog on Fleas, The Jimmies, and more. For free.
Sigh. If you live in NYC (or visit between June 9 and August 13), your cup runneth over. Here's the lineup:
I've got tons of video and pictures from this weekend's StinkFest 2009, but it's going to take me awhile to upload it all. Please have patience -- I'll get to it all eventually, I promise.
Also, I have a point-and-shoot digital camera without a powerful lens. My photos are pretty bad. So J.P. Stephens from the band Lunch Money whose camera (and eye) are much better than mine has given his permission to use his photos. All photos here are his, and if you want to see more of his work, visit him at Lumos Studio.
At some point during the KindieFest (StinkFest 2009) set of Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, a longtime reader of the site came up to me and said, "I know you kept telling me about these guys, but I never really paid attention. Now I get it -- they're great!" As someone who's been singing the praises of the band for more than a couple years, I was happy to hear they'd secured themselves a new fan. Now, with their debut Rise and Shine! ready to be the latest Little Monster Records release (hopefully in July), it's time for more folks to join in.
So, yeah, the duo, given the extra muscle of a bassist and drummer, rocked. One of my favorite tracks from the very beginning, "Rattling Can," has been given a punk-bluegrass sheen. And it's totally awesome.
Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "Rattlin' Can"
One more video after the jump...
Lunch Money might have been the least-assuming of all the artists at this weekend's KindieFest (aka StinkFest 2009). Songwriter Molly Ledford spent a not small amount of time playing with the few kids while Jay Barry was pretty quiet (compared to a Chatty Cathy like me). And J.P. Stephens spent most of the day taking pictures. (He's not so talented that he can take pictures of the band while he's playing so all pictures here are mine.)
When they finally took the Jalopy stage, the last of the nine bands to play the showcase, Tor Hyams introduced the trio and pointed out that you can hear Ledford's smile when she sings, which goes a long way, I think, to explaining the band's appeal. The folks that had stuck around for this final set were rewarded with a setlist that featured both Lunch Money classics and new stuff. The band rocked, the crowd danced, and as Lunch Money played, Molly grinned.
On the video below, hear a new Lunch Money track, "I Want to Push Buttons." (Since I started recording in the middle of the banter, what Ledford is recounting is that when she was growing up she wanted to be one of two things...)
Lunch Money - "I Want To Push Buttons"
One more picture and one more video after the jump...
The next entry in a series of posts from this weekend's 
Well, 
I've got tons of video and pictures from this weekend's 
