Kidzapalooza Guest Spots Announced

Full schedule is up at kidzapalooza.com. Includes Jeff Tweedy, G. Love, and more...

This week...

It's a good one, folks. We'll have brand new never-heard-before music from the Deedle Deedle Dees, plus four songs recorded just for us by the Asylum Street Spankers and three in-studio songs and witty banter from Recess Monkey. You wouldn't want to miss that, would you? Good. Listen on Saturday.

Recess Monkey Pictures

...are here.

Spanker Pictures

Some fuzzy pictures from when the Asylum Street Spankers were recording four songs for us (and one from the show in the evening) are here. We'll play the mini-set this week.

Recess Monkey Guest Post: Day Six: Northampton!

Ed. note: You should definitely also be reading the band's blog. And we'll put up pictures and such of our own soon. In short, the show was great with a lively and good-sized crowd. Thanks again to Thornes and Herrell's and, most importantly, Recess Monkey!

Greetings from Recess Monkey, hurtling down I-95 en route to Jammin Java in Vienna, VA!

Are you prepared to rock... And... Eat the best ice cream on the planet? What a fun day in Northampton-thanks to the STR crew! Here's a run down on our day with Bill, Ella, and Liam.



Okay so first things first, if you've checked out the blog on our site you may know that the glass from my French Press shattered in an Ohio rest stop parking lot (You get a lot of guff from band mates for packing an item like this and even more guffawing when it meets its demise). This morning Bill emailed to pass on a couple of spots for great coffee and not only did his #1 choice have great coffee, it sold replacement glass for presses-SCORE! Coffee crisis averted.

We met up with the Northampton 3 at the River's Studio for a three song set and trivia quiz. Ella wowed us with some great dancing then pummeled us with some tricky questions. She also made sure that our iPhones were in clear view and not to be used to answer questions. It was like three teachers without their teacher manuals. In the end we scored one out of three-Liam won't be doing our answering messages. :)

A last minute shift with the tent and gear meant that the hundred or so folks that gathered could clap, sing, and dance in the SHADE! We three hail from the muggy east but have totally acclimated to the sweatless Seattle summers - Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix - here we come! In short, we're wimps. I should note that Ella and Liam did a spectacular job of pumping up the show to passerbys. Thanks guys!

To cap the day off, Liam led the way to Herrell's for some scoops of burnt sugar and butter ice cream - amazing! We piled into the car with full bellies and dry shirts, ready to listen to the Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd (thanks for the tip guys - we're laughing out loud)! Pulling on to I-91 we noticed a stowaway, a katydid that attached itself to the car (outside the Northampton Hotel) managed to get in through a crack in the window. So we have a new pet - I hope it chips in for gas!



That's it folks!

Thank you for reading and a million thanks to Bill, Ella, and Liam for hosting us-both on the blog and in the wild! You guys rock!

Drew (Daron and Jack too)

Thing I Learned at the Asylum Street Spankers Interview Yesterday

They didn't know that XM had edited their song "You Only Love Me for My Lunchbox." And it really, really bugs them. "Absurd" was the main word used.

During the show, they mentioned that I'd told them the XM news, with Christina noting, "Leave it to the Spankers to do a kids' record that has to get edited."

Not sure if the interview recording worked (darn dead batteries) but we have four -- count 'em, four! -- live songs that they recorded just for us! (We were going to record at the studio, but they were running late, so they did a four-song set for us after soundcheck at the venue.) We'll be playing them next week.

And the live show -- which was for grownups -- was, as usual, awesome. What a great band. Thanks to the Iron Horse for letting us record at the venue, and to the band for talking with us. Again, hopefully some of the interview came through, but we definitely have the songs.

Playlist for 2008-07-26

To hear the on-demand stream, visit our page at WRSI.com and click on "on-demand streams" up top.

And, hey, that's also where to go for details on the Recess Monkey show! 2:00 today out behind Thornes, FREE!

Here's what we played:

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG -
Pictures of Pandas Painting (Here Come the ABCs)
Gustafer Yellowgold - Pterodactyl Tuxedo
Daniel Schorr - They Tell Me I'm Gonna Be President (Every Word I Say is True)
Lisa Loeb & Liz Mitchell - Big Rock Candy Mountain (Catch the Moon)
ID
Patsy Cline - If I Could See the World (Through the Eyes of a Child)
Moonlighters - Boxcar with a View (Surrender)
ID

Segment 2
Me 3 - Apple (The Thin King)
Steve Weeks - Rabbit Run (Alphabet Songs Vol. 3)
ID/prep to rock
Ellen and Matt - Juice Box Rock (Best Friends)
Apples in Stereo - The Bird That You Can't See (Discovery of the World...)
Deedle Deedle Dees - Ina Mina Dika (Let It Dee)

Segment 3
Daddy a Go Go - C'mon Get Happy (Big Rock Rooster)
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life (Open Season, etc.)
Egg - Zoom! (Sunny Side Up)
Jellydots - Race Cars Go (Hey You Kids!)
Gabby La La - Butter and Eggs (Be Careful What You Wish For)
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Baby Loves Jazz Band - Wheels on the Bus
Miracles - Mickey's Monkey
David Weinstone - Carousel
Peter Rundquist - Bug Feathers (Bug Feathers)
Medeski Martin & Wood - Let's Go (Let's Go Everywhere)

Segment 5
Don't Dress Your Cat in an Apron (Free to Be You and Me)
Sara Hickman - Down By the Bay (Toddler)
Dan Zanes - Son Borinqueno (Nueva York!)
ID/backsell River Rack
Tom Freund - Seashells (Hug Trees)
Sugar Free Allstars - Bathtub Boy (Dos Ninos)
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 6
ID
Recess Monkey - Sandbox Song (Tabby Road)
Bzots - Hey Wkewke (Powered Up!)
ID
Terrible Twos - Olly Olly Oxen Free (Jerzy the Giant)
Laurie Berkner - Rocketship Run (Rocketship Run)
Madness - Our House
ID
TMBG - Sensurround (SEXXY)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Recess Monkey Guest Post -- Day 4: Family, Fun and Fireflies!

We pulled in to Chicago today for shows at the North and Clyborne and Oakbrook Land of Nod stores. Fun groups and thankul and energetic employees-we were greeted with a snack basket and lots of smiles!

During our sound check at the Oakbrook store, Daron listened for levels while Jack and I played. As Daron sat on a wonderful Land of Nod bed with trundle, giving thumbs up and down, a mysterious man sat down on the bed right behind him. Daron turned to see his father Wayne and step-mother Judy! They had driven from Jamestown, IN for a surprise visit!

Also in attendance was Daron's sister Caron and her husband Todd and three kiddos: Luke (the self proclaimed King of Peanut Butter and Root Beer who nearly polished off the largest piece of Peanut Butter Cookie dough cheesecake we had ever seen), Jonathan (who just got a new cymbal for his drum kit because he's cracked his old one from overuse-needless to sat Jonathan has a very proud uncle) and Adrianne (Who was feeling a bit shy today!) On a long haul like this road trip it's a huge boost to meet with family and friends, if only for short periods of time. This was a really special day for Daron :)

On the way into Chicago we spun Wilco (Of course) "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" and Elvis Costello's Greatest Hits. On the way out it was Utopia Parkway by Fountains of Wayne and then-nothing, just time to chat and make some calls.

As the sun set in Indiana, fireflies flickered here and there, adding a spark to some tired travelers :) Daron and Jack hail from Indiana and I'm from Pennsylvania so the sight of fireflies, sound of cicadas and muggy evenings of the East stir up the nostalgia!

On to NORTHAMPTON tomorrow! Are YOU prepared to rock?

-Drew

Recess Monkey Guest Blogging, Day Three: Over the Hump and How to Mail Cottage Cheese

Greetings from Wisconsin!

We just snapped this shot of a mail truck named specifically for our first big leg of the journey. If only the Honda Element and trailer fit in the back, ala Knight Rider or Spy Hunter. We could have hitched a ride, eliminating the tag team marathon driving session. :) All is well though and we're getting close to stopping for the night and getting some rest.

With all of the miles to cover, we've been listening to a lot of music - Talking Heads, Talking Book by Stevie Wonder, They Might Be Giants and yes... Appetite for Destruction by Guns and Roses (lots of fist pumping across North Dakota). In North Dakota we endured a blinding, sustained downpour and some amazing purple lightning!

On to the cheese! Jack and his mom have been exchanging calls, working out the best way to ship Michigan Cottage Cheese to Seattle. According to Jack and his mom this cheese is beyond compare and we're all looking forward to a tasting session. If you're looking to overnight cottage cheese to a loved one, we can tell you that dry ice is not a viable option with Fed Ex, it is categorized as a "hazardous compound." Our research continues!

Thanks for checking in! Land of Nod x 2 tomorrow-Whoo hoo! We're SO looking forward to getting out of the car and rocking out.

Good night :)

Ed. Note -- Remember, Recess Monkey will be playing a free show this Saturday at 2:00 at The River's Summer Recess with Recess Monkey!

How I ended up in a chicken costume

So a few weeks ago we had fellow WRSI DJ Kelsey on the show, talking about Paintbox Theatre, and since then they've kindly become a sponsor of the show too. So I figured we should really go, so today we got there plenty early (to be sure we could buy tickets - it often sells out) to see their take on The Tortoise and the Hare.

While in line, Kelsey came by and saw us and asked if I wanted to be a chicken. Well, how could I refuse such a delightful request? So we got seated and then I went backstage to get in the costume and learn the basics. Here's a picture, back in those innocent times:

Ah, I look so innocent, so indoors, so not-yet-having-been-beaten-by-a-cheating-hare. (Also without the headgear that was yet to come.)

The costume was surprisingly comfortable for a chicken costume, and I briefly considered just switching over to a chicken costume in my everyday life. (I also considered sending that photo to Dena and telling her that I was making a change to be closer to my chicken self, but wisdom prevailed.)

More on that cheating hare, played by the very same Kelsey Flynn, in a bit.



So while I was backstage having the costume fitted, the crew discovered that the computer projector that they use for audience cues, etc., had blown its bulb, and so the artistic director Tom McCabe was telling stories to the audience while they wait. (That's what the picture to the left is, even if it's sort of hard to tell.) Tom is an outstanding storyteller; this was a great bonus, even if it came out of a technical problem.

And then, more drama in the form of the fire alarm going off. "An emergency has been reported," declares the voice over the speakers. "Please go to the nearest exit immediately." "Hmm," I think. "I'm backstage. The kids are in the theater. Didn't think about this possibility much." Happily, Liam's preschool teacher was sitting in front of them and walked them out; I met them outside. Still in my chicken outfit.



Eventually, the fire alarm was cleared up -- it was set off by a lot of sawdust in another area of the building -- and we got to go back in, but not without some pretty big eyes among the younger set waiting outside. ("Mom! There's the chicken!" "Yes, dear, that is the chicken.") Also, it is hard to avoid smacking people with the tail.



So we went back in and I got to try on my head gear for the first time, and I have to say, I think the effect is stunning.

After the premise of the play was set up, I was introduced as the last possible challenger to the hare, who had beaten every racer to date. She was appalled at the idea of having to race a chicken, and I, appropriately, took offense at her obvious chickenism. And at her stealing one of my tailfeathers. Much hilarity ensued, and we raced all around the theater. Ultimately (spoiler alert!) she won by tempting me with delicious chicken feed, but I put up a good race. Darn that chicken feed! Gets me every time.

And then the tortoise came along as her next challenge...but that I won't spoil. You'll have to go see it. It's running through Saturday. Go!

After the play, the actors graciously signed autographs, and a couple of kids even asked for mine, despite me no longer being in costume. Apparently my inherent chickenness (chickenhood?) just emanates from me. Or something.

Paintbox is very interactive, features a ton of improvisation, and is an absolute hoot. I'm bummed that this is the first time we've gone, since that means we've missed a bunch of great plays in the past. We'll be back for Aladdin, which completes their season, in a couple of weeks!

Sippy Pictures

Pictures from the SIppy Cups tour are here, including a funny one with me and Ulysses S. Dee.

Also, we'll have some more show news soon. If you desperately want some now, go check out Zooglobble - he's got some great shows coming to Phoenix soon...

Recess Monkey Guest Blogging, Day Two: Mayor Monkey vetos Rainbow Road Extension Project, Says No Way on the Byway, "You're driving me bananas!"

[Ed. note: I observe that the Recess Monkey guys are also blogging on their own site, but it's not the same stuff!]

Greetings from the road. Daron and Drew here, Jack's snoozing in the back. We're on our way toward Spokane and into Idaho and the enormous Montana!

The pic and headline are just for fun but we DID play our last Mid-Columbia library show in the West Richland Town Council Chambers! The schtick just kept coming-we passed an ordinance requiring dancing on city sidewalks at all times and all were in favor of an encore :)

Our road music has included The Legendary Harry Nilsson and Dr. Dog's new cd, Fate. Not as immediate as We All Belong but lots of layers and sonic goodies.

That's the scoop for today! Lots of driving on our way to Chicago and two Land of Nod store appearances on Thursday. Thanks for checking in!

TMBG Replacing BNL in LI on DBP Tour

That is, They Might Be Giants are replacing Barenaked Ladies on the Long Island dates for the Disney Block Party Tour.

Recess Monkey Guest Post: Kennewick (the town and the man)

Drew from Recess Monkey here! Thanks for stopping by and check out our ins and outs on the way to Spare the Rock!

Day one of our tour began ridiculously early at 4:30 am, on the road by 5 in time to catch the sun rise over the cascade mountains-to the sounds of our beloved John Vanderslice's Life and Death of an American Fourtracker.

Other spins included Bjork's Post, Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World, The Jayhawks' Tomorrow the Green Grass, and a Ventures TV theme song CD - Daron started speeding when Hawaii Five-O kicked in!

Three fun library shows in Washington's HOT Tri-city area (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland). At the Pasco branch during our rollercoaster ode "Down Down Down," kids not only acted out "up and down" but screamed on the way down each time-hillarious! There was also a grandmother in the audience who shared that she also used to jump onto her bed to avoid foot-pulling monsters-a la "Under My Bed" - Yes!

And to today's photo!

Do you notice a striking resemblance between Daron, our drummer, and the much battled over pre-historic Kennewick man. Check out this link for today's history lesson.

And for even more fun try singing a tune about Kennewick man to the tune of Particle Man-that's been the earworm in my head today.

That's all for now-pizza's here and it's time to crash! We need some rest before two shows tomorrow and big legs to Chicago and NORTHAMPTON!

Coming Soon...Monkeys Blogging!

Well, members of Recess Monkey, anyway, who will be guest blogging here this week on their way across the country to this Saturday's Summer Recess with Recess Monkey!

There are a ton of shows between there and here, and then they head west again, including a show presented by Zooglobble.

And heck, let's start...right...now. Here's an early report from Drew:

We left Seattle at 4:45 this morning to the sounds of John Vanderslice :)

Playlist for 2008-07-19

Note: Due to a licensing quirk, the show's on-demand stream is now available on our page at the River's website.

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - The Ballad of Davy Crockett in Outer Space (Disney Block Party)
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Stairway to Heaven (s/t)
Peter Rundquist - Effervescing Elephant (Bug Feathers)
ID
Asylum Street Spankers - Training Wheel Blues (Mommy Says No!)
Justin Roberts - Taking Off My Training Wheels (Meltdown!)
ID

Segment 2
Randy Kaplan - Good Morning Blues (Loquat Rooftop)
Bruce Springsteen - Froggie Went A Courtin' (We Shall Overcome)
ID/prep to rock
Recess Monkey - Pedal Power (Tabby Road)
Laurie Berkner - Mr. Bassman (Rocketship Run)
Suburbs - Cows (In Combo)
Too Much Joy - Sandbox (Cereal Killers)
ID

Segment 3
Princess Katie & Racer Steve - Hot Shot! (Fast & Feisty)
Egg - Flip Flops (Sunny Side Up)
Barenaked Ladies - Allergies (Snacktime)
Weezer - My Name Is Jonas (Blue album)
Charity & the JAMband - SuperHero (Rock Your Socks Off)
Lunch Money - Roller Coaster (Silly Reflection)
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
Me 3 - Tulip (The Thin King)
Frances England - You & Me (Family Tree)
Chris Hamilton - I Didn't Know (Boogie Child)
Deedle Deedle Dees - Aaron Burr Freedom in a Box)
ID
Book Time with Ella

Segment 5
Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers - Small People (Songs from the Street)
Ben Rudnick & Friends - I Like Silver, I Like Gold (Emily Songs)
ID
Jimmies - Do the Elephant (Make Your Own Someday)
Jose Gonzalez y Banda Criolla - Bomba Te Traigo Yo (Caribbean Playground)
ID
Board of Education - Ice Ages Are Fun! (s/t)
ID

Segment 6
Mr. Richard - Zanyville
Ralph's World - Edward the Tap Dancing Elephant
NRBQ - RC Cola & A Moon Pie
Lucas Miller - Food Chain
ID
TMBG - Where Do They Make Balloons?
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Look Park, Here We Come

We're pleased that Look Park's Children's Series is now a sponsor of the show. And we'll be hosting the show on Saturday, July 28, with Ed Popielarczyk. Whoo-hoo!

Did You Like Velocity Girl?

'Cause we did. And now Sarah Shannon from that band (now in Seattle) has a new kids' band, The Not-Its, with other folks with tons of experience in indie and punk rock. They've got a few tracks up at their MySpace site worth a listen.

Oh, hey, this week.

New music from Laurie Berkner, Me 3, Peter Rundquist, and Egg.

Plus, if I can figure out a kid-friendly song, some Dr. Dog. Love that CD.

Sippy Joe on AM

Listen to Sippy Joe on WHMP here.

Free Stuff Is Good

And the Pokey Pup has a bunch of free stuff this summer. Whoo-hoo!

Sippy Cups Rock!

Whoo-hoo! That was a fun show. You can see a gallery of pictures here (let me know if that doesn't work, I'm playing with the new MobileMe thing), and a clip of the rawking here, once it finishes processing:

Playlist & Stream for 7/12/2008

Here's what we played:

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Seven (Here Come the 123s)
Mr. David - Little Girl (Jump in the Jumpy House)
Hank Hooper - Fly Away Pie (Playground Fortune Teller)
Beatles - I Am the Walrus
Kara Willey - Caterpillar Caterpillar
ID

Segment 2
Green Means Go - Get Your Bucket and Spade
Guided By Voices - Hold On Hope (Do the Collapse)
ID/prep to rock
B52s - Rock Lobster
Doctor Noize - Banana (Ballad of Phineas McBoof)
ID

Segment 3
Ralph's World - King of the Alphabet (Rhyming Circus)
Andy Glockenspiel - Finally Got a Friend (Excuse Me?)
Brassy - Work It Out (Got It Made)
XTC - Fruit Nut
ID
Uncle Rock - Disco Nap (Plays Well With Others)
ID/bye to Will

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Sippy Cups - Move Your Pants (Live)
Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Elvis is Everywhere
Manu Chao - Bongo Bong
Ramones - Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio
ID

Segment 5
Buckwheat Zydeco - Mardi Gras Mambo (World Playground)
SteveSongs - Ducks Hatching (Marvelous Day)
Ellis Paul - I Like to Swing (The Dragonfly Races)
Medeski Martin & Wood - The Squalb (Let's Go Everywhere)
Brady Rymer & The Little Band that Could - Road Trip (Here Comes...)
ID

Segment 6
Justin Roberts - Dad Caught Stars (Not Naptime) (for Sean, Gibson, and Lola)
Lisa Loeb - Linger (Camp Lisa)
ID
Recess Monkey - Rainbow Road (Monkey Town)
Jellydots - Bicycle (Hey You Kids)
ID
TMBG - Why Does the Sun Shine (Live) (Severe Tire Damage)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

It's Sippy Day! Thanks to Will from Minnesota for visiting! Stream the show here:



Next week, we'll start having the streams on The River's site.

NEW VENUE for the Sippy Cups Show!

The Sippy Cups show will now be at the Iron Horse Music Hall this Saturday. All involved decided it was a better fit, and it'll be a great intimate venue to see an amazing show. And yes, we'll figure out a way to fit it all in!

Hey, are you going to the Sippy Cups? Please get tickets now

Are you going to the Sippy Cups show Saturday? (The correct answer is "yes.")

Please go buy tickets now. They're cheaper in advance and it'll help us and the venue with planning. Thanks!

Zen La La, Family Music Meltdown 2

We play Sara Hickman's music from time to time on the show (Radiation Man especially), but I'd never really read her blog regularly. We'd corresponded recently about the Family Music Meltdown 2 in September (details below) and that reminded me about it. Go check it out. It's not kid-music-focused; it's not even really music-focused; but it's compelling and good reading. Right now it's about her frustration with the Austin AM news station KLBJ's morning show discussion of the homeless. Go, Sara!

Oh, and about that Meltdown. How does this sound?

Mr. Leebot
Telephone Company
Laura Freeman (Thanks for the URL, Gwyneth!)
Joe McDermott
Super Pal Universe

(I think that's all confirmed, but just to be safe: acts subject to change! Your mileage may vary! And so on!)

Pretty good? How about for $5 per person, infants free? Even better? Yeah, I thought so.

Saturday, September 27, 6:00, at Ruta Maya Coffee House, 3601 South Congress.

Spare the Rock on the Road!

I guess I should've been posting more, but if anyone in Fayetteville, Arkansas, wants to get coffee or a park playdate, we're here for another few days. And tomorrow (Saturday) we'll be at Kiddie Park in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, in the evening. I've even got our digital recorder so you or your kid can do the "Are you prepared to rock?" thing.

Playlist for 7/5/2008

One week to Sippy Cups Saturday, and we're celebrating with a guest DJ set from Sippy Rudy!

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Lazyhead and Sleepybones
Jimmies - Taddy (Make Your Own Someday)
Ella Fitzgerald - Russian Lullaby (Irving Berlin Songbook)
Josephine Cameron - Anna's Bed a Silver Moon (Close Your Eyes)
Charity & the JAMband - Whatcha Gonna Bring (Rock Your Socks Off)
Terrible Twos - Ladybug (Have You Ever Seen an Owl)
ID

Segment 2
Astrograss - Pit Piddle Paddle (Can I Stay Up All Night?)
Little Mo McCoury - My Friend, My Guitar s/t)
ID/prep to rock
Fuzzy - Flashlight (s/t)
Danny Adlerman & Friends - Veggie Song (Listen Up!)
Go! Team - Doing it Right (Proof of Youth)
Recess Monkey - Littlest Monkey (Aminal House)
ID

Segment 3
CandyBand - Octopus on My Head (Calling All Kids)
Lion Rock - Fire Up the Shoesaw (An Instinct for Detection)
Guster - I've Got to be Clean (For the Kids)
ID
Ben Rudnick - I Need a Hand
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Kelly Hogan - Senor El Gato (Bottle Let Me Down)
Frances England - Family Tree
Alex the Seal - Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex in Wonderland)
Daniel Johnston - I Killed the Monster
ID

Segment 5
Sippy Rudy Guest DJ set

Segment 6
Sippy Rudy Guest DJ set
ID
TMBG - Bells are Ringing (Factory Showroom)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Hey, go buy tickets for the Sippy Cups

There's no service fee for kids' tickets, but the adult tickets get more expensive if you buy them at the door, so don't you think you should buy 'em now?

Just saying.