If Kindiefest's Saturday night showcase was about introducing new(-ish) names (and one longtime favorite) to a new crowd, the Sunday afternoon public concert was more about a lineup guaranteed to draw in, you know, the public.
There was indeed a nice crowd, both of conference attendees as well as local families. (It's not a coincidence that the conference is held in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, famous (and perhaps occasionally reviled) for the sheer number of families who live around there. And unlike the showcase, with its brief 20-minute sets that may subconciously lead artists to forgo contemplation for excitement, the public concert, with 30-minute sets, and a more passive audience, allows for more variation in styles.
For example, the concert kicked off with a set from Oran Etkin, who tells stories (either more traditional stories or about the instruments themselves) via jazz. He was very engaging with his young audience. Most of his songs are originals, but here he is with a take on a piece Dizzy Gillespie made famous...
Oran Etkin - "Salt Peanuts" [YouTube]
Next up was the delightful Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band. The Brooklyn iteration of the band included Phillippa Thompson (who sometimes plays with Elizabeth Mitchell) and multi-instrumentalist Dean Jones. The set was similar to the one she played here in Phoenix in January, but the more enclosed nature of the performance here led to something occasionally hushed. I spoke with Elizabeth Mitchell a little bit later and she, too, enjoyed it...
Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "When You Get Old" [YouTube]
And that was just two down...
Or, to put it another way, the rumors of the Jimmies' demise have been greatly exaggerated.
When I posted the first video from the band Tim and the Space Cadets, I didn't expect that most of the chatter in the comments would be about the status of the band the two founders of TATSC left, The Jimmies. I knew that the Jimmies weren't folding or anything of the sort, but pretty soon after I posted the video, I followed up with both chief Jimmie Ashley Albert and chief, er, Space Cadet Tim Kubart to find out the real story...
So why the split (which happened in 2008)?
I was a little sad to hear about Tim and the Space Cadets, because the founding members, Tim Kubart and Matt Puckett, were until recently members of the awesome Jimmies.
"Until recently?" What? Nooooooo!!!! Things must never change!!!!
But, yes, they've parted ways with Ashley's project to form this new band, which has a new EP out, The Greatest Party Ever. While you can listen to 3 of the songs from the EP at their website, I encourage you to first watch this video, which is, like, the best kids video since, er, the last Jimmies video. A pretty good song, and an awesome video. Perhaps change is good.
Tim and the Space Cadets - "Superhero" [YouTube]
If Kindiefest's Saturday night showcase was about introducing new(-ish) names (and one longtime favorite) to a new crowd, the Sunday afternoon public concert was more about a lineup guaranteed to draw in, you know, the public.
There was indeed a nice crowd, both of conference attendees as well as local families. (It's not a coincidence that the conference is held in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, famous (and perhaps occasionally reviled) for the sheer number of families who live around there. And unlike the showcase, with its brief 20-minute sets that may subconciously lead artists to forgo contemplation for excitement, the public concert, with 30-minute sets, and a more passive audience, allows for more variation in styles.
For example, the concert kicked off with a set from Oran Etkin, who tells stories (either more traditional stories or about the instruments themselves) via jazz. He was very engaging with his young audience. Most of his songs are originals, but here he is with a take on a piece Dizzy Gillespie made famous...
Oran Etkin - "Salt Peanuts" [YouTube]
Next up was the delightful Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band. The Brooklyn iteration of the band included Phillippa Thompson (who sometimes plays with Elizabeth Mitchell) and multi-instrumentalist Dean Jones. The set was similar to the one she played here in Phoenix in January, but the more enclosed nature of the performance here led to something occasionally hushed. I spoke with Elizabeth Mitchell a little bit later and she, too, enjoyed it...
Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "When You Get Old" [YouTube]
And that was just two down...
Or, to put it another way, the rumors of the Jimmies' demise have been greatly exaggerated.
When I 
