I’ll give you the mountains-meeting-the-sea, picturesque cliffs, and the general mystique of left coast life. You win. But if you’re a music loving family, you can’t beat being a parent on the East Coast.
Consider the summer kid’s concert series at Wolf Trap’s Theatre-In-The-Woods and the ’12-’13 Just Kidding Season at Symphony Space, not to mention killer indoor venues running kid’s concerts year round in Philly, Wilmington, and the D.C.-area, PLUS the tasty buffet of summertime free park shows all over the five NYC boroughs, PLUS the kid’s stage at the annual Newport Folk Fest!
First, the wooded outdoor setting in lovely Vienna, VA (20-minutes from The Lincoln Memorial):
WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK THEATRE-IN-THE-WOODS
You’ve got a steady diet of kindie greatness as Okee Dokee Brothers, Justin Roberts, The Jimmies, Elizabeth Mitchell, Coal Train Railroad, Aaron Nigel Smith, Robbie Scheafer, and Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem rolling through over the next six weeks. Performances are held on weekday mornings at 10:30 with tickets priced at $8 (most all shows) and $10 (Justin Roberts) meaning Wolf Trap’s kid’s concerts are affordable, mid-week daytime fun for families local to D.C. and also for those visiting the nation’s capital during their summer vacation. More info on Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods summer lineup, and to purchase tickets, head here.
My top Wolf Trap picks for the summer of ’12, if you have to pick just one or two, or maybe three, would be:
- Coal Train Rail Road on July 10th and 11th — the Nashville jazz band is playful yet sophisticated giving kids real jazz not dumbed-down with obnoxious doses of the “now what instrument is this boys and girls?” kind of banter often associated with jazz-for-kids performances. Singer Katy Bowser is a joy to listen to.
- Okee Dokee Brothers on July 31, Augst 1st and 2nd — Minnesota bluegrass with grace and humor from two youngsters who tap into some pretty universal truths on their new album Can You Canoe? (which I have gone on record calling best family CD ever made.)
- Justin Roberts on August 10th and 11th — the best performer in the kindie game always delivers his upbeat pop-rock with style and flair. He is the bee’s knees.
The girls and I just visited the main venue of Wolf Trap last night. This was our first visit and couldn’t have been more impressed with the location (right off the highway – its own exit at that!), free parking, clean bathrooms, and gorgeous setting. There might not be a prettier place to see a kid’s show this summer along the Eastern seaboard than at Theatre-In-The-Woods at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
And then there’s the always reliable Fall to Spring series of weekend kindie gigs at New York’s famed U.W.S. spot, featuring many WAY out of town acts sprinkled in with the bevy of NYC-based bands.
SYMPHONY SPACE JUST KIDDING SERIES
Justin Roberts, Elska, The Not-Its!, Frances England, Lucky Diaz, Randy Kaplan, Deedle Deedle Dees, Moona Luna, Mista Cookie Jar, Alastair Moock, Gustager Yellowgold, Bari Koral, Uncle Rock, and Suzi Shelton (and even more) will all grace the two Symphony Space stages next season. Ridiculous really, especially when you consider that I haven’t even mentioned the author events (Ivy & Bean!, Rebecca Stead!), dance, film, and on and on and on that are part of the Just Kidding series. Purchase option include season subscriptions at a discount or by the individual shows (not yet on sale). More info here.
My top two (I have to limit myself, but they are ALL wonderful) Symphony Space Just Kidding picks for the ’12-’13 season:
- The Not-Its! on February 16th — the pink & black clad quintent from Seattle come east for a rare right coast performance. They will try to shred your face, and they’ll succeed. Only your smile will remain, and your indie rock/Superchunk/Fugazi loving soul will be full of happiness.
- Elska on April 6th — this other worldly concept includes delicious vibraphones, ambient sounds, the spirit of Iceland, and some of the cathiest, earworm pop songs you’ll ever hear. This one is gonna be special, folks.
All that AND our ocean is warm! So there.
I’ve reviewed or discussed in some way nearly ALL of the acts performing at Wolf Trap and Symphony Space. If you need help deciding which artist/band is gonna be the best fit for your family, use that nifty search bar up there at the top of OWTK or shoot me an email. I’ll point you in the proper direction. You can also check out this nifty new site called showscoop that TakeLessons reviews & calls it Yelp for live shows.
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