FREE Family Friendly Fire Jam THIS Wed at Garfield Park Conservatory 7/10 #originalphotos

The very first Garfield Park Conservatory Fire Jam is this Wednesday, July 10!  This is a FREE event.

Click here to check out more of ChiIL Mama's original photo & video filled Fire Jam coverage!

This is one of our favorite monthly summer events to shoot!   

Jam starts at 7pm & ends at 9pm SHARP. The park will officially close at this time.   Everyone is welcome to come early to the conservatory and have a picnic in the back.  Conservatory is open all day long.

LOCATION: The jam will take place at Garfield Park Conservatory - the Green Line stop, Garfield Park Conservatory, will let you off right at GPC. The jam itself will take place on the outdoor green space behind the conservatory building. You must enter through the main building to get to the field. ENTRY TO GPC IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC. 

PARKING: GPC has a parking lot on the south side of the conservatory. Parking is free, but be sure to arrive early to make sure you get a spot. There is also parking along the street.

MUSIC & DRUMMERS: The first half of the jam (7-8pm) will have music provided by Rhythm Revolution drum group. For the 2nd half of the jam (8-9pm), music will be provided by the FMJ drum circle, so bring your drums and join in from 8-9pm.

ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL or other substances, please leave them at home. This is a family-friendly event, so let's keep it safe, clean and welcoming. Picnics are welcome.

LEAVE NO TRACE: take out what you brought in, and if you see any trash on the ground, please pick it up and throw it away, let's leave the park in better shape than when we found it!

For all other info, see: www.fullmoonjam.org/faqs/

If you're not following the FMJs on Twitter, please follow @Full_Moon_Jam - this will be one of the best ways to get up-to-date, near-immediate info in case of cancellations, jam changes, etc.

A NOTE ABOUT WEATHER: Nature has NOT been kind to us this year, so we're keeping a sharp eye on the weather. PLEASE make sure to check the FB page, Twitter Feed or your email for updates and (hopefully not!) cancellation notices. As this jam is taking place at the conservatory, GPC will have final say on jam cancellation/

This is the first of what we hope will be many future jams at GPC, so let's start this off on the right foot! See you on Wednesday!!


**Credit:  All photos and video by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiIL LiveShows.com

www.fullmoonjam.org
https://twitter.com/FullMoonJam

Kindie Land-Chi, IL Millennium Park Free Family Fun Schedule

Millennium Park Family Fun Performance Stage

**Millennium Park is rocking your summer with free daily kindie shows.

Many of ChiIL Mama's favs are represented.   We've marked our highly recommended shows with asterisks.   


Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often for loads of our original live show video footage, exclusive band video interviews, tons of CD give aways, and photo filled features.

   

July

July 25: Future Hits
July 26: Bulbul Arabic Ensemble
July 27: Lawrence Peters Outfit
July 28: Las Guitarras de Espana
July 29: MADD Rhythms

July 30: Kalyan Pathak and the Jazz Mata Trio
**July 31: Intonation Music Workshop (these guys are a great, local non profit. We've given away tixs to their shows and highly recommend checkin' out these talented kids)

August

**August 1: Intonation Music Workshop
**August 2: Farmer Jason 

**August 3: Farmer Jason 

(AKA:   Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers.)   


Don't miss this chance to see him live!  Farmer Jason recently released "Nature Jams" on the new Universal Music children's label, myKaZoo.  Check out his videos on their new music video channel for kids, and he's touring all over the nation and in the UK this summer.

*Jason grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois (just down the road from one of his guest artists, Suzy Bogguss).

Nature Jams features an amazing lineup of guest artists (Mike Mills from REM, Tom Petersson from Cheap Trick, Tommy Ramone, Brandi Carlille, Iris Dement, Victor Wooten, Todd Snider, and more). It's won a couple of awards already and has been getting some sweet reviews   


**ChiIL Mama will be reviewing and giving away some of his new CDs in the very near future.**

August 4: Fatum Brothers Jazz Quintet

**August 5: Jeanie B! And the Jellybeans (She's a frequent fav at Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids.   ChiIL Mama will again sponsor the weekly kindie series that runs every Sunday from fall through spring.  We'll be giving away a free family 4 pack of tickets weekly to every show.)

August 6: Midway Ramblers 

**August 7: Miss Lori (She's a personal friend of ours with a lovely voice, 3 great kids, and a booming TV career.   Miss Lori is a force....   Come see her live.   You'll be glad you did!)

August 8: Brasil, Brazil
August 9: Midway Ramblers 
August 10: Bulbul Arabic Ensemble
August 11: Lawrence Peters Outfit
August 12: Halau i Ka Pono 

**August 13: Chic A Go Go (ChiIL Mama adores Chic A Go Go!!   Highly recommended for all ages.   Don't just watch TV this summer...BE on TV with this wacky, wonderful, long running cable show.   Miss Mia and Ratso rock hard!!)

August 14: Miss Lori 
August 15: Future Hits
August 16: Dog Patch Ramblers
August 17: Gypsy Klezmer Project
August 18: Golden Horse Ranch Band

August 19: Tsukasa Taiko 
August 20: Hip Hop Yoga
August 21: Miss Lori 
August 22: Chicago Human Rhythm Project
August 23: Fatum Brothers Jazz Quintet 
August 24: Gypsy Klezmer Project
August 25: Isla Pacifika
August 26: Las Guitarras de Espana
August 27: Fatum Brothers Jazz Quintet
August 28: Kaiju Daiko

August 29: Jeanie B! And the Jellybeans 
August 30: Dog Patch Ramblers 

August 31: Ryhthm Revolution Drum Circle facilitated by John Yost (we've got a video interview slated with John for next Sunday.   He'll be rockin' Kidzapalooza with daily drum circles the first weekend in August.   We even saw him at the drum circle opening for Keller Williams' kids' show last year at Park West.   He's quite a character and a fixture in the Chi-town rhythm community.   Check it out.)

September

September 1: Isla Pacifika
September 2: Chic A Go Go

Join the fun all summer long with activities and musical games for kids of all ages at Millennium Park's Family Fun Festival, presented by Target.   Check the link for show times and details.

Count Down To Kidza-4 Days Till Lucky #7!

Keller Williams Interview With ChiIL Mama from ChiIL Mama on Vimeo.

ChiIL Mama interviews Keller Williams about fatherhood, V8 engines v. hybrid cars, and how creatives parent & how parents create


Something old something new....

Kidza Kids:   Du-Jay and Sagezilla have loved Kidza from the start.   Here they are as 3 & 5 year olds in 06.   They've been to every day of every one!


Kidzapalooza's comin' to town!    We're starting our count down with ChiIL Mama's original interview with Keller Williams.   He's an accomplished and well loved musician with 16 albums to his credit, but he's new to the kindie rock world.    It was a natural extension for this devoted dad of two, to write a kids CD, aptly named, Kids.   


If you haven't heard of Keller or heard Keller LIVE, you are in for a treat.    Catch him on the Kids Stage this Sunday at 2:30, right before Peter DiStefano & Tor, then Perry Farrell.    (As usual, parents accompanied by kids 10 and under get the rock star treatment with VIP space at the front of the grass, inside the gates.)



Here's ChiIL Mama's LIVE concert clip where Keller explains his unique style.   We have loads more fun footage from Park West, the last time Keller came through Chi-Town and ChiIL Mama's got some great Keller photo pit shots from Summer Camp Music Festival coming soon.   Keller Williams rocked Summer Camp Music Festival.   We loved his Grateful Dead and Morphine covers!   Hear and/or download Keller's whole Park West Kids and Adult show sets HERE while you check out ChiIL Mama's stills from Park West.     You can also hear Keller's whole Summer Camp set HERE.

Keller's Kids Show at Park West, Chicago


Check out Keller's Kids Website for more videos, photos, goat cam, tour dates, merch and more!   We can't wait to see what he breaks out for Kidza #7.


Click Here for the full line up on the Kidzapalooza stage

ChiIL Mama catches the magic of a Kidza drum circle in 2010 Next, we have an old favorite that has been an integral part of every Kidzapalooza for the last 6 years--drums!    Jon Yost and Rhythm Revolution will be there again, rockin' Kidza.   Ken Crampton and Everybody Drum opened for Keller Williams Kids Shows when he toured earlier this year, and we saw Jon Yost there keepin' the beat with his kid, so it's a natural pairing.    Check out Keller's opener at Park West, Chicago below. Remo always gives away loads of kids drums and percussion instruments at Kidza every year, so enter the free lottery and be there when the kids' area closes each day for your chance to win. How many drums have your kids broken so far? We've gone through a rubber topped pseudo-Native American drum, a wooden drum that got recalled for lead paint and several giant plastic drums filled with percussion toys. Our cheap maracas cracked and spilled their plastic beans everywhere. And those instruments sounded terrible when they were new. However, all the Remo drums we've ever bought are still in great shape and hold a prominent place in our hearts and in our living room. Over the years, our kids have accumulated an assortment of Remo bongos, toms, conga drums, shakers, tambourines and even lollipop drums on a stick that are spiraled like a huge sucker. At 8 & 10, the kids still haven't outgrown them. Instead, these instruments have grown with the children. Especially during those early years, when drums sometimes accidentally double as seats or stairs, kids are really rough on drum heads. But just because it's for the kids and not the pros, Remo doesn't cheap out on the materials. Remo uses REAL drum head on their kids' drums. So they last REALLY long and they sound REALLY great. Every year we look forward to the Remo drum circle at Kidzapalooza.   Everyone who wants to, gets to play.   And the pressure's off in a group.   There's such a loud lot of drumming going on that nobody will hear or care if you screw up.   There's safety in numbers. There's also a mightiness and energy to group drumming--to individuals coming together to make a big noise together.   And John Yost is the master maestro who helps to make control out of chaos.   He directs and channels the energy so everyone gets a turn to play.   And he gives the rhythms focus, so people get out of their head and their self consciousness and into a follow the leader game.    In 2010, the drum circle became a longer running part of the Kidzapalooza day, instead of just happening at the end.   It's a positive change and hopefully a new tradition.    Drumming is great for kids' development and parents might just find themselves jumping in and wailing away, too.   Drumming is also a great stress release.   If we can walk together, why can't we rock together.   If you haven't tried it yet, a drum circle is fun family together time.   We'll be practicing up on our Remo drums this winter.   Look out Kidza 2011.   We're gonna kick out the jams.  ChiIL Mama's featuring a daily COUNT DOWN TO KIDZA so check in like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!

Kidzapalooza Remo Drum Circle With John Yost

How many drums have your kids broken so far? We've gone through a rubber topped pseudo-Native American drum, a wooden drum that got recalled for lead paint and several giant plastic drums filled with percussion toys. Our cheap maracas cracked and spilled their plastic beans everywhere. And those instruments sounded terrible when they were new.

However, all the Remo drums we've ever bought are still in great shape and hold a prominent place in our hearts and in our living room. Over the years, our kids have accumulated an assortment of Remo bongos, toms, conga drums, shakers, tambourines and even lollipop drums on a stick that are spiraled like a huge sucker. At 7 & 9, the kids still haven't outgrown them. Instead, these instruments have grown with the children.

Especially during those early years, when drums sometimes accidentally double as seats or stairs, kids are really rough on drum heads. But just because it's for the kids and not the pros, Remo doesn't cheap out on the materials. Remo uses REAL drum head on their kids' drums. So they last REALLY long and they sound REALLY great.

Every year we look forward to the Remo drum circle at Kidzapalooza.   Everyone who wants to, gets to play.   And the pressure's off in a group.   There's such a loud lot of drumming going on that nobody will hear or care if you screw up.   There's safety in numbers.

There's also a mightiness and energy to group drumming--to individuals coming together to make a big noise together.   And John Yost is the master maestro who helps to make control out of chaos.   He directs and channels the energy so everyone gets a turn to play.   And he gives the rhythms focus, so people get out of their head and their self consciousness and into a follow the leader game.   

In 2010, the drum circle became a longer running part of the Kidzapalooza day, instead of just happening at the end.   It's a great change and hopefully a new tradition.   

Drumming is great for kids' development and parents might just find themselves jumping in and wailing away, too.   Drumming is also a great stress release.   If we can walk together, why can't we rock together.   If you haven't tried it yet, a drum circle is fun family together time.   We'll be practicing up on our Remo drums this winter.   Look out Kidza 2011.   We're gonna kick out the jams.