Chicagoland IS Kindie Land this weekend!! We've given away all our 4 packs and pairs of tickets, but you can still get out and see a bunch of great family friendly live music and theatre. Here's the short list of ChiIL Mama's favs, with links to more info.
Saturday:
Check out Joanie Leeds while she's in Chi-Town from NYC. Let's give her a big Windy Kindie welcome!! Here at ChiIL Mama, we've reviewed and given away multiple copies of both of her CDs before. Now we're super stoked to see her live. Come on out to Beat Kitchen and hear her, meet us, and grab a shiny, new, holographic ChiIL Mama button-FREE.
Here's the latest update from Joanie herself:
Febu-what?
It was 60 degrees in NYC yesterday. What? Isn't it supposed to be snowing right about now? I just heard our very own Groundhog, Staten Island Chuck didn't see it's shadow today which means we are in for a short winter. But if I've learned one thing in life, it's to be wary in trusting a hog from Staten Island. OK, I know there's a song in there somewhere.
To all my new little Nightlights joining us from LA, Boston and Westchester, welcome and thanks so much for coming out to see our January concerts. We had a blast playing for you.
Concerts
Beat Kitchen
Sat. Feb 18th, 2012
2100 W. Belmont. Chicago, IL
Doors at 11:00 am, Show at 12:00 PM, $6
With Chi-town Nightlights: The amazing kindie-artist Laura Doherty along with Andy Wilkins & Michael Riendeau
Boppin' and Burgers Family Music Series- Blues Bar
Sun. Feb 19th, 2012
2 West Busse Ave., Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
847-788-9977
12:00 pm, $5 donation suggested
Solo concert
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
Tue. Feb 21st, 2012
180 Woz Way San Jose, CA 95110
408-298-5437
Two 45 minutes shows starting at 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM
With Drummer Dan
Come out for my first show in the Bay Area in honor of Bicycle Safety week!
Recess Urban Recreation
Fri. Feb 24th, 2012
470 Carolina St. San Francisco, CA
(415) 701-7529
4:30 PM
With Drummer Dan!
JCC Manhattan
Sun. Mar 25th, 2012
334 Amsterdam Avenue
10:00 AM- 11:00 AM
Full band, Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
*Tix available online now!
To find out about upcoming concerts, make sure to check my website or become a Facebook Fan to get all the news & invitations.
Radio Airplay
Many of my tunes from 'What A Zoo' and 'I'm A Rock Star' have been playing on various radio stations across the country. Some of em' have even made their way to becoming #1. To keep them playing, make sure to make your requests known. XM Sirius Sattelite Radio takes requests right on their Kids Place Live Facebook wall and many others you can call in and request a song. With Valentine's Day approaching, feel free to suggest one of my lovey dovey tunes like, 'Give Me A Hug. Thanks everyone!
Best,
Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
Sunday:
Laura Veirs photo credit: David Belisle
Bluegrass in Berwyn at FitzGerald's- 1pm (adults $12/kids just $2-all ages) 5th Annual After Brunch Bash at FitzGeralds with Sunnyside Up and The Teflons! Click the link for our prior write up with all the details.
About Tumble Bee
(*ChiILMama will be reviewing Tumble Bee and we'll have a video interview with Laura Veirs, coming soon, too! So check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We have some amazing things coming.)
Tumble Bee, the first children’s record from the prolific Laura Veirs (whose last release, July Flame, was dubbed “a perfect Sunday afternoon record” by The Oxford American and “sweet and irresistible” by Rolling Stone)
inspires listeners to lean in close and hit replay. The youthful
innocence in Veirs’ voice lends itself well to the jaunty spirit of the
album. The recording covers a wide range of folk songs, from early 20th century work songs to the ballads of Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Peggy Seeger and Harry Belafonte.
Veirs and renowned record producer Tucker Martine, her long-time
collaborator on seven of her eight records, have created a piece of art
that is sure to appeal to children as well as adult fans of Veirs’
previous work. The album features guest appearances by Colin Meloy
(Decemberists), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Bela Fleck and Brian
Blade (drummer for Bob Dylan) among many others. As Smithsonian Folkways
recording artist Elizabeth Mitchell says, “This is a luminous, smart,
essential and truly extraordinary album.”
Inspired by the birth of her son and by countless fans who’ve told
her over the years how much their kids love her records, Veirs became
curious about the history of American children’s music. She and Martine
listened to hundreds of songs from the past several centuries,
including Harry Smith’s famous Anthology of American Folk Music. They selected what Veirs calls, “a sampling that reflects our richness as a people.” Tumble Bee was recorded at home in the spring of 2011.
“Many of these songs have been forgotten throughout the years,” says
Martine. “We wanted to bring these beloved songs to a new generation
with an instrumentation that both honors their traditions and creates
something unique.”
A joyous testament to this collective history, Tumble Bee embodies both the uplifting and fearful moments of childhood. Much more than simply a record for children, Tumble Bee
defies category to stand on its own as a vibrant, sonically beautiful
recording; listeners of all ages will revel in Veirs at her prime. “I
love this record,” says acclaimed songwriter Sufjan Stevens. “Laura’s
folk songs for children prove that the best children’s music never gets
old.”
Biography
Laura Veirs grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she often
spent summers camping with her family, which gave her much of her
songwriting inspiration. Veirs has said that she didn’t seriously listen
to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in
her environment. She listened to folk, country, classical and pop music
around the house and on the radio during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto
feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an
all-female punk band called “Rair Kx!”. Laura studied geology and
Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk
music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological
expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable
and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
She put out her own self-titled album Laura Veirs, recorded live and
featuring just her and guitar, in 1999. She has since made seven highly
acclaimed records with producer/husband Tucker Martine. Veirs’ seventh
album, July Flame, was released in January 2010 on her own record label,
Raven Marching Band Records. Her most recent album, “Tumble Bee: Laura
Veirs Sings Folk Songs for Children,” was released in November, 2011 to
rave reviews both in the mainstream and parenting press.
Veirs tours frequently in Europe and North America and is currently
writing songs for a new album. She lives in Portland, Oregon with
Martine and their young son Tennessee.
Highly recommended and going on all weekend:
Click the link above for ChiIL Mama's show photos and review.
Magic, music, puppets, and performance unite in this awesome conglomeration, worthy of the escape artist/magic master himself. The Houdini Box is based on a book by Brian Selznick. Did you know, he's also the author of Hugo Cabret-the now famous book that inspired the movie Hugo, nominated for 11 Oscars? This show is a delight for all ages.
The Houdini Box: Chicago
January 24-March 4, 2012
Recommended for ages 5 and up
The Mercury Theatre
773.325.1700
3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago
Show times are 11am and 2pm every Saturday and Sunday. Check the main site for additional weekday shows and more.
