Win Tickets To All Beat Kitchen's October Concerts for Kids HERE #giveaway #originalphotos

ChiIL Mama's photos--Beat Kitchen Fall Festival Kick Off for Concerts for Kids 2012-2013 Season!
Fall festival was a huge success last Sunday as Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids resumed after a summer hiatus.  We had so much fun rockin' out with all of you.  Did you make it into our photo gallery with our Rock Tots Photo Spot (dress up/instrument petting zoo)?   ChiIL Mama is super stoked to be back again this year as one of two media sponsors.

Win 4 Free Tickets From ChiIL Mama--new winners announced every Friday!!

Never too old to play dress up

ChiIL Mama's Rock Tots Photo Spot (dress up/instrument petting zoo) was all ages fun.  

Sagezilla, Du-Jay, ChiIL Mama & Dug all passed out stickers and told everyone about our rockin' give aways, photo & video filled features and upcoming fam friendly events.

Downstairs, kindie (kids' indie) superstars like Suzi Shelton, kindie queen on the New York scene rocked the stage for four hours!!   (Suzi and her daughter havin' fun and selling merch)

The talented kids of The Young Stracke All Stars were a highlight of the day!!   We'll have loads of live show clips from their set up soon.   My kids were jazzed to see 3 girls in the All Stars they've known since preschool.

Super Stoli and her friends rocked the face painting....and arm painting...and hand painting.

Click the band names below for ChiIL Mama's past coverage including video interviews, live show videos, show shots, CD reviews and more.   

October 7    Pogo with your punk kin to The Boogers (kid appropriate Ramones style punk)

October 14 Sarah Jayne Lane & Gracie Lou Revue

October 21  Little Miss Ann Band   (little folk)

October 28   Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies   (punk kin and rock tots)






Enter here for your shot at winning 4 free tickets.  

Every week we'll be picking a new family 4 pack ticket winner.   Enter right here for any or all October concerts.   


That ought to make your mohawk stand up!


*Wait for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on the actual page title or "a Rafflecopter giveaway link" and it should pop right up).   Enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.   Entries accepted through midnight each Thursday.   Winner will be announced on Friday.   Enter with the adult name you'd like on the guest list.   

Thanks to Beat Kitchen for once again providing us with 4 weekly concert tickets for our give aways.

a Rafflecopter giveaway   Sarah Jayne Lane & Gracie Lou Revue Sunday at noon 10/14 

a Rafflecopter giveaway   Little Miss Ann Band Sunday at noon 10/21 


a Rafflecopter giveaway  Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies Halloween Show Sunday at noon 10/28 

Save the dates:

Got punk kin, rock tots, little folk, banger babies?   Beat Kitchen is THE place to be every Sunday at noon.   Shows are a wide variety of genres and admission is just $6 for adults and kids.  Babies under 2 are free.   Shows are all ages but geared toward birth through 10 year olds and their rockin' parents.   Come see some of Chi-Town's best Kindie (kids' indie) musicians out there and even national acts!

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!  We have loads of original live show footage and photo filled features, band video interviews, give aways, reviews, and events.   Follow us by e-mail in the right side bar, to be the first to know about give aways, new shows and more.   You'll get easy ChiIL Mama updates in your in box and we never spam, share or sell your info.

Hello Ella Jenkins-See The First Lady of Children's Folk Music This Sunday at OTSFM

Youth Musicians Open for Veteran Children’s Music Performer

The Young Stracke All-Stars, ages 8-13,  are thrilled to perform on bill with Ella Jenkins whose musical legacy spans 50 years.   ChiIL Mama has known 3 of The Young Stracke All-Stars since their pre-school days--about as long as our own kids have adored Ella Jenkins.   When Sagie was a toddler, she insisted her name was "hello Jenkins" instead of Ella, and was thrilled to hold her hand at Kidzapalooza 2006.   We can't wait to see everyone playing together on Sunday!

Some of the newest musicians on the folk music scene in Chicago will have the opportunity of a lifetime when they open for “The First Lady of Children’s Folk Music,”  Ella Jenkins, on February 6th at 11:00 a.m. at the Old Town School of Folk Music (OTSFM) 

The Young Stracke All-Stars are a band of young people ages 8-13 who are students at the Old Town School of Folk Music and who have shown a dedication to the ideals of the Old Town School community; they are dedicated, curious, passionate and enthusiastic about community music.  The band is named after OTSFM founder Win Stracke, and though they have played at various festivals and venues around town, this gig is very important to them.  

“I’m very excited that we get to open up for one of my favorite artists,” says band member Zelda Zerkel-Morris, age 8.  Jason McInnes is a teacher at OTSFM and convenes the band.  “This is such a great opportunity for the band to learn from being on the same stage with such an amazing performer who has contributed so much to the history of the music they are playing,” says McInnes.

Ella Jenkins, winner of the 2004 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has been recording and playing Children’s and Folk music around the world since the 1950’s.  Generations of children in the Chicago area have grown up on the music of Ms. Jenkins, a long-time Chicago resident who performs regularly around the area.

Tickets to the show are available by calling the OTSFM box office at 773.728.6000.  $15 General Public/$13 Old Town School Members/$15 Seniors & Children.

Who:    The Young Stracke All-Stars/ Ella Jenkins

What:    Folk/ Community Music

When:    February 6, 11:00 a.m.

Where:    The Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.