“Are we here for a concert? Or are we here to have a wild party?”
It’s not what you expect to hear at a children’s performance, but then Dan Zanes & Friends are not your typical, cutesy children’s act.
In Australia for the Sydney Festival, Grammy-award-wining Zanes and his Brooklyn-based band set out to convert a new continent of kids to his irresistible mix of folk, country, early rock ‘n’ roll and Latino grooves.
Performing in the delightfully whimsical Speigeltent, Zanes got the show rolling with an old singalong slave tune “Pay Me My Money Down”. Hits from his extensive back-collection followed, including a toe-tapping rendition of Bonnie Lou’s “Tennessee Wig Walk” which saw two adorable audience members doing the do-si-do.
Particularly delightful was Mexican guitarist and vocalist Sonia de los Santos, who features on Zanes’ new Latino CD, Nuevo York! Indeed, it is the casual multiculturalism of Zanes’ band which mark them as a truly international act.
Zanes himself has been described as the crown prince of contemporary kids’ music. Former lead singer of The Del Feugos, an 80s garage-style pop band, his indie credentials have continued to serve him well since making the tradition to ‘family music’. How many of his contemporaries could name artists as Lou Reed, Nick Cave and Debbie Harry as cameos on their albums?
It is not surprising then, that at this concert the adults seemed to be having just as much – if not more -fun than the young ones. This reviewer was quite aghast that her almost two-year-old decided that the forklift and water fountain outside the Spiegeltent were more exciting than the musical act and so a small portion of the concert was spent chasing said child around Hyde Park.
At 1 hour 10 mins, the set was not long by adult standards, but it is a long time for a child under three. The over-fours and under tens seemed to be having the most fun, but almost all ages from toddlers to grandmas joined in the dancing snake around the tent during one of the more raucous songs. In fact, the audience was probably on their feet for at least half the show.
Any great entertainer knows how to make not just a great entrance, but a great exit. And so it was as the green-suited Zanes and his merry music makers exited, still singing, down through the audience and out the front door, leading their acolytes on to a grassy patch for autograph signings and photos.
We joined several other families at the nearby water fountain for a refreshing dip, the tunes still ringing in our ears.
A lovely end to a lovely afternoon.
There are currently no comments.