I'm Not Bill Graham. Yet.

I don't really want to be a concert producer.

I just want a cool concert poster with my name (or this website's name) on it.

Well, I'm still not a concert producer -- and there's nary a poster in sight -- but I'm helping my great neighborhood record store host a show this weekend.

Stinkweeds Record Exchange is holding a Saturday Singalong this Saturday (May 5th). They did a small number of kid-friendly singalong shows a while back at their old Tempe location, but with my instigation, they're restarting the series. Saturday Singalong version 2.0, I guess. And it happens to be during Stinkweeds' 20th Anniversary celebration (as well as the 1st Anniversary of their next-door neighbor, Frances), so there will be a definite party vibe going on. (Well, above and beyond the fact that it's Cinco de Mayo, which is about 2 or 3 years away from overtaking St. Patrick's Day as the national drinking holiday.)

So if you're in the Phoenix area, stop by at 11 AM Saturday for an hour of free music from Dario's Magic Bus. (Sorry, no Myspace page or website. How retro.) Weather promises to be not so hot (in a good way), and they have a lovely and slightly shaded patio. Do join us.

Concert Review: Dan Zanes - Rialto Theatre, Tucson

I've been to a lot of great concerts in my life -- Bruce Springsteen, Buddy Guy, U2. One of the key factors is the feeling that the crowd is having a shared experience -- amazement at Bruce's endurance, Guy's prowess, or U2's yearning. But that communal experience is one that ends up being focused on the performer(s) on stage (or not, as Guy ended up his concert jamming on the sidewalk in front of the Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill (back when it was in Chapel Hill) while his band played on inside).

The wonder of a Dan Zanes concert, then, is that he produces a very communal experience that isn't so focused on him. Instead, the community itself is the communal experience...
It started in the long line to get into downtown Tucson's Rialto Theatre (whose Frequently Asked Questions is a hoot-and-a-half, even if you never plan to see a show there). Lots of families saying "hi" to one another. That wasn't really the case for us, seeing as we drove two hours from Phoenix to see the show, but I'm guessing that a Dan Zanes concert -- especially one in a new area for him -- has that effect on people. "Hey," they're saying, "there are other Dan Zanes nuts just like us. And we're at a theatre 4 days after an Ice Cube show. Cool. I think."

The communal vibe continued indoors. We brought our DZ Flea ukelele, and so I talked with a guy ahead who also brought his. A guy next to me talked about how it looked like a Chilean stringed instrument made out of a turtle shell. Somebody passed out flyers for a preschool fundraiser.

And then the band entered, walking from the back through the front, playing "Sidewalks of New York." They disappeared stage left, Dan Zanes came on stage alone, and the party truly started.

I use the word "party" deliberately, because Zanes must've used it two dozen times during the set. He pleaded several times with the lighting person to increase the lights on the audience -- he wanted to see the audience, not play at them. But party it was -- it took two or three songs for the kids to start congregating up front, but eventually the area between the stage and the folding chairs was decently filled with pogoing kids.

More reserved kids (like, say, our daughter) took their time, but eventually couldn't control themselves and dashed for the side aisles and danced there. I spent a good part of the concert's last half dancing with my daughter on the side of the theatre. That's what I mean about the focus not being on Zanes and the band (who, I might add, were all excellent) -- we had a great time, but it wasn't because we were focused on Zanes.

The set list? Ah, the newshound in me wanted to write everything down, but the enjoy-er in me said, "Relax." So I relaxed. The set list did cover every single Zanes family album (including Parades and Panoramas and Sea Music). Zanes is lucky in that he doesn't have one or two huge hits he feels like he needs to play every time. As a result, whatever he plays will satisfy almost all his audience.

He brought a couple special guests. "Salvador" sang and danced a folk dance a bit, but I loved the mariachi band he brought in. Mariachis make almost everything sound better. That's one thing I really dig about Zanes -- he can bring in a mariachi band and it doesn't sound out of place. And when Father Goose came out (I'd forgotten him), that did add an extra jolt to the show -- he's a great ace in the hole to have.

And then, like that, the show ended with Zanes and company striding out the way they came in. The crew signed autographs in the lobby, with Zanes standing, mobbed, outside in Tucson's heat. Yes, his suit was that green. And he was very gracious with each concertgoer holding a t-shirt or ukelele case to sign.

It was a great concert, but I didn't expect anything less. Dan Zanes has made community a cornerstone of his all-ages musical philosophy -- his concerts are simply an extension of that vision. It's enough to make you dance.

This Is The Last Time I Talk About the Brooklyn Weekend

OK, I actually spent last weekend with my wife and away from the kids, which was very relaxing. And fun. Amazing how long of a conversation you can have.

But it's also clear that last weekend's Spare the Rock / AudraRox hootenanny and the Park Slope Parents concert in Brooklyn was a blast. So to stave off any thoughts of jealousy I'm only going to provide the links here once.

Yeah, I know Gwyneth beat me to this, but I blame that on laziness on my part, not lack of creativity. Besides, for some reason I can't explain, some of you still aren't reading her site. You people. (Besides, I've got some new stuff here, too.)

-- The artist list for Saturday night, along with a picture from Bill. (Edit: More thoughts and pictures here. Warning: Takes for-freakin' ever to load.)
-- Amy's inital thoughts here, with pictures from both concerts here.
-- Gwyneth's thoughts and photos.
-- Yosi's thoughts and a few photos.
-- Warren weighed in.
-- Hilltown Familes made the trek -- here are their photos (those may be gone -- try here instead). Also, Hilltown Families also put together a sweet collage.
-- Photos of Saturday's hootenanny here, from Susan Fox, who clearly left early because, you know, she was putting on Sunday's concert.
-- A video of Audra and Jen from AudraRox doing "D is for Drums" with Marty Beller [warning: very large file]
-- Speaking of Sunday's concert, see a long slideshow with a fun though unrelated rendition of "Enjoy Yourself" here. Note: Adam from Astrograss just let me know they played "Enjoy Yourself" as a group finale.
-- Here is another slideshow with (studio) versions of songs from the compilation.

Now to check in on the other hootenanny/fests in the works...

Pirates and Disco Balls

Yeah, I know there was a show or two in Brooklyn last week, but I would be remiss if I did not direct you to Belinda and Hova's recap of their Grease Ball on March 18th. Doug Snyder of the Jellydots played, and Captain Bogg and Salty played at least one new song, "Don't Drink Sea Water."

Another report can be found here. I can't decide if their description of one of Doug's songs ("a song about multiplying by three") was either very laconic humor or surprising lack of pop-cultural knowledge, but in either case it made me chuckle.

The Jellydots LIVE at SXSW

The Sippy Cups and Daddy-A-Go-Go went back to the late '60s in namechecking the past at SXSW this weekend. The Jellydots didn't go quite that far back. Think late '80s. Think rappers wearing large clocks.
Doug Snyder threw a little Public Enemy (who apparently had quite the set at Auditorium Shores) into "Race Cars Go."

A Public Enemy reference. At a kids' show. (But appropriate for kids, in any case. Not like he sings "911 Is a Joke" or anything like that.)

Jason Molin, who wrote the reggae-fied "Lake Rules" the band recorded on Hey You Kids! also caught Doug and the crew doing "Mr. Cookie."