Concert Recap: Randy Kaplan (Phoenix, Nov. 2009)

When I was putting together my recap of Doug Snyder's performance here in Phoenix a week or so ago, I realized that I'd totally skipped providing a recap of Randy Kaplan's show here back in November -- heck, I hadn't even uploaded the videos from the show.

So there's little I can say about the show three months after the fact other than: 1) Kaplan's a really good live act, and 2) he played some new songs. That's right, Kaplan's got a new album coming out this spring, but even last fall he treated the Phoenix crowd to some new songs, including the one below, which, appropriately enough for the desert, featured cacti.

Randy Kaplan - "I Like Cacti" (Live) [YouTube]

Randy Kaplan - "The Ladybug Without Spots" (Live) [YouTube]

Randy Kaplan - "Shampoo Me" (Live) [YouTube]

Randy Kaplan - "You Can't Always Get What You Wanti" (Live) [YouTube]

Video: "Ladybug Without Spots" - Randy Kaplan

I always liked the half-loping/half-strutting horn-filled "The Ladybug Without Spots" from Randy Kaplan's fine Loquat Rooftop album, and now he's got a cute animated (albeit abbreviated) video to go with it. (And, yes, he's wearing the hat.) Even better, it's the first of a promised few from a collaboration with MindSmack (you can't miss it, with the logo burned in at the bottom corner). Between the videos and his upcoming third kids album, Kaplan's gonna have a busy 2010.

Randy Kaplan - "The Ladybug Without Spots" [YouTube]

Randy Kaplan in Concert! (Or Why I Won't Be in Hollywood Sunday)

I probably would have made a bigger deal about the whole Kids' Day at Amoeba Records in Hollywood tomorrow (Sunday). Peter Himmelman in concert at 1 PM, assorted Yo Gabba Gabba! giveaways, et cetera, later in the day. (Hey, any place that features TMBG and Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang in-stores is OK by me.)

But Randy Kaplan is in concert tomorrow here in Phoenix at almost exactly the same time, and so he gets my time. The concert is at 2 PM at the Church of the Beatitudes and is part of the Not Just For Kids concert series. Tickets are just $3 per person, $10 per family. If you're in Phoenix, you've probably already heard about it, but if you haven't, do join us. It will rock, not in the strictly rock sense, but it'll be fun, just like it was last time.

Randy Kaplan - "Mosquito Song"

Interview: Randy Kaplan

I love doing the interviews I've done here on this site -- Dan Zanes, Ella Jenkins, Justin Roberts, so many great ones -- but I've got to admit that the e-mails I do over the phone or in person are a pain-and-a-half to transcribe.

So I'm really excited about this interview with Randy Kaplan, filmed just before his show here in Phoenix at the end of last year. I'm excited not just because it's a cool interview and provides some insight into Randy's musical beginnings, how songs like "Shampoo Me" came to be, and how Kaplan pictures, but also because I filmed it and uploaded it to YouTube. No work.

Of course, the sound is a little odd, and occasionally the camera pans left or right just so it's not 7 minutes of Randy on camera, but I still think it's cool.

Concert Recap: Randy Kaplan (Phoenix, December 2008)

I look at the date of my last post, and clearly I've been taking an unofficial vacation from the site. Lots of stuff to do, both pleasant and less so, but before it gets too far in my rear-view mirror, I wanted to be sure to talk about and post some photos and videos from last weekend's concert by Randy Kaplan here at Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix.

One of the first songs Randy led off with was a cover of Elizabeth Cotten's classic "Frieght Train"...

Beforehand, I wondered about the size of the crowd, seeing as the show was going to be held the Saturday after Christmas and in the midst of Hanukkah. But a healthy crowd showed up, filling a good part of the room. (Not quite as big as his Symphony Space show earlier in the month, but, hey, NYC's a wee bit bigger...) Even better, the kids were really into it, interacting with Kaplan.

Which was really important, because Kaplan's really good at telling stories with his songs, and those stories go over much better when the crowd participates, such as on "Mosquito Song."

The kids there had lots of fun, but I was also pleased in that I got a lot of really nice compliments about the show from adults with no kids. Randy was great to talk to (more on that next week), and I'm hopeful that this isn't the last time we see him in the Phoenix area...

(I feel a little bad that I only got tracks off of Five Cent Piece, with none from Loquat Rooftop. Oh well -- there's the excuse for Randy to come back to town.)