Dan Zanes and Friends Throw a Family-Friendly Nighttime Pajama Party! at the Kimmel Center,
May 1, 2008
"True children’s music, but executed with such sweet (and un-gooey!) humor, casual multiculturalism and shambling groove that you can call it your own."—The New York Times
Family-music phenomenon Dan Zanes and Friends invites audiences of all ages to don their PJs for a musical Nighttime Pajama Party! in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7:30pm. As seen on Playhouse Disney, Jamaican rapper Father Goose will join Zanes and his ensemble on stage to create a rollicking "Woodstock for Kids" with exuberant American traditional songs, dance classics and inventive originals. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Zanes has showcased his fresh, infectious tunes from Carnegie Hall to the Melbourne International Arts Festival, and on his 2007 Grammy® Award winning album, Catch that Train! Zanes’ most recent project, the all-Spanish album ¡Nueva York!, is scheduled for release on May 20th.
"Wry, rootsy, real American folk music — songs that twist a little plangency into the sweetness of a melody, songs that feel like life."
This is the twenty fourth concert in the World & Pop Series scheduled for the Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season. The final concert in the series, Peter, Paul & Mary, has been postponed until November 23, 2008.
Tickets for Dan Zanes and Friends: Nighttime Pajama Party! are $20 and $27 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
"Zanes' kids music works because it is not kids music; it's just music — music that's unsanitized, unpasteurized, that's organic even."
Dan Zanes began his musical career in the 1980s as founder and lead singer of Boston-based rock band the Del Fuegos. Since then, Zanes has pursued a solo career as a children's musician, releasing several albums, including Night Time! (2002), Grammy® nominated House Party (2003) and Parades and Panoramas (2004). He has collaborated with such artists as Loudon Wainright III, Roseanne Cash, Aimee Mann, Lou Reed, Deborah Harry, Bob Weir and Philip Glass. Catch That Train! (2006) features collaborations with the Kronos Quartet, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the children of South Africa’s Agape Orphanage. Zanes has also authored two picture book collaborations with artist Donald Saaf, Jump Up! and Hello Hello. Zanes' most recent album, ¡Nueva York!, features special guest appearances by Lila Downs, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Marc Ribot, Caridad de la Luz and the Villa-Lobos Brothers, among others.
Jamaican-born Father Goose (Wayne Rhoden) began his career during the 1980s and '90s as Rankin' Don, a hardcore dancehall rapper from Brooklyn. Since entering the world of family-friendly music, Father Goose has appeared on all of Zanes children’s albums, adding an authentic touch of reggae. Father Goose's own release, It’s a Bam Bam Diddy! (2007), offers fresh interpretations of traditional West Indian folk songs along with a few originals, featuring Sister Carol, Screechy Dan, Ansel Meditation of the harmony trio the Meditations and Sheryl Crow. The album’s title track was the most-played song on XM Satellite Radio’s children’s program.
Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season is sponsored by Citi. Support for the Mellon Jazz Series comes from The Bank of New York Mellon. The Great Orchestra Series is supported by ARC Wheeler. Additional support is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and American Express. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz, Mellon Jazz Up Close and World & Pop.
The Kimmel Center also receives support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents, and additional media sponsors include WDAS, WRTI, WJJZ, Afro-Pop, WXPN and WXPN's Kids Corner 20th Anniversary.
Free in the Plaza programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from Wachovia Foundation.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS SPONSORED BY CITI
Friday, May 16, 2008 | 7:30pm
Verizon Hall
World & Pop
Dan Zanes and Friends
Dan Zanes, guitar, vocals
Father Goose, vocals
Colin Brooks, drums
Sonia de los Santos, guitar, vocals
Derick Grant, tap dancer
Saskia Sunshine Lane, bass
Elena Moon Park, violin
FREE AT THE KIMMEL:
Friday, May 16, 2008 | 6pm
Commonwealth Plaza Stage
The Cat's Pajamas
The Cat's Pajamas makes very cool music for kids, bringing a musical comedy twist to high-octane kid-rock. With dance, puppets, props, costumes and a great band backing their signature 3-part harmony, The Cat's Pajamas not only captures the imagination of children, but also thoroughly engages the adults! Join us for this free performance in the Plaza prior to the ticketed Dan Zanes and Friends: Nighttime Pajama Party! in Verizon Hall.
Saturday, May 17, 2008 | 1pm
Commonwealth Plaza Stage
Montgomery County Youth Orchestra
Join us for an annual tradition as the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra performs classical selections under the direction of Roy Cox.
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