I remember last year’s Lollapalooza festival like it was yesterday.  I remember when the weekend was over, how I couldn’t wait for this August to get here.  We made a ton of great memories and a bunch of new friends at Lollapalooza 2010.  It was most definitely an unforgettable experience.

I’m so happy that it’s finally here again!  Lolla is this weekend and celebrating its 20th anniversary to boot.  My favorite part of the festival is Kidzapalooza (year 7!), for obvious reasons.  We’re bringing both of the girls tomorrow and I hear the weather is supposed to be fantastic.

Hailey had a blast last year.  It will be fun to have both of the girls with us this year.  This is Teagan’s first Lolla and Hailey’s…third!  Lucky kids.  I love that they get to experience a music festival like this.  There are so many fun things for them to do in the Kidza area.  I’m sure both girls will have their hair punked up a bit, learn some hip hop with the Q Brothers and rock out to the awesome bands on the family stage.

In case you weren’t aware, I do quite a bit of the online social outreach for Kidza.  So, you’ll find me updating the Kidza Twitter account, Facebook page, blog, website, etc. all weekend long.  There are some great acts this year, like, Big Bang Boom, Kate Diaz, Ralph’s World, Northbrook Garage, etc.  I’m so excited to see them all!

So, whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it’s an inspiring one!  Hard to believe it’s August and the kiddos start school again soon.  Time flies…

Hailey in the VIP area of The National's set - Lollapalooza 2010

We’ve taken our oldest daughter to a dozen or so concerts, two of which were Lollapalooza.  As you may or may not know, I do some social media work for Kidzapalooza, the family stage at Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival.  I noticed at the festival last year that some of the kids had headphones on and I made a mental note to get some for my kids, since we love taking our girls to places like Ravinia, Schubas and The Beat Kitchen for their family-friendly concert series.

I made my mental note and immediately thought of Baby Banz.  The have great sun-protection products for kids, including; sunglasses, goggles, hats, etc.  I was stoked when they added the Banz Ear Muffs to their product line.  Anyone who enjoys going to things like, fireworks, races, concerts, movies, etc. with their kids should consider getting these noise-reduction headphones.  Our kids recently used them at a concert…

…and at our local fireworks display this past July 4th

The 2 year old sometimes wears them around the house and magically, she quiets down.  I kind of dig that about these headphones.  I’ve tried them on to see how my hearing was affected and they definitely reduce noise but not to the point where when wearing them, you cannot hear.  So, your children will still be able to hear you talking to them (even if they claim they can’t).  The background noise is reduced making the environment much more comfortable for their little ears.

WIN IT!

We have a pair of Baby Banz Ear Muffs up for grabs.  To enter, leave a comment on this post.  We’d love to hear what music festivals you’ve been to, even if it’s just a small fair in your home town.  What do you love most about outdoor concerts?  Maybe you haven’t been to one yet, which one(s) would you like to attend?

Second chance entry – “Like” Baby Banz on Facebook, so you can keep up-to-date on their ever-so-awesome sun-protection and hearing protection products.

Third chance entry – Leave a comment on Baby Banz Facebook page, linking to our ParentSphere page (to do so, you’ll have to “Like” ParentSphere on Facebook, too).  After you’ve liked both of us, you can leave a comment that you’ve entered to win a pair of earmuffs @parentsphere

This giveaway is valid within the continental U.S.  Enter until and through Thursday, July 28th.

*Congratulations to our winner, commenter number 26, Lacy!

On Saturday, Hailey and I drove to Rosemont, IL to catch the Imagination Movers on their “In A Big Warehouse” tour. The Movers are halfway through their United States tour, playing over one hundred shows along the way. That’s the big time, people.

We arrived early and when I say early, I mean, the parking lot was not even open yet. We were to meet with Rich, Scott, Smitty and Dave for a pre-show interview and since I’m famous for being fashionably late, I did my best to get us there in plenty of time.

Since we had some time to kill before we could even park the car, Hailey broke out her crayons and created a poster of colorful assorted cheeses for the one and only, Warehouse Mouse. She also drew a picture of herself with the Movers and Nina, which she would later present to the fellas as a token of appreciation for providing her with music and entertainment since she was just a wee one.

Finally, it was time to park the car and head inside of the Rosemont Theatre. We met with John, the group’s manager, who was super gracious right off the bat. He lead us into the venue, where the Movers were doing their sound check. There we were, the two of us in this otherwise vast empty theater, getting a first-hand look and listen at the performers who would bring the house down in just over an hour. Pretty cool stuff.

After their sound check, we were lead “backstage” by John the manager to conduct our interview. After all is said and done, I am more likely to call our “interview” just a fun, slaphappy conversation with four friendly guys from New Orleans.

Here is a candid look at four very genuine guys before they take the stage for two sold out shows at The Rosemont Theatre:

Scott, Smitty, Rich and Dave were delightful. They were relaxed and comical and made us feel very welcome, even though we kind of overstayed our welcome and gave them just minutes to spare to get ready for their first performance. Oops! Hey, we were having fun and it was hard to leave!

After hanging out with the Imagination Movers, we ventured out into the theater to watch their first performance. Genevieve and “DC” of Choo Choo Soul on Disney Junior opened the show and they did a great job getting the crowd pumped for the Movers. We danced and sang along to some of our favorite Choo Choo Soul songs. It was a total treat for the five year old.

During their set, Genevieve made an impressive comment geared toward the young ladies. She said they need someone like her to look up to, someone who is covered from her neck to her toes. Being a mom of two young daughters, I heard that message loud and clear.

The Imagination Movers took Chicago by storm, selling out both of their shows. The atmosphere in the place was energetic and exciting. The kids were giddy. Many little ones were even dressed up in the Movers signature blue overalls, a signature Smitty hat or sporting Dave’s backwards red baseball cap. (Oh, the cuteness!)

The audience, which consisted of moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and all kinds of other caregivers were having so much fun watching and dancing along with those turkeys, I mean, Movers. I even witnessed grown men in the audience bopping their heads and dancing! We were all having a good time.

The Imagination Movers incorporate many different styles into their songs, a real collaborative effort. They are lively entertainers and their chemistry is undeniable. I give them props for playing their own instruments and really giving their young fans an experience of a lifetime.

The group let their musical influences shine through during their set, even breaking into some Panama by Van Halen. There were also lots of cheese jokes that were, well, cheesy. (Yes. Pun intended.) It was quite obvious that these guys pour their heart and soul into their performance.

The lovely Nina, Warehouse Mouse and Eddie the monster made guest appearances. Eddie is either a dust bunny from the warehouse floor, Knit Knots on steroids or Jack Black. I’m not sure.

When the Movers left the stage, the kids in the audience were taught how to press for an encore performance. Something every young child should know – It’s not over till it’s over! The group came back out and the audience was still as pumped as when they first took their seats.

For their encore, they performed a mash-up medley of some hit songs to close out the show. At the end of the show, confetti fell from the sky and fans cheered and clapped.

Let me tell you, these guys know how to engage and rock the crowd. Honestly, there were several points during the concert where I forgot I was at a kid’s show. The Imagination Movers live show is a must-see.

Finally, if you are ever in the area, the Rosemont Theatre is an exceptional venue. The sound quality in the place is sharp and the staff there is very courteous. Many may know that I’m a fan of smaller venues but if I have the chance to attend future performances at the Rosemont Theatre, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Here are some of our pictures from the Imagination Movers live performance:

*Congratulations to our winner, JENNY in West Chicago, IL!

Thanks to all who entered. I’m sure we’ll have more exciting event ticket giveaways coming soon!

We have been big fans of the Imagination Movers since 2008, when we heard their music on the Disney Channel.  We would always look forward to their videos, which were played between programs.  We later learned more about Dave, Rich, Scott and Smitty and what we found out sealed the fan-for-life deal.

These four friends go back (much) further than 2008.  Prior to their success with Disney, these friends and neighbors hung out, wrote songs together and created the Imagination Movers.  These guys have great chemistry and put on one of our very favorite half-hour programs.  They’re the real deal.

So, I’m pretty stoked about this one.  We are thrilled to have the opportunity to offer a giveaway for a family 4-pack of tickets to The Imagination Movers LIVE show at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL on Saturday, March 26th at 4:00 pm!  The In a Big Warehouse tour is the Movers second U.S. tour and the will be joined by special guests, Warehouse Mouse and Nina.

To enter, just fill out the information in the giveaway form below.  Entries will be accepted from now, 3/15/11, until 2:00 am PST on 3/23/11.  We will choose a winner at random on Wednesday, March 23rd.  The winner will be notified via email. (Winner’s name will also be posted on our FB Page and Twitter).  *Please only enter if you are able to attend the concert.

We are allowing one entry per household.  The winner will pick up their tickets at the box office on the day of the show.

(This giveaway has ended.)

As I was preparing for my interview with Ralph Covert (aka Ralph’s World), I learned that he contributed an unreleased track to a brand new compilation album called “Joey’s Song”.  Proceeds from the album’s sales go to The Joseph Gomoll Foundation (“Joey”).  Joey’s foundation has been set up to help raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation, as Joey had a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet’s Syndrome.  Joey passed away last March at the sweet, innocent age of four.

Of course, Joey’s story hit me pretty hard.  When my daughter was six months old, she had multiple seizures.  The seizures were most likely caused by an illness she had at the time but there was really never any proof of that.  She is now five years old and has been seizure-free since then.  I will never forget the way I felt when I saw my baby having seizures.  My heart goes out to the Gomoll family and any family who has experienced this scary situation.

I feel like it’s my obligation to help this family spread the word about Joey’s story.  Talking about it and purchasing Joey’s Song, Volume 1 is just one small way I can show my support to the Gomoll family.  This is just the first of many incredible compilations put together in honor of their little boy.  You can choose to purchase Joey’s Song in two versions: the “adult” version or the “kid” version.  So many artists have lent their talent in support of this great cause.

Volume 1 of Joey’s Song, the adult album, includes an all-star line-up of acts such as: Mike Viola, Del Amitri, Crash Test Dummies, and Cowboy Junkies.  Appearing on the kid’s album: Ralph Covert, Ellis Paul, Steve Forbert, and Jon Dee Graham among many, many other incredible and talented musicians.

Ralph Covert and I briefly talked about his donation to the cause:

Joey’s Song CD release party is right around the corner, this coming Friday, January 21st to be precise.  If you are in the Chicago area, specifically, the northwestern suburbs, you should think about attending the party.  You can find the event details here.  There will be live entertainment from The Retro Specz, Freedy Johnston, Ralph Covert and Michael Mcdermott.  Looks like it’s going to be an all-around good time.

If you can’t make it to the CD release party Friday, you can still pre-order Joey’s Song: Volume 1 here.  We’ll keep you posted when other volumes are released.

Best wishes to the Gomoll family, from our family here at ParentSphere.

We recently went to the DuPage Children’s Museum to hear Ralph Covert (aka “Ralph’s World”) narrate Sergei Prokofiev’s, Peter and the Wolf, while members of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra took on the musical form of the famous story’s characters.

Ralph did a fantastic job narrating and keeping the kids entertained by including them in the performance (they acted as “the wolf” along with him).  The musicians that performed the musical parts of the characters (the cat, duck, bird, grandfather, hunters and Peter) were tremendous.  As I sat and listened, I got goosebumps.  I’m not kidding!  It was such a treat hearing the story with a live orchestra.

While we’re on the subject, I highly recommend checking out Suzie Templeton’s animated version of Peter and the Wolf, it’s phenomenal.  It is a huge favorite in our household.

This event at the DuPage Children’s Museum was part of their “Tiny Great Performances” series, open to the general public.  The next TGP on the calendar is February 5th with Paul Abella Jazz Trio.  We love our local children’s museum!

We were honored to spend some time with Ralph after his two performances.  Check out our series of interview videos below to learn more about Ralph and his world:

and learning to play the guitar…

and about one of his musicals, “The Hundred Dresses”

and how he manages his time between his band, The Bad Examples, and Ralph’s World. He also tells us a story about losing one of his daughters during a music festival and where she turned up!

…and no matter what you hear, Ralph and Hailey DID NOT dance on the conference room table!

Last month, I met up with record producer, Tor Hyams to talk about his ingenious idea of “Kidzapalooza“, the family stage at Lollapalooza.

This is Part 1 of our interview. Tor’s daughter and “Co-Emcee” of Kidza, Sydnie, joins us (did I really call her a “secretary”?). I love getting the perspective of someone who gets to experience this awesome festival (Lollapalooza) from behind the scenes, like Sydnie does. Let’s hear it for cool kids and cool parents!

In part 1 of our interview, Tor talks about how the production of the The Patience Bossa* video (directed by Gary Oldman), which stars Perry Farrell (of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros fame) and Deborah Harry (of Blondie fame), lead up to his random thought of Kidzapalooza and how he made it a reality.

Perry and Deborah’s collaboration of The Patience Bossa is on the album “A World of Happiness“, produced by Tor.

Note: I have had the most ridiculous time with this video. I have tried program after program to edit out the goofy interviewer (eh-eghm…that’d be “me”) but haven’t had much success after computer’s crashing and software programs not doing what I want them to do. Here’s hoping for more creativity with parts 2 and 3.

On the third day of Kidzapalooza, (I like the way that sounds) I sat down in the shade with Drew, Daron and Jack of the Seattle family band, “Recess Monkey“.  These three kindergarten teachers are really an awesome group of guys that play catchy tunes and have phenomenal dance skills.  They can also tell a mean knock-knock joke or two.  Check them out for yourselves:

Recess Monkey interview 8/8/10 from ParentSphere on Vimeo.

Watch for more Kidzapalooza footage soon, including interviews and live music!

Who can make you rock? The Candy Band can.

Seriously.  I wish my mom would have been in a punk rock band when I was a kid.  How cool would that have been?!  Pretty cool, I think.  I mean, it’s cool when your dad is in a band…but…YOUR MOM?  Seriously freaking cool.

There’s just something that makes me smile from ear to ear when my one year old tries to scratch off my Alkaline Trio or Hot Water Music tattoos.  Like, I know I’m a cool punk mom on so many levels.  Other than having tattoos that show my dedication to a couple of my favorite bands, you wouldn’t be able to tell by my appearance but it runs in my blood.  I just wish I was talented enough to be in a band.

Who’s in a punk rock band?  YOUR MOM IS IN A PUNK ROCK BAND!!!

Ok, I think you get the picture.  It’s obvious that I think The Candy Band is pretty freaking rad.  I kinda want to be best friends with them.  Check them out:

Even if you don’t have kids, you should come by Kidzapalooza this weekend and check them out…because you know you wish your mom was as cool as these moms.

The Candy Band performs twice this weekend at Kidzapalooza:

Friday, August 6th at 1:30 pm
Saturday, August 7th at 12:30 pm

Check out The Candy Band online here.

For daily updates on performances and activities, follow Kidzapalooza on Twitter

(The Candy Band image above is from The Candy Band website)

For those about to rock:  The Chicago School of Rock will be performing at Kidzapalooza this year.

Every town and every city should have a School of Rock.  Music education is so important for kids.  Have you ever watched The Heart Is a Drum Machine?  We are music.  It’s everywhere around us, all of the time.

School of Rock has 58 schools in 23 states across the nation.  Their mission is to “inspire kids to rock on stage and in life.”  The staff at School of Rock in Chicago consists of professional musicians (guitarists, drummers, voice instructors, bass players, etc.)  who seek to teach and inspire our kids.

School of Rock will be performing twice at Kidzapalooza:

Friday, August 6th at 12:30 am
Sunday, August 8th at 11:30 am

If you want to learn more about the School of Rock (in Chicago) click here.

For daily updates on performances and activities, follow Kidzapalooza on Twitter

(The School of Rock logo and Chicago image above from the School of Rock website)