Mr. David Performance for Kids in the Kitchen
March 4, 2008 on 5:07 pm | In free kids music, Mr. David, family music, Concerts, Mr. David's Music | No Comments
I’m doing a benefit show this April for Kids in the Kitchen, an event put on by the Junior League to help educate kids and their families on nutrition and healthy eating. I’d love for you all to come and join us. The event is free. Here’s the info:
SATURDAY, APRIL 12 @ 11:30AM–12:15PM
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN BENEFIT CONCERT
THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF EAST PALO ALTO
9:00AM–1:00PM
2031 Pulgas Ave
East Palo Alto, CA
Ticket Price: FREE
Please R.S.V.P. to the event by email at kidsinthekitchen-at-thejuniorleague.org
or by phone at 650-799-5060.
Join Mr. David and The Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula (JLPA-MP) for the third annual Kids in the Kitchen event, part of its international childhood obesity and nutrition education initiative. Families are invited to a fun-filled day of activities including cooking demonstrations, games and prizes.
Kids in the Kitchen is a response to the alarming statistics that nearly one-third of children and adolescents in the nation are overweight and that childhood obesity has been shown to be the leading cause of many health issues including pediatric hypertension Type II diabetes and coronary heart disease. Recent studies now estimate that nearly half of the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010.
MR. DAVID’S CD RELEASE PARTY: JUMP IN THE JUMPY HOUSE
September 10, 2007 on 1:49 pm | In Mr. David, family music, live events, Concerts, Jump in the Jumpy House | No Comments
Okay, sometimes we feel like real dead-beats here at Mr. David Musicworks. The CD Release Party for Jump in the Jumpy House was more than a week ago (by far the most successful concert we’ve EVER! had), and we still haven’t posted any pictures. There’s no excuse. The simple matter is that we need more bodies to help us do all the things that need to get done. Nevertheless, we do eventually get around to these things.
As for the concert goes, we can only say one thing, "WOW!" What a rush it was to hold a family concert at Santana Row (the height of chic, urban shopping in Silicon Valley) and have an entire park filled with fans who were singing, dancing and just rock’n out. For us, it was vindication of what we’ve been working so hard on for more than four years. In this business of music, it can get disheartening to put yourself out there again and again and wonder if it’s ever going to pay off or if anybody is really getting what you’re trying to do. On this beautiful evening, we realized that they did. (Tears are welling up right now as I write this.)
What struck us most about the evening was the energy that was present, an indescribeable feeling of community and appreciation for what we were all sharing. And what was most beautiful was that families and friends, all ages, were sharing the experience together, devoid of any of the negative trappings of your traditioanlly rock concert. I’ve been to many concerts and music festivals, where people are "in the zone," but often get to that point only with the help of alcohol and drugs. Here, we had fathers and daughters dancing together like they were in the middle of Coechella, and they were doing it with a free spirit. When you watch these kids dance and enjoy the music with nothing more than the openess of their hearts and minds, it makes you wonder why as adults so many of us feel that we need to alter our state of mind in order to enjoy a concert.
Mr. David and I sat at breakfast in Santa Cruz the morning after the concert, and I asked him if he would ever change over to "adult music," the traditional, mainstream rock tour route, if given the opportunity. I said, "if someone came up to you and asked you to go on tour tomorrow, but then said that you would have to give up the music you’re doing right now, would you do it?" He said absolutely not. "What I’m trying to do with my music is something bigger than just one particular category or genre. I’m trying to make music that everyone will want to listen to, whether they’re four or 80. I really don’t think of my music as ‘just for kids.’ It’s for everyone."
When I thought about the audience the night before, I realized he was right, and it was working. Mr. David was reaching people, entertaining them and giving a rock concert they just had to stop and listen to, regardless of their age. I’m telling you, we had people dancing who had no kids at all among the dozens of children and moms and dads. That’s powerful!
I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts and comments about the concert. If you were there, let us know what you thought about it. If you have photos, please post them to Flickr and tag them with "Mr. David Concert at Santana Row." We’ll pull these into the blog so that we can share with everyone. And thank you all for coming to the concert and making it such a success!
Tawnya
Jump in the Jumpy House CD Release Concert
August 12, 2007 on 5:01 pm | In family music, live events, Concerts, Jump in the Jumpy House, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Join Mr. David and The Buckwild for the CD Release Concert of Jump in the Jumpy House
When: Saturday, September 1 @ 7:00-8:00 p.m.
(Come early to get your seat.)
Where: Santana Row Park Valencia
(In front of Maggiano’s)
Here’s a direct link to the event listed on the San Jose Mercury News page:
Come early to get your seat–around 6:30 pm–we think this one is going to be full.
Everyone is invited to come, and its free. Bring a blanket or lawn chair (low ones please) and enjoy an outdoor concert in the Santana Row’s Park Valencia (in front of Maggiano’s). It’s going to be great fun.
We’ll be giving away prizes, including signed copies of the new CD, t-shirts, Mr. David balloons and more! We’re also donating 20 percent of all CD sales during the launch party to a local nonprofit for kids (we’re still finalizing the details on this, but will let you know).
Jump in the Jumpy House goes on sale August 25th at CD Baby, Amazon.com, MySpace, The Pokey Pup, and other retailers. Visit www.mrdavidmusicworks.com for a complete listing. We’re already starting to get reviews rolling in . . . and they’re great! Here’s the first from CD Baby . . . read more.
If Jonathan Richman were to make an album for kids, I imagine it would sound something like this. With a lyrical approach that is sharply stream-of-consciousness and keeps tongue planted firmly in cheek, these songs are bizarrely appealing, unassumingly witty, and never dull.
Sweat Pea Festival 2007; Mr. David Goes to Montana
August 12, 2007 on 12:11 pm | In Concerts, Touring and Festivals, Mr. David's Music | 1 Comment
Lightning lit up the sky, clouds ring out their towels.
Suddenly, Montana feels like a stormy island with raging oceans all around, then sunshine.
It was a beautiful two days in Bozeman, Montana. We open our first show August 4th at 2 o’clock sharp. It’s the Sweet Pea Festival everyone has been waiting for all year, a 30-years strong celebration of the arts, with multiple stages of live music, dance, theater and a mix of arts and crafts.
Wind chimes sway and thunder strikes. A flash of lightning kisses the mountains, then disappears into Montana’s BIG SKY, and what a BIG SKY it is—an open space everyone in needs to experience at least once. I know it’s hard to get out when jobs hold us down. I felt so thankful to be doing what I love, working on the road as a musician in one of the most beautiful states in America.
The Buckwild was right there backing me up. My new bass player Jason Covey is only 19. He’s got an old soul, a beard, long hair, shoots wild life photography and reminds me of Kurt Cobain. His humble persona makes him perfect for the band. The photos you see here were taken by Jason while we were in Bozeman.
Chad Elrod is on drums. Ahh, I am so thankful to have this guy backing me up. He’s truly is a great drummer who loves to yell out loud and lift me off the ground. His favorite thing to say is, “Yeaaaa!!!” and “Let‘s rock . . . whooooow!” Chad was born in Minnesota, and he started playing at the age of 9. He’s lived in Colorado, Wisconsin, Washington (Seattle), and just moved to California (San Jose). He graduated from Montana State in Bozeman, and so gave us a tour of the place. He brought us to a crystal lake behind some green and gold hills. “Come on Mr. David, you better go swimming. Be one of us.” I saw the fish flapping and splashing around, then jumped in. Jason hit the water next, then some old black lab walking off the road. It was so nice to cool down after our first show. It was our first moment to relax in ages.
When you wait all year for a festival like this one, there’s no holding back. This was a cool concert. The kind of children’s show everyone’s head bangs to. We open with “Jump in the jumpy House,” and everyone got up and jumped like crazy. This wild rowdy audience gave us even more reason to play our best. Kids were out there shaking to “The Stars Are Grains of Sugar” like hippies at Woodstock, with purple and blue water color on their hands and face.
“There’s a Grizzly Bear Behind You, Run!” was another big hit—probably because bears are a big deal in Bozeman. (There’s a local population in the mountains.)
We played outside, under unpredictable weather with no stage cover. It was a mix of bolts of lightning, sunshine and thunder. At the last go round of our set, it began to rain during “Reach Up,” and “This Land is Your Land.” Rain was dripping down on our amps and small children’s arms (but they didn’t care; it added to the excitement). The sky got ominously dark in the distance. Moms and Dads were still smiling like the rain was just a temporary breeze. That was another admirable thing about folks in Montana: they really loved their weather. It was dramatic and beautiful and changing by the hour. It definitely added a mystic touch to Sweet Pea Festival 2007. Mark your calendars for next year. Bring a fishing pole, and be ready to drive 1,053 miles.
Thank you to all the folks in Bozeman for being such great host, especially to Laura Prindeville and her family (Laura is director of the Children’s Museum of Bozeman.
I’d also like to point you to another great artist who was at the festival with me, Kuniko Yamamoto. Kuniko is a gifted storyteller who uses magic, mime, music and much more in her performances. She’s well worth seeing, if you ever have the opportunity. Here’s what the festival says about Kuniko in her write-up.
Her work, based on folktales from Japan, is a combination of storytelling, song, original masks, origami, highly-stylized movements and just a touch of magic. The wonders of the East set the stage as Kuniko shares heartfelt stories from ancient Japan.
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