Kidstock 2017: Enter the Garden (part 1)

For seven years, the Town of North Hempstead has had mostly sunny skies for its annual Kidstock children's musical festival. This year, they added daylillies. After six events in North Hempstead Beach Park, Kidstock was shifted to Clark Botanical Garden for its 2017 edition. The change was mostly successful, as the scaled-down gathering featured three groups, Bach 2 Rock to promote music education, and wrapped up with the National Circus Project.



The beach location beckoned to many families with youngsters and the $10 parking fee was not a deterrent. It also got them to the park early, so that the first few acts played to larger crowds that emptied out. This generally meant that whoever had second (midday) placement became the de facto headliner. Call it the cranky toddler syndrome – most under-fives will empty their gas tank and melt down after 2-3 hours. Schedule a five-hour festival? Something's gotta give.



The principle was in operation here, although in reverse. Maybe because the event was in a different location, maybe because it was free, maybe because any number of variables. But this was a late-arriving crowd, which meant Bach 2 Rock opened to crickets (literally, since this is a botanical garden) and Alex and the Kaleidoscope opened to a mostly-deserted sun field. "You forgot the fans for the performers," Alex Mitnick joked to the technician at one point, while drinking copious water.



We arrived about 20 minutes early (the consequence and good fortune of the event shifting from late August to mid-September) and set up our chairs. The event had several vendors (mostly area dance and art instructors) as well as a food area set up in the parking lot – meaning attendees had to park across the road and take a hike into the garden. There are benches in numerous locations, all great for watching nature but only one near the stage area – and it was promptly "seized" by one grandmother and her family. There was a "Dance Zone" in front of the stage, which is fine when it's cloudy but deadly in the midday heat.



The crowd did begin to gather during Alex's set and was mostly in place for the Dirty Sock Funtime Band. A high-energy quartet, Matt kept asking "Where is Mr. Clown?" Sadly, this was a clown-free performance. "Perhaps he's at the Juggalo March in DC," I wanted to joke, but I doubt a six-year-old would have understood.



Whether it was the clown-free performance or the sun blasting down near the stage, but Matt chose to sit and watch quite contently. Ben, on the other hand, was the ideal participant for a concert. He spoke up, knew the songs from the introductions, and sang along. When Mike Messer (Dirty Sock frontman) jumped from the stage to engage the crowd (hiding in the shade), Ben was the lone exception in the sun ready to shout a line into the mic.

Part 2 to follow...

Kidstock: Brady Rymer, Milkshake, and More

I feel bad for people who don't take their children to live music events.

Specifically, those who start with adult acts.

I know one unnamed lady who skipped over music festivals and local shows and took her kids directly to see Coldplay when they were 9 and 7, respectively. That does a disservice to the children. What do they get from the performance except bombast? Do they understand the lyrics? Do they get any symbolism from the staging? Talk about a waste of money.


Which brings me back to Kidstock in North Hempstead Beach Park. I mentioned one coincidental run-in in Part 1. Well, about 10 minutes after we sat down, a woman walked over and hugged my wife. Turns out, it was the (departed) psychologist from my older son's school. She lives locally and her family came for a short time to see at least some of the music (they left at the first raindrops). But by at least exposing her son to a live performance – of something he could understand and relate to – she did him a service. And that's why she's missed at the school.


We've seen Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could multiple times, going back to our first multi-band show at Jalopy. He captains a solid ship and the band has never disappointed. A couple of unexpected surprises occurred, and luckily I captured both on video.

The Big Apple Circus sent a rope-spinner (think lariat tricks) and a stilt-walker who donned a cape and fake accent. Brady noticed the stilt-walker and asked him to approach the stage and help with a song. Eager to comply, he did and it made for an entertaining "blink once and it's gone" moment.


There was a small group of senior citizens who were line-dancing a short distance from the stage. Brady noticed them as well and called them onstage for the finale. As the band launched into the song, I saw the "leader's" face scrunch up a little, as he attempted to find a place to groove. I held my breath and he found it. The crowd went wild.


Afterwards, I mentioned to Brady that I captured the spontaneity. He laughed and congratulated me on being "the documentarian" for the band's experience at the show.

The final act was the pride of Baltimore, Milkshake. In reviewing the band's most recent CD, it sounded like they were getting ready to throw in the towel with children's music. But you wouldn't guess that in seeing their performance in the light rain.

Three-plus hours into the event, people were still arriving (for the DJ party and late drive-in movie) and for the chance to see an out-of-town band. Milkshake interacted, sang old favorites (well, we knew the songs), and seemed to be having a good time.

We could not stay for the end of the set (courtesy of a cranky toddler) but it's a worthwhile event and a credit to the Nassau County legislators who support it. Ironically, some of these same politicians are the ones who let the Islanders slip away to Brooklyn, but that's another column altogether!

Kidstock: Bari Koral, Gordon, and Opening Thoughts

Kidstock 2013 has come and gone and all that's left are the memories...and sand in our shoes.

North Hempstead Beach Park has been the location for the event, held annually since 2011. The emcee for all three shows has been Roscoe Orman, otherwise known as Gordon from Sesame Street.

Due to a GPS snafu, we arrived for the last hour of the first event. But in 2012, we saw the whole shebang. The weather was warm, the water was inviting, and both kids were entranced.


The weather report was not as inviting this year. Thunderstorms were in the forecast and many families stayed away. Fortunately, the bands played through intermittent sprinkles and all was mostly well.

One of the sponsors was the Port Washington-based music school, Bach to Rock. And wouldn't you know it? One of the women I went to high school with (30 years ago) was working the info table for them. It was the first of two "small world" coincidences for the day.

The first of the three acts were returning performers, the Bari Koral Family Band. We've seen them before (here and Kindiefest) and they're a solid troup. In fact, that holds true for all three units at the festival this year.


We didn't realize that three acts in four hours meant three 35-minute sets. It turns out that the event started 15 minutes late. As a sponsor, Bach to Rock was not going to cut any of their contracted time between sets. So the three acts had to shave five minutes off each of their performances. My wife later pointed out, "And the instructor repeated material because she saw new kids at the third demonstration." I was more annoyed that the rain would re-start and they wouldn't wrap up with their plugs and throw the show back to Roscoe (and the band, which was usually standing by for their introduction, uncomfortably). A small bone of contention, to be sure. They were picking up part of the tab for the event and weather did not cooperate to bring in a larger house and more prospective customers.


 In any case, Ben was happy to watch the show, which included a new tune of two from the band's second CD.

More to follow...