We're just back from the annual Justin Roberts concert sponsored by the Northfield Public Library. As it was last year, the show was excellent. Genevieve had a good time, despite being up one and then two and then nearly three hours past her bedtime: she spent a good chunk of time singing along with the other kids. Well, inasmuch as "Rahr rahr rahr rahr" is singing. Julia went right up front to sing and dance with the other kids, and spent a good fifteen minutes dancing maniacally. She was more subdued for the rest of the concert, but still sang along and was happy to see her friends. The whole freaking town was there.
And "Robbie" himself: what a showman. Almost all of his songs have associated gestures or movements or other ways for the kids to participate, and boy, do they. He even updated one of his best songs, about the nine planets, to reflect current astronomical knowledge. "Oh yes there's eight, eight, say it one more time..."
With the kids' music out of the way we can turn to the music for the grownups: the Bad Plus show on Friday, June 22. Campus - though empty of students - is well covered with posters for the show, and tickets are finally available at the Goodbye Blue Monday coffeehouse downtown. The show is getting some good press, including a story on a jazz website , and the new disk, PROG, is garnering more good reviews. I can't wait. I won't be singing along, though.