It's official! We just booked a show at Fiesta Del Sol in Solana Beach on June 1st. We go on at 9:30 a.m. and kick off the whole festival. In other news, we booked a show at the Del Mar Fair on June 25. Brendan and I cut our teeth as musicians playing at the fair when we were in high school. We're excited to be back playing on the infield stage at 3:00 p.m.
A huge thank you to everybody that came out to the Hullabaloo Family Music Festival!! We had over 1500 friends singing and dancing on the Paddock Green for five hours. We're going to take a day or two to recover and then we'll start planning the Arts Festival that will take place on September 21st!
We are so excited for the Hullabaloo Family Music Festival coming up on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We've got a great day planned for you. Hullabaloo will play two sets of music plus we've got Steve Poltz (yes, that Steve Pltz) lined up to play a set of kids music, the L.A.-based kids music group, Jambo and San Diego legends, Raggle Taggle.
In addition to the music Clif Kid will be on hand with games and healthy snacks, Art Soup has a great art project planned and Gymboree Play & Music has a great activity zone ready for your little ones. SoCal Kids brings back the ever-popular Musical Instrument Petting Zoo where kids can play real instruments. Princess Jillibean will be on hand for face-painting and crazy hairstyles!
We've also lined up 15 of the best locally owned, family-oriented vendors for your shopping and exploring pleasure. If you're hungry we'll have tacos and quesadillas (and beer & wine) by 17 Hands, tasty treats by Roxy, funnel cake, popcorn and a coffee cart.
This year we printed up the coolest Hullabaloo Family Music Festival T-Shirts! We'll have those for sale for just $10 in kid and adult sizes.
Tickets are $7 per person. Kids under 1 year are free. Discounts for families. Click here to get your tickets in advance.
For more information, visit www.hullabalooartsfest.com
So far, I've spent a good portion of the new year behind and in front of a video camera making some new videos. So far the videos have a TV spoof theme. Hope you enjoy them!
We are super excited to announce that the Hullabaloo Family Music Festival (April 13) and the Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival (September 21) will be in the beautiful Paddock area of the Del Mar Fairgrounds!! Brendan and I had some of our first "real" gigs as musicians on the Paddock stage during the Del Mar Fair including being the default opening act for Milli Vanilli (how's that for a resume builder!). We're happy to bring it all around and present some good family entertainment in a beautiful setting.
We hope this quiet little video brings you peace, happiness and love this holiday season!
A Huge thanks to Kathy O'Connell for including us in her "Best Kids CDs of 2012" feature in Metro Kids. I really like Kathy's approach. . . a twenty-way tie!!
"In a year with many candidates for "best" CD, I'm declaring this year's high quality as the new normal for kids' music. Each release is unique, both musically and educationally. Consider this alphabetical-by-artist list a 20-way tie for the Best Family CD on 2012."
It really is an honor to be included in a list with so many great albums.
Thanks again, Kathy!!
We're off to texas this week to do two shows at the Austin City Limits Festival! We're on the same bill as Neil Young, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Steve Earle and a whole bunch more amazing acts. When they list the acts alphabetically we come up just before Iggy Pop! Who would have though that our little kids music band would be on the same concert t-shirt as Iggy Pop?!
One of the fun little things about being invited to a fancy festival like this is that they are giving us the full royal treatment including sending a car for us when we arrive at the airport. I'm hoping to get a photo of our driver standing on the baggage claim area holding a Hullabaloo sign. That's definitely on the list of things I never thought I'd see happen.
Although some childrens-music performers skate by with inferior skills to “regular” musicians, the genre’s talent pool is also swimming with considerable aptitude from acts that create music that satisfies parents as well as kids.
Then there’s the rare band like Hullabaloo, which will often have some adults forgetting “Rasie a Ruckus” is even aimed at children.
It’s not just that the duo of Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer (and their guest performers) deftly breeze through the “kid-folk” arrangements on their 10th release, and it’s not just that their clever lyrics don’t condescend to lowest-common-denominator hooks for kids. Rather this music — and even some of the lyrics — pop with mature appeal. For instance, on the rolling country of “Say Yes,” our kid hero tries to impress his wary mother with a top-shelf vocabulary request she can’t refuse as Denyes sings, “This current kerfuffle’s caused us both undue distress/Please accept this mea culpa for my contentiousness/It would cause me great elation if you’d kindly acquiesce.”
Also, the remarkably well-executed Americana of the title track brims with all the eager expectations of a party song for the 18-and-olders — minus references to drinking and courting, of course. And the dreamy ballad “Favorite Day” is arguably an adult song from a child’s perspective as the kid sweetly recollects a perfect day at the beach: “I painted you this picture, I call it ‘My Favorite Day’.”
Refreshingly smart innovation crops up elsewhere, as in the infectious spring of “Dad Upside Down,” which points out the words “sis,” “mom” and “dad” are the same frontward and backward, but upside-down sis “still spells sis,” mom “spells wow” and dad is “just a mess.”
Unfortunately, Hullabaloo sometimes gets mired in songs aimed at very young children — with lines about swinging like a chimpanzee (“Look at You”), biting a sister (“Bit Her”) and green beans (“Green Beans Everywhere”), though the music always flows with top-rate musicianship.
Yet overall, Hullabaloo is like the Pixar of kid-folk bands, treating its all-ages audience with dignity and taking nothing for granted.
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of five)
Raise a Ruckus
Fall 2012 MusicReview:
Hullabaloo duo Steve Denyes (guitar and vocals) and Brendan Kremer (drums and vocals) are joined by guest musicians on bass, fiddle, piano, ukulele, washboard and more. As always, they raise their own foot-stomping ruckus with humor, infectious energy and an appealing blend of country, folk, funk and rock rhythms. Highlights: "Dad Upside Down" ("S-I-S upside down spells sis/She's standing on her head and her face is turning red/But sis upside down still spells sis/M-O-M upside down spells wow/Be careful not to hurt her, when you invert her/Turn your mom upside down and she'll say wow") and "Say Yes," a multi-syllabic anti-whine-and-wheedle song.
Mindy Thomas of the Absolutely Mindy Show on Sirius/XM included us in her article in Scholastic Parent & Child this month. Thanks, Mindy!
We are getting pretty excited here at Hullabaloo World Headquarters! Our big Hullabaloo Family Arts is coming right up on September 22nd at Liberty Station. Thanks to our amazing event sponsors, Clif Kids, SoCal Kids San Diego and Hapa Yoga we've been able to plan an amazing day for you.
Heres a quick list of what you'll find at the festival. . . two sets of music by Hullabaloo; local songstress, Patty Hall; recycled folksters, Bucket Ruckus, LA's finest family band, the Hollow Trees; stories by Charles Johnson, Joann Woolley of Sign4Baby, Yoga classes by Hapa Yoga; hands-on art projects by Art Soup; a dress up costume zone by Mon Petite Chateau, dance classes by Dance to EvOLvE, a musical petting zoo, food trucks and a great gathering of family-friendly vendors. All this for just $7/person (kids under one year are free).
For more information visit hullabalooartsfest.com or click on over to Brown Paper Tickets to purchase your tickets in advance.
We just got a really nice review from Parenting Magazine! It says:
If you like Taylor Swift, then Listen to Hullabaloo. You'll find an eclectic mix of country, folk, and blues on Raise a Ruckus, with hook-laden songs that you and your kids will want to sing over and over again.
The good folks at People.com included us in their online feature about kids music and had this to say about Raise a Ruckus:
There are only so many silly songs a parent can take. And for those who have reached their kid-music max, a healthy dose of Hullabaloo's family-friendly tunes are the perfect balance. With the upcoming release of Raise a Ruckus, the two-man band have hit another home run with their cool collection of instant classics featuring all the folk, funk and rock inspirations parents (and kids!) are sure to appreciate.
People Magazine just featured us in their 8 Cool Kids Albums Now! feature. Michelle Tauber says, "Taylor Swift can wait. Start your little ones on this country-pop album brimming with clever wordplay."
I guess it’s kindie-folk summer! Quick. Grab an acoustic guitar and find a campfire ’cause “we’re gonna raise a ruckus tonight!” For their tenth release (whew, that’s a lot of campfires!), the kid-folk duo spares no expense. With guest artists including Grammy winners Buck Howdy (king of kindie country) and Marcy Marxer (queen of kindie-folk), the regal indie party has truly begun. Complete your royal s’more with Steve Denyes’s Johnny Cash–alike vocals, and you’ll be ready to unholster the kid in you and sling this high-energy album for a road trip—or a run through your backyard sprinklers. The music spans the American landscape: The title track hearkens to the sounds of the Grand Ole Opry; “Look At You” takes us to the swamps of New Orleans; and “Favorite Day” is like skipping a stone on a back road in Oklahoma. Most wonderfully, the songs are filled with that dual-level humor that’ll make a kid belly laugh and a parent smirk. So what are you waiting for? Go gather your kindling before it gets dark! Available September 4.
A huge thanks to Patrick O'Shea at WPRB-FM in Princeton, NJ and Grandfather Stark at KDHX-FM in Saint Louis. MO for playing our music this weekend! We really appreciate it!!!
The Family Man recommended Raise a Ruckus this week along side some of our favorite kids music artists. It's an honor to be up there with Lunch Money, Elizabeth Mitchell and Melissa Green! Thank you Family Man!! Click here to read the review!
This great review from Common Sense Media just arrived on our cyber doorstep!
Parents need to know that Raise a Ruckus, from acclaimed and beloved children's musiciansHullabaloo, continues to raise the bar on songs for kids that not only encourage lots of movement and giggles, but also include mini-lessons the whole family can appreciate.
Hullabaloo continues their acclaimed storytelling songs with their 10th studio album, RAISE A RUCKUS. The 12 folk-country tracks from this beloved southern California band raise the roof on fun in the sun and rain, silly spelling, and even rocket shoes.
Whether it's swingin' like a chimpanzee or flying to the moon in fancy rocket shoes, Hullabalooknows how to capture the essence of childhood moments and put them to upbeat country beats that kids and parents can dance, giggle, and sing to. "Dad Upside Down" makes spelling silly and "Say Yes" proves the value of a good vocabulary, even for a preschooler. Musical storytelling and funny lyrics make Raise a Ruckus the perfect soundtrack for anytime fun.
Almost exactly 100 years ago today my musical hero, Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma. Woody wrote hundreds of songs including This Land is Your Land. As a young folk music geek, I studied his recordings hoping that just a little of his pure, honest magic would rub off on me.
I'll be singing a few of Woody's songs at my shows this week to celebrate his centennial and I'll also be a small part of a great tribute concert on Saturday night. One way or another, I hope we'll get a chance to raise or voices together this week and make Woody proud!
A couple more stations played songs from Raise a Ruckus this week! Many thanks to Miss Melissa at KAOS in Olympia, Washington and Jeff at KTOO in Juneau, Alaska.
The first bits of radio airplay are starting to come in for Raise a Ruckus. A huge thanks to A Grandpa Stark of KDHX and Paddy and Eddap of WPRB for playing songs from "Raise a Ruckus" today!
We're working hard behind the scenes to bring you another amazing Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival. Just yesterday we confirmed that the Hollow Trees, our friends from L.A. will come down and share some of their amazing music with us at the festival on September 22nd!!
Last weekend I was the guest DJ on the Hilltown Family Variety Show. I chose a bunch of my favorite American folk songs as my theme and had a great time talking a little bit about them. I just love these old songs. In many ways, they are the foundation for the country and rock'n'roll music that we know today. You can download and listen to a podcast of my little show by clicking here.
Happy Father's Day!! I was lucky to have an amazing dad. Always there with a smile, a joke or words of encouragement. The soccer team coach and the proud surf-dad. Maker of fine breakfasts before school. Stern enough when I was off track. A friend I loved to talk to. He left too soon but I still count myself as lucky.
Here we are goofing around in Australia.
We're making a new video for the song, "Dad Upside Down" from our new album Raise a Ruckus and we're looking for a few stars. We're looking for a family that can play the part of "mom," "dad" and "sis." You can hear the song by clicking on the music player to the right of this post.
If you live in San Diego County, have a somewhat flexible schedule and think being in a Hullabaloo video sounds like fun send me an email and we'll work out the details. There won't be any auditions or anything like that. If there are lots of replies, I'll pick a name out of a hat!
Thanks,
Steve
steve@hullabalooband.com
We are super excited about our new album, Raise a Ruckus! We've been working on it for something like six months now and it is finally finished.
The official release isn't until September 4th, 2012 but we will have copies for sale at our live shows.
If you want to hear what it sounds like, click the music player to the right of this post. We've got four songs from Raise a Ruckus loaded up for you to hear. Enjoy!
You may have noticed we did a little website makeover here at Hullabaloo World Headquarters. We're sad to say goodbye to our polka-spotted old site but we couldn't resist some of the nice, new technology here in the new century!
To the right of this post is a fancy music player. Just click it and we'll sing for you!
The calendar section is now a bit easier to read and our music videos have their own page here on the site.
It's all very fancy! I hope you like it.
--Steve
