Coming Soon: Laurie Berkner Band

“The energy from the kids is so immediate and so sincere. Play a song for them, and if they're into it, they're jumping up and down. They're so happy they're screaming for the song. Playing in cover bands, it takes a couple hours for everyone to get drunk enough to get into it and respond.”

-Laurie Berkner

We're hitting the home stretch for the 2011-12 season, and the performers keeps hitting the stage; consistently impressing the audience in exciting ways. Now, it may seem when presented with the task of maintaining the constant flow of talent to grace the historic stage at The Paramount, it would be fairly easy. While it seems like a no-brainer, I have been told that getting an act to appear onstage isn't necessarily child's play... yet in this case, I think this is precisely the case.

Perhaps The Laurie Berkner Band is not a familiar name to you. Then again, perhaps you are someone who has, you know, been around children in the past decade or so. If so, chances are that you've heard the music (and likely have caught yourself humming some of it to yourself). Since the late 1990s, they aren't just a popular children's musical act, they are THE musical act.

Te centerpiece of the group is Laurie Berkner, herself. She's carved a niche for herself in the subgenre of music known as "kinder rock." No, I'm not making that up. Heck, ask any parent, and they'll tell you that the genre runs deep. That's right, folks. Children's songs extend much further than "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (A Wimoweh, wimoweh...) Her popularity is so vast that People Magazine anointed her as "The Queen of Children's Music." Indeed. Compared to her, The Wiggles are but mere jesters. But it was not always the case for Ms. Berkner...

Although Laurie has been a professional musician for twenty years, but didn't find her true calling until after some stints with cover bands. She released her first children's album in 1997, and the nest year formed her own independent record company. That's a heck of a way to break onto the children's music scene, and her status has only steadily grown from there.

Imbibing her songs with an uptempo beat and earnest lyrics, Laurie brings her songs to life with band members Adam Bernstein, Bob Golden and Susie Lampert. Together, hey have an uncanny knack of bringing a smile to your face.

Any doubts should be erased by watching the following clip. A word of warning, though. This song will stay in your head long after you see this.

So... "what do you think of that!?" (kick!)
See? I told ya. You're now gonna be hearing this song in your head for the next few days. You're welcome.

In addition to her musical gifts, Berkner also has written two children's books, appeared on television, and sold hundreds of thousands of DVDs. She's more than just the queen of children's music; she's a one-woman media empress. So, to all you parents out there: If you haven't let your little ones partake of any other music than "Old MacDonald" or "Bingo," then you owe it to them to round them up and mosey on down to The Paramount. Laurie's sound is that unique blend of folk music and kinder rock that provides a sense of wonder for all ages.

The Laurie Berkner Band will teach your kid how to rock and roll on Sunday, March 4th at 1:00 p.m.