Spotlight Series: Danny and the Red Pants Band

This week, GRAMMY-winning artist and longtime bassist for They Might Be Giants (TMBG), Danny Weinkauf, teams up with the Red Pants Band to bring audiences at two different Levitt locations pop tunes that are loads of fun for the whole family. Weinkauf and his band kick off the party tonight at Levitt AMP Frederick and continue the family-friendly fun tomorrow at Levitt Westport.

Listening to any one of Weinkauf’s catchy, upbeat tunes for children, like “Champion of the Spelling Bee” (which will have you singing along in no time), it’s clear that this artist and father of two has found the sweet spot in creating children’s musicwriting songs that are musically compelling, educational and enjoyable for kids and parents alike.

Alternative rock band, TMBG has had a large and loyal fan base since its start in the early 1980’s. When TMBG’s 30-something fans started having children, Weinkauf and his bandmates were constantly told how much kids enjoyed listening to TMBG music. In the early 2000’s the band decided to try their hand at writing an album specifically for children. The result: the 2002 album, No!17 catchy tracks filled with important life lessons for youngsters. TMBG really enjoyed the process of creating fun songs for younger audiences that were fairly similar to their rock albums.

In a recent interview, Weinkauf explained his band’s approach to creating music for children: “We don’t dumb it down because it’s for kids—we just write about kid appropriate topics.”

Perhaps this is why their children’s music endeavor has been met with such success. In 2008, TMBG took home the GRAMMY award for “Best Musical Album For Children” for their album, Here Come the 123’s. And they earned a second GRAMMY nomination in the same category for their 2009 album, Here Comes Science.

In 2014, Weinkauf released his Parent’s Choice Award-winning solo album for kids, No School Today, featuring tunes about marsupials, archaeology, voting rights and more.

So, next time you’re looking for children’s music you and the kids will both enjoy, look no further—Danny Weinkauf has you covered!

Come see Danny Weinkauf tonight at Levitt AMP Frederick and tomorrow at Levitt Westport! And for folks in Anchorage, Bethlehem, Bellingham, Denison, Lafayette, Memphis, Los Angeles, Pasadena, or Sheboygan, check out the other free concerts happening this week at the Levitt!

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