Arts & Entertainment
Bubblegum Cover Band Gets Kids Jumpin' and Groovin'
Children's Summer Concerts kicked off Wednesday with band, Onstage, offered a night of song, trivia and dancing, as the young, and young at heart, went back to the 60's and 70's at the Paramus Bandshell.
Did they have fun at the Beatles and Bubblegum show? Yeah, yeah yeah.
Over 200 turned out at the Bandshell Wednesday night for the kickoff of the fifth annual Children's Summer Concerts.
As sounds of the 60s and 70s filled the air, tiny tots and their moms and dads danced, sang, clapped, and ran around the sea of colorful blankets and beach chairs that dotted the lawn.
Onstage, the five musicians led by Ray “StingRay” Leone invited the crowd to join in on "Yellow Submarine", "All You Need is Love", and more hit songs by the Beatles, the Monkees, the Archies, and other bands known for what was called “bubblegum” music.
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“It’s fantastic. I’m lovin’ it,” said Joanne Quinones, who came with her two energetic little guys.
“Here’s a trivia question,” announced StingRay between songs. “Who under the age of 10 can tell me how many Beatles there were?”
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It took three tries for some tiny pre-schoolers to guess the right number.
When the lead singer asked “Who can name them,” little voices called out, “John Lennon,” and “Ringo,” as their parents whispered in their ears.
Just when you thought the energy couldn’t get any higher, StingRay invited the kids onstage to learn the Twist, the Monkey and other 60s dances.
Unable to resist, a few adults leaped to their feet, gyrating to the infectious beat of the music. “This was my favorite dance,” said one woman, as she pumped her arms doing The Swim.
For one local family, Beatles and Bubblegum was already their second Bandshell concert this summer. Mara Hroncich and her 10-month-old daughter, Fiona, came to the “Terrific Tuesdays” series kickoff the night before.
“It was really great,” said Mara. Her husband, Martino, joined them for the Wednesday program. “It’s a lot of fun for kids and adults,” he said. Fiona seemed to agree, jumping up and down in perfect time to the music.
The next Children’s Summer Concert is School of Rock on August 1, featuring student musicians from Paramus and other area schools. Showtime is 7:00 pm.
The Children’s Summer Concerts are presented by the Paramus Cultural Arts Council with support from the Friends of the Paramus Public Library and Columbia Bank.
Terrific Tuesdays continues weekly until August 7. All concerts start at 7:30 pm. For information about either series, click here.
