FORT COLLINS, Colorado – Beet Street announces Grammy Award-winning Dan Zanes and Friends performing a family matinee concert on Sunday, April 26, 1pm at the Lincoln Center. As an international recording artist, Zanes is known for his eclectic sound, eccentric hairdo, likeable personality and irresistible, toe-tapping tunes for kids of all ages.
Dan Zanes and Friends will perform songs from their Independent Music Award-winning album ¡Nueva York!, selections from their latest album The Welcome Table: Songs of Inspiration, Mystery and Good Times, along with other great tunes from their extensive catalog. The family concert is part of the Finding Home community immigration series.
Presented by Beet Street, Finding Home is a month-long community series that puts immigration in the spotlight, and features more than 15 local organizations hosting performances, lectures and exhibits designed to show appreciation for cultural heritage, explore artistic styles and stimulate community awareness.
Zanes celebrates immigration by building musical bridges to connect people to some of the most interesting and engaging music on the planet. He likes to introduce his musical friends to his neighborhood friends, showing that people make beautiful and vibrant music when they share different cultures, techniques, rhythms and styles.
Zanes’ latest album, The Welcome Table: Songs of Inspiration, Mystery and Good Times, is a collection of old and new Dan Zanes and Friends recordings of tunes inspired by North American gospel traditions.
Zanes was a member of cult indie rock band the Del Fuegos during the 1980s, and recorded five albums with them including the hit single “Don't Run Wild.” In 1994, he released a solo CD, Cool Down Time. After moving to Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter, he released Rocket Ship Beach (2000), an immediate hit with families around America.
More children’s recordings followed, including Family Dance (2001) featuring Loudon Wainwright III and Roseanne Cash; Night Time! (2002) featuring Aimee Mann and Lou Reed; and the Grammy nominated House Party (2003), a rambunctious 20-song collection that includes Deborah Harry, Bob Weir and Philip Glass. Other recently released albums include award-winning ¡Nueva York! and 2007 Grammy Award-winning Catch That Train!
New York Times magazine said, “Zanes' kids music works because it is not kids music; it's just music – music that's unsanitized, unpasteurized, that's organic even.”
Zanes also co-authored two picture books with artist Donald Saaf: Jump Up! and Hello Hello (Little, Brown and Company Books), and appears in the Dan Zanes and Friends concert DVD, All Around the Kitchen! (2005).
“Our country has a rich tradition of sharing immigration stories through music,” said Beet Street Interim Executive Director Jean Lamm.
“We are excited to bring such a popular recording artist and Playhouse Disney star to Fort Collins to share songs inspired by cultural heritage,” said Lamm. “The music of Dan Zanes and Friends is so eclectic and contagious – there is something in it for the whole family to enjoy.”
Tickets for Dan Zanes and Friends are $10, all ages. Tickets are available at www.lctix.com and by calling (970) 221-6730. Take Dan Zanes and Friends ticket stubs to the following downtown merchants for great deals after the concert: Austin’s American Grill, Backcountry Provisions, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing, Eliot’s Mess Sandwiches, Enzio’s Italian Kitchen, Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream, and La Luz Mexican Grill. For more information about Dan Zanes and Friends, and other Finding Home events, visit www.BeetStreet.org.