A friend sent pictures of Saturday’s Dan Zanes‘ concert (see left). Thanks!!!
Another friend, Reliable, said that the show got off to a slow start when a representative from Develop Don’t Destroy spoke for ten minutes. The crowd got impatient: hundreds of kids in a hot space in the Williamsburg Bank building don’t take well to grown ups blah blah blahing. Apparently, the grown ups tried to clap her off the stage.
The kids were primed to hear Zanes, not listen to talk.
Then some kid got up on the stage and read a poem. "No one wanted to boo the kid," said Reliable Friend. But the kids wanted Dan.
Develop Don’t Destroy advisory board member, Steve Buscemi, followed the child-poet and made it short and sweet — but even he, funny as ever, could not cheer the crowd up. Woo. Not even Steve Buscemi. Dats not good.
According to Reliable Friend, Zanes was great, though there were a lot of instrument changes in between songs. He said his kid wanted to hear the upbeat, spunky stuff from the video and in the second part of the show, Zanes picked up the pace and the kids were happy.
Reliable Friend mentioned that Dan Zanes will be at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street for a limited engagement in the fall or spring. Look out for that, friends.
photos by David Caplan
The show was not so great. Not a great venue. Too much talking, not enough Dan. The kids were fading before Dan even hit the stage. The sound was terrible. Seems like Dan wants to keep that hometown, home-made feeling going but for the big crowds he draws now, it’s just not working anymore. But that’s just my opinion…