Final Kidzapalooza 2008 wrap-up

Perry Farrell and Slash rock the Kidzapalooza Stage in Grant Park 2008 (Photo by Maise)

Well, it's been nearly a week since the last note rang out from the Kidza stage and fantastic feedback continues to flood in during the aftermath of Kidzapalooza Chicago '08:

"Tyke rockers the Tiny Masters of Today blasted away on the Kidzapalooza stage (even working a protest song, "Bushy," into their set)" - MTV

"... Musical highlights: Lollapalooza organizer/musician Perry Farrell brought former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash onstage for a couple of songs, including a singalong rendition of Jane's Addiction's Jane Says ... Non-musical offerings: the popular "Kidzapalooza" area, where children saw musical acts and engaged in family-friendly activities ... The wind-down: On Sunday, the Paul Green School of Rock students took to the kids' stage and played one of the loudest sets all weekend." - USA Today

"Harris and I were able to secure nearly front-row spots to see Rouge Wave. They played a great (though short) set with songs including ‘Postage Stamp World’ from their 2004 Out of Shadows album and ‘Lake Michigan’, a tribute to the vast lake behind them, from their newest album. And following in Jeff Tweedy’s example, they too changed some of the words to make their songs more appropriate. Our time at the Kidz stage was perhaps the most enjoyable part of the day ..." - Festival Preview

"Two other notable performances were at the Kids Stage. On Friday Jeff Tweedy played a short set of Wilco songs that were requested by the children in the audience. The cute part was where kids would request songs that had references to drugs or had foul language and he refused to play them. And in an EXTREME contrast to Jeff Tweedy’s set, we had Slash and Perry Farrell playing the kids stage on Sunday ... They played ’Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder, “Knocking On Heaven’s Door,” (the GnR version of course) and then “Mountain song” and “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction ... It was definitely a very unique and memorable moment." - phoblography

"We arrived in time to see Perry Farrell play a short set with Slash at the kids' stage ... They played with at least a couple of members of The School of Rock (and I swear to God, if I ever do have children, I'm so putting them through The School of Rock because how awesome would it be to play a set with Perry Farrell and Slash at the age of 12?) ... this was a totally worthwhile little show, and since Velvet Revolver is no more, perhaps Slash and Perry should collaborate together in the future." - Places Parallel

"Biggest surprise: Seeing Slash playing guitar with Perry Farrell on the Kids Stage. I was kind of far away and kept thinking "That kid that looks like Slash can really play!" Then I found out it really was Slash." - ClapTrapped

And The Tiny Masters of Today certainly made an impression on Eric John Parucki over at eRock.org!

"This is the band that we came to see at Kidzapalooza ... The crowd was sparse to start, but grew a LOT over the course of the set. There were folks singing along behind us … I really did dig them. Ivan can really play — as can Jackson, the drummer — and I was really impressed with their stage presence. They finished up with a cover of House of Pain’s “Jump” — which has gotta be on its way to being a YouTube sensation…" - eRock

"Yeah, I saw them TWICE! They were that awesome ... punk rock from a three piece all 18 and under? How could I not? Apparently, they hit the list of “not to miss bands” on Day 2 and the crowd was pretty huge. The front lawn area was full, the bleachers were full and it must have gone 15-20 rows standing behind that. The kids were a lot more comfortable with this set, I thought. Go buy their stuff now." - eRock

And there's lot's more where that came from! To check out all the current press & blog coverage of Kidzapalooza Chicago, go to our Press Section here.

Missed the action this year? Well, we've done our best to collate as many videos of this year's line up as possible, which you'll find in our Video Section here.

And now, it's onto preparing for Kidzapalooza '09, with not one but two slammin' shows lined up! First off the block is the debut Kidzapalooza LA at the Hollywood Bowl on June 27, followed by Kidzapalooza Chicago. More news on both as it becomes available.

Finally, we'd like to know what was your favorite moment/s of Kidzapalooza Chicago '08? What bands did you love? What activities could you have taken part in all day? What was your experience of Kidzapalooza '08? Feel free to leave your comments below ...

Another Kidzapalooza draws to a close ...

The Paul Green School of Rock All Stars rock out on Day 1 of Kidzapalooza (Photo by Danny Rothenberg)

... and, man!! What a Kidzaplooza it has turned out to be!

Record crowds turned out to attend our parent (deliberate pun) festival, Lollapalooza - which sold out for all three days, meaning an estimated 225,000 people inhabited the space at Grant Park this weekend - and Kidzapalooza also saw it's largest crowd to date today, due to the impromptu performance by Lollapalooza founder, Perry Farrell and the rock legend that is Slash (photos and a video clip below).

But they weren't the only highlights for Kidzapalooza Day 3. Other special guests included John Butler (of the John Butler Trio) who was joined by his daughter on stage, Peter DiStefano playing his guitar with a violin bow (!) and a return performance by the Paul Green School of Rock All Stars, who were described as playing "one of the loudest sets all weekend" (USA Today).

The Kidzapalooza stage rocked all day with additonal performances by Q Brothers, Homemade Jamz’ Blues Band, The Jimmies and G. Love & Special Sauce. And the activities were once again a huge hit - ""(My daughter) came back and said, 'I silkscreened, I dyed my hair, and I got a tattoo,' " said Mates of State singer Kori Gardner, a mother of two. "I was like, 'Well, you've been to Lollapalooza.'" (USA Today).

Check out some of the photos from Day 3:


John Butler performs on the Kidzaplaooza stage with his daughter on Day 3 (Photo by Danny Rothenberg)


Peter DiStefano and Tor (with friends) play Kidzapalooza Day 3 (Photo by Danny Rothenberg)


Perry Farrell and Slash play Kidzapalooza Day 3 (Photo by Danny Rothenberg)


Perry Farrell and Slash play Kidzapalooza Day 3 (Photo by Danny Rothenberg)

And if you missed Perry and Slash in action on the Kidzapalooza stage, you can catch a short clip at MetroMix on CLTV here.

We'd like to thank everyone who came and joined the fun with us. It's been an absolute blast and we look forward to seeing you all again in Chicago next year!

Kidzapalooza Day 2 round-up

Jeff Tweedy and Bill Belzer entertain the crowd at Kidzapalooza Day 1 (Photo by Bao Nguyen)

Day 2 of Kidzapalooza was a blast! Tiny Masters of Today, The Dream Jam Band, The Jimmies, Homemade Jamz' Blues Band and The Terrible Twos rocked out to a very appreciative audience and the ever-popular activities, including the School of Rock Jam Tent, Tattooz by Small Paul, Arts at Play and Make Your Own Tote with Julius and Small Paul were kept busy all day!

Special Guest today was Mason Jennings, who appeared on the Kidza stage after his main Lolla appearance earlier in the day. Needless to say he was a huge hit with the crowd.

Great reports continue to come in about Kidzapalooza. Here's a couple more:

"Hometown heroes Wilco co-headlined Saturday night. But earlier, Jeff Tweedy shifted gears with a delightful Kidz Stage show featuring folk versions of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," complete with a cameo by Tupelo's drummer Bill Belzer. Between songs, Mr. Tweedy told the tots to steer their parents away from "awful bands" – good advice. But at Lollapalooza, the awful bands were few and far between." - The Dallas Morning News

""Going after Jeff Tweedy...big ego booster," Zach Rogue sarcastically said when taking the Kidz stage. I really, really enjoyed this show. They played earlier in the day on one of the main stages, but last minute signed on to do a short acoustic set. They played some of my favorites including "Eyes" and "Lake Michigan."" - National Music Examiner

"... I headed over to the Kidz stage, which is a great setup for parents and kids alike. Most of it is in the shade, there are coloring areas set up, and several kid related booths all around. I was not there for the coloring though, as Jeff Tweedy was playing a solo set and I knew if nothing else, that would energize me to get through the rest of the day. Jeff played some great Wilco stuff, and of course included the Uncle Tupelo gem, “New Madrid” as well." - Each Note Secure (Cincinnatti Music Blog)

"... Lolla packed itself up into Concision, and it never looked better (just ask the attendees of the beautifully secluded Kidz stage... or performers that day The Terrible Two's, Rogue Wave, or the legendary Jeff Tweedy)." - Tyler's Scatterbrained Lolla Round-Up (The Milk Carton)

To catch up on all the up-to-date press coverage for Kidzapalooza this year, check out our Press section here.

Tomorrow (Sunday) promises to be an action-packed day with appearances on the Kidza stage by The Q Brothers, John Butler Trio, Homemade Jamz’ Blues Band, The Jimmies, G. Love & Special Sauce, Peter DiStefano & Tor, Perry Farrell and Paul Green’s School of Rock All-Stars - definitely a day to be a part of the fun! Some tickets are still available, so get in quick!

To find out who's appearing when at Kidzapalooza Day 3, check out our performers' schedule here. We'll see you there!

Kidzapalooza Chicago line up announced!

Perry and Tor announced the 2008 Kidzapalooza Chicago line up in LA, before Perry got down and rocked with the School of Rock AllStars. Click on the image on your left to see a video of the event on YouTube.