Kidz rocks
Why Kidzapalooza might be the most family fun you'll have this summer. By Frank Sennett

CASUAL TWEEDY Jeff strums for the kids.

Huge crowds. Loud music. Punishing heat. Why would anyone drop hundreds on Lollapalooza tickets and then drag their children along for a Grant Park slog?

Even though kids 10 and under tag along free, that was my stance-until my wife and I took our preschooler to Lolla last year and experienced the sweet joy of Kidzapalooza.

In this shaded oasis, Nick learned how to rap, got a green Mohawk, silk-screened a canvas tote and pounded the skins in the instrument petting zoo. We had a blast even before hearing a performance.

The concerts themselves are freewheeling affairs where mainstage headliners pop in for surprise sessions between scheduled kiddie acts. Think Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy playing on the grass amid pint-size fans, and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash grinding out a set with Lolla founder Perry Farrell.

Tweedy raised eyebrows last year by telling his audience, "If your parents haven't played you Woody Guthrie yet, they're bad parents," recounts Kidzapalooza creator Tor Hyams. "But to me, that was a really cool message."

Taking a break from producing an album for kid-rockers Milkshake, Hyams shares another keen fest memory: "Ben Harper did 'Steal My Kisses,' which he wrote for his son, who didn't like his scratchy beard. I cried on the side of the stage because that was so cool."

Even though Kidzapalooza closes every day at 5pm, the acts still feel pressure to dazzle like nighttime headliners. "I've never seen a musician more nervous to play a stage than they are on my stage," Hyams says. "Kids are discerning. If it doesn't make their body move, they'll walk away. It's not a kids' stage; it's a cool stage."

In fact, the event grew out of Hyams's frustration at how uncool "family" events can be. "So many are only geared toward kids having a good time instead of the entire family having a good time," he says. "It was like, How long do I have to let my kid draw on that stupid paper plate? I wanted to create something I'd really want to do, too."

Now, mainstage performers ask to play Kidzapalooza-quite a change from the years when Hyams and Farrell had to beg for cameo sets. The kid-focused acts are strong enough to get parents grooving, too.

This year's lineup includes local fave Ralph's World as well as Frances England ("a wonderful singer from San Francisco," Hyams promises), Paul Green's School of Rock All Stars, pianist/accordion player Zach Gill, indie rockers Lunch Money, preteen guitar wizards Yuto Miyazawa and Quinn Sullivan, pop-punkers Care Bears on Fire, playful hip-hop acts the Q Brothers and Agent 23 Skidoo, plus Peter DiStefano & Tor (that's Hyams, natch), Farrell and some unannounced friends.

Anyone care to bet on a kid-friendly Beastie Boys set? "Prepare for the best," Hyams says. "Don't worry. We will not bore you. That's a guarantee."

Kidzapalooza runs August 7-9.