The Deedle Deedle Dees in Northampton
By Bill Childs, HF Contributing Writer

One week from today, on Saturday, January 26, at 10 AM, Flywheel Arts Collective’s Pancake Mountain returns for the new year with a family rock show at First Churches’ Lyman Hall. We’re co-presenting (“we” being Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child): The Deedle Deedle Dees!

The Deedle Deedle Dees, hailing from Brooklyn, are coming back for their third visit to the Valley. They packed Flywheel back in 2008, did a benefit for Flywheel last summer at Artifacts 20th Century, and now they’re back, again partially benefiting Flywheel, with a show at Lyman Hall at First Churches in Northampton, MA. They’ve toured all over the country, including a packed after-show during the Austin City Limits Music Festival and shows at Symphony Space in Manhattan.

You can check out the band’s website at www.thedeedledeedledees.com, and hear clips at www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2 or that MySpace thing all the kids are doing: www.myspace.com/thedeedledeedledees.

I think their newest record, Freedom in a Box, was the best family CD of 2007; I wrote briefly about it for Minnesota Parent. They have a slightly askew view on most subjects, and often sing about quirky bits of history.

Their live shows basically just rock — it is what you’d expect, as the band says, from “four guys who were raised on Schoolhouse Rock, the Pixies, Dr. John, the Band, the Muppets, and Tom Waits.” The band is appropriate for all ages, and the space is such that if it gets a little loud, you can get away from the volume pretty well.

But wait, there’s more! Carnival games, pancakes, and lots of friendly folks… 

It is, as noted, at First Churches in the center of beautiful downtown Northampton, at 129 Main Street. Enter on the Center Street side. It’s fully accessible. Pancakes and games start at 10, and music will start at 10:30am. (>$, infants free) A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the ongoing return of Flywheel Arts Collective.

Hope to see lots of folks there. The band will be on the radio show (8-10 AM Saturdays, 103.3 FM and www.valleyfreeradio.org) that morning, so you can preview the show by listening.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill Childs teaches law school by day in Springfield. With his kids, he produces a radio show for kids, Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, on Valley Free Radio (103.3FM in Northampton) on Saturday mornings from 8am to 10am and online at www.sparetherock.com. He’s also a columnist for regional parenting magazines, covers music for Parenting magazine, and is a bi-monthly contributing writer to Hilltown Families. Contact him at show@sparetherock.com.