Music Minute: Ben Rudnick and Friends Livestream 11/21 10:30 am EST

 

With legions of devoted fans throughout the country, seven Parents' Choice® Awards in their hip pocket, and a tsunami of critical praise, Ben Rudnick and Friends stand in the front row of the best of today's family music performers. Ben Rudnick and Friends will celebrate two decades of making music for families with a 20th Anniversary Family Fun Show, live-streamed from the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA, at 10:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 21, 2020. Affectionately nicknamed "the Grateful Dead for kids," Ben Rudnick and Friends create a jam band dynamic that takes their concerts and recordings to a stratospheric level. The band takes pleasure in introducing kids and families to good-times tunes that reflect the many hues of our cultural fabric. Their instantly identifiable brand of adventurous musicianship soars spectacularly across a spectrum of bluegrass, western swing, disco, reggae, country, folk, and the many flavors of rock. According to Dave Loftin (The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl), “[Rudnick] and the band are so musically gifted that they almost create their own style of music.” Kids' music authority Stefan Shepherd (Zooglobble) enthused, "The band just sounds GOOD." Fans of Ben Rudnick and Friends know that every one of their shows is different, depending on the general energy of the moment. Highlights can range from Ben Rudnick originals like "Macaroni & Cheese" and "A Frog Named Sam" to the band's versions of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" or Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away." The 20th Anniversary Show audience will be treated to an array of favorites from Ben Rudnick and Friends albums through the years. Special guests, harmonica wizard Scott Kepnes and Grayce Ferguson (the inspiration for Ben Rudnick and Friends' 2007 album Grace's Bell), will give the proceedings an added kick of musical joy. "Given that playing shows during a pandemic is a rarity, playing ANY show right now is a bonus," says Ben Rudnick. "Having an opportunity to play our 20th Anniversary Show, for which we wish there could be way more hoopla than these times allow, was unexpected. Trying to capture 20 years of recordings, shows, and community with our fans would be a challenge in any situation. It wasn’t easy! Reviewing and practicing the songs for this show has felt like a gift, and I can’t wait to play the songs again with the band. " Ben Rudnick and Friends have been joyfully laying down the sound track of families having fun together since 2000. The band has played nearly 1,000 shows from Maine to Colorado and continues to bring good cheer and a get-up-and-dance celebration wherever they perform. Their albums include A Frog Named Sam Soundtrack: A Musical for Children (2016), Love is a Superpower (2012), Live in Lexington: Under the Copper Beech (2011), It's Santa Claus! (2010), A Frog Named Sam (2009), The Challenger Baseball Song and Other Hits (2007), Grace's Bell (2007), Live at the Playground: WERS 88.9 FM Boston (2005), Blast Off! (2004), Fun and Games (2002), and Emily Songs (2000). # # # WHAT: Ben Rudnick and Friends' 20th Anniversary Family Fun Show! Live-streamed from the stage of the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA WHEN: 10:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 21, 2020 ADMISSION: Free of charge, with a suggested donation of $9.99. Families should feel free to donate whatever they can afford. INFO: Visit the Regent Theatre website HERE. # # #

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