5 Kids Concert Treats to See This Month

It’s all treats, and no tricks in the NYC kindie concert scene this month. The annual Madison Square Fall Fest provides hours of free entertainment in the middle of the month while local kid rock legend Lloyd Miller simultaneously celebrates his debut solo album and the 10th anniversary of his band The Deedle Deedle Dees in Brooklyn. Out on Long Island, Elska brings her bells and mystical songs about arctic foxes and winter bears to the children’s museum. In Manhattan, the new Symphony Space Just Kidding season begins with both a bang and a whisper!

Mister G

When: Sat., Oct. 12, 11:00 am

Where: Symphony Space, 2

Cost: $20 adults / $15 kids, cheaper for members

One guy and one kick drum probably shouldn’t be as exciting as it actually is, but there’s something incredibly special about Mister G that never fails to captivate little kids and their grown-up chaperones. Expect to hear bilingual music about animals, pizza, and a pony with a peculiar problem, performed with passion and gusto.

Get Mister G concert details here. 

Lloyd Miller (of The Deedle Deedle Dees)

When: Sun., Oct. 13, 3:00 pm

Where: Shapeshifter Lab, Brooklyn (part of the monthly Hip Tot Music Fest)

Cost: $10 in advance

This show will serve as both the CD release party for S.S. Brooklyn, Miller’s first solo sing-along album, as well as the 10th anniversary party for his band, The Deedle Deedle Dees. Expect many surprise guests, include a few members of the Dees, to hop up on stage during what is sure to become the most raucous solo kid’s concert you’ll ever witness!

Get Lloyd Miller’s CD release concert details here.

Elska

When: Sat., Oct. 19, 11:30 am & 2:00 pm

Where: Long Island Children’s Museum

Cost: $5 with museum admission, $10 without

Elska is still a mesmerizing kindie act, with story-songs about a fictional Arctic Circle island and its cozy inhabitants, but the music in the live show has evolved considerably. The vibraphones, once a staple of an Elska show, have been scaled back in favor of centuries-old bells, lots and lots of bells, each from a foundry in the United Kingdom. The result is a sound that is unparalleled in family music, and one that will take your breath away.

Get Elska concert details here.

Fall Kids Fest with Little Rockers, Big Apple Circus, Amazing Max, and more

When: Sat., Oct. 19, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Where: Madison Square Park

Cost: Free

This annual free celebration of the changing of the seasons is always so much more than just a rock show. Sure, kids will love rocking out on the lawn (Little Rockers hit the stage at 1:00 pm), but there’s also a pumpkin patch, costume parade with Big Apple Circus, a magic show from Amazing Max, treats, tricks, and much more over the course of three hours.

Get 2013 Fall Kids Fest details here.

Charlie Hope

When: Sat., Oct. 26, 11:00 am

Where: Symphony Space

Cost: $20 adults / $15 kids, cheaper for members

When kid’s music gets dumped on by cynical and uniformed adults, it’s often music for babies that invokes the most disdain. Tunes for the toddler set can indeed be formulaic and inane but Charlie Hope is changing that stoic image with each album of her sweet, warm, and genuine songs.

Get Charlie Hope concert details here.