We never go anywhere without music. Whether it’s rock classics by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis and Chuck Berry, or modern tunes a la Jack White or Jack Johnson, my kids demand car tunes daily. So when I heard that Zak Morgan was making the Cincinnati concert circuit this summer, I knew I had to take my kids! (Bonus: all of Zak’s Cincy concerts this summer are free!) So last week, we went to the Madeira Library for a sing along with Zak Morgan.
Zak Morgan is a Cincinnati native (and resident) who’s earned national acclaim and a Grammy nomination for his children’s albums. He’s released four critically acclaimed albums and one DVD for children, and performs frequently throughout the country. Morgan has been compared to Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss (two favorites in our house) because of his wit and wordplay. His live performances have earned rave reviews for how fun and kid friendly they are. I couldn’t wait to take my kids!
The concert was in the children’s area of the library, which had been transformed into “Zakland” with a colorful sign, instruments and props. Zak and his band mate, Brad were immediately recognizable by their “ZAK” and “BRAD” shirts.
Zak began with a song, and invited the kids to sign, dance and move. Most of the songs involved funny motions, voices and movement — and the kids were all giggling as they followed Zak’s lead.
He and Brad had a fun repertoire, with Brad providing lots of sound effects to Zak’s silly jokes and one-liners. I was amazed by how well he held the kids’ attention — inviting them to be silly and loud, while also maintaining complete control. My kids especially loved that they could be silly and loud in the library.
Highlights included “The Case of the Dry Markers,” The Candy Machine,” “The Funny Farm” and “When Bullfrogs Croak.” The Bullfrog song also featured a frog puppet, which, much to Julian’s delight, magically sprang to life out of Zak’s drum.
The concert lasted nearly an hour, and afterwards, Zak affably mingled with his fans (including many enchanted parents, like myself). In fact, I’ll definitely be taking my kids to one of Zak’s upcoming Cincy concerts:
- Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.: Cottell Park
- Sunday, June 26 at 11 a.m.: Cincinnati Big Top Circus in Burnet Woods
- Saturday, July 2 at 1 p.m.: Groesbeck Branch Library
- Wednesday, July 13 at 2 p.m.: Green Township Branch Library
- Wednesday, July 20 at 10 a.m.: Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Concert at Beech Acres Park
- Fri., August 19 – Sun., August 21 at 10 a.m.: Day Out With Thomas at LM&M
- Fri., August 26 – Sun., August 28 at 10 a.m.: Day Out With Thomas at LM&M
I highly recommend taking the fam to a Zak Morgan concert this summer! You’ll be happily singing about Lester’s Dementia and Johnny Appleseed long after the concert’s over.
Move over Paul McCartney — the McCosham kids have a new favorite singer!
For more details on Zak, his touring schedule, music (and even lyrics/liner notes!) be sure to check out zakmorgan.com.
