Keith at Irvine Spectrum -- Friday, 24Jan2014

Before I even started, a cute little 4-year-old (with her friend and little brother) marched up and announced that they were going to be my "spinners". I wasn't actually aware I *needed* any spinners, but I accepted her offer. True to her word, as soon as I started playing, she and her friend stretched their arms out and started spinning, round and round. This was adorable, and immediately attracted a crowd, and other parents who let their kids join the party, which swelled to a couple of dozen people within a few songs.

I played through all my best kids songs and kid dance tunes, and the crowd eventually broke up. But only a few songs later, I played another Disney song and started a new party. I must have had 4 or 5 kid parties in all.

The song that really brings them over these days is the newly-learned "Let It Go", the "big number" from the movie "Frozen". The movie is doing record business, and the teenagers are flocking to it, over and over again. So I knew the song would be popular, but I'm afraid I've created a monster.

It's clearly the best crowd-gathering song I've ever played. All I needed to do is start it up and all the teens within earshot (and at Spectrum, there are always a lot of teens around) would come running. And when that one was done, off we'd go through the other Disney songs I know from "Tangled", "Aladdin", and "Little Mermaid", etc. And when parents of littler kids hear Disney tunes, they all stop, and once there are cute kids dancing around, the old people can't help but stop and watch...

By the end of the night, I think I played more Disney songs than non-Disney songs. It completely changed the character of the gig, and it was 10:00 before I knew what hit me. Probably the most continuous appreciation I've ever gotten. I guess I need to learn even more Disney songs!

Also, I had several Returning Fans. A family that had seen me at Spectrum and then again at the Farmer's Market came by. I recognized a cute little toddler fan, and my goofy little Persian friend (whose name I finally asked for is Hannah, pronounced "Hawn-nuh") was there again, too. She kept asking for "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph". I suppose, being Persian, she didn't have a recognizable Christmas Morning at her house, so she's not clear that that's all over now...