Jeanie B!

Jeanie B. performs music for kids, and she’s well worth checking out. For one thing, it’s not saccharine, dumbed-​down kiddie songs (like Barney and too many to list). She plays an acoustic guitar and her songs rock. It’s a folksy vibe and her act is designed to get kids up and moving.
I saw her perform a free concert in Glenview (after reading about it in Chicago Parents magazine), and also ran into cool Unilocaler mom Giselle S. with her kids. On this day it was around 90 degrees, but that didn’t deter throngs of young ‘uns from dancing, singing, clapping. At one point, Jeanie handed out music makers for kids to shake/​rattle. Before another song, she rolled out sheets of bubble wrap and invited kids to come up on stage to stomp on them. Boy they loved that!
It is a good time for kids and I think parents will enjoy the music, too. The songs are melodic and catchy, and slip in some education (like the song about Mommy Knows Best — and for equal time, a song about Daddio).
As a side note, once we got there, I realized I knew her from my former job (Jeanie used to work in the advertising industry), so that was a nice surprise. I talked to her briefly after the show, and she said she’s been performing all around the area — she’s off to Naperville tomorrow, and is playing Millenium Park Aug. 26. She has two CDs, and a third one about to be released. She also teaches music classes around town. You can check her out at
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