Dan Zanes' Second Childhood
by Kerry Nolan

He used to be a rock and roll star - well, as much as any roots-rocking-alterna-band could have been in the early 90's. Dan Zanes' band, the Del Fuegos, were arguably one of the best bands ever to emerge from the fertile musical soil of Boston - but tastes change, record companies are fickle and a decade or so later, Dan Zanes is on a new musical road.

He plays music for kids.

Yes.

Now, before you scrunch up your face into what has been called a bitter-beer mug (pun intended), hear me out. Dan Zanes plays American music - some bluegrass, some island-flavored sounds, some flat-out rock and roll - and it is potent stuff. He lives in Brooklyn now, and New York's immensely diverse cultures have provided ample inspiration.

His CD, "Dan Zanes and Friends - Rocket Ship Beach" can stand alone as a great album - never mind the niche marketing. He's joined by Sheryl Crow on one track, by Suzanne Vega on another - former Bad Company rocker Simon Kirke contributes a terrific original called "All My Friends Live in the Woods." And then there are the Sandy Girls - women Zanes met in a local park - nannies by trade, their shared Caribbean backgrounds make for some lilting harmonies.

Zanes is putting the finishing touches on his second album, due out in October - he says this one will be all dance music. He and the Rocket Ship Revue perform every other Sunday afternoon at a downtown Manhattan restaurant called The Park [110 10th Av., Chelsea, NYC; 212-352-3313. - Ed.] - if you want to see first-hand how music aimed at kids can also be a damn good time for grownups, you must see the Revue live.

Dan Zanes and Friends - Rocket Ship Beach is on festivalfive records. You can check it out online at www.festivalfive.com.

©2001 Kerry Nolan