Pop quiz: At what Bay Area music festivals are you likely to hear the following bands?
The Wronglers? Easy. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
Death Cab for Cutie? OK, Treasure Island Music Festival.
What about The Monkeybutts or The Time Outs?
They’re part of the line-up for Tricycle Music Fest West, the most rocking music phenomenon of the year for the very young set. The fall music series, which in 2011 turned 3—about the age of its target audience--consists of free concerts at San Francisco public libraries.
Besides the groups named after monkey derrieres and disciplinary technique, other “kindie” bands appearing at the 2011 festival include Rhythm Child, The Sippy Cups and Lucky Diaz and The Family Jazz Band.
Music, song, rhythm and rhyme all have a reason at Tricycle Music Fest West concerts—to help establish and develop literacy skills in children, a premise that Sesame Street is famous for. Geared toward kids from toddlers to second-graders, the concerts are lively, fun and thankfully free of Barney lyrics.
Upcoming concerts are on October 8. 22 and 23 at the San Francisco Public Library main site and a couple of its branches. More information is available on the Tricycle Music Fest West webpage.
