Grateful Dead for Kids, a new tribute concert that children, parents and grandparents can enjoy together, is coming to Maryland Hall the morning of Saturday, Nov. 2, organizers announced.
The show is produced by Saturday Morning Tunes, an award-winning, family-friendly concert series for the whole family, presented by Towson University public radio station 89.7 WTMD. It features a stellar lineup of musicians, including drummer and singer Ed Hough, guitarist and singer Cris Jacobs, keyboardist Mookie Siegel and more.
Several of these musicians have performed with Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and other original members of the Grateful Dead. When WTMD produced a version of this show at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore last February, about 900 parents and kids attended.
“All of us were children once, but back then, kids’ concerts were hard to stomach,” said Sam Sessa, WTMD’s Baltimore music coordinator. “These days, parents who love live music want to share that passion with their little ones. That’s why we’re so excited to bring this show to Maryland Hall, because I think the Grateful Dead hold a special place in the hearts of many Annapolis parents.”
This is the first Saturday Morning Tunes show outside of Baltimore, made possible by a new partnership between WTMD and Maryland Hall. It will be broadcast live on 89.7-FM, which can be heard throughout the Baltimore and Annapolis region. Together, their goal is to present concerts not just for children but for multiple generations.
“At Maryland Hall, intergenerational arts experiences are core to our mission,” said Emily Garvin, Maryland Hall’s Acting President and Chief Creative & Operations Officer. “Partnering with WTMD for this exciting family concert is a natural step in our commitment to providing quality, family programming for diverse audiences. We can’t wait to fill the house with Grateful Dead fans of all ages!”
This is far from story-time at the library. WTMD launched Saturday Morning Tunes in January 2017 as an alternative to the seemingly endless stream of birthday parties and soccer practices parents are forced to endure. In the past few years, it’s grown from 150 parents and kids in WTMD’s intimate performance studio to 1,200 at their Phish tribute for kids at Power Plant Live in Baltimore last June. Along the way, Saturday Morning Tunes has presented a diverse lineup of shows, including beatboxing, hip-hop, world music, bluegrass and rock.
“The Saturday Morning Tunes series is a great way for WTMD to extend our diverse and creative music format to a family friendly audience,” said Scott Mullins, WTMD’s general manager and program director. “Adventurous music lovers want to share that passion with their young children, and this is a perfect way to do just that. We hope that many of those youngsters will develop a deep love of music and the arts, and they just might become WTMD listeners in a few years.”
Grateful Dead for Kids is Nov. 2 at Maryland Hall, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the show starts at 10 a.m. Tickets and more information are available at saturdaymorningtunes.com
