Almost as heavily anticipated a lineup announcement as its sister event Rock the Garden -- especially amid this long winter's cruel grip on families with small children -- 89.3 the Current's free Rock the Cradle concert has finally been unveiled. The big bash for pint-sized music fans will take place Sunday, March 24 (11 a.m.-5 p.m.), once again at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and adjacent Children's Theatre with a relatively fresh offering of acts and activities this year.
Performers will include: Guitar Party, featuring local six-string wiz Jeremy Ylvisaker (Andrew Bird, Alpha Consumer) and his daughter Mijah; regional "kindie" music makers the Bazillions and Duke Otherwise; plus kid-friendly local tunesmith Chris Koza of Rogue Valley fame. There will be some other new attractions this year, too, including a road-show edition of the "Kid's Clubhouse" TV special put on by Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, hands-on turntabling sessions hosted by veteran DJ Freddy Fresh and the toy-invention workshop Play From Scratch.
The hosts moved back the timing of RTC to March from February in part to lessen the chance of a snowstorm like the one that hit last year. That bad weather did little to dampen the good turnout, however (roughly 10,000 attendees). I was serious when I tweeted last year that this thing has gotten big enough to move it to the Metrodome.
This year, the Current is asking RTC goers to register ahead of time to "reserve your spot," but sources say admission will still be open to everyone regardless. Shuttles will once again run from the nearby Wells Fargo headquarters parking lot, at 28th Street and 4th Avenue. The reservation link and full schedule is now up on the Current's site.
