Over the last few years, little kids have gotten their own supply of indie rock, with musicians like Dan Zanes and Laurie Berkner offering groovy, folksy tunes that appeal to the whole family. Now they’re getting to hang out in nightclubs, too. Adult venues like World Café Live in Philadelphia, 12 Galaxies in San Francisco or Schubas in Chicago are opening their doors on weekend afternoons to welcome children under 8. Baby Loves Disco, now in 18 cities across America, offers diaper-changing stations, bubble machines and healthy treats for kids. (Parents can make use of a fully stocked bar, the chance to dance again and, in some locations, even pampering like massages and eyebrow shaping.) Capitalizing on Gen-X parents’ appetite for all things hip, bands like the Terrible Twos, the Sippy Cups and the Dirty Sock Funtime Band are doing shows that make Mom and Dad feel less like June and Ward Cleaver and more like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Musicians Brady Rymer and Suzi Shelton say mixed-age shows are packed with energy. Kids like Samson Hurwitz, 4½, who attended a recent Justin Roberts gig at World Café Live, are discovering joys long treasured by their parents. Says Samson: “I like to watch the drummer and I like to scream.”
To accommodate the stroller set, nightclubs have to make a few adjustments—like making sure floors are cleared of last night’s broken glass. Bartenders replace Grey Goose and peanuts with chocolate milk and Goldfish, and bands set their amplifiers at just the right volume. “It’s gotta be loud enough that it rocks,” says Ralph Covert, lead singer of Ralph’s World. But not so loud it makes the audience cry.
