Ralph's World These days there may be lots of rockers making kid-friendly records, but there's only one Ralph Covert, an irrepressibly enthusiastic performer who rocks just as hard for kids as he does for grown-ups. Perma-grin on his face, lime-green Chuck Taylors on his feet-even at the Grammies! -his traveling circus of catchiness known as Ralph's World is equally loved by cool-seeking parents as it is by children, fortunate to be living in an era where their music both rocks and respects their iintelligence and curiosity.
Ralph's World brings grown-up values of resonant songcraft (with wry, inventive wordplay), musical sophistication and energetic, rock 'n' roll performances to children's music. It's an approach that's gotten the attention of the Recording Academy, which nominated 2005's Green Gorilla, Monster & Me for a Grammy.
Ralph's May '08 release, The Rhyming Circus (Disney Sound), may well be the greatest he's ever turned out. Anything is possible when a cow takes the singing spotlight and bugs, elephants, royalty and inanimate objects occupy the center ring.
"...a rock-'n'-roll headbanger for the kindergarten set.... Mr. Covert's songs, in contrast, tap into the collective unconscious of parents who grew up with rock and want to share it with their children... It is possible though, that Mr. Covert will turn out to be that genre's Elvis Presley, or at the very least its Elvis Costello." - David Edelstein, The New York Times (January 30, 2005)
"One of America's finest pure-pop singer-songwriters has transformed a genre known for pap into priceless pop. Covert's six perfect albums of children's music sport an incredibly diverse array of musical styles - punchy rock, wistful folk, giddy pop - that bring to mind the most enjoyable and playful aspects of Paul McCartney's melodic solo work " - Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News, February 16, 2007.
Tickets on sale noon Fri June 20 from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb
$15 ages 2 and up
(please also note the 11am show on September 20)