Arts & Entertainment

Caspar Babypants Draws About 550 People to Sammamish Library for Bouncy, Pure Kids' Tunes

Chris Ballew, the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America, brought his other band to the Sammamish Library on Wednesday for a free show.

There was plenty of hopping. There was spinning. There was swaying and wiggling, too.

And there were kids and parents who just let the bouncy tunes from Caspar Babypants flow through their ears Wednesday at the . Their bodies moved in all sorts of directions.

That was perfectly fine with musicians Chris Ballew, Ron Hippe and Fred Northup - the band members who play simple kids' tunes with clear sounds and purposeful repetition. Northup even played a metal washboard.

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An estimated 550 people sat on the ground and on chairs to listen to Caspar Babypants peform songs from their new album, "This is Fun!" as well as previous tunes. It was a free show.

Ballew is the lead singer for The Presidents of the United States of America. This year, he said, he is focusing his efforts on Caspar Babypants though the Presidents will continue to perform for fans.

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"I'm really making this music to help parents and kids relax together and sing together," Ballew said. "I'm doing this to help make a long car ride more tolerable or a boring rainy day at home be more tolerable."

The crowd included moms, kids as well as a few dads and grandparents. The turnout was one of the largest in the new building, which opened in 2010, said , managing librarian.

Ballew explained that he likes bringing Caspar Babypants to audiences at libraries, especially ones in the King County Library System, because parents and kids come prepared to listen and participate.

"The curse for a performer for kids is a bouncy house and I will never find a bouncy house at a library," he said. "I really appreciate that."

Amy Best, a Bothell mom who grew up in Sammamish, brought her 3-year-old son to the concert - making it the third Caspar Babypants performance the two of have seen.

"We have all their CDs," Best, 33, said. "They're so fun. It's catchy. All the words are fun. Good tunes. Good beats. It's fun for parents and kids."

She also is grateful to hear Ballew live because she has long enjoyed listening to the Presidents.

For Ballew, part of the enjoyment is watching young people interact with and interpret the music. "I love how kids relate to the world," he said.

"To me, little kids and especially toddlers, 4, 5, and 6 year olds are some of the most enlightened people on the planet. I love being around that energy, that freedom."

Editor's note:There's a full schedule for Caspar Babypants on the group's website. On Monday, April 4, the group will play at 10:30 a.m. at the Kent Library. On Saturday, April 23, you can hear the group at 11 a.m. at Benaroya Hall in Seattle (tickets required).

On Saturday, April 30, the band will perform at at 1 p.m. On Sunday, May 1, members will perform at 10 a.m. the Top Pot Doughnuts 5K Kids Run and Walk at Greenlake Park in Seattle. On Monday, May 2, the band will play at 6:30 p.m. at the .


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