Zany, Brainy

Don't expect children's musical artist Dan Zanes to get all Barney on your bottom. His shows start with a laid-back, hi-how-are-ya-doin' vibe and slowly build into one giant, somewhat dorky dance party. No flash, no fake pep — Zanes sorta saunters out and begins his set. The kids hush up and gaze at first, then slo-o-o-owly the grooving escalates into Grateful Dead–like rapture. These fans don't indulge in magical substances, but they do twirl around unsteadily, wear bright, comfy clothes and talk in streams of consciousness. They often smell bad too. For us parents, Zanes plays songs that refreshingly don't make us want to throw up (sorry, Wiggles). His goal is to inspire family bands wherever he goes, through old-timey classics like "Waltzing Matilda" and new-timey, antiwhiny winners from Catch That Train, his Grammy-winning CD. Sat., Feb. 2, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., 2008