Saturday, May 2, 2009

Revved Up & Ready To Rock! Video Librarian Review

Married performers Katie O'Sullivan-Borne (Princess Katie) and Steve Borne (Racer Steve) bring a quirky combo of fairy-tale ambience, puppets, skits, animation, and upbeat, positive music to this live concert for children.  Featuring Princess on vocals, Racer on guitar, "Crash" and "Space" on drums and bass, and a trio of "Merry Horn Players from the Woods, " the 10-song set in Revved Up *& Ready to Rock! includes the B-52's-style "Tell Them How You Feel" dealing with emotions, funk-based "Hot Shot" about making friends, "Hey Claire" on sharing, and the rock-ishi "Jeans!"  In addition to the tunes, the festivities include visits from puppet assistant West and dragon Peyton, dancing (two adults from the audience break into a spirited swing routine during "Holidays!"_, and clips of cartoon versions of the main duo.  The Bornes, who started out doing their routine for kids at hospitals across NYC, put on a cheerful, high-energy show that appears to be a real hit with the young audience.  DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes look at the band and a "Jeans!" animated music video.  Recommended.