What began as a good-hearted gesture to cheer up children in the hospital has blossomed into a children’s rock concert that has embarked on a national tour.
This Sunday, the dynamic duo Princess Katie & Racer Steve will make a stop at the Providence Performing Arts Center.
The two have achieved a nod of approbation from parents, being selected as Parenting Magazine’s picks for Best Music CDs for their albums “Songs for the Coolest Kids” and “Fast & Feisty.”
Children related to her best as a princess, said Katie O’Sullivan, who adopts the persona when performing on stage.
The two began visiting hospitals in 2006, with O’Sullivan decked out as Princess Fiona from the movie “Shrek.”
“They would sit up a little bit taller when a princess came in — the boys as well as girls,” O’Sullivan said. She recruited guitarist Steve Borne to accompany her. When he found his Shrek costume hindered his guitar playing, the two decided to create their own characters to entertain the children.
Soon, they were playing other gigs, and also recording in Borne’s studio. In addition to entertaining children as Racer Steve, Borne produces sound for both TV and film.
When the two get onstage, they are accompanied by a bass and drums to provide a full band sound. They play a variety of genres — from rock, funk, swing, surf, country and Bossa nova.
“It’s fun for people to hear a different style of music and it’s fun for the kids,” Borne said. He said the variety also keeps the musicians energized.
The New-York based duo has built quite a following in the city and surrounding areas. Fans know to come dressed up the way they would to a rock concert, something O’Sullivan hopes will also happen in Providence.
The band’s lyrics are family friendly, O’Sullivan said, and while the messages are empowering and encourage positive behavior, they shy away from being didactic in their approach.
Positive focus
“They don’t talk down to children,” O’Sullivan said. “They are written from my perspective and they learn from modeling. For example, I talk about how I had the opportunity to tell the truth or lie, and how I opted to tell the truth. A lot of songs deal with emotions and how to express yourself using positive methods.”
While they still volunteer to visit hospitals, the two musicians are also enjoying the benefits the concerts have on the general public.
“Every show is different,” O’Sullivan said. “When the kids see their parents laughing and having fun, it’s so much more fun for them.”
And no matter how much their parents rock out, Borne said the children also realize they’ve been treated to something created just for them.
“They walk away feeling ‘wow, this is something they did just for us,’ ” Borne said.
"Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 2-4 pm! If you missed Princess Katie and Racer Steve at the Levitt Pavilion this summer, you can catch them at Weston’s Kidstock at the Intermediate School. Tickets are $12 (advanced) and $15 (at the door).
Moms, your kids will love them. Actually, I think you will start bopping around, too! At the kidstock concert this year, one cool mom did “the robot” on stage and at Levitt Pavilion, Princess Katie led a parade of excited, hopping kids all around the picnic area (very interactive show!).
At the end of the show, the kids even got to meet the dynamic duo and the rest of the band. My daughter’s Halloween costumes (princess rock star) this year were heavily influenced by Princess Katie. Don’t miss this show!!!
Visit their website and follow them on twitter @KidsRockMusic."
Tickets: 203.912.1836
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The couple got their start as a band when Katie enlisted Steve to perform with her in New York hospitals and events for at-risk kids. Though they'd never been songwriters, those kids inspired the duo to create something spectacular.
- January 17th at the Providence PAC in Providence, RI
"Part cartoon characters and part high-energy pop band, married couple, Princess Katie &Racer Steve debut at Musikfest Saturday with a show that combines puppets, costumes and animation with every type of musical style you can imagine.
Princess Katie & Racer Steve are one of the highlights of Musikfest's kids' performers and the couple and their band will perform at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. at Banana Island.
Katie, whose background is in improvisational comedy, says she and Steve were inspired to start the band after dressing up as SpongeBob and Spider-Man to cheer up kids at a children's hospital.
''We really got hooked,'' Katie says.
The duo decided to channel their own inner children and began dressing as their favorite characters. Katie discovered she had a natural singing voice and Steve dusted off his guitar. They started writing songs for kids.
''Kids pay attention to characters,'' Steve says. ''We make our shows visually stimulating.''
Their music ranges from surf, swing and mariachi to what Steve calls ''heavy metal-esque.'' ''We make music fun,'' he says."
