On Sunday, December 15th, children’s music star Laurie Berkner performed at The Paramount in Huntington for a great turnout.
This show featured her “Greatest Hits” coupled with her holiday songs.
Berkner kicked off her set with her singalong tune “Victor Vito” and immediately broke into the upbeat and joyful “Jingle Bells,” prior to blasting off with “Rocketship Run.”
Over the years, “Waiting for the Elevator” has become a staple in her live shows, and rightfully so, due to its catchy nature.
Equally impressive was “I Live Inside A Snowglobe (Shake It Up)” and the holiday ditties “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
Chipmunk At The Gas Pump” was simply hilarious and she continued with a refreshing, up-tempo take of “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel.”
Berkner encouraged the kindie crowd to place their favorite stuffed animals during “Pig on Her Head” and she acknowledged some of them that she saw from the stage.
She segued into “I’m Gonna Catch You,” which is one of this journalist’s favorite songs of Ms. Berkner.
“We are going to deck these halls and we are going to deck them with beach balls,” she said, and the children went wild in the best way possible.
She was able to “Deck the Halls” in a true timeless and nostalgic fashion, where she proved that her crystalline vocals are too good to be mortal. The beach ball drop was enjoyable for all, parents and children alike.
Berkner subsequently turned her fans into “fish” and serenaded them to “The Goldfish (Let’s Go Swimming).”
In honor of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, she performed “Christmas Lights,” which was a real treat (especially since she was able to celebrate all the December holidays in her show).
She closed with her signature song “We Are the Dinosaurs,” was felt like the national children’s anthem at The Paramount.
Encore
For her encore, the children’s music queen came back to the stage, where she sang a medley of songs that included the fun “I Know A Chicken,” as well as “Buzz Buzz,” which is this journalist’s all-time favorite tune in her catalog.
It was followed by “My Bunny Goes Hop” and the stirring “Moon Moon Moon” in a cappella fashion. No holiday show of hers is complete without “Candy Cane Jane” and she was able to move her audience on an emotional level with the poignant “My Family,” prior to sending them off with “Goodnight.”
After the heart-warming “My Family,” she closed on a fitting note with “Goodnight,” where she left her young fans and their families wanting to hear more.
The Verdict
Overall, Laurie Berkner was sublime at The Paramount in Huntington, and her show was engaging, positive, and a great deal of fun.
Berkner is the Alison Krauss equivalent in the children’s music department. She is highly recommended seeing in a live setting, where she is solo or with her band. Her holiday show at The Paramount garnered an A rating. Well done.
For more information on Laurie Berkner and her music, visit her official website and Facebook page.
