Sunday, August 14, 2:00p
Concerts in the Park: Ratboy Jr.
A rockin’ duo for the whole fam!
at Stamford’s Veterans Memorial Park
Main Street & Railroad Avenue, Stamford
Free, Donations Accepted
Ratboy Jr. is singer/guitarist Timmy and multi-tasker extraordinaire Matty (he plays drums and keyboards at the same time!). Hailing from New Paltz, they have a knack for blurring the lines and pushing the boundaries between music for kids and music for adults, so that it becomes EVERYONE’S music. Whether it’s playing in a park or releasing a split album with the singer of the Dead Milkmen, Ratboy Jr. likes to provide a soundtrack for a space focused on creativity and imagination.
The two-man rock band performs its catchy (and often improvised) tunes with a side of onstage banter. They have opened for the Levon Helm Band and have played at such festivals as Mountain Jam (NY), Top of the Park (MI), The Green River Festival (MA), The LEAF Festival (NC), Clearwater Festival (NY), Strange Creek (NY), and Winter Hoot (NY). In addition to festivals, Ratboy Jr can be found playing or leading workshops at schools, libraries, fairs, parties, farmers markets, etc. They also have played at such venues as Symphony Space (NYC), CBGB’s Gallery (NYC), World Cafe Live (PA), Bearsville Theater (NY), and this year they are exciting to add Stamford’s Veteran’s Memorial Park to this list!
Ratboy Jr,’s third full length album, Hamster Pants, recently won a Parent’s Choice award. Their music has won many awards and appeared on some great “best of year” lists. Ratboy Jr. has also been very fortunate to receive a lot of recognition from the press including Scholastic Magazine. Here’s what others had to say:
“Hamster Pants from Ratboy Jr. is rocking silly fun that solidifies the band’s’ place among the best kindie songwriters today.” —Kids Corner /WXPN
“Hamster Pants is the kind of album you’ll want on the days when the world stops making sense, and your family needs a little absurdity to get through the day.” —Parents Choice Award
Timmy and Matty have jammed with biggies like the Ramones and Pete Seeger. Today the pint-size set can hear their infectious tunes about garbage men and banana stands. —Time Out NY
“If Calvin & Hobbes had a soundtrack, this would be it.” —Boston Children’s Music Review
“Their easy, self-effacing rapport, along with the comedic-but-substantial arrangements, remind me quite a lot of Flight of the Conchords. Ratboy, Jr.’s take on kids’ rock has always been surreal and absurdist more than moralistic and didactic.” —Almanac Weekly
“Ratboy Jr. makes the kind of music that adults enjoy too. It’s creative, clever and it’s just good music.” —Kids Almanac
“Ratboy Jr’s Ween-esque, intergalactic folk music is paired with curious subject matter like eating clouds, high five-ing shadows, big-headed Mexican wrestling hopefuls, space fuzz, and guitar pickin’ chickens. This album is every bit as funny as it is fun.” —Out With The Kids
“I’ve always appreciated the low-key offbeat humor of New York duo Ratboy Jr. They sing songs that would remind you of Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein if they were both gentler and perhaps a little less sentimental.” —Zooglobble
“Ratboy Jr. at first sounds simple — but once you listen a little, you realize that simplicity is deceptive. Looping and good natured, it’s goofy stuff that will make you smile and will probably make your kids crack up.” —Spare the Rock
“Ratboy Jr. rocks it hard with the hip sensibilities of the coolest indie garage-influenced bands. To get a quick aural snapshot, imagine R.E.M., Lou Reed, Weezer, Cake, Beastie Boys, etc. singing about monsters, backyard camping, breakfast, upside down worlds, puppets, and eating clouds. Yeah, it’s pretty wild stuff!” —AXS
“Charmingly ragged harmonies, warm brass, and a slightly jammy aesthetic all add up to a wonderfully down-to-earth listening experience that manages to feel as expansive as any Phish record while keeping every song under four minutes” —Dadnabbit
“Ratboy Jr. should be the official Kindie rock summer soundtrack” —Nugget Island