Live music at the Depot this weekend promises family fun

Nothing beats live music. Classical fans know a radio or CD can’t replicate the richness of the Hall. Touring band fans appreciate the improvisation you only hear live when the musicians go “off script” in concert. For me, the best part of live music is seeing the excitement and joy it brings to my wife’s face — she lights up.

The last time we went to a concert together, she was all energy, almost giddy. Once the band started to play, she was smiling, radiating, and singing along. My son and I were excited too — probably feeding off of her spirit — but it was clear that if prizes were awarded for fun, she’d take gold.

Now before you ask yourself why my wife and I were dragging our son to a concert and what else this might imply about his upbringing, consider that it was actually he who dragged us to the show. That’s right, my wife is a kid-pop groupie.

In fairness to her, and to the scores of moms and dads in the audience for the Justin Roberts concert that day, nothing beats live music. And when life dictates that your days of spending $100 a ticket and driving back from Fairfax or Washington, D.C. after midnight must end, you take what you can get. If that’s catchy kid tunes at 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning in a coffee shop, it is what it is … it’s fun.

Being in a family has never been harder (my mother’s theory, but I agree). We spend so much energy trying to find balance in our lives, but today’s family life offers no relief. As parents, we’re constantly competing with our children for time: wasting our time driving them around to countless practices and wasting their’s with annoyances like after-hour work calls. It’s no wonder waiting for marriage and kids has become the norm.

But there are occasions when it all comes together; when you can enjoy the company of those who love you the most and figure out how to share time rather than fight for it. My wife knows the secret to that nirvana, even if it’s no longer Nirvana.

This weekend offers one such opportunity. Parents will have the chance to listen to live music and share that joy with our children when Rocknoceros plays the Depot on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. They may not be Dave Matthews, but the trio from Northern Virginia is a crowd favorite across the D.C. region.

Kids Place Live calls Rocknoceros "whimsical and wondrous.” NPR says the band plays "an outstanding mix of folk and rock ... literate songs ... poppy approach ... multi-generational appeal." Sounds perfect for the whole family.

If you’d rather check the band out for yourself, you can do so by visiting their website rocknoceros.com or find them on Facebook (one thing about kid bands, they all seem to know how to use social media).

The show kicks off Culpeper Renaissance Inc.’s new “Snow Much Fun” winter entertainment series. Admission is $5 for all attendees over the age of 1. There will also be pizza and G-rated beverages for sale.

Clement’s column runs every Monday. He lives in downtown Culpeper. Email jclements@gmail.com.