Check the calendar often for more upcoming shows!
When you have kids, there are many things from your pre-kid life you must bid farewell to. Gone are the lazy Saturdays sleeping in, the impromptu date nights, the clean home free of plastic clutter. In its place you add new adventures and new joys, so it’s not all doom and gloom. But it’s easy to miss those carefree days back when you were cool, while sitting at home watching another episode of Bluey.
But what if there was a way to do something your younger child-free self would find very cool AND do that with the kids in tow?
Thankfully, First Ave gets it. 
Yes, that’s right, the music venue that brings us rock legends like Joan Jett and Prince is also a great place to take kids!
How, you might ask?
With the First Ave Rock and Roll Playhouse!
The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a concert series just for families hosted at historic music venues across the country, and First Ave happens to be our local spot! The goal of this series is to give space for kids to move, play, and dance (as kids do) while listening to iconic rock music. This means the music is not “kid music.” The bands at these concerts are performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, like Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and, in the case of the most recent show I attended with my family, Taylor Swift!
The Rock and Roll Playhouse band sets up an environment where families with kids of all ages can enjoy the music in their own way. The music is kept at a lower volume, the lights come on between songs, and there are plenty of stories and games throughout the concert to keep kids engaged. The Rock and Roll Playhouse knows this is likely your child’s first experience with live music and they want their experience to be a positive one.
And it was! My kids are still talking about the time they got to go to their first REAL concert. And the grownups were delighted to get out of the house for something they enjoyed, too! If this sounds like your kind of adventure, read through these details to find out more about the experience and prepare for your next Rock and Roll Playhouse show.
With the downtown venue, we knew we didn’t want to worry about parking so we reserved a parking spot at a nearby garage through Spot Hero. Then it was an easy walk through the skyway and down to the venue. Doors opened a half hour before the show which gave plenty of time to get acquainted with the space but not feel overwhelmed. The bar was open for adults and snacks and drinks for kids. Before the band began, music kept the audience engaged and let kids warm up their dancing feet. Don’t forget to visit the station for signing your own star that represents your first First Ave show experience. And of course find a favorite artist on the star mural outside to pose with your star!
I brought my kids ages ten, eight, and four to the show and all of them wer entertained. The four-year-old loved having space to move and dance, the eight-year-old loved the balloons bouncing around and the parachute. And the ten-year-old thought she was so cool to get to hear real live music– and her favorite artist’s music at that! While there we saw babies in carriers all the way up to kids hanging out on their own at corner tables. Staff was also quick to point out where to go for a sensory break as well as suggestions for wearing headphones if the noise was too much.
The show was just long enough to give us the highlights of our favorite songs but finished in an hour just when everyone was getting antsy and ready for lunch. After learning the art of the encore, we ended our experience and found lunch across the street at Gluek’s Bar and Restaurant.
We had such a great time, I’m already planning when we can take our next visit! Check the calendar often for more upcoming shows! Like I said, music choices for everyone!
