Product Review: Caspar Babypants CD Hot Dog! (All Ages)

“Sweet, Simple and Incredibly Smart Minimalistic Music for Your Mini-Me” – USA TODAY

Funny and true story when I was around 22 or 23 years of age. My husband (then boyfriend), several friends and I attended an outdoor free concert where Concrete Blonde was playing as was a multitude of bands including The Presidents of the United States. As we gathered around and danced and genuinely had an awesome time grooving to the tunes some random fellow came up and said, ‘Here! Take this backstage pass’. I looked over as the guy walked away then turned to my boyfriend and friends and said, “Should I go?” OF COURSE they all said. Except Bob who unenthusiastically gave his blessing. I feigned ignorance and decided to go backstage. To be honest, it was quite boring. Besides the free food and multitude of groupies trying to get a word in edge-wise with Concrete Blonde and Presidents of the United States, I slunk back and enjoyed the free food and drinks. Just as I was heading out of the tent area the lead singer, Chris Ballew, came up and said they were going to hang out at some club in a bit and invited me to go. I thanked him, politely declined and wished him a nice time and told him that I enjoyed the set and that was the end of that. Except, my boyfriend was super P-Oed when I came out! Apparently an hour (I swear it was only 20 minutes or so!) had passed in the boring backstage tent and he had all kinds of crazy thoughts running in his head. To this day we laugh about it and when I told him that Chris now headed a kid’s band called Caspar Babypants, he teased me and asked if I was reviewing my ‘boyfriend’s music’. To which, I smartly replied, Yes!

This CD is so much fun and the opening track Sugar Ant (about, what else, Ants eating Sugar) got me hooked at the beginning. The repeated lyrics are perfect for Brooke who loves to sing the words and she is decidedly crazy about the groovy chorus of Stompy the Bear. Yes, this is the simple grungy type of music of my youth which really isn’t that far off from Lump or Peaches hits of his band from back in the day. Maybe he always created kid songs but grooved it enough that got teens and young adults excited. Well, Caspar Babypants, I dig it and next time (if there ever is a next time) we see you in concert let’s all take our families out for pizza and soda after your show. That would make our day!

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