Community Corner
Grammy-Nominated Justin Roberts, ‘the Judy Blume of Kiddie Rock,’ to Perform
Performances will benefit the West Des Moines Historical Society.
Grammy nominated musician Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players will present two benefit concerts later this month for the West Des Moines Historical Society.
ABOUT THE SHOW: Performances are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, on the Bennett School lawn. In case of rain, the shows move inside to the Valley Southwoods Gymnasium.Gates open at 10 a.m. and the Valley Boosters will sell food and drink from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Jordan Creek Elementary School. Tickets are $10 for adults over 13 and $5 for children. Children 2 and younger get in free. Buy tickets.
Roberts’ album “Junge Gym” was nominated in the “best musical album for children” category in the 2011 Grammy Awards. The Chicago-based musician has also won six National Parenting Publications Gold Awards, six Parents’ Choice Gold Awards and the praise of critics:
“A master of conjuring up images that resonate with the young ones,” wrote Entertainment Weekly.
“He has the remarkable quality to see through a child’s eyes … the Judy Blume of kiddie rock,” said the New York Times.
“Hands down the best songwriter in the genre,” USA Today wrote.
Roberts’ shows are lively, bringing children to their feet, and he is regarded as one of the “all-stars” of the indie family music scene. He logs thousands of miles on the road each year, leading some to call him the hardest working man in children’s show business.
Historical Society Founded in !970
The the idea of a West Des Moines Historical Society was hatched in 1968 as plans were being made for the city’s Diamond Jubilee, according to a news release. The organization was officially established two years later with a mission to educate, to preserve, and to promote the heritage and history of West Des Moines.
Toward that end, the society purchased the Jordan House in 1978 and it has since been transformed into a museum, thanks to the generosity of businesses and civic organizations. The major initial restoration was completed in 1993, West Des Moines centennial year.
Since that time, the society has also acquired and restored the Bennett School, the last of the one-room schoolhouses built and used in West Des Moines.
These two facilities, together with the growing collections of memorabilia and historical information form the core of the West Des Moines Historical Society’s collection.
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