SMALL PAUL ROCKED AT KIDZAPALOOZA
Kidzapalooza, a little oasis in the splendidly shaded side of Grant Park at Lollapalooza, was a haven for the Millennial kid over the three-day long festival. Where the headliners brought in droves of drunken sunburned rockers, Kidzapalooza provided an atmosphere to create a new fan base and possibly the next rebel rock stars, with guest performances by co-founder Perry Ferrell and the resilient Patti Smith.
Herds of hipster kids, sporting two-tone fluorescent mohawks, came out to the Small Paul tent, a main sponsor of the event, where they received some of their first tattoos by our very own Paul Frank artists. Characters like Skurvy, Julius, Dic the Whale, and Cozy Molar adorned tiny biceps and belly buttons.
But the main attraction was the organic tote screening, where a new generation helped pull the squeegee across a Paul Frank custom "Reduce, Recycle, Reuse" screen, which was then decked out with Small Paul stickers and buttons.
Some of the most energenic festival-goers got in for free, if they were under ten, and had free range of an instrument petting zoo, lessons from Paul Green's School of Rock, hip hop and break dance instruction, and the chance to decorate a massive Gibson guitar with Julius and Skurvy stencils.
Although it was hot, it didn't keep the crowds away and after three days of moshpits and music chaos, another batch of kids was exposed to what their parents have grown up with: alternative music, expression, and way of mind.
"It's not going to be all 'paint your face' and 'hang on to a balloon," said Perry Ferrell about Kidzapalooza, "It's going to be like one giant art piece."
And it was.
