Laurie Berkner is an award-winning singer and songwriter who has made a name for herself via her lauded albums and appearances on children's television. On Saturday, October 28, Laurie and her band will perform a "Monster Boogie Halloween Concert" at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. The concert will be suitable for children and guests are encouraged to dress in costumes of their choosing. Tickets range in price from $39 to $100.
Laurie's concerts are known to be high-energy and fun as are her Nick Jr-aired music videos, Sirius XM radio show, and children's book series.
Having previously worked as a music teacher in a preschool, Laurie understands what entertains children which contributed to the success of her self-started record label called Two Tomatoes Records.
Laurie recently discussed the upcoming “Monster Boogie Halloween Concert” and more via an exclusive interview.
Halloween, concerts, and costumes
Meagan Meehan (MM): Are you a big fan of Halloween and how did you celebrate the holiday when you were a kid?
Laurie Berkner (LB): My relationship with Halloween has evolved over the years. I definitely liked it a lot as a kid and really enjoyed coming up with costume ideas. Then, in my twenties, I particularly enjoyed finding cheap, creative, pun-inspired costumes (one year a friend and I each wore black plastic garbage bags and eye masks and went as “The Lone Raisins.” We thought it was even funnier because … well, there were two of us).
Now that I’m a parent to a kid who finds Halloween to be one of the most exciting holidays of the year, I really appreciate just how much of a kids’ holiday it is. From a kid’s perspective, it is really all about them. Candy? Kids. Costumes? Kids. Staying out late on a school night with your friends? Kids. It actually has made me truly love this holiday in a way I never have before because of how child-centered it is.
MM: What inspired you to perform a concert so close to Halloween and how did you secure the venue?
LB: We had an offer to play at The Concert Hall sometime before the end of the year, and since we had already booked Christmas/Hanukkah holiday shows for November and December, I thought it would be fun to also play a concert for Halloween.
MM: What made you decide to let fans dress up for the concert?
LB: It just seemed like it would make the show more fun if the kids came in costume. And of course, because it’s a Halloween show!
MM: Have fans dressed up for your concerts before and what are some of the coolest outfits you've seen?
LB: Some years ago, we asked people to come in their pajamas for our Pajama Party concerts, and we saw some extremely cute pajamas.
MM: What can people expect from the Monster Boogie Halloween Concert?
LB: The whole band will be there, and we will also have some special guest kid-dancers to add a little different element to the performance. Like all of our shows, it will be very interactive so don’t forget to bring an animal for your head, and be prepared to do a lot of dancing!
MM: How will this concert differ from others and are you planning any concerts to celebrate other holidays?
LB: The other shows we are doing from now until the end of the year will be focusing on the more traditional winter holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah. We’ll still be playing our hits, but they will be combined with songs from A Laurie Berkner Christmas, songs for Thanksgiving, and songs for Hanukkah.
Songs, candy, and other projects
MM: Are any of the songs you'll be performing especially fitting for Halloween?
LB: We’ll be playing songs from my catalog that are especially fitting for Halloween like “Monster Boogie,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Superhero,” “Choc-o-lot in my Pock-o-lot,” “This Hat,” and “Moon Moon Moon.” We’ll also play many of the hits that fans are hoping to hear at a Laurie Berkner Band concert.
MM: What other projects are you anticipating and is there anything more that you would like to discuss?
LB: I am about to release a new picture book based on my song “Pillowland.” It's a lullaby/bedtime book with beautiful collage and cut-paper artwork illustrations by Camille Garoche, coming out on November 7th. The release celebration is at The Guggenheim on Saturday, November 4th where I will read the book and sing the song, and there will also be an art activity inspired by the illustrations for the kids to participate in. Another fun project coming up is that I wrote the music for a new off-Broadway family musical being produced by New York City Children’s Theater called “Interstellar Cinderella.” It opens in November and runs until just before Christmas at the Beckett Theatre in Manhattan.
It’s based on a picture book by Deborah Underwood, and the script was written by NYCCT’s Barbara Zinn Krieger. We just had our auditions for the cast and saw some amazingly talented actors and singers, so I’m very excited to see it come to life!
MM: Now for the final, and biggest, the question--what is your favorite kind of Halloween candy?!
LB: AH! It has to be candy corn! I don’t really eat candy, but every year I take two candy corns and stick them on my canines and do a sinister “mwahhhahhaha” laugh. It just wouldn’t be Halloween without it!
