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They're Jammin'
Steve Rossi, who performs under the name Mr. Knick Knack, plays guitar and sings to children, parents and grandparents at Jammin' Java.
(Photos By Gerald Martineau -- The Washington Post)
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For its part, Jammin' Java has made a few changes to accommodate the younger crowd, including a menu that includes standard kids' fare: juice boxes, fruit, bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Fig Newtons. The club is always smoke-free. The performance space is well lit and offers unobstructed views of the dance floor, making it a good design for its daytime habitues. A few mothers noted that a diaper changing station in the bathroom would be a welcome addition.
A Knick Knack show has been added on Monday afternoons at 4:15 -- a quiet time, thought Rossi, who originally planned to use the slot to try out new material.
"It was such an odd, off hour, I didn't expect anyone to show up -- it's the witching hour, after all," says Rossi, referring to the time of day between naptime and dinner when children are prone to meltdown and parents are frazzled or worn down.
And yet the word of his appearance spread through the parenting grapevine, and more and more families started showing up.
On a recent Monday afternoon there were 30 children catching his show. Rossi's original songs have a definite rock edge and reflect his Knick Knackian worldview, with themes that lean heavily toward family, love and children. He says his signature song, "My Heart Is Like a Family," resonates with his audiences because the message -- about relating to others as family -- is "so true and beneficial."
"Parents come back all the time because they enjoy it -- yes, there's a message, but there's also a serious rock 'n' roll song they can relate to."
Rossi closes the show with "The Alphabet Song," a rousing singalong that incorporates "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." His shirt and hair are soaked with sweat after the 45-minute set. The children clamor for more, and he does not disappoint. He says he likes to send them home happy. Springsteen's got nothing on Knick Knack in the encore department, as Rossi keeps belting them out, even after the mothers have begun to pack up the diaper bags and drag out the strollers. Finally, the children are cajoled or pulled off the dance floor by parents, the spell broken, with Mr. Knick Knack's closing lines -- "You guys are the show!" -- still ringing in their ears.
JAMMIN' JAVA -- 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. Jammin' Java offers free children's concerts weekdays at 10:30. Mr. Knick Knack performs Thursdays at 10:30 and Mondays at 4:15. Call 703-255-1566 or visithttp:/
