Rocknoceros Rings in the Holidays with Festive Family Sing-Alongs This December

Washington, DC's award-winning power pop trio for kids and families -- Rocknoceros -- will ring in the holidays with three days of festive family sing-alongs!

Rocknoceros will bring holiday cheer to sing-alongs at the Smithsonian Discovery Theater, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, DC on Thursday & Friday, December 17 & 18 with two shows each day at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The Discovery Theater shows are presented in partnership with Jammin' Java.

Then at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, Rocknoceros will present their Eighth Annual Holiday Sing-along Shows at Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna, VA.

The very jolliest of holiday parties is in store for families at Rocknoceros' shows. They'll deck the halls with tinsel, a tree, and holiday lights, and, at the Jammin' Java shows, Mrs. Claus will make her annual, merry-making appearance. A special Rockoceros tradition is to invite kids to share, via written notes hung on the tree during their shows, either a wish or a gift they'd like for the holiday season.

Rocknoceros will lead audiences in singing such seasonal favorites as "Up on the Housetop, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Jingle Bells," and even a Grateful Dead-like treatment of "The Dreidel Song," many of which can be heard on the new Rocknoceros holiday album, Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros! Of course, there will be plenty of Rockno classics, including "Colonel Purple Turtle" (a whimsical number about our favorite purple turtle), "Pink" (reflecting the rosy color of pigs, bubble gum, and selected flowers known as perennials), and "The United States of America" (from the band's very first CD). Families will also be treated to an array of "U.S. state-themed" songs from the band's album, Plymouth Rockers.

As virtually every family with youngsters in the DC area knows, Rocknoceros is three guys: Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie. Rocknoceros is the only show in town where families can catch a one-man-band setting the pace for a power trio, with Boogie Woogie Bennie playing the drums with his feet while his two hands are busy with the keyboard and keyboard bass. (And he sings, too!) When this one-man groove machine teams up with the guitar pyrotechnics of Williebob and the vocal prowess of Coach Cotton, the result is a triple-threat, bell-ringing explosion of power pop American energy and talent.

Rocknoceros has been at the forefront of the Washington, DC children's music scene since its inception, winning a remarkable eight Washington Area Music Awards. The band is a full-time commitment for the trio, which has performed upward of 2,000 shows for families over the past ten years, singing and playing all original compositions (with an occasional Beatles cover thrown in for good measure). In its first decade as a band, Rocknoceros has entertained tens of thousands of fans throughout the country and has gained significant national recognition with performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Wolf Trap, and The Kennedy Center. In addition to this year's Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros! and Plymouth Rockers, Rocknoceros albums include Colonel Purple Turtle (2011, with an accompanying picture book), the NAPPA award-winning PINK! (2009), Dark Side of the Moon Bounce (2007), and Rocknoceros (2006).

WHAT: Rocknoceros Rings in the Holidays with Four Family Sing-alongs

WHERE: Smithsonian Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 3rd Sublevel, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, DC 20024

WHEN: Thursday, December 17 and Friday, December 18. Two shows each day:10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

ADMISSION: Child: $6 Child under two: $3. Adult: $8 Smithsonian Associate Member: $5.

INFO: 202-633-8700 or The Discovery Theater website

WHAT: Rocknoceros Rings in the Holidays with Eighth Annual Jammin' Java Family Sing-along Shows

WHERE: Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna, VA 22180

WHEN: Saturday, December 19. Two shows: 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

ADMISSION: $10

TO ORDER TICKETS BY PHONE: 877-987-6487

INFO: 703-255-1566 or The Jammin' Java website

Check out Rocknoceros's website at www.rocknoceros.com

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