At home with mömandpöp.
Okay, there probably won’t be any actual pizza involved, but I’m betting this song gets played at least once. There may be encores.
mömandpöp isn’t “kid rock.” The band’s “Comeback Special” may be aimed at the shorter short people in our lives — and younger kids really do love it — but the musical variety show quickly transcends. Husband and wife duo Bobby and Virginia Matthews are terrific writers with a knack for improv and a gift for crafting infectious pop ditties so full of love and life they defy easy categorization. If you’re physically able to take your kids (or somebody’s kids!) to see mömandpöp at GPAC Saturday, you really should. If you don’t have access to kids, you’ll have to go it alone. It’s only 50-minutes. You won’t be sorry.
The gimmick goes something like this. Once upon a time mömandpöp were rock stars, but they abandoned all that to become plain old mom and pop. Now after many (many, many, many) years off the scene, they’re pulling their British Invasion/folk revival-inspired act out act out of mothballs and retooling it for younger listeners. Think Schoolhouse Rock meets the Partridge Family, but more mod 60’s than groovy 70’s.
Click the video below to listen to one of my favorites. (Okay, my very favorite. But “A Week in the Life” is also pretty spectacular. So is “Take Care.”)
Mömandpöp Bring a Rocking ‘Pizza Party’ to GPAC (2)
So good.
The Matthews family has deep roots in Memphis. Bobby was an art teacher here and played alongside the Grifters’ Tripp Lamkins and Stan Gallimore in a band called Dragoon. Virginia worked with Voices of the South for years, composing original music for the company’s shows and developing original scripts like An Old Forest Fairy Tale.
For event details and tickets click here. To watch a deeply silly (and wonderful) reenactment of old ladies in tennis shoes saving Overton Park, click below.
Mömandpöp Bring a Rocking ‘Pizza Party’ to GPAC (3)