A Hit At All Levels
Lonnquist entertains both young and old listeners
By Bill Liveck, The Janesville Gazette, August 19, 2004
Ken Lonnquist sings about clean water and clean air. He also sings about dirty politics and hypocritical politicians. At other times, he dons his children’s-entertainer hat and performs songs that amuse both kids and their parents.
Like a chameleon or a shape shifter, Lonnquist has the ability to change his stage persona to fit the situation --- the environmental folksinger that morphs into the performer of political satire or, as the need arises, the consummate family entertainer.
But he'’s not especially fond of mixing the three roles in a single performance.
“"It’'s hard to try to sing about the seasons or the woods and maybe some topical political songs, and then suddenly veer into ‘The Jaws Of A Crocodile’”," Lonnquist said. "“This is just a dilemma I keep having to work out.”"
These days, Lonnquist is best known for his witty, family-oriented songs.
For the past decade, he’'s been one of the state’'s most popular performers of children’s music, although his multi-tiered lyrics also appeal to adults.
“"You don’'t have to be a kid or have kids to enjoy my kids’ songs,”" Lonnquist said. “"They'’re songs with messages that kids would miss. Frankly, if I did'n’t write kids’ songs that have at least a little bit of multi-tiered lyrical content, I think I would just be bored out of my skull.”
“I think that’'s what makes the parents enjoy what I do, as well. There’'s usually something going on that they laugh at that the kids aren'’t getting, and that’'s what keeps me entertained. It’'s really fun to delight the kids, but it’s even more fun to have this kind of multiple-dialogue going on and see the adults laughing and winking and elbowing each other, and it’'s all over the kids’ heads.”"
Lonnquist was better known back in the late 1980’s and early ‘90s as an environmental performer and writer of political satire. He was a frequent guest or show host on WORT Community Radio in Madison, where his banter could be as entertaining as his earthy songs and clever topical material.
But sometime in the early ‘90s the acoustic club scene in Madison “began to sort of dry up,” Lonnquist recalled. A fire destroyed the popular Club de Wash and there seemed to be less demand for folk music. At about the same time, Lonnquist released two albums of children’'s music, “Welcome 2 Kenland” and “Old Befana”.
“"Those were so popular,"” Lonnquist said. “"They really struck a chord with the family audience, and that’'s where the demand was. It just seemed that I got fewer and fewer calls for the adult stuff and more and more calls for the kids’ material. And the more I answered those calls, the more I was seen doing that stuff.”"
“"When you'’re seen doing something, you get more calls for it, and maybe your identity shifts,”" he explained. “"I have people now who are surprised to hear that I do more than just the children'’s music.”"
Lonnquist added he’'s not complaining. He loves performing family material. "“It'’s a good problem to have. I don'’t ever want to be ungrateful for having some material that somebody really wants to hear. That’s a good thing.”"
But he admits to a bit of “benign frustration” that his adult material isn'’t as in demand as his kids’ songs. "“I have felt some dismay at times that I have all these songs that I enjoy doing, but I’'m not doing them,”" Lonnquist said. “"And then I see all these singers who are doing the folk venues and I’'m not among them, and I feel like, ‘'This isn’'t right’,' but I’m too busy doing my thing to correct that problem.”"
Lonnquist said, though, that might be changing. He’'s in the initial stages of putting together a kind of club act, with percussionists Todd Steward and Doug Normington and bassist Henry Boehm.
“"We'’re just developing it,”" Lonnquist said.
In the meantime, he’s busy refining his latest family production, “"Salto'’s Horrible Hiccups"”.
