Beth & Scott and Friends Live in Concert!

Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH -- School Library Journal, 3/25/2008

Beth & Scott and Friends Live in Concert! DVD. 42 min. with CD. Bierko Prods. (bethandscott.net). 2007. $25.

PreS-Gr 3–In Beth and Scott Bierko’s playful, high-energy concert, the 10-song set opens with “Sing, Sing, Singin’” (an audience participation song featuring Scott on guitar and Beth and Scott harmonizing). Most of the songs emphasize audience participation and were composed by the duo: “Laundry Mountain” (an action song about cleaning dirty clothes), “I Don’t Want to Go to Bed Right Now” (featuring Scott hamming it up as a kid not wanting to turn in for the night), “Not So Friendly Monsters” (visual cues help the audience participate), “One in a Million” (a celebration of sameness and differences, sung in English and Spanish), and “Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams” (a ballad). Among the other songs that they make their own are “Put Your Hands Up in the Air” (by Hap Palmer) and “State Laughs” (by John Forster). On several selections, children from the audience join the Bierkos on stage. Recorded in an auditorium, the sound quality is well controlled. Steady filming from multiple camera viewpoints offer smooth transitions as they switch, zooming in, out, and around for variety during the performance. The DVD includes a bonus song, “Can You Kazoo?,” and an interview with the performers. The CD includes all the songs on the DVD. This quality production will garner many new fans for the Bierkos.