A rocker fires up the young set

With his whiskey rasp, whippet-thin frame and wild shock of gravity-defying hair, stone rock ‘n’ roller Dan Zanes, former frontman for the 1980s alt-rock band the Del Fuegos, would seem an unlikely candidate for Raffi territory.

Try telling that to the avid fans -- toddlers, preschoolers and parents -- who bounced up and down to “All Around the Kitchen,” sang along to “Pay Me My Money Down,” and “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Yuh” and rocked out to a smokin’ “Hokey Pokey” at Schoenberg Hall this weekend, during UCLA Live’s “Dan Zanes and Friends” family concert.

In fact, Zanes has not only crossed over, recording four of the best family CDs around (with such guest artists as Suzanne Vega, Deborah Harry, Lou Reed, Sandra Bernhard and Sheryl Crow), he’s enriching the field with his dance-party, hootenanny for the 21st century-style live performances.

This cool artist, who plays electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica and autoharp, combines uncompromising vocal and instrumental artistry and a muscular pop beat with an all-embracing, downright homespun performance style that harks back to the days when sing-alongs in the parlor brought families and friends together.

In his dynamite weekend tour stop at UCLA, Zanes was joined in his signature mix of original work, classic and multicultural folk, pop and early 20th century Tin Pan Alley (he ended the set with a surprisingly moving, sing-along rendition of “The Sidewalks of New York”) by John Doe, from L.A.’s seminal punk-rock band X; dance club rapper Rankin’ Don, a.k.a. Father Goose; Yoshi Waki on bass, Rachelle Garniez on accordion, Mitchell Froom on piano and Zanes’ co-songwriter and vocalist Barbara Brousal.