To Brady Rymer, kids are all right

When Brady Rymer takes the stage Saturday morning at the Santa Monica Pier, he’ll undoubtedly be in better spirits than his last time in L.A. Although the show marks his local debut as a family music performer, he played in town in the ‘90s as a member of the East Coast jam-pop group From Good Homes. Those stressful industry showcases don’t bring the best memories.

“I remember driving in the van with the guys,” Rymer said from his eastern Long Island home, “having huge arguments and me jumping out and saying, ‘I’ll see you back at the hotel.’ ”

Although Rymer didn’t actually jump out of the van then, the band did dissolve a few years later. Around that same time, he and his wife were expecting their first child and Rymer found himself writing songs with words he had never used before: “nest,” “home,” “father” and “mother.” These songs wound up being kids’ tunes that he eventually recorded and passed along to friends. When his son entered preschool, Rymer would perform there, and soon the kids gigs started multiplying.

“Within a couple months, I had a lot of jobs playing for children -- in schools, day cares, YMCAs. I was thrown really quickly into that whole world,” he said, adding with a chuckle: “You learn pretty fast when you’re in front of 20 preschoolers.”

Rymer found it easy to translate From Good Homes’ upbeat sound to a younger audience. He also discovered that creating children’s music is a liberating experience. “You can write about anything. It frees you up,” Rymer explained. “Then when you get in front of the kids, it’s the immediate transfer of energy. They just boom, explode, and you’re off to the races.”

Not every show has been a walk in the park. Rymer not so fondly remembered an early trial-by-fire experience -- a veritable “kids’ music boot camp” -- where he performed at a day-care center from 9 a.m. until noon. And then there was the birthday party where all the children ran off to play except the birthday boy. “Bombing anywhere is a bad feeling, but it can be pretty embarrassing doing it at a kids’ party. I’ve come close to entering the bouncy castle with my guitar.”

Rymer had already released a pair of children’s music discs when Bruce Springsteen ignited grander aspirations in him. After the Boss performed “Twist and Shout” and “Seven Nights to Rock” at his 2003 Shea Stadium show, Rymer marveled that it was the best family concert he would ever attend. “It had the right spirit, right optimism and right energy.”

Despite some trepidation about being in a band again, Rymer’s Little Band That Could came about organically. He met singer-accordionist Claudia Mussen in the park where their kids played, and his son went to the same preschool as singer-mandolinist Liz Queler and keyboardist Seth Farber’s son. The band (which also includes the rhythm section of bassist Jeff Allen and drummer Chris Roselli) supplies Rymer’s tunes with a buoyant, easygoing groove.

Their current album, “Every Day Is a Birthday,” is a festive affair filled with boppy tunes geared to entertain the young ones but with enough rock ‘n’ roll soul to satisfy the parents. Songs such as “Dilly Dally Daisy” and “Keep Up With You” lightheartedly assay family dynamics, while “Rock ‘n’ Roll Mother Goose” cleverly rewrites traditional nursery rhymes. He also fashions the title track into a multilingual anthem that has an “All You Need Is Love”-like vibe.

The record garnered family music honors and attracted the attention of the folks at Children’s Dimetapp, who were looking for a kids’ performer to headline their Breathe & Boogie Tour. “We were impressed with his energy, his remarkable talent as a musician,” said Milicent Brooks, senior manager of public affairs at Wyeth Consumer Healthcare (Dimetapp’s parent company). “And the fact that he is a father of two made the decision to work with him and his band an easy one.”

Corporate sponsorship has long been part of the rock ‘n’ roll world. (Remember the controversy when Jovan Perfume backed the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You tour in 1981?) But it’s relatively new to the kids’ music scene. Dan Zanes has gotten tour support from companies such as Annie’s Homegrown organic foods, and Ralph Covert did a big tour under the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies banner. The popularity of children’s music has been growing in recent years, so it’s only natural that corporate ad dollars are jumping on the bandwagon.

For the Breathe & Boogie show, Rymer plans to mix in a couple of songs (“We Are the Sniffles” and “Healthy Livin’ ”) that he penned specifically for this tour with older numbers and new tunes from his forthcoming album, “Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could.” The free event features his performance, activity stations for arts and crafts, dancing and games. The booths, Rymer noted, will close down during the concert -- so happily there will be no bouncy castle-style battles.

weekend@latimes.com

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The Breathe & Boogie Tour

Featuring Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could

Where: Santa Monica Pier

When: Activities 9 a.m. to noon, concert at 10 a.m. Saturday

Price: Free

Contact: www.bradyrymer.com