Mr. Knick Knack!
Reston, Virginia, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Mr. Knick-Knack is a big hit with little kids! He’s a folk singer who performs every Monday for local kids at Reston Town Center. His folksy songs, vibrant personality, and positive messages will resonate with kids and parents. Many families come back every week to catch Mr. Knick-Knack’s show! - Oakton Patch.com
Mr. Knick Knack is a local man, born and bred in Northern Virginia. He sings and plays the guitar to the enchantment of little children. Mr. Knick Knack’s shows are free for everyone to enjoy and he plays at different locations throughout the area, so you’re sure to be able to catch him somewhere close to your home. Check his calendar for details.
My daughter and I enjoy him Mondays at Reston Town Center Pavilion with about a hundred other children and their caretakers. Mr. Knick Knack sings songs that we are all familiar with – recently when I arrived he was singing the ABC song, and soon after hearing him, I was too. Of course he sings “This Old Man” and other classics like “Bingo”, complete with hand clapping. While singing, Mr. Knick Knack is always surrounded by his adoring fans who clap, sing, dance, scream, laugh and have a wonderful time.
Dispersed throughout the pavilion are parents, grandparents and babysitters standing or sitting on benches, blankets, or just the cement – and yes, we are all singing and clapping right along with Mr. Knick Knack and his loyal fans. It would take more effort to resist.
As his time winds down, milk and cookies are provided, free of charge. It is quite a stampede; parents might want to walk their children over to the area so no one gets hurt. I have only been to the Reston location, so I don’t know if milk and cookies follow all of his shows.
While Mr. Knick Knack sings all the same kid songs you’ve heard ad nauseam, he does have a different angle on the whole “being a kid” thing. At my first concert I heard him asking individual children to shout out some of their fears – spiders, the dark, monsters – and then he sang a happy song about facing fear and used some of the children’s phobias in the song.
I can picture those kids, later that evening, lying in the dark, staring at their scary closet and wondering just how many monsters are in there, then, singing Mr. Knick Knack’s fear song, they feel resilient enough to just roll over and sleep peacefully. - Examiner.com
Think your preschoolers can't tell the difference between a "kid's act" that is just on the circuit to score easy gigs (and easy money) and a genuine, unaffected musician who truly cares about them? Think again! We've been a Knick Knack family for some time now, and we believe he represents the best in kid's entertainment. Happily, Mr. Knick Knack's talent is as genuine as his heart. Everyone loves the old standards, sure (Wheels on the Bus, anyone?), but Mr. Knick Knack is at his best when his original songs dominate the setlist. - Parents Connect
Mr. Knick Knack, one of the area's best-loved children's musicians, was born and raised in Northern Virginia. With just his guitar and his voice he plays upbeat - and uplifting - music centered around the power of the human heart. - Parents Connect
"No gimmicks. No costumes. With just a silly name and a genuine desire to perform, Mr. Knick Knack takes the stage with his guitar, and the kids go wild." - Washington Post
"Rossi's original songs have a definite rock edge and reflect his Knick Knackian worldview, with themes that lean heavily toward family, love and children." - Washington Post
"As Mr. Knick Knack, Mr. Rossi has been performing around the D.C. area for a decade, writing and singing songs that entertain and inspire children." - The Washington Times
DC's Favorite Children's Entertainer - DC Baby, by Sarah Masterson
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Mr. Knick Knack! ™, a.k.a. Steve Rossi, was born and raised in Northern Virginia. A typical rock 'n roll-loving teenager, he taught himself guitar and piano at age 16 and the music has never stopped. But the music was only the beginning.
Steve has always been enthralled with the power of the human heart. Having worked with kids from 1 to 92 at various houses of worship, education and Assisted Living, he began to use his music to teach children of all ages the supreme power we all have over fear. Steve saw that disadvantaged children in particular had not received the message of the power of their little hearts, and set out to spread the word through his music.
Mr. Knick Knack! ™ has been playing his heart-centered music for over a decade, to the growing delight of thousands of Knick Knack Kids. Steve is named "Favorite Children's Entertainer" by DC Baby - A Handbook for Parenting In (& Around) the Capitol City. He has been twice featured in The Washington Post's Weekend section. Mr. Knick Knack! ™ is the regular featured children's entertainer Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Virginia, one of America's premier shopping malls and is the regular featured entertainer at Reston Town Center (Reston, VA) and Market Common Clarendon (Arlington, VA).
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