Come Along! You Belong

Origins

MicroPARTY was initially conceived in the fall of 2019 while Beth and Johnny were on a cross-country tour as Electric Blue Yonder with their friend and collaborator Kimi Samson. They were performing at a small pub named “The Keg and I” in Chimacum, Washington. They’d played a long set and run out of rehearsed material when asked to do a final encore. Since it was getting on in the evening and the last song, Beth suggested “Little Jack,” the first ‘children’s’ song they had written for their nephew. After the show, Kimi very emphatically asked Johnny and Beth “What was that?,” and they explained that they’d written the song for their nephew but not sent the material to rehearse because they didn’t expect to perform it with Electric Blue Yonder. Later that evening while camping in the Olympic Peninsula, they discussed the possibility of writing more children’s oriented material. 2020 and the great shutdown was just around the corner and became an unfortunate blessing of time to develop the concept further.

The Record

MicroPARTY was recorded at Portside Sound in Sheffield Alabama by Engineer Danley Murner in the historic studio B of the 1000 Alabama Avenue location of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with support from Montgomery’s Technical Earth Recorders and Robert Shimp. Notable players include David Hood on Bass (Swampers), Todd Roper on Drums and Percussion (Cake), Single Lock Artist Caleb Elliot on Cello and in a section with Kimi Samson. [Full credits to come.] Kevin Ratterman of LALALA Land Studios (My Morning Jacket, Jim James, Andrew Bird, Elliott) mixed and mastered the record.

The IDEAL

During the development of MicroPARTY, Beth and Johnny came to a realization that adults tend to underestimate children. Many popular children’s music features simple themes with repetitive lyrics. They wanted to capture a child's attention with a sense of wonderment and give them layers of learning opportunities so they can grow up with the songs, all while making the music and lyrics a little more interesting for general music lovers. Parents and grandparents can enjoy this album with their children, creating a bonding experience through the shared love of music. And for adults, it's a reminder that we don't have to take ourselves too seriously all the time.

MicroPARTY reminds us of the beauty of small moments and things in life that are often overlooked, teaching us about the importance of friendship, the wonders of nature, and the joy of imagination.

Live SHOW

From December 2023 to January 2024, Beth and Johnny participated in an Artist Residency with the Studios of Key West. During that residence, they gave a live performance as a proof of concept and presented the chronology of events that led them to develop MicroPARTY. The EBY Team partnered with The Studios of Key West, Southernmost Youth Orchestra, and Bravo Theatre’s program to develop a stage show version of “MicroPARTY”. It premiered February 14th, 2025 at the Helmerich Theater as an interactive show featuring ‘live music video performances of the album’ with actors, dancers, multimedia effects, and puppetry.

MicroPARTY Live continues with a show at Tropic Cinema May 9th, 2026. SEE MICROPARTY LIVE

MicroPARTY sparks the nostalgia of the late 60s and early 70s psychedelia in children’s content made by creative giants like Jim Henson.