Scene: tiny hands clap, baby feet stomp, and little voices shout the words to Pete the Cat, Five Little Monkeys, and On Top of Spaghetti. Toys surround them on a carpeted floor in front of a colorful mural depicting life in Austin, and a man in a short-sleeve button-down shirt and jeans shakes his hair out of his eyes to lead the crowd.
If you haven’t met Will Dupuy, a charming Texan with a giant list of children’s music in his repertoire, head to Brilliant Sky Toys and Books in Westlake Village for a mini concert with your little ones. “Mr. Will” engages his audience with a voice that carries above even the heartiest of temporary wails and gets them up on their feet.
Mr. Will is a musician through and through, with regular gigs around the Austin area at schools, playgroups like Gorgeous Millie, birthday parties, and stores like Brilliant Sky. What the parents know, however, is that he is also a very “real” musician, playing on 6th street with some of the most famous names in town.
If you’re heading to Brilliant Sky for Mr. Will’s mini-concert on any Tuesday you choose, make a day of it in the Westlake area with lunch at La Madeleine, P. Terry’s, Izumi sushi (for the adventurous toddlers), or Lupe Tortilla, all just steps away. Tyler’s is just down the shopping strip for some of Austin’s finest t-shirts, and Starbucks is nearby if the little ones are not behaving and you need a latte, stat.
Children of all ages welcome.
WHO: Mr. Will’s children’s music sing-along
WHERE: Brilliant Sky Toys and Books, Westlake Village, on Las Cimas at Capital of Texas Highway
WHEN: Check the Brilliant Sky calendar for current times.
Insider tip: get there a little early to browse the toys and get a good seat. If you see something you like for the holidays, Brilliant Sky will wrap it for you while you listen to the sing-along.
KRISTIN SHAW is a freelancer by day, writer by night, a full-time wife of an Austin native, and mother of a mini-Texan. Her favorite things are family, 80s hair bands, classic cars, sports, Italy, and dessert; not necessarily in that order. She’s proud to be a co-producer of the 2014 Listen to Your Mother show in Austin. You can reach her via Twitter (@AustinKVS), her blog, Two Cannoli, or on The Huffington Post, where she is a featured blogger.
