Madison performer David Landau keeps a very busy schedule. He can be seen every Monday evening from 5:30-6:15 at Madison’s Harmony Bar & Grill performing for young audiences. His original songs, written and performed with a focus on children, appeal to audiences of all ages with wit and infectious enthusiasm. “Most of the songs I write for kids” he says, “I write from the point of view of a lion tamer. Kids love to move and pretend. It is easy to make them GO, but you also have to be able to make them WHOA.”

Videos of David’s songs such as Icky Sticky Bubble Gum and A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track (among many others) can be found on his Youtube page. In 2022 David was voted Performer of the Year by the Madison Area Music Association. Icky Sticky Bubble Gum was one of the first songs he performed for kids and has become a phenomenon with over 22 million listens on Spotify. 

Discovering his love of performing
While teaching first grade in Verona, Wis., from 1991-2002 the school would occasionally hold assemblies with entertainers who would perform for the kids. One day the performer was late and David took out his guitar and performed Icky Sticky Bubble Gum for all 600 kids in attendance. It’s something he did regularly in his class of 20 students and it was just as successful with the larger audience. That was the day he caught the bug and decided to make a career change.

In addition to his “King of Kids Music” status, David can also be seen around Madison playing guitar and singing in the Cork ‘n Bottle String Band, a long-time local favorite bluegrass band. This high energy six-piece bluegrass band has been playing together in one iteration or another since 1996.

Picking up the guitar
David grew up with three siblings in the small town of Shullsburg, Wis., where his father was a large animal veterinarian and his mother was a computer programmer. He discovered music in college. His roommates at the time are now his bandmates in the Cork ‘n Bottle String Band. “I noticed that girls were really drawn to that type of thing and I asked [my roommates] to teach me how to play. They even let me borrow their guitars to practice on before I could afford one of my own.” He now lives in Madison with his wife Wendy and their cat Rosey Pearl.

A Sugar Maple tradition
Sugar Maple Music Festival thanks David for his 21 years of performances for all the kids (young and old) attending the festival. His love of teaching is apparent to anyone watching his performances and how his young fans love him back. He is constantly blown away when his former first graders show up at his shows with kids of their own. 

Check out one or both of David’s performances at this year’s Sugar Maple Music Festival. He performs on the Roots & Reasons stage on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday at 3:15 p.m.