They'll be rockin' all day to help heal a boy

CARRBORO -- Two local kids' acts will open a daylong show at Cat's Cradle on Saturday, with the goal of raising money for a little boy with leukemia.

The concert is a benefit for Esten Maxwell. But his dad, Tom Maxwell, formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, says it is really more of a celebration.

Esten, 4, has been in remission for more than a year since being diagnosed with leukemia when he was 3. He will continue to need treatments through May 2010.

Money raised from Saturday's concert will help pay for costs that health insurance won't cover, Maxwell says. The concert is free, but donations are encouraged.

"He's doing great," Maxwell says. "And he's generally in a great mood. He really is a marvelous little guy, and he taught me a lot about how to handle adversity, by the way he has taken this and how resilient he is."

The show starts at 2 p.m. with local kids' singer-songwriter Jimmy Magoo.

The rock 'n' roll kids' band Baron Von Rumblebuss and Redd Zeppelin (Maxwell is in the band) will play about an hour later.

Parents can run their children ragged with all the dancing, Maxwell says. "It will be an easy bedtime Saturday night," he promises.

The rest of the show is family- friendly, Maxwell says. About nine acts are scheduled to perform, including Old 86, a blues, funk, classic rock group, which is scheduled right after the Baron. But if you and your children are staying to the very end, you might want to bring some earmuffs.

At midnight, Maxwell will play with his own band, and, he warns, "I talk like a sailor."

Then again, if kids are out that late, they can probably handle it.