Jay Foreman's Disgusting Songs for Revolting Children (and Other Funny Stories)

Isn’t it strange, muses Jay Foreman in his Disgusting Songs for Revolting Children (and Other Funny Stories), that we all know what a “round of applause” is? Are there people from another country that would come see a show and be absolutely baffled by everyone banging their hands together? Why do we bang our hands together, anyway?

We should try something new, he concludes. From now on, instead of clapping at the end of each of his songs, we should blow raspberries at him. And so we do. Anyone caught clapping is admonished with a pointed finger, a ferocious stare, and a raspberry.

To a chorus of cheers and ewws, Foreman sings songs about stealing food, about a man who walked around covered in jam, about playing a real life game of Angry Birds. He's a wonderfully personable performer: performing barefoot with just his guitar in an intimate venue, he connects with the children right on their level. Often, when he makes the audience laugh he catches himself in a little chuckle too. He brings them in on the conversation, intelligently engaging with everyone – and the adults are having almost as much fun as the kids.

Throughout, the children hold ridiculous grins on their faces, glancing back to the adults seated behind them to make sure their parents are hearing the same songs they are. Or they hold their faces in their hands, hiding away from the absolute shock of it all.