There were several things my family made me sit through as I was growing up, but slideshows were never one of them. Perhaps I just missed that phase in technology, or maybe my family took pity on me.

A few weeks ago my friend Daniel and I went to see a band that makes the old tradition of slideshows  an unexpectedly humorous musical adventure. The band is called the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, and if you get a chance to see them live, please do. The band is made up of the Trachtenburg family: Dad Jason, Mom Tina and Daughter Rachel. Basically they find old slideshows at garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, or any other sale and create a musical narrative to go along with them.

The daughter Rachel used to have a children’s show in NYC called Rachel Trachtenburg’s Homemade World, but I don’t think it runs anymore. This concert marked the first time I saw her perform solo. She performed a cover of Pink Floyd’s The Gnome on her ukelele as her friend did a make-shift puppet show from out of a vintage suitcase with homemade felt gnomes.

After the show Rachel was selling her CDs along with homemade brooches, dolls, and other tiny things she had made. I picked up one of her CDs that was housed inside of a pouch made from discarded polyester pants (or so I’m guessing). Inside of the pouch was not only the CD, but a coloring book stitched together featuring drawings by her, her family, and friends. It was refreshingly charming and made me fall in love with the band all over again.