All eyes on freewheeling Fremont Fair, with funky cars, music and more

If you thought Britney Spears was young when she topped the charts as a teen, check out this slew of local music mavens who say it's never too early to get rockin'.

They've got names like Smoosh, DEK (Don't Even Know) and the Mechanical Dolls. They're young — no older than 18 — press shy, and they love, more than anything, the experience of jamming with their best friends on stage.

They'll have their own School's Out stage at the 32nd annual Fremont Fair this weekend, which offers its usual mix of something-for-everyone, including the traditional Fremont Solstice Parade and more than 300 vendors.

Cindy Payne, publicist and stage manager for the festival, says the weekend will resemble nothing less crazy than a zoo.

A quick rundown of festivities: The Fremont Briefcase Relay & Fun Run will start at 6 tonight; the Art Car Fest — with more than 75 old but wildly decorated cars — will be on display all weekend; the PCC Kids Universe will offer crafts, sing-alongs, sports and other activities for children also through Sunday; and five entertainment stages will host a range of bands from bluegrass to punk.

School's Out, featuring bands with members younger than 18, will take over the Evanston Avenue Stage tomorrow afternoon from 1:25 on.

Smoosh, a sister duo from Seattle, will present what they call their "own type of music." Eleven-year-old Asy (pronounced like Aussie) and her 9-year-old sister, Chloe, have performed publicly at coffee shops and other venues in the past couple of years, but they still get a little nervous playing in front of huge crowds.

"I think, what am I gonna do if I make a big mistake on stage?" said Chloe, who plays the drums.

This has happened before to the young musician, and she's learned that the best solution is to keep playing.

Savanna Reynolds, guitarist and vocalist for the all-girl group Mechanical Dolls, says one of the hardest things about being a 16-year-old in a rock band is that people don't take you seriously.

"But once they see us play, they have more respect for us because of how young we are and how good we are," said the Auburn resident.

Members of DEK also hope to gain recognition and a fan base through their performance at the fair, said Mike Vraney, manager for the group and father to band member Mark Vraney.

The boys, all between 14 and 16 years old, changed their name to "Don't Even Know" after learning that another band in the country was already going by their original name, "Dead End Kids."

"My kids decided they were too young to get sued," Vraney said.

"They're a traditional old-school punk-rock band," he added. "Which means they're musical. They're not noisy."

Young Chang: 206-748-5815 or ychang@seattletimes.com