VALERIE STRAUSS; The Washington Post

This was no ordinary field trip. When the kid rock band Rated traveled from Washington, D.C., to New York recently, it wasn’t to see the Statue of Liberty.

Instead, keyboardist Alexander Levy, 12; guitarist Edoardo Pisoni, 12; drummer Daniel Guimaraes, 12; and singer Rebecca Levy, 11, visited with the Naked Brothers Band and watched a taping of the Nickelodeon show.

The comedy, in its second season, is about two brothers and their famous rock band. It stars 13-year-old Nat Wolff and 10-year-old Alex Wolff, real-life brothers who do have a rock band.

Members of Rated interviewed the stars to learn how they do what they do. Here are some things that Rated band members, who have been together three years and who jam at Bach to Rock Music School in Bethesda, Md., discovered:

• Nat can write a song in 15 minutes. Melodies pop into his head, he said, and ideas for lyrics come “from regular life.”
• Both boys are Beatles fanatics. Alex was inspired by drummer Ringo Starr: “I copied all his moves.”
• The show, which often showcases guest stars (including Tony Hawk), is taped mostly over the summer so that the kids don’t miss too much school. They also are tutored on the set.
• Alexandra Jean DiMeco, 15, who plays Rosalina, the band’s bassist and only girl, can play at least half a dozen other instruments. Allie loves being in the band but said she sometimes wishes there was another girl around.
• The band’s name comes from when the boys were little and emerged from a bath calling themselves “The Naked Brothers Band.”
• Nat started a band when he was 4 or 5 with preschool friends.

Nickelodeon is ready to get down with a new dance/variety series for tweens dubbed “Dance on Sunset.”

“Sunset,” hosted by Quddus Philippe (MTV’s “TRL”), will feature a mix of musical acts, free-style dance competitions and a troupe of young dancers who will teach kids the latest moves. In addition, viewers can get in step each week in front of the TV and on a new complementary Web site.

Stars slated to perform include Ashlee Simpson, Sean Kingston, Akon with Colbie and Menudo. Among the guest stars on tap are Janet Jackson, Omarion and Nickelodeon’s Miranda Cosgrove (”iCarly”) and the Naked Brothers Band.

Produced by Magical Elves (Bravo’s “Project Runway”) and created by talent agents Bryan Leder and Frederick Levy, the series will encompass 12 half-hour episodes. It is set to premiere at 9:30 p.m. March 29 after the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards. Following its premiere, “Sunset” will move to its regular time slot of 8:30 p.m. Sundays.

An indoor Nickelodeon theme park is opening in the Mall of America. Nickelodeon Universe, the network’s first theme park, is scheduled to open March 15. The seven-acre amusement park will include 18 Nickelodeon-branded rides, including a roller coaster called SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge; Avatar Airbender; and The Naked Brothers Crazy Cars.

This is one of several efforts by the network to associate its brand with travel and destinations. In 2005, a Nickelodeon-themed resort opened in Orlando, and in August, Nickelodeon will launch its first-ever family cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, with a Western Caribbean itinerary.

Nickelodeon has announced a new DVD release titled The Naked Brothers Band – Polar Bears. Distributor Paramount Home Entertainment will release it on June 17th. Video is full screen, audio is English Dolby and the running time is 70 minutes.

The band’s next concert stop is in New Orleans, where they are staying with an old friend of dad who runs a B&B. The kids used to play together when they were younger and are overjoyed to be reunited. But Rosalina is jealous of this new potential competition and her complicated feelings for Nat keep her from being honest with him. Qaasim is also upset that he has seemingly lost his magic touch with the ladies, which couldn’t come at a worse time as he has a huge crush on Nat’s childhood friend. Meanwhile, Alex accidentally sees “An Inconvenient Truth” and is determined to take a stand against global warming. He takes it a little too far but his passion is inspiring to everyone and as usual, his charm more than makes up for his overzealousness.

Miley Cyrus and the Naked Brothers Band are set to perform at Nickelodeon’s 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards.

Cyrus, star of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana,” and the Naked Brothers Band, who star in their own Nickelodeon series, will perform live during the event, set to air at 8pm on March 29th from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

In addition to previously announced host Jack Black, other stars set to appear include Cameron Diaz, Steve Carell, Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford, Chris Brown, Heidi Klum, Drake Bell, Hayden Panettiere, Ashlee Simpson, Miranda Cosgrove, America Ferrera, Amy Poehler, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Howie Mandel, Josh Peck and Ryan Seacrest.