August 29th, 2010 by Stinkhead
My son (and I, I have to admit) have been fans of Yo Gabba Gabba for more than a year now. We don’t watch a lot of television, but when we do, it’s usually Yo Gabba Gabba. We love the music, the characters and of course the special guests. When we heard they were going on tour, and would be performing at a town near us, I knew we had to go. We had since indoctrinated Mommy, and after a few big events such as a They Might Be Giants kids concert and a major league baseball game, we knew our three year old was ready for the show. I got online to buy tickets as soon as they went on sale, and nabbed seats in the center of the fourth row. Click below to read my review of the show, and don’t forget our chances to win tickets to go see the show yourself!
The show was top notch and was very entertaining. Not once did I find myself rolling my eyes or wishing it was over. My son was equally engrossed. Mouth agape and eyes on the stage the whole time, he enjoyed dancing, singing and pointing to his favorite characters. They kicked off with a big impressive opening to get the show pumping, and kept the songs running at a great pace. They incorporated the large scale video screen with animations and vibrant 8bit video game effects just like on the show.
We were right up near the front, and we didn’t find the sound too loud (the rock concert and the monster trucks were pushing our son’s comfort level) We did hear some parents saying that their infants found it kind of loud, but it was clear that the concert was built for little ones’ sensibilities. There were balloons and confetti, free DJ Lance Rock glasses and opportunities to get on camera and appear on stage.
I have to admit, I really like the Yo Gabba Gabba TV show. If you don’t enjoy watching YGG, you may not enjoy this live show as much as I did. But it really felt that the minds behind the original heart and soul of the show put every effort into making an entertaining live show. Not once did I feel like a corner was cut. The show was about one hour of performance (it did feel a little short, but I don’t how long it would take to satiate the YGG thirst) My wife is not as infatuated as I am and she had a great time. Watching our son in pure joy was worth it too. They played a lot of our favorite songs, such as the name game, Everybody Freeze, the Goodbye Song, and of course Party in My Tummy. The band Steel Train played “It’s Fun to Dance” for the Super Music Friends Show portion, which may be a different band at your town.
I would also like to take a moment to say that the roadies and other member of the crew that interacted with us were incredibly polite and helpful. I’m used to pretty elitist staff at other rock shows that really play up the “I’m with the band” mentality and make me feel like I’m lucky to be at a concert in general. But the folks that showed us our seat ran and got some DJ Lance glasses for us after we sat down, another crew member helped me get my son up to the little pit at the front of the stage near the end, and everyone else was patient and understanding. Very classy.
This show is expensive. The base ticket itself was about $61 a person (I still think parents should get a $20 discount– only children under the age of 1 don’t need a ticket). Then Ticketmaster added in some additional fees, so that we were up to over $210 for 3 people by the time it was done. We had a blast, and it’s near enough to my son’s birthday that he felt like it was a real treat. (That’s not true, he’ll be expecting another big concert in a month or two). It’s also no surprise that there are vendors walking around selling overpriced souvenirs. There is fun stuff for sale, and we did go home with a Tour logo Tote bag, but we also brought some of our own Yo Gabba Gabba toys in our hands and wore matching character shirts to the show, and that helped quell the pressure.
We were able to score some wristbands to the VIP Backstage Party. This package is a bit more expensive, but includes some choice seat tickets, meet and greet with the Yo Gabba gang (with photo) and beat boxing with Biz Markie. There’s healthy snacks and a chilled-out atmosphere. We got to meet DJ Lance Rock as well, and had an amazing time just hanging out with our favorite characters walking around.
All in all, if you and your children like Yo Gabba Gabba, you will have a great time at the show. It is a little expensive for an hour long show (with brief intermission to make a potty break) and if you can swing it, you can’t top posing for a pic with the Gabba Gang after the show. If you can’t make it to VIP party, you can try and be quick and nab a pic as the Gabba guys walk right through the crowd after coming back from intermission, and try to sneak up to the front for Biz’s beat of the day. Biz does share the mic with some kids from the audience.
My recommendation is to go when the tour comes to your town (the arena had a healthy crowd, but was not full, so tickets are probably still available for your city). Check out YoGabbaGabbalive.com to buy tickets, and we have several chances to win tickets… in Pittsburgh PA or Rochester NY, or in the national Cool Tricks contest. But you gotta hurry. They’re on the move and they’re coming soon.
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