Comerica Theatre in Phoenix
Sunday December 5, 2010
As I mentioned in my interview with Yo Gabba Gabba! co-creator Christian Jacobs, I have seen every episode of the popular kids TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! a minimum of six times. You may think that number is an exaggeration but I assure you it is not.
Because of my familiarity with the show, I felt I was pretty well qualified to review the early performance on Sunday at Comerica Theatre. But, really, the only one way to cover a show like this righteously is from the perspective of a kid. Fortunately, I have a few at my disposal.
For this review I brought along my 3-year old-son, in order to get a first hand perspective on the show through the eyes of someone who appreciates it a lot more than I do. It was a little difficult to steal his attention away from what was happening on stage for some of the show, but I managed to get his opinion on a couple of key moments of the whole thing.
The Merch Table
What He Says: "No, I don't want a t-shirt."
What Dad Is Thinking: Yes! Before leaving the house my wife gave me explicit instructions to buy my kid a t-shirt. She is not a big concertgoer, and assumed they'd be around $20. I knew otherwise and was correct when I saw that they were all around $28. I was thrilled when my son decided he didn't want one. I was hoping that it was because he learned the value of the American dollar these days from his dear 'ol dad and that money doesn't grow on trees, but sadly this was not the case. I ended up spending $30 on two toys that flashed weird multiple colors.
Super Music Friends Show
What He Says: "They're playing drums."
What Dad Is Thinking: I knew in advance that Toubab Krewe was the surprise guest for this segment and was a little disappointed. They were fine for what they did, but being that on other stops of this tour they had local acts perform I was kind of hoping for the same. Personally, I thought Jimmy Eat World - who have previously performed on the show - would have been a better choice, but being that they are on tour right now I guess it makes sense they got who they could.
Dance-y Dance Time
What He Says: "I want momma."
What Dad Is Thinking: When I saw that the special guest for this was Leslie Hall, I was crying for my momma, too. I mean, come on, I know she's a regular on the show but I find it difficult to believe that we are so short on notable bands and local celebrities that they couldn't find anyone else to be a part of this segment. I was really hoping that they were going to have Steve Nash show up for this. Sure, the Suns hosted the Washington Wizards that same day, but if anyone can take part in Dance-y Dance time and still make it back to US Airways Arena, pick up 17 assists and lead his team to victory it's Steve Nash.
Biz's Beat of the Day
What He Says: He didn't actually say anything during this portion of the show. Instead he was mesmerized by the toy I bought him earlier that spun around real fast and made weird light patterns. The thing reminds me of a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
What Dad Is Thinking: It use to be that if you asked my son what Biz's beat of the day was he would bust out with a freestyle beatbox of his own so I was a little surprised that he wasn't more into this. This was my favorite part of the show, particularly when Biz had kids from the audience come up and beatbox with him. It was pretty funny and they all seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Final Verdict
What He Says: As we were driving home I asked my son if he liked the show, to which he responded "Yes." When I asked him what he liked the best he said, "I wanna play." I was sure this was a metaphor for something but when I tried to dig a little deeper he decided he'd rather take a nap on the ride home than help his dad write a concert review.
What Dad Is Thinking: Aside from being a little underwhelmed with the talent they brought in take part in the show I really enjoyed myself. My kids love Yo Gabba Gabba!, and compared to some of the other shows that they watch it's not hard to see why. The show is fun, usually has a important theme throughout, and makes the message easily deliverable through music. It seemed like they manage to translate all of those qualities into a live setting.
Critics Notebook:
Last Night: Yo Gabba Gabba! Live at Comerica Theatre
Personal Bias: Again, I'm pretty familiar with the material here but I was really glad I got to bring along my son for this. He loves YGG! and seemed to have a really good time.
The Crowd: There were a few parents who went the "extra mile" to make sure their kids got a balloon but fortunately they weren't all dicks. One very nice couple actually gave us one of their balloons since my son and I were too far from the balloon drop to catch one of our own.
Random Notebook Dump: I couldn't believe how many grown men dressed up as DJ Lance Rock for this.