Review: Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in My City!

Attending a live show is always a treat. The Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in My City! show last Monday was no exception. We arrived only about ten minutes early, and it felt a little weird to walk into a venue where I normally attend serious plays and musical performances, full of children, toddlers, and babies, many in costume. I had been to see The Color Purple there two days before, and it was quite a different atmosphere! Unsure how Sweet Pea would react to the show before we went, I was a bit overwhelmed at first and so was she, but after the first few acts she settled in to enjoy it and danced along to the music at times. Overall, it was a fun experience for us all and a happy memory to look back on as our first live performance as a family.



The show producers, or planners, or whatever they are, included a few extras for the audience that really added to the experience for the kids. There was confetti that shot out over the crowd, a huge balloon drop, and free paper glasses styled after DJ Lance's. Getting a balloon was definitely a highlight for Sweet Pea and she looked through it and waved it around for the remainder of the show.

If you've seen Yo Gabba Gabba! on TV, you know that it consists of many short segments, mostly with songs and dancing, and some amazing guests. Highlights from the TV show include Weezer, Jack
Black, Mos Def, The Roots, Sal Masekela, and The Shins. The guests for the live show in Eugene were: Keller Williams with a sweet song about hula hooping, someone named Sunshine for a "dancey dance" number, and Biz Markie with "Biz's Beats." Keller Williams was awesome -- I would have paid to see him alone. Sunshine was a little off, but her dance was still fun. Biz's talents would be impressive no matter the setting, and it was really cute the way that he went into the audience and interacted with the kids, although he seemed a little wiped out by the end. I like that they have surprise guests for each location.



The performers engaged the audience and had us standing up, sitting down, calling things out, dancing, and then timed an intermission perfectly for a diaper change for Sweet Pea. The pacing was good for our nearly-two-year-old, but I know some families did go home early due to tired or overwhelmed kids. The volume of the performance was pretty high, too loud for some kids, and the flashing lights of the stage were a little uncomfortable at times. My only other complaint would be the over-prevalence of the sponsor.

 

One of the best parts of attending public events is meeting other families. We were lucky enough to sit behind a super nice woman who offered to take pictures when our camera battery died before the show even began. Thanks to Jenny for all of these photos!