Yo Gabba Gabba Goes To The Super Bowl

Yo Gabba Gabba's Muno (the tall red one) is co-starring in a Super Bowl ad for Kia. I could make the serious tsk-tsk noises about how this proves that the show is targeted at least in part at adults because why else would the ad agency use a character from a show whose most popular song encourages kids to eat everything on their plates.

Instead, I'll just note that whatever swelled head Muno might get compared to his (unseen) YGG co-stars would be wiped out by the fact that that Paul Frank monkey gets most of the good scenes (the tattoo was particularly amusing).

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live... in Fort Wayne, Indiana?

Really. Sure, the Yo Gabba Gabba! folks went and hit NYC and LA, but now Yo Gabba Gabba Live is hitting the nation's breadbasket, with March shows lined up for Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Toronto (listening to live music is awesome, eh?), Cincinnati, St. Louis, and, yes, Fort Wayne, Indiana, population, just over a quarter million (with an MSA total of almost 400,000). For those of us in Phoenix (5th largest city in America, 4.3 million in the MSA), seeing shows like this go to Fort Wayne and not Phoenix (I know, this isn't a southwest tour, but you get my point) is just another reminder of how messed up the live music market here is. Maybe if they came here, Amare Stoudamire would join them on stage. Assuming he doesn't get traded soon.

Anyway, the NYC and LA shows had some pretty cool live guests (Dinosaur Jr., Snoop Dogg, the Roots), so I'll be curious to see who -- if anyone -- joins the fun in these slightly less major media markets. Tickets go on sale this week -- tour dates after the jump.
-- Minneapolis, MN - Saturday, March 13th - U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center - 3:00 PM
-- Milwaukee, WI - Sunday, March 14th - Riverside Theater - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM
-- Toronto, ON - Tuesday, March 16th & Wednesday, March 17th - Elgin Theatre - 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
-- Fort Wayne, IN - Friday, March 19th - Embassy Theatre - 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM
-- Cincinnati, OH - Saturday, March 20th - Aronoff Center for the Arts - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM
-- St. Louis, MO - Sunday, March 21st - Fox Theater - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM

Randy Kaplan in Concert! (Or Why I Won't Be in Hollywood Sunday)

I probably would have made a bigger deal about the whole Kids' Day at Amoeba Records in Hollywood tomorrow (Sunday). Peter Himmelman in concert at 1 PM, assorted Yo Gabba Gabba! giveaways, et cetera, later in the day. (Hey, any place that features TMBG and Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang in-stores is OK by me.)

But Randy Kaplan is in concert tomorrow here in Phoenix at almost exactly the same time, and so he gets my time. The concert is at 2 PM at the Church of the Beatitudes and is part of the Not Just For Kids concert series. Tickets are just $3 per person, $10 per family. If you're in Phoenix, you've probably already heard about it, but if you haven't, do join us. It will rock, not in the strictly rock sense, but it'll be fun, just like it was last time.

Randy Kaplan - "Mosquito Song"

All Weezer's Friends Are Insects, Apparently

Weezer. Yo Gabba Gabba! How could this not being anything but appointment TV, right? I mean, even if it failed, it would have to be something worth viewing.

So, yes, the alternative-rockers that first burst onto the scene with a video inserting themselves into an episode of Happy Days recently taped a video for the show for a new song called "All My Friends Are Insects" that indicates that, yes, you will want to watch. The four guys, all dressed up as insects, rock out with guitars and basses, and in the case of drummer Pat Wilson, as a praying mantis with four drum sticks (what better way to get those hi-hats, I suppose). Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix blog has the behind-the-scenes video from the video shoot, including some muddy sound. (Original hat tip: Pitchfork.)

Seeing Weezer prance around in dorky costumes (what could be more appropriate on October 30?) makes me think that Yo Gabba Gabba! is kinda become a Soupy Sales Show for the new millenium. Sales was known for getting a bunch famous guest stars to come on his show, and the idea that Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, or Frank Sinatra would be willing to get a pie in the face is kinda amusing to me. Now, big stars (or at least medium-sized stars) are willing to come onto YGG and wear silly costumes or dance geekily. When Oprah shows up and does her own Dancey Dance, we'll know they've hit the big time...

Video: "Smile For the Camera" - Datarock (from Yo Gabba Gabba!)

Sorry for another YGG post so quick, but I thought the dancing in the last video I posted from Yo Gabba Gabba! needed more pep and thought this track from Datarock's appearance on the "Super Music Friends Show" fit the bill nicely.

Datarock - "Smile for the Camera" (from Yo Gabba Gabba!) [YouTube]