The list includes Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Jack McBrayer, Paul Scheer, Weezer, Anthony Bourdain, Mos Def, Devo, Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Mix Master Mike, Angela Kinsey, and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Get ready to set your IQ, and yes for you…not them.

Source

DJ Dance Rock? He’s got the moves. Now your kid can harness the power of the Yo Gabba Gabba star with the Yo Gabba Gabba DJ Lance Dance Hat. This interactive dance hat plays music when you move and dance and includes three different songs. Plus there’s a special mode where DJ Lance will guide through some of his extra special dance moves. And for added style, the set comes with a pair of cool old school DJ Lance glasses.

You can pick up a set here for $39.95.

Yo Gabba Gabba, (also known as crack for toddlers) has brought its world premiere live concert tour to the East Coast of Australia.

Last Friday I was lucky enough to attend the first leg of the tour, at the State Sports Centre in Homebush.  Think thousands of toddlers and parents hyped up on chocolate cupcakes and caffeine respectively, grooving along to punk-electro tunes, led by a man in a strange furry orange hat.

I was up in the stands with an unfortunately out-of-sorts toddler, so I’ve left it to one of our Gabba competition winners, Nerida, to review the concert.

Listening and dancing to music with our friends iiiiiiiiiis AWESOME!!!

DJ Lance Rock and his friends Foofa, Brobie, Muno, Toodie and Plex were joined by house band the Pookynoos  for a high-energy musical sprint through Gabbaland.

The show featured two 40 minute sets, both opened by the Pookynoos playing friendly happy music and warming up the crowd and followed by the Gabbas themselves.

My two year old was initially overwhelmed by the live event — Yo Gabba Gabba is meant to be on TV! — but she soon got over the shock and was jiving away to such classics as Dancey Dance, Shake the Sillies Out and Party in My Tummy. Not to mention trying to hug every child in the general vicinity, which, along with the flashing light merchandise that was everywhere around us, made the ambiance resemble an early 90s dance party… Plus, DJ Lance Rock (AKA Lance Robertson) high-fived her so she was in heaven.

The sequenced music of the main event was supplemented by the Pookynoos, local musicians playing guitar, bass and drums and supplying extra crowd participation. The show was slickly choreographed with plenty of audience involvement, including a Cool Tricks segment dance featuring a little boy called Kaylan who danced to rapturous applause.

My only quibble would be that the 20 minute intermission (which was probably needed by the performers more than the crowd) lost a bit of the show’s momentum. The show was definitely long enough with toddler (and parent) energy flagging by 11.30. Yo Gabba Gabba was AWESOME! Thanks to Babble for the free tickets!

I’d just add that parents yet to see the show should pack plenty of snacks and a little extra cash for the highly popular merchandise stand.

If you’re still to buy tickets to attend Yo Gabba Gabba Live!, perhaps these special guests will help sway you. Rumour has it that some of Australia’s best loved performers and musicians will be making surprise appearances on stage during the show – and we have the guest list!

According to the grapevine, this is who audiences may be lucky enough to see perform with DJ Lance Rock and the crew:

Sydney: Justine Clarke, Sophie Lee, Kellie from Architecture in Helsinki

Brisbane: The Grates, Powderfinger

Melbourne: The Living End, Kram from Spiderbait (pictured), Xavier Rudd

Pretty cool huh?!! Book your tickets here.

All Aboard Toys is having a mega-sale today on all licensed character toys, clothing, and gear, including Brobee and all his Yo Gabba Gabba pals. Use promo code EXTRA20 at checkout for an additional 20% off until midnight.

Brobee plush pal, regularly $US12.00,then marked down to $US8.97, then another 20% off that. I told you the sale was big, didn’t I? International shipping is available too.

Kind of like Jack Black, the over the top, goofball star of… pretty much EVERYTHING these days.

When we at Babble heard the two were coming together, we just had to have a look. Want to know what happens when Jack Black runs out of gas and lands in Gabbaland?

First, if you’re a Jack Black fan, you’re going to love the show, airing in the U.S on April 3. And if you’re not, you might still love it. A surprisingly subdued Jack – with some equally surprising blonde highlights (what’s that all about Jack?) limps his unleaded motorbike into Gabbaland to find the inner workings of DJ Lance Rock’s boombox deserted.

Creeped out, Jack hops around like only a chunky guy with total and complete self esteem (and I mean that in the very nicest of ways – I dig his confidence) can, singing about the possible dangers lurking. Basically, kids, he lets you know it’s OK to be scared, but Toodee, Plex, Foofa and the whole gang don’t let scared last for long. They’re inviting Jack to parties (outside of the tummy) and exchanging dance moves (think Travolta and do the disco roll).

This one should shut down the doubting Thomases who think the show tries to hard to play funky and misses the kid friendly mark. You can’t go wrong with singing, dancing and solving real kid problems. Throw in the guy who voiced Kung Fu Panda, and you’ve got them hooked. Since we all know YGG plays it to the adults too, here’s a few things to watch out for – 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer and Human Giant’s Paul Scheer tell the knock knock joke of the day (which I refuse to spoil for you).

Oh, and Jack Black in DJ Lance’s orange jumpsuit? PRICELESS.

Get a look at clips of the show over at EW.

Nick Jr. will present YO GABBA GABBA! Live on Stage, featuring DJ Lance Rock and all of the characters from the hit series; Brobee (the little green one), Foofa (the pink flower bubble), Muno (the red Cyclops), Plex the magic robot, and Toodee (the blue cat-dragon). It will be touring Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The show will also feature top-secret Australian celebrity guests performing alongside the Gabba-gang plus many popular songs from the series including Party in My Tummy, Get The Sillies Out and Hugs Are Fun.

In addition, Foxtel’s Nick Jr. will launch Season 2 of the hit TV series on Wednesday 1 April at 7:30am.

Tickets on sale to the public from March 2, although we hear MyerOne will be having an exclusive pre-sale from today.

Keep your eyes on Ticketek and Ticketmaster for more ticket info.

1. Dora the Explorer

Look – we can see where Dora can be a positive role model for kids. She’s a girl. She’s hispanic. She doesn’t dress like a Bratz doll. But her shouty, repetitive voice is as annoying as hell.

“Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain! Where are we going? Strawberry mountain!” again. As one frustrated mother opined, by the time she’s halfway through the song, the dog and the houseplants have figured out where we’re going. Give it a rest.

2. Elmo

Sure, he’s small and red and fluffy, but don’t be fooled. Elmo is an annoying tool.

John Lee, co-creators of the dark “Sesame Street” parody, “Wonder Showzen,” complains that Elmo doesn’t really well, do anything (except shake and laugh hysterically): “Elmo doesn’t grow. People show him something and he laughs. He doesn’t learn a lesson.” In fact, Elmo is not unlike a typical gabbering, self-obsessed toddler. Maybe that’s why they like him so much. “Elmo is just a baby-voiced, self-obsessed character who is only concerned with Elmo,” says Lee. “He just passively observes things: ‘Elmo is looking at a sandwich. Elmo is eating a sandwich. Elmo is crapping out the sandwich and writing his name on the wall with it.’

3. The Teletubbies

Otherwise known as toddler crack, Teletubbies is the granddaddy of weirdass suited character shows. Four lumpy alien creatures live on a golf course but spend their spare time watching the televisions in their bellies. Every once in a while a talking shower head rises out of the turf and gives them instructions to please the creepy, disembodied baby deity who lives in the sun. The Teletubbies like to dance around with handbags while singing nonsensical songs. And no, they don’t have alcohol or pills to blame.

4. Barney the Dinosaur

The concept of Stranger Danger goes out the window when Barney the Overly Familiar Dinosaur comes on TV. “When I hear Barney say, ‘You’re my special friend’ — that’s a disingenuous statement,” said Allen Cypher, a founder of Stagecast Software, which designs children’s programs. “It’s a fraudulent claim. It deceives kids into believing that Barney has some emotional attachment to them, and that’s not true.” And when he sings “I love you/You love me/We’re best friends like friends should be” face it kid – he’s just not that into you.

5. Bindi Irwin

She’s the freakishly precocious jungle girl whose been wrestling crocs since she was in nappies. But the reason Bindi was recently named Australia’s number one annoying celebrity is because Bindi is everywhere. DVDs. Dolls. TV. Clothing. What we want to know is; where does Brand Bindi stop and a normal 10-yr-old girl begin?

6. Thomas the Tank Engine

Just what is going down on the little island of Sodor? From racial tension (steamies vs. diesels, especially the diesels), to the pervy Trevor the tractor engine (“I love giving rides. Especially to children!”), and Sir Topham Hatt who runs the entire island like a communist paradise (“I only have room for useful engines on my island”).

Then there’s poor Annie and Clarabel, the lowly coaches, who despite being much cleverer than dim-witted Thomas are consigned to the second-tier status of Rolling Stock. In fact Sodor only has one female engine, Emily. Just what message does this send out to our girls?

7. Yo Gabba Gabba

Look, we won’t deny that we’re big fans of this delightfully bizarre toddler TV show. But what is the deal with Muno? He’s a one-eyed monster (pun intended) with strangely erm.. stimulating little bumps not unlike you’d find in a packet marked “For her Pleasure”.

Just to confuse matters, you can buy your own wriggling, battery-operated “silly head” Muno.

OK. So that would be for mum, or baby?

8. Boohbah

Keen to set your child up for a lifetime of hallucinogenic drug use and therapy? Switch on Boohbah. These rotund, furry creatures squeeze themselves to make strange noises. There doesn’t appear to be any actual language being spoken. They just make weird noises and make their heads go in and out of their necks like turtles. They’re beyond creepy. I’d like to tell you more about them but the official website is one long acid trip. Try it. Not surprisingly, its producers were also behind Teletubbies.

9. In the Night Garden

Also produced by the crack-sniffing folk behind the Teletubbies, In the Night Garden is a little slice of life in a mental asylum. There’s Iggle Piggle, the narcissistic one who wont go to bed, Upsy Daisy the exhibitionist who lifts her skirt and flashes her knickers whenever she gets excited, and then there’s poor old Makka Pakka, the OCD-afflicted homeless dude who lives out his days carrying around a cleaning cart and washing rocks. If anything, at least ITNG will teach our children tolerance.

10. Bob the Builder

He’s handy, he’s energetic but wait – is our yellow-hatted Bob a scab? It’s quite obvious that Bob and his anthropomorphic vehicle friends are engaging in non-union labor. Nor do we ever see any competitive bidding for his contracting jobs. Just who is handing out the preferential treatment Bob’s way? And that’s not the only suspicious activity happening in Bobsville. As SFGate asks, is Farmer Pickles growing dope? “Doesn’t it seem odd that Farmer Pickles constantly spends thousands of dollars to fix a fence that’s surrounding just seven carrots? There’s only one explanation…”

From the cult TV show, comes the new range of cool and funky Yo Gabba Gabba! toys. Heading to the usual toy retailers in March, the toys mirror the show’s hip, fresh style.

There’s interactive plush toys, push-along vehicles, and our pick, the Groovin’ Guitar ($AU39.99, above) so you your kids can rock out to your fav Yo Gabba Gabba! tunes while strumming along.

"And it's for our kids!" they said. After I finished snorting a cosmo out my nose, I pressed for details. "You mean Biz "Youuuuuuuuu can't carry a tune, but it's OK cause you're just a friend" Markie? And there are no freakish overbearing bunnies? Tell me more."

Oh, admit it, you've got Yo Gabba Gabba! Tivo'd for AFTER the kid goes to bed, and you can pretend you're back in college and eat some munchies. Only now you can put it on your iPod too. Because DJ Lance Rock, Toodee and their music biz friends have put out an album that's only on iTunes. And we've got the skinny for you.

With Biz's beat, the insta-classic "Party in My Tummy" and the tune guaranteed to leave them breathless from dancing in their footie pajamas, "Get the Sillies Out," the sounds of the Yo Gabba Gabba! (YGG to those in the know – or dorky mums like me) regulars would be worth adding to the iPod alone – if only for those days when you're out of the house and need to keep them absolutely transfixed on something OTHER than you. But with hip hop pioneers The Roots and indie popsters The Ting Tings putting a little hip in their pop, it's the kid music that will sneak into your playlist. 

And they love it – in all its retro fabulousness. Literally, all it took was the first few beats of the "ska/rockers who think they're superheros" The Aquabats punk "Pool Party" for my three-year-old to come running from the living room and start bouncing around (OK, so she calls it the "cool party," but she's three people). 

The album is available from iTunes or you can buy it song by song.