Forget Barney! All the cool kids (and their parents) are rocking Yo Gabba Gabba

Listen to 97.3 KIRO FM’s Josh Kerns on what makes “Yo Gabba Gabba” so special

For anyone who had to sit through Barney the Purple Dinosaur’s insipid singing (“I love you, you love me…”), it’s little wonder the worldwide phenomenon that is “Yo Gabba Gabba” is such a hit with kids and parents alike.

In just four years, the show has turned from a little Internet project of two dads trying to create something fun, cool, smart and watchable for them as well as their kids, into a Nickelodeon show that’s spun into an international hit syndicated all over the world.

Sammamish mom Leslie Collins Barber loves everything about “Yo Gabba Gabba,” from the crazy characters to the cool, contemporary music.

“You know the tunes are really catchy. They have real kids on there that are all sorts of races and abilities and disabilities. It’s just very well rounded and it just looks like they are having fun.”

Oh, and she wants everyone to know her two sons love it too. Spencer, 6, told me he was on his way to watch it when his mom made him talk to me on the phone (luckily, he can work the On Demand.)

“I like everything about it,” he told me. Especially Plex the robot. He loves robots.

Along with Plex, the quirky characters include orange haired rapper DJ Lance Rock, Foofa the flower bubble, and Brobee the little green monster.

So what’s the big deal? While the show features fun skits, cool animations and entertaining life lessons, it’s the music that seems to really set Yo Gabba Gabba apart.

Big name alternative artists including MGMT, The Killers, and Weezer regularly appear, turning the usual children’s show into a dance party that appeals as much to parents as the youngsters they originally targeted.

And solidifying its cool credentials, “Yo Gabba Gabba” even recently appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with funk legend Bootsy Collins, the Roots, and others.

The party has even spawned a hit live show, filling arenas and auditoriums all over the country. It rolls in to Seattle for a four show stint at the Paramount Nov. 12 and 13.

And don’t be surprised to see as many adults as their kids. Some might even be parents.

-Josh Kerns/97.3 KIRO FM