My Crazy DJ LANCE Costume

He's dressed in a fuzzy orange hat, orange sweatsuit and giant glasses. He has a positive, happy personality with arms and legs splayed and ready for jumping. Hail to the master overlord of all the little creatures he surveys.

With boom box in hand he greets you. Here is the ringleader of fun, introducing DJ LANCE ROCK!!

My girls were too old to watch Yo Gabba Gabba when it first came out. However, I needed to know what my students were talking about. I ended up watching some of his shows. But, you might ask, how did I get to the state of wanting to BE DJ Lance for Halloween?

I was in my usual Mad Hatter costume at the annual Fall Costume Parade at school. For this event, families often come to the festivities. It was a fun day. While going down the hallway, I saw a grandmother talking to a teacher. Standing next to her was her 2 year old grandson. He had this outrageous fuzzy orange hat and an orange suit. I stopped and talked with them. I said to her, "His costume looks familiar. Wait.... is it from Yo Gabba Gabba?" "Yes," she said, "He's DJ Lance." I told her how much I loved his costume. At home I thought, 'It kind of has a Dr. Seuss-like quality.' I kept thinking, 'You know, I've been the Mat Hatter for so many years, maybe next year I'll be DJ Lance!'

When I told my fourth grade daughters I wanted to be DJ Lance for Halloween, they said unanimously (I'm paraphrasing), "NO!!! YOU WILL EMBARRASS US TO DEATH!!"Of course I went ahead and bought the costume.

This ended up putting me over the top when I wore the costume that next year, so I probably won't repeat wearing it.You might be braver than I.

I got Porkchop sideburns off Amazon and easily trimmed them smaller for my face. I wore this with the costume to our School Fall Costume Parade that next year. I had kids hanging all over me all day and we had a blast.

Unfortunately,I freaked out some teachers and the administration a little. I didn't get the 'take the sideburns off lecture' but could tell that my appearances in the full-out representation of DJ Lance were at an end for this school.

Let's start with the actor. DJ Lance Rock is Lance Robertson who is originally from St. Louis. Lance did various shows and gigs and gradually made his way to Los Angeles. There, he played with the group the Majestics, and when one of the members was developing the idea for Yo Gabba Gabba, he asked Lance to be the host. They then pulled together the look and fleshed out the character.

As well as Yo Gabba Gabba, Robertson currently tours with a band called the Aquabats and he DJ's the live multimedia show. YO----GABBA GABBA!

Throughout recent decades, television stations take turns erupting into occasional zany shows for preschoolers. My memories of the Banana Splits and H.R. Puff n Stuff are forever a tickle in my brain that my children will never understand. During these shows, kids witness people doing ordinary things or wacky things in full costume regalia.

Now my children watched Barney and Teletubbies.

But what is Yo Gabba Gabba?

Here's an overview of the show. DJ Lance opens up his magic boombox where you find 5 creatures each with a special looks and personalities go through what children wish they could do, fly, dance and sing.

Yo Gabba Gabba incorporates songs and dialogues about ordinary preschool subjects like food, animals, sharing etc. They do it in such a weird way that it is absolutely entertaining, even for adults. They also let you 'in' on the joke. Shows like Barney had good intentions but would often get so syrupy it was hard to watch. Yo Gabba Gabba teeters close to that but you can feel how they let you share in the experience as opposed to just watch. They dare you to move and react: There's a Party in my Tummy! Chicken! GReen BEans!! CARROTS!!!