I Like the Live Wiggles Logo

WIGGLES ROCK THE HOUSE!!!!

I saw Springsteen from the fourth row at the Palladium in 1978. I saw one of the 10 LIVE performances of the Wall by Pink Floyd, in 1980. And now, I have seen the New Fab Four, Murray, Jeff, Gregg, and Anthony-- The Wiggles.

Those three gigs. Nothing else comes close.

We attended the Wiggles matinee show this past Sunday at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Me, my wife, my daughter, and my sister, brother-in-law, niece (20 mos.) and nephew (almost 4). There was a buzz in the air as we approached the theater; scalpers asking,“Who needs Wiggles?, nervously avoiding the cops on horseback, turning down $500, $600 a ticket. Vendors on the street hawking counterfeit Wiggles merchandise. Dealers lurking in the shadows, selling juice boxes and “magic” skittles. Babies in strollers, wheeling around outside with one finger up, looking for a miracle.

Inside, the fervor grew even more frenzied. Moms were flush as curtain time approached. Dads warily eyed the video screens as their wives swooned over images of the Aussie rock Gods. Diapers were changed. Sippie cups were drunk.

Finally the lights go down, and the video screens show the lads in the Big Red Car, driving from Australia over hill and dale, right to the stage door at the Theater. Then, suddenly, they are here! Tooling across the stage, surrounded by the most decedent dance line this side of Vegas. Singing, dancing, kicking. Greg skids to a halt, they dash out of the vehicle and assume their positions.

They played for almost 90 minutes. The highlights were too numerous to mention: the opening “Lights, Camera, Action!” pulled us out of our seats, unless of course someone was sitting on our laps at the time. Then the hits just kept tumbling out: “Point Your Finger and Do the Twist,” “Fruit Salad” (totally rocked, including a 12-minute drums > space jam), “Dancing With Wags the Dog,” “Hot Potato.” I wish I’d written down the set list. Thankfully they stuck with the classic Wiggly repertoire, eschewing the later, raga-influenced work. Oh yeah, and “Captain Feathersword’s Magic Buttons” (they made animal sounds.) The flamboyant Captain was in fine form, mugging for the crowd, his song-and-dance background apparent.

Jeff only fell asleep about four times, but all was forgiven as he ran the length of the theater, up and down every aisle, posing for pictures, laughing and playing with kids and mommies and daddies. I had an aisle seat, and he was right next to me; I could have reached out and touched him. I SHOULD have reached out and touched him. Idiot! What was I thinking...

Murray also made the trip through the house. The whole show was full of good cheer; in fact, the boys even ad-libbed some of the dialogue, as was apparent when Greg said it was night, and Anthony pointed out that it was actually afternoon; they compromised on evening. When Jeff awoke he was laughing, and declared that it was indeed evening. All four of them were cracking up, pushing further and further off script. It was a nice moment, and showed the genuine camaraderie they share.

There was a nice interlude where one of the dancers was featured during a number about a dancing brown girl (a folk song from the Caribbean.)

The closing number was “Dancing at Wiggle Bay,” a raucous joyous rocker that gave way to a reprise of some of the hits they’d played earlier in the afternoon. The guys were all-singin’, all-dancin’ and full of high spirits and good cheer. No one left disappointed, parents included. These songs, as you know, are insanely catchy. You couldn’t help but walk out singing “Point Your Finger and Do the Twist.” The Manhattan hustle and bustle had a distinctly red, yellow, purple and blue hue to it on the way home. Even the homeless were Wiggly.

My daughter? She slept through the whole show.

*****

WORLD, WORLD WIGGLES EXCLUSIVE!!!

It was announced at the Sunday afternoon show that Greg has a double hernia. He wanted to play out the string of NYC shows, but he was flying back to Australia—- a 24-hour flight, his bandmates good-naturedly ribbed him—- for surgery right after the day's gigs. He will be sidelined for the rest of the tour. IAWWW wishes Greg a speedy recovery, and wants to know why he wore a short sleeve shirt.