On Valentine’s Day I gave my boys the ultimate gift….we were invited to see Monster Jam at the East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center. The boys have been big fans since last year’s events, and the baby kicked her way through the shows in utero. And this year was a special surprise. We were able to meet the driver of “Grave Digger the Legend” and interview with him. We were able to hear all about his father’s legacy, how he got started, about his new rig, and more. It was an amazing experience to see all the children so starry eyed with his appearance.
Following the interview was the Pit Party. We had not attended one of these before. Now that we have, it’s a must do! I had pictured a Pit Party similar to football tailgating, but this was far more geared to the children. All the trucks were on display, and we could walk up to every vehicle for pictures. Anyone could also stand in queue to meet each driver, take a picture with him or her, and get their autograph. I made sure that Siobhan had her picture taken with Medusa’s driver. I’d had an extremely adorable outfit on my daughter for the picture, which she promptly pooped through before the event, so my daughter was in the backup leopard print pajama. <sigh>
Aside from the fantastic opportunities to wow the boys with the up-close-and-personal view of the trucks, I really liked the opportunity they had to wear off some energy. They were dutifully tired after the pre-show excitement and diligently watched the Monster Jam show.
The show had several competitions throughout the night for the truck drivers. They revved up for the wheelies over junk cars (and promptly smooshed them), raced against each other over the junk cars, competed in the donut competition (my favorite), and then there was a freestyle competition at the end. The latter is where the drivers REALLY got to show their stuff, flying higher and soaring past the audience.
Even in-between the competition setups, the MC kept the crowd engaged. My children did not once ask to leave their seats, even during the intermissions. The MC had the crowd cheering hoping they would win a Hot Wheels special toy, have a tshirts cannon shoot in their direction (complete with tickets to future shows), and then more of my favorite parts:
- The teeny tiny car with a jet engine on the back throwing high powered flames into the arena
- The Extreme Pogo jumpers flipping summersaults and backflips on and from their pogos. Jim said he always wanted a Pogo stick, but those ones were sick!
- The Nuclear Cowboyz even visited with some amazing stunts that wowed the crowd. I overheard several audience members after the show talking about the amazing performance these men put on. We cannot wait to see them in March at the IZOD center (hint, buy your tickets to that NOW!)
On the venue front, the IZOD Center did a great job and pulling the fumes out of the center. We were not bothered by them at all, and we had front row seats! The staff, as usual, were all very friendly. Two staff members even came to find me afterwards to make sure I recalled where we’d left the stroller. Talk about professionalism and attention to detail! The bathrooms were also clean, and the kids always enjoy the static electricity the stalls put into their hair.
The only mention I absolutely must make is to BRING EAR PROTECTION. For mom, for dad, and ESPECIALLY for children. If you forget them, they do sell novelty style earmuffs. I have not tried them myself, but I highly recommend stopping at Home Depot en route and picking up a few pair. The family will enjoy the show far more, I promise.
There are two performances remaining today at the IZOD Center, so hop into the car and get yourselves there. You can purchase tickets online at ticketmaster.com or directly at the box office upon arrival. The venue is large enough to accommodate any last-minute arrivals, and small enough that the view from any area is spectacular.
I’ve posted the Grave Digger donut and the Nuclear Cowboyz intermission show on Facebook. Enjoy!
