It really was a little bit like being back on Hood St, except the kids were there too.
A few of them had even made their own signs, getting into the whole music fan experience early.
Some of the song highlights for the 7-year-olds in our group were, of course, Golden and the classic YMCA, while some of the older kids loved Lush Life and Shake It Off.
Ten-year-old Tilly said, “Such great choices of songs, I loved everything. They even had costume changes and cool lights and lasers.”
Nine-year-old Rory couldn’t believe that the 10-year-old drummer, Indy, managed to remember all those songs.
“That’s so much talent and so impressive.”
I love the idea of giving kids a proper live music experience, and Hamilton is so lucky to be the hometown of the band behind this cool concept.
Drummer Indy was clearly a crowd favourite, with his skills earning plenty of attention from the kids around us.
Another lovely touch was celebrating the birthday of Kahurangi Moses, the daughter of band member Brandan Moses, with the whole crowd joining in to sing Happy Birthday.
It highlighted the family connection within the band and added to the warm, family atmosphere of the whole event.
I was at the back with some of the mums from school, who were getting seriously into dancing.
Our only note was that it would have been nice to be able to get a wine, but alas, we had fun anyway.
The kids were jam-packed into the front mosh pit, so thankfully, they didn’t even see our embarrassing dance moves.
I can see Sonic Boom really taking off, and I was excited to see they have a line-up of gigs between now and the upcoming summer.
It’s such a cool idea: giving kids a proper concert experience that is also fun for parents to get involved in and jam along to.
We’ll definitely be returning to a Sonic Boom gig. They might just need a bigger Hamilton venue next time!
The Details
What: Sonic Boom
When: Saturday, August 8
Where: Hamilton Gardens Pavilion
Abby Dalgety is a researcher and senior academic at the School of Media Arts at Wintec in Hamilton. She has been writing reviews for Waikato Herald since 2023.