Blue Man Group

I just got back from the Columbus Civic Center after watching the Blue Man Group.

I really didn't know what to expect. My niece and nephew, Jessica and Scott, both saw the show in Las Vegas a couple of years ago and they loved it. My friend Bill Rich is a Blue Man Group junkie. Whenever he's in a city where the show is playing, he's there. He's like that with "Stomp" as well.

I mean, I knew the show had a lot of percussion, music, multimedia aspects and, of course, blue men.

It was so much more!

The show began with Mike Relm, a disc jockey who spins music as well as manipulates video. I have trouble getting my cell phone to work, so I can't figure out anything as high tech as this show. He was really, really good. Mike got the crowd worked up and then after a short break (they encouraged the audience to go to the bathroom!), the show began.

There are three men dressed in black with that familiar deep blue hue covering their heads and hands. I always thought they were painted, but it looked like a tight mask. They never say a word, but they're really good percussionists.

I truly thought it was just the three guys on stage. But there's a fantastic band backing them up with a couple of fine singers.

On the video screen, Fred Armisen of "Saturday Night Live" and a former Blue Man, does a video bit as Ron Popeil's brother.

There's audience participation and even the most staid people in the audience were up on their feet dancing.

Bill bought tickets when they first went on sale online. So we were in the seventh row. Great seats.

My brother, Fred, and his wife, Cheryl, were curious about the show and came with us. Fred, of course, paid for his kids to see the show in Vegas. He said those tickets were almost $100 each. So he thought the $75 tickets were pretty reasonable. We told him those were pretty expensive tickets for Columbus.

The Civic Center wasn't full. But I bet that if Dale Hester booked them again in a year or so, it will be sold out. Word of mouth will probably get out and people who didn't go tonight would hear about it tomorrow.

And if the Blue Men come back, I highly recommend the show.

It was a lot of fun. A lot!