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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Where It's At |
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| Blue Man Group adds color to Key Arena, Toumani Diabaté's African sounds at The Triple Door | ||
| by Albert Rodriguez -
SGN A&E Writer BLUE MAN GROUP THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 7:30 P.M. KEY ARENA - $49.50-$85 The thought of grown, bald men banging on recycled plastic - with blue-painted faces, mind you - doesn't exactly say "night on the town." No, this isn't a human adult formation of the Smurfs. It's Blue Man Group. And exactly as it sounds, it's a group of blue-splattered men who play music. Launched as a theatrical experiment in the late '80s, this colorful oddity has grown into a full-scale touring production with appearances around the globe, aside from splintered ensembles that play to packed houses at permanent residences in seven cities, including Las Vegas. Blue Man Group has been nominated for several Grammy Awards for its sporadic audio releases, and a quick memory jog will rekindle the unit's electrifying and mindblowing collaboration with Moby and Jill Scott years ago on the Grammy stage. The trio's performances are a mixture of live music, comedic skits and flashy light shows. Utilizing handmade tubular instruments as large projection screens simultaneously display a variety of images in the background, Blue Man Group keeps their audiences entertained from the very start of the program to its final note. High energy, eye dazzling, and slightly weird. This is the Blue Man Group experience. Oftentimes water or other acceptable forms of liquid are sprayed onto the crowd seated near the front of the stage. Take a windbreaker if parked in rows one through five. On the road this spring for its mammoth five-month "Rock Tour," Blue Man Group makes a dash to Key Arena on Thursday. I admit, seeing these guys outside a drunken night in Vegas is a tad cheesy. Though, much like a good (or bad, come to think of it) Cirque du Soleil show, the overall spectacle is a pleasant excursion from the drippy and frosty weather. Kids and kids at heart, grandparent-age folks, and anyone unable to fly to Nevada would sure be delighted to spend an evening with Blue Man Group. From TV commercials (Intel, anyone?) to sports arenas, the excitement of this innovative act makes indigo seem so pale. A. Rodriguez Artist essentials: Grab a DVD copy of Blue Man Group: Complex Rock Tour Live for a glimpse of what this performance act does in concert. TOUMANI DIABATÉ WITH SYMMETRIC ORCHESTRA THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 7 P.M. AND 9:30 P.M. THE TRIPLE DOOR - $25-$30 This week, take a trip to Africa. Not the actual Africa. That would require a thousand-dollar airline ticket, at least. Instead, I'm suggesting a journey deep into Africa's musical roots provided by Grammy winner Toumani Diabaté. The decorated musician and his Symmetric Orchestra are making a late winter trek through the US, including a one-night/two-show appearance at The Triple Door on Thursday. Collaborating with Bjork, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Taj Mahal and most recently Vieux Farka Toure, the Mali-born Diabaté is famous for his self-taught skills on the kora (a West African harp). In 2006, his pairing with the late Ali Farka Toure on the album In the Heart of the Moon earned him a Grammy. The singer-musician and his ensemble are weekly regulars at the Bamako Hogon Club, a popular live music space in the African city. Diabaté also serves as director and founder of a music school in Bamako. The composition of Symmetric Orchestra reads like a cross-continental state dinner with members representing Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Together with Diabaté, all of these backgrounds come together for a musical feast that will delightfully tingle your ears, especially since they'll play at one of Seattle's finest acoustical settings, The Triple Door. Sumptuous sounds and delicious food (house-cooked upstairs at Wild Ginger) is a terrific combo to beat the January blahs. Pre-show drinks and bar menu appetizers are also available at The Triple Door's premier lounge, the Musiquarium. If you've been looking for an avenue to explore world music, consider this one. Expect traditional African sounds, a bouillabaisse of instruments, rhythms, beats and genuine vocals at a Toumani Diabaté performance. Reservations can be made at www.thetripledoor.net or by calling (206) 838-4333. Full dinner or cocktails not included in price of admission, but neither is obligatory to view the concert. Diabaté and Symmetric Orchestra will perform two shows on Thursday - the first at 7 p.m. is all ages, the second at 9:30 p.m. is 21-plus. A. Rodriguez Artist essentials: In the Heart of the Moon is a good place to start for Diabaté newbies. |
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