Who’s cooler?
Stomp is pretty excellent.
scrap arts music are better than both!
Oh. I hoped this thread would be about who would win in a fight.
In that case, Stomp have an edge physically, but BMG are more cunning. So Blue Man Group, if they’re prepared.
Both are 'way too overhyped and I admit I was disappointed in both. Guess my expectations were too high. Both had some good moments in their shows but overall, alas, I was underwhelmed.
I saw a touring company of** Stomp** in Pittsburgh around 1995 or 1996. They were breathtaking in the physicality of their performance.
I’ve never seen Blue Man Group’s regular stage show, but I did see their arena show the first year they did it, somewhere around 2002 or 2003 IIRC. It was a great show, but the Blue Men were backed up by an enormous band and supported by other performers like Tracy Bonham and Venus Hum.
So, based on those two experiences, I give the nod to Stomp, though I am second to none in my love for Blue Man Group.
While I would undoubtedly go to see both again, I would probably have to think about my finances before buying BMG tix, but would jump at the chance to see Stomp again.
Of course the Kodo Drummers were fantastic last fall, and i desperately want to take the kids, but they being 7 years old I am still hesitant having them sit through 90+ mins of drumming.
I can’t remember when I saw Stomp, but it was a while ago. It was probably before 1998. I saw the Blue Man Group about two years ago. I recognize that a few years ago I probably didn’t see the prime preformance of Blue Man Group, but their schtick was probably well rehersed duplicates of the original.
I thought Stomp was phenomenal. I though Blue Man Group was gimmicky. I love rythm. Stomp focused entirely on rythm. The rythm was perfect as far as I could tell. There was really nothing else to Stomp besides rythm. Producing rythm like that requires incredible concentration for long periods of time. Blue Man Group did a lot of rythm too, but not for long periods and they didn’t expand and derivitize it like Stomp. Blue Man Group relied on illusion, distraction and gimmick. They even had an “audience member” yell “Free Bird”, so that the band could play Free Bird. Who knows if that was written into the script, but it seemed awfully coreograft.
Obviously, I loved Stomp and thought Blue Man Group was okay.
In a fight though, I would still pick Stomp. In order to keep dancing like that for such long periods, they had to be extremely fit. Blue Man Group just never had any endurance with anything they did. No doubt they are in better shape than I am, but Stomp was clearly made up of dancers. Whether they are profesional dancers or not, they had to be fit like mad to keep that up for long.
They’re a bit hard to compare. Stomp is drumming and rhythm, with a bit of theatricality and dance and narrative and humor tossed in. But it’s drumming and rhythm.
Blue Man Group is wacky creative fun performance art. A fair bit of it has drumming and rhythm as part of that particular act, but a whole bunch also doesn’t.
I personally enjoyed BMG more, but both are worth seeing.
I have never gotten the overwhelming adulation of BMG. I think “gimmicky” is the perfect word for it, with them recycling the same jokes in different bits within a single performance! Stomp was awesome when I saw it, but the best part of BMG was the part that didn’t involve BMG at all: when someone walked in late, a spotlight would shine on them and the band would sing “You’re Late!” over and over until they sat down. That was more funny than anything I ever saw BMG do.
Pfft. Savage Aural Hotbed all the way. Taiko drumming and power saws? Oh hell yeah.
Anyway, I’ve seen Stomp and listened to BMG, but never seen them live. The bits I’ve seen of them on video or been told about make it sound like, well, a show. Which is fine, I guess, but as far as music goes I’d probably choose Stomp over BMG. If I wanted to watch some performance art with guys wearing blue makeup, I guess I’d be pretty happy that the Blue Man Group existed, but I don’t often have that particular urge.
STOMP is a very unique group, however they are always getting compared to the Blue Man Group even though they are completely different. There are some similarities, mainly that they are unique. I think that STOMP needs to come up with a way to set themselves apart from the Blue Man Group so that they don’t keep getting compared. STOMP is unique and does a lot of touring overseas, I think that they need to do more tours in the United States. By doing more tours in the United States and spread out from coast to coast I think they would have a very good opportunity to spread their name.
Cost of tickets are reasonable and can attract a wide variety of customers, however if they would incorporate some classical songs, and STOMP to them, they might attract more customers. I have mentioned STOMP to people and they automatically say, ‘who the homeless group?’ The clothes and costumes that STOMP wears make it seem that they are a small group just starting off, when in reality they are really successful. If costumes were changed through the performances to something that isn’t rags, the attraction to a wider variety of people would present itself.
I don’t know the names of the performers in STOMP, but I show a clip to my classes where the lead guy gets the audience to clap along in rhythm with him, but never says a word. Praise, criticism, encouragement – all with body language, no words. That’s communication. Fascinates me.
Blue Man Group can get an audience member to come on stage and serve them Twinkies with no words.
Yes, Twinkies don’t usually have words. You know what I mean.
Blast!
Wow! It’s like you read my mind! :smack:
To each their own. I was completely and satisfactorally whelmed by both.
But they’re two different experiences. It’s like comparing a fireworks display and a magician.
I’d be willing to see Stomp again.
I’d not be willing to see Blue Man Group again.