Time For Blast Off!

A month or so ago, I received an e-mail at work informing me that I could order tickets early to a show called "Blast". Having seen Blast before on TV, I decided to see about getting some tickets. Though they are fairly expensive, I ponied up for four so we could go and take the kids too.

For those of you who may not know what Blast is, it's a live performance show that utilizes elements from marching band, flag corps, drum corps, and dance. The end result is an incredible blend of sight and sound that takes you away from your cares for a couple of hours. Sometimes mellow, mostly upbeat, often funny, the show is unique and extremely entertaining.

I bought the tickets about a month in advance and told the kids about it. The response I got was pretty tame. They seemed happy about it but with no real idea about the show, they weren't what I would call excited. Over the next 30 days or so, not much was ever again said about it.

Then, Friday came and it was time to get dressed and go to dinner before heading downtown to the Civic Center for the show. The kids were starting to get excited, but mainly because it wouldn't be another "boring" Friday at home with Mom and Dad! Suzanne had to check her watch every five minutes during dinner in response to the kid's questioning when it was time to go to the theater. As we walked out of the restaurant and to the car, Rachel exclaimed "We are going to be late Daddy!"

The excitement that reached a peak as we were ushered into the theater to our seats quickly declined as the minutes waned leading up to show time. You see, we had gotten there about 20 minutes early! We were bordering on having a total meltdown with Rachel as the MC walked onto the stage. Showtime had arrived!

Blast opened with a rousing version of Bolero that gave us goosebumps and went on through a couple of additional numbers before coming to the number of the night...Battery Battle. Wow! The number starts with one drummer making us all laugh and showing off his skills, and what skills they were! It was a several minutes drumroll that consisted of him using both ends of his drumsticks, each of his fingers in turn, his elbow, his shoulder, and his ear! He even used the stand during one point.

As good as that was, then a second drummer came out and they proceeded to move all over stage faking a real fight and trading drumrolls the whole time. The kids were 100% into the program and we were all having a great time!

After intermission came the highlight of the night, though. I'm not sure what the the name of the number was, but it started with only one instrument and slowly built until the stage was so full of cast members that they spilled into the audience! To the time of a very upbeat tune, the cast went all around the crowd playing their instruments, high fiving, and shaking hands with the crowd. Rachel even got into the act dancing around and slapping fives with the cast members that came by!!!

After they finished the finale and bowed to the crowd, the entire drumline headed up the aisles, out of the theater, and into the concourse where they proceeded to usher the crowd out with a steady beating of their drums. They ended up playing another 5 minutes or so to the gathered crowd and then stayed to sign autographs and in general soak up the atmosphere.

As we exited the theater to pouring down, cold rain, nothing was going to soak our spirits. We had truly had a Blast!