CoasterBuzz Podcast #53 posted

I was extremely shocked like you guys about the Q-Bot at SFGAdv. However, than I realized what they added two years already in a row. Of course, you know they have El Toro, and Kingda Ka. I just heard somewhere that one day Kingda Ka had a 6 hour line. This is nuts, and of course people are going to buy the Q-Bot to avoid that line.

When El Toro is running one train, I think the same way. They just don't want to wait there for those rides. I can only guess that Superman is packing them in with Nitro. I don't know for sure because I don't live over there, but it seems that way. Shapiro kind of thinks he is a great guy for mentioning his "flash pass" Q-Bot system, and thus it's making a lot of money.

If the rides weren't that long, they wouldn't be selling that many Q-Bots. I would imagine they would have sold more Q-Bots this year over there than last year because of the roller coaster, and Kingda being open (I don't know how long it was open last year.).

I heard somewhere that SF makes at least a $1,000,000,000 a year, and thus I believe that 1% would be $10,000,000. So, this isn't a walk in the park. That's a lot of money. The attendance is bothering me though, and I don't see how it won't continue unless they do something better than what they are doing.

For the 1% numbers and 12% attendance, I really want to know to make sure is that for the whole season or is that just July, August, and September? I know obviously it can't be October.

During the later parts of the season, Six Flags played the cheaper game. They had greater discounts than they said they would because of attendance. It was like $20.00 off, and Fright Fest was also cheaper. The Internet prices went way down too. They all seemed to be $40.00 on the net late in the year. So, is the same going to happen next year?? I hope not.

Good podcast and keep it up!!

Ok, now I'm really starting to miss the funky techno intro music :(

Have any of you podcast guys seen Blast ? I know there's a huge difference between Blue Man and Blast, but the visual elements (at least from descriptions I've heard) sound similar. As a music guy, it's easily one of my favorite shows.

I by far prefer Blast! to Blue Man Group. BMG feels like a novelty to me, while Blast seems like a display of pure talent.

Here is a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGkhiiM-KRg

*** This post was edited by jdancisin 11/14/2006 8:46:21 AM ***

Doesn't really look like an apples comparison. The thing that has evolved most with Blue Man, particularly in the touring show, is the emphasis on the music. The band is top notch. I was totally blown away.

Malaguena is not the best example of the visual elements of Blast, but it's definitely a good tune on the show. If only I wasn't a poor college student (that just had his lease changed to include the cost of gas heat for the winter-stupid landlord!), I would love to go see Blue Man.

Pat...Great comment. I was listening to the Podcast and just as you said "How can Jeff rant and rave" (like a sailor), I realized he bleeped out your Shirt Shack phrases. What is up with that.... :-)

It's the man trying to keep me down. ;)

I've seen both and like both. BMG is older than Blast by far, and is MUCH more deep as it deals with information overload, being an outsider, complex science topics, and urban isolation. Blast is about the showman ship. Infact, stomp is more like Blast than any of them are to BMG.

As someone who has seen Stomp(touring and NYC), Blast, Shockwave (Blast V2.0) and Blue Man Group (NYC). I must say I enjoyed them all. To me they all have there niches that they fill. Blue Man wowed me with the creativity of mixing art(painting), music and visuals(the video and lighting). Blast and Shockwave were about the music and the artistry of music in motion(the marching and the visual ensemble aka color guard for the old school band geeks of which I am one). Stomp was about the music and motion of the city finding music in everyday life.

Also about Maleguena. I feel that it the perfect song to represent Blast. I say this because Maleguena is one of the most often used songs in Marching Band and Drum Corps and where did Blast originate, as the Drum Corps Star of Indiana . It actually is considered to be one of the staples of Drum Corps. If you go to a competition and a Corps starts the first notes of the song most people in the stands perk up and know the song by heart. If you want to look for an interesting version of Blast find Shockwave. It used marching band instrumentation instead of Drum Corps instruments. They did songs like Alanis Morrisette's "Uninvited" and The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" along with other songs that I am not quite remembering now.*** This post was edited by dragonoffrost 11/16/2006 11:29:07 AM ***