20th Anniversary Fan Meet (A Night of Bliss)
// August 3rd, 2011 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog
Fans Gathered in Times Square for a group photo.
Going into this fan meet, many fans didn’t realize all the planning, hour long phone conversations with NYC over the past several months and the ups/downs. Let me be the first to express that this fan meet wasn’t an easy one to plan, but the fact we did, and the outcome was so much more amazing than any of us had ever dreamed is a true testament to the power of this awesome online community of fans. We’ve been meeting up in cities for so long now, many of us consider ourselves more than just friends, rather more of a family feel. We’re all very close.
The fan meet began outside of John Pizzeria in the middle of Times Square around 3:30PM. Fans were walking up and introducing themselves, old friends were reunited, and new friends were made with open arms. I kept thinking to myself, “Is this really happening? Are all of these great people of which I’ve talked to for years online and have met previously here right now?” I had to pinch myself to make sure this all wasn’t a dream. To say my brain circuitry was on overload is an understatement. We all just couldn’t stop smiling. It was like time stood still for these few hours, and the focus wasn’t on ourselves, but everyone and everything around us. It was an awesome intense feeling of euphoria and bliss.
Fans at John's Pizzeria enjoying a delicious dinner and connecting with others.
During the dinner, fans indulged on some delicious Italian cuisine of NYC style pizza. I paused many moments, stopped and looked around at all the smiling faces as they were carrying on their own table conversations and breaking the ice with new fans. It was an pretty powerful thing to see everyone from all walks of life focus on one thing that we all have a passion for in life, Blue Man Group.
The show itself, wow, what more can I say that already hasn’t been noted online? I am so blessed to have been there and have been a part of this momentous occasion. As the show began, I had another one of those moments where I stopped, looked around at all the fans, and as they looked back at me with smiles bigger than their faces, I realized that something truly remarkable was about to happen on stage.
Blue Man Group founders bald and blue for the fans one final time.
The culmination of ten years have for me as a fan and Insider come down to this, I finally get to see the iconic three original founding Blue Men, get bald and blue one final time for us the fans. I can tell you, emotions were bubbling within me I hadn’t felt in years. I felt a exuberance of life burst through me, and I was instantly reminded of the glory days of fan meets between 2002-2007 in Chicago and beyond. I had “the feeling” all over again. And then, just when I didn’t expect it, during gumballs and marshmallows, the lights came on, and standing before us was the founding members Chris, Matt and Phil. I’m sure by now you’ve seen the video Part 3 to the NYC series, as the whole theater erupts with cheers of joy and accomplishment. It was at that moment, I Joe Burke, an almost 32 year old man, teared up.
Founders playing PVC IV.
I was immediately catapulted back to my old days of running the Blue Man Library, and doing my best to capture Blue Man Group on television for the fans. Finally, after watching old video clips dozens of times, and seeing them only in 2 dimensional space of a computer monitor, there they were standing before us, bald and blue, and completely in character. There is no word in the English dictionary to remotely describe that feeling at that moment, but I’m sure it was palpable by everyone in that theater.
And then, the moment that really clinched my heart, was when the founders graced the stage one more time for PVC IV, one of their most noted pieces of the show. I was instantly taken back to that cold brisk November night in 1999, my old bedroom in Kentucky watching the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and experiencing Blue Man Group for the very first time. And who was it that performed on Leno? The founders of course. All of this was rushing through my head, and then I felt something cold run down my cheek, and I then realized I had tears of joy. My experience as a Blue Man Group fan had finally come full circle, and the efforts we put forth in planning this meet had all payed off.
Another highlight was the merging of fan groups. We’re delighted and overjoyed at the fact that we’re now working more closely than ever with our European fans and their site BMGFans.com. As I write this almost with misty eyes, it gives me such a wonderful accomplished feeling to see Hans, Marco and Brett carrying the fan base torch not only for Europe, but for the world Internationally. I gave up BML because I could not afford the server costs and expenses. They stepped up in a time I could not, and for doing that, BMGFans.com, I’ll always be indebted to you. As all the leaders of the fan communities embraced in a hug, and opened our hearts, we all began to realize the bigger picture.
The Insiders Joe and Alex with Marco, Hans and Brett of BMGFans.com
Blue Man Group is what led us here, and Blue Man Group is the driving force behind ultimately what we do. We follow our bliss, and we as “family” gather not only to see shows, but to reconnect and be in familiar company. This has been the past ten years of my life. It’s what I know, it’s what we do, it’s who we are. We are fans, always have, always will be.
The Insiders,
Joe & Alex Burke
![Joseph Burke: Simple Faith [Remastered]](http://www.josephburke.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/itunes-download-SF-badge.png){kind=icon}
