Blue Man Group's crazy musical instrument toys

We're no fans of over-enthusiastic men in face paint, but there's something very appealing about this, the first of the Blue Man Group's new toy range. They all rocking the same PVC tubing meets Apple G5 meets Fisher Price styling, and feature "new proximity sensor technology, pre-programmed songs [and] interchangeable instrument sounds" to "enable kids to mix and layer music with a simple wave of their hands." This is the 'Percussion Tubes' model; the little green drawer on the right is for your iPod, which can play out of the speakers so you can "jam along with your favourite tracks." There's also a keyboard version, and a more interesting sounding Drum Suit and Air Pole. Can't wait until the circuit benders get their hands on these, which they surely will, the Percussion Tubes being $69, and the Keyboard being $79 -- available in July.

[Boo Radley @ Jun 15th 2006 12:45AM]

wow, everyone is betting on iPods nowadays. I wonder how long this craze will last...

why does Fisher Price think that kids have an iPod in the first place? a very strange product indeed

[n00bmaster @ Jun 15th 2006 1:03AM]

hey, you havent been to a elementary school lately.
I have seen people in 2nd grade with an ipod nano.

[Barry @ Jun 15th 2006 1:04AM]

Hey, my fiancee saw a toddler in a stroller with white ear buds in her ears. Her mom said she loved her iPod. Don't discount the buying power of ankle-biters.

[Barry @ Jun 15th 2006 1:08AM]

Hay - is for horses.

[nein @ Jun 15th 2006 4:46AM]

yeah, f.p. assuming kids have ipods isn't a stretch. my 9 year old sister has a 30gb ipod with the star trek theme song (yes, one mp3). my 6 year old sister has a nano she doesn't really understand.

[NilsTh @ Jun 15th 2006 7:31AM]

Just have to quote Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development: "Oh, I just blue myself"

[stev @ Jun 15th 2006 11:22AM]

i dont see why the have to use the proprietary ipod connector
y not just a headphone plug

[Shunnabunich @ Jun 15th 2006 1:03PM]

"Can't wait until the circuit benders get their hands on these..."

I thought of BT the second I read this. Hahaha! I suppose those in-pipe motion sensors only have on/off sensitivity, and not incremental control based on distance from the pipe end or something like that, as that would probably jack up the price a fair bit, but this still looks pretty interesting. And yeah, young kids do have iPods. I was shopping for new headphones a week or two ago, and there was a kid (couldn't have been more than 10) there with his mom and they bought an iPod nano. All I could do was give the mom a couple of recommendations about case use and alternate headphones (when the family's finances were to recover, that is :P).

[SectionZ @ Jun 15th 2006 3:36PM]

yay now you too can create the same music year after year and call yourself original for doing it!

[Spider Tactics @ Jun 15th 2006 5:08PM]

The "jam along with your favourite (sic) tracks" line is very laughable. I doubt anyone who was not at a Blue Man show ever even considered buying a Blue Man CD.

[Pat @ Jun 15th 2006 7:07PM]

There's hope for Tobias Funke!!

[Parker @ Jun 16th 2006 1:36PM]

Spider Tactics: You're probably right. But after I saw the show, I had to pick up the CDs. It's unusual music but it's also a lot of fun. And the 5.1 surround sound mixes on DVD are awesome. The Blue Men aren't for everyone, but I've learned to love them.

We'll have to see if this toy lives up to the reputation of the Real Thing.

[amanda @ Sep 27th 2006 12:52PM]

Why does everyone think that this is a Fisher Price product? It isnt. It is a ToyQuest product, and probably the most well built product that the company has ever made.

[Jameson @ Dec 10th 2006 10:51AM]

Will this thing work without an iPod or equivalent Mp3 player?

[UK Dance Record Store – DJ Vinyl @ Nov 27th 2007 3:33AM]

I heard a lot but for that yet not.can we use it without ipod or not.