Techno Music

iPiano: Classical music star Lang Lang plays the iPad in concert

Concerts featuring a world-renowned piano master doing his thing at an old-fashioned grand piano? Bo-ring. But a pianist fooling around on an iPad? That's the stuff of an Internet sensation.

At least according to YouTube, where Lang Lang's first encore after a concert in San Francisco has gone viral. Lang Lang — classical music's rock star pianist, a man who is treated almost like a tabloid celebrity in his home country of China — played Houston's Jones Hall earlier on the same tour.

The song was Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" and the instrument was Magic Piano for the iPad, which Lang Lang played while showing off the screen to the audience and symphony musicians alike, even offering the conductor a note or two.

A week later over half a million people have checked out what a real artist can do with the app — which maker Smule says was inspired by Lang Lang himself.

But Lang Lang still has a way to go before being the Internet's most famous Magic Pianist. He's still four million views behind Iggy the Cat.

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp