Since friends Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink founded the Blue Man Group in 1987, their personal identities have been masked by blue paint, skull caps and black clothes.

Their musical identities, however, have become widely known.

Humble beginnings

Soon after the group was formed, the Blue Man Group became a fixture in the New York underground performing arts scene. They have performed in Central Park as well as several notable East Village venues, including Dixon Place, Performance Space 122 and the Wooster Group’s Performing Garage.

The group debuted their first production, “Tubes,” at LA Mama in 1991. Their performance at the Astor Palace Theater eventually won an Obie Award, which is given to off-Broadway theater.

“Tubes” has expanded to New York, Chicago, Boston and Las Vegas. Plans are in the works to add a fifth production of the show in Berlin in May 2004.

Early on, their shows consisted of parts — play and sketch routines along with the concert. Members of the audience in the rows closest to stage were often given rain ponchos to protect them from paint, water, food and an assortment of other projectiles launched from the stage throughout the course of the shows.

Tools of the trade

Perhaps the Blue Man Group’s most unique feature is its vast array of home-made contraptions from PVC piping. These instruments are used frequently as elements in their shows.

The most famous of these is the drumbone, a percussive knock-off of the trombone. Both sections of the instrument are slid back and fourth while the instrument is played in order to achieve a variety of pitches.

The drumbone can also be taken apart to create two harmonized instruments.

The group also uses air tubes, stringed instruments and various types of acoustic drums in the show.

From stage to screen

The group doesn’t just do live shows and music. In addition to television commercials for computer processor manufacturer Intel, the group has made several performances on “The Tonight Show.”

In 1999, the group released their debut album, “Audio,” which spotlighted the group’s custom musical instruments. The album garnered some critical acclaim and received a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Instrumental Album.”

Three years later, the men inked a deal with Lava Records, Atlantic Records’ sister label.

In April 2003, they released “The Complex,” their sophomore album, on which they perform with a slew of musical guests including Dave Matthews, Tracy Bonham and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale.

A music video was made for “The Current,” the track featuring Rossdale. Blue Man Group is currently on the third leg of “The Complex Rock Tour,” in support of the most recent studio effort.

The group has also announced the release of “The Complex Rock Tour Live” DVD, which showcases their “Complex Rock Tour” show at the NextStage Amphitheater in Grand Prairie, Texas. The DVD is set to hit stores on Nov. 25.

The DVD will contain live concert footage, three full-length music videos and three songs from “The Complex” in 5.1 surround sound format.

The band plans to release the entire album in 5.1 surround sound audio DVD format at a later date.

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Who: Blue Man Group

Where: Stephens Auditorium

When: 7:30 p.m.Wednesday

Cost: $35 students, $45 public

— Information compiled from www.allmusic.com and www.blueman.com