Quick to the Point: Vanilla Ice actually puts on a good show

Thumbs Up

Sometimes I feel bad for celebrities whose careers, or perhaps very existence, has become a punch line. Comedian Pauly Shore comes to mind. Actor Dustin Diamond, singularly known for his role as "Screech" on TV's "Saved by the Bell," comes to mind as well.

And then there's Vanilla Ice.

Best known for his 1991 hit "Ice, Ice Baby" -- featuring a sample of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," which led to a lawsuit -- Vanilla Ice has since become synonymous with corporate music and manufactured silliness.

When it was announced that the one-hit wonder would be coming to the Lowcountry, more than 500 curiosity seekers, including yours truly, headed out to The Dive in Goose Creek to see, well, no one was sure what. Everyone knew he went in a heavy metal direction a few years back, and many sort of expected to hear that version. Would he be bitter? Would he be terrible? Would he play the embarrassingly goofy "Ninja Rap" from the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2" soundtrack? Everyone I spoke to really wanted to hear the "Ninja Rap," but we all agreed he probably wouldn't play it.

We were wrong.

Vanilla Ice played "Ninja Rap" relatively early. He also played his cover of Wild Cherry's disco hit "Play That Funky Music White Boy," followed not too long after by a version of "Ice, Ice Baby" more true to the original version than we all expected.

At the risk of losing all credibility, this was one of the most entertaining concerts I've ever been to, and certainly the best rap concert. From the get-go, Vanilla Ice seemed like a performer completely at peace with how others perceive him and gave the audience exactly what they wanted: a good time. Part nostalgia, part party antics and it must be said -- part quality.

Vanilla Ice's new material was really good! A new single he was promoting called "Turn it Up" was as fun and catchy as anything on rap radio today, and the two dozen or so girls dancing onstage seemed to agree. He even did some break dancing.

Vanilla Ice went from selling 17 million albums and dating Madonna to becoming a comical, pop culture footnote. You really have to respect a guy everyone laughs at who also can laugh at himself and put on a great show to boot.

Thumbs Down

I originally had planned for "Thumbs Down" to be the fact that I had to pay $18 to see Vanilla Ice, but forget that. No "Thumbs Down" this week. It was worth every penny.