Downtown Bloomington turned into a real life "It's a Small World" this weekend. Instead of an obnoxious repeating theme song, festival-goers were treated to everything from Tuvan throat singers to Balkan beats, DJs and music from all over the world.

It was impossible to see all of the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival acts this weekend, with 28 artists playing in seven different locations, but a few unique performances stood out at the annual Lotus Festival, which drew record-setting crowds in its 13th year.

Balkan Beat Box was the talk of the town and had crowds in hysterics. Whether it was their Friday and Saturday night performances that turned the Monroe Bank tent into a hopping, orgiastic party or their DJ, Ori Kaplan, creating a three hour dance party Friday night in the Union tent, band members held Lotus in the palm of their hands.

Their shirtless rapper/drummer Tomer Muskat flew from Tel Aviv just for the show, and, indicated by the wild applause and raucous cries for an encore he received, the shirtless one-man party was much appreciated in Bloomington.

Lotus executive director Lee Williams said people demanded they bring back Balkan Beat Box's unique gypsy rock band which blended horns, guitars and electronic music with a rap show to create a blitzkrieg of sound of which Bloomington could not get enough.

"I saw them twice last year, and I'm going to do it again this year," Bloomington resident Jeremy Orwig said.

Teri Watkins, a volunteer committee member, said Balkan Beat Box was so well liked, the group's album sold out at her booth before the concert even ended.

Friday night Ori Kaplan blasted "ethno mosh-new Mediterranean dance hall" music that had the crowd so pumped up they knocked the DJ table off the stage. From 9 p.m. until after midnight, 50 dancers on stage and hundreds more in the tent danced so hard they sweat through their jeans. Bloomington high school senior Jenna Norden danced from nine until after midnight, front and center on the stage, sweating profusely, creating an upside down triangle stain on the front of her jeans.

"I really liked the music and atmosphere," she said. "I can't wait to see more Balkan Beat Box."

There was, however, a lot of music for those who wanted a softer, more relaxed style.

Catherine Russell, a blues and jazz singer who performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Friday, delivered one of those performances. Her father, Luis Russell, was Louis Armstrong's musical director, and she has been a vocalist with David Bowie, Jackson Browne, Madonna and Al Green. Her cool attitude and off-beat lyrics, including those in the song "My Man's an Undertaker," made for a great crowd-pleaser. Russell brought her first solo album, "Cat," to Lotus Festival, and within minutes after her concert, it had sold out.

Bloomington resident Julie Birkett was working at the festival store when Russell's concert let out, and she said that "the CDs just flew." They were waiting to get more, but when they received another few boxes, those sold out as well.

Russell's mandolin player Stuart J. Rosenberg said he was thrilled to be a part of this year's Lotus Festival and hopes to come back next year.

"We felt the audience love us," he said. "It was palpable."

Throughout the weekend, there was a buzz circulating about the unique Tuvan throat singers. At the Carpathian Folk Quartet concert Friday night, Steve Hedges, one of the organizers of this weekend's events, said no one should miss the singers, known as Huun--Huur--Tu. Hedges explained they can actually sing three notes in their throats at one time. He described the tones as "lower than a bass," a medium pitch and a "Mariah Carey" note.

"It's unbelievable," he said.

The ground floor and balcony of the First United Methodist Church were filled to capacity Saturday night to see the "unbelievable act." People were lining the sanctuary and cramming into any available spaces. There was a line out the door, down the staircase, and around the corner of 4th and Washington Streets.

Chad Bowman and Megan Gutieriez, in town this weekend for Lotus Festival, were at the end of the line. When asked why they were willing to stand outside and wait for the concert for so long, they simply said, "It sounded interesting."

"Interesting" could hardly describe the four man ensemble's performance, which left some audience members with their mouths agape.

"Didgeridoos! That is what they sound like!" said Bloomington resident Carolyn Kibbey, referring to the Australian instrument that emits a low drone when blown into.

Other highlights included Yungchen Lhamo's spiritual Tibetan concerts in the First Christian Church, the rocking gypsy klezmer of Golem and the 21 string acoustic instrumentation of the West African kora player Mamadou Diabate. If audience members were ever not fully entertained, there were always six other shows they could check out, taking a virtual ride around the world.

As Lotus Director Lee Williams grinned from ear to ear a little past 11 p.m. Friday night, he said he was enjoying Friday's festivities, but "Saturday is always bigger and more intense."