Hello friends and greetings from Kansas City. I know I should have posted last week, but I had some time off in Tampa and it just seemed to fly by. When I last posted I had just gotten to Va. Beach and was looking forward to better weather than I had in Toledo. That was not to be the case. It was cold and rainy, which I hate even more than the snow. The rain stopped but the cold stayed, and I remained layered in long johns for the entire week.
I had a great time in Virginia despite the weather. The crowds were great and I worked with Aries Spears who I enjoyed thoroughly. I met a lot of cool people which is part of the job that I love.
On Wednesday I went to the bar across the street where the waitress all where those plaid pleated skirts. I don’t know if it comes from going to catholic schools or what, but the skirts just rile me up. It wasn’t the skirts that really caught my attention, no, it was the performer that night. He was an Asian Rastafarian hippie guy named Jesse Chong. Playing solo with a drum machine and some other things that I don’t even know what they are called. He was amazing. He was playing a lot of covers with a reggae vibe and just blew me away with his version of Ben Harpers, “I’m gonna burn one down”. I was flashing back to my days managing the Full Moon in Tulsa and all the hippie bands. I was sitting there thinking, “man, my friend in Indiana would love this guy!”. Then boom, he breaks out with this version of Scarlet Begonias that blew my mind. That song has always reminded me of her. Here is a link to the video of him with his whole band, I only got to see him accustic. I have hard time believing the full band show could be any better.
When I got back to the room I looked him up and checked out his web site. I was amazed. He plays somewhere in Va. Beach every day. Seven days a week, either acoustic or with the band, he plays. It makes me feel like a total pansy. I am sitting there wishing I was home and this guy is out every night, banging it out. I guess you can spend so many days think where is my break, when do I get a shot at the bigs, and while you are whining someone is out there perfecting their art just because they love the art. Gave me something to think about.
The week went fast and before you know it I was back on the highway, this time heading to Tampa for a week at home. By the time I reached Florida the stench of two weeks in the car was awful. I couldn’t wait to get the car clean again.
I had some good down time. I was sick for a couple of days, but it was warm so who cares, right? Saw MK, went to Cowboy Mouth with Nini and Stini, even did a NLO show with Pattymelt and JB. Financially things are not where they need to be but they are getting better. I am gonna have to give the much loved condo, but it hasn’t really felt much like a home since MK moved out anyway.
By Monday the Super Bowl people began to show up in Tampa. The traffic was already just at a standstill. It took 45mins on Tuesday to get from Davis Islands to Ybor, usually it takes 5.
Wednesday it was off to KC. Mk agreed to drive me to the airport so as to avoid paying for parking. When I got to the airport I realized I had left my wallet in my car. So I had to get a cab back to MK’s place, pick up my car, pay for the parking and the cab, and fly standby on a flight with three stops instead of on the direct flight I was on earlier. My stupidity costs me more money than…well whatever.
I’ll post back soon to let you know how KC is.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Blizzard, Slumpbusters, and little bit of Jazz! January 1 - 11, 2009
Well, after sitting out the blog for 2008, I am determined to get it on in 2009, and get it on we did. I rang in the New Year with one of my dearest friends Nini and her friend Alita. It was a blast and perfect except at midnight I was at the Tiny Tap, ewww. Spent a wonderful day with MK on the 1st. It makes me so happy that even though we are separated and more than likely headed to a divorce we still love and care for each other dearly. She is and always will be my best friend.
That behind, us the work year starts with the first trip. Toledo, OH. An eighteen hour drive broken up with a stay at my old friend Lisa’s house in Atlanta. All was well until I stopped in Cincinnati to have lunch with my manager. After lunch it had just started to snow and as I jumped on the highway to knock out the last three hours of the drive…….BLOWOUT. Front tire cut to ribbons. A four hour delay had me leaving in the heart of rush hour, cold, wet, annoyed, and a little lighter in the cash flow. The ugly weather was just starting; it would be a theme for the rest of the week.
I arrived in Toledo around 10pm and went straight to The Funny Bone@Fat Fish Blue. What a great place. Definitely one of my new favorite clubs to play. The people were so nice. I was immediately greeted very warmly by the owner Jeff and every member of staff. Right from the get go all they wanted was to make sure I was comfortable. The fed me all week with amazing food. I was supposed to start back on the diet this week, since over Xmas I had gained back 12 of the 45lbs I had lost. I ordered some food and walked across to the Hilton to check in. Unfortunately the reservation had been lost and they had no room for me, so the club moved me to a hotel down the road. When I got to the new hotel it was insane , 2 giant HD flat screens, a hot tub, and some craze stone shower “room” with multi-shower heads and a small slit in the stone so I could watch the TV while scrubbed the road off of me. Whenever I get put in a suite like that I can’t help thinking that club has been misled into thinking I am a bigger deal than I am. They offered to keep me there all week, but I was more than happy to move to the Hilton across the street from the club. Stumbling distance is way better than an in room hot tub.
The next morning we did some radio and TV promo. I was picked up by the GM John, and Limo Doug, both so nice. John is just one of the guys who is an explosion kindness, and Doug kept offering me Limo service all week, for me or any “lady friends” I met up with. Which led to the on air conversation with Andrew Z, Trish and the gang on kiss fm, about my current relationship status. After explaining my separation the conversation turned to have I hooked up since the split. I explained that I had not and that it all seemed a bit much right now and I am not sure if I am ready to see new people naked or be seen naked by new people. It’s a lot for my neurotic brain to wrap around. The conversation had an amazing effect; young hot gals were showing up at the show not to hear the jokes, but in an attempt to be the “slump buster”. God, I love 23 year old girls, their minds work about the same as a 14 year old boys. Sex Sex Sex! But alas there was no slump busting, just not there yet. It will be a while I am sure.
The people of Toledo are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. So nice! Despite the fact that there was a blizzard, 12 inches of snow at least. It snowed from the time I got there to the time I left. Thank god I was in the hotel across the street and there was a Starbucks one block away. Although the during the one block walk for coffee I felt a little like Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago. What amazed me was the crowds night after night, show after show huge crowds. Sell outs in a blizzard. The fact that people who live in those conditions don’t let it cripple their lives is amazing to me. They are a testament to the human will to overcome. I was very impressed.
During the week my manager, who will from here after by referred to as The Big Head, called and said I would not be going to Denver for next week and Columbus for the last week of the month. Instead I would be in Va. Beach next week and Kansas City two weeks from now.
I drove to Va. Beach today, 11 hours, not too bad. I downloaded Ken Burns Documentary on Jazz to “listen to”/”watch” while I drove. (please save your that’s not safe lectures for someone else, I am way more focused this way then just listening to music) It really had me thinking though about the innovation and artistry of the people being profiled and comparing what they did to what I wish I could do. I have no distinct style of my own. Each bit I write is mine but is done in a style of one of the comics I admire. I find myself doing my material in knock off styles, and not just a knock off of one style either. I do some Rock, some Johannsen, some Cosby, some Black, some Porter, even some Melton mixed in. But what is my style. How can I take all that I have picked up from the people I have worked with and create my own unique groundbreaking style. A style that will move me to the next level and put me in a place where I can really start being an artist and not just a hired gun waiting from week to week to be sent to another club to open for someone else. As much as I despise Dane Cook, the biggest comic to never write a single punch line, he had his unique style. You have to respect that.
That’s all for this week’s summary. I may add some extras from time to time, but I am determined to give you a summary every week. So let’s see what happens next!
That behind, us the work year starts with the first trip. Toledo, OH. An eighteen hour drive broken up with a stay at my old friend Lisa’s house in Atlanta. All was well until I stopped in Cincinnati to have lunch with my manager. After lunch it had just started to snow and as I jumped on the highway to knock out the last three hours of the drive…….BLOWOUT. Front tire cut to ribbons. A four hour delay had me leaving in the heart of rush hour, cold, wet, annoyed, and a little lighter in the cash flow. The ugly weather was just starting; it would be a theme for the rest of the week.
I arrived in Toledo around 10pm and went straight to The Funny Bone@Fat Fish Blue. What a great place. Definitely one of my new favorite clubs to play. The people were so nice. I was immediately greeted very warmly by the owner Jeff and every member of staff. Right from the get go all they wanted was to make sure I was comfortable. The fed me all week with amazing food. I was supposed to start back on the diet this week, since over Xmas I had gained back 12 of the 45lbs I had lost. I ordered some food and walked across to the Hilton to check in. Unfortunately the reservation had been lost and they had no room for me, so the club moved me to a hotel down the road. When I got to the new hotel it was insane , 2 giant HD flat screens, a hot tub, and some craze stone shower “room” with multi-shower heads and a small slit in the stone so I could watch the TV while scrubbed the road off of me. Whenever I get put in a suite like that I can’t help thinking that club has been misled into thinking I am a bigger deal than I am. They offered to keep me there all week, but I was more than happy to move to the Hilton across the street from the club. Stumbling distance is way better than an in room hot tub.
The next morning we did some radio and TV promo. I was picked up by the GM John, and Limo Doug, both so nice. John is just one of the guys who is an explosion kindness, and Doug kept offering me Limo service all week, for me or any “lady friends” I met up with. Which led to the on air conversation with Andrew Z, Trish and the gang on kiss fm, about my current relationship status. After explaining my separation the conversation turned to have I hooked up since the split. I explained that I had not and that it all seemed a bit much right now and I am not sure if I am ready to see new people naked or be seen naked by new people. It’s a lot for my neurotic brain to wrap around. The conversation had an amazing effect; young hot gals were showing up at the show not to hear the jokes, but in an attempt to be the “slump buster”. God, I love 23 year old girls, their minds work about the same as a 14 year old boys. Sex Sex Sex! But alas there was no slump busting, just not there yet. It will be a while I am sure.
The people of Toledo are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. So nice! Despite the fact that there was a blizzard, 12 inches of snow at least. It snowed from the time I got there to the time I left. Thank god I was in the hotel across the street and there was a Starbucks one block away. Although the during the one block walk for coffee I felt a little like Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago. What amazed me was the crowds night after night, show after show huge crowds. Sell outs in a blizzard. The fact that people who live in those conditions don’t let it cripple their lives is amazing to me. They are a testament to the human will to overcome. I was very impressed.
During the week my manager, who will from here after by referred to as The Big Head, called and said I would not be going to Denver for next week and Columbus for the last week of the month. Instead I would be in Va. Beach next week and Kansas City two weeks from now.
I drove to Va. Beach today, 11 hours, not too bad. I downloaded Ken Burns Documentary on Jazz to “listen to”/”watch” while I drove. (please save your that’s not safe lectures for someone else, I am way more focused this way then just listening to music) It really had me thinking though about the innovation and artistry of the people being profiled and comparing what they did to what I wish I could do. I have no distinct style of my own. Each bit I write is mine but is done in a style of one of the comics I admire. I find myself doing my material in knock off styles, and not just a knock off of one style either. I do some Rock, some Johannsen, some Cosby, some Black, some Porter, even some Melton mixed in. But what is my style. How can I take all that I have picked up from the people I have worked with and create my own unique groundbreaking style. A style that will move me to the next level and put me in a place where I can really start being an artist and not just a hired gun waiting from week to week to be sent to another club to open for someone else. As much as I despise Dane Cook, the biggest comic to never write a single punch line, he had his unique style. You have to respect that.
That’s all for this week’s summary. I may add some extras from time to time, but I am determined to give you a summary every week. So let’s see what happens next!
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