Fame or Famine

There have been some very interesting people here at the podcast expo. And strange experiences…for example, at one point I found myself in a stretch limo hummer with two fetish podcasters, a wine maven, an author, a self-promotion business consultant, a rock and roll musician, and Elvis Poultry.
Yes, that’s right. Elvis Poultry. This is a man who has taken the art of performance past the sublime into the ridiculous and on past that into some realm that really I don’t even understand. I have to say, though, the man has presence like you would not believe. Try out some …read more

Comments Off

Sorry for the thin posts lately–my girlfriend and I have been out in California first at the Folsom St. Fair and now down near L.A. at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo.
If you’re not familiar with podcasts (aka "netcasts"), it is an exciting new medium of news, communication, and performance. Much in the way that blogs provided a back door into the world of any performing art you might name. Like Celtic music? How about the Celtic Music Podcast? How about learning about current things on Broadway?
You don’t need an iPod to listen–anything that can play MP3’s, even …read more

Comments Off

Sorry for the thin posts lately–my girlfriend and I have been out in California first at the Folsom St. Fair and now down near L.A. at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo.
If you’re not familiar with podcasts (aka "netcasts"), it is an exciting new medium of news, communication, and performance. Much in the way that blogs provided a back door into the world of any performing art you might name. Like Celtic music? How about the Celtic Music Podcast? How about learning about current things on Broadway?
You don’t need an iPod to listen–anything that can play MP3’s, even …read more

Comments Off

So, let’s take one of the oldest forms of performing:
Juggling.
And let’s mix in some Flashy Technology, and have the BBC sponsor it, and then even pull in the viewer’s participation in order to make it work…
Robin Rhode is the kind of artist we’ll be seeing more of, I believe, drawing inspiration from "hip-hop, sports, film and fashion" and with a non-nationalistic attitude that is refreshing after the politics of the day.
However, I do not believe this is a new thing; rather, I think that the era of the Specialized Artist is finally (and, in my opinion, thankfully) drawing to a …read more

Comments Off

Bit of a short entry today: I’m in San Francisco for the Love Fest, which is a form of performance art that is moved by crowds–should be a fantastic experience, and I’m looking forward to getting a bit of a backstage look at it by volunteering with the Center for Sex & Culture at the event.
If you like electronica music, you can actually download a free one-hour set here. Pictures and a full report coming later!

Comments Off

A while back I was stage managing a performance where the dancers briefly flirted with the idea of being nude for the finale. It would have fit well with the direction of the piece, and the leotards they wore were actually more distracting than anything else because of their obvious 21st century bias (in a piece that was all about ancient cultures, tribalism, and primitive instincts).
At first I thought they were going to do it, and I silently applauded their bravery, their maturity in looking beyond the sexual connotations of nudity towards the authentic form of the human body.
Then …read more

Comments Off

Have you ever had a brush with fame? Ever wanted to?
I’ve been lucky enough to have made the acquaintance and friendship of some of my heroes–not quite A-list celebrities, but certainly A-list in my heart. Here’s some strategies for getting to actually meet that person that you’ve been idolizing so long:

Show up and be patient: the closest I ever came to real celebrity was after a Tori Amos concert with my girlfriend in Madison, WI. After the concert she wanted to wait by the stage door. I thought it was a waste of time…but wait we did, and after …read more

5 Comments

Anne Richards died yesterday, and I am sorry. Any woman who gives that much grief to the Bushes is a hero to me. However, she is also at least the attributed author of one of the quotes that drives me up the wall.
Come on, you know it, let’s say it together:
“Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did–but she did it backwards and in high heels!”
Yeah, that one. T-shirts, bumper stickers, you name it, it’s the clarion call for many a young feminist.
Only one problem. It ain’t true.
As anyone who has ever actually done a partner dance will tell you (even, …read more

Comments Off

Much to my surprise, last night I was gifted with tickets to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert. This is their 30th anniversary together, which means I’ve been listening to his music most of my life, and I was ecstatic at the chance to see him live.
I’ve not gone to many big-name concerts. Most of my live performance budget goes to dance, or plays, or smaller bands. I’ve seen Bare Naked Ladies, Manhattan Transfer, David Bowie, and Robert Cray, but that’s about it for the big names…oh, and James Taylor, years ago.
His performance astonished me, I should add. …read more

Comments Off

 This week in The Last Comic Standing we said good-bye to Roz.  A very funny woman, but I think the loud, screaming delivery is only tolerable for so long.  We are down to four…go Josh and Chris.
Stay tuned next Tuesday at 9pm EST for The Last Comic Standing on NBC.

Comments Off