Wednesday, October 1st, 2014 8:30PST
The Royals are in the Playoffs! This hasn’t happened since 1985. I was 13. I got to go to the very last post season game then, which was Game 7 of the ‘I-70’ series. Game 7 wasn’t supposed to happen, in the regard that Game 6 was pretty sewn up by St. Louis. But a special and controversial call happened at 1st base that altered our chances in winning, and deflated the hopes of the Card’s it seems, because their entire defense fell apart the end of Game 6 and ALL of Game 7. Then, baseball and I parted ways. One thing can be said. Kansas City is a city that is due, on SO MANY levels, but especially when it comes to sports!
Sports….I played little league one season, that same season in 1985 and I was “NOT GOOD”. That’s a quote from the coach. Too small for football, too slow for track. I just didn’t really have much of an athletic side then and I’m so grateful that I didn’t have some meathead for a dad, that pushed it on me. Even to this day, I know about 45% of most televised sports. I don’t know players. I don’t keep track. I don’t play fantasy sports, I don’t spend any money on shirts or caps. I watch games, I know basically what’s going and that’s it. With a little immersion therapy I could be a mouth-breathing sports FANATIC in no time. Probably why I chose acting, because I like playing ‘pretend’ sports. I got into art, before that. I wanted to draw comic books! Even then I wasn’t a HUGE comic book fanatic. I didn’t collect them, or keep them in plastic, I just wanted to tell stories using pictures.
What I became a huge fanatic about was a little rock band from Ireland named U2…perhaps you’ve heard of them. At one time I had an estimated value of $1000 in U2 collectibles; vinyl, posters, promo material, books, news articles, magazine covers. I learned all the lyrics to all the songs, I’ve seen U2 live in concert more than 10 times. I know Bono and Edges actual names! I joined the fan club! When the internet blew up I joined U2 discussion sites, I was a beta tester for U2.com when they first launched their site….I EVEN….I even joined a U2 tribute band: Zoo Station and I was none other than the Lead Singer to that band…My name? Bono Vex! Because if you’re a tried and true fan you’ll get that miserable little inside joke, or you’ll look it up on the internet.
I bring up U2, because, well, they released an album in September called Songs of Innocence. But it wasn’t a traditional release, in the way things can be traditional these days…instead they gifted this album (with the help of Apple) to EVERYONE with an iTunes account. Let’s just say that a majority of the recipients of this ‘gift’ weren’t very receptive. In fact, most people were total assholes about receiving the album because of the delivery system in which it came….it just appeared, ready to download, but not downloaded. Many people looked at this as an invasion to their devices, like suddenly the idea of ‘uploading’ became evil. Then of course the straining collective whining from the ‘Millennial poo-poo-parazzi’ chimed in, then the young hip hop set, then U2 become ‘persona non grata’. Old. Out of touch….they just FREAKIN’ GAVE YOU A FREE RECORD…THROUGH SPACE! I got free music once, on the street, from a world famous pimp named, The Archbishop Don ‘Magic’ Juan. At the time he was the “spiritual advisor” for Snoop Dog, and he walked right up to me on the street and said “There you go little brother.” and handed me an early copy of Snoop’s new album. Do I look like Snoop’s target demographic? Nope, but I was gifted the disc anyway..talk about gratitude!
Let me tell you something about gift giving. The best gifts, come when you’re least expecting them! That’s why they’re GIFTS, because you don’t know what your getting or in what form it’s coming. I’m not defending U2, they don’t need it. But I am offending the majority that turned their nose up at a gift, because maybe we’ve just become too used to things being handed to us. Used to be when you’d get a gift, you would say “thank you” and even if you didn’t like the gift behind closed doors, you’d re-gift it or return it. But, that’s another thing that irks me about gift giving is that we’ve (the collective we’ve) become so insecure about gift giving that every gift we do give comes with what? A GIFT RECEIPT! For the sole purpose of getting WE WANT, rather than accepting the gift for what it is. “It’s the thought that counts?” is the sad sack explanation, for when somebody didn’t get what they WANT. Every Black Friday, since the 90’s someone has died trying to buy some gift that was probably going to be returned anyway. Can you imagine accepting a gift, with the back story that someone died, buying it for you? Enough! BTW, if you returned the U2 album, you’re an idiot, because it’s SOLID!
I’m biased.
A true gift, is life. It’s the miracle. The fact that several somethings on this planet spring to life on a daily basis is incredible, but since we’re part of life we don’t really care…until we lose someone. September was another sad month, because comedy took another hit as well as Sweet Home Chicago. Joan Rivers, a massive comedy loss! Sheldon Patinkin, a MAJOR loss to so many. We had a gathering last night, here in LA in honor of Sheldon. It was a great turn out. Just two days ago, ANOTHER loss for my folks at Chicago ComedySportz, we lost the penultimate Chicagoan, the embodiment of a true ‘Actlete’ Mark Bolan.
Shout outs to “One Night Only” and another successful musical improv show at the Venice Art Crawl on 9/19, where I redefined the word ‘energetic’. and a big shout out to Chris Putro for putting me up on his “Crispy Show” at the most beautiful dive in the Valley, The Universal Bar and Grill, on 9/29. Most every Monday, he produces three shows from 8pm – 1am. I call that diligent producing! He’s a cool headed individual that gives you more than a second chance.
In closing, if you’re booked on a show you can’t make, call. Not calling and not showing up, shows me and the universe just how serious you are about YOUR career, that YOU manage.
I have open schedule of empty days, looking to fill them with making people laugh, SO BOOK ME ON YOUR SHOW, DAMMIT! PLEASE check out the updates to the website, as I have added a RESUME page, as well as an additional page with extra video goodies! Be well!