Apocalypse isn't the End of the World

As I write this I'm trying not to sweat. My air conditioner is pointed directly at me and I'm still disgusted with myself. I can't help it, I come from a sweaty people. A customer at my restaurant today said "It's nice we finally had a day of good weather." To which I responded, "I'm only outside for one minute and then my shirt gets wet." Which was probably more information than she wanted, but that's what she gets for making small talk about the weather. People like to get cheeky; "You'll miss then when it's snowing!" No, I won't. I'll wear all my favorite hoodies and my snow boots and be fine.

I've come up with one good trick for beating the heat this summer: tear off your skin. Makes it harder to sweat.

The sweat is also not helping this feeling of being burnt out. I've seen two plays these last two weekends and each one required a review written for The Pittsburgh Stage Online Magazine (go, click, give them a follow, all that crap. I'm obviously not in charge of marketing.) I'm not complaining about getting tickets to see theater because it is absolutely something I love doing. But each review requires a recap of what happened, some opinions of performances/writings/designs, and then a bit of an explanation as to what I think the play's message or theme is. All of which has to be written in a way where I feel I come off as intelligent. For these last reviews I've been struggling with that last part.

I've just seen a wide variety of shows lately and they're all fighting for space in my head. I've seen ancient Greek tragedies, an Irish play, a Sherlock Holmes play, and a musical from the fifties that is still incredible to watch. I know, I'm just too cultured. Or as cultured as someone with underboob sweat can be. But the ability to watch and understand theater is important and I write my reviews to encourage people with similar tastes (possibly in my age group?) to see theater whenever they have the opportunity. As I wind down on my month of reviews I'll be singing a musical (that I love) based off a movie that's starring a cast member from Glee. Art comes in all forms don't it?

Speaking of art, last week "they" released photos of the new X-men movie Apocalypse, which is coming out months from now. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm someone who doesn't get excited until I'm actually seeing the movie. Trailers and photos aren't for me. But people were up in arms about the appearance/design of the character Apocalypse (Oscar Isaacs):

That's him in the middle.

I'll be honest; I think it's fine. It doesn't spark anything in me one way or the other. But from the way people carried on you'd think Apocalypse was the end of the world (HA, goodnight everybody). For one thing, this is one shot of the movie. The character could go through some changes, this could be early on, we don't know if this is what he'll look like. Even if it is, this is a superhero movie and things should be allowed to look a little silly.

Look at his face though; there's some emoting going on there. Maybe a bit of sadness. Like acting. Who knows? Let's judge after the movie is over. Remember how we all hated Quicksilver's design and that turned out fine? Just relax. It probably won't be as bad as this guy:

Yeah, Juggernaut was never meant to exist in live action.

But some people had the audacity to negatively compare the above Apocalypse design to Ivan Ooze, the villain from the 90's Power Rangers: The Movie.

Excuse me? That's fucking awesome! Ivan Ooze was great; he was centuries old and wanted to rule the world, same as Apocalypse. You could have the actual Ivan Ooze stand in for Apocalypse in the X-men movie and it would be great. Have Paul Freeman reprise the role, it'll be even better. Ivan Ooze almost succeeded in killing a whole city's parent population, tell me that's not evil. Almost orphaned thousands of youths. Shit.

I feel myself getting silly the more I talk about it. Does this discredit what I said earlier about being cultured? Eh. Oh well.

Music to listen to: "We Need a Hero" - Power Rangers Redux (*makes me wanna go out and kick something)
Last Book I finished: Silence of the Lambs
Here's a Picture of a Rainbow I saw the other day

Find Your Art

Today was a big week if you live in Pittsburgh and have to be downtown. Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pride, Pirate Games, all the theater/comedy events...there's a lot happening. As someone who works two jobs, both downtown, I had a heavier-than-average workload this week. But I've reached the end and I even recall having fun a few times.

On Tuesday I saw the CLO's production of Mary Poppins with my mother as a late Mother's Day Gift (tickets were free; I'm such a cheap-ass). Yes, this isn't the "coolest" thing in the world by a long shot, but I did enjoy some nice childhood nostalgia (if you don't think that movie's great, you're wrong). There was tap-dancing and magic and we saw a woman fly across the stage and nobody died from a harness accident: Happy Mother's Day indeed. (You can read the review here, you probably missed the show at this point).

Wednesday I had some unexpected time between jobs so I went to the park by the Point to hang out. I had a sandwich, a book, a cherry Coke...it was like being in a commercial for Young People Having Fun! Except, of course, I wasn't prepared for the sun and ended up burning my arms and legs as penance for having fun. I wanted a little color, and that color is pink and it itches like a motherfucker.

The book I was reading was Greg Proops' The Smartest Book in the World. I've been slacking on my reading in general, but what little I've read of this so far has been awesome. Proops didn't write an autobiography, which I would've enjoyed anyway, but instead offers up a variety of subjects he thinks people should know about. I already have a list of movies started that he's mentioned in the book, like The Lifeboat and All About Eve. I'm learning words, I'll be learning some about baseball (yay?), and he provides some great quotes, like this:

"You are not required to agree with everything you read. That is submission. But laughing at it and trying to understand something you do not concur with is called being sophisticated."

Greg Proops

Boom.

So let me segue into my own thoughts about music. This weekend was Pride in Pittsburgh, and it sparked a controversy with its selection of outdoor concert artist. They picked Iggy Azalea, an Australian rapper/singer who gets in all sorts of heat for all sorts of reasons. Pittsburgh gays were outraged since Azalea used gay slurs in the past and wasn't a real ally, etc. Honestly I never cared, because I was never going to go anyway. For one thing, it's an outdoor concert in the street that you have to pay money to attend. No thanks.

Also, I have to admit, I really don't like Pride events. I think they're important for the LGBTQ community to know they're not alone and there's nothing wrong with anybody and we should all have the right to be happy. Totally all for that message. But for me personally...it's just so hot outside and there are too many people. I never know what to do. Walk around? Look at the tables of free stuff? That's fine but I couldn't really build an afternoon around that. I'm all for it, I'm just not going. Peace and love, from my apartment.

But onto my point about music: I saw countless articles about Iggy and Pride (she eventually pulled out, they got Nick Jonas, what a treat) and once again felt on the outside of everything. Because I was very excited to see Rhiannon Giddens performing at Arts Fest on Thursday. If you don't know her, she's one of the founding members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an all-black Americana group that does incredible work. Giddens has a powerful voice and excellent control over it, covering songs by Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'em Up Style", and Odetta. In addition to being excellent musicians, the Drops also aim to educate their audiences on the origins of folk/country music and the roots African American culture has in it. They're one of my favorites.

Rhianon Giddens

This concert reinvigorated me in the middle of my long work week. I sound like such a tool, but live music can really lift up my spirits when it's a great concert and music I dig. This was the ideal outdoor concert for me: the sun went down, the audience remained seated, and it was bluegrass and folk music performed excellently. It is moments like this, with great music surrounded by art, that I think "Damn, music is so important. Art of any kind is so important." I mean I'm a huge grump but a great concert can have me walking on air. The next day I had to work a double and I stayed in high spirits, fueled by the energy the music the night before had put in me.

Whether it's Mary Poppins, Iggy Azalea, opera, bluegrass, comedy, a good book, whatever, there is art out there for everyone. But I don't mean just "fun", which is also important to have. I don't mean "go to a country music concert and get shitfaced" or "go to a dubstep concert and take acid". That's not art hitting you, that's drugs hitting you. Find an art that hits you right in your soul when you're stone sober. I think that's an important thing to find. Your life advice ("But I didn't ask!") for today.

New Chapter

The gelato spades I wielded for 14 months.

I've gone through some changes these last few months. Some are good, some not so much. But all in all I'm pretty excited right now. Because I am entering a new chapter. In some pretentious way I always plot ahead what would go in my memoir, were I ever to write one. I don't think every little detail would make a good story, but I like to force myself to think about making it one anyway. As if someone was just begging to know "please, tell me about the time you saw a mouse and cried."

Incidentally, I did see another mouse the other night. Then a few nights later it walked across my foot while I was sitting at my computer. I screamed obscenities at it and dumped more poison all over my room. While it sucks and it did shake me up, I'm not losing sleep over it like I was months ago. Granted, I wake up at 5 in the morning anyway for no obvious reason, but I'm pretty sure it's not mouse-related.

Now the biggest news and therefore what really makes me feel like I'm starting a new page is this: I got a new day job. Now it's not a full-time job; there are no benefits or anything, and it's still in customer service. I've accepted customer service is now something I have to list as a "strength" to find work. But the change of scenery is nice. I've gone from working in a restaurant in a neighborhood I don't like to working in a bakery close to home, which I love.

I've often joked about my old job (how exciting to call it my "old" job) and about how much material it would leave me for comedy, stories, etc. I won't relay them all in this blog (so much sorting needs done), but if I were ending the chapter of working in that restaurant it would read something like this:

"I headed home from my last shift at the restaurant and, sentimentalist that I am, began to tear up a bit. Sure the place had caused me a good share of headaches, but I began to remember the good times and the friends I had made in the last 14 months. The weird nostalgia sadness began to sink in and I almost started to cry. But then I thought to myself, "You know, [the owner] didn't stand up to hug me or shake my hand or even thank me for the last fourteen months of service."

That thought went through my head loud and clear. I shook my head. "Bitch." I said aloud to the empty sidewalk. The tears went away immediately."

Now I don't know whether or not this bakery will bring better memories or more headaches. Possibly both. But I do know I will get more stories, with new characters and locations, and that is so exciting for me. Also there are doughnuts and chocolate-dipped rice krispie squares, so hot damn.

I have other new stories. Some will be shared in public, like my recent horseback-riding trip I went on (yeah, I know). Other things will stay closer to me, for my benefit and for others. Speaking of the "others", I am taking a undetermined amount of time off of social medias. Checking Facebook regularly on my phone has given me a warped view of what the world is like, so I'm eliminating it to see how things improve. I will still post blogs and reviews, but that's as personal as I'm getting.

This is nothing revolutionary, nor do I think I'm doing something brave. But I have learned that life (or "the world") never gets easy, people just get better at dealing with it. I don't dream of the day life gets easy anymore. I actually sort of hope it doesn't, because I worry I will get incredibly dull if it does. Would I have stories if I didn't have complaints? Probably, but they wouldn't be as funny. And I probably wouldn't have complaints if life were "easy" and everything was "great."

Forgive me if that seems cryptic, and don't be worried about me (I can read my family's texts already, "Honey, you feeling okay?"). I'm learning how to deal with things both bad and good, and I don't think I'll ever stop learning. I guess this new chapter comes with a new outlook on life. Or perhaps I'm being foolishly optimistic. Either way, I'm excited for it to start. There are cake pops involved. 

Zoos, Bowling, and Toasting the Lady who Lunched

I was going to share the following in a podcast, however my throat is a little sore and I wasn't up to talking for that long. So I'm going back to the old writing ways. All the fun of the story without my voice reading it for you.

It's been a very active week for me, and not in the whiny "I work all the time" way. I've actually been doing things for fun that also happen to take place outside the house (shocking, isn't it?). It's been an eventful week so let's get into it.

I freakin' love elephants.

On Sunday I spent my morning at the Pittsburgh Zoo. My cousin and her family (husband and three kids) came up to go to the zoo and invited me along. It was a fun time, mostly because I hadn't seen the kids in a while. They are getting big: one of them is nine, another is seven, and the baby is...I wanna say two. If it's not obvious, I don't see them that often. But I love 'em. They're getting into that fun age where they talk and say funny stuff. I mean babies are cute and all but I prefer little smartasses I can trade jokes with. Even the two-year old (I'm committing to two) cracks me up: when I got in the car I said to him "How you doin, Kabe?" and he blew a raspberry at me. Precious.

I'm really not a big "zoo" person. It's a fine time, don't get me wrong, but it's one of many things I think I'd enjoy more if there weren't so many people around. Now this isn't a general "crowd" issue because it never feels too overwhelming. It's more like you just know you're going to encounter a lot of people who walk too slow or crowd around you or say dumb things. For example when we were entering there was a sign that said "Giraffes not on display today." and I heard a man ask the girl at the gate "Why are the giraffes not out, they sick?" Yes, sir, they all have strep throat. It's pretty ugly.

A flamingo enjoying a soda...

I'm very torn on how I feel about zoos. On one hand it is nice to see these animals most people would never get the chance to otherwise. I personally could look at elephants for hours and there were a lot of very interesting looking fish in that big aquarium of theirs. But then I also wondered about how unpleasant the world must be for animals in zoos. They don't have the most space to run around in and most of them are quite far from their natural habitats. They spend every day walking around eating and shitting while group after group of people stand and point at them. We personally wouldn't like it as human beings, but who can say if the animals feel imprisoned or not? Maybe they're happy being somewhere where they get fed daily and don't have to worry about predators.

But you can argue moral problems with zoos in your own time (side note: fuck circuses). On Monday I went bowling with some co-workers and we had a great time. I enjoy bowling: it's one sport you can play if you're in no shape whatsoever and you don't have to touch anybody. Plus, there's drinking. Out of the four people on our lane I didn't do too bad. Ok I lost the first game and there was a three-way tie in the last game. But on the second game I came in second by one point, and I broke one hundred points for the first time to my knowledge (which is nothing to people who bowl regularly, but I was please). I'd like to go bowling more often than every three years or however long I wait. It's a good release: I like knocking things over.

My score is 113.

On Tuesday I saw a screening of the indie film Coherence, which star and Buffy alumni Nicholas Brednon attended and did a Q&A afterwards. It's my third time seeing him in person (we've been to a few cons here and there) and he was lovely as usual. I'll talk more about the film in a review I'll write later.

Wednesday I went to my first ever bar trivia night, once again with some coworkers and some new folks. I didn't have a whole lot to contribute. There were categories like "Country by last three letters of the name" and "20th century quotes" that I just didn't know anything in. One category was movies by the first screencap and I sucked at that one as well. I was beginning to think it wasn't my night, but then in round 2 there was the "TV shows by last line of their theme song" category, and I got us four points there easily. Luckily my team was full of intimidatingly smart trivia people so our group won (mostly because of them, but hey four points is four points.).

Then on Thursday the great Elaine Stritch died and that was sad. I went home after work and watched the fabulous documentary on her life Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. It was a beautiful look at her life and I loved watching it and enjoy what little work of hers I've seen. I mostly know her from the show Company, but she also played Jack's mother on 30 Rock and Mary's mother on 3rd Rock from the Sun. She was a hilarious woman and she'll be missed.

So that was my week. Next weekend I'm going to a family reunion which will probably supply me with some good stories for y'all. I'll leave you with Stritch and the Ladies Who Lunch.

My Laptop is "Catching Fire" (and my plans for today)

I tried to write this post in the comfort of my bed on my 7-year old laptop. Unfortunately it's on borrowed time at this point. The above picture is a cable I ordered that came in the mail a few days ago. It now has a nice scorch mark from the input hole on my laptop. After countless times of knocking it off the bed the thing has always been difficult to charge and now it lives to burn any cable I plug into it. I'm planning on removing any files I feel attached to from it and then "pull the plug".

So I'm writing this from my awesome desktop and I'm writing it because I don't have to go to work today (either of them) and it's the first time that's happened in a long time. And so excited am I for the day I'm going to have that I decided to write my feelings before it starts.

This week was a long one. Starting on Wednesday I worked both of my jobs three days in a row. My first job starts at 10 and my second job ends at 10. Neither job is particularly stressful, but it's just a matter of being around people and wearing pants that bothers me. But I got through it, next week's paychecks should be bangin', and I got stuff to do today (stuff I can afford, thanks to all the working).

 I will share this: during yesterday's shift at the restaurant (we've had a very slow week as far as mornings go) someone put a "Kick Me!" sign on our dishwasher's back. Classic prank, right? I'm not sure why but I laughed like a little girl when I saw it. It's the little things that get you through work, am I right? I snapped a creeper picture of the sign, and gave it a weird Instagram filter because, well, bored at work. 

Anyway on to today. After I finish writing this I'm heading off to the library to pick up some books I got ordered. One is a book called Haunted West Virginia by Patty Wilson. I've been getting into West Virginia ghost/monster stories, and for a specific reason that I'm not gonna get into just yet. I'm also picking up an X-men comic and David Sedaris' Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls for when I get too scared or overwhelmed from reading about monsters.

This afternoon we're going to see Catching Fire and I'm really looking forward to it. I enjoyed the Hunger Games book series and the second book is very good so I'm hoping the movie adaption will be a good time. Then later tonight we're going to see Blue/Orange at the Pittsburgh Playwright's Theater, put on by new theater company The Phoenix. I will review both of these things and put them on my other blog, hopefully by tomorrow evening.

And then tonight, I'm unembarrassed to say, I plan on staying in with a bottle of wine and watching Josh Hutcherson host Saturday Night Live (I don't care, I went out last weekend). This combined with seeing Catching Fire is going to make for a very heavy Josh Hutcherson day which is totally fine. In fact let's start it right now.

There ya go: a little Catching Fire preview and some arm appreciation for both sexes. You're welcome.


Eek I don't really have a topic to talk about in full detail. This blog has become a sort of diary for me, sharing my thoughts no matter if they're mundane or interesting. It's also a way for me to force myself to write something, which is not something I'm always in the mood to do. So if you've made it this far, hey thanks for indulging.

I'll tell you about the dreams I just woke up from, because they were pretty weird and scary. I went to bed last night after reading about the Flatwoods Monster so of course it haunted me a little. It's a little hazy, but I recall being home in West Virginia and there were cars full of strangers parked outside (like a family reunion, they seemed friendly but I don't know who they were). Some of the cars were on fire, others had weird bird-like creatures inside scaring the passengers. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out someone's car, something I doubt I'd be capable of doing in real life.

I woke up suddenly because I thought THERE WAS A CAT IN MY BED AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE. I haven't lived with a cat in a while now but I swore I felt one jump over me in my sleep. Woke me up and had my heart racing. Stupid imaginary cat. At least I hope it was imaginary, I never did check under the bed.

Alright there, my plans and my dreams. Short and sweet, and now I'm going to abandon my computer for most of the day. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. I'll leave you with Josh Hutcherson holding a dog.

Stories, Songs, and an Excess of Cereal

My cereal intake. Why'd I use two bowls? I have no idea.

For the first morning I've had off in a while, I've done a load of laundry and consumed two bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It's been a good lazy morning to what was an eventful week.

Last Tuesday my roommate Mara and our friend Gailyn went to The Moth, a storytelling open mic event that I think I've talked about a few times before. This is the first time I've went without putting my name in the hat to tell a story, and it was nice to just sit back and enjoy listening to all the tales. The theme was "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and we heard stories about traveling and favorite cars that met a heinous demise. The winner was a woman who told us about when she was detained at the airport because her young son had some thumbtacks in his backpack. Next month's theme is "Home" and hopefully I'll have a story to contribute to that one.

Friday saw the opening night of True West at the Pittsburgh Public Theater (which I've reviewed on my other blog, if you're interested). Opening night is always a fun time, mostly because there's a fun after-party we get to attend. Gailyn and my friend Erika came and saw the show and then we all attended the after party. My coworker and friend Jodi had two friends come also, and it's always fun when you combine people together to drink, eat, and laugh (all of which we did a lot of). There's always fun grub at these parties; I was particularly happy to scarf down all the deviled eggs and churros I could find. 

Then last night after work Gailyn and I went to Club Cafe in South Side to see an awesome concert: The Spring Standards and You Won't. I was familiar with The Spring Standards after seeing them on The Mountain Stage, but I'd never heard of You Won't. So imagine my very pleasant surprise when I was totally blown away by their set.

You Won't is two men, Josh Arnoudse and Raky Sastri, who make truly awesome music. Arnoudse plays guitar and sings lead with a high and powerful singing voice, while Sastri harmonizes and plays a variety of instruments ranging from drums, harmonica, xylophone, and the saw. Oh yeah, for at least three songs he played the saw, which is not something you see everyday and really should.

A real highlight was near the end of their set when they had the crowd at Club Cafe (a great intimate venue) form a circle in the middle of the room and shine phone flashlights on their faces while they played acoustically in the center. Sastri played an organ-esque thing that you squeeze a little (I don't know what it's called, I'll look it up later) while Arnoudse sang a beautiful ballad that I'm going to call "Fuck TV" because I don't know what it's name was. But it was fantastic.

Playing the Saw!

Acoustic circle!

Oh yeah, he hopped up on the bar a little too. Fun!

Then the Spring Standards came on and continued the fantastic-ness of the night. The trio hailing from New York City are really amazing performers, each boasting a great singing voice and the ability to play multiple instruments at the same time. They each have beautiful hair that they whip around while they sing, and despite the fact that I was tired at that hour their energy was too infectious to resist. Check them out!

We stayed for their first encore, which involved the acoustic circle and the involvement of You Won't. They sang "So Simple So True" off their double EP "yellow/gold" and it involved so many beautiful voices and, of course, the saw. Unfortunately it also featured the voices of the drunken patrons of Club Cafe who apparently didn't come to appreciate good music, because they kept talking and snickering during the beautiful moment. Some jagoff even whistled in a way to imitate the saw playing. I resisted the urge to beat him up, despite strong desires to do so.

Gailyn and I then high-tailed it out of there, missing whatever else the encore was going to consist of. Not because we weren't enjoying ourselves (we were!) but we had to walk 12 blocks to catch the last bus that would take us home. And if you don't know, South Side on a Saturday night is a shit show. Gailyn and I are both very fast walkers when we want to be and we zoomed through crowds of people. One man was lying on the ground in handcuffs while a crowd looked on, a bunch of college boys were getting into fights, some girls couldn't walk. When I drink I get giggly and sleepy, I can't imagined getting angry and/or arrested. Alcohol isn't for everyone, is it? Anyway, we caught our bus and completed our walk home without issue so it was a successful night.

Aaaand that was my week. I'm about the jump in the shower and go work a shift at the theater. Got a long week coming up, I'm working lots of shifts at both jobs. Which is great, because I like food and things, but I also like excess sleeping so it's little disheartening. But that's okay, I will make it and hopefully have some stories to tell later. Have a good week everyone!

October: Film Festivals, Idiot Girls, and Spock/Leia fanfic.

Whoops, and there went October. Sorry, I tend to get distracted. I mean I'm not busy or anything, sometimes I just wander off and forget what I was doing. There's a strong chance I'll wander off six times while I write this and I'll be impressed if it gets posted.

So...what's new with me? Not a whole lot. Like I said, October came and went. Halloween happened, I'm sure most of you got all dressed up and ran around and what not. This evening I just rolled and cut some homemade noodles that I'm really excited for. I think I'll talk more about noodles closer to Thanksgiving, it'll be more appropriate.

What I did right before writing this blog. In case you want context.

Oooh something that happened in October: I went to the Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT film festival. Well, okay, I went on the one night I wasn't working that week. But I had a fun time. It was held downtown at the Harris theater and I went on the "Men's short films" night. It showcased seven short films; some were funny, some poignant, and all entertaining. The good thing about short films is that if they're good, great. And if they're shitty well then luckily they'll be over soon. Even the films I didn't enjoy as much I didn't downright hate, so I'd say it was a successful night of shorts.

They give you a scorecard at the festival for the shorts and you get to rate each movie and give them feedback. Here's my list. I'll spare you me reviewing seven films at once and just say that the final two, Summer Vacation and Spooners were my favorites of the night.

Summer Vacation was an Israeli film about a young couple enjoying a beach vacation with their children that gets disrupted when the husband's former/secret lover happens to be staying on the same beach. It was the longest of the short films but was very well-paced. The characters were fully formed and developed as we watched the husband go through some heart-wrenching stuff. It was a very effective short drama.

The cast of Summer Vacation

Spooners, which incidentally won "Best Male Short", was a hilarious story about a man trying to purchase a mattress for him and his husband. The man is uncomfortable about telling the world he is shopping for himself and another man, and unfortunately for him his fears are trudged out in front of everyone at the Ikea-ish furniture store. An overeager salesman shows the man a high-tech talking bed that picks a mattress based on your lifestyle. After learning the man is gay, disco music plays, an audience is drawn, and the computer proceeds to ask questions like "describe your body type as it is listed on you Manhunt profile." A very funny and tender film from beginning to end.

The crowd gathers to watch this gay pick a mattress.

Alright, what else happened in October? Ooh I took a trip to Morgantown last weekend. I have a few highlights from that.

I was going to Morgantown to visit my sister, see a show West Virginia University was putting on, and have a fun weekend off. I took the Megabus down on Friday. It was packed full of college kids, naturally. I brought a book (The Telltale Lilac Bush... for all you WV ghost story fans) to read and some podcasts to listen to for the relatively short trip.

I was going to put the picture of my actual copy, but my computer is being way stupid at this late hour.

But distracting me from my book was the chatter of a trio of college girls a few rows behind me. Now I don't want to shit on my school, because I'm sure all colleges are like this, but HOLY CRAP. College girls can be morons. One girl expressed surprise that there were deer in New Jersey. "Are there deer in South Carolina?" she asked her friend who lived there. "Wait, are there deer like throughout the country?" She eventually googled "Do deer live in all the US?". She read the answer aloud to her friends.

Another girl confessed she didn't know tuna was a fish, like an actual fish that swam in the ocean. I couldn't hear what she did think it was (I assume she thought it was like Spam?) but she was surprised to see how big tuna were. Because how could they fit in that little can? I wanted to scream.

These girls were also upset at how late the Megabus was in getting us there (fact; it was about 15 minutes late, which is acceptable to everyone). I'm not sure why these girls were in a rush to get there, they clearly didn't have a zoology course to get too where they learn that tuna are fish and that deer have legs. The girl next to me couldn't take her fingers out of her fake-black hair for one second. The boy across the aisle held a toothpick in his mouth the entire time. I was relieved to finally get off the bus.

That night we saw WVU's production of Cabaret. I saw a few of my professors there (I was a theater tech major) and it was nice to catch up with them. Judging by the beautiful set that folded in on itself, it seems the tech department still likes to keep its students busy. I won't go into a full-blown review, but Cabaret is one of my favorite shows so I had a good time.

The rest of the trip remains a blur. Overdid my drinking Friday night, like some 24-year old freshman. Shout out to my sister for taking care of me when I wanted to die. Next morning I did my hangover-cure routine before the rest of the house woke up and then we watched Cloud Atlas. It's 3 hours long and it's stupid. Then I hung out with my buddy Jack for a bit and later went to a costume party (I agreed to be the sober driver, it seemed fair). Saw a few kids from high school at said party, which was a nice thing even though I hate crowded house parties. The real highlight of this evening was watching Spock make out hard and heavy with Princess Leia. People took pictures of them and they didn't even notice. Good stuff.

I think that's it. That's the short/sweet version of my October. Ready for November. True West just opened at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. I have a lot of fun things ready to do this week that I'll probably yack about soon. Probably have some good stories too once Thanksgiving rolls around. So yeah, hello again internet. Let's keep in touch.

I Went to Horror Realm Con (and met Xander!!!)

Here's something you may not have been expecting: this morning I want to a horror convention. More specifically, it was Horror Realm Con, a convention held in Pittsburgh (at the Crowne Plaza) for people that love all things involving zombies, B movies, blood and much more. It features many different vendors (like most conventions do), celebrity guests, and video screenings.

My good friend Gailyn and I decided we were going to go to this. Because we worked Friday and Saturday, we went this morning for the last day. And damn did we have fun. Here are the picture highlights:

First off we visited with PJ Soles, known for her roles in Carrie, Halloween, and Rock N' Roll High School. Gailyn and I are both socially weird people, but Ms. Soles was a very friendly and sweet woman who chatted with us for a bit before getting pictures.

Next up we saw Amanda Wyss, who you probably know from A Nightmare on Elm Street. She was also incredibly sweet, asked us about our majors and said we both looked 14 (which I was later told was laughable in my case). We told her that we moisturized and talked about theater a bit.

I'll confess now, the main draw of this convention was that Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander for 7 years on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my favorite show) would be in attendance. I actually learned of the event through his twitter account, so I will never mock Twitter as useless again.

He was a super sweet guy, who generally seemed happy to see and talk to fans. We each got a picture, Gailyn got an autograph (I'd spent too much already for an autograph, but I wasn't mad.), he gave us multiple hugs. We were very happy campers.

I usually don't fangirl with the potential of seeing a celebrity in person, but for a Buffy cast member (and he was one of THE BEST characters on that show) I'll make an exception. We managed to keep our composure at a mostly not embarrassing level and when we left we had to sit down for a bit.

We saw a few other people, some from famous (or infamous) horror movies, some makeup artists. Nivek Ogre (from the band Skinny Puppy or the film Repo! The Genetic Opera) walked by me in the hallway and said "hey you" even though we hadn't met earlier. So that was pretty cool.

We looked a lots of different items, like T-shirts, movie scripts, posters and blades (I resisted spending money I don't have on a sword). Then we got some cookies from a place called Stop and Smell the Flour that make cookies/cupcakes for various events. Check them out!

And finally, I will present to you my stash. This was what I came home with:

Starting from the left: A drawing/business card for Angry Gnome Comics. (Not pictured but deserving a shoutout was the work by artist Byron Winton.) A Power Rangers comic and a Phoenix comic. A solo role-playing game called "Zombie Death Town" and a book of zombie stories called "Zombies! Fuck!". The little vial contains fast-drying blood that is also edible. Two DVD's, one of Carrie the musical and one of Evil Dead the musical (both filmed stage versions of average quality. And a The Cabin in the Woods poster. Looks like a lot, but for the record nothing in this picture cost more than 10 dollars.

So that was my day. It was pretty freaking fantastic and I'm so happy I got to experience it.



 

Ben Sollee: Cello Rock Star

I woke up this morning feeling almost a tad hungover. Which was very confusing because I hadn't had anything to drink the night before. Turns out I simply had leftover emotions from the concert I went to last night at the Altar Bar. Last time I went there I saw the great Wanda Jackson. Headlining this concert: cello rock star Ben Sollee.

I feel like I say this a lot, but I first saw Ben Sollee when he performed at Mountain Stage in Morgantown a few years ago. He performed a short set, as is customary at Mountain Stage, but it was enough for me (and my sister) to become fans. I learned he was going to be at the Altar Bar, asked my sister if she wanted to go, and quickly purchased tickets.

It was a simply amazing concert. Doing a full 2 hour show was a major improvement and we really got to see Mr. Sollee show off his talents. 

The cello is a favorite instrument of mine. I love string instruments when they're played expertly and properly, and I have a great respect for people who have mastered playing them (I gave two attempts to learn guitar in my life and gave up quickly. No patience for that). And Ben Sollee is definitely a master of his craft.

Below is the video I took of him performing "Prettiest Tree on the Mountain". A song my sister likes to say is about her. (It isn't.)

Accompanied by a drummer and a bass player, Sollee performs his songs with an amazing supply of soul and energy. He is definitely the kind of musician that deserves to be seen/heard live. His songs are terrific enough on his albums (Inclusions and Half-Made Man are the more recent ones) but hearing them live excels the experience. Mostly because he takes the time to do some great extended cello riffs or the occasional drum solo from his just-as-talented drummer, Jordan Ellis.

 

I always try to remember what songs stuck out to me. I jotted down the titles in my phone but then I forget the specific reasons why I liked them. But my personal favorites were "Teach Me", "It's Not Impossible (Boys Don't Cry)", and "The Globe". Then there was the 4-song encore ("I just don't feel like stopping" Ben would say with a sly smile) that included their first live performance of Harry Belafonte's "Dolly Dawn" (he should sing that a lot more often) and a very fast-paced version of Ben's "Bury Me With My Car".

Here is the drum break (box..break?) and also the last verse of "Bury Me With My Car".

 So anyway if you haven't been clicking these links or videos DO IT because he's a great musician who gives outstanding concerts. Check him out.

Also I should mention his opening act, Circles & Squares, which is a fresh group that they said was formed roughly a month ago. Last night was one of their first outings and they did a great job getting the crowd all excited for Ben. I'd definitely listen to them again. So go to their Facebook page, give 'em a like, and hopefully we'll be seeing more of them soon.

 

The Fool Does Standup

This last Tuesday I got back into my old habit of doing comedy open mic nights at crowded little bars. It's something I haven't done a lot lately, but also something I enjoy doing. So Tuesday I went down to the Smiling Moose (located in South Side, Pittsburgh) and signed up to do some comedy.

My friend Jodi came and recorded it on my little iPhone (thanks Jodi!). It's a small room and the bar was packed, so there's a lot of background noise. It's also not the BEST open mic I've ever done, but the point of doing these is to experiment with your jokes and see what works and what doesn't. So I show this to you as my way of saying "I'm gonna try to do this a lot more now so that I can get better at it". Thanks for indulging.

The content is mostly family-friendly, although I curse a bit (eh, whatcha gonna do). The content consists of falling asleep while driving, personal space on the bus, listening to other people's music, and my opinion of The Scissor Sisters and their Kiki. I also close with a joke I was told my recently-passed Grandfather once said.

Wednesday with Wanda

Hello y'all.

I've had quite the busy week, at least by my standards. In personal news I started a new job (actually, it's the same job at a different location) and trust me, there's nothing blog-worthy about it. I've started playing Tiny Tower on my phone, so if you don't like your job I suggest downloading that.

Monday I was fortunate enough to participate in FUNDS: True Stories About Money. I told a little story about life in WV and transporting a baby calf in the back of my father's blazer. It was for a good cause, but I'll just suggest you read the post Chelsea wrote, she tells you all about it there. Plus I don't like to toot my own horn.

Then on Wednesday I had off work from the PPT so I went to the Altar Bar to see the Queen of Rockabilly, Ms. Wanda Jackson.

Never heard of Ms. Jackson? You're not alone. I only discovered her recently. Which is crazy bizarre, because she's been singing for years and hasn't stopped yet. Wanda helped bring awareness to the rise of rock and roll back in the fifties, even working with (and dating) the King himself. Her rough, gravely voice made her songs unlike anything else at the time. While she may not have the same "bite" she did back then (Ms. Jackson celebrates her 75th birthday tomorrow), she sang her concert last night without any signs of struggle and KILLED IT.

Daniel Romano playing.

I had never been to the Altar Bar before. It's a really neat-looking place with a wide open area for dancing and a bar off to the side. There wasn't a huge crowd (it was a Wednesday, after all) but the respectable crowd made up for it with their enthusiasm. Wanda's opener was Canadian country singer Daniel Romano, who had a nice mellow charm as he crooned out a more "traditional" country sound. Give him a listen, if you'd like.

Wanda takes the stage.

When Romano was over, there was a brief break and then Wanda's band play a few tunes (I forget their names, but they were fantastic). Then the Queen entered, dressed in her trademark pink fringed vest. She was being escorted and needed help climbing the stairs to the stage. When she finally reached the stage she quipped "You all act like an old lady just got on stage". It was the first of many funny lines she'd give throughout the night.

Wanda's set list picked songs from all over her 58 year career. She opened with the first song she ever recorded "I Gotta Know" and then one of her more popular hits "Funnel of Love". While signs of age are inevitable, this woman stills know how to sing, rock, and entertain a crowd.

Wanda eventually got to the part of her show where she talks about Elvis. It was just fascinating to hear her talk about him- I mean, she worked (and dated) ELVIS. That's pretty freaking cool. While she admits he wasn't her one true love, she says she owes everything to him and pays tribute to him at all her shows. She then proceeded to sing "Heartbreak Hotel". I recorded a minute in the middle for y'all.

She then moved on to the album she made a year ago with Jack White, The Party Ain't Over (which I love). On that CD she covers Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good". She talked about how she was reluctant to sing that song at first, but after Jack White insisted, she fell in love with it. Then she talks about how she never got the chance to meet Ms. Winehouse. I recorded her talking about Amy, and singing the first two verses of the song. (Blogger is having issues uploading the video, so I put it on Youtube. Enjoy.)

"You know I'm no....good."

Then she moved on to her latest album, Unfinished Business, which was produced by country/folk singer Justin Townes Earle. Unlike Jack White's production, Earle took Jackson back to her country/rockabilly/blues roots on the new album (released only two weeks ago). Wanda took out some note cards, confessing she needed a little assistance with lyrics on these new songs. She then told a story about when she saw Elvis pull out some written lyrics on television. "If it was good enough for the King, it's good enough for me!"

Her new album sounds like it's gonna be great, so I put it on my wish list of CD's I'll buy next. I really had a fantastic time at the concert, seeing a legend not many people are familiar with. It's very inspiring to see someone who's almost 75 years old still doing what they love to do and still rocking it out. I hope I'm half as lucid when I'm her age. And I hope I'm still singing her songs in the shower.