Wednesday May 13th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL
I don’t know why so many of my non comedian friends ask me about the late night TV talk shows but they do. What do I think of Jimmy Fallon? Will Jay Leno be able to make it in prime time? How long will Letterman keep doing it? I’m the last guy who’d know.
In truth I don’t really watch any of the shows unless I’m flicking through the channels at some hotel after a show looking for Sports Center. Once in a while I’ll watch if a friend is performing but that’s about it. For whatever reason those shows don’t really entertain me.
I have nothing against any of them and I used to love Johnny Carson and even Merv but that was mainly because those shows featured comedians regularly. There weren’t all that many shows either so most of them were able to get the huge guests. It’s not like that now and I don’t have time to sit and listen to some bubblehead I don’t know plug a bad movie.
Speaking of bubbleheads I’ve got one crawling up my ass of late trying to get me to put a word in for him with Bert Haas at Zanies. He’s a former student who I have gone out of my way to help many times in the past and then when I do offer any insights or advice he ignores it all. Then he’s angry that Bert won’t return his emails so then he bitches to me.
This is one of the few downsides to teaching the classes. For all the great people I meet there are those few mosquitoes who tend to annoy me so much it makes me almost forget about the winners I meet. It’s a test in human relations skills and also a patience drill too. I try to be friendly and encouraging and uplifting but after a while I can’t take it anymore.
I’m to that point with this guy and it’s taken years to get there. He bawled me out about “not taking FIVE minutes to watch my tape“. OK, that does make me look like an ass but I’ve had over 1000 students over the years and at any one time I have several who contact me asking for ‘five minutes’. Those blocks of time add up and before long I’m swamped.
I really do have to learn to say NO but that’s always been difficult for me. I have a heart and I enjoy helping people but I feel like I’m being taken advantage of by people like this. I sent him an email telling him he’s never ONCE offered to pay for my time to look at his tape and the times I did he did exactly the opposite of what I told him. He’s so off my list.
The whole exchange left a bad taste in my mouth because I really did try to help the guy out over the years. He seemed sincere but looking back on it he was a pain in the ass most of the time and he thought he was WAY better than he is. Then he trashed Bert Haas with all his energy and sent me nasty emails wishing Bert to rot in hell. Those were a red flag.
Now I’m sure he wishes me in hell and that’s fine. Actually I think I’m already there so his wish came true. I know he’s probably trashing my name around the open mikes and he can go ahead and do that too. I’m not going to apologize for what I did or said because he was the one who didn’t listen. I told him the right things to do and now I’m finished with it all. I’m not going to take abuse from a guy like that. Watch, he’ll get his own talk show.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Betting On The Kidders
Tuesday May 12th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL
I got an email today from The Craig Ferguson Show but it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was from the talent booker Celia Joseph saying she’s again leaving the show because of another opportunity and wanted to let everyone know. She was an absolute peach to work with and I sent her congratulations immediately. She made my experience there very easy.
Still no word on when my segment will air. Actually I don’t really care if it runs or not. It would be nice and I still think it will but whether it does or not I can use the DVD for a new audition set to get more club work and private shows. That’s the real benefit of all of this for me. A lot of people can’t or won’t stay up that late to watch the actual broadcast.
Everyone on the show was absolutely fantastic to work with and I don’t see why my set wouldn’t run. If I tanked it they would have told me by now and it would have been over. I got paid and I am still on their mailing list so I think it’s just a matter of that’s how they do it. It takes time and when they feel it’s right they’ll put me on. I’m totally fine with it.
The main thing I got out of all of it was the experience of taping for national TV. I had a taste of what it was like and I didn’t blow it. I made quite a few mistakes that I absolutely will NOT make the next time or any time after that. I have a much better perspective now.
No matter what happens I will not be intimidated when I get in that situation again. I’ve now been there before and know what to expect. I’m sure it’s the feeling NFL rookies feel after their first game or even their first year in the league. It’s an adjustment but once they make it they’re ok. I feel like that now. If I handled that I can handle any other situation.
Surprisingly the situation seems to be shifting back to radio again. My best opportunity right now is the WGN slot with Jerry’s Kidders. None of us have made penny one since it started over a year ago but we’ve made strides in putting our act together and we continue to improve even now. This could reach a lot of people who’d never hear of us otherwise.
It really is all about who knows us. If we can get to be a name in Chicago it should lead to some gigs in the area. The actual listening area of WGN is a lot more than Chicago and I’ll gladly go to Peoria or Des Moines or Kokomo or anywhere else that would have us. It wouldn’t be much different from what I’ve been doing other than the pay will be higher.
I still haven’t had that big break and unfortunately there’s no guarantee that I’ll ever get it. I’ll need some luck in there somewhere and Jerry Agar seems to be my one man charm bracelet. He’s had a total knack of being in the right place at the right time ever since he’s gotten into talk radio and it’s looking like he’s there again. WGN could be our big payoff.
At least it’s still fun. Jerry and the guys make it worth the time and we all enjoy being a team both on the air and afterward in the restaurant. I sure hope adding money to the mix won’t cause us to lose that spirit of fun but it totally could. I don’t think so but who’s able to say for sure? Still, I won’t let it scare me off. This is the biggest project I’ve got going.
I got an email today from The Craig Ferguson Show but it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was from the talent booker Celia Joseph saying she’s again leaving the show because of another opportunity and wanted to let everyone know. She was an absolute peach to work with and I sent her congratulations immediately. She made my experience there very easy.
Still no word on when my segment will air. Actually I don’t really care if it runs or not. It would be nice and I still think it will but whether it does or not I can use the DVD for a new audition set to get more club work and private shows. That’s the real benefit of all of this for me. A lot of people can’t or won’t stay up that late to watch the actual broadcast.
Everyone on the show was absolutely fantastic to work with and I don’t see why my set wouldn’t run. If I tanked it they would have told me by now and it would have been over. I got paid and I am still on their mailing list so I think it’s just a matter of that’s how they do it. It takes time and when they feel it’s right they’ll put me on. I’m totally fine with it.
The main thing I got out of all of it was the experience of taping for national TV. I had a taste of what it was like and I didn’t blow it. I made quite a few mistakes that I absolutely will NOT make the next time or any time after that. I have a much better perspective now.
No matter what happens I will not be intimidated when I get in that situation again. I’ve now been there before and know what to expect. I’m sure it’s the feeling NFL rookies feel after their first game or even their first year in the league. It’s an adjustment but once they make it they’re ok. I feel like that now. If I handled that I can handle any other situation.
Surprisingly the situation seems to be shifting back to radio again. My best opportunity right now is the WGN slot with Jerry’s Kidders. None of us have made penny one since it started over a year ago but we’ve made strides in putting our act together and we continue to improve even now. This could reach a lot of people who’d never hear of us otherwise.
It really is all about who knows us. If we can get to be a name in Chicago it should lead to some gigs in the area. The actual listening area of WGN is a lot more than Chicago and I’ll gladly go to Peoria or Des Moines or Kokomo or anywhere else that would have us. It wouldn’t be much different from what I’ve been doing other than the pay will be higher.
I still haven’t had that big break and unfortunately there’s no guarantee that I’ll ever get it. I’ll need some luck in there somewhere and Jerry Agar seems to be my one man charm bracelet. He’s had a total knack of being in the right place at the right time ever since he’s gotten into talk radio and it’s looking like he’s there again. WGN could be our big payoff.
At least it’s still fun. Jerry and the guys make it worth the time and we all enjoy being a team both on the air and afterward in the restaurant. I sure hope adding money to the mix won’t cause us to lose that spirit of fun but it totally could. I don’t think so but who’s able to say for sure? Still, I won’t let it scare me off. This is the biggest project I’ve got going.
Paying Showbiz Dues
Monday May 11th, 2009 - Chicago, IL
Back in the Zanies Monday night saddle after a couple of weeks off. It felt good to have off but it also felt good to be back. I really do enjoy hosting these shows and it gives me a chance to check out who’s coming up the ranks. It’s smart business to know these people.
Somewhere along the line any one of them may catch a big break and need a writer or a role in a sitcom or movie and hopefully I’ll be at the top of the list. I do try to be available should they have questions to ask and many times they do. I also try to encourage them as much as I can. I watch their shows and make suggestions and I see that they appreciate it.
I know exactly what they’re going through because I was there myself. It takes years for an act and stage persona to truly develop and mature and there is nothing that will rush it. Doing sets at every possible opportunity in every possible environment is the way to do it correctly and when it’s not going right that can really get old. This is part of paying dues.
NOBODY else can pay one’s dues except that particular person. I see a core of comics putting in their time at Zanies and other places and I see their progress whether they do or not. People like Mike Palaszak and Bryan Berry and Adam Burke and Hannibal Burress and Julianna Forlano and Mikey Mason and Beth Stelling and others are doing it right.
Sometimes the audiences love them and other times they just sit there. I can totally feel what they feel because I still experience that now even if it is on a different level. I try to always give them a quality introduction and show them what a good emcee does so if and when they host shows they’ll get an idea of what to do. I am setting an example for them.
C. Cardell Willis set the example for us back in Milwaukee when I was starting out. I’m just passing his kindness forward and hopefully when I’m dead there will be someone that remembers what I was trying to do with fondness just like I remember Cardell. He was an inspiration to all of us then but as the years go by his memory grows sweeter and sweeter.
I don’t do it for any other reason but that it’s FUN. I enjoy being able to watch this crop of newbies ripen and if I can throw a little fertilizer in the mix I’m happy to do it. I owe a lot to the few people who helped me when I started and I’m just paying it forward. People like Cardell and Gary Kern and Kyle Nape and Danny Storts all helped me get my chops.
Darrin Hensley is a very funny guy out of Lexington, KY. He drove up to do a set and it was good to see him. We worked together in Corbin, KY of all places and he was the host of a weekend I did down there. He was very new then but I could see his hunger so I went out of my way to be nice to him and help out. I know he appreciated it so I didn’t mind.
Tonight I was the host so I made sure he had a great introduction and he went up for his six minute set and I could see the major improvement since Corbin. He did a nice job and the crowd liked him and I told him he should be proud of himself. And he should. Paying dues doesn’t have to be miserable but they do have to be paid. There are NO exceptions.
Back in the Zanies Monday night saddle after a couple of weeks off. It felt good to have off but it also felt good to be back. I really do enjoy hosting these shows and it gives me a chance to check out who’s coming up the ranks. It’s smart business to know these people.
Somewhere along the line any one of them may catch a big break and need a writer or a role in a sitcom or movie and hopefully I’ll be at the top of the list. I do try to be available should they have questions to ask and many times they do. I also try to encourage them as much as I can. I watch their shows and make suggestions and I see that they appreciate it.
I know exactly what they’re going through because I was there myself. It takes years for an act and stage persona to truly develop and mature and there is nothing that will rush it. Doing sets at every possible opportunity in every possible environment is the way to do it correctly and when it’s not going right that can really get old. This is part of paying dues.
NOBODY else can pay one’s dues except that particular person. I see a core of comics putting in their time at Zanies and other places and I see their progress whether they do or not. People like Mike Palaszak and Bryan Berry and Adam Burke and Hannibal Burress and Julianna Forlano and Mikey Mason and Beth Stelling and others are doing it right.
Sometimes the audiences love them and other times they just sit there. I can totally feel what they feel because I still experience that now even if it is on a different level. I try to always give them a quality introduction and show them what a good emcee does so if and when they host shows they’ll get an idea of what to do. I am setting an example for them.
C. Cardell Willis set the example for us back in Milwaukee when I was starting out. I’m just passing his kindness forward and hopefully when I’m dead there will be someone that remembers what I was trying to do with fondness just like I remember Cardell. He was an inspiration to all of us then but as the years go by his memory grows sweeter and sweeter.
I don’t do it for any other reason but that it’s FUN. I enjoy being able to watch this crop of newbies ripen and if I can throw a little fertilizer in the mix I’m happy to do it. I owe a lot to the few people who helped me when I started and I’m just paying it forward. People like Cardell and Gary Kern and Kyle Nape and Danny Storts all helped me get my chops.
Darrin Hensley is a very funny guy out of Lexington, KY. He drove up to do a set and it was good to see him. We worked together in Corbin, KY of all places and he was the host of a weekend I did down there. He was very new then but I could see his hunger so I went out of my way to be nice to him and help out. I know he appreciated it so I didn’t mind.
Tonight I was the host so I made sure he had a great introduction and he went up for his six minute set and I could see the major improvement since Corbin. He did a nice job and the crowd liked him and I told him he should be proud of himself. And he should. Paying dues doesn’t have to be miserable but they do have to be paid. There are NO exceptions.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday May 10th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL
Another Mother’s Day and I still don’t know if my mother is living or dead. She would be 66 now but I can’t confirm that either. I always heard she wasn’t even 21 before I was born and I was her third child. I think it may be accurate because I heard it many times.
I’ve only seen my mother a few times in my life that I can remember. She left the family when I was five months old and I was sent to live with my paternal grandparents. Both of my siblings stayed with my father who eventually remarried a short time later. It wasn’t a pleasant life for any of us and we were never really raised as two brothers and a sister.
I was always the outsider and growing up with the grandparents had it’s own set of ugly problems. They fought like soccer hooligans and I had to grow up in the middle of all that until they finally split up when I was about 12. None of us kids had a positive home life.
Gramps was my only ray of light as a kid. He would tell me the truth about pretty much everything, even when it wasn’t pretty - and it usually wasn’t. The one subject he’d never talk much about was my mother. She just wasn’t a part of my life and that’s how it was.
I was about nine or ten when I heard she was coming to take all of us kids to the zoo for a day. I was less than thrilled to hear it because I didn’t know her at all plus at that time it wasn’t fun to be the youngest sibling. Both my sister Tammy and brother Larry had heard from my father I was living the life of leisure with the grandparents and they hated that.
For a while they were both very mean to me but I blame that on the old man. He was an instigator and probably jealous that I was getting all the attention from his father he never got. Whatever it was it wasn’t fun to be me and seeing Mommy Dearest didn’t thrill me.
All I remember was how awkward it felt to be with our ‘mother’. She wanted us to call her that but I remember how none of us really wanted to because we didn’t look at her as our mother. She was Jeannie and we’d always been pumped full of bad stories about her.
I didn’t see her again after that one day at the zoo for another several years. I don’t even know how we got back in touch but I was in high school when I saw her again. I was with my sister and brother and I remember going to a gathering of people who were allegedly a group of our relatives. We felt like total outsiders but I don’t remember them being mean.
Then for whatever reason we drifted apart again and I didn’t hear from her again until a birthday card came in the mail for me when I was 27. Why that year I don’t know but I do remember finding it odd to get a card on such an odd numbered birthday from my mother.
She wrote (or tried to) a letter that I had a hard time deciphering because it looked like a third grader wrote it. I’d heard she never finished high school and that letter confirmed it. I was embarrassed to read it with all it’s spelling errors and know that neither she nor my illustrious father were ever going to do anything positive in my life and I sure was right.
I remember writing her back and sending her some of my press clippings as a comedian because I was starting to get a few by then. I told her I didn’t know why I was doing it but I thought she might want to know her son actually tried to make something out of his life.
I also remember letting her have it about abandoning us all and how horrible it felt to be left alone and have to grow up not even knowing if my mother was living or dead. I never got a response and didn’t end up hearing from her again until I was lying in intensive care at St. Michael’s hospital in Milwaukee in March of 1993 after my infamous car accident.
I was really hurting and had broken my jaw once and my sternum twice. I was really in a bad way and the phone rang in my room. It was my mother. Click. She called again and I hung up again. She called a third time and I told her I was not emotionally or physically ready to talk to her but if she wanted to visit me after I got out I’d be able to see her then.
She did call me again when I got out and we arranged a meeting time when she’d come over to see me and visit. She said she wanted to get to know me and even though I wasn’t really thrilled about that I was open for giving her a chance. She seemed to sound sincere.
She was supposed to come over at 6:00 on a Wednesday. I can remember looking at the clock on the wall of where I was living then and seeing it go from 6:00 to 6:30 to 8:00 to 2am. She never showed up and never called to tell me why. That was the last time I heard from her. There was a part of me that died that night and I don’t enjoy thinking about it.
Sitting there with broken bones didn’t hurt as much as her not showing up. Every time a car drove past I thought it might be her but then I just gave up. I had two roommates then and both of them were gone that particular night so I sat there by myself wondering why I was even born. Before or since I can’t describe anything that’s been so intensely painful.
Loneliness. Abandonment. Torture. Those are only words and they can’t get to the pain I felt with that experience. This is only something a dented can is able to relate to and I’m very glad not everyone is able to feel what I felt that night. It was pure and uncut raw hell.
All these years later it still hurts to think about that story. I had heard she was still alive from one of her half brothers who came out to see me at a show a while back but I’m not really interested in finding her or trying to start a relationship this late in the game. She’s dead to me and after not trying to contact me in 16 years it’s a little late to do it over now.
I’m the first one to admit I’m a nut in many ways but hopefully this explains a little bit of why that is. This is cruel and unusual punishment and I admit it still stings. No, stings isn’t the word. It’s EXCRUCIATING when I think about it but I don’t always do that on a regular basis. I try to work past it and get on with my life but days like today are horrific.
People have a lot of inner things like this inside and I know I’m not the only one. I sure do try to not let it ruin my life but many times that anger and hurt lays there and festers. It will be with me for the rest of my life and that’s just how it is. Happy Mother’s Day Ma.
Another Mother’s Day and I still don’t know if my mother is living or dead. She would be 66 now but I can’t confirm that either. I always heard she wasn’t even 21 before I was born and I was her third child. I think it may be accurate because I heard it many times.
I’ve only seen my mother a few times in my life that I can remember. She left the family when I was five months old and I was sent to live with my paternal grandparents. Both of my siblings stayed with my father who eventually remarried a short time later. It wasn’t a pleasant life for any of us and we were never really raised as two brothers and a sister.
I was always the outsider and growing up with the grandparents had it’s own set of ugly problems. They fought like soccer hooligans and I had to grow up in the middle of all that until they finally split up when I was about 12. None of us kids had a positive home life.
Gramps was my only ray of light as a kid. He would tell me the truth about pretty much everything, even when it wasn’t pretty - and it usually wasn’t. The one subject he’d never talk much about was my mother. She just wasn’t a part of my life and that’s how it was.
I was about nine or ten when I heard she was coming to take all of us kids to the zoo for a day. I was less than thrilled to hear it because I didn’t know her at all plus at that time it wasn’t fun to be the youngest sibling. Both my sister Tammy and brother Larry had heard from my father I was living the life of leisure with the grandparents and they hated that.
For a while they were both very mean to me but I blame that on the old man. He was an instigator and probably jealous that I was getting all the attention from his father he never got. Whatever it was it wasn’t fun to be me and seeing Mommy Dearest didn’t thrill me.
All I remember was how awkward it felt to be with our ‘mother’. She wanted us to call her that but I remember how none of us really wanted to because we didn’t look at her as our mother. She was Jeannie and we’d always been pumped full of bad stories about her.
I didn’t see her again after that one day at the zoo for another several years. I don’t even know how we got back in touch but I was in high school when I saw her again. I was with my sister and brother and I remember going to a gathering of people who were allegedly a group of our relatives. We felt like total outsiders but I don’t remember them being mean.
Then for whatever reason we drifted apart again and I didn’t hear from her again until a birthday card came in the mail for me when I was 27. Why that year I don’t know but I do remember finding it odd to get a card on such an odd numbered birthday from my mother.
She wrote (or tried to) a letter that I had a hard time deciphering because it looked like a third grader wrote it. I’d heard she never finished high school and that letter confirmed it. I was embarrassed to read it with all it’s spelling errors and know that neither she nor my illustrious father were ever going to do anything positive in my life and I sure was right.
I remember writing her back and sending her some of my press clippings as a comedian because I was starting to get a few by then. I told her I didn’t know why I was doing it but I thought she might want to know her son actually tried to make something out of his life.
I also remember letting her have it about abandoning us all and how horrible it felt to be left alone and have to grow up not even knowing if my mother was living or dead. I never got a response and didn’t end up hearing from her again until I was lying in intensive care at St. Michael’s hospital in Milwaukee in March of 1993 after my infamous car accident.
I was really hurting and had broken my jaw once and my sternum twice. I was really in a bad way and the phone rang in my room. It was my mother. Click. She called again and I hung up again. She called a third time and I told her I was not emotionally or physically ready to talk to her but if she wanted to visit me after I got out I’d be able to see her then.
She did call me again when I got out and we arranged a meeting time when she’d come over to see me and visit. She said she wanted to get to know me and even though I wasn’t really thrilled about that I was open for giving her a chance. She seemed to sound sincere.
She was supposed to come over at 6:00 on a Wednesday. I can remember looking at the clock on the wall of where I was living then and seeing it go from 6:00 to 6:30 to 8:00 to 2am. She never showed up and never called to tell me why. That was the last time I heard from her. There was a part of me that died that night and I don’t enjoy thinking about it.
Sitting there with broken bones didn’t hurt as much as her not showing up. Every time a car drove past I thought it might be her but then I just gave up. I had two roommates then and both of them were gone that particular night so I sat there by myself wondering why I was even born. Before or since I can’t describe anything that’s been so intensely painful.
Loneliness. Abandonment. Torture. Those are only words and they can’t get to the pain I felt with that experience. This is only something a dented can is able to relate to and I’m very glad not everyone is able to feel what I felt that night. It was pure and uncut raw hell.
All these years later it still hurts to think about that story. I had heard she was still alive from one of her half brothers who came out to see me at a show a while back but I’m not really interested in finding her or trying to start a relationship this late in the game. She’s dead to me and after not trying to contact me in 16 years it’s a little late to do it over now.
I’m the first one to admit I’m a nut in many ways but hopefully this explains a little bit of why that is. This is cruel and unusual punishment and I admit it still stings. No, stings isn’t the word. It’s EXCRUCIATING when I think about it but I don’t always do that on a regular basis. I try to work past it and get on with my life but days like today are horrific.
People have a lot of inner things like this inside and I know I’m not the only one. I sure do try to not let it ruin my life but many times that anger and hurt lays there and festers. It will be with me for the rest of my life and that’s just how it is. Happy Mother’s Day Ma.
Two Terrific Teams
Saturday May 9th, 2009 - Chicago, IL/Lake Forest, IL
There’s nothing like being part of a really good team. When I was a kid what few sports teams I did get to play on were all terrible. I played basketball in 7th and 8th grade and that was about it for a Caucasian under 6 feet tall. Was I Jerry West? No. Jerry Lewis? Closer.
We didn’t win many games and we weren’t very close as a team either. I love the game of basketball but it doesn’t love me back. Baseball was a little better because I was a left handed pitcher and that’s like being a blonde with gargantuan honkers. Someone is going to give you a shot and the phone is always ringing. I played on quite a few baseball teams.
One of my favorite experiences during my high school years was playing on an all black team one summer. I was the only white guy and it was great fun. The guys were a little bit standoffish at first but we became friends very quickly and I loved it because everyone on the team was a good person. We got along and it was a pleasure to play with all of them.
That’s one of my first real experiences with a fun team environment. Another was also in my high school years when I was a ball boy for the Milwaukee Bucks. That was a total blast even though our boss tried his best to make all of our lives a living hell. He wasn’t a nice guy at all but the other guys were and we all fit in well with each other and had fun.
I still talk to some of those guys even now and they’re still great guys. Wade Waugus is still employed by the team and has always been one of my favorite people. He was a high school kid just like me and he ended up making a career out of a part time job of cleaning up sweat puddles and pouring Gatorade. Good for Wade. He parlayed it into a fun career.
Many of my radio experiences have been horrible but only because I got fired by a total idiot. My partners have for the most part been very good. My partners at the Loop were as good as it gets and we still stay in contact years after we lost the gig. That says something.
Another team that’s turning out to be really great is Jerry’s Kidders. All five of us have a wonderful chemistry and we also have a role. Jerry Agar is the host. Tim Slagle fit in so well with Jerry at WLS because Tim was a listener before Jerry even got there. I got to be the one to hook them both up and I’m very proud of that. They’ve gelled together nicely.
Ken Sevara does voices and is a great guy to hang out with and Kipper McGee is like a George Martin figure. He was the Beatles’ producer and knew how to make them sound a lot better right out of the box. That’s what Kipper does for us. He’s been in our corner all the way since day one at WLS and no matter what he will always be a part of our team.
We’re now on WGN though and Kipper isn’t directly a part of us at the moment. We’ve got to find our niche on the station and their new program director is a guy Jerry’s worked with before up in Minneapolis. I’ve met him a few times and I like him very much. I think he’s very sharp and is a good fit for WGN at this time. We’ll be able to work together and I’m sure it will continue to build but Kipper will eventually get back on our team again.
Another team that’s working out very well is The Chicago Comedy All Stars. I did a gig with them tonight at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest, IL. It was a fundraiser for the Lake Forest Youth Baseball program and that seems to be a paradox. If anyone appears NOT to need any fundraising it’s the people of Lake Forest, IL. They all seem to be squeaking by.
Actually the wealth is amazing. Lake Forest is one of the richest municipalities in North America allegedly and I don’t doubt it for a second. There are huge mansions and a whole lot of Rolls Royces and Mercedes Benzes rolling up and down the main streets. I’ve been through there many times because my ex business partner’s father was a physician there.
I performed at the Gorton Center too back with the Chicago Style Standups a couple of years ago. It’s a really nice venue and the audiences were fantastic last time so I was very much looking forward to coming back again. Jimmy McHugh was with the Chicago Style Standups and he broke off to start his own group. He has his vision of where this will go.
Jimmy is very honest and busts his ass and I really like working with him. This is totally his baby along with his friend Rick Young. Rick is a very good salesman and helps Jim to secure gigs and deal with venues. He presents himself professionally and fits in with us.
The fun part for me is hanging out with the comedians. Jimmy has about a dozen of the Chicago area comics he thinks can grasp the concept of his shows and he intermingles the crew as needed. Sometimes it’s because of availability and other times it’s a matter of the kind of audience that hires us. He can mix and match and come up with a workable show.
Tonight it was Jimmy, Mike Preston, Ken Sevara and myself. That’s a strong show and the audience loved it. With each of us taking turns at the mike we end up doing maybe 20 to 25 minutes at the most. It’s like a night off. We go back and forth to the mike but we’re sitting on stage the whole time in a director’s chair. It’s a fun concept and we all love it.
Again, there’s a real feeling of camaraderie and team with the group and that makes it a lot more fun than it already is. When a good team is clicking the sum truly is greater than the parts. There’s that little intangible ingredient that puts it over the top and it’s only at a time when everything comes together. As I get older I really enjoy being a part of a team.
Jimmy’s doing the best he can do right now and I’m very grateful he includes me in his shows whenever I can make it. We do fit in well together and I genuinely like and respect the guy. He’s funny and honest and works hard and that’s the kind of person to hang with.
The Kidders are in a nice position right now and so are the All Stars. We’re not where we want to be yet but at least we’re in a position to build something. If one of these were to hit pay dirt the other one would be soon to follow. We’re positioning ourselves to win.
This is what’s worthwhile in life. When I focus on this stuff everything else fades away. I like and respect the people on these teams and I want the best for us all. Unfortunately it takes time to build all of these things so the best thing to do now is put my time in wisely.
There’s nothing like being part of a really good team. When I was a kid what few sports teams I did get to play on were all terrible. I played basketball in 7th and 8th grade and that was about it for a Caucasian under 6 feet tall. Was I Jerry West? No. Jerry Lewis? Closer.
We didn’t win many games and we weren’t very close as a team either. I love the game of basketball but it doesn’t love me back. Baseball was a little better because I was a left handed pitcher and that’s like being a blonde with gargantuan honkers. Someone is going to give you a shot and the phone is always ringing. I played on quite a few baseball teams.
One of my favorite experiences during my high school years was playing on an all black team one summer. I was the only white guy and it was great fun. The guys were a little bit standoffish at first but we became friends very quickly and I loved it because everyone on the team was a good person. We got along and it was a pleasure to play with all of them.
That’s one of my first real experiences with a fun team environment. Another was also in my high school years when I was a ball boy for the Milwaukee Bucks. That was a total blast even though our boss tried his best to make all of our lives a living hell. He wasn’t a nice guy at all but the other guys were and we all fit in well with each other and had fun.
I still talk to some of those guys even now and they’re still great guys. Wade Waugus is still employed by the team and has always been one of my favorite people. He was a high school kid just like me and he ended up making a career out of a part time job of cleaning up sweat puddles and pouring Gatorade. Good for Wade. He parlayed it into a fun career.
Many of my radio experiences have been horrible but only because I got fired by a total idiot. My partners have for the most part been very good. My partners at the Loop were as good as it gets and we still stay in contact years after we lost the gig. That says something.
Another team that’s turning out to be really great is Jerry’s Kidders. All five of us have a wonderful chemistry and we also have a role. Jerry Agar is the host. Tim Slagle fit in so well with Jerry at WLS because Tim was a listener before Jerry even got there. I got to be the one to hook them both up and I’m very proud of that. They’ve gelled together nicely.
Ken Sevara does voices and is a great guy to hang out with and Kipper McGee is like a George Martin figure. He was the Beatles’ producer and knew how to make them sound a lot better right out of the box. That’s what Kipper does for us. He’s been in our corner all the way since day one at WLS and no matter what he will always be a part of our team.
We’re now on WGN though and Kipper isn’t directly a part of us at the moment. We’ve got to find our niche on the station and their new program director is a guy Jerry’s worked with before up in Minneapolis. I’ve met him a few times and I like him very much. I think he’s very sharp and is a good fit for WGN at this time. We’ll be able to work together and I’m sure it will continue to build but Kipper will eventually get back on our team again.
Another team that’s working out very well is The Chicago Comedy All Stars. I did a gig with them tonight at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest, IL. It was a fundraiser for the Lake Forest Youth Baseball program and that seems to be a paradox. If anyone appears NOT to need any fundraising it’s the people of Lake Forest, IL. They all seem to be squeaking by.
Actually the wealth is amazing. Lake Forest is one of the richest municipalities in North America allegedly and I don’t doubt it for a second. There are huge mansions and a whole lot of Rolls Royces and Mercedes Benzes rolling up and down the main streets. I’ve been through there many times because my ex business partner’s father was a physician there.
I performed at the Gorton Center too back with the Chicago Style Standups a couple of years ago. It’s a really nice venue and the audiences were fantastic last time so I was very much looking forward to coming back again. Jimmy McHugh was with the Chicago Style Standups and he broke off to start his own group. He has his vision of where this will go.
Jimmy is very honest and busts his ass and I really like working with him. This is totally his baby along with his friend Rick Young. Rick is a very good salesman and helps Jim to secure gigs and deal with venues. He presents himself professionally and fits in with us.
The fun part for me is hanging out with the comedians. Jimmy has about a dozen of the Chicago area comics he thinks can grasp the concept of his shows and he intermingles the crew as needed. Sometimes it’s because of availability and other times it’s a matter of the kind of audience that hires us. He can mix and match and come up with a workable show.
Tonight it was Jimmy, Mike Preston, Ken Sevara and myself. That’s a strong show and the audience loved it. With each of us taking turns at the mike we end up doing maybe 20 to 25 minutes at the most. It’s like a night off. We go back and forth to the mike but we’re sitting on stage the whole time in a director’s chair. It’s a fun concept and we all love it.
Again, there’s a real feeling of camaraderie and team with the group and that makes it a lot more fun than it already is. When a good team is clicking the sum truly is greater than the parts. There’s that little intangible ingredient that puts it over the top and it’s only at a time when everything comes together. As I get older I really enjoy being a part of a team.
Jimmy’s doing the best he can do right now and I’m very grateful he includes me in his shows whenever I can make it. We do fit in well together and I genuinely like and respect the guy. He’s funny and honest and works hard and that’s the kind of person to hang with.
The Kidders are in a nice position right now and so are the All Stars. We’re not where we want to be yet but at least we’re in a position to build something. If one of these were to hit pay dirt the other one would be soon to follow. We’re positioning ourselves to win.
This is what’s worthwhile in life. When I focus on this stuff everything else fades away. I like and respect the people on these teams and I want the best for us all. Unfortunately it takes time to build all of these things so the best thing to do now is put my time in wisely.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Magic Formula
Friday May 8th, 2009 - Chicago, IL
I found the magic formula! Actually I’ve always known it but today is when I officially put it into action. I combed through all of the contacts I’ve ever made and compiled a list of people that I think are creative and/or funny and/or both and could possibly contribute to the Jerry’s Kidders bit on WGN. I took my time and really thought about my choices.
Some of them were comedians and some weren’t. Some were in radio and others were ex comedy students and some were just funny people I’ve met in my travels. I know for a fact a lot of people love the process but have no desire or natural ability to be comedians.
To those people being funny is a hobby. They compile jokes and may actually come up with a few good ones themselves but they don’t know how to share them with anyone. A few get published in Reader’s Digest and that’s great but most of their jokes will just rot.
These are the kinds of people that are going to make Jerry’s Kidders great. I sent out my list and it had about 85 people on it. Within about three hours I’d heard from 73 of those people who overwhelmingly said things like “YES - I’ve been waiting for something like this. Put me on your list!” I haven’t had even one no out of all those people. It’s amazing.
Granted, I hand picked that list from a lifetime of contacts but I could just sense a major hunger for something like this in which they could participate. It’s a challenge and kind of like a crossword puzzle in a way. Creative minds like challenges and I was pleased to find that so many of the people I chose were so gung ho about it. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
We’ve had some success on the radio in Chicago for over a year and that’s no small feat but it was only us slugging it out ourselves. We had a blast and did fine but now with this group of talented and creative people behind us from all over North America we’ll put out a MUCH better product in a very short period of time. This is going to be a turning point.
There’s no way we’ll be able to use everyone’s jokes but eventually we’ll make THEM a part of the show. Jerry can read some of the submitted jokes not only by the people that I chose but from others who will find us along the way. We’ll be the clearing house of all the aspiring jokers from not only Chicago but all over the country. We‘ll be their funnel.
Part of Johnny Carson’s success formula was that he shared the spotlight. He’d let some other person shine but the next night they were gone and Johnny was still on doing it over again with someone else. He was secure in his own skin and it worked for thirty years.
That’s what Jerry needs to become. We’re in the studio as the panel of comedians but a whole lot more comics and writers and fans of comedy will be listening and maybe even calling in and sharing their jokes. Almost everyone has ONE good joke. We’ll take them.
I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response I received from all those talented and creative people. We won’t exploit them and in fact I look forward to sharing the spotlight.
I found the magic formula! Actually I’ve always known it but today is when I officially put it into action. I combed through all of the contacts I’ve ever made and compiled a list of people that I think are creative and/or funny and/or both and could possibly contribute to the Jerry’s Kidders bit on WGN. I took my time and really thought about my choices.
Some of them were comedians and some weren’t. Some were in radio and others were ex comedy students and some were just funny people I’ve met in my travels. I know for a fact a lot of people love the process but have no desire or natural ability to be comedians.
To those people being funny is a hobby. They compile jokes and may actually come up with a few good ones themselves but they don’t know how to share them with anyone. A few get published in Reader’s Digest and that’s great but most of their jokes will just rot.
These are the kinds of people that are going to make Jerry’s Kidders great. I sent out my list and it had about 85 people on it. Within about three hours I’d heard from 73 of those people who overwhelmingly said things like “YES - I’ve been waiting for something like this. Put me on your list!” I haven’t had even one no out of all those people. It’s amazing.
Granted, I hand picked that list from a lifetime of contacts but I could just sense a major hunger for something like this in which they could participate. It’s a challenge and kind of like a crossword puzzle in a way. Creative minds like challenges and I was pleased to find that so many of the people I chose were so gung ho about it. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
We’ve had some success on the radio in Chicago for over a year and that’s no small feat but it was only us slugging it out ourselves. We had a blast and did fine but now with this group of talented and creative people behind us from all over North America we’ll put out a MUCH better product in a very short period of time. This is going to be a turning point.
There’s no way we’ll be able to use everyone’s jokes but eventually we’ll make THEM a part of the show. Jerry can read some of the submitted jokes not only by the people that I chose but from others who will find us along the way. We’ll be the clearing house of all the aspiring jokers from not only Chicago but all over the country. We‘ll be their funnel.
Part of Johnny Carson’s success formula was that he shared the spotlight. He’d let some other person shine but the next night they were gone and Johnny was still on doing it over again with someone else. He was secure in his own skin and it worked for thirty years.
That’s what Jerry needs to become. We’re in the studio as the panel of comedians but a whole lot more comics and writers and fans of comedy will be listening and maybe even calling in and sharing their jokes. Almost everyone has ONE good joke. We’ll take them.
I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response I received from all those talented and creative people. We won’t exploit them and in fact I look forward to sharing the spotlight.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Searching For Comedy Class
Thursday May 7th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL
Back to work today after my little Smokey and the Bandit style cross country gallivant yesterday. I’m glad I could help a friend but now it’s time to help myself. I’m up to about all I can handle with everything I’m working on and even one day away slows me down.
Things are actually pretty good right now but I’m still in the danger zone of unfinished projects that can blow up in my face with no payoff. Comedy classes are one of them. It’s going to take some readjustment to get them where I want them because the battle field is constantly changing due to the steady supply of weasels who seem to want to ‘teach’ one.
I’m still pretty scorched at my ex business partner and his main minion who are still on a mission to make my life miserable apparently. I saw a snide posting the guy made on an independent website and I had all I could do to not call him at 3am and insult him and his bull moose old lady he sponges off of because he’s an aging hippie who never was funny.
Does it piss me off? Absolutely. He flat out stole my idea and isn’t even replicating it in a way that makes the product look good. He’s a money grubbing loser who couldn’t think of his own idea so he had to take mine which has been successful without him since ‘93.
Ditto to my ex partner. I trusted both of those gimokes and they turned around and stuck it in my brown eye with a cattle prod. Who wouldn’t be angry about that? Too bad for me though because nobody else cares. They weren’t violated so to the rest of the world it’s no issue at all. If I go on and on about it I look like the ass even though they are the thieves.
Anger management has been a major problem for me over the years and a major reason for it is my dented can past. I’m not saying that’s right or that I have an excuse but I am at a place in my life where I can objectively look at it from afar rather than blowing my cool.
One of the main reasons I’m not farther along in show business is that I have never been good at playing the politics game. I like who I like and I don’t who I don’t and I’ve had an extremely difficult time hiding my disdain for those I deem to be either an idiot or mean.
It’s especially difficult when someone is both but that’s not the case here. These serpent bastards are not idiots at all. They’re very cunning as a matter of fact. Many times when a person has limited abilities he or she has to rely on other tactics to get over. It isn’t always a bad thing and I’ve seen some people who’ve really been able to get far with their moxie.
I’m the first person to admit when I make a mistake and I’m also not claiming to be any other thing than passionate when I go off on protecting my comedy classes. It’s one of my most positive achievements and it’s taken years and years of hard work to develop them.
I’ve sacrificed a lot of things in my life to get this far and to see some no talent balding yesterday’s news hack bastard come along and pilfer the fruits of my labor it ruffles all of my feathers and sends me into a defense mode. I won’t let anyone steal my heart and soul.
All that being said, there’s a smart way I need to handle all of this. This is THE hardest and most frustrating thing for me to deal with because I’ve blown it so many times in the past. I have a tendency to say what I feel and when it isn’t pretty it tends to make waves.
I never used to worry about it and I’d just let it rip and say what I thought unvarnished. I have no problem putting words together to make my point and if I think someone is a jerk or trying to bully me I’ll really lean into it and go for the jugular. It’s ballsy and I admit it feels good doing it…but only for a while. The backlash usually lingers for many years.
People in those situations have a long memory, especially when they’re insecure and are not able to get by with talent and ability. That tends to make them defensive and when it’s pointed out that they’re untalented blood suckers they don’t usually react to it positively.
That’s human nature and I should know it by now but many times my temper has taken over at exactly the wrong time and I’ve unleashed an atomic verbal blast or two that has caused me much ill will, especially from strangers who have never met me personally.
Had I called the dufus or sent out a scathing email I thought about it would be over and I’d feel better and have moved on. He would still have it and send it to those who think I am a wank stick and negative momentum would be building and I wouldn’t even know it.
This is SO difficult for me. Amy Winehouse has a hard time staying away from heroin. I have a hard time not driving over to this ass bag’s trailer and getting right in both of the faces of he and his wart hog she beast cloven hoofed balloon ass old lady who looks like Lily Munster after a funeral parlor gang bang and telling them to stop stealing my idea.
But I can’t do that. Well, I guess I could but why waste my energy? I used to have a lot of this angst pulsating through my veins and I couldn’t wait to let it out but now I’m older and have acquired the ability to think at least a little bit before I plow ahead into stupidity.
What’s the smart thing to do here? Make MY classes even better. I know what I can do to make class fun and I’ve been doing it for many years. I also know it takes a major dose of HARD WORK to do it and neither of those two lazy bastards will put in that effort to make it a winner in the long run. They’re bugging me now but I can outwork them both.
That’s what I need to do with all this emotion I’m feeling right now. It would feel good to let them both have it but they apparently aren’t going to stop any time soon so all I will be doing is taking time and effort away from what I’m doing, and I know I have a gift for both teaching and performing. Those two are just trying to scam a buck and suckle a teat.
I’m not perfect or without blame in life and I never claimed to be but this issue is a raw bloody scab with me. Someone has invaded my inner creative space and raped me with an axe handle with an idea I was willing to share within reason. They’re trying to suck it all up for themselves and yes I’m steamed like a giant lobster about it. I need to tiptoe gently through this minefield before I do anything stupid. There’s too much else good going on.
Back to work today after my little Smokey and the Bandit style cross country gallivant yesterday. I’m glad I could help a friend but now it’s time to help myself. I’m up to about all I can handle with everything I’m working on and even one day away slows me down.
Things are actually pretty good right now but I’m still in the danger zone of unfinished projects that can blow up in my face with no payoff. Comedy classes are one of them. It’s going to take some readjustment to get them where I want them because the battle field is constantly changing due to the steady supply of weasels who seem to want to ‘teach’ one.
I’m still pretty scorched at my ex business partner and his main minion who are still on a mission to make my life miserable apparently. I saw a snide posting the guy made on an independent website and I had all I could do to not call him at 3am and insult him and his bull moose old lady he sponges off of because he’s an aging hippie who never was funny.
Does it piss me off? Absolutely. He flat out stole my idea and isn’t even replicating it in a way that makes the product look good. He’s a money grubbing loser who couldn’t think of his own idea so he had to take mine which has been successful without him since ‘93.
Ditto to my ex partner. I trusted both of those gimokes and they turned around and stuck it in my brown eye with a cattle prod. Who wouldn’t be angry about that? Too bad for me though because nobody else cares. They weren’t violated so to the rest of the world it’s no issue at all. If I go on and on about it I look like the ass even though they are the thieves.
Anger management has been a major problem for me over the years and a major reason for it is my dented can past. I’m not saying that’s right or that I have an excuse but I am at a place in my life where I can objectively look at it from afar rather than blowing my cool.
One of the main reasons I’m not farther along in show business is that I have never been good at playing the politics game. I like who I like and I don’t who I don’t and I’ve had an extremely difficult time hiding my disdain for those I deem to be either an idiot or mean.
It’s especially difficult when someone is both but that’s not the case here. These serpent bastards are not idiots at all. They’re very cunning as a matter of fact. Many times when a person has limited abilities he or she has to rely on other tactics to get over. It isn’t always a bad thing and I’ve seen some people who’ve really been able to get far with their moxie.
I’m the first person to admit when I make a mistake and I’m also not claiming to be any other thing than passionate when I go off on protecting my comedy classes. It’s one of my most positive achievements and it’s taken years and years of hard work to develop them.
I’ve sacrificed a lot of things in my life to get this far and to see some no talent balding yesterday’s news hack bastard come along and pilfer the fruits of my labor it ruffles all of my feathers and sends me into a defense mode. I won’t let anyone steal my heart and soul.
All that being said, there’s a smart way I need to handle all of this. This is THE hardest and most frustrating thing for me to deal with because I’ve blown it so many times in the past. I have a tendency to say what I feel and when it isn’t pretty it tends to make waves.
I never used to worry about it and I’d just let it rip and say what I thought unvarnished. I have no problem putting words together to make my point and if I think someone is a jerk or trying to bully me I’ll really lean into it and go for the jugular. It’s ballsy and I admit it feels good doing it…but only for a while. The backlash usually lingers for many years.
People in those situations have a long memory, especially when they’re insecure and are not able to get by with talent and ability. That tends to make them defensive and when it’s pointed out that they’re untalented blood suckers they don’t usually react to it positively.
That’s human nature and I should know it by now but many times my temper has taken over at exactly the wrong time and I’ve unleashed an atomic verbal blast or two that has caused me much ill will, especially from strangers who have never met me personally.
Had I called the dufus or sent out a scathing email I thought about it would be over and I’d feel better and have moved on. He would still have it and send it to those who think I am a wank stick and negative momentum would be building and I wouldn’t even know it.
This is SO difficult for me. Amy Winehouse has a hard time staying away from heroin. I have a hard time not driving over to this ass bag’s trailer and getting right in both of the faces of he and his wart hog she beast cloven hoofed balloon ass old lady who looks like Lily Munster after a funeral parlor gang bang and telling them to stop stealing my idea.
But I can’t do that. Well, I guess I could but why waste my energy? I used to have a lot of this angst pulsating through my veins and I couldn’t wait to let it out but now I’m older and have acquired the ability to think at least a little bit before I plow ahead into stupidity.
What’s the smart thing to do here? Make MY classes even better. I know what I can do to make class fun and I’ve been doing it for many years. I also know it takes a major dose of HARD WORK to do it and neither of those two lazy bastards will put in that effort to make it a winner in the long run. They’re bugging me now but I can outwork them both.
That’s what I need to do with all this emotion I’m feeling right now. It would feel good to let them both have it but they apparently aren’t going to stop any time soon so all I will be doing is taking time and effort away from what I’m doing, and I know I have a gift for both teaching and performing. Those two are just trying to scam a buck and suckle a teat.
I’m not perfect or without blame in life and I never claimed to be but this issue is a raw bloody scab with me. Someone has invaded my inner creative space and raped me with an axe handle with an idea I was willing to share within reason. They’re trying to suck it all up for themselves and yes I’m steamed like a giant lobster about it. I need to tiptoe gently through this minefield before I do anything stupid. There’s too much else good going on.
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