SOTY 2007...YOU MAKE THE CALL!
And then there were two. The 2007 Song Of The Year comes down to this final matchup:
"Compass Point" by Lowen And Navarro vs. "Rocky Drunky Pervert" by Stevans
AND I CAN'T DECIDE! So I need your help, dear friends. If you would like to help me pick a winner, email me at askduckpond2008@sacbeemail.com. If you haven't heard them yet, let me know and I will email them to you.
SOTY 2007...Their fate is in YOUR HANDS!
The rest of the top 42 are listed below...
3. A Modern Man--George Carlin
4. Girlshapedlovedrug--Gomez
5. Angry Inch--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
6. Move Along--The All-American Rejects
7. Underneath Your Skirt--Stevans
8. Wicked Little Town--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
9. Shake Your Junk--Minko
10. Emotional Cash--Stevans
11. Supertheory Of Supereverything--Gogol Bordello
12. Monday's Wedding--Stevans
13. Wig In A Box--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
14. Leaving For Paris No. 2--Rufus Wainwright
15. How We Operate--Gomez
16. The Origin Of Love--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
17. Notice--Gomez
18. Macarthur Park--Jimmy Webb
19. All About Me--Matt Dusk
20. Mojo--Peeping Tom
21. Yesterday Never Tomorrows--The Stills
22. Tear Me Down--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
23. Daily Grind--Minko
24. Weight Of The World--Lowen And Navarro
25. The Underdog--Spoon
26. Crucifixion Steaks Demo--Steve Dahl
27. Suddenly...(I Miss Carpaty)--Gogol Bordello
28. The Way We Get By--Spoon
29. Missing Part--Stevans
30. Midnight Radio--Hedwig And The Angry Inch
31. Girlfriend--Avril Lavigne
32. Coast-To-Coast Emergency--George Carlin
33. 11x3 (live)--Steve Dahl & The Dahlfins
34. Dick In A Box--Justin Timberlake
35. Buzz In My Head--Stevans
36. Rise And Fall--Stevans
37. My Humps--Alanis Morissette
38. John Allyn Smith Sails--Okkervil River
39. Lights Out--Lisa Marie Presley
40. 11x3--Steve Dahl & Teenage Radiation
41. Crazy Bitch--Buckcherry
42. Tulsa--Rufus Wainwright
Saturday, January 12, 2008
22 XP MARK FARRELL VISITS THE DUCK POND INTERVIEW LOFT
Last March, after This Hour Has 22 Minutes had seemingly won the 2007 ALF Cup, their Executive Producer Mark Farrell contacted me about possibly doing a piece about it on the show.
But then the ALF Cup format underwent a couple of major overhauls, putting the title up for grabs until the end of the calendar year.
As it turned out, the format changes only delayed the inevitable, and under the new points system 22 ran away with the title in the closing weeks.
After 22 clinched, I delivered the good news and we began an email interview which follows below.
***
DS: Mark Farrell, 22 Minutes has just won it's 5th ALF Cup. What are you gonna do now?
MF: Hey this is exciting, after all the controversy just to win out right, feels good.
In terms of what I'm going to do now; maybe take some time with my family, but really with the way competitions are nowadays there's really no time to rest because the the next thing you know there'll be another ALF Cup and as defending champ, I know a lot of shows will be coming after us.
DS: Going into 2008, how stable is the cast lineup? Is Shaun Majumder expected back or is Geri Hall a permanent replacement?
MF: Pretty stable. The plan is that Geri will be in every episode. It looks like Shaun will be back in the New Year pending availability on his Fox Show "Unhitched". In episodes in which he appears we'll have five cast members.
DS: What about your rookie correspondent Nathan Fielder, whose Tall Club piece in the "After Rick Mercer Before The Tudors" ep had ALF Cup followers buzzing?
MF: Nathan has a great style and deadpan delivery and has brought a lot to the show this year. How's that for a vague non-descript answer?
22 rookie sensation Nathan Fielder
He also has a bit of a following on Youtube etc. from before his time with us on 22 and last year won the Cream of Comedy contest, a contest that identifies young up and coming comedians. In its first (or maybe its second) year, the winner was a guy by the name of Gavin Crawford...
DS: Third year, actually. I just looked it up (Thanks Wikipedia!). So a good pedigree there.
And the stability of the lineup has certainly been a factor in 22's resurgence in ALF Cup. Your last title was five years ago, and in that time there was plenty of cast turnover...
MF: The idea is, and I'm not sure we've pulled it off completely yet, is to take advantage of the skills of the cast we have in the present and try not to be weighed down by what we used to do. If we have people who do monologues we'll do monologues; if they're great mimics we'll do impressions. If we stay basically rooted in Canadian pop culture (which obviously is influenced by U.S. pop culture) and current events, we should be okay.
22's current cast (aka the "Halifax Five"): (l-r) Geri Hall, Gavin Crawford, Cathy Jones, Shaun Majumder and Mark Critch
DS: You even took a turn behind the desk yourself, and we also remember you 'round these parts from The Newsroom. Which brings me to my next question, whatever happened to Mark Farrell? Are you happier behind the scenes, writing and producing? Or can we expect to see you in any future projects?
MF: Not too many people remember the Newsroom (or that I did a week on the 22 desk way back in Season 6; I wasn't the showrunner then BTW, the next week there was a CBC technician strike and during that work stoppage Rick Mercer, who had decided to leave midway through Season 6, returned. He then did Season 7 and left after that) so thanks for the mention.
I'm not unhappy behind the scenes; acting is a more of a crapshoot. It's much harder for me to get acting work, especially given my range. I can basically play myself, or slight variations of myself. I've done a cameo on Corner Gas and on Made in Canada when it was on.
Basically, to get acting work, I have to be a writer or a producer on it, so that when they're stuck someone can say, "Hey just get Mark to do it."
DS: 22 won 3 ALF Cups with the original lineup, then Rick left right after the 3rd win (beating Whose Line in the final, ironically), then Colin Mochrie came on board and 22 won #4, beating Rick's show Made In Canada in the final.
Thus began perhaps the most famous rivalry in ALF Cup competition. And of course there was the Spring 2007 'basho' final between 22 and RMR. Over the past few years 22 has taken the occasional jab at RMR, leaving some of us to wonder about the nature of Rick's departure, and whether it was amicable or not.
Do you feel there's a 22-RMR rivalry? If so, how intense is it, is it a friendly one or not?
MF: There's not much of a rivalry to be honest. RMR consistently does much better ratings and Rick is one of Canada's (few) big stars. We have taken a few jabs (three years ago) but that's more to do with his popularity and the fact that people know who he is.
So things are pretty amicable between the two shows. A lot of people have worked on both and in my other jobs I used to work with Supervising Producer/ headwriter Paul Mather) on his show and we're on right after them now so we consult to make sure that we're not doing the same joke.
Right now, it's a good hour for CBC. Rick does great, and while we would like to hold more of his lead-in, we're doing pretty well too.
Sorry. wish I gave you more controversial answers.
22's original cast (aka the "Halifax Four"): (l-r) Mary Walsh, Greg Thomey, Cathy Jones and Rick Mercer
DS: That's quite alright, I personally prefer a friendly rivalry. Even Air Farce seems to get in a jab at 22 or RMR now and then and vice versa. But the entire CBC comedy collective is always formidable here in ALF Cup.
Actually, "After Rick Before Tudors" seemed like a fair shot at the CBC itself.
MF: I'm glad you liked the After Rick Before Tudors episode; the network played along and changed their packaging as well. It was quite fun. The reality is we do have a great slot, Rick's numbers are their highest in this his fifth year.
DS: It seems as though there's a yearly threat of possible CBC budget cuts. How much does that pressure weigh on you guys?
MF: To be honest, the pressure I feel isn't so much related to me or the cast or the writers. We film in Halifax and in the CBC here. Other than 22, there's not a lot going on out of (wow three prepositions in a row) the Halifax plant (there are other things like the Halifax Comedy Festival; but no on-going series, though hopefully that will change). So other than the pressure of wanting to do a good show I want the show to keep going because I like living in Halifax.
I think the show does fill a niche in Canada. I like episodes of our show that contain material that no one else would do, either because of its tone, or Canadian-ness.
DS: So no need for fans to worry about the often-threatened budget cuts? Do you feel being based in Halifax keeps 22 out of danger?
MF: Budget cuts to CBC? That's out of our control, but people are watching us and we're not that expensive so we always have a good chance of being renewed.
In terms of the Halifax thing, if the CBC is in a mood that says the regions are important then being in Halifax helps. If they're not in that mood it hurts. Now determining what mood they're in? That's left to people smarter than me.
DS: With the current writer's strike down here, this might be a good time for Canadian shows in general to increase their fan base in the States. Any plans for that?
MF: I suppose the strike means networks are looking at Canadian shows more than they normally would, but there are no plans here to change the way we do the show because of the strike.
DS: Air Farce tried a few years ago to follow in Red Green's steps, but 'de-Canadianized' themselves by taking out certain bits (like Preston Manning stuff, since only people like me or my pal knew who he was [he was hilarious, gosh we miss him!]). Of course, Little Mosque is doing well outside Canada now, and WGN just picked up Corner Gas. Do you think 22 can catch on with the average Yank without 'de-Canuckifying' things too much?
MF: We tend to focus on what would work for a Canadian audience, of course since most people in Canada are bombarded with American Pop Culture, that means we can do parodies of American shows, personalities etc.
DS: You think you're bombarded with it, try being stuck down here! I'm very lucky to have grown up with a CBC affiliate on our cable system, to get at least some of the opposite of that bombardment. So thanks for staying Canadian, I learn a lot about my virtual homeland from 22, et al.
What are some of the main comedy influences on your cast and writers?
MF: The influences vary on the individual I guess. But the comedies I watch today are The Office, Earl, 30 Rock, Daily Show, Colbert and SNL which personally I think was having a great season.
The show that influenced me most comedically was The Simpsons.
DS: I just happen to have a 22 rerun on as I write this...the Bell/Telus bit. Also saw the one the other day about "the notion of a motion of a nation"...etc. Who came up with those? They're fantastic!
MF: I'm not one hundred per cent sure but I think both those were the brainchild of my then head writer Kevin White. A truly funny writer who is now the show-runner for Corner Gas.
DS: Speaking of Corner Gas, I must admit I haven't watched it yet, but I've just set my DVR for upcoming eps, and it will be vying for ALF Cup rookie honors in '08. For those of us who are new to CG, can you give us some background on it and what we can expect?
MF: It's basically Brent Butt's brainchild. He's described it as what his life might have been like if he had stayed in small-town Saskatchewan and not gone into stand-up.
Brent Butt in Corner Gas
Brent Leroy owns and runs a gas station which is attached to a restaurant. As the series begins Lacey Burrows has just moved from Toronto back to small-town Saskatchewan. The early episodes deal with her fitting in with the people in the town, Dog River.
Other characters are Brent's parents, two police officers, Brent's best friend Hank, and his best (only employee) Wanda. Since I was involved from the beginning, probably not the best for me to say how good it is. But it is doing quite well in Canada...
It's a pretty straight forward single camera comedy. We don't hide the fact we're Canadian, but a huge knowledge of Canada isn't necessary.
DS: Sounds good, I'm on board!
Getting back to 22, what can we look forward to in early '08? For example, which recurring characters will we likely see more of (or less of)?
MF: Hopefully more Mark Jackson, we didn't use him enough before Christmas.
DS: And lastly, I hope you will indulge me in a blatant ripoff of Inside The Actors Studio, as we end with the famous questionnaire 'invented' by Bernard Pivot:
Will Ferrell (spelled different, no relation) as James Lipton
Mark Farrell...What is your favorite word?
MF: Flabbergasted.
DS: What is your least favorite word?
MF: Separate (I can never spell it right).
DS: What turns you on, what inspires you?
MF: A great joke heard for the first time.
DS: What turns you off?
MF: A hacky joke heard for the millionth time.
DS: What sound or noise do you love?
MF: The sound a well-hit golf ball makes.
DS: What sound or noise do you hate?
MF: The sound a mis-hit golf ball makes.
DS: What is your favorite curse word?
MF: Fuck.
DS: What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
MF: Touring golf professional.
DS: What profession would you not like to attempt?
MF: Bagpipe instructor.
DS: And finally, if Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive?
MF: Fuck, I'm flabbergasted you're here!
THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES can be seen Tuesdays at 8:30 pm ET on CBC (Buckeye Cable channel 59 in Toledo), after the Rick Mercer Report and before jPod.
RELATED LINKS:
22minutes.com
nathanfielder.com
shaunmajumder.com
gerihall.com
cornergas.com
cbc.ca
Last March, after This Hour Has 22 Minutes had seemingly won the 2007 ALF Cup, their Executive Producer Mark Farrell contacted me about possibly doing a piece about it on the show.
But then the ALF Cup format underwent a couple of major overhauls, putting the title up for grabs until the end of the calendar year.
As it turned out, the format changes only delayed the inevitable, and under the new points system 22 ran away with the title in the closing weeks.
After 22 clinched, I delivered the good news and we began an email interview which follows below.
***
DS: Mark Farrell, 22 Minutes has just won it's 5th ALF Cup. What are you gonna do now?
MF: Hey this is exciting, after all the controversy just to win out right, feels good.
In terms of what I'm going to do now; maybe take some time with my family, but really with the way competitions are nowadays there's really no time to rest because the the next thing you know there'll be another ALF Cup and as defending champ, I know a lot of shows will be coming after us.
DS: Going into 2008, how stable is the cast lineup? Is Shaun Majumder expected back or is Geri Hall a permanent replacement?
MF: Pretty stable. The plan is that Geri will be in every episode. It looks like Shaun will be back in the New Year pending availability on his Fox Show "Unhitched". In episodes in which he appears we'll have five cast members.
DS: What about your rookie correspondent Nathan Fielder, whose Tall Club piece in the "After Rick Mercer Before The Tudors" ep had ALF Cup followers buzzing?
MF: Nathan has a great style and deadpan delivery and has brought a lot to the show this year. How's that for a vague non-descript answer?
22 rookie sensation Nathan Fielder
He also has a bit of a following on Youtube etc. from before his time with us on 22 and last year won the Cream of Comedy contest, a contest that identifies young up and coming comedians. In its first (or maybe its second) year, the winner was a guy by the name of Gavin Crawford...
DS: Third year, actually. I just looked it up (Thanks Wikipedia!). So a good pedigree there.
And the stability of the lineup has certainly been a factor in 22's resurgence in ALF Cup. Your last title was five years ago, and in that time there was plenty of cast turnover...
MF: The idea is, and I'm not sure we've pulled it off completely yet, is to take advantage of the skills of the cast we have in the present and try not to be weighed down by what we used to do. If we have people who do monologues we'll do monologues; if they're great mimics we'll do impressions. If we stay basically rooted in Canadian pop culture (which obviously is influenced by U.S. pop culture) and current events, we should be okay.
22's current cast (aka the "Halifax Five"): (l-r) Geri Hall, Gavin Crawford, Cathy Jones, Shaun Majumder and Mark Critch
DS: You even took a turn behind the desk yourself, and we also remember you 'round these parts from The Newsroom. Which brings me to my next question, whatever happened to Mark Farrell? Are you happier behind the scenes, writing and producing? Or can we expect to see you in any future projects?
MF: Not too many people remember the Newsroom (or that I did a week on the 22 desk way back in Season 6; I wasn't the showrunner then BTW, the next week there was a CBC technician strike and during that work stoppage Rick Mercer, who had decided to leave midway through Season 6, returned. He then did Season 7 and left after that) so thanks for the mention.
I'm not unhappy behind the scenes; acting is a more of a crapshoot. It's much harder for me to get acting work, especially given my range. I can basically play myself, or slight variations of myself. I've done a cameo on Corner Gas and on Made in Canada when it was on.
Basically, to get acting work, I have to be a writer or a producer on it, so that when they're stuck someone can say, "Hey just get Mark to do it."
DS: 22 won 3 ALF Cups with the original lineup, then Rick left right after the 3rd win (beating Whose Line in the final, ironically), then Colin Mochrie came on board and 22 won #4, beating Rick's show Made In Canada in the final.
Thus began perhaps the most famous rivalry in ALF Cup competition. And of course there was the Spring 2007 'basho' final between 22 and RMR. Over the past few years 22 has taken the occasional jab at RMR, leaving some of us to wonder about the nature of Rick's departure, and whether it was amicable or not.
Do you feel there's a 22-RMR rivalry? If so, how intense is it, is it a friendly one or not?
MF: There's not much of a rivalry to be honest. RMR consistently does much better ratings and Rick is one of Canada's (few) big stars. We have taken a few jabs (three years ago) but that's more to do with his popularity and the fact that people know who he is.
So things are pretty amicable between the two shows. A lot of people have worked on both and in my other jobs I used to work with Supervising Producer/ headwriter Paul Mather) on his show and we're on right after them now so we consult to make sure that we're not doing the same joke.
Right now, it's a good hour for CBC. Rick does great, and while we would like to hold more of his lead-in, we're doing pretty well too.
Sorry. wish I gave you more controversial answers.
22's original cast (aka the "Halifax Four"): (l-r) Mary Walsh, Greg Thomey, Cathy Jones and Rick Mercer
DS: That's quite alright, I personally prefer a friendly rivalry. Even Air Farce seems to get in a jab at 22 or RMR now and then and vice versa. But the entire CBC comedy collective is always formidable here in ALF Cup.
Actually, "After Rick Before Tudors" seemed like a fair shot at the CBC itself.
MF: I'm glad you liked the After Rick Before Tudors episode; the network played along and changed their packaging as well. It was quite fun. The reality is we do have a great slot, Rick's numbers are their highest in this his fifth year.
DS: It seems as though there's a yearly threat of possible CBC budget cuts. How much does that pressure weigh on you guys?
MF: To be honest, the pressure I feel isn't so much related to me or the cast or the writers. We film in Halifax and in the CBC here. Other than 22, there's not a lot going on out of (wow three prepositions in a row) the Halifax plant (there are other things like the Halifax Comedy Festival; but no on-going series, though hopefully that will change). So other than the pressure of wanting to do a good show I want the show to keep going because I like living in Halifax.
I think the show does fill a niche in Canada. I like episodes of our show that contain material that no one else would do, either because of its tone, or Canadian-ness.
DS: So no need for fans to worry about the often-threatened budget cuts? Do you feel being based in Halifax keeps 22 out of danger?
MF: Budget cuts to CBC? That's out of our control, but people are watching us and we're not that expensive so we always have a good chance of being renewed.
In terms of the Halifax thing, if the CBC is in a mood that says the regions are important then being in Halifax helps. If they're not in that mood it hurts. Now determining what mood they're in? That's left to people smarter than me.
DS: With the current writer's strike down here, this might be a good time for Canadian shows in general to increase their fan base in the States. Any plans for that?
MF: I suppose the strike means networks are looking at Canadian shows more than they normally would, but there are no plans here to change the way we do the show because of the strike.
DS: Air Farce tried a few years ago to follow in Red Green's steps, but 'de-Canadianized' themselves by taking out certain bits (like Preston Manning stuff, since only people like me or my pal knew who he was [he was hilarious, gosh we miss him!]). Of course, Little Mosque is doing well outside Canada now, and WGN just picked up Corner Gas. Do you think 22 can catch on with the average Yank without 'de-Canuckifying' things too much?
MF: We tend to focus on what would work for a Canadian audience, of course since most people in Canada are bombarded with American Pop Culture, that means we can do parodies of American shows, personalities etc.
DS: You think you're bombarded with it, try being stuck down here! I'm very lucky to have grown up with a CBC affiliate on our cable system, to get at least some of the opposite of that bombardment. So thanks for staying Canadian, I learn a lot about my virtual homeland from 22, et al.
What are some of the main comedy influences on your cast and writers?
MF: The influences vary on the individual I guess. But the comedies I watch today are The Office, Earl, 30 Rock, Daily Show, Colbert and SNL which personally I think was having a great season.
The show that influenced me most comedically was The Simpsons.
DS: I just happen to have a 22 rerun on as I write this...the Bell/Telus bit. Also saw the one the other day about "the notion of a motion of a nation"...etc. Who came up with those? They're fantastic!
MF: I'm not one hundred per cent sure but I think both those were the brainchild of my then head writer Kevin White. A truly funny writer who is now the show-runner for Corner Gas.
DS: Speaking of Corner Gas, I must admit I haven't watched it yet, but I've just set my DVR for upcoming eps, and it will be vying for ALF Cup rookie honors in '08. For those of us who are new to CG, can you give us some background on it and what we can expect?
MF: It's basically Brent Butt's brainchild. He's described it as what his life might have been like if he had stayed in small-town Saskatchewan and not gone into stand-up.
Brent Butt in Corner Gas
Brent Leroy owns and runs a gas station which is attached to a restaurant. As the series begins Lacey Burrows has just moved from Toronto back to small-town Saskatchewan. The early episodes deal with her fitting in with the people in the town, Dog River.
Other characters are Brent's parents, two police officers, Brent's best friend Hank, and his best (only employee) Wanda. Since I was involved from the beginning, probably not the best for me to say how good it is. But it is doing quite well in Canada...
It's a pretty straight forward single camera comedy. We don't hide the fact we're Canadian, but a huge knowledge of Canada isn't necessary.
DS: Sounds good, I'm on board!
Getting back to 22, what can we look forward to in early '08? For example, which recurring characters will we likely see more of (or less of)?
MF: Hopefully more Mark Jackson, we didn't use him enough before Christmas.
DS: And lastly, I hope you will indulge me in a blatant ripoff of Inside The Actors Studio, as we end with the famous questionnaire 'invented' by Bernard Pivot:
Will Ferrell (spelled different, no relation) as James Lipton
Mark Farrell...What is your favorite word?
MF: Flabbergasted.
DS: What is your least favorite word?
MF: Separate (I can never spell it right).
DS: What turns you on, what inspires you?
MF: A great joke heard for the first time.
DS: What turns you off?
MF: A hacky joke heard for the millionth time.
DS: What sound or noise do you love?
MF: The sound a well-hit golf ball makes.
DS: What sound or noise do you hate?
MF: The sound a mis-hit golf ball makes.
DS: What is your favorite curse word?
MF: Fuck.
DS: What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
MF: Touring golf professional.
DS: What profession would you not like to attempt?
MF: Bagpipe instructor.
DS: And finally, if Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive?
MF: Fuck, I'm flabbergasted you're here!
THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES can be seen Tuesdays at 8:30 pm ET on CBC (Buckeye Cable channel 59 in Toledo), after the Rick Mercer Report and before jPod.
RELATED LINKS:
22minutes.com
nathanfielder.com
shaunmajumder.com
gerihall.com
cornergas.com
cbc.ca
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
TO ALL MY FELLOW OHIO STATE FANS...
I remind you all that there is no true national champion, never has been, and never will be until there is a playoff system. Saying LSU are the national champs is like saying George W...well, you know.
So remember, Buckeye fans...IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!!!
Now, watch the clip below and repeat as needed at your favorite Buckeye hangout.
I remind you all that there is no true national champion, never has been, and never will be until there is a playoff system. Saying LSU are the national champs is like saying George W...well, you know.
So remember, Buckeye fans...IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!!!
Now, watch the clip below and repeat as needed at your favorite Buckeye hangout.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
KARAOKE RECAP--1/2/2008
It's been quite a while since I did one of these, but tonight was a strange and fun night, so here we go!
I decided to go straight from work to karaoke, but I didn't have my man-purse full of song slips with me. So I decided en route to do karaoke roulette, in which you let others pick your songs for you, and you don't know what you're singing until the intro starts.
Doug and Micki started me off easy with a few songs I'd done before, then Doug hits me with "Still Of The Night" by Whitesnake, which Vivian occasionally does at my regular show, if for no other reason than to have me do this schtick we came up with in the middle of the song where, at one point, I attempt to sing "rubber baby buggy bumpers" 18 times in a row in one breath, which we determined is the karaoke equivalent of Tony Hawk's 900. I have succeeded at it only twice so far. But this time I had to do the whole song myself, including the schtick. I had to low-ball the vocals, and sadly I didn't complete the "900".
Now before I cover the next song, I must tell you all about a few weeks ago when some people wanted Doug and me to do "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". Since I can't hit Meat Loaf's range, I volunteer to do the female part. Not long after I started in on it, I realize I'm sounding like Flip Wilson's character, Geraldine, a voice I've been able to do since I was 5. It got laughs from the mostly older crowd, so I went all out with it.
Okay, back to tonight...karaoke komrade Nic puts a song in for me. The intro starts..."I Touch Myself". Oy. This is gonna suck balls. But at the very last second before I start, I decide to do it as Geraldine. "I don't want anybody else, Killer! WOOOOO!" etc. Again, this goes over well, but at certain points it occurs to me that I'm not far off from sounding like Axl Rose. I point this out, and work in a line or two of "Sweet Child O' Mine". Toward the end I go over and give Nic a bit of a lap dance as revenge. NEVER fuck with the master, bitch!
My next turn, Doug picks one out. You guessed it..."Sweet Child O' Mine". Natch, I start doing it as Geraldine. About a verse in, I am switching between Geraldine and an attempt at an actual Axl voice. "Okay, folks, now I'm doing Geraldine doing Axl," I point out. "This is some high-concept shit!"
Later Nic picked out "Margaritaville" and "American Pie", but I ended up doing "Marijuanaville" and "The Saga Begins" instead.
One he picked that ended up working quite well was "Rocket Man". Of course I started out doing it as Shatner ("I'm a rock-IT man!"), but then I decided to do it straight. (Well, as straight as one can do an Elton John song. *rim shot*) I'll have to do that one more often.
PS: After I got home I realized that I wasn't really doing Axl so much as I was doing Adam Sandler doing Axl. But I was doing it as Geraldine. So it was even more high-concept than I thought: Me doing Flip Wilson doing Geraldine doing Adam Sandler doing Axl Rose! It's imitation-on-imitation crime!
What can I say? "The devil made me do it! WOOOOOOOO!!!"
It's been quite a while since I did one of these, but tonight was a strange and fun night, so here we go!
I decided to go straight from work to karaoke, but I didn't have my man-purse full of song slips with me. So I decided en route to do karaoke roulette, in which you let others pick your songs for you, and you don't know what you're singing until the intro starts.
Doug and Micki started me off easy with a few songs I'd done before, then Doug hits me with "Still Of The Night" by Whitesnake, which Vivian occasionally does at my regular show, if for no other reason than to have me do this schtick we came up with in the middle of the song where, at one point, I attempt to sing "rubber baby buggy bumpers" 18 times in a row in one breath, which we determined is the karaoke equivalent of Tony Hawk's 900. I have succeeded at it only twice so far. But this time I had to do the whole song myself, including the schtick. I had to low-ball the vocals, and sadly I didn't complete the "900".
Now before I cover the next song, I must tell you all about a few weeks ago when some people wanted Doug and me to do "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". Since I can't hit Meat Loaf's range, I volunteer to do the female part. Not long after I started in on it, I realize I'm sounding like Flip Wilson's character, Geraldine, a voice I've been able to do since I was 5. It got laughs from the mostly older crowd, so I went all out with it.
Okay, back to tonight...karaoke komrade Nic puts a song in for me. The intro starts..."I Touch Myself". Oy. This is gonna suck balls. But at the very last second before I start, I decide to do it as Geraldine. "I don't want anybody else, Killer! WOOOOO!" etc. Again, this goes over well, but at certain points it occurs to me that I'm not far off from sounding like Axl Rose. I point this out, and work in a line or two of "Sweet Child O' Mine". Toward the end I go over and give Nic a bit of a lap dance as revenge. NEVER fuck with the master, bitch!
My next turn, Doug picks one out. You guessed it..."Sweet Child O' Mine". Natch, I start doing it as Geraldine. About a verse in, I am switching between Geraldine and an attempt at an actual Axl voice. "Okay, folks, now I'm doing Geraldine doing Axl," I point out. "This is some high-concept shit!"
Later Nic picked out "Margaritaville" and "American Pie", but I ended up doing "Marijuanaville" and "The Saga Begins" instead.
One he picked that ended up working quite well was "Rocket Man". Of course I started out doing it as Shatner ("I'm a rock-IT man!"), but then I decided to do it straight. (Well, as straight as one can do an Elton John song. *rim shot*) I'll have to do that one more often.
PS: After I got home I realized that I wasn't really doing Axl so much as I was doing Adam Sandler doing Axl. But I was doing it as Geraldine. So it was even more high-concept than I thought: Me doing Flip Wilson doing Geraldine doing Adam Sandler doing Axl Rose! It's imitation-on-imitation crime!
What can I say? "The devil made me do it! WOOOOOOOO!!!"
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
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