Countdown Entry #38
 
3:33 PM, Monday, August 23rd, 1999:
 
On the advice of the lady from Shadowbox, I got a package to Eventco who I've been playing phone tag with for over a month. Some of the rudest receptionists I've ever deal with too. What's wrong with people? Don't answer, 'cause it was all worth it. Look at this:
 
8/19/99 1:00 PM – sweet jesus. Sometimes I feel like there’s a guardian angel hanging over me. They want me to be part of a show they’re doing in october where I’d be a futuristic medicine man doing one 4tvs set. Lots of cool ideas. He never flinched at $500 for making and performing one set. Unfortunately it’s not his decision. He’ll know tomorrow if they have the budget to allow that. That’s not the good news though. THEY ARE OPENING AN OFFICE IN VEGAS AND NEED TALENT OUT THERE. Wow. I mean. Good god. I will be gone in december. GONE, DADDY, GONE. This is amazingly perfect. To already be involved with a company, to be able to do my own stuff on the side, and to be OUT OF COLUMBUS. The hairs on the back of my neck went up after he talked about that. Must chill…I’ll talk to him tomorrow and see what’s happening with the october thing.
 
8/20/99 4:00 PM – good news and bad news. Well..bad news and REALLY KILLER NEWS but far away. HA! It’s all good I guess…first of all, they have no more budget for the medicine man thing. Fuck, $500 woulda been nice. Oh well. THEY WANT TO USE ME IN A BIG MARKETING THING THEY’RE DOING IN SAN DIEGO IN JANUARY (about 2 hours from Vegas) And this time I mean probably $1000. Nothing is really coming up from now until then unfortunately.
 
I don't know how I don't end up on the west coast by the end of the year. With Jess and I having our lease up on December 31st, it just seems so perfect. I can feel it in my bones. I mean, to be at the start of the opening of Eventco in Vegas, it's a win-win. I've also been in contact with Dawn Productions out there, still haven't heard back from them. It just seems so perfect. For now, onto Columbus stuff.
 
Incredibly I've rebooked all 3 places I played after Champps. Fats and Shorty's wants me back as well as Boru's who wants me for 2 gigs, August 27th and September 25th! Shorty's is gonna be Labor Day Sunday with Fats the Thursday before. Cameron hadn’t even heard what the bartender said about the crowd, but still wanted to book. He said sales were alright, and I said that there were 20 of my people there but I knew they hadn’t drank much. I asked him what it would take to get a Friday, and he said I’d have to have a guaranteed audience. He wants to try a few more Thursdays before that. God love the man. Very exciting. I’m stopping by tomorrow to give him the new poster.
 
I also booked this black jazzy type club called "Snaps & Taps". Unfortunately, the management there is shifty to say the least. On 2 occassions their phone was disconnected and I've never gotten a more overwhelming feeling of "You guys have no idea what you're doing do you?". They want to charge a $6 cover and split it and have me go on 8-10 before their 10 PM Jazz show. I said point blank that no one I can bring is gonna pay for what they can get for free the NEXT WEEK. If you're not gonna pay me, at least make it FREE! So your normal crowd can see me! As it stands the people are gonna wait in another room until I'm done and then come in for the Jazz show - defeating the whole purpose. But the guy said, no no no don't you worry! He's gonna take out ads in the "Other Paper" and flyer like crazy. Right. This is gonna be a disaster.
 
Speaking of disasters, hell I'll just do a nice quick summary:
 
-Funny Bone. This sunuva bitch is driving me crazy. Won't return my calls, won't look at the tape - when I do get him on the phone it's so rude...so LA... I mean, I should almost put a Vegas return address on the package so he'll LOOK at it (not a bad idea). This is the type of guy you want to mail your phone log to when you get famous. Dick.
 
-On the strength of the Holiday Inn bookings I hit up another hotel only to have a 70 year old man treat me like a 12 year old. Patting me on my head about my "little show", meanwhile stringing me along for over a month. Just say no and stop wasting my time. Most people would've given up by now, but as you can tell, I'm not most people. Argh.
 
-Mr. FLAHERTY at the friggin' Thirsty Ear Tavern. He wins. By far the biggest prick I've ever come across (glad this is a personal journal - lol). Actually, no I'm not. You don't treat people like this. If your shit was that badass you wouldn't be in Columbus so STOP with the attitude. This is a perfect venue and he has told me for 2 months - I'll watch it this weekend! Call me Monday! I always do and he always says the same thing. It's gone on forever and it's like he's playing a game. What the fuck already man.
 
-Mike at Class Acts is still saying that he's pushing my show at the malls for Christmas stuff. I made it clear that unless he has some bites, I can't afford paying $1500 for 3 new sets. He is sure it'll be fine, but he's just such a slimy agent and I can't get that past my mind. Also his credibility was pretty shot after Shadowbox. We'll see what happens.
 
-Then there's Mr. Farhang Mootlog at Gameworks. He just had to see me in person... and then listen to this denial: "Adam, I stand to lose thousands of dollars because your show is so interesting." People will refrain from playing videogames to watch. Music is an afterthought at Gameworks, and it really can’t be too engaging. It has to be MUZAK. He was incredibly nice, but why he couldn't tell me this on the phone? He gave me the whole package back, but JESUS. I mean what a nice way to put it, hell I felt good walking out of there…but I still don’t have a gig. Phones are a cool invention.
 
And finally, tonight I'm filming a new set that is a bit of a parody on Blair Witch Project. I unfortunately mentioned some of the contents to ABOT (who are lending me their camera) and you can discern their reaction by imagining telling your mom you're eating a puppy for dinner. (sigh) There will be the implication of masturbation in the Blair Witch tent. Adam was speechless (the AB of ABOT). It was as if he was upset the joke would even FILTER THROUGH HIS CAMERA. (sigh x2). Listen, no one 's a bigger fan of the "Harry Set" than me, but... well no - that's it. I'm the biggest fan of that set. Everyone else wants the funny shit. So this act becomes more comedy than music... I'm not arguing, they are. GODDDAMNIT.
 
Oh well, here's hopin' tonight goes well.
 
Adam
 
 
AUGUST 1999