Modded bus that
acts like a dressing room when you're not the
"headliner"...
It's all such a
rouse. I am not smooth. I'm a complete dork and
one still out of thousands on my video camera came up
suave. I am however, smart enough to choose that still
and act like it's as cool as I always am. Except,
shit, I kinda messed that part up. :-)
2) Killer
Video:
If your computer
can handle it (meaning it doesn't stutter) click the
"HD" button (you may need to let it
load)
Adam ended up
buying the DVD of the show so I didn't even need to
use my "secret" footage (no filming was allowed).
However, I had to include it because I put the camera
on a speaker and it reverberated with the bass line
which looked sooooooooo cool.
Unfortunately
the sound was distorted (actually the least
of the issues) but for a demo reel for Adam -
there's some good stuff for sure. And yes,
several people came up afterwards asking:
"Are you really the first video blogger?". If
you notice in the video, the bass player does
the same thing right there on stage. It's a
combination of both wonder... but a tiny part
of, wait - what is a video blog again?
LOL.
3)
Flat Key Club
Felt so
bad for Adam. He puts this band together,
works with everyone - specifically comes over
to help me with some parts since
I missed the 2nd practice... tries to
add in extra vocals etc. to make it
perfect... and it's all nearly worthless. No
soundcheck... barely even a line-check. They
actually had the guy doing background vocals
louder than Adam. You can hear it in
the video. It's ridiculous.
That's the problem
with playing big clubs in LA - they have 4 bands
opening (we were right before Marcy Playground) to
squeeze as much money out of each band, get as many
opportunites to sell a DVD of the performance that
caring about the actual music becomes back burner. And
you'd better sell your 100 tickets at $15 a pop for
the opportunity to say you played the Key Club.
Ugh.
4)
Summoning '79
Alright,
gotta give Adam some shit for this. :-) So
Adam will be the first to admit he's not a
piano player. Because of this, some of his
keyboard parts are very... 4th grade recital.
But to stay true to the songs I wanted to
play them exactly like the mp3. Which meant 2
note chords and 1 note melodies. What I was
NOT prepared for was the
in-the-middle-of-the-song /
swing-the-camera-over /
throw-the-spotlight-on / announcement of:
"And here's Adam Kontras!"...
...as I show my
mad skills playing something I could literally
play when I was 3. Exhibit A:
It was
one of the more embarrassing moments I can
remember onstage. LOL. I remember
thinking: "Adam, you really didn't
just throw the stage to me when I'm
playing 3 fingers."
Ha,
that picture is classic. That's
pre-school, 1979/1980. Hell a crossover
... THAT was more complex than what he
decided to spotlight at that moment. So
funny.
But
again, it's the reason you really need to
practice before you go onstage. 'Cause if
he had pulled that shit in practice I'd
have been like: "No dawg... I am NOT
playing this, you gotta let me rewrite it
if you're putting a spotlight on me." But
hey, I am the first vlogger.
(sigh)
5) Are you
Marcy?
In looking for the
bathroom I came across the employee bathroom which had
a numbered padlock on it. The lead singer of Marcy
Playground (John Wozniak) and I tried desperately to
remember the code (he knew it, I did not). He knew it
was some combination of 9,3 and 0... but it was 4
digits. We were failures. As was I, because I didn't
even know who he was until I saw him onstage later...
singing. He was very cool though - and happy to jump
up and push buttons with me to no avail.
6) Better than I
remembered...
Wow, "The Woz" can
really, really sing. I had no idea how spot-on his
voice was. Never flat, never wavers - just
pitch-perfect and really unique. Sex and Candy (which
I secretly got video of, next entry) really didn't
show off his singing voice at all. How annoying must
that be? You're a lead singer of a band and the song
where you barely sing becomes
maaaaaaaaasssive. Meh, there are worse lots in
life. That one song has them still headlining 12 years
later. Oh, and I really dig 3 piece bands. Just so
clean. If everyone sings, you can create the
world.
7) Dumb Bull &
Vodka
If there's an age
minimum for alcohol, I think there needs to be an age
maximum for energy drinks. I will volunteer 33 right
now. It's why I'm decidedly NOT pimp in that
first bus picture. I'm cracking open a super huge
MONSTER energy drink which I proceed to down...
and then chase it with a Red Bull & Vodka. I
was up until 6, fucking, 30 this morning.
AND I FELT GREAT!!!!!!!!!! (sigh). Just
stupid. I was kinda sleepy when I got there...
and they were FREE. Such a bad combination. I can
rationalize just about everything if it's free. And
it's funny - it's not the price as much as the feeling
of "wasting" something if I don't use what's
given to me. Like some sort of "Depression-Era"
psychology (should come in handy this year) I've
always had. My soul ACHES if I waste something. I have
never not either finished my plate or took the food
home... in my life. I mean, in, my, life. Wasting
food is to my body what to normal people... well,
putting your entire life online must feel like. LOL.
And it all comes full circle doesn't it?
8) Kat Williams
goes to Mel's
After the show we
went to Mel's Diner (a place I walked to after
The
Comedy
Store in
2001, but turned around 'cause it was so packed) and
Kat Williams (comedian) walked in. Adam and his
girlfriend were pretty stoked. I assumed Kat did the
same as I and just came down (certainly didn't walk)
after his gig at The Comedy Store. Instant flashbacks
of Eddie Griffin's piece on me (they look incredibly
similar sometimes) and that buzz of "making
it". What a pure, genuinely euphoric feeling that
night was. And what's funny is you remember things
like "Kat Williams" walking into the restaurant
after more than anything. Like when Larry King walked
by after I was told I got "Up & Adam" at
the Beverly Wilshire. I wonder if Adam (Darling) has
feelings like that about the cool things in his
career? Hmmmm...
9) Hong Kong
Song
So the drummer for
the gig and I were talking about some of the coolest
gigs. He did a year in Hong Kong, all expenses
paid and great money playing at some ritzy hotel.
People, in a heartbeat. In, a, heartbeat I would do
that shit. Can you IMAGINE The Journey entries?
Seriously - if anyone knows of any international
agents (Japan/China) please, please email
me.
I would absolutely put the live Egos show back
together if there was a way to do a month overseas or
more. The crazy thing is, even 10 years later... 4tvs
is still completely cutting edge. No one is doing
anything remotely that intricate and I'd have to think
the right hotel/bar/nightclub would go gaga over that
considering the american angle. GODDAMN I need
someone with connections.
Wow, 9 randoms
just like the original. :-) Fun night. I'm pretty
beat. I have a really cool entry tomorrow. Can't wait
to share it...
