Someday, I'll not
need a fake name and affiliation to get into The
Comedy Store...but knowing that made this night very
sweet. A sneak preview if you will. Being in radio I'd
been privvy to the strange perks media and celebrity
gets you - but this was different. Media are outside
of the circle -they report upon that circle. I'll be
part of that circle soon, and watching from within was
quite unique. But it all starts with one incredible LA
Story. One that occured over a month ago in the midst
of the Trinitrons shooting schedule. This, more than
anything that has happened in my career so far, is a
lesson all aspiring entertainers must soak in. And it
can be summed up in one sentence:
Stay in this
city at all
costs. Of
course I've never been known for summing anything up
very well - so sit back and grab a
drink...
Not sure how much
I've mentioned this, but the entire apartment complex
feels like a brotherhood. A fraternity (that
allows women) type atmosphere. Everyone seems to be
from a different state, are all in their 20's and
early 30's, and all actively pursuing dreams in
showbiz. If Magnolia Apartments wanted to produce a
film...we'd be able to fill every position. Enter Gary
Goldstein. A stand-up by night and a waiter by day. A
very funny, PRICK-type comic that will always make you
laugh. I say prick because he's just plain shitty to
people - but he's good at it. LOL. He's the guy that
will scream obscenities out a window you're standing
in front of and run...while eveyone looks up at you
thinking you're the dick. Yeah - REALLY funny. But
yeah...it IS really funny.
So we're body
boarding at the beach one day and I distinctly
remember us bitching about bills and shit. How tough
everything is - him telling how he needs to make like
$200 a night this week just to make it through the
month. We're all struggling like hell to keep it all
together - simply to stay out here to keep our dream
alive. Well something happened that weekend that is
just incredible.
-He waits on Pauly
Shore and makes him laugh, and they hit it off. They
plan to have lunch a few days later.
-At lunch, Pauly
says they need a manager at his mother's world
renowned comedy club: "The Comedy Store". Pauly asks
if he's interested...
-Uhm...he
is.
-That NIGHT, Pauly
calls back and says his mom is cool with it. That's
it. Gary's now managing The Comedy Store and rubbing
elbows with the biggest names in comedy.
And like that -
his career goes to the next level. The contacts he
will meet in this year alone are just staggering.
I mean - he WAITED on Pauly Shore for Christ's
sake - and now this. That's incredible. And the whole
apartment complex is happy for him. It's truly "one
for the team". Breaks like that are what it's all
about in LA. And of course - they can't happen if
you're not here...
For me of course,
how nice is it to know the manager of The Comedy
Store. I've told Gary this a dozen times...I'm happy
for HIM - not for what he can do for me, but he still
keeps saying: "I'll get you in man...". And
I believe him. I feel he sincerely wants to see
me succeed, and I feel the same for him. It's one of
only a few relationships I've made out here that feels
so sincere.
So I went into The
Comedy Store Thursday night knowing I'd be playing
here in a matter of months probably weeks. It was a
screening of Pauly Shore's new movie: "You'll Never
Wiez in this Town Again". Maybe 150-200 invited total.
He put it together himself and is trying to sell it.
Some seriously funny shit. Self-depricating humor is
always great - but when you've had the career of Pauly
Shore...it's just ten times funnier. Now Gary forgot
my last name so he put my name on the list as Adam
Lazareth and said I was affiliated with NBC. Heh.
Besides seeing the movie and having Pauly talk about
it onstage, there were quite a few celeb-heads there.
Obviously Mitzi was there to support him. Todd Bridges
(Willis from Diff'rent Strokes) was there and as well
plays quite a big part in the movie. The movie by the
way is just one celeb after another - from Sean Penn,
to Ben Stiller, to Snoop Dog, to Chris Rock, to
Bill Maher, to Fred Durst, to Jerry Springer, to
Pam and Tommy Lee - it never ends. Anyway, uhm...Eddie
Griffen was there as he was going on afterwards. Matt
Dillon was hangin' out. Laila Ali (Muhammed's
daughter) was there too. Apparently she may set-up a
meeting with Gary and Muhammed soon. How cool would
that be. Oh and the shit of all shits, was Brett
Ratner - director of both Rush Hours, The Family Man
(which was actually quite good), and the upcoming
Silence of the Lambs prequel. Figures I'd be most
excited about a director. Heh. Then again some porn
star was there and was sitting right behind me and
that was pretty cool. Strange too...I look on the
screen and she's there. LOL. How eerie is that? Anyway
- root for this one making it to video or theaters
because it's got some REALLY funny
moments.
In life news...I
continue to feel myself transform as this Trinitrons
process evolves. Bob's agent was very positive about
his client helping us out and said he'd definitely
push for him to do so. Obviously he can't guarantee
anything since there's no money involved, but
hopefully he sees me as a commodity he'd like to
represent. Then Bob is helping out his agency as well
as me. Next I'll be meeting with the agent and showing
everything I have to offer - from the parody
songs to the most recent cut of The Trinitrons - all
the way to The Boyles for cryin' out loud. I've got
quite a bit of shit to show off my talents. As well
anyday we should hear if Bob wants to do this. It's a
huge waiting game. As you remember - production was
halted on the 3rd of this month. I'd done everything
I could do. I fully expect to blow over a
month waiting. (sigh). Let's pray it's all worth it in
the end.
It's also 2 weeks
today that J-Dog has been missing, and I'm officially
done "hoping". I have to move on. I have to get out of
this fucking funk. Going out each night and calling
his name. Going to the pound and putting up
fliers...it's obvious that J-Dog was stolen or killed.
It sucks either way and thinking about it doesn't
help. Bob is now officially an inside cat. Amazingly
he hasn't cried once to go outside...he doesn't even
sit in the window. I can't believe it really. He
sleeps a LOT more than he used to. I play "throw the
fake mouse" with him quite often - and it keeps him
moving a bit. We'll get him a companion kitten soon.
How nice it'll be to have 2 inside cats and never have
to worry about some FUCK stealing one. Ugh.
For
your viewing pleasure I've videotaped one
of Bob's favorite outdoor pasttimes in
remembrance of his "outside" days:
Swimmin'.
Now I won't say he LOVES to swim, but he's
certainly cool with it. He just kind've
sits and looks around in your hands...then
when you let him go he'll swim to the
edge... It's very cool. Ever since he was
a baby he's liked water. Would even sit in
the bathtub with us...insane. Ugh. I miss
J-Dog. I'll have to do some sort've
tribute on him on his site.
:-(
Oh
and Paddy's cartoon "Bitches" is being
pitched to MTV and the first meeting went
really well. It's a great concept and with
MTVs lack of animation right now - it just
might be a perfect case of timing.
Hopefully we can mark another victory up
for the Magnolia crew. And how cool would
it be if my theme song was on MTV? Lest
you forget - here's the opening
squence.
Bad-Ass a capella rides again.
I was reading 2001
so far and it's uncanny how it all seems planned. 2000
the struggle, 2001 the direction, 2002 the success.
Just plotted out as if they're chapters in a book. I
bet when people reread all this someday - they'll
never know how stressful it all was LIVE. Not knowing
what was coming. WOAH. Speaking of that - some guy's
car just BLEW UP in our parking lot and melted 2
cars next to him. Greg just came down with his cats
'cause he thought his apartment was gonna catch fire.
Sweet Jesus. !!!! I guess I have a video for the next
entry eh? LOL. OK, must go see this...
