ENTRY #159
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1:00 PM, Monday, December 17th, 2001:
 
Typing that title, it just hit me that the year is ending. I've been thinking so "day-to-day" the past several months it never even crossed my mind. Amazing. Well, it ain't over yet, and I'll get all "retrospective" later. For now, tonight is the final footstep of the year: My "Ha-Ha Cafe" Debut. Man is there a bunch to tell you about the last ten days. I'll start from the beginning...
 
Aspen. The shock hasn't really lessened any. It's one of those things you can't really deal with until you gain a bit more persepctive on it. It can still go both ways. We could whole-heartedly be laughing at the judges short-sightedness in a few months, or looking back on it as the moment reality slapped us. We just don't know. As I've stated before, it really doesn't matter HOW I deal with Aspen right now. My attitude towards it changes nothing. As long as I keep doing my shows, finding ways to make it better, and following Charlotte's lead - the fact that I'm miserable about Aspen effects little. And truly, I'm only miserable when I think that it's a foreshadowing of future rejections. So, I don't think about it. I learned that lesson with my divorce. Don't deal with it right then. The horse is dead, only TIME will decompose it: MOVE ON. Heh, this from the over-analytical author of "The Journey" - LOL.
 
Now when I last wrote, "The Largo" was the spot for the final show of 2001. It ended up we couldn't get the time we needed, so we booked it at a different place. I would've had to go on really late, and during the week you can't expect the industry crowd to stay out too long. Ha Ha will have me on around 9, and is nicely located next to several studios. We're pushin' our luck trying to get a LOT of industry there so close to the holidays - but Charlotte's bankin' on two BIGGIES that would make it all worth while. But that's not the most interesting bit of news from all of this...
 
So the owner's pretty excited about the act. He says if it runs smoothly, he'll set me up for a Wednesday show with Chris Tucker in January. Uhm, right. Here we go. Yeah, I'm really sure Chris Tucker is all about the Wednesday nights at the Ha Ha Cafe in between making $20 million a picture. Mhmm. Charlotte and I both laugh about this one. She said: "Well, I'm droppin' off a tape up there on Wednesday so I guess I'll see Mr. Tucker won't I!" LOL.
 
She did.
 
Dude was just leaving the club and getting into a limo. The owner wasn't full of it. This could VERY well happen. She called me that night and I nearly peed my pants. You're damn straight I want to do a show with Chris Tucker. JESUS. I've already mentioned my embarrasing need to be accepted by the black community - yeah, this would help. LOL. It's so funny, I can't look at Chris Tucker without thinking of Leon Kerber. We were watching an old Chris Tucker Def Comedy Jam routine in 1996 and he turns to me and says: "Dude died of a heroin overdose...so sad." I was KNOCKED out. We spent a good 10 minutes talking about how sad that was - 'cause the dude was so funny. "Friday" had come out around then and we were both just bummed. Of course I see him in an interview a few months later and have razzed Leon ever since. (sigh)
 
So what a great prospect this could turn out to be. I just want a positive response from someone who's STOOPID famous. Ya know? Even if it didn't inch my career AT ALL, if Chris came up to me and said: "That's some funny shit" - I would think about that moment for 48 hours straight. You would have to watch a 60 second video of me sitting on the floor, eyes wide open, thinking about what Chris Tucker said about my show. LOL. I never want to lose this innocence. What is it? What keeps you humble? Am I being humnle? Heh. I mean I consider myself having a pretty healthy ego when it comes to my talents, but if I was totally arrogant - would I give 2 shits what Chris Tucker thinks? Hmmm... Not sure how to analyze my brain sometimes. Anyway -onward...
 
The Xmas show on Friday. Eh. I absolutely love everyone at this apartment complex, and haven't written about Friday yet 'cause well - it was nothing to write home about. LOL. I couldn't think of a nice way to say that it was pretty ho-hum. I'm really not sure why honestly. The crowd had thinned a bit, as the first part of the show ran REALLLY long. What was supposed to be from 8-8:45, went until 9:30. A lot of smokers in our complex too - so they were standing around in the cold a bunch, and a few of them gave in and went home I believe. What I was able to see of the show was funny as hell. Little kids getting up doing stuff. People playing keyboards and guitar. Comedians - skits - everything. I love my apartment complex. It certainly feels like a family here.
 
The night before I had quite a little eureka. This is a bit of a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the show, and knows they're going to. If you've seen the show, or you're stuck in Columbus and won't by my tape (lol), then by all means highlight the following:
 
The show starts with a cell phone ringing low enough that most people think it's in the crowd. Cameron comes on his tv and asks if someone would please answer it and then realizes it's his. It's Adam saying he's running late. It's a fun gag, and on Friday - some dude actually turned off his cell phone when he heard it. Well, I knew for this XMAS show I'd need to be around helping with all the technical stuff as they were using my TV and amp for the rest of the show. It kind of kills the opening if they see me there the whole time. So I decided to hang out as CAMERON during the rest of the party. Cameron has long sideburns, a goatee, glasses, black hat, black vest and blue shirt. I even introduced myself to a few people as Cameron Kontras. LOL. Then right before I went on, I ran home - shaved down to Live Adam's little pornstar patch (HAHAHAHAHAHA -goddamn that's funny if you're picturing what I'm picturing) - and changed all my clothes. It works on another level because Cameron is supposed to be the brains behind everything...so it makes sense that he'd be working with all the technical stuff. Now because most of the people knew me, this little charade went mostly unnoticed I believe. Absolutely no one came up to me afterwards mentioning it. But in stranger settings - I think I may really screw with some people. Especially because you see Cameron first in his opening. If you see me before the show, and then on TV you may just buy that I'm backstage on a closed circuit signal - and the live guy is someone different.... Giddy-up.
 
Ok. Heh, I guarantee you no one skipped that. LOL. Remo, you better have. You're seeing it for your first time tonight! Don't ruin it!
 
So the show was pretty blase. A lot of people had seen it more than once, so they got more into the CEREBERAL aspects of the show (FUCKING aspen....grrrr). It's inevitable after you know the jokes to start to realize just how technically INsane this show is. As well, some people just didn't get some things. During the rewind bit...oh jesus I mentioned this before didn't I...well that's a secret - DOH! Anyway, there was no reaction! In fact I saw some lady turn to her man and look befuddled. Well shitfire and damnation - the hell can I do about that?! LOL. And of course the capper of all, the absolute failing of the clap test. This is too funny.
 
At The Comedy Store, I could just feel that the cowd was with me, so I started clapping in the "solo" of the last song, to see if they'd follow suit. Boy did they. 3 claps and they took over. Oh how I was DENIED on Friday though. I clapped 8, yes 8 TIMES. The entire measure - then felt stupid and moved on. ROFL. Watching the video of it now is simply the funniest thing in the world to me. So of course I had to spruce it up with some semi-graphics for the site. Most people would try not to spotlight such absolute failures in life, I on the other hand get some twisted thrill out of it.
 
I think it's because I have ABSOLUTELY no insecurities about the show. If I was insecure, I'd probably try to paint a better light on it...then again - I always just tell it like it is don't I. So shoot down that theory. Why ask why...it's just funny watching me fail. LOL.
 
Looking back on the tape - it went much better than I remembered it live, but there are many many parts that people seemed afraid to laugh. Interesting. Tonight's crowd will be much different. I can't WAIT to get onstage!!! Damn, that's so unlike me! I mean I love performing, but I've always felt that CREATING a great product is the best part. Well I guess since I'm doing so little creating right now - this is my big bright spot. But for the first time, I'm looking forward to the applause. I need that applause to get me to January - and to cover up the utter pain of Aspen. WOW. If that doesn't sound like a drug analogy then what does. Man, you are certainly watching a metamorphisis of someone in this Journey. I'm changing at every turn. It's a little spooky to watch it happen inside a paragraph.
 
In Jessicaland, our heroine was told that she has been promoted to GENERAL Manager of the Burbank Boston Market! She will be ready to officially take that over in 12 weeks. This is an insanely quick amount of time. She starts her first day as a MANAGER (what she was hired for) at her store TODAY...and because of what she showed in training and 4 weeks at a temporary store, that will only last for 3 months until she jumps WAY up. Her hard work pays off so quickly sometimes it's unthinkable. Every place she goes, she becomes the hardest worker and blows everybody away. She's the best teammate I've ever had!!! LOL. Seriously, I coudn't be more proud of her. But dear GOD our kids...they better come out the WOMB with resumes in-hand. How will they ever live up to our work ethics? (shiver) I just realized I'm not gonna be the "cool" dad anymore. I'm gonna be a pain in the ass. Heh. Shweeeeeeet.
 
So that's about it. Go Bears (10-3!) Go Wizards (11-12!!! 6 STRAGIHT WINS!) Go Trinitrons. Next Entry will probably be Wednesday...
 
Adam
 
original video file
 
DECEMBER 2001
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