Amy's LA Adventure

For Comedy, Please See

2010-08-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm moving the comedy blogging to a for-real website - https://comedygroupie.squarespace.com/ (Pretty soon, you'll be able to get there just by going to comedygroupie.com, but apparently it takes up to 5 days to register a domain name). Not sure what that means for this blog, but I do have a history of leaving many an abandoned blog in my wake so that seems like the likely outcome here.

Thanks for all your support!

Naughty 13: Lucky Me

2010-07-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Finally got to see Sam Tripoli's Infamous Naughty Show at the Holywood Improv last night. I think last night finally sealed my opinion on the Improv, but I'll save that for another post.

The show was full of pole dancing, porn stars, very funny folks and very special guests. Sam opened the show with some of his best stuff. I'm pretty sure I'll never get sick of "Crimes of Awesomeness" and "High hoof, high hoof". That was followed by incredible acrobatic feats on the pole by Annemarie Davis. By that time, everyone finally had their drinks at the table and the show was off and running.

Surprise special guest Margaret Cho killed, as did everyone's favorite stoner Doug Benson. I especially liked his bit about how women are lying when they say they are looking for a good sense of humor, but we say that "because it wouldn't be polite to say 'I like cocks and money.'" For a second great surprise, Jefrey Ross dropped by and did some of his Hasslehoff roast material.

Poor See Hang tried to give it to volunteer Zoe as per porn acting coach Roger Star's (Eddie Pepitone) instructions - "Be like the banks, like the oil companies, like Lehman Brothers" But Ron Jeremy came out, banished him back to toiling in tech support obscurity, and showed the audience just how it should be done.

Speaking of tech support, the AV system was completely screwed last night. We were able to catch a couple of the prepared videos, but it just completely died in the middle of the very promising Strippers Guide to Fighting Terror starring Taylor Vixen (Sam promised it'll be online soon).

And there was more! Bunny Fever, Shawarma the Ass Eating Persian, Kagney Linn Karter, Soma Snakeoil, the Silver Schlong award... oh and we learned the fun fact that in his younger days, Sam was a towel boy at Crunch. ha ha!

It was great, sort of like an old-fashioned variety show, if it took place in Sodom & Gomorrah.

Names Night!

2010-07-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, in conjunction with Mitzi Shore's 80th birthday, the Comedy Store held it's first Names Night in over 8 years. It was incredible. New and old Names came by, many with family and friends, did a set in the Original Room and then came to the party in the Main Room and recorded a message of gratitude and reminiscence for Mitzi & The Comedy Store Archives.

I honestly didn't watch most of the sets, but I did enjoy watching people record their messages and memories. Freddy Lockhart probably touched me the most when he said "We're all here because we loved that one summer when we were 12 and just sat around and shot the shit all day. We are the ones who didn't want that to end, so we came here instead of getting stuck living at the end of a cul-de-sac with a job you hate, kids you hate, married to a woman you hate." Shawn Halpin went with the slightly less sappy "This is the place where, if you're having a shitty day, you can always come by, go to the back door... and find someone who is having a shittier day than you." Nick Youssef told the story of how Ari Shaffir was the doorman when he first started coming to open mic and would militantly keep him out of the room except to go on stage (because he was only 18) and then helped him get his job at the Store the minute he turned 21. And, true to form, PJ Stansbury told a disgusting, debaucherous, hilarious story.

Some time well after midnight, it started to peter out and turned into almost a normal Sunday. There was a small fire in the ladies bathroom - ironically it was David Taylor, who has often threatened to burn the place down, that first smelled the smoke thus saving the day. Here's Dean putting it out.

And then we dwindled down to mostly the usual suspects (and a few who were usual suspects before my time and have since moved on from hanging out in the Main Room at 3 am on a Sunday) and I enjoyed my favorite passtime - watching comics do impressions of other comics. I never realized how very similar Tony Hinchcliffe and Nick Youssef sound until last night.

I can not tell you how amazing (and a little overwhelming) it was to be there on such an important night. The Store has come to mean so much to me, I really identified with Jeff Scott when he said "That first night I thought, 'I've never met such fucked up people,' and then I thought, 'And I've never felt more at home.'" The fact that everyone tolerates me and most people actually really like me there blows my mind a little every time it hits me. And last night, it really hit me. Watching these guys have a night full of so much love, positivity, bonding and reminiscing was such a treat. They are not only funny, insecure little rock stars but they are also really wonderful people.

Behind The Names: Jeff Scott

2010-07-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

One of the names that will be painted on the wall during the Names Night at The Comedy Store this Sunday is that of Jeff Scott, the piano player for over 15 years. Jeff not only plays the comics on and off the stage, often providing witty remarks along the way, but he is what Mitzi calls her "Social Butterfly" going around the club all night, talking to each of the comedians, the staff and those of us who just hang out, like the big brother glue holding the place together.

He's also a walking repository of the history of the Comedy Store, going all the way back before it was Ciro's. During the very first conversation I had with Jeff, he pointed to the wall between the Main Room and the Original Room and told me that when this was Ciro's, there was no wall, just one enormous show room where the likes of Frank Sinatra and Lana Turner would enjoy dinner, dancing and entertainment. Since then, I've been privy to such gems as :

"There's no there there" - the second story back wall above the Original Room makes it appear as if the building extends on that side of the Belly Room, but it's just an extra wall - you can see light coming through the crack between the first and second floors if you look for it
Before Ciro's, this was the location of Club Seville, which boasted a glass dancefloor with a Koi pond below. Patrons didn't care to dance on it, both for fear it would break and because the ladies objected to fish being able to see up their skirts
And, of course, all kinds of antics from the past couple of decades of the Comedy Store - everything from Eddie Griffin staying onstage for 4+ hours, to the time Dice and Dom almost came to blows, to more recent stories about folks like Freddie Lockhart and Nick Youssef when they were just little baby comics. And yes, that hole in the Belly Room sign did, in fact, come from a bullet fired by Sam Kinnison.

Whenever someone starts to tell a story about that sort of recent history, they invariably finish and say "But Jeff can probably tell you more about it"

Jeff's road to The Island of Misfit Toys (a most fitting and excellent moniker for the Store if I ever heard one) was a winding one with a couple of great coincidences. Friend of the Store Pete Cornacchione met Jeff as a child while Jeff was working as a Pee Wee Herman impersonator at Sea World Ohio and booker Tommy Morris had an autographed photo of Jeff (also as Pee Wee) hanging in the 1950's-themed diner he worked at for years in Florida.

So, yeah, Jeff worked for a long time as a Pee Wee Herman impersonator (as well as a mime and many other characters for print ads, greeting cards, department stores and even a stand-in for Pee Wee, himself). It started in 1985 when Jeff rented a house ("Well, more like an attic") in Provincetown and stepped in as replacement accompanist for a friend who was a Liza Minnelli impersonator. Patrons started telling Liza that her pianist looked just like Pee Wee Herman and one of Jeff's major characters was born.

After returning to his home in Ohio, he kept up the Pee Wee impersonation (along with other character & comedy work) and became something of a local celebrity. Jeff was doing a Maestro character at Sea World, "conducting" their laser fireworks show at night when a local morning talk show asked to combine a human interest segment about his work as Pee Wee with their annual broadcast from the park. When the President saw the pack of kids lining up for autographs, he scrapped the original Maestro and asked Jeff to do the show as Pee Wee from now on.

Jeff moved to the Sea World in San Diego and then came to Los Angeles. He toyed with working as just a "regular Joe" actor but turned back to his love of musical theater and comedy after a couple of years. In 1994, a friend called Jeff up to say he'd seen an ad for a pianist position at a Hollywood nightclub and passed along the number. Thinking it was a club looking for a loungey act who would take requests, he kind of scoffed at it but eventually called the number and was greeted with "The World Famous Comedy Store, how can I help you?" Unfortunately, the position had already been filled, but they kept his number and called back a year later to offer it to him.

Like all of us, Jeff started out on potluck nights. The MCs were usually Don Barris and Freddy Soto, who immediately made Jeff feel like a welcomed part of the family. Which seems quite fitting to me, since it was Don and Jeff who welcomed me into the Comedy Store family just a few months ago. Now you can hear Jeff tickle the ivories Tuesday-Saturday at the Comedy Store, and if you're lucky he'll stop by for a chat as he walks around, stopwatch in hand, to keep track of when it's time to play on the next comedian.

PS If you are fortunate enough to be his Facebook friend, you can check out a fantastic gallery of photos spanning the history of the Store.

Open Mic

2010-07-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss about blogging since I started doing Open Mics around LA. I've also been remiss about sleeping, so there's that.

My first open mic was at Sal's Comedy Hole - a newish spot in Hollywood that has been transplanted from its successful roots in New York. It's rapidly becoming my favorite non-Store place to catch a show and it's definitely my favorite open mic so far. The vibe is fantastic - kind of like the Store - it's role as creative incubator trumps being an uptight place of business. But Sal's gives its performers even more free range and, since it's new, hasn't yet been bogged down by politics and tradition.

Anyway, it was a weird sort of place to start because, depending on the week and the number of folks who show up, you get anywhere from 4-7 minutes (instead of the more standard 3). I didn't want anyone I knew (except my open mic buddy Jay) to be there, but it turned out my good friend Gail was the host. That made me both horrendously nervous and a little bit more at ease. What I've discovered is that these open mics are mostly a bunch of other open mic-ers for the audience, maybe only half paying attention to you. That was the case my first time, though there were actually a fair number of folks in the room when I went up. I did six minutes of stuff that I'd been working on for about a week, mostly pretty raunchy stuff and got one real laugh and a couple of chuckles. It was AWESOME. I've never done heroin, but I'm pretty sure that feeling was better.

In the week since then, I've done about half a dozen more open mics, ranging from a tiny cramped room at Sunset Grill to Monday Potluck at The Comedy Store. And holy cow was The Comedy Store the worst. When I was first talked into doing standup, people said I should do the Store and my response was "No way, that's like doing porn in front of my dad." But after 4 other open mics elsewhere, I knew I had to face my fears sooner or later.

It was a surreal experience, kind of like if your mom is a teacher and you get assigned to her class. You remember being 8 years old, having the privileged access of spinning around on her big chair and drawing on the chalkboard, but now you have to go sit at the tiny student desk just like everyone else. And knowing that my friends were going to see me and judge me was far more nerve-wracking than I ever could have imagined. The cherry on top of this stress sundae was the fact that there are actual audience members. Tourists who came in and bought a ticket and were so excited to see big time comics at the World Famous Comedy Store and are stuck watching an hour of sweaty, nervous un-funny idiots like me, before they get an hour of slightly more seasoned "Friends and Family" and then finally the real comics. I don't think they laughed once the first hour. It was awful. I did something (clean) that I'd only been thinking about for about a day and it wasn't really tight. But I got through it and every time I go up, I at least get the compliment "You looked really comfortable on stage" or "You didn't look nervous at all" which is really all I can ask for at this point.

And I've really enjoyed the experience of doing all these open mics. You end up seeing the same people over and over and, besides coalescing into little friend groups, it lets the comedy nerd in me watch people develop their acts. I really am kind of aspergers about comedy, I've come to realize. I'll notice really subtle differences, just like a longer lead-in or an extra tag that make all the difference in the world to whether something is good, bad or awesome.

The other fascinating thing is that in only 10 days of doing standup, I think I have experienced mild forms of every single issue I've ever heard about that women face in the boys club of comedy. I've been told that I shouldn't do so many blow job jokes or I'll just blend into the sea of "all those other female comics" (I asked my favorite male dirty comic if he agreed with this assessment and he pretty much said, yeah, as a woman, I need to have a lot of non-dirty stuff to start with and can really only sprinkle in the dirtier bits), I've been specifically pointed out as "a female comic" and "not bad to look at" in intros, and someone actually had the gall to ask me "so who writes your material?" (Though I guess that's kind of a compliment, albeit backhanded). On the other hand, I know I've gotten some preferential treatment, I think people are much gentler on me knowing I'm new than they would be to a guy and I am fully cognizant that the fact that I am a female who is not bad to look at gives me much more access to solicit advice and talk shop with successful guys who have been doing this for years.

So, yeah, I'm addicted, I'm giving it a month or two of going up as often as work will allow and then I'll see if I need to revise my idea that I am the latter of "Those who can, do - those who can't, blog"

Just a Saturday Night

2010-06-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last night was a good night at The Comedy Store. It's funny because the crowd was much larger on Friday and this one was a little apathetic, but they came around. I have to admit, I snuck into the Main Room to catch Stephen Rannazzisi's set before the show started in the Original Room and I was pretty happy I did.

Being a new dad, he does a lot of kid humor, but unlike a lot of parent-comedians, it doesn't suck. What I usually hate about parental bits is that it's a slightly funnier version of the annoying photo/story time you get from all the moms in your office. But Steve doesn't fall into that trap. Perhaps that's because so many of the stories - from getting high and watching the Wonder Pets with his kid to the stoned pizza delivery guy - involve smoking pot.

The OR show was a great time, too. I got to see Aron Kader for the first time, which was excellent. I also got to watch Leslie rock the room like nobody's business. She threw in some new bits in between the tried and true and had me laughing so hard I almost couldn't breathe. The entire room was in hysterics, which was quite a feat since they'd been just sitting there like lumps during the last set and snapped right back into their torpor as soon as Leslie got off. That is, until Bryan Callen got up. The man was so good, he kept the room on his side when he suggested making underwear out of puppies. Both Leslie and Bryan make good physical use of the stage - though in very different ways - and it must be that putting out all that energy to keep it going just infects the audience.

As usual, the night ended with a great set from The Barris/Kennedy +Overdrive, with special guests Gail, Jacob and Bryan. At that point, Jen and I agreed that Bryan won MVP status for the evening. Can't wait for Tuesday to see next week's lineups!

Chris Millhouse is my Hungarian Parlament of Comedy

2010-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Despite having lived there for two years and made about half a dozen visits besides, it took an entire decade for me to actually visit the Hungarian Parlament building. And it wasn't for lack of trying, I was just foiled at every turn. Kind of like trying to see Chris Millhouse do a set. I first saw Chris on LiveAndOutLoud and thought he was pretty amusing, started following him on Twitter and saw him tweet about being up at the Comedy Store for Potluck. I completely missed him that night and I keep missing him every other time I try, so now this has become a quest. A quest which was foiled again this Sunday when I actually made it to Potluck early.

And actually, Potluck is a lot like trying to get a ticket to a Parlament Tour - needlessly complicated and confusing. Who's going up when? Who knows. And this coming from a woman who speaks "Comedy Store Lineup" fluently - I can generally look at the OR list on any given night and tell you what time the 11:45 set is actually going to start within +/- 3 minutes. Not so much on a Sunday.

But I did get to catch a few other guys I've been wanting to see - Brandon Christie, Benji Aflalo and Marc Hatchell. The crowd was kind of weird - they just sat stone-faced like it was a staring contest instead of a comedy club.. until about midnight when they suddenly started finding everything funny. And, well, with good reason. The pop-ins were pretty good - I was already over the "release the Kraken" jokes 5 minutes before they started but Avi Liberman has the best Kraken bit I've heard yet. There's something about his understated delivery in the face of an omelet missing cheese or crappy BoA fees that completely cracked me up. And there were other good sets, including my favorites Nick Youssef and Sarah Taylor.

So, one of these days, I'll finally figure out the system and see Chris Millhouse. Of course, now he has a lot to live up to because when I finally saw Parlament, it blew my mind.

What makes a good comedy club?

2010-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I love the Comedy Store. I'm starting to think I like it more like a drug than a boyfriend, but regardless, I love it and I hate when anyone speaks ill of the place. Of course, comedians love to bitch about venues and what they do wrong - often onstage - and the Comedy Store is no exception. So being a rational, analytical kind of gal, I try to see both where they are coming from and objectively how much weight the complaints really carry. For comparison, I keep my eyes open when I'm at other shows - whether it's the Laugh Factory or the Improv or a smaller room like the Great & Secret Show or Silent Taco.

And my conclusion is that every place has a lot of the same problems - the schedule runs late or gets jumbled up, they don't have a big enough crowd (especially early or late), the drinks & food are crappy and expensive, untalented folks that people know from TV get priority over the hard working guys who can do a better job... it's pretty much all the same. And I think the problem comes from the economy of comedy in LA not remotely following the law of supply and demand. There are so many places to go see comedy - big show, little rooms, open mics - because there are so many comedians who want the stage time or want to organize their own shows. But there are only so many potential audience members on any given night. Now, you'd think that this would cause some kind of Darwinian whittling down to just the best shows that would be packed on a regular basis. But it doesn't.

So, I got to thinking - what do I think would make a utopian comedy club for both the audience and the comedians?

I like the idea of having the night split into two shows - say 8:30 and 11 - even if you actually let people come in whenever and stay as long as they like. I think it just sets up mental construct that makes people want to stay until the end. I think it would also encourage more people to arrive later so the late comics get some fresh blood.

I think anyone performing that night should get all kinds of perks - free parking and discounted or free food and drinks. Keep 'em happy and help encourage them to show up a little early or stick around if things are running late.

Every show should have a real headliner. I personally always enjoy seeing new guys and like a good set with a bunch of up-and-comers (like Fresh Faces at the Laugh Facory), but I'm not normal. Most people need a name that they recognize to draw them in.

But that should be the only concession to "fame" - the rest of the slots should be based on how the comedian usually does in that room or that type of room, and how the slots will move the flow of the night along.

And more places should be slightly infected with the "inmates are running the asylum" vibe from the Comedy Store. I think for everything bad you can say about it, it fosters a lot more creativity and better performances.

Cheaper fucking drinks for the audience. Seriously, I already paid $20 to get in the door and now you're going to charge me $12 a piece for a minimum of two well drinks? This ain't Skybar.

Good seating plan. So far I like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory the best. Good view of the stage, you feel like you're at a ":real show" but there's not too much separation between the audience and the comedian, so once the energy is up it's easier to keep it going.

That's me on my little soapbox, what do you think would make a comedy venue good or better?

Laughter is Power

2010-06-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

I go to the Original Room at the Comedy Store a lot. If the Comedy Store were a dude, he would be my boyfriend. Well, no, probably my regular booty call, because the Store doesn't seem like the type to settle down. Anyway, I love that place. But, as they say, show me the hottest woman on earth and I'll show you a guy who's sick of sleeping with her. Sometimes you have to switch things up. So this week, I saw the Great & Secret Show, Storyteller Series Fisticuffs, and the Laughter is Power benefit for the Jenesse Center. Okay, the last one was at the Comedy Store, but it was in the Main Room with a very different group of comedians that I see on a daily basis. And it was amazing.

The host was the freaking fantastic Leslie. I've been hearing so many good things about her lately, but just haven't managed to see her until now. Every good thing I've heard was well-earned. She's got good material and is great with the crowd, even sullen Donald in the front row who was dragged there by his mama. Seriously, don't sit and freakin sulk at a comedy show. In the front row. Anyway, I'd wanted to go to the show mostly because I love RG and he was the one who organized the whole thing (plus, I love women and like supporting pro-woman organizations) but what sealed the deal was seeing Ian Edwards on the lineup. I've yet to see him have an off night - must be all that clean vegan living. Here's the thing, it only got better from there - great sets from Erin Foley, Sarah Taylor and RG. And then Retta got up and just slayed. Out of control good. And thanks to the Lakers game, this was not a large crowd - I'd say 50 or fewer people, including sullen Donald, a couple of other folks who didn't seem to find anything funny and one gal with an Elmer Fudd laugh who found everything funny (which is, in my mind, even worse). Nothing wins my respect more than a comedian who plays to a crowd of 200 no matter how many people are actually in the room.

But, like all the wandering unfaithful, I returned to my main squeeze for a pretty stellar lineup for a Thursday after 11. And I was rewarded with a surprise set from Justin Martindale. I ♥ Justin so much. He is one of the most naturally funny people I know, gives great hashtags on twitter, makes funny videos and is part of two of my favorite experiences at the Comedy Store - Tweetcrawl 4 and Smartasses Trivia. Okay, on that last one, he pretty much WAS Smartasses Trivia, along with Erik Marino. He hasn't been up at the Store much in recent weeks, so I was super excited when Tommy gave him the greenlight. Definitely made up for not getting to see the comedian who left early, thus leaving a vacant spot.

The other bonus of the night was Erik Marino all hopped up from the Celtics win (go Celts!). And, as Sarah Tiana points out in her act, we Boston fans cant just stick to the sport at hand. No, we need to pull all our other heroes and grudges into every other sports conversation. So, all the way from the front bar, I could hear Marino pontificating about Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, with Luke goading him on. And somehow we made it all the way to Tom Brady running for Governor, which is a wicked good idea. Except he lost 50% of the vote with that whole Giselle thing. I mean, whatever about the illegitimate baby, but marrying that stuck-up, non-Bostian. And Luke's suggestion that Schilling should run, don't even get me stahted...

And of course, there was the Band. Now, I still have this problem where sometimes I can't tell if a comedian is doing something meta or is for real. When Tony's working, they do this ridiculous (in a good way) piece where Tony & Earl take their shirts off so they can "give you directions" the second time I saw this, Don finished by saying "I just realized this is really gay and we're not going to do it anymore." I didn't remember that being part of the first time, so I thought he might be serious. Luckily, he wasn't. So I got to learn the way to Vine St again and it even inspired two fun audience members to get up on stage and dance.

I love when even just a couple of hard-core audience members stick it out until 2 or 3 for all the stand-up plus the Band's whole set. I love when they like it so much they want to come back, sometimes as soon as the same weekend. After all, I just want my boyfriend the Comedy Store to do well. But a little part of me is like those Mexicans who came over 10 years ago and now want to build a wall to keep the rest out. I get a little jealous when other girls get a hall pass, too.

My Day in (Small Claims) Court

2010-06-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

I got to spend this afternoon in small claims court. I'll cut to the chase and say my case was dismissed, but the plaintiff has the option to re-file so I'm not stupid enough to blog about details with such a litigious fellow at large. Most of you already know the story anyway.

But, here's the thing, the reason the case was dismissed is that the plaintiff didn't show up, so I was supposed to go at the front of the line for a cursory appearance. But something got screwed up, so I ended up sitting through every single other case for the afternoon.

I think this is my court karma because the last time I was in court (parking ticket in Providence) I also went last. But that time it was because the judge hated me for appealing a ticket he thought I had no grounds for appeal on. I knew I was in trouble because I could tell he had let the tickets he was planning to waive go first and mine came after both the woman who argued she saw the No Parking sign but her landlord told her to ignore it and the one who admitted she parked illegally but was fighting on the grounds that the car next to her did not also get a ticket.

The upside to sitting in court all afternoon is the entertainment value of the other cases. In Providence, at one point they brought in all the folks who had been stuck sitting in the drunk tank overnight. That was pretty standard except the one lady who was there for violating a restraining order and opened with "What am I supposed to do? Every time I have sex with my boyfriend, I get hauled off to jail." As it turns out she had cheated on her ex with another man in the same apartment building, something happened that caused the ex to file a restraining order and her new beau's apartment is within the X number of yards so he calls the police every time she comes over. And this was the third time.

Nothing quite as exciting in small claims this afternoon. Though, of course, of all the cases, only the two actresses with a roommate rent dispute had to actually be spoken to by the clerk for talking out of turn like it was Judge Judy or something. The most amusing case, however, was a renter-landlord dispute that was the living embodiment of Chris D'Elia's bit about how bad a gangsta would be as a lawyer because when they try to talk "professional" they just use too many words. The dispute was actually over whether she was owed an overpayment of rent because she was paying for a private bathroom but lived in a shared bathroom unit. However, when she started in, it was a loooong five minutes about the living conditions including "And there are people smoking pot in the hallway and me, myself and I don't do drugs and I do not wish for drugs to be a part of my body either through the atmosphere or from accidental inhalation." It was all I could do not to bust out laughing or yell "Tangerine, popcorn, pow pow pow pow!"

The Great & Secret Comedy Show

2010-06-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

I try to go catch the Great & Secret Show at the Unknown Theater about once a month, sometimes twice. Admittedly, the last couple of times I went was motivated mostly by my stalking of Zach Sherwin, but I have loved the Walsh Brothers since Ms E Christi introduced them to me back in Boston. It's a great show and a nice balance to my mild (ha ha) obsession with the Comedy Store. As hosts, the Walsh Bros (and friends) are more of a sketch show underpinning, holding the whole show together and often providing the most laughs, rather than emcees who just keep the show moving and the crowd clapping. The acts are always interesting and a little off the beaten path. I mean, the sets of Zach Sherwin, Ron Lynch and Erin Judge have very little in common besides being awesome.

The other thing I love about the show is the audience. Even when it's teeny tiny, it's typically a good crowd who appreciates good comedy and will respond well to new/unusual/interesting stuff that really works. Of course, the flip side is that some guys get full on crickets if it just isn't working. No easy laughs from drunk tourists here. That's because the crowd is mostly other comics - either associated with the theater, with the Walsh Bros, in the show, or lobbying for a spot in a future show. In fact, the crowd is so comedian-heavy, that Chris Walsh actually apologized to me last night that he hasn't been able to fit me in a line-up yet! Heh heh, he was much happier when I clarified that i was just a legitimate audience member who likes comedy a little too much.

And in last night's audience, I met someone else who shares my comedy-related mental illness. I'd seen her at the last couple of G&S shows as well, so we got to talking and discovered we were both comedy obsessors. Luckily, her favorite place is the UCB and she doesn't much visit the Store, so we didn't have to have Clash of the Titans or anything. But it was definitely comforting to find out I'm not the only one.

Comedy at the House of Blues

2010-06-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was a hard night to choose where to go see some comedy - there were three shows I wanted to see but I ultimately went with the one that was walking distance from my house to support Shawn Halpin. And, I have to say, Shawn was the pimp of the show, since he brought 200% more women (me and Jen) to the audience than the one other guy who brought a female. One of the comics even fittingly did a bit about how comics don't know women so there's never any girls at the godforsaken parties they throw.

Besides the fact that there were only three girls, there were approximately as many people in the crowd as there were comedians set to perform. That's always a crap shoot. You never know whether the guys are going to falter for lack of energy or not even try.

I think my favorite was Brent Morin, who was only the second up and really perked up the room with his jokes about being drunk and saying "night, night" to Bradley Cooper. And since I started following him on Twitter, I've discovered he's a Celtics fan, so that's an extra +10. Jon Schieszer made me want to date him just because he's not a fucking LA hipster metrosexual whose cardigan matches his Prius and I've decided that my favorite Shawn Halpin punchline is "You know what I hate more than condoms? AIDS and babies" - it's funny because it's true. Poor Rg thought we were leaving, but we just had to return the beer we'd borrowed and we made it back in time to learn that he'd like to choke us during sex... but ever so gently.

Now, I said Brent was my favorite, but I meant my favorite other than headliner Ian Edwards. I've seen Ian's 15 minutes at the Comedy Store on a couple of occasions, but we got the treat of an extended set in our relaxed and small environs. I have to say, for a guy who picks on Jesse Jackson as part of his act, he sure has his own very distinctive cadence. Which I totally love, by the way. I just wish he could think of a few more taxes...

These guys periodically put on the FREE comedy shows at House of Blues. And not only is it free, but there's no drink minimum and it might be your only chance to go hang out in the swanky Foundation Room. i mean, you're going to a free comedy show, I'm guessing you aren't a member.

Here's some crappy photos I took with my cell phone.

Brent Morin

Adam Epstein

Jon Schieszer

Toby

Ian Edwards

Why Are You Google Stalking Dan Madonia?

2010-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so curious, I get more hits on my site from people Googling Dan Madonia than any other search term - why are you Google stalking him? For real, post a comment, I'm dying to know.

They Hate Us For Our Freedom

2010-06-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to sincerely thank all Veterans and service members who gave their lives so that I could live in a society that includes Food Trucks and The Sunset Strip... together!

What Happens at the Comedy Store Stays at the Comedy Store

2010-06-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Backstage at the Comedy Store is a weird and wonderful place. And when I say "backstage" you should know there is not actually a backstage (Ok, there is the Green Room, but that's a tiny trippy mirror-plated room straight out of the Kinnison days). Backstage is sort of wherever the comics are hanging out - waiting for their set, waiting to watch someone else's set or just having a drink and a smoke. Could be the hallway, the kitchen, the front bar, the back stairs or the Main Room after it empties out. In fact, sometimes "backstage" even moves itself into the Original Room as the crowd dwindles down to just the other comics and maybe 2 guys from New Zealand. That's when you might be treated to an extra special David Taylor set where he goes beyond the fine acerbic/dickhead line he normally treads and lays into everyone in the room, the building or who has ever once crossed his path. Those are some great times. Even when you're the one on the business end of his attack.

The Green Room

The other night, I was hanging with the band after the show - and by "the band" I mean the Barris/Kennedy +Overdrive "a little band from Los Angeles, CA" comprised of comics Don Barris, Earl "Kennedy" Skakel, Marc "Snake" Hatchell and Maryjane Green. Anyway, I was hanging out with the band and they asked if I was going to blog about how awesome the after-hours had been.

Some shots of Barris/Kennedy +Overdrive

I said no.

Wait, then what the hell is this post?

Well, I actually said "No way! It's like revealing the man behind the curtain and, besides, I'm not going to write about every little thing that happens here or y'all will start acting differently around me - like you've got an embedded journalist in your midst."

To which Marc replied, with true rock star swagger, "Don't worry, we're used to it."

And that's a third reason I wasn't planning to write anything about backstage - so much is so awesome, but so much is "you had to be there" awesome. That little exchange had literally everyone in the room cracking up and I even made a note in my phone so I wouldn't forget. And when I think back to the last dozen times the whole room was in stitches, they were all inside jokes - ragging on the manager Dean, airing out the dirty laundry of which comic slept with that crazy, aging video vixen, doing Q&A with one of the Tony Clifton dancers, the time I had this little exchange:

Me: I won't be here tomorrow night

Don: Why not?

Me: I have a date.

Don: With who?

Me: No one you know - I'm dating outside the Store.

Don: Not allowed.

Again, the whole booth cracked up, but you had to be there.

Okay, okay I've actually got a whole bag of awesome stories that would make you want to come knocking on the back door at 2:30 am, but I don't want you showing up then... I'd prefer you all show up around midnight. That's the part that's well worth staying up late for

That's What I'm talking About

2010-05-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, I have a soft spot for the late night comedians who can handle it well. Of course, my all-time favorite is Don Barris, who can handle everyone from the obnoxious drunks to the dead quiet stone-faced crowds and somehow manages to make The Barris Kennedy Overdrive bit entertaining over and over again. But there's a lot of other guys giving a good go of it.

Now, I should mention, there's really two types of late night crowds that I've encountered. There's the mid-week and there's the weekend. At 12:15 on a Wednesday night, there's usually about 4 guys left, and they're always foreigners, usually from some random place like Finland or Estonia. They are sitting pretty close to the front, so you know they've been there since the start. I suspect that their guidebooks told them to visit The World Famous Comedy Store and since they aren't American, they're just too polite to just get up and go back to their hotel before the official end. And occasionally there are the obnoxious drunks (and occasionally I am those obnoxious drunks), but usually only one or two. And this Tuesday, there were two super bitchy, super drunk Australian chicks by the time Sam Tripoli took the stage. Now, I'll be honest, I've seen Tripoli perform at least twice before and have no memory of it. I blame this on The Stripcrawl and too many bullets at The Sunset Trocadero, respectively, and not Tripoli being an unmemorable comic, because he is freaking hilarious and had complete control of the room from start to finish, including repeatedly putting the worse of the two Aussie chicks in her place - a very satisfying thing for the rest of us audience members to watch.

In contrast to that was the 12:30 set I saw from Mike Young on ~~Friday~~ Thursday (yeah, yeah, I'm there all the freakin time, I can't tell one day from another without fact-checking against my twitter feed) night. That shit went right off the rails. Because a weekend crowd is different - it has a LOT of drunks. It's got folks that got drunk here, it's got folks that got drunk somewhere else, it's got folks that got so drunk they still think they are somewhere else. And on Saturday night, it had one of the painted girls from The Playboy Mansion. Nick Youssef had just gone up and had tried to do a little crowd work, but most everyone left had been there from the start and had already been worked over by Chris D'Elia about two hours earlier and apparently didn't want to let Nick go in on them again. So Nick valiantly powered through with the one amenable crowd guy, did a bunch of his regular act and threw in some (I assume only half-)jokes about how shitty it is to have the late night spot.

So when Mike got up, he mostly just launched straight into his actual act, which was pretty funny. And then one girl in the back got kind of mouthy and was doing that thing where she thought the act was a conversation with her personally (Yes, Kettle, this is the Pot calling) so Mike just asks exasperatedly, "Would you like to just come up here and use the microphone to say stuff?" and she squealed and hopped right up. And then it just turned into a crazy, half-stripping, bills-raining party onstage. But really, that was the best course of action at that point, so bravo Mike!

In Praise of the 12:15 Comedian

2010-05-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have a great love for the 12:15 comic at the Comedy Store. At first, it was just because that was about the time I'd stroll on in and the crowd was so thin that they'd start talking to the audience, and I was the vast majority of the audience. But as I have started to spend an inordinate amount of time watching comedy, including the guys who go on at 10 or 11, my love and respect for the 12:15 comedian has only grown.

Hopefully, they had a at least one other slot somewhere earlier in the night, but regardless, they made an effort to get here to go on for what is bound to be a tiny, drunk and possibly surly crowd. They don't do it for the money (which is shit) and typically they don't really get to work out their material because of said sucky crowd. But they get up there and do their 15 minutes and work with what the drunk loudmouths (like me) in the crowd start spouting. It's really a heroic effort.

What Day Is It?

2010-05-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

Wherein I attempt to beat Time and discover my new musical guru, that you can't go back to 20 again, and that I have a serious nerdy glasses fetish

Seriously, at one point last night, I was looking at the Gallery Hours at Space 15 Twenty, which said it was closed Monday & Tuesday and I thought "Oh, then why are the lights on?" because it's not Monday, it's Thursday, Amy. I blame the entirely too much fun I had on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday but it also may be that I was literally trying to be in 4 places at once last night.

So, Trina is the one who clued me in that the Silent Comedy show was going to be epic, and she was right. So when she posted about the free LINKS show at Space 15 Twenty, I figured it was worth a look. The thing is, I already had tickets to see AJ McLean at the Roxy that night AND I had just learned Lady Sinatra was playing the Viper Room and I wanted to go to all three. Actually, I also wanted to go see Head Cat at The Key Club, but I knew that was just plain impossible.

Anyway, after grabbing a burger and a Fin du Monde at Lucky Devils with Rachelle, I got to Space 15 Twenty just in time for the beginning of LINKS's set. And wow, they were great. Right then and there, I resolved to blindly follow Trina on whatever path of musical discovery she was willing to lead me. Sadly, I couldn't stay for the full set because I was taking the bus to get over to the Roxy. The bus ran late, but luckily musicians always run late too, so the set started about 20 minutes after I got there, though of course I was then cursing the extra time I could have spent with LINKS had I known.

Now, before I start to talk about the show, let's back up and review Amy's history of musical appreciation. My father was in a rock band when I was a kid, so like any good little girl who idolizes her dad, I dutifully loved Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Poison. I can still remember the first time I saw the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 8th grade and I spent most of high school listening to angsty grunge. This kept up into college, when hip hip started to grow on me thanks to Quad Parties. But I was still pretty scornful of anything too poppy... until I went Junior Year Abroad to Hungary and ended up watching German MTV and Viva TV almost constantly. This was '99, so Britney, Christina and the Backstreet Boys were huge, as well as Euro favorites Kylie and Robbie Williams. In fact, it was Robbie Williams' cheeky self-deprecation that opened my heart to the delicious joys of the genre. I actually kept trying to resist and, in fact, managed to turn off the TV during the first two bars of "Genie in a Bottle" for about 3 months because I knew that as soon as I heard it, I'd love it (and I did). But ultimately, I was won over and the Backstreet Boys' music featured heavily in my favorite year at college.

And more than just liking the Backstreet Boys, I was especially fond of AJ, who I figured had the best chance of pulling a Robbie Williams/Justin Timberlake move (becoming more popular as a solo artist than in the boy band he came from). So I was earnestly excited to see him perform, but I have to admit that there was a part of me that was in it for the ironic kitsch factor. And that was an unfortunate confluence of emotions that really didn't allow me to enjoy the show. The earnestly excited part of me was sort of bummed to see my boy band idol 10 years older and the other half of me was really put off by the roomful of 30-somethings who were singing along to all the words of songs on an album I'd never even heard of. I did enjoy a couple of the songs and I was glad to hear that AJ's still got great pipes and is a fantastic showman.

The other thing I really liked was his trumpet player.

And that's when I realized that I have a thing for guys in nerdy glasses. The last 4 guys I've been involved with have worn them at least part of the time and I always encouraged the ones who usually did contacts to wear the glasses instead when we were going to see each other. Though probably I should have figured out my little predilection on Wednesday when the only thing I contributed to the Scheff Experience was to try to get him to put on his nerdy glasses, too.

So after about 6 songs, I made my escape over to the Viper Room for Lady Sinatra. Also very awesome. Also Trina-approved. And I managed to actually catch the whole set! I never have much to say about bands I like, other than that they are awesome, so that's all I've got for Lady Sinatra.

To digress a bit, I'd like to close by thanking Dan Madonia for driving as much google search traffic to my blog in the last week as the query "How to get scary skinny" People love to google that guy.

Dan Madonia & The Silent Comedy on The Real Sunset Strip

2010-05-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, just wow. Trina had really been talking up The Silent Comedy for the past couple of weeks and she was not wrong. Firstly, check out the moustaches! And then take a listen to the music. I really don't think any of these YouTube clips do them justice - and everyone at the show on Saturday agreed that this was the best of their recent performances. Trina had specifically instructed me to wear my dancing shoes and she was not wrong. I started out standing in the back, sipping my drink and mostly just nodding my head and tapping my feet, but by the second song it was as if my body had taken me right up to the front and started dancing of its own accord. I had no choice but to give in and boogie down.

I feel like now I'm damning Dan Madonia with faint praise, but he was terrific too. It's just that The Silent Comedy was mind-blowingly awesome so I had to start with them. But the night actually started with Dan and he was terrifically funny. There was one point where the crowd almost turned on him, but he quickly saved it and had pretty much everyone in the place laughing. And, apparently I can not go see comics anywhere without somehow inserting myself in their act - it isn't just the Comedy Store that brings that out in me. Dan had this almost throw-away line like "Who's got some tits I can snort some coke off of?" and one guy in the corner was very adamantly raising his hand, so I raised my pointing finger toward him and got "I like how you're volunteering other boobs when you have a perfectly good set, yourself." heh.

Not really sure how The Real Sunset Strip is going to follow an awesome night like that, but heck, I'll settle for about 75% of the awesomeness

Foursquare Mayor of the Comedy Store, Bitches!

2010-04-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am the Foursquare Mayor (hunh? What's that? Read here) of my laundromat and my yoga studio. Mainly just because I think I'm the only person who has checked in to either place more than once. Not exactly cool. So I was incredibly excited when my after-midnight visit to The Comedy Store on Monday night earned me the Mayoral title!

The funny thing is that I had never even been to the Comedy Store until the StripCrawl. It's stupid really. I love comedy and this is literally the closest comedy club to my home (just up the hill!) and a pretty awesome one, to boot. I had tried to go a couple of times, one time we ended up at the Improv instead and the rest of the times the "Let's stop into the Trocadero for a drink first" plan turned into "Let's just stay at the Trocadero until closing time." But now the place has an irresistible pull for me - especially after midnight. The crowd thins out and the comics are edgier, drunker and often funnier. I've also noticed they tend to talk directly to the crowd a lot more. I don't know if that's considered kind of hacky and a crutch to other comedians, but as an I'm-the-center-of-the-universe egotist in the audience, it's appealing to me. And, especially since my Jenny Lane Tour, I tend to know at least one or two people hanging out in the back, so I have entertainment if I get bored of the guy on stage.

I was actually starting to get a little self-conscious of my newfound addiction to the 1 am comedians after wandering over there late-night, mid-week last week but now that it confers bragging rights (albeit, nerdy, nerdy bragging rights) I will proudly own up to my secret weakness.

The Jenny Lane Tour

2010-04-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

The best compliment I ever received in my life was a friend saying "Amy, when I'm with you, things happen that don't happen to normal people." I am always the one who will somehow end up trundling us into a car for a ride to that after party.. or, heck, a whole other city. In other words, I'm the Instigator So it was a little unusual to find myself in the hands of an even bigger Instigator last Friday after Foursquare Day in the person of Ms Jen Moore.

We had been cleared out of The Viper Room after our free Foursquare Day show in prep for the sold-out real show (thanks Viper Room!) and were headed up to the Rainbow when we started discussing whet should be the plan for the rest of the night. Now, I should probably mention here that I have developed what I like to call The Circuit for Friday night. I start at either the Viper Room or the Roxy, depending on who's playing, then go to the Rainbow and finish up at the Sunset Trocadero where I drunkenly harass the other Lat Call patrons to tip Sascha generously. Sometimes I add another stop or two along the way. So, when Jen mentioned a similar circuit she had in mind, I decided to just submit utterly and go wherever Jen wanted.

Now, I have been able to come and go mostly anonymously along this Circuit for weeks and months now. I even commented to a friend it was my "extroverted introvert time" where I got to go be alone with other people. It was a totally different story with Jen - she knew everyone from the regulars to the doormen to the bus boys everywhere we went. It was pretty hilarious and awesome. Plus, she's found all the limited access nooks and crannies in each of these locations, so it was a pretty fun tour of "behind the scenes" I also got the honor of being one of the first to view Jen's (then) empty new Larabee St apartment (the one so close to the Viper Room it inspired the "Why, Miss Jenny Lane" quotable).

We finally finished up at The Comedy Store where those boys in the Barris/Kennedy Overdrive pretty much kept at it until they were forcibly ejected from the stage by staff who wanted to clean up and get the heck out of there. Grabbed some "breakfast" at Swingers and I had to finally call it a night at 5 am.

Thanks Jen for the excellent tour!

Tweetcrawl Eggstravaganza!

2010-04-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Strip Crawl was awesome, pretty much my ideal evening, actually - cheap & free booze and hanging out at my favorite places with a bunch of folks who love them as much or more than I do!

I had my festive ears on - I bought them at Hustler and the clerk seemed really disappointed that I was planning to wear them outside the bedroom.

We started at The Standard pool bar with a Ping Pong tourney. And for a while we were kind of a stereotype - everyone standing around, tweeting to/about the people standing right next to them.

The next stop was The Comedy Store with free PBR. Besides the free beer, we got sweet sweatbands. Since I already had ears, I tried it on as a choker. First bad idea of the night. Well, actually, that was probably the worst decision I made all night.. so go team!

And we were treated to two comics - that's Justin Martindale doing an impression of one of those sexy chat phone line commercials. He has a really funny act, we went back to see him later that night and I'll definitely be happy to see him again.

Live on Sunset was so chic they had champagne at the bar and I had to stop myself from buying a really hot shirt that is definitely not in my budget right now. I did, however, drunkenly purchase a book I've been wanting to pick up at Book Soup. The Book Soup stop was the most silly fun, with more PBR and Pin The Tail on the Bunny. I'm definitely going to start buying my books there, so participating in the Tweet Crawl got them at least one new customer.

By that point, the group was getting really large and it was kind of amusing to have pedestrian power on the Los Angeles streets. We got to wave to a couple of Star Line tours and I laughed at the thought of tourists going home and telling their friends "And in Hollywood, large groups just roam about from bar to bar"

Citysearch opened up their HQ to us and had cupcakes and my favorite wine - Malbec from Layer Cake. They took some funny "prom" photos in front of a silly backdrop. Made me feel a little guilty that I'm so devoted to Yelp, but whatever. And we started chatting with a group of fun gals who had come all the way up from San Diego to be on the crawl!

The Viper Room had us in the downstairs bar and while I was outside finishing up my "road juice" (opaque cups still work!) I struck up a conversation with Justin. He was very sweet and (of course) funny and told me he had a set later that night. I don't have any pictures because I was getting Drunkety Drunk by that time

The last stop was the Roxy and we chatted up Justin again on top of the busteraunt, he even posed with monkey!

The Roxy really treated us right - we had two tables in the VIP section for Cold & NonPoint. I was thinking about that today, the Roxy really knows how to make sure the venue is full and everyone is happy. I bet bands love playing there.

Rachelle and I went to get pizza and head back to catch Justin's set. Unfortunately, the two comics we had to sit through before he come on were terrible. I should probably have tried to catch their names so I'd know to plan my bathroom breaks accordingly next time they are there. Oh well.

And this morning I got to play my favorite game - Hangover CSI. Where's my phone case? (At the Comedy Store) Do I have any cash left? (No, I do not) Did I wash the makeup off? (Ha ha, nope) Where did this cake in my fridge come from? (Rachelle got it at the pizza place) And oh yeah, I won both a Viper Room Tshirt AND underwear... which I tried on when I got home.

Melissa Auf der Maur at the Viper Room

2010-03-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

The show rocked. I honestly haven't paid much attention to Auf der Maur's career since the Hole/Smashing Pumpkins days. I vaguely remember a single from her solo album a bunch of years back, but I always thought she was pretty awesome so it seems like a good show to hit up. It was the album release of her new venture - which is actually more than an album, it's a whole multimedia extravaganza with film and a comic book and probably some other stuff. Despite my ignorance, it was well worth it. She rocked, her band rocked.. I really am such a fan of rock artists who just pour their whole heart into it and aren't trying to be hip or ironic or whatever.

Also, Melissa herself is tinier and more beautiful than I had imagined. She's not Kylie Minogue tiny or anything, but from all the music videos I've seen her in, I pictured her as a sort of towering amazon. One thing she does have in common with Kylie is a surprisingly gay (male) following. Again, I claim ignorance of whatever career and personal factors have affected this, but it was a pleasant change of pace compared to my usual (but still generally awesome) experiences at the Viper.

I definitely plan to get some of her stuff and I hope she's also getting royalties from the Hole stuff that's stuck in my head now (and thus will inevitably be purchased soon).

One Year On: An Embarrassment of Riches

2010-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's my one-year anniversary here in LA and I could not be more grateful for the past year. I'm working for a company I love and the being in LA this time around had definitely helped me understand my company and my industry better - and given me more chances to put my fingers in every cookie jar around. The change in venue definitely helped me mentally open a new chapter in my personal life, too. On that level, it's also been such an experience of growth and change - meeting so many wonderful people who think and act and believe and work so differently from me. Thanks to the fantastic weather, I have discovered running and hiking. And, of course, I've morphed into a kooky Cali pseudo-hippie, drinking my organic free trade coffee with almond milk and going to vernal equinox mediation-yoga-dance parties.

I've also had the opportunity to rediscover live music - somehow the love of a good rock show that was bred into me by both nature and nurture got displaced when I discovered cheesy pop and dance clubs. But now with the legendary Roxy Theater and Viper Room in walking (or, as if often the case, stumbling) distance from my house I've been able to see everything from hair rock to hip hop on a regular basis.

Then there's all the little things, like so many bars & restaurants with outdoor seating and the great weather to enjoy them almost any time. Living in a state where Happy Hour is legal. Getting more Vitamin D from the sun than from pills. A Trader Joe's on every corner. If I could just somehow add Dunkin Donuts & the Sox to the mix, I'd pretty much be in heaven.

Los Angeles has been a real gift in my life, so I wanted to take a second to really tell the universe "Thank You!... and please keep it coming!"

Yoga Booty Ballet

2010-03-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

I think SoCal has spawns more "religious" and fitness fad than any other region in our fine country. A lot of them (and I'm talking about both categories) and stupid and a little dangerous. But it certainly gives one a good deal of choice. And in amongst all the hay is a needle of awesomeness (now I'm only talking about fitness).

Yoga Booty Ballet is my needle. I stumbled across the class thanks to Groupon and I am so grateful. I try to go three times a week now and I chose not to sign up for a second session of bootcamp to have the time and money to devote to YBB. It's the prefect mix of sweat, mindfulness and joy for exactly where I am on the cheerleader-hippie spectrum. The first class I attended was Patty's Wednesday night and as she introduced herself and YBB to us newcomers, she exhorted us all to "dance like you're alone in your bedroom" and proceeded to lead us through a fantastic dance sequence set to Madonna, Lady GaGa, Ke$ha and The Heavy. I leave class filled with love and appreciation for everything and everyone, no matter how I walked in and it seems to have a cumulative effect just like regular mediation. It is so awesome, I have even started scheduling my personal life around it.

PaleyFest: Seth McFarlane & Friends

2010-03-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

If the Cougar Town panel was disappointing, then tonight's Seth McFarlane panel totally made up for it. First off, the moderator was Bill Maher and the first panelist they introduced was Seth Green - both of which were unbilled "Additional guests TBA" Score. And from there, things just got better. It was such a well paced a hilarious panel that actually covered a lot of topics about the shows (mostly Family Guy) and the process of making them - what the writers' room is like, dealing with the censors (apparently the show's biggest supporters within the network - go figure!), what, exactly, is a Muddy Ramirez. I also liked that both Seths brought their cocktails out on stage with them.

PaleyFest: Cougar Town

2010-03-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

One of the great benefits of living at the source of all pop culture as that, for the most part, all the makers of pop culture also live here. So it's not uncommon to have events like book signings that boast celebrity authors. And one of the first events I was able to attend when I moved last year was a PaleyFest panel for Dr Horrible. And it was fantastic. I mean, I'm a Whedon fangirl, but the panel was fantastic and introduced me to the true awesomeness of Felicia Day and was my first visit to the ArcLight Cinerama Dome.

So I was pretty excited when PaleyFest rolled around again this year, this time in the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. I decided to go to the Cougar Town panel, even though it was on a Friday evening, because I think the strongest thing about the show is the fantastic ensemble cast. Unfortunately, the panel itself seemed to go off the rails pretty shortly after Bill Lawrence announced he was 12 chardonnays in and never really got back on track. Lawrence had a lot of amusing anecdotes that were great to hear, but it just seemed to be missing something and the majority of the cast really didn't get much chance to contribute. Pretty much all I learned is that Christa Miller is insanely sexy in a way that somehow just doesn't make it through the camera.

She Don't Lie, She Don't Lie, She Don't Lie

2010-03-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

So, I've been mulling over whether to actually write this post or not, but it's one of the biggest "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" things that still stands out to me. I suspect is has something to do with my proclivity for dive-y rock bars, but "Do you party?" seems to be as frequent a pick up line as "Can I buy you a drink?"

By itself, that's a little unusual for little Bostonian Puritanical me, but more interesting are the thoughts it has led me to. If you has asked me two years ago whether I had a diverse group of friends, I would say unequivocally yes. Okay, racially, not so much, but just in terms of personality, ambitions, etc. I have friends who work for non-profits, in academia, for entrepreneurial small businesses, in the arts, as doctors and for large corporations as well as women who work as parents. But actually, we're all pretty much the same - middle class white girls with good liberal arts educations. We've have very similar politics, similar values and hobbies, and generally buy in to a pretty traditional view of career and success (regardless of what industry/field we're in). Sure, between us we've wrestled with tough issues like death of loved ones, divorce, trying hard to get pregnant, trying hard not to get pregnant, serious illness and layoffs - but mostly we lead pretty secure lives thanks to strong support from our families, friends and being fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do all the "right" things.

Out here, I've met so many people who walk a very different path, it really awes and humbles me. The day to day of being a working actor, musician, model, agent or writer is so outside my comfort zone and experience. I really admire my new friends who have the courage to work in such uncertain fields because they know they are good, because its their dream or because they know they'd die a little inside every day if they did something else. I am amazed at the folks who work 6 or 7 14-hour days per week, and even more at those who sometimes only get to work 4 hours in a given week and never know when that bad week is coming. But more than that, I am so impressed that though, yes there is an interconnected web of people and circumstances that make an artist successful or not, at the core its about your own personal talent and drive to work. There's no big company with assistants and peers and other divisions and policy and procedure that just keeps chugging along even if you're sick for a week or have a bad day. There's just you, your talent and your willingness to keep going. Like I said, it's humbling.

Bringing it back to an East Coast vs West Coast level, though, I'm surprised at how easily I've met such a diverse array of people here. And believe me, I tried in Boston. I semi-stalked a certain comedian-musician for nearly a year and never managed to break into his circle, nor did he naturally float into mine. And how would it happen? All our weird, cold rules about not being creepy and talking to people you don't know, that essentially trying to make friend with someone you aren't introduced to in the right circumstances is putting them in an awkward position, those don't really facilitate the mixing of the masses. Whereas here, everyone welcomes you with open arms. You make a new friend at the bar because you happen to be sitting next to each other and that's good enough for them to introduce you to their friends and away we go. Now, some have argued that "friendship" isn't quite as valuable in LA as in Boston and I'd agree to some extent, but it's not as bad as people like to make it out to be an I'd say the upside is worth it.

The ACE Eddie Awards

2010-02-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

I was very fortunate to be invited to join the Avid table at the American Cinema Editor awards this past Sunday. I suspect the open seat had a lot to do with it being Valentine's Day, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Somehow, it didn't click in my head that it was an awards show until I actually got there and saw the flock of reporters waiting to catch a glimpse of Morgan Freeman and James Cameron. There were also some pretty impressive dresses, including my friend Tina, who was wearing a vintage couture dress recently worn by Rihanna.

The Beverly Hilton was nicely outfitted for the occasion. The Avid cocktail reception was on the 8th floor, with a terrace and the ballroom used for the show was sufficiently glitzy. The awards show itself was well produced and rather efficient/short. Joel McHale was the host and his Community co-star Ken Jeong was a presenter. Ken made great self-deprecating jokes about award winning editor Debra Neil-Fisher being forced to view a little too much of his naughty bits when editing The Hangover. Morgan Freeman, Bryan Cranston, Mary Lynn Rajskub and the girl from Precious were some of the other flash presenters. And, for me, the biggest thrill was seeing Carl Reiner up close, who was there in support of his son Rob Reiner's lifetime award.

But even cooler than all the celebs was being in this room full of "nerds" (oh yeah, Michelle Rodriguez was a presenter and made some comment about the editors being nerds and she got a smart [and mostly good-natured] ribbing from one of the later folks about being careful not to call the people who make you look good "nerds"). But, seriously, as a a guild awards show, it seemed much more about technical quality than popularity and you could feel it was a room full of people with immense respect for each other.

Vains of Jenna at The Viper Room

2010-01-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Vains of Jenna has quickly become one of my favorite bands to see live. As lead singer Lizzy DeVine yelled to the crowd at the end of the set, they prove that Rock n Roll is alive and well. They are just straight-up, balls-out rock, almost a throw back to the 80's without being anachronistic. The music is great and they have just the right stage presence that's not too little but not so much as to be pretentious or comical.

The only thing I was disappointed about were the opening acts. None were bad, per se, but the first two just didn't feel fully baked - didn't seem to have a consistent look or sound going on. The third band was pretty good, but I didn't get to catch their name because some guy was yapping at me the whole time. So, unfortunately, I didn't find a new band to start seeing, but VoJ totally made up for it.

Here Comes The Rain

2010-01-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

This is my first real rainy season here - I moved just after "winter" finished last year and I can count on one hand the number of days it rained between then and this week. And, boy, have I gotten used to it!

The rain isn't quite as discombobulating for me as it seems to be for everyone else around here, but I do still find myself walking right out the door without an umbrella because I'm used to not even looking at the weather and assuming it's pretty much the same as it was yesterday. I have also completely forgotten the fact that rain + my hair = wavy curls. I wasted a good chunk of time straightening my hair this morning, only to find it all wavy tousled when I got to work (yeah, that's it, I was going for that sexy bed head look).

The rain definitely compounds the bad, bad driving skills. I am still shocked at how many people drive out in the dark, overcast rain storm without their lights on. On the good side, it seems to make LA drivers go slowly and cautiously for once, but maybe a little too slow and cautious. Apparently, because it's so dry, a light sheen of oil and other car leakage builds up and makes the road really slick when it rains. However, in a week-long storm like we are having now, that's really only a problem the first day. But the frustrating snarled up traffic persists.

I think the most disconcerting thing for me is that a rain event that drops less than an inch over the course of a day is referred to as a Winter Storm by the local news folks - with all the urgent updates and snappy graphics that I think belong only with 12+ inch Nor'easters. Craziest of all, and event I was scheduled to attend on Thursday (which will be day 4 of the Winter Storm) was canceled on Monday on account of inclement weather!

Liquor, liquor everywhere

2010-01-19T21:53:00.001-08:00

I realize that Massachusetts has some crazy liquor laws - you can't buy alcohol outside designated "package stores" and, until the Pats' second Super Bowl win, you could buy any kind of alcohol on a Sunday.

So the fact that grocery stores have a better selection than most liquor stores around here is a bit of a change. It's especially disconcerting to see Wild Turkey across the aisle from Advil in the CVS.

It disturbs me, but I like it. Not only because NyQuil is no longer the only thing that gets me drunk at CVS, but also as more evidence that I live in a much less stupidly puritanical place. I think the apex of this rational approach to the hooch is the wine & liquor 6 pack. In pretty much any retail outlet, they provide these handy cardboard carrying cases that holds 6 bottles of wine or liquor and you get 10% off if you buy 6 at once. Goooo binge drinking!

The Martians are Me

2010-01-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

I pretty frequently use a Ray Bradbury story as a metaphor for my move to LA. In this story, a team of Earth astronauts land on Mars on a mission to find out what happened to the first mission, who all just disappeared. They meet some lovely Martians and settle in and really don't find anything untoward.. or any explanation, for that matter. And the big reveal is that the lovely aliens ARE the previous mission. Somehow from eating the food, breathing the air and drinking the water, the humans are transformed into aliens. But it happens so gradually that they don't realize it and then, once they are more Martian than Earthling, they just completely forget about having been human in the first place.

So, I tasked some of my friends with monitoring me for sudden desire to spray tan or not eat anything but horse asthma pills.

However, I've started to slip already in other ways. I actually caught myself thinking "I should go buy some of those skinny, tapered-leg jeans so I can tuck them INTO my boots." *shudder* I mean, my boots are hot, but that's one step closer to Uggs and a miniskirt.

More damningly, I've just started a screenwriting class. That was one of my big complaints about my previous visits here - everyone is a screenwriter. Literally everywhere I went, I'd overhear the guy at the next table - or even the next gas pump - droning on about his little project. And now, I am one of them. Fortunately, I have a day job, so I haven't gotten to the point of sitting in Starbucks at 2 pm with my laptop. That's my small comfort.

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to support The Strip this week, in part because of the screenwriting class and more due to my early morning bootcamp. Gonna try to make it out next week, but i may have to dial that resolution back to once per month.

Ducati All Stars and Vains of Jenna @ The Roxy

2010-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

The first show in my new effort to Support The Strip was pretty awesome. The Ducati All Stars = (Camp Freddy + corporate sponsorship - the sheer number of special guests that usually pop in) and pretty much I would go see Camp Freddy every day if I could. I think on Saturday it was Donovan, Billy, Steve Stevens, Steve Jones, Jason Bonham, Franky Perez and Mark McGrath.

I missed probably half of Vains of Jenna's set waiting in the will call/ticket line. I'm not sure why the ticket line at The Roxy is always so slow, though I suspect is has something to do with the large number of people who are "sure I'm on the guest list, if not so-and-so's, maybe I'm on the one for so-and-so.. can you check?" I'm glad I got to see some of the set, though, because these guys could rock. It was just straight up, heavy, non-ironic rock and it was awesome. There was even a throng of people toward the front who were actually moving and dancing along, rather than just staring sullenly and maybe nodding and clapping now and then. I'd definitely go see them again.

I planted myself in a fantastic spot for the Camp Freddy set - right in front of Billy Morrison's mic and only about 3 people between me and the stage

Franky Perez did most of the singing, which was just fine by me, and obviously a lot of the other women in the crowd. During his second turn on stage three different girls tried to push their way through my area to get as close to the stage as possible. One failed because she couldn't make it through the crowd with her uselessly massive purse - the other pair spent about 4 songs trying to nudge me and my neighbors out of the way with small kicks and elbows and by pointing at the stage and screaming like it was a New Kids on the Block show and just happening to put their arms right next to your face. Obviously, they did not know they were dealing with someone trained at Smith in the art of protecting your girl dance circle, skills that are easily applied to holding your ground at a rock show.

Sorry the photo is all washed out so you can't properly see the hotness that is Franky Perez

Mark McGrath was pretty good, too. Every time I see him, I can't help but think that he is actually quite awesome, despite being a host of Entertainment Tonight (or Access Hollywood or whatever). And what really sealed it for me this time was that he self-deprecatingly addressed it with something like "I know a lot of you are thinking, 'Mark McGrath, what the hell is he doing here?' and I'm thinking it, too. But I'll tell you, no one on this stage is having more fun than I am." So, good on you, Mr Sugar Ray.

When I went to settle my tab, a guy who could be Bret Michaels' twin (circa 1987) stopped me and pulled a "Haaave you met Ted?" move and introduced me to his pal and made a point that he was from London, oooh. His friend was wearing jeans that had black stars stenciled all over them, it was pretty over the top. They seemed nice enough, but I wasn't biting.

I wandered over to The Rainbow afterward, which is becoming a habit. I finally ventured to the upstairs bar and I am so glad that I did. I had no idea, but they have a dance floor up there! It's exactly what I've been looking for in this town and I can't wait to go back.

Support the Strip

2009-12-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

I love my new home. I especially love that I have so much within a 1 mile radius of me - all the shopping, dining and nightlife a girl could need. So I was sad to hear my adopted homeland has been hard hit by the current economy (and changing music landscape of LA). So, I've decided to make more of an effort to support the Strip. I already spend a large chunk of my disposable income at the Trocadero, but it's time to branch out into other venues for dining, comedy and especially music. So, though I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions in general, this year I think it's a good cause to try to support at least one of my local businesses every week.

I'm starting right away with the Ducati All Stars show at The Roxy Jan 2. I'll keep you posted.

You Aren't Wearing Any Makeup!

2009-11-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, I had a small emergency at my house - the water heater sprung a leak. And my water heater is in a cupboard in my kitchen, so before I could figure out what that whooshing sound was and turn off the water supply, it made a nice, large puddle on the floor. So, instead of doing my hair and makeup as usual, I spent the time while I was waiting for a plumber to come mopping and tidying up. So I ended up going to work with my hair pulled back and no makeup on whatsoever.

Now, I wear makeup every single day. It's just part of my routine. Even Saturdays when my only daytime plans are to do laundry and grocery shopping, I'll put on makeup after my shower. However, I spent a good year or longer NOT wearing makeup every day because when I worked in Providence, my coworkers reacted really oddly when I would dress nice, so I just stopped. So, while it's a habit I have, I don't feel completely naked without it.

Unfortunately, I guess I should. In the kitchen at work while I was waiting to heat something in the microwave, one of the DRS guys remarked with surprise and some shock "You aren't wearing any makeup!" I explained my boiler issue and he seemed sympathetic. But the damage was done.

Now, in the best of circumstances, he was genuinely concerned that maybe this indicated I was sick or something had gone wrong (like my boiler exploding). But regardless of that, it shows that the difference between me with makeup and me without makeup is noticeable. To a guy. Immediately. And I have dyed my hair from blonde to brown and back again and gone weeks before I got so much as a "is there something different about you?" What this tells me is that either my makeup is very un-subtle so that it looks like I am wearing makeup (instead of the mantra I was always taught growing up "They should notice your eyes, not your eye shadow") or that my face without makeup is so hideously wan and broken out that it stands in stark contrast to my "normal" face. Or worse, both!

This does lead back to some of the differences between LA and Boston, however, because the other recent makeup-related comment i received was back east. We were gearing up for a fall outing over Columbus Day weekend and I noticed I was seemingly the only one who bothered with makeup (though my lucky friends all have gorgeous naturally glowing and clear skin, so why would they?). At some point during the day, one of my friends who has also lived on both coasts remarked "Do you notice that girls in California wear more makeup than out here?" and I agreed. Or, at least, it seemed they are taught an entirely different mantra - treating makeup like any accessory - nice shoes, a handbag or jewelry - that ought to be noticed and complimented.

So, I guess I'll just err on the least paranoid side and assume I've crossed into SoCal habits of wearing makeup that gets noticed as makeup.

Cloudy with a Chance of Blazing Death

2009-08-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Every region has its natural disasters - the northeast gets its nor'easters and an occasional hurricaine or other cold/wet weather related calamity. And it seems like wherever you are born, you get both well-trained to deal with that area's most prevalent acts of god and you become a little immune to them as well. Last winter, people I knew were forced off the grid when a giant snow storm knocked out most power and communication lines in western/central Massachusetts. A big snow or rain storm may not seem to frightening to those who live in hot, dry regions, but people die every winter in New England from the storms - from exposure, collapsed roofs or car accidents. But I've been trained from birth - what to have at home in the cupboard, what to have in the car, and when to just sit tight and wait it out.

So if your disaster is of the wet or cold type, I'm all over it. In fact, I'll probably make fun of you for rushing to the Stop n Shop to stock up on bread and milk. But hot and fiery disasters... I am not prepared for these and I find them kind of distressing. Especially when they are burning through thousands of acres of brush that hasn't burned for 40 years and when I can't remember the last time it rained here and when they are sending creepy black smoke mushroom clouds across most of the area. Yeah, distressing.

But most everyone here seems to be taking it in stride. On the KTLA weather this morning, they just added happy little cartoon flames in the areas where this massive, uncontained fire doubled in size overnight. I know these are outliers, because local newscasts are sensational dreck, but they reported a bar owner near the blaze who was staying open and handing out facemasks to patrons and a couple who decided to "ride it out" in their hot tub.

To me, this seems crazy in the face of such a dangerous, unpredicatable force of nature. I understand, logically, that there are actually people trained to contain these fires and keep people safe while there's no one to stop the onslaught of a giant snowstorm back East... I also know, logically, that it's highly unlikely the fire will come anywhere close to my home or office while there's really no escaping a big nor'easter for miles and miles.. but there's something so much more unsetlling about this unfamiliar threat.

Getting a Feel for How LA I've Become

2009-08-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

So, as usual, I wax and wane with my blogging. This time, it's been for good reason - I attended two friends' weddings in New England over the last month. And it offered me the opportunity to see how much of an Angelino I've become. Here in LA, I still feel feel very far to the East on the coastal spectrum - I wear a lot of black, I gasp want to ride the metro and bus system, and I don't strike up conversations with strangers. But it turns out I've been moving ever so slightly West in my attitudes.

In particular, I've gotten friendlier. This is really the one big difference that has struck me the most here, probably because it was so unexpected. I know folks in the South and Midwest are famously more cordial and hospitable than us curmudgeonly Yankees, but people in LA? Who knew?

So, there I am, standing in line at the Radio Shack on Boylston St in Boston, picking up a new battery for my parking gate remote when I hear myself launch into a whole story to the clerk - how I had been at Starbucks across the street and I knew I needed a new battery pretty soon and I never have time to get to the store on a work day.. how I was thinking "What kind of store do I even get this weird, specific battery at?" and I looked up and there was Radio Shack, right across the street... I mean, waaay too much information. I used to scowl at those people who held up the line, blathering on about anything outside the strict parameters of the transaction at hand. Now I am one of them.

However, I think this friendliness to total strangers thing it must be on a logarithmic scale - now that I'm back, I feel almost as scowly and guarded as ever compared to those around me, but I no longer feel I can wear it like a badge of honor, since I know I don't really match up to true Bostonians anymore.

Catching a Premier - in My Rearview Mirror

2009-07-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

I saw my first red carpet last night, as I drove by at 35 mph. It was somewhat odd and disorienting, actually. First of all, it was at the ArcLight closest to my office, which is the theater I have frequented most often since moving here. I saw a big line of people outside the side door and first thought it was Harry Potter mania, but noticed folks were a little overdressed. Then I saw that constructed background with the movie's logo ("The Ugly Truth" btw) and I could actually hear the din of the photographers yelling for attention over my car radio with the windows closed and AC on high. And this was all just on the sidewalk in front of the theater. There were also a number of tourists and whoever else trying to take pictures from across the street.

It was all just so weird. Kind of like when I went to see a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien in college and discovered that the stage was tiny. The camera angles cleverly made it seem like there was more than 2 feet between the band and the desk. Same here - there was this tiny area of transformed sidewalk and all the camera and video footage manages to ignore the regular life - parking meters, the ticket window, the choked up traffic on Sunset Blvd - making it look all glamorous and fabulous. But I also got a little thrill, I could totally relate to the across-the-street gawkers who were sort of awed at being this close to the movie magic, even though being this close pretty much kills that magic.

Should I Know Who you Are?

2009-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Are you famous but crave privacy? Well, then come hang out with me because I will have no idea who you are and so treat you like a regular schmoe.

I thought that I'd actually be one of those people who embarrasses her native Angelino friends with squeals and pestering when I saw a celebrity. But nope, I am one cool cucumber. Though, mainly due to the fact that I never recognize famous people when I see them.

It all began when I practically bumped into Adam Arkin coming out of the bathroom at a restaurant. My friend had to tell me who I had almost just run over.

Then there was Mr Belding at Dimples. And, seriously, that took a very strong power of obliviousness. Nearly every person I talked to about this bar told me Dennis Haskins was a regular. The karaoke host even announced who he was while I was in the ladies room, everyone had their cameras out and Jill was gesturing wildly to me as I came back to the table. But I took that to mean "Hey, let's go dance" and I think it still took a couple minutes after that.

But the topper was this past Friday. Linda and I went up to the Santa Ynez Valley to enjoy some wine tasting and ended up at Rideau Winery and Bistro. After we cleared our plates and got a second glass of wine, we found a couple had taken the picnic table we'd been at before. We ended up joining them and struck up a conversation about the nearby Neverland Ranch. The conversation kept going from there for a couple of hours until one of the other patrons came up and said, "Excuse me, are you Terrell Davis?" He was sort of evasive, but his girlfriend quickly and skillfully changed the subject and distracted the questioners. I already knew his first name was Terrell, so I said "You are this Terrell Davis - but who is Terrell Davis? Should I know who you are? I'm sorry." and he sort of blew it off and so we moved along. Shortly after that, the two of them left to go change for dinner and the original interrupter came back and asked us "But that really was Terrell Davis, right?" and we told him we had no idea and who was Terrell Davis anyway? he looked a little annoyed and kind of yelled "He played for the Broncos!" So we Googled him and, sure enough, we had been spending a lovely afternoon with the MVP of Super Bowl XXXII and his very charming girlfriend.

So far, no scary skinny, chain-smoking, coke-snorting cat ladies!

2009-04-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

So, I have to admit my biggest fear when contemplating the move to LA was that I would enter a land filled with clones of Mischa Barton, Ashlee Simpson and the Olsen twins. And, worse, I'd quickly become one of them, like in The Martian Chronicles. Admittedly, this fear was mostly born out of my own insecurities and the fact that about two LA women I know have mentioned getting plastic surgery as if it were getting a haircut. I know, 2 is not a very large number, but ZERO of the women I know on the East Coast have ever mentioned it, so...

But, no, the folks here are pretty regular. Most of the city are unattractive, overweight slobs like the rest of us.

Like, ohmygod, everything is totally in a mall!

2009-04-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know if The Valley really was the birthplace of the mall, but it is definitely the mall's home turf. Literally everything is in a mall here - or at least a mini-mall/plaza. There are no standalone grocery stores or Targets or drug stores (a few big boxes like Home Depot), they are all in malls or plazas. Nail places, hair salons, even upscale restaurants.

Weather

2009-03-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does a thing about it.

Well, here no one talks about the weather. At all. During the traffic and weather report on KIIS FM yesterday, there was plenty of traffic but the girl actually just said "Weather - not much to say." That was the entire weather report. Linda thinks Jill and I are so weird that we actually check the weather or ask people about it.

Of course, I guess that's the luxury of living every day in sunny and warm conditions. I'm told it rains "a lot" in February (apparently for about 15 minutes each day for a few weeks straight) and there's this thing called the June Gloom, that actually happens in May, which just results in overcast skies.

No one here ever has to check the weather at night to know whether to set the alarm clock 30 minutes early to shovel out their car and still get to work on time.

I expect that a lot of it is the driving-centric culture as well. Walking a mile to the T stop every day means that there's a big difference between 72 and 82 F, but it's all just "sunny and pleasant" from the inside of a climate controlled car.

Driving

2009-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

So, I've done a fair amount of driving in LA before I moved here, but it still is quite a shock to my system. First of all, it's more traffic than I've ever seen outside of India. The other big difference is the number of motorcycles, and the fact that they are going so much faster than the stop-and-go traffic. It freaks me out.

But, really, it's the little things - left turns, for examples. In Boston and RI, the first left turn in line gets to jump the gun and make the turn before oncoming traffic starts moving forward. Not so in LA. Here, you have to wait until it's really your turn, but then even after the light turns red about three more cars make the left and everyone just waits for them.

Then there's the freeway meters. Apparently, they are quite useful on the choked up freeways here, but it's a huge shock to be accelerating down the on ramp and suddenly come upon a red light!

Pedestrians and their relationship to cars are also quite different. Surprisingly, pedestrians totally respect the lights and crosswalks - no jaywalking here. But, as a result, they take their sweet time crossing, even when you are waiting to make a left or right turn.

So, not very amusing, but this is the big culture shock of my first few days.

T-1 Days

2009-03-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours, I'll be heading out to LA. The movers have packed up my stuff and I've consolidated down to two suitcases (and a couple more FedEx boxes).

I'm really excited to move to LA. It feels right. As Jay said during the holiday party, it was inevitable. But I do have a few misgivings. From the brief amount of time I've spent in and around Los Angeles over the past few years, I know there are parts of the city's personality that just don't jive with me.. though there's a lot that does.

Every bad thing they say about New Englanders and Bostonians are true - we're stuffy, puritanical, gruff, overly aggressive drivers. And I like it that way. I don't have to be overly friendly in the elevator or at Starbucks, I grumble at the club closing at 2 am but really how much later would I stay?, and people tend to actually know where Smith College is and be impressed by it.

But I'm very excited to live somewhere new again and get to know it, so away I go...