Interview and Influence

I did an interview for a profile in the Milpitas Post last night. It'll be out on Thursday and I'm very excited about it. Hometown paper and all. :)

And in talking about myself for an hour (yeesh), I started thinking about the shows I've seen that really influenced me. My favorites were always the ones that leave you completely drained at the end.

One of the earliest I can remember is Bill Cosby: Himself. Saw it on cable. I was young, but I don't remember exactly what age. We use "rofl" pretty liberally on the internet these days, but during that show that's exactly what I was doing. Literally rolling around on the floor laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. "The Dentist" is still bit that is often quoted in my family. Absolutely classic and one of the funniest bits ever written.

When I was 19 or so I saw Savatage at a place called One Step Beyond. I was a metal head at the time and into their music. But the energy of the show was over the top. They had a great rapport with the audience. And the place was so packed that my feet literally didn't touch the floor for two hours. We were packed up against that stage like sardines. Fun then. Not sure I'd be too into that now. :)

I saw Carrot Top at two different county fair shows. By the end of the show my face hurt from laughing so much. Poor ol' CT is much maligned among comedians, but there was no denying how ambitious, energetic, creative his shows were. I've got his live Veagas DVD and it doesn't translate somehow. But those fair shows were over the top and I was exhausted by the end.

My favorite all time performer is Prince. But to me his shows are a different experience. It's a listening experience. I'm sure the front row fans are getting a much larger wash of energy than the cheap seat people like me. I never been exhausted after a Prince show. Exhilerated for sure. But it's a different experience.

Last year when we shot our DVD at the Hoover Theater I talked to audience members after the show. People were coming out of there out of breath drenched in sweat, and looking like they'd just been through at two hour workout at the gym. They told me they danced til they couldn't anymore. They told me their cheeks hurt from laughing. They told me they needed water because they felt dehydrated. Amazing. That's what I always want to do. I haven't been able to sustain that over a string of performances yet, but it's coming. I'm still developing as a performer.

But mark my words, one day a Roadside Attraction tool will be seen as a worthwhile and effective way to lose weight. :)