No pants, no problem!

courtesy of patrickem

The fourth No Pants Light Rail Ride was last Sunday here in Phoenix as part of Improv Everywhere’s global No Pants Subway Ride, and it was a rockin’ great time. About 250 people hit the rail, taking the train into Tempe and then walking (or strutting) down to Robbie Fox’s for some mid-ride fun.

No matter how many  years this happens, people are always surprised to meet us on the train. Many riders were stunned, but recovered enough to get out their cell phones to snap pictures. One man commented that he “liked white butts”, which meant Sunday must have been like Christmas for him.

More than any previous year, we had people join in the fun spontaneously, with at least eight people dropping their pants and becoming part of the group without really knowing what was going on.

Perhaps the weirdest encounter was an older couple who happened to run into the No Pants Ride last year, then again this year. They were determined to find out what was going on, and when we finally explained it they found the whole idea fun and hysterical.

Devon Christopher Adams on Flickr

Most people who asked didn’t get an explanation for why the group wasn’t wearing pants. Some of the overheard excuses that were given for being panstless included the simple “I forgot my pants,” but ranged to the more creative “My girlfriend broke up with me and she shredded all my pants” and “Oh my god, I did it again. Sometimes I forget to wear pants.”

We had furry slippers, big wigs, colorful socks, tons of superhero underwear, and one spectacularly big, blue mohawk. We also saw the most pre-printed underwear of any ride yet, including “No Pictures Please”, “Stop Staring”, “I <3 Bacon”, “Esquire”, and “Cougar In Training.”

Apparently Fascinations sent out an email to their customers about us, so a big thanks to them. Maybe they’ll offer an Undie Discount next year – who knows?

No Pants Pictures, Videos, and Stories

Here is our video of the event, but there is a lot more to see…

Over four hundred No Pants pictures are up on Flickr. These are fantastic and you really should check some of them out. Use the tag “nopantsaz” if you add your own.

The Phoenix New Times had a no pants slideshow with The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and the TMI.

The Arizona Republic also had a no pants slideshow, and we were covered in the Downtown Devil, the ASU State Press, and Arizona Foothills Magazine. All were pretty good about getting with the spirit of it this year, and most event removed their pants!

Channel 3 sent out a cameraman and we ended up on the evening news. We asked them not to disrupt the ride, and they were mostly good about that. They need smaller cameras.

Guitarsenals on YouTube recorded both a 2D ride video and, yes, a 3D No Pants ride video!

Don’t miss out…

If you want to join us next year, or for any of our other flash mobs, join our email notification list and we’ll let you know when something is coming up.

Cheers!

(cc) MrAnathema on Flickr

Don’t miss future pants or pantsless events – join our email list!

Drop your pants and get on board!

You are hereby invited to participate in the 4th Annual No Pants Light Rail Ride in Phoenix. This is part of The No Pants Subway Ride, which is a global event started by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002. If you’re not in Phoenix, here is a list of global cities participating in the No Pants Ride.

The event will take place at 1:00pm on Sunday, January 8th. Everything you need to know is in this post. Please read it carefully!

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION:

1) Willing to take pants off on light rail.
2) Able to keep a straight face about it.

** THIS IS A PARTICIPATORY EVENT. DO NOT SHOW UP UNLESS YOU PLAN TO TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF. THIS INCLUDES THE MEDIA! **

Where & When to Go

When: Sunday, January 8th at 1:00 PM Sharp! (Over by around 4:00)

Where: There are two starting points – choose whichever one is closest to you. There is a map of stop locations here.

WEST SIDE START: Montebello/19th Ave

EAST SIDE START: Sycamore/Main

END AT: Mill Ave/3rd Street (then head South to Robbie Fox’s (more info below))

Be on time! Be at the West Side or East Side starting point station and ready to board the train at 1:00pm sharp. It is the same time for both stops. Be early if you need to, especially if you need to buy a light rail pass.

Watch for Team Leaders (identified by a red bandana tied to their bag): The Team Leaders may try to split people into small groups to board different trains, depending how many people show up.

What to Wear & Bring

Show up in your underwear! We’re not waiting to depants on the train. If you’re depantsing once you arrive, bring a backpack, briefcase, or something else to carry them in. You are responsible for your own pants.

You can wear fun underwear if you like, but nothing that screams out, “I wore this because I’m doing a silly stunt.” Wear two pairs of underwear if it makes you feel more comfortable. Don’t wear a thong or anything else that might offend people. Our aim is to make people laugh, not piss them off.

Buy a fare card! Show up early if you need to. Details on how to buy a card.

How it Works

Act normal – Stay with your group. Sit in the car like you normally would. Read a magazine, listen to your iPod, etc. You do not know any of the other pantless riders. If questioned, tell folks that you “forgot to wear pants” and yes you are “a little cold.” Insist that it is a coincidence that others also forgot their pants. Be nice and friendly and normal.

Do not tell people you are doing a prank! You don’t really notice anything odd about people not wearing pants.

We will have photographers on hand to take pictures documenting the event. We need everyone else to just act casually. If you bring a camera, be very discrete and only take a few pictures. It’s supposed to look like a normal train ride.

Don’t disrupt the Light Rail – While the Phoenix Police Department said that wearing your underwear in public isn’t illegal, don’t do anything dumb. You are responsible for all your actions during this event.

Last year was a lot of fun, and we’re anticipating tons of people showing up for the 2012 ride! Spread the word and tell your friends, just make sure they read all the rules!

See you on the 8th!

(cc) MrAnathema on Flickr

It’s that time of year again when all the good boys and girls start looking forward to Christmas, and their slightly naughtier friends start looking forward to the No Pants Light Rail ride in January!

Improv Everywhere has set the date for the 11th Annual No Pants Subway Ride as Sunday, January 8th, and as we have done for the past three years we will be representing Phoenix on the Light Rail.  We will be one of the many no pants rides on subways, trains, and public transporation around the world that day.

The Where, When, and Whatnot details for Phoenix are still being sorted out, but starting shopping for some spiffy new underpants!

You can also RSVP on Facebook, or join our mailing list to make sure you don’t miss any details.  If you are interesting in helping videotape or photograph, let us know.

If you’re really in the holiday spirit and can’t wait until No Pants, there is another event coming up you might want to consider…

Santarchy – December 17th

The AZ Cacophony crew is doing the 2011 mass Santa extravaganza on Saturday, Dec 17th. They have costume prizes, a toy drive, and some free drinks if you bring a few cans of food. Grab your Santa suit and check Phoenix Santarchy page for all the details.

Getting Involved

We always get asked how people can get involved with our pranks and flash mobs.  Here’s the scoop – if you want to just attend events, subscribe to our email list.  If you want to help organize or be a Lieutenant at an event to help us out, drop us an email.  If you’ve contacted us and didn’t hear back for some reason, remind us!

Cheers!

Photography by Devon Christopher Adams (@nooccar)

We’ve long been fans of Improv Everywhere’s Best Buy flash mob, but never had a good chance to do our own version. Clearly Best Buy had no sense of humor about the topic, and we figured most companies like them would be about the same.

After Steve Jobs passed away, this idea seemed like a great way to pay a little tribute to someone who had an enormous impact on our lives, and maybe have some fun in the process. We contacted a Phoenix t-shirt shop and had them create special custom shirts for us – royal blue with a heart shaped logo on the front. Oh, and the heart had a piece missing out of it. And a leaf. Look familiar?

This past Saturday about 25 Improv AZ cohorts donned those shirts in a flash mob at the Apple Store in the Scottsdale Quarter. The plan wasn’t to disrupt their business in any way, but just to have fun and make people laugh. We figured with 25 of us we would outnumber the employees, and maybe even the customers.

As we trickled into the store, the surprise was on us – the place was packed! We had never seen an Apple Store that busy, maybe because of the new iPhone launch, and the employees noticed us right away. They started chatting away into their earpieces, and a few security people started paying us extra attention. We just browsed and wandered around, so the employees must have decided we were mostly harmless. They kept an eye on us but didn’t ask us to leave.

Photography by Devon Christopher Adams (@nooccar)

So we had fun! We put pictures of ourselves on many of the computer’s PhotoBooth screens, but employees came right behind us and removed them. Most of us were very familiar with Apple products but referred customers to real employees whenever asked. However, one lady refused to be sent away. She was quite happy with the help she received and admonished an Apple employee that the prankster should not get in trouble for being such a nice young man! We shopped for merchandise, made our phones all Quack, and chatted with everyone we could.

Some customers were confused, and one remarked “Wow, Apple sure does have a lot of employees!” but most laughed when they realized what was going on. Most employees took it in good fun  once they realized we weren’t there to cause trouble. We heard “flash mobs” being used as an example in a Genius Bar training session, and a few employees asked where they could get a shirt like ours.

We left after about half an hour, took a group picture out front, and waved a cheery farewell to everyone in the store before heading off for coffee. We immediately began musing where else we might be able to unleash our small, blue-shirted army… hmmm…

Check out the Pictures

We had two photographers help capture the flash mob, and both helped shoot our shenanigans before. This one was trickier because we were trying to be covert so they couldn’t use their normal camera gear. They each wrote blogs about the experience and trying to take good pictures with a small camera, so if you plan to try something like this yourself see what the very talented Sheila Dee and Devon Christopher Adams had to say.

Check out all of their pictures (and a few others) from the flash mob in the Apple Store Flash Mob series on Flickr.

Want A Shirt?

We’ve had a lot of requests for other people who wanted a shirt, so you can order an Apple Heart Shirt from Brand X. We don’t make any money off these – they’re just a fun thing to wear so we wanted to pass it along.

Want to Join Us?

Want to be a part of a future flash mob with us? Join our email list! We don’t always announce them on our blog and Facebook, so our email list is the best way to stay connected.

Keep Laughing!

Related articles

• Apple stores to close for Jobs memorial (sfgate.com)
• Apple posts ‘Celebrating Steve’ video (tuaw.com)

(cc) sheiladeeisme on Flickr

About 30 people came out for Improv AZ’s Fake Protest #2 – Down With Sequels! We gathered at the intersection of 20th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix and lined the street where cars waiting for the light to change could see us. Everyone made their own signs that protested nothing.

These were some of the more memorable signs:

• Honk If You <3 Badonkadonk
• Ask Me About My Vow of Silence
• Down With Elevators
• I Had Friends On The Death Star
• I Just Spent 9 Months On The Inside (this sign was held with a baby)

We also yelled various nonsensical things at passing cars, like, “I like glitter,” “My arms are sore,” and “I’m a pedestrian.”

The responses are the most entertaining part of these things, and we had every kind you could imagine. Some people tried to ignore us. Many people smiled and honked their horns, while other people tried hard to ignore us. A fire truck stopped at the light held asked what we were protesting, then gave us a monstrous honk when they found it was for fun.

A few passersby who struggled to wrap their brains around the fact that dozens of people would spend their Saturday morning standing on a street corner with funny signs. Nearby mall security and the Phoenix Police made a few passes and checked us out, but let us carry on.

One of the best reactions came as we were wrapping things up and taking our final group picture. A woman came up and thanked us because she was having a really bad day until our display of absurdity made her smile. She turned her car around and stopped just to let us know. Perfect!

Lots of photos of the fake protest are on Flickr, thanks to talented  Phoenix photographer, Sheila Dee. If you have your own pictures on Flickr, use the tags “improvaz” and “fake protest” so they show up in our search. You can also tag yourself in our Fake Protest Facebook photo album.

Thanks to everyone who came out – another flash mob should be announced soon!

Down With Something!

Grab your posterboard and Sharpies! It’s time for another fake protest!

This Saturday, September 24th at 10am, we’re going to let loose with another round of ridiculous signs, chants, and overall silliness.

Remember, don’t protest anything real – just have fun! We had some awesome signs at the first Fake Protest earlier this year.

• Stupid Should Hurt
• Don’t Worry – I’m From The Internet
• Cap’n Crunch Hurts My Mouth
• Honk If You’re Horny
• Mona Lisa Was Framed
• Why Not?

Have fun being creative. These signs need to be easily read by people driving by. It’s best to use bold colors and lettering, and at least a 22”x18” posterboard. Feel free to coordinate your outfit with your cause. Check out the video from the first protest for more inspiration.

Feel free to chant during the fake protest. It’s fun to have everyone chanting 3-word chants in unison and have all of them be different.

Spread the Word

Please Tweet about this, RSVP on Facebook and please share it will all your friends! Bring out as many people as you can!

When and Where

We will be protesting at the intersection of 20th Street and Camelback Road. We had such a good experience here at the first protest, we decided to use it again. Parking is available in the shopping center on the southwest corner of the intersection, near Best Buy.

Show up around 9:45 for last-minute instructions and to divide everyone up into teams, get the cameras going, etc. We’ll protest for at least half an hour, and take it from there to see how well it’s going.

See you on Saturday!

Image by sheiladeeisme via Flickr

This summer there have been numerous robberies and assaults that were committed by large groups of people that the media claims were organized via social media. Unfortunately, the media has dubbed these activities “flash mob crimes” and “flash mob violence.” We think these terms are completely inaccurate. A flash mob is defined as “a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire.”

Flash mobs are not crimes. They are innocuous, fun events. The only similarity between flash mobs and these crimes is the fact that both can be coordinated using social media.

The organizers of Improv Arizona do not condone these criminal behaviors, and we offer our support to the communities dealing with these problems. We are dedicated to keeping our events fun and legal.

Before announcing any event, we consider the potential legal implications involved, and select activities that are safe for everyone involved. Our goal is always to entertain and inspire both our participants and the unsuspecting audience.

We’re excited to have just finished planning for several new flash mobs for the Phoenix area, and hope to remind people how much fun these things can be!

If you want to be a participant in an upcoming flash mob, be sure to follow us on Facebook or join our email list. We will be announcing new events soon.

photo (cc) Sheila Dee

The crew at Improv AZ decided to relive their childhoods and create a living version of Where’s Waldo at Tempe Marketplace. Nearly 100 people donned red and white striped apparel and gathered outside Dave and Busters on Saturday, April 23, 2011. Like the pictures in the Where’s Waldo books, we had one true Waldo in the official Waldo costume, and dozens of red and white lookalikes.

The group began to assemble just before 1pm. Security was concerned by the abundance of red and white striped shirts and it took some reassurance from the organizers that it was a short, innocuous prank in order for us to proceed. For about 20 minutes, the group chatted and mingled while stunned shoppers looked on. Many of the onlookers instantly got the joke, while others took some prompting. A few of our cohorts moved through the crowd of onlookers with a flyer showing a picture of our “real” Waldo and asking the strangers if they’d seen our friend. Anyone who didn’t understand what was going on before instantly smiled, giggled, and got the prank.

We had all kinds of Waldos – Dog Waldo, Gnome Waldo, Steampunk Waldo, Jester Waldo, Musician Waldos, Baby Waldo, and more! In preparation for this event, many participants flocked to stores in search of red and white striped shirts. One participant said that the clerk at their thrift store remarked that asignificant number of people had come to the store that week on a similar quest. Others opted to make their own shirts by applying red tape to white shirts or vice versa.

You can check out Flickr to see all the great Where’s Waldo flash mob pictures!

Big thanks to everyone who came out, to Sheila Dee Photography for capturing some of the great pictures, and to David and the crew at FlashMobAZ for helping us spread the word!

At the end of the prank, we took some group photos and dispersed. Many ventured in to Dave and Busters for a drink or a bite. The wait staff was completely oblivious to what had just transpired outsideand looked bewildered at all the red and white shirts in the dining room. When we explained what occurred, they couldn’t help but laugh.

After all, who doesn’t love Waldo?

Have you seen this shirt?

Do you remember the Where’s Waldo picture books from when you were a kid? Improv AZ is creating a real-life Where’s Waldo scene!

We will supply the actual Waldo. What we need is a group of people who look similar to Waldo, but don’t have every aspect of Waldo’s look.

Waldo has a very distinct look:
1. Red & White Beanie
2. Glasses
3. Red & White Striped Shirt
4. Blue Jeans

We want you to wear up to three elements of Waldo’s look, but NOT all four. Do not dress exactly like Waldo. Just look a little like him and have fun with your Waldo-like outfit. You can wear strange variations of the outfit, too, or any combination of red and white clothes! Don’t sweat it if you don’t look like him exactly.

When: Saturday, April 23rd, at 1:00pm

Where: Tempe Marketplace (McClintock & Loop 202)
We will be in the open area in front of Dave & Busters and California Pizza Kitchen!

You should not plan to be at the location area earlier than 12:45pm otherwise it could become obvious what is about to happen. At 1:00pm, go into the designated core area and act normal – mingle with others, talk on your phone, walk around, and act like you normally would in a public place.

Act as if there’s nothing unusual about how you are dressed and if asked, you have no idea why others around you are dressed similarly. At 1:30pm, disperse from the area and continue on with your day as if nothing unusual had happened.

You can also RSVP on Facebook for the event, and tell your friends!

About 60 boisterous passionate people, armed with homemade signs, bundled up on a cold cloudy day along a busy intersection to protest… nothing!

The group lined both sides of the intersection at 20th Street and Camelback, holding signs with sayings like:

• Fines for Flatulence
• Honk If You’re Horny
• Private Protest – Please Look Away
• I Want More Tortillas with my Fajitas
• Cap’n Crunch Hurts My Mouth

The group held their signs and chanted (each person chanting something different) for about 30 minutes. Some people laughed, honked, and waved while other drivers averted their eyes, trying to be oblivious to the commotion. It’s amazing the lengths some people will go to not to smile.

Toward the end of the protest, a police car drove by and asked what was going on. When she was told that the protest was just for fun, and no actual cause was being protested, she said, “That’s awesome.”  Check out the event video:

There are also some pictures in the Fake Protest Facebook album you should check out.

After the fake protest, the group gathered for some final pictures and dispersed, already contemplating what sign they wanted to make for the next protest. There are just so many non-existant causes, and so little time.