The Web Pen Blog

Hangin’ With Comedy Nerds

Howard — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:17:17 +0000

Last night most of the Monkeys hung with most of the Rodents and a few Wigs to discuss what kind of performance material we’ll be giving at the Smile Train benefits shows next week. We had a blast and got to inject a bit of Monkey business into the other groups which is fun as we seem to do things much differently from other groups. But that’s fine. We own our niche ways.

What we were planning is an effort to raise money to help children around the world with clef lips and palates have a chance at a normal life. The Rodents are the masterminds behind this and had a very successful run of benefits last year. You can see a schedule here, here or here.

Or here with links to pre-order tickets:

July 15 & 17 @ Avenue Theater
417 East 17th Ave
(We’ll be helping July 15th!)
Get Tickets for July 15
Get Tickets for July 17

July 16 @ ‘E’ Project
9797 W Colfax Ave
Get Tickets

Monkey’s Uncle has its regular show on July 20th with special guest Heather of the Rodents who is the driving force for the Smile Train events.

Listening to: “Stomp!” – Brothers Johnson

Tomorrow: A Day That Will Only Happen Once A Century

Howard — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:44:42 +0000

Here finally is an event that requires you to sit in front of your computer and update your social network: The International Day of the Punchline! Bonus: it has the prestige of only happening once every 100 years. Granted there were no Internet social networks before now so people had to celebrate at the social clubs in person (*shudder*). Besides, who knows if the human race will even be around on July 8, 3009 to celebrate again — like we’ll care.

It’s easy. Think of one or more of your favorite jokes and make the punchline your status update. I’ve already got a list of them that I love like:

Coz it was dead
Take away its credit card
The pigs are in the truck and one of them is honking the horn

See? It’s fun!

Now here’s to hoping that this will be more viral than Homo sapiens next time around thus keeping my legacy intact. Like you’ll care.

Listening to: “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” – Holst

Oh, Right. I’m 42.

Howard — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:35:23 +0000

The evening of the 4th was spent at Leslie’s parent’s place to celebrate with friends, food (Cameron’s tiramisu was yumtastic), fun, frisbee and frivolity. The Mohrs have a great backyard and are so very generous with their time, bocce balls and trash cans. The cans were used for Trash Can Frisbee. What? It’s fun!

Usually at these events I gravitate towards the kids and try to relive being 12 again. Unfortunately, my muscles and joints are old farts who go around reminiscing about the good old days in between telling my brain to stop jumping up and down on their lawns. While throwing tennis balls, frisbees and bolas (yes, bolas. Those weren’t thrown at each other but a ladder thingy but, oh, I was tempted to act me out some action movie…), I pulled my right groin muscle, hamstring, thigh and and gluteus maximus.

Yesterday was spent limping and grunting in addition to getting no sleep because of that cruel bitch Age. Today was even worse when it felt like my knee was going to pop off any moment for an hour at work. You’re thinking, “Oy, this is such a cliche read,” but nothing brings an adage to life more than experiencing it. That’s why I practice my sssibilant ‘S’ whenever I can.

The lesson here: Time to teach my friends’ children how to play Mahjong.

Listening to: “Looking For Nothing” – Aimee Mann

OSR: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Howard — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:03:00 +0000

One Sentence Review: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

How to make an insanely boring action movie: make sure your audience is completely apathetic towards all the characters.

Rating: Late-Night Cable Fodder

Rating System: Full-Price Ticket, Matinee, Wait For DVD, Late-Night Cable Fodder, I’ve Made Better Films With My Ass Camera

Listening to: “21 Guns” – Green Day

New Bleu That’s Long Overdue

Howard — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:00:58 +0000

Bleu
A Watched Pot
Artist Garage

Out July 14th

It’s been years in the waiting, but Bleu’s dropped-from-the-label third album comes out next month. Back in 2005 he had just finished recording when suddenly his record label decided to fire artists and employees alike in a downsizing.

Thankfully, he decided to gather up some of his friends and recorded an old-fashioned Electric Light Orchestra record. No, really. He studied how Jeff Lynne wrote and produced, got some of his friends who are fans as well and relived the glorious over-the-top 70’s in a band called L.E.O. That collection of music ended up at #5 in my The Year That Was 2006 list.

Now with his label woes — hopefully — behind him, Bleu will be releasing his A Watched Pot from record company purgatory. I was given a chance to listen to the album because of the nice things I said about L.E.O. and so far really like what I’ve heard. While there are a couple of songs that are meant to make teenage girls swoon, there is plenty of meaty stuff as in songs like the wonderfully-titled theme for douches “I Won’t Fuck You Over (This Time)” and the sincere, bitter heartbreak of “No Such Thing As Love”. He also does blues-pop well in the demo-like “What Kind Of Man Am I?”

His management even gave me a couple of the tracks to use, so use I will.

This is the first track on the album and quite a great little pop number. I found this to be the most commercial track on the album with its highs and lows, its killer chorus and its emo-inducing lyrics. Have a listen.

“Save Me”
[Please visit the post to listen to file]

The other track they sent me is the aforementioned “No Such Thing As Love”. It’s a powerful song that’s reminiscent of 10cc, Paul Simon and, of course, ELO.

“No Such Thing As Love”
[Please visit the post to listen to file]

I’ve waiting several years for this and it’s been worth the wait. Bleu has an extraordinary and very unique voice that is well suited for power pop. The years have obviously been good to A Watched Pot and hopefully it will find the audience it deserves.