Countdown Entry #42
 
12:45 AM, Sunday (late Monday night), July 18th, 1999:
 
Sunday, July 18th, 1999 - 9-12 AM
SHORTY'S SPORTS BAR AND GRILLE
 
SETUP
 
Got there at 5 PM, and setup was a breeze. I am bound and determined to set up and be able to leave and come back because there’s something about solving technical problems for 3 hours that just doesn’t bode well for the show. Well, the set-up was a breeze. 30 miniutes to unload. 30-45 minutes to set-up. I’ll get all of that down to 45 minutes I’m sure. Went all the way to CD101 for a spotlight. It did it’s job, but was on the floor so it made me look like the devil a bit. I had the time to sit and practice for 90 minutes as well! Sat there with my little – B&W monitor and my earphones and did some of the talking lines to the sets I was a bit unsure on. Lots of room...AIR CONDITIONING and it just looked great. Finally a gig where I can concentrate on THE PERFORMANCE! Did it help?
 
THE PERFORMANCE
SET 1: OPEN 1 - HARRY - PARODY 1
SET 2: RHYTHM - LOVE - PARODY 2
SET 3: BURG - STRONGER - ABBEY ROAD
 
Simply the best show I could do. What a great feeling that is. The manager could've come up to me and said I sucked dick and I still would've been happy (he liked it by the way). I did every piece of material I had available. I filled three hours with 2 breaks and everyone laughed and clapped. Couldn't ask for anything more. I was finally able to think about the performance end of it and was able to get all the timing lines down. They are rather tricky. Also premiered the Stronger set which had gotten done a few hours previous. The show had a nice rhythm and flow. It makes me so excited for the future. I'm now doing a new set every week and am so excited to premiere them. These are the nights where I truly believe that this idea is gonna make some noise. Anyway...onto the reaction:
 
THE REACTION
 
"Dude...those TV's are fucking talking to each other..." and thus describes the reaction from the crowd. They were all pretty impressed. The quote is from two drunk guys who somehow walked into the bar, drank for awhile and STILL didn't notice what was goin' on...FINALLY one of them saw and and uttered those words. Then later proceeded to tell me to go to Vegas. Everyone really liked it. Laughing, applauding, it was awesome. I don't think I've ever felt so confident about the project until tonight. It will work. Of course not at Shorty's forever, but it will work. ANYWAY, I hope to play Shorty's next month and maybe on a bit busier night. We'll see.
 

My dad was very impressed. I heard him say that I was farther along than he was at my age, and then he said: "Shit, he’s farther along than I am now." I really think he believes in me. To make it big, not just as a singer. That’s cool. Anyway, everything went as perfect as I could make it. Talked to Chuck in between the 2nd and 3rd sets and he and his wife were quite talkative which was nice. She said I started way too mellow and should’ve done the PARODY SETS FIRST. What a turnaround. They are attention grabbers, but I simply have too little material to blow my load that quick. I had the parody sets end the 1st two sets and then abbey road ended the last. They said this is a rock bar. Plain and simple. Now don’t get me wrong, they loved the show, in fact check loved the harry set, but I won’t be playing there every week. Maybe every month. That’d be cool. Again, until I have more material, I HAVE to play the mellow shit. But he said..yeah this is not a harry connick crowd. True. So now I have to do more of the funny shit which, well, is the best part of the show bar none. Period. Plain and simple. Absolutely. Fuck you ABOT for constantly telling me I’m not taking the high road when I make a dick joke. You’re wrong. Dick jokes are funny. They are just on me about that. They're making their $500 a pop, why the fuck must they manage my career? Anyway, I told Chuck I’d call him Monday and we’ll go from there.
 
 
JULY 1999