Yet again, my life
throws a curveball that I never could've fathomed. You
ready for this? What if I told you that word
around town is that Aspen this year is a complete
joke. So much of a joke that many HUGE agencies, and
BIG execs - AREN'T, EVEN, GOING. That's right -
STAYIN' HERE. Get this:
Charlotte was on
some insider industry boards online and she found some
very interesting posts on Aspen:
"The Aspen
Comedy Festival is the disaster of the year. No
one's going. No one."
-WOW.
"I have to
agree. Going to the cold to hear Whoopie Goldberg
and the South Park boys talk about freedom of
speech does not sound like fun. The Smothers
Brothers are the ONLY interesting people there this
year. Even their theatre projects (which are
usually the best things up there) sound BORING! And
yes, I don't know of any A-level execs going this
year."
-GOD LOVE THIS COMMENT.
First of all thank GOD some other people agree that
"Freedom of Speech" doesn't sound very fun. It's a
comedy festival for cryin' out loud. And of course
saying all the theatre projects sound boring (where
my one-man show would've been) just makes me grin
ear-to-ear. The Trinitrons is anything but boring.
As well, NO KNOWN A-LEVEL execs going this
year. Wow.
"I work at a
major agency and we're sending a grand total of
zero people to Aspen this year. The festival's kind
of over in terms of breaking new
talent."
-This is when
Charlotte started saying it feels like we "dodged a
bullet". If this is a prevalent feeling in this
town right now, Aspen doesn't seem like the best
thing to be a part of. And dare I say that it
seems that Aspen needs a show like "The Trinitrons"
a lot more than "The Trinitrons" needs a festival
like Aspen? If people aren't going because things
seem boring it certainly makes you wonder. It sure
seems uppity of me to say that - but MAN "The
Trinitrons" would certainly make things interesting
for the festival.
"Aspen Loser
Festival is more like it. There's a problem when
the big event is a tribute to center square Whoopi
Goldberg. She hasn't been funny since Color Purple.
And has anyone noticed that the median age of the
performers is 50?"
-No shit. I
nearly peed my pants when Whoopi was RAPED. !!??!?!
I assume this person meant BEFORE The Color
Purple. I still like Whoopi, though I can't
remember the last thing she was in...either way,
it's very clear that Aspen is growing quite the
reputation already - the list of acts only came out
a week or so ago.
"I work at a
network, and this is the first year that no one is
trying to be the ones to go to Aspen. I can kind of
see why, the topics sound boring, the stand-ups
there usually suck and so far nothing sounds neat
in the theatre and film side. What
happened??"
-You just have
to wonder what people would be saying had
I been there.
And therein lies
the rub really. Talk about standing out. Yes, it seems
Aspen is losing a bit of it's luster since the line-up
was announced - but winning Aspen is still winning
Aspen. However, if it turns out that this year's Aspen
is not the "industry event" it was supposed to be -
then guess what probably won't happen? Signing the
talent coming out of it. Which means I've lost
absolutely NOTHING by not going...and even moreso: may
have dodged a bullet if Aspen is seen as this lame.
Wow. WOWOWOWOW.
Now I am not gonna
say I'm happy to be turned down. I don't give a shit
if Aspen this year is seen as the "Thrifty Car Rental
Bowl" of comedy festivals: it's still a competition -
and I'm a competitor. As well, if I was one of
the 5 one-man shows at Aspen right now - I'd be
bouncin' off the walls with excitement. Knowing that
I'd be the talk of the festival, no matter
HOW shitty the year is. It would be
AWESOME.
We'll have to see
what the next month or so brings in terms of comments
as well. If sentiment continues in such a manner, the
fact that I was snubbed by Aspen could end up being a
funny annecdote in a meeting. Who knows. All I know is
that those 5 Industry quotes absolutely, positively
made my January. And man has it been
rough...
The past 3 days
have been quite tumultuous. Trying to define what's
happening to my career and why. I wrote in "Just
Imagine" when I was 17 to "See the road ahead, and
make it yours". There's a reason I wrote that...it's
how I live. I gotta see it. I can't aimlessly
wonder through it hoping something will pop. It's why
I started to lose it in late 2000 - I wasn't seeing
anything happening. It's why I was asking people
ONSTAGE "CHOOSE MY CAREER" LOL. Charlotte
did just that - and I flew with it. And what
I have to realize is the "acting" side of it is
just simply that: a SIDE. A section. A part.
I think what
scared me is just how well I seemed to fit there. I
look at those pictures, and what should fill me with
pride because they turned out well - scares the
bejeesus out of me because I look the part sooooo
well. If others feel that way too - convincing them
that I'm more may be difficult.
What I really
failed to realize is that "The Trinitrons" is gonna be
thrown in the faces of EVERYONE. Every casting
director in this town will not only be getting monthly
postcards of my head shots...they'll be seeing a
Trinitrons poster on the front side. We're doing
everything we can to make sure every single person
knows my range by getting them TO the shows, sending
them TAPES of the shows, all the way down to postcards
with PICTURES of the show. That is still the CRUX.
That is still the most important part. And that is
what will keep me alive.
In other ongoing
sub-plots - somehow there's a strange kink in the
plans with Bobcat Goldthwait. Get this. My show is too
short to open for him. HUH?!?! Their opening acts are
65 minutes. WHAT?! HUH!?! I'm not really sure why this
has come up all the sudden, seems it'd be the first
question asked when being booked: "How long is your
show?" - LOL. They're looking to team me up with
someone. It really sounds like a way to pay me HALF.
LOL. Figures I'd see that side of it. Half of
something is better than all of nothing. I keep
saying that - but I keep getting
nothing.
The Comedy Store
is taking stranger turns by the minute. And with the
locked entry - I don't even know where to start. What
I'll most likely do, is when there's a resolution to
this most recent event - I'll post an entry and unlock
#167 at the same time. Then you'll see what's been
happening. Utterly unthinkable.
The Ha-Ha is
getting to be just as nuts too. First off, that "other
show" I thought I was gonna have before the
new year is no longer a reality. Not sure why, it just
isn't. As far as the club itself: they want me to have
my own night, and I of course want to be part of the
Def Comedy Jam night on Wednesday. It does me no good
to have a night where I just bring my people. I do
want to help this guy, and WILL - but I gotta get that
Wednesday night in return. The kicker? Apparently
someone completely seperate books that night - and
even though the owner LOVES "The Trinitrons", he
can't make the lady book me on her night. Charlotte
gave the lady a card and it seems we're starting from
ground zero there to get that night. (sigh) Life is
never as it seems is it...
..I mean who'd
think I'd be playing a Japaneese restaurant tomorrow?
LOL. I wanna walk onstage EATING SUSHI - and
start the show.
HOW LIVE ADAM IS THAT!!!!! Ha.
Yup, that's the Gersh Talent Agency Showcase show
happening tomorrow. It should be interesting if any
agents want a meeting with me after the show. Seems
probable...heh, like that matters. I'm saying NOTHING.
:-)
And let me leave
you with a laugh. Thank Chad Sturgil for this pic. A
WTVN listener from way back had to rub my nose in it a
bit...
Yeah, that's Ben
Savage from Boy meets world. And I'm a year older than
Fred! Not in that picture though. Goddamn that's a
horrible picture of me. It's how I saw myself
when I was a teenager and felt fat and unattractive.
Thank the lord for facial hair.
Whew. Ok.
I'm me again.
Adam
Ahh,
and I'm on a roll with videos this month.
Here's my symbolic Aspen video for how I'm
feelin'. It figures - what takes me an
hour to write can be summed up in one
17
second
clip.
