The Songs of Johnny Go

On Tuesday night, fiveseconddelay and tommx were awesome enough to treat me to a Boys Night Out* which, somehow, had the unspoken feeling for all involved of being a "last hurrah."

Thing is, I only have a few days left of having no life before... well, before life gets to have me, following by me quite literally getting a life.

Soon, we'll have to prepare for the journey to and from the Rogue Festival in Fresno, CA, to perform The Road to Nowhere, which we'll also be taking to Orlando Fringe in May. Along with the baby's due date as June 30th, and there's talk about us moving to Delaware permanently. There's going to be so much more preparation, and there's going to be so many things for which I simply don't know how to be prepared at all. My days feel distinctly numbered.

But it's not a bad thing. Speaking purely for myself, I'm ready for my life to change. At least, as ready as I can be. I just don't know what to expect. From ANY of it. I just feel adrift, knowing that land is finally in sight and ready to set foot there, but uncertain of what I'm going to find waiting for me.

Five years ago, I'd have been scared shitless. Now, I'm just waiting to see what comes next. No matter what, I think it's going to be great. I'm certain that the best years are still ahead. I just don't know, and it's the uncertainty that I'm feeling most right now.

Soon, I'm going to do two posts. The first will be to announce I'm accepting 2011 reservations for rentals of my beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As I'm doing less Fringes than usual this year, my income will be largely reliant on rentals, so I have to get the word out.

The second will be a list of baby-related stuff we'll be needing, if any of you family folks have extra stuff left over that you're willing to pass on. Henchgirl and I are compiling a list of what we have, what we'll need, and what we can get ourselves. Economy, naturally, is key here.

Will post other stuff too, hopefully featuring the glorious return of my sense of humor. :)





*I can't believe I'd never heard of Sidebar in Silver Spring, but dear lord, it's my new favorite bar ever. Although I probably won't feel the same way when 1.) I'm paying, 2.) I'm driving, and 3.) it's crowded like it's supposed to always be. So seriously, thank you again, tommx and fiveseconddelay, for a great time out and letting me get spectacularly drunk on amazing gourmet cocktails I may never get a chance to drink again.

Except for the bacon whiskey maple drink. I don't care if it's ten bucks, I AM getting that again.

I had my Remington's cherry popped last night at my first-ever Rudes' karaoke night. Not many people were there, probably due to the debate, but it was a grand night out nonetheless. I like to think I made an impression on people there; several just seemed impressed that somebody actually sang "Weird Science."

Also fun is the recurring question people have when they first meet me: "How many have you had?" That's just me, pally. That's just me.

But using a microphone takes some getting used to, man. How else to explain the difficulties I had trying to sing Harry Nilsson's "Coconut"? Still, I may have pulled that one off, in my own Hefnerian fashion. The DJ, who has seen many bad singers up there in his time, simply remarked with a stunned, "...wow" to my performance. When I asked if that was good or bad, he said, "It's just... wow."

I dare say I rocked "Dead Man's Party" (they have TWO Oingo Boingo songs! YAY!), even if my voice was so hoarse by that point that I could barely hit the notes on "Don't run away, it's only me." I went in there last night with a mildly sore throat, and now I can barely speak, but it was worth it.

Next time, I'm doing Jim Carrey's take on "I Am The Walrus" and maybe, just maybe, Meat Loaf's "Rock and Roll Dreams Come True."

Reading this interesting but flawed list of unusual Shakespeare adaptations, I was reminded that there was a time when I considered L.A. STORY to not just be my favorite Steve Martin film, but also my favorite appropriate date movie.*

And really, as far as films go, it's far from perfect. The biggest flaw is the one that really should sink the film entirely, namely that the leads have absolutely zero chemistry whatsoever. I forget who declared the film law that actors who are dating in real life have terrible chemistry on screen, but L.A. STORY is a prime example with Steve Martin and then-wife Victoria Tennant (and what the hell else has she done since?). Let's face it, Sarah Jessica Parker's SanDeE* is the far more compelling love interest, and that's saying something.

Plus, it has Sarah Jessica Parker.

Plus plus, it's terribly dated, but what do you expect when your story lovingly skewers the superficial shallowness of Los Angeles (which, ironically, is always relevant and timely)?

Plus plus plus, the climactic moment involves Enya.

And yet, I loved the film when I first saw it, mainly due to the wonderful combination of wit, quotability, Shakespeare, and magic realism. Flaws and all, I was still ready to call it Martin's masterpiece when I rejoined the Rude Mechanicals from a semester abroad in London to take a part in their production of AS YOU LIKE IT. This was notable for two reasons: 1.) it was my first ever exposure to the play, and 2.) it was where I met Tammy.

When I revisited L.A. STORY not long after AYLI wrapped up and my affair with Tammy went into full-blown adolescent Chernobyl, I noticed something I had never--could never have--caught the first times around. It was a moment that would pass unnoticed by even most Shakespeare nerds, a quote that is hardly well-known, unless of course you had reason to know AS YOU LIKE IT pretty damn well.

As such, try to imagine how I felt when I saw this scene:



Even watching this out-of-context clip, my eyes still burn.

Time to revisit this film, methinks.


*As opposed to my usual date movie choices, RAVENOUS and THE NINTH CONFIGURATION. Or if I'm feeling mushy, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL.