Being as this is my first post here on the new blog, I wanted to start in the style of one of my favorite bloggers, and good friends, Mandy Morbid (psssst, she's a porn star). Here is a link to her blog, shes funny, insightful, and honestly, its a great read. Also she posts a fair amount of pictures of her tits on it, so it never gets boring. Here is a link to her blog (NWS): MANDY MORBID'S BLOG!
So here we go, Mandy style... i.e. answering questions posed by a friend (normally about her last few days, but these are general).
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1- what are you wearing?
I'm honestly not happy unless I have my "uniform" of jeans, comic-book t-shirt, and black Dickies over-shirt... and today... I am happy. Well happy with a sweater. (SaxFact: I own every long sleeve shirt Dickies makes in black)
2 - Why is gravity important?
What if its not? What if its been holding us back? Sure you love gravity now! But tell me that when you're falling out of a bay window!
3 - have you ever peed off a bridge?
No. Until now, its never come up. I wouldn't be opposed to it. (SaxFact: I had a very important kiss on a bridge once... the things we remember and what we tie them too)
4 - what's so funny about cow tipping?
A better question would be, what ISN'T funny about cow tipping? Find me a big land mammal that'll let me push it over into mud, and I'm a happy gun. Some cows die from cow-tipping I've been told... couldn't care in the least.
5 - who's your daddy?
Magnum P.I.
6 - what would God say to you right this minute if he called on the phone?
Probably wouldn't get much out edgewise as I kept willfully disbelieving him...
Me: Well if you're God, why are you calling on the phone?
God: I just didn't want to scare you my son...
Me: Bullshit! Who is this... Keith... is this Keith?
God: I am the lord your god, and I insist you listen to what I have to say!
Me: Well if you're god, why don't you MAKE me shut up! Huh! Mr. Omnipresence...
God: SMITE SMITE SMITE
Me: (smote)
7 - what's your preferred condiment?
Mustard... or wait... Soy Sauce... is that a condiment... or... well I guess its a sauce.. duh... so Mustard. But I love me some Soy Sauce!
8 - has anything been named after you?
A friend once gave me and my roommates some goldfish named after us... They all died pretty quick, the fish, not the roommates... but Sax-Fish lasted the longest. When it comes to fish longevity, having the shape to be named after the heavy-set roommate = long life.
9 - what was the best prize you ever got?
I won 2nd place in a stand-up contest the first time I ever did it, that helped me have the faith in my act to continue in NYC without any training or experience. But I also used to bet girls kisses on card tricks, I won a fair amount. More then once that kiss led to a relationship I probably didn't deserve... those were good prizes... so to speak.
10 - what was the one that got away?
Mostly its the "ones" who got away... and there is a short list of names there... but I also made some bad business choices and sank one of my best Television ideas once... still have a LOT or regret about that.
11 - ever eaten raw meat?
Yeah. Lots.
12 - do you own underpants you only wear of special occasions?
I once bought a pair of like 50 dollar boxer-briefs , and figured I'd use them for sex-dates... I wore then more then once... and the sex part never really came though. Comfortable as all hell tho.
13 - have you ever achieved bliss?
During my drug and excess phase I hit the cocktail of pleasures just right. I wouldn't want to try again... flying too close to the sun and all.
14 - have you ever been naked and in sand?
Oh GOD no... that's almost scary! You have no idea how little I want sand in places on me... it keeps me up at night to think about it.
15 - what was the last thing you were arrested for?
Driving without insurance... for the 4th or 5th time...
16 - name the sexiest fruit?
Paul Lynde
17 - if you were having twins tomorrow, what would you name them?
Blake, and Lawton (boys)
Jessica and Jennifer (girls)
18 - who's there?
The Shadow? (SaxFact: Loved the movie "The Shadow"... and have to defend that constantly)
19 - do you believe in life after death?
I refuse to speculate on the afterlife... we simply have no solid information on what it could possibly be. But I look forward to finding out. Really I do.
20 - is the great pacific garbage island manufactured environmental hype?
What you've landed on here is one of the worlds greatest unclaimed assets. Trash! Trash Treasure.
---
Well thats it. 20 questions to start me off. Not all funny, or even interesting, but a good way to get the ball rolling. More soon folks, more soon!
SAX
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Influences Update 2009 and beyond:
I have been realizing lately as I go from comedy show to comedy show (in a collection of equally improbable locations) that I have been changing from one "style" of comedy to another pretty quickly these last few months here in sunny L.A.
I think more then anything this comes from a new perception of comedy brought on from the change of local. I have a new lease on what the real art is because I have a much broader spectrum of live shows to see, and much LESS interest in the people who make it on TV with the whole sold-out side of the art form.
Still mostly TV comedians like George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Louis C.K., Patton Oswalt, Eddie Izzard, Dennis Leary, Sam Kinison and mostly Bill Hicks.
Frankly it comes as no surprise that most of those men are dead... and long so... as modern comedy is still trying so hard to capture the lightning in a bottle of the Pryor era that its lost focus of where it is going... at least on TV. The few living comics that are mostly TV seen are obscure.. or unique in their focus on say... obscure history improvisation.
More then anything I am influenced by comedians that I play with or see live here in LA... with the obvious exclusion of GEORGE HAMM who is now, and always will be my greatest influences...
George "Hammy" Hamm is in my mind (and I am not alone in this) the greatest comic to ever could out of Maine and the anchor that keeps the Comedy Connection profitable and present...
He has something that all Portland comics have tried to mimic from day one... he is comfortable... almost vibrant on stage... and he is human and real and all of this adds to a level of pure funny that is seriously... jaw dropping! I have never... never... never... seen him unable to find a crowd, even the hardest crowds with the worst attitude warm up to the man. He has so much material in his head that he can adapt to any audience pull, any suggestion, any shouted random comment. The man is a master comic and he more then anyone showed me what I need to do to "do it right". He is also a great friend and charming entertainer of not just audiences but folks outside smoking etc... he's just a born entertainer... and I love seeing him work. I doubt I would be able to capture that magic in any whole way, but I try to channel little bits on stage and I know it makes me a better comic.
Also from the Portland Comedy Connection I am strongly influenced by Tuck, Joe Riccio and Rich Pickford... who both found unique voices and delivery and are never afraid of being themselves on stage and that's an important lesson to have been taught. Also just great people, who keep that inter-fraternity of comics fun and humanizing.
Following me to LA, and in many ways contributing to the LA comedy landscape as soon as they arrived were my fellow Insiders of Comedy; Dan Fredricson and Dustin David who I have the advantage of "growing up with" comedicly. We have learned from and taught each other. Dustin of course couldn't be any closer to me then any other comic and we talk about all these developmental things and bumps in the road. Dan is like liquid inspiration and working with him to this day helps me write.
"Honorary Insiders" Kevin Kneles, Ian Harvie, and Tony Moschetto are also people I can totally look up too, and who teach me about some of the most important stage lessons but also mostly being at it longer then me can help me with the "why am I doing this" questions we all have.
Here in LA however I have found some real amazing folks that have changed the way I see comedy... and who have made me want to get better, faster, but also to capture something of their unique spark and style that entertains me so much. I am strongly influenced in LA mostly by: Duncan Trussell, Kyle Kinine, Natash Leggero, Ian Bagg, Yassir Lester, Leah Myette, Matt Fulchiron, Eddie Pence, Hugh Moore, Fancy Ray McCloony, Dragon Boy Suede, Ron Lynch, Mark Ellis, Ed Greer, Angelo Bowers and Mack Lindsay (who I can't say enough about).
Its been such a gift to work along side all these great comedians and to learn from them.
I adore their work so much, its the best part about comedy is to be so close to so much amazing talent and often free.
I love comedy, and its mostly because of people like these... who make me strive to be better every day!
I have been realizing lately as I go from comedy show to comedy show (in a collection of equally improbable locations) that I have been changing from one "style" of comedy to another pretty quickly these last few months here in sunny L.A.
I think more then anything this comes from a new perception of comedy brought on from the change of local. I have a new lease on what the real art is because I have a much broader spectrum of live shows to see, and much LESS interest in the people who make it on TV with the whole sold-out side of the art form.
Still mostly TV comedians like George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Louis C.K., Patton Oswalt, Eddie Izzard, Dennis Leary, Sam Kinison and mostly Bill Hicks.
Frankly it comes as no surprise that most of those men are dead... and long so... as modern comedy is still trying so hard to capture the lightning in a bottle of the Pryor era that its lost focus of where it is going... at least on TV. The few living comics that are mostly TV seen are obscure.. or unique in their focus on say... obscure history improvisation.
More then anything I am influenced by comedians that I play with or see live here in LA... with the obvious exclusion of GEORGE HAMM who is now, and always will be my greatest influences...
George "Hammy" Hamm is in my mind (and I am not alone in this) the greatest comic to ever could out of Maine and the anchor that keeps the Comedy Connection profitable and present...
He has something that all Portland comics have tried to mimic from day one... he is comfortable... almost vibrant on stage... and he is human and real and all of this adds to a level of pure funny that is seriously... jaw dropping! I have never... never... never... seen him unable to find a crowd, even the hardest crowds with the worst attitude warm up to the man. He has so much material in his head that he can adapt to any audience pull, any suggestion, any shouted random comment. The man is a master comic and he more then anyone showed me what I need to do to "do it right". He is also a great friend and charming entertainer of not just audiences but folks outside smoking etc... he's just a born entertainer... and I love seeing him work. I doubt I would be able to capture that magic in any whole way, but I try to channel little bits on stage and I know it makes me a better comic.
Also from the Portland Comedy Connection I am strongly influenced by Tuck, Joe Riccio and Rich Pickford... who both found unique voices and delivery and are never afraid of being themselves on stage and that's an important lesson to have been taught. Also just great people, who keep that inter-fraternity of comics fun and humanizing.
Following me to LA, and in many ways contributing to the LA comedy landscape as soon as they arrived were my fellow Insiders of Comedy; Dan Fredricson and Dustin David who I have the advantage of "growing up with" comedicly. We have learned from and taught each other. Dustin of course couldn't be any closer to me then any other comic and we talk about all these developmental things and bumps in the road. Dan is like liquid inspiration and working with him to this day helps me write.
"Honorary Insiders" Kevin Kneles, Ian Harvie, and Tony Moschetto are also people I can totally look up too, and who teach me about some of the most important stage lessons but also mostly being at it longer then me can help me with the "why am I doing this" questions we all have.
Here in LA however I have found some real amazing folks that have changed the way I see comedy... and who have made me want to get better, faster, but also to capture something of their unique spark and style that entertains me so much. I am strongly influenced in LA mostly by: Duncan Trussell, Kyle Kinine, Natash Leggero, Ian Bagg, Yassir Lester, Leah Myette, Matt Fulchiron, Eddie Pence, Hugh Moore, Fancy Ray McCloony, Dragon Boy Suede, Ron Lynch, Mark Ellis, Ed Greer, Angelo Bowers and Mack Lindsay (who I can't say enough about).
Its been such a gift to work along side all these great comedians and to learn from them.
I adore their work so much, its the best part about comedy is to be so close to so much amazing talent and often free.
I love comedy, and its mostly because of people like these... who make me strive to be better every day!
Monday, November 9, 2009
re-post, death of an icon
Current mood:
awake Category: News and Politics
It stuck with me. We lost Hunter too soon... not perhaps surprisingly considering how he lived, and he wasn't all that young... but we NEEDED him now. We needed his view of this world today as America comes closer and closer to the edge... and now he's gone...
and now... so is Carlin... another person who wielded a scalpel and cut chunks out of the collective stupidity of our nation... and humanity in general... He did it just smart enough to make some of it stick... every few bits would click with somebody and change the landscape...
and now he's dead...
Watch his routines on religion and government and disease phobia and false security and maybe you will feel what I feel... a real FEAR that nobody will say stuff like that again!
Who is going to follow him up? DANE COOK! That trumped up freak is not going to make this world smarter he's already sent up reeling in the wrong direction... Fuck him... and most of the main stream comics who never got the point that comedy is about change, finding the bullshit that needs changing and pointing fun at it...
Our last hope comes from queer comics who have learned to attack the system and point at the flaws and cracks... but they are caught up defending themselves from anti-queer rhetoric and people using GAY as a derogatory synonym for stupid. At the end of the day acts like Ian Harvie will maybe be our last hope, when they have paved the gender wars over and move onto our government...
but until then...
Who do we have left?
All I can think of is Mel Brooks... and he hasn't made a movie in years. And no offense to Mel, who is pretty amazing at the social commentary, but I hope thats not it...
Because comics and movie makers are our only chance we have left... politicians are NOT going to help us... they are part of the machine that is making it WORSE....
Sorry I love Barak... and I plan to vote for him... but FUCK HIM! He isn't going to change anything... thats like saying a new driver can make your car into a plane... its a DRIVER it can't change the system...
So the passing of George Carlin leaves us with a huge void in the landscape in terms of pulling ourselves back from the brink... with very very few heros left.
So this is what I ask of you dear reader. Say your goodbyes to Carlin... and have a shot in his name... and they write a letter... yes WRITE A LETTER to Mel Brooks, begging him to make at least one more movie before he are mourning his loss too...
Write him @:
President
Brooksfilms Limited
c/o Culver Studios
9336 W Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
USA
Lets get this made...
PS: thanks for listening...
PPS: goodbye George... you were the best of us!
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