Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
George Carlin
The last time George Carlin was in Columbus must have been 12 years ago. It was in the old Three Arts Theater.
I interviewed him then and I thought it was odd that he wanted me to tape the interview. I did it, though I didn't tell him that the tape recorder didn't work when I connected it to my phone. I'm not the most electronically savvy person in the world.
I didn't see him then. I remember that week, though. One copy editor was on vacation and the other copy editor had a family emergency. I had to edit and lay out the entire entertainment section by myself. So it's at least 10 years ago because this was before we started To Do, which first published in 1997.
I just came from the Bill Heard Theatre where Carlin performed.
What I didn't know was that he brought an opening act. Not another comedian, though. Vance Gilbert, a very talented singer/songwriter performed. Armed with just a guitar and that fabulous voice, he won over the audience, even those who were heckling him.
Actually, I found out that Gilbert was going to open because Steve Sweet, the RiverCenter's technical director, told me. He said he had not seen Carlin all day. I asked if he was in his dressing room. "He hasn't been in the building," was what Steve said. In fact, Steve had to pick him up at 7:50 p.m.
Gilbert was on stage until 8 p.m. Then there was a 20 minute intermission.
And Carlin hit the stage around 8:20 p.m.
Unlike most of the people who have performed on that stage, he never acknowledged the fact that he was in Columbus. Not once.
That's not a crime, but a little odd.
I mean when I interviewed Kathy Griffin and Lily Tomlin, they both asked lots of questions about Columbus. Griffin used some of it in her act, and I was told that Tomlin did, too.
Carlin says he works up new material on the road and every 2-3 years, he does an HBO special. He'll be filming his 14th such show soon.
He apologized that he'd be checking his notes from time to time. And he did go through his stack of papers. But he never missed a beat.
Carlin's celebrating his 50th anniversary in show business. I remember watching him on the old shows like "The Merv Griffin Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." He was funny without using profanity. But he really doesn't use profanity for the sake of saying four-letter words. He uses profanity to punctuate his thoughts.
But he did tell some vile, disgusting, politically incorrect jokes. Jokes that he said people would be telling their friends on their cell phones even as they hit the lobby.
I noticed a few people with their phones out. I wonder if they were telling that especially bad Ozarks hillbilly joke.
My sides do ache a little from laughing.
And there were a lot of people in the Heard Theatre. As far as I could see, no one left the auditorium. I guess when people go see George Carlin, they know what to expect.
The show was irreverent and very funny. He made fun of parents who didn't let their kids be kids but scheduled play dates for them. He made fun of the entire Bush family.
The last thing he said really hit home for me. He said Americans assume we have all the rights in the world. But during World War II, Americans were sent to detention centers because their parents were born in the wrong country. My father was one of those people sent to camps.
Carlin says sometimes, rights are not rights, but they are privileges.
The only bad thing was we were sitting in the row in front of these two yahoos who yammered all through Gilbert's act. I mean they were talking loudly. After about 15 minutes, just as I was going to turn around to ask them to either quit talking or go out into the lobby, my sweet, mild-mannered sister-in-law, Cheryl, turned around and asked them to be quiet.
To their credit, they did shut up. But when Carlin came out, they hooted and hollered and whistled. I didn't mind that so much, because everyone was laughing. But they just had to bang on the backs of our seats.
Oh, well. There are rude people everywhere.
Let me know what you thought of the show.
I interviewed him then and I thought it was odd that he wanted me to tape the interview. I did it, though I didn't tell him that the tape recorder didn't work when I connected it to my phone. I'm not the most electronically savvy person in the world.
I didn't see him then. I remember that week, though. One copy editor was on vacation and the other copy editor had a family emergency. I had to edit and lay out the entire entertainment section by myself. So it's at least 10 years ago because this was before we started To Do, which first published in 1997.
I just came from the Bill Heard Theatre where Carlin performed.
What I didn't know was that he brought an opening act. Not another comedian, though. Vance Gilbert, a very talented singer/songwriter performed. Armed with just a guitar and that fabulous voice, he won over the audience, even those who were heckling him.
Actually, I found out that Gilbert was going to open because Steve Sweet, the RiverCenter's technical director, told me. He said he had not seen Carlin all day. I asked if he was in his dressing room. "He hasn't been in the building," was what Steve said. In fact, Steve had to pick him up at 7:50 p.m.
Gilbert was on stage until 8 p.m. Then there was a 20 minute intermission.
And Carlin hit the stage around 8:20 p.m.
Unlike most of the people who have performed on that stage, he never acknowledged the fact that he was in Columbus. Not once.
That's not a crime, but a little odd.
I mean when I interviewed Kathy Griffin and Lily Tomlin, they both asked lots of questions about Columbus. Griffin used some of it in her act, and I was told that Tomlin did, too.
Carlin says he works up new material on the road and every 2-3 years, he does an HBO special. He'll be filming his 14th such show soon.
He apologized that he'd be checking his notes from time to time. And he did go through his stack of papers. But he never missed a beat.
Carlin's celebrating his 50th anniversary in show business. I remember watching him on the old shows like "The Merv Griffin Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." He was funny without using profanity. But he really doesn't use profanity for the sake of saying four-letter words. He uses profanity to punctuate his thoughts.
But he did tell some vile, disgusting, politically incorrect jokes. Jokes that he said people would be telling their friends on their cell phones even as they hit the lobby.
I noticed a few people with their phones out. I wonder if they were telling that especially bad Ozarks hillbilly joke.
My sides do ache a little from laughing.
And there were a lot of people in the Heard Theatre. As far as I could see, no one left the auditorium. I guess when people go see George Carlin, they know what to expect.
The show was irreverent and very funny. He made fun of parents who didn't let their kids be kids but scheduled play dates for them. He made fun of the entire Bush family.
The last thing he said really hit home for me. He said Americans assume we have all the rights in the world. But during World War II, Americans were sent to detention centers because their parents were born in the wrong country. My father was one of those people sent to camps.
Carlin says sometimes, rights are not rights, but they are privileges.
The only bad thing was we were sitting in the row in front of these two yahoos who yammered all through Gilbert's act. I mean they were talking loudly. After about 15 minutes, just as I was going to turn around to ask them to either quit talking or go out into the lobby, my sweet, mild-mannered sister-in-law, Cheryl, turned around and asked them to be quiet.
To their credit, they did shut up. But when Carlin came out, they hooted and hollered and whistled. I didn't mind that so much, because everyone was laughing. But they just had to bang on the backs of our seats.
Oh, well. There are rude people everywhere.
Let me know what you thought of the show.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Procedure update
My endoscopy went very well yesterday.
Just like my colonoscopy last year, I had to go to the Medical Center at 6 a.m. My sister, Nancy, drove me there and stayed until I was ready to go home.
Unlike my colonoscopy, I didn't have to take any laxatives. Thank God!
And I don't remember a thing, except the crew in the room. They were the same ones from last year -- Angela and Dionne.
Dr. Prakash J. Thiruppathi did the procedure because Dr. A.D. Patel had back problems.
Dr. Thiruppathi spoke to my sister and told her that I had inflammations in my esophagus and stomach. He took some biopsies and he'll let me know what's going on with my digestive system.
That's that.
I'm hoping this will be it for a while.
Just like my colonoscopy last year, I had to go to the Medical Center at 6 a.m. My sister, Nancy, drove me there and stayed until I was ready to go home.
Unlike my colonoscopy, I didn't have to take any laxatives. Thank God!
And I don't remember a thing, except the crew in the room. They were the same ones from last year -- Angela and Dionne.
Dr. Prakash J. Thiruppathi did the procedure because Dr. A.D. Patel had back problems.
Dr. Thiruppathi spoke to my sister and told her that I had inflammations in my esophagus and stomach. He took some biopsies and he'll let me know what's going on with my digestive system.
That's that.
I'm hoping this will be it for a while.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
R. Kelly tickets
Hey, tickets for the R. Kelly show are $42.50, $52.50 and $62.50. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the Columbus Civic Center. The show is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Or you can go to any area Publix grocery store.
Or go to www.ticketmaster.com or call 706-494-8330.
The T.I. concert tickets also go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, so be prepared to stand in line.
Or you can go to any area Publix grocery store.
Or go to www.ticketmaster.com or call 706-494-8330.
The T.I. concert tickets also go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, so be prepared to stand in line.
Monday, October 1, 2007
A Busy Monday
It's only Monday, but it's been so busy.
First, I have to get a lot of stuff done because of that endoscopy scheduled for Wednesday.
Then the phone was ringing off the hook.
Lisa Allen, one of the new owners of Columbus Cooks, called and said she had Japanese nutritionist Sachiko Okada coming Wednesday to cook and lecture from noon-1:30 p.m. Of course, I can't be there.
But there's nothing stopping you from going. It should be a very interesting 90 minutes. Apparently, Okada had a skin condition that she blamed on aging. I know how that is! Anyway, she said her condition was "horrible." But after adding some supplements to her diet, her skin cleared up in two months. She'll talk about that and how food can help with your every day vitality.
Columbus Cooks is at 1658 Rollins Way.
Call 706-653-4700.
But the really big news is R. Kelly is coming to town. My friend Travis Steele, who is the assistant to Leonard Rowe, a big-time promoter who is originally from Columbus, but now living and working in Atlanta, called with the news.
Travis tried to get the tour to the Columbus Civic Center last year, but when Kelly's child pornography trial was moved, that tour fell apart.
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Opening the show are J Holiday and Keyshia Cole.
Ticket prices will be announced Tuesday, but they go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
You can go to the Civic Center box office or to area Publix grocery stores. Or call 706-494-8330 or go to www.ticketmaster.com
The T.I. tickets go on sale Friday, too, so be ready for long lines. The T.I. concert with Yung Joc and DK, also at the Civic Center, will be 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Tickets are $29.50-$39.50.
The really cool thing about the R. Kelly concert is he'll be rehearsing here for three days and then kick of his 40-city tour from Columbus.
First, I have to get a lot of stuff done because of that endoscopy scheduled for Wednesday.
Then the phone was ringing off the hook.
Lisa Allen, one of the new owners of Columbus Cooks, called and said she had Japanese nutritionist Sachiko Okada coming Wednesday to cook and lecture from noon-1:30 p.m. Of course, I can't be there.
But there's nothing stopping you from going. It should be a very interesting 90 minutes. Apparently, Okada had a skin condition that she blamed on aging. I know how that is! Anyway, she said her condition was "horrible." But after adding some supplements to her diet, her skin cleared up in two months. She'll talk about that and how food can help with your every day vitality.
Columbus Cooks is at 1658 Rollins Way.
Call 706-653-4700.
But the really big news is R. Kelly is coming to town. My friend Travis Steele, who is the assistant to Leonard Rowe, a big-time promoter who is originally from Columbus, but now living and working in Atlanta, called with the news.
Travis tried to get the tour to the Columbus Civic Center last year, but when Kelly's child pornography trial was moved, that tour fell apart.
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Opening the show are J Holiday and Keyshia Cole.
Ticket prices will be announced Tuesday, but they go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
You can go to the Civic Center box office or to area Publix grocery stores. Or call 706-494-8330 or go to www.ticketmaster.com
The T.I. tickets go on sale Friday, too, so be ready for long lines. The T.I. concert with Yung Joc and DK, also at the Civic Center, will be 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Tickets are $29.50-$39.50.
The really cool thing about the R. Kelly concert is he'll be rehearsing here for three days and then kick of his 40-city tour from Columbus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
