"Blah! Blah! Blah! (A Talk Show)" (which returns to the Dark Room Theater Saturday night, 2/2/08, at 10 pm) is a deceptively simple event. Creator and host Kevin O'Shea opens the show with a 10-12 minute monologue, and then he welcomes his guests, all comedians in the SF Bay Area. What happens after that is basically controlled chaos. It's like Iron Comic in that preparation goes out the window, and it's all about thinking on your feet and being funny in the moment.
When Blah! Blah! Blah! first started, I think we all had a vague idea that we could simply do our material the same way, only while seated. However, we quickly learned that doing scripted material in that format was quite awkward. The rhythm is off, the audience can tell it's planned, and the BYOB nature of the Dark Rom seems to put performers and audience alike more in the mood for improvisation. The result is that every show is unique. Even if you've seen a certain comic many times, he's pretty much guaranteed to bring out something new for the talk show.
At the last show I performed at, Matt Morales and Jason Downs discussed the awkwardness of Matt living with Jason's mother, Mary Van Note talked about working for a professional ultimate fighter, and I busted out my Nicolas Cage impression (normally reserved for private gatherings and movie theaters advertising National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets). The most recent Blah! Blah! Blah! featured members of the sketch group Boomtime! (one of whom, Alex Koll, returns Saturday night.) and somehow led to a moment of pantslessness where we learned that Moshe Kasher and Mr. O'Shea wear the same style of briefs.
This year, Blah! Blah! Blah! is getting more elaborate with the addition of a sketch duo (Substandard Comix) and critical commentary from comedy coach Kurt Weitzmann. Add those to the already-formidable lineup of Kevin Camia, Chris Garcia, Sean Keane, and the aforementioned Alex Koll, and what you've got is a hootenanny waiting to happen, especially if you grew up in the rural South and never adjusted your slang. There have been rumors of mariachi bands at future shows, which will be held on the first Saturday of each month this spring.
Tickets are $7, BYOB. The Dark Room is on Mission Street at 19th, across the street from >Cancun Taqueria, the traditional home of the Blah! Blah! Blah! burrito afterparty. Bear in mind, the show does occur on Groundhog Day, so until we do the show perfectly, we might be trapped in an infinite loop of blah, blah, and blah. Just a head's up.
dude! what is with the zemblr thing? and what does "HT" mean in reference to my lovely self?
Zemblr is like a short-attention-span blog. It's pretty much for short posts and scrapey things; i.e., posting photos and videos and links mini-chats found elsewhere. It's updated quite frequently if you're into that kind of thing. I've been beefing it up gradually, out of boredom and pressure from other excellent tumblrs, like those of Chris Garcia and Paul Scheer. It's really good software, IMO. Omar has one, mostly full of links about vegetarianism and 90's hip-hop, and Geets also has one, which has lots of reblogged chats and capital letters. I believe I came up with the latter's name (g33ts.tumblr.com).
"HT" means "hat tip", or, "She pointed this thing out first, not me." I am not an online plagiarist, so I cite my sources.
ahhhh, i assumed it was something along the line of "hat's off to you" but couldn't figure out why it was only 2 letters. text speech is sometimes too simplistic for my brain to grasp.
i've read parts of gettika's actually. i really enjoyed the whole peanut butter thing.
well HT to you, keane, for being able to maintain so many blogs with assiduous care.
one of these days i'm going to make it to a "blah blah blah" but not today as i'm going to the ballet tonight. but i like that it's becoming a monthly event. this offers me multiple chances!
and by the way, you don't have to be from the south to enjoy a hootenanny, you can be a buffy devotee.
Oz: We should figure out what kinda deal this is. I mean, is it a gathering, a shindig or a hootenanny?
Cordelia: What's the difference?
Oz: Well, a gathering is brie, mellow song stylings; shindig: dip, less mellow song stylings, perhaps a large amount of malt beverage; and hootenanny, well, it's chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny.
Xander: Well, I hate brie.