Thanks Hank — WeaselMaster

Kansas City, MO — More fun last night at the Plaza in KC. I really like Kansas City… I saw the famous lights in downtown on their final night. Lucky me.

So during our Garden Weasel routine this guy from Alabama starts calling out, “He’s the Weasel Master!”, and he just wouldn’t stop. It was actually so funny and we had a good time playing with him. From the stage I asked Milt, who got an award for being with KC Life for 55 years, to confirm that as far as he knew that was the first use of the term ‘Weasel Master’ in the company’s history.

The stage setup was very bold at this event. We were on a 3′ high raised stage with a 20′ long runway jetting from the center to another ‘stage’ where the Award Winners sat to enjoy dinner and the show. The rest of the people were at rounds on the ground level. It offered so many options for moving around, playing with the crowd, changing things up.

We did our whip routine with a guy named Scott from Topeka, KS who is a world champion bow hunter. I had a great talk with him at a reception after the show. He hunts in Antarctica and around the world. It was fun to enjoy a good local beer, chocolate dipped strawberries, and hear tales from his world – including a week of Muskox hunting!

We are at the airport now heading to Boca Raton, FL for a show tonight. Been a busy week and having more fun every night. What’s with that?

I hear them starting up the plane.

Barry

Right Management is ALRIGHT by me

Boca Raton, FL – Sometimes we know a company so well, or we study their website and it’s very easy to understand what they are about. Tonight the humor really came from us not understanding a thing about what the company does and they loved that. It wasn’t so much that we were trying to play the irreverent card, it was just plain old not getting it. See if it’s just us. Here is a sentence straight from their website:

Right Management provides services across the Human Capital Lifecycle.

Now, I have a commercial pilot’s license, studied math through Advanced Trig, and single-handedly figured out how to install a Subaru engine into a VW Westfalia Camper, but that sentence has me scratching my big, bald head. It must have been something I didn’t learn in the 4 years of college I didn’t attend.

The lesson is this: you don’t have to pretend to understand or embrace something to have fun with it. But — don’t fake it. Come clean, use it as your premise for comedy and audiences will dig that honesty. Oh, and make sure the jokes are funny [:)]

We did a 60-minute show and earned a couple standing ovations. The crowd weighed in at around 150 in a very elegently decorated ballroom at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. I like this resort very much. We have been here 1/2 dozen times over the years. It’s expensive — just enjoyed a $30 in-room Caesar Salad that tasted exactly like a $7 one I get home, but for a few nights I can just pretend it all makes sense.

Then there is the pool — what an excellent pool. 25 yards long and the exact same temperature as the outside air. It’s like moving into a floatation tank. I did 3×500 yards before sound check and I’ll certainly do at least that in the morning before the ride back to the airport.

It’s been a good tour and we get to go home for the weekend. Back on the horse Monday morning with a trip down to Garden Grove, CA for another round of wackiness.

Stay tuned.

Barry

Those Crazy Flooring People

Howey-In-The-Hills, FL -PS America. PSA. These people sell flooring products to the trade. Call a ‘showroom’ a store and you owe them a buck. I paid on stage for that mistake.

We made 4 appearances throughout the evening’s award ceremony and it was a real great event. Produced by one of my all time favorite corporate producers – they always make sure everything is just right. It all seems so easy with Charmagne in control (although her pinch hitters were there tonight in her absense. Thanks Karen and Lisa).

The highlight of the show for me was a woman from the audience caught my ping pong ball and at the cheering of her table mates after Dan suggested it, she popped it into her mouth and spit it back to me.

I caught it in my mouth, spit it back to her and she caught it in her mouth. The crowd went absolutely crazy… I really wish there was a way to make that work every show… darn.

Then she came up to bring it back to me (probably for fear of starting the cycle over again) and she holds out her hand to shake. I say, “After what we’ve been through I think more than a handshake is in order…” and she pulls me down and kisses me on the lips. It was a pretty funny section… we had to regain control of the house after that.

Making memories for companies… I guess that’s our contribution to the world. If I were in the audience and saw that, I would bet ANYTHING that it was a setup. But, as all of you at PSA who know Crystyna, it wasn’t set up. Watch out for her — she’s going to drive you guys way above that 50M goal this year – no doubt.

This is not normal — if you’re reading this and thinking, “OH GROSS!”, well, yeah, but things happen in live theater and that’s what we all hope for.

Busy month ahead… Keep Reading.

Barry

PS… Oh, and Dan was great tonight. When he said that one thing and did the other thing… I swear I teared up, again.

Harman Pro Group

Huntington Beach, CA – It is always a welcome challenge doing a show for people in the industry.

Tonight we had an audience of 200 people who sell sound and lighting equipment to stadiums and arenas all over the world. It’s challenging because these are usually the guys who are behind the sound board, on a lighting catwalk, tuning up the mics — but now they were dressed up in suits and getting awards and watching a show.

They don’t know how to handle themselves. You can almost see them reaching onto the table (where their sound controls would normally be) and adjusting levels.

We did an hour and after about 10 minutes they were able to forget who they usually are in this setting and laugh it up like any room full of people.

I saw some of the most phoenomal equipment I have ever laid eyes upon. A sound board (sorry, don’t remember the make or model) that is all digital and touch control. The level sliders can sense if you meant to move them, or it it happened by accident. If you bump a random bunch of them up, they instantly return to where they were — right before your eyes. Oh man, my nerdy side is coming out. I’ll stop with the tech gushing.

They gave out some huge awards to guys who just set up the arena in S. America for 1.5 million people at a Rolling Stones concert. That’s an opening act spot I’d take in a second.

The production at this event was world-class. The Hyatt here in HB is a seriously state-of-the-art venue. Thanks to Jennifer, Paul and Cristina for making it such a fun day and night. And the suite — thanks! I could see living in this room.

Car is coming to get us at 5:30 AM as we have a show in Kansas City tomorrow night. It’s a busy week.

Barry

2007 Starts at Home!

We start out 2007 with a home town concert — well, for me.  Dan had to make the 2.5 hour drive but it was so darn worth it.  And, I must say right off the bat, the man was in rare form. Really, more so than ever.  He was on a roll and I lost it a number of times.

We had a sold out house of 300, including about 50 extra chairs in the front row and over 200 people at the door who couldn’t get in.  Damn… I hate that.

Our great friend Dave Nachmanoff opened the first and 2nd half of the show and he is just so darn good.  Go buy all his CDs right now — really.  Don’t get me started on how much I love Dave.

We got to do a few routines that we never tour with.  It was so much fun to have a theater packed to the gills with people who I see all the time in this wonderful small community.  I think we will do another local show this year — 3 years was way too long between local shows.

Zed did the very first opening act before Dave and he killed.  Did his diabolo routine with the music from his little Casio keyboard that he walks out with and turns on.  So calm, controlled, peaceful is he on stage.

Big month ahead.  Eight more shows all over the country.  I’ll be remembering tonight every time I step onto another airplane.

Wish you were here…

Barry