Category: True Life Adventures
Shambling
Long ago, way back in November of 2004, podcasting was in it’s infancy. I always like to say there were about 300 podcasters back then and we all knew each other. That’s actually not far from the truth. Back there there was a site you could submit your new episode to and it created one giant feed to subscribe to. Something you couldn’t do today, for sure. Everybody knew each other and everybody was just having fun. There wasn’t a thought of monetization or social media, people were just enjoying producing in a new medium.
Back then I listened to a lot of podcasts. Listening to what other people were doing with this new fangled invention and one of the very first podcasts I remember listening to was GEEK FU ACTION GRIP hosted by Mur Lafferty. Who was this mysterious Mur? I had no idea. I knew she lived on the East Coast somewhere and I found the first episode I heard of GEEK FU ACTION GRIP absolutely hilarious. It was an essay about how she sort of had a crush on Steve from Blue’s Clues having watched it so much with her daughter. It was funny, well written and presented in a way where I knew I was going to subscribe. And I did.
Fast forward to today, December 2013, just over 9 years later, and I’m happy to say that this mysterious Mur is a good friend of mine. In fact, just moments ago we had a conversation via text about production on my Advent Calendar and her daughter, Princess Scientist’s. In the past 9 years Mur has become a friend and an inspiration. I’ve watched her pursue her dreams as a writer and go from selling a few article, self-publishing a novel and then, bam, landing a book deal. As I said, she’s a good friend and a creative inspiration. Proof positive that if you work hard you can achieve your dreams.
Back in May of this year, Mur’s first professionally published book, The Shambling Guide To New York City was released. Being a fan I, of course, pre-ordered and had it delivered to my door the day of the release. Unfortunately, with touring and other things going on my time to sit down and read is very limited. I got 6 books last year at Christmas and they are still on my bookshelf waiting to be read.
But Mur is amazing and, because she understands the value of podcasting, she actually podcaster the audio of her book. FOR FREE! You read that right! For FREE! Through the podcast I was able to ‘read’ the book and it is fantastic. And I’m not just saying that because Mur is my friend. I really did think it was great.
It is an ‘urban fantasy’ about a young woman who moves to New York and gets a job writing a guide book to the city. Except this guide book if for monsters visiting the Big Apple. Zombies, Vampires, Water Sprites, Dragons, if you have a favorite creature, chances are it’s mentioned in this book. It is funny and Mur has a great knack for writing some fun action sequences. I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes a fantasy set in present day.
And the great news is that it is the first book in a series and the second book comes out in March of 2014!
So, friends, check out this book. Below are links on where you can pick it up, and I highly recommend that you do! None of the links below are affiliate links, I just wanted to promote this really fun read.
The Shambling Guide to New York City
By Mur Lafferty
Podcast (Only available until December 15, 2013)
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Epilogue – Puppet Up Playlist
I love music. When people ask hypotheticals about if they’d rather lose sight or hearing I think I’d have to go with losing sight first because audio is so important to who I am as a person. I love the way that something you hear can make you feel a certain way. It’s one of the reasons I love producing audio dramas. Finding the right sound effect or piece of music that fits perfectly for that part of the story will instantly put a smile on my face.
I also love music. Music can just make you feel some many things. The right song can make you feel incredibly happy or rip you to your very core. Puppetry is, obviously, a visual medium but music plays and important part in it. Puppet Up is no exception. There’s our opening and closing numbers, there’s our new finale piece called The End and there’s Windy, Java and I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face that play a huge part of in the show. Then there’s the underscoring that Dan, our accompanist, does. I always get a big laugh when Dan finds just the right song to play after the blackout of a scene.
But there is other music that I really associate with Puppet Up and that’s the music I’m listening to at the time or that I hear while on the amazing trips. For example, the first time I went on tour with the show was in 2011. I joined up with the tour in Florida for a string of five shows. Since I was meeting up with the tour I flew to Florida on my one and then got a taxi to the airport. While in the cab, Foster The People’s Pumped Up Kicks was playing. I’m not a terribly huge fan of the song, but when I hear it I always think of that feeling I felt, driving to meet up with the tour in Florida, ready for a week of adventure and shows.
I thought it might be of interest, to no one but me, to make sort of a record of some of the songs that I was listening to while on this recent Toronto Tour. Here’s ome of the more notable selections complete with YouTube links.
The Hellacopters – I’m In The Band
This is my ‘show song.’ I listen to this before every show to get pupmed up and ready to go on stage. This and Alcohol by Barenaked ladies really get me ready to puppet up.
Martin Solveig Feat. Dragonette – Hello
This one will always remind me of the Toronto tour, like Pumped Up Kicks will remind me of the Florida tour. This run we got brand new pre-show and intermission music and this track plays during intermission. Not really my type of song, but it’s poppy and fun. Ted HATED this song with a passion and would constantly say, “I think there should be a video of this song where the girl is just running away from that noise.” By the end of the run Brian had a whole dance routine worked out to it that he forcibly made me learn one night. Several times we got our intermission ‘places’ call and this song would come on as were standing backstage, ready to go for Act 2. Everyone would be dancing. Ted even danced one night.
Neko Case – Calling Cards
Neko’s new album has been on heavy rotation on all my music paying devices. So many great songs. This one is my favorite. From the first time I heard it. While in Toronto, I heard an interview with her on NPR and she talked about how it’s about being on the road with a band and missing other bands you play with and wanting to be with them. Love the line, “Looking like you just woke up from making songs.” Kind of a perfect song for being out on the road and away from home.
Jonathan Coulton – Space Doggity
I love me some Jonathan Coulton. The David Bowie exhibit was in Toronto while we are there. I’m not a huge fan but several of our group are and they went and saw it. There was a lot of Bowie talk and it got me thinking about this song by Jonathan. Such a sad song and a sad story. I’ve talked about it elsewhere on this blog. Listening to it a few times on this trip got me thinking that, someday, when I have the time and inclination, I’d like to create a puppet piece based on this song.
Bleu – Could Be Worse
Blue is my ‘artist of the year.’ I’ve had a song by him in my collection for awhile. A song I loved (Snow Day). I rediscovered him through a Jellyfish fan group as a member of Jellyfish sang on one of Bleu’s songs. Anyway, I love this song. Rocking, great lyrics. Good message.
Shawn Colvin – Wichita Skyline
While perusing my Twitter feed one morning I saw a tweet from Shawn Colvin with a picture of the real Wichita Skyline and it got this song in my head. Great song about being stuck in you life and unable to break out.
Dar Williams – It’s Alright
Listening to Shawn Colvin got me thinking about Dar Williams and this song. Listened to this several times while in Toronto. In the hotel and walking around the streets. THis is a great song and I’m glad I rediscovered now. Has a lot of meaning for me in this point of my life and things going on around me.
It’s time and I am changing,
Into something good or bad
Well, that’s your guess.
Something about this song just really hooks me deep inside. It’s about loss and moving on, changed, but “It’s Alright.” Listening to this song also got me onto Dar’s I Saw A Bird Fly Away. Another great tune.
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 16 – Home
Up early today. Well, earlier than in past days. Our van to the airport arrived and we bid farewell to our home for the past two weeks. Upon arrival at the airport we all dealt with the pleasures of air travel: Checking in, paying excess baggage fees, customs, security check. Once through everyone was a lot less stressed out. Brian and I had a nice breakfast/lunch. I had been starving because i hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before.
Soon we were boarded and winging our way back to Southern California. Did a lot of writing on the flight and checked out the rest of World War Z and watched most of Pacific Rim on the flight. After landing we hopped a shuttle back to where it all began, The Jim Henson lot. Goodbyes were said and I believe the general feeling was this was a really successful string of shows. Some tech bumps in the beginning, but soon it was smooth sailing. It was ALL fun.
Big thanks to our crew who do amazing things to make us look so good on stage. Juliana keeps us all on schedule, Greg gets us up and running, Brandon who got our video up and running and the local Toronto crew who kept us looking and sounding good the whole run.
Thanks to Dan Ring, our music man. Missed dancing with you as much on this tour Dan but always fun to hang out with you. Let’s compare laptops when we get them!
Big shout out to Amanda for being the besets puppet wrangler and here’s to finding a new friend! As I said before, always incredibly nice to meet someone who has that level of passion for puppetry. Thanks for all the kind words you said. Hope we meet up again soon, and I’m looking forward to seeing YOU perform sometime.
Thanks to Arnold of Westbeth Entertainment for believing in the show and always seeing to that we’re taken care of. Big thanks to Brian Henson, without whom, the show would not exist.
To my fellow puppeteer freaks, I love each and every one of you and am grateful for those laugh moments we shared…
Colleen – Our Squirrel scene will live on in the Puppet Up Hall of Fame
Ted – our pilot scene early in the run was great but you managed to pull off the most amazing puppet effect I’ve ever seen during that last Bond improv.
Peggy – Always a pleasure to be ‘out there with you.’ Loved our Flashback fun, each and every time. Never before have Kidney Stones made me laugh as hard.
Michael – Two words….List Them. Your non-sequitors during the Bedtime/Spooky story were always hilarious.
Brian – “We’ll deal with you later French Canadians” – You are an inspiring improviser to watch, so loose and free. You always kept me on my toes during the Bedtime/Spooky stories. You are a good friend. Appreciate all our talks. And thanks for introducing me to Indian Food.
Thanks to all the amazing Toronto audiences. Your suggestions, laughter and kindness will long be remembered by this Puppet Upper. I truly do hope we are back very soon.
Finally, to Patrick. Amazing director. Amazing teacher. Amazing friend. Thank you for letting Leslie Carrara-Rudolph talk you into taking a chance on me, a non-improviser, limited puppeteer, way back in 2007. These past 6 years (6 YEARS!!!) have been an incredibly journey and the most fun I’ve had….ever. Grateful for all I’ve done and hopeful there will be more/ Will gladly follow you into improv battle any day of the week.
It was an absolutely perfect trip.
Well, that’ll wrap it up for this tour. Thanks, so much, for following along with this tour diary. Feel free to stick around to see my mostly-irregular ramblings or we’ll see you back here next time there’s a tour I’m on. If you want to keep in touch with what I’m up to you can…
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Thank you, thank you, thank you and…
PUPPET UP!
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 15 – Goodnight Toronto!
(Photo By Dan Ring)
I knew this day was coming, but it still hit me…last day of the tour. Last Puppet Up shows for awhile. Last full day in Toronto. The ‘End of Tour’ Blues setting in big time.
After waking up, I worked on my words and got a good 1919 written in my NaNoWriMo novel. It’s coming along. It’s all garbage, but it’s coming along.
I then got ready to head out to the theatre about an hour before our call for the matinee show. I stopped by the theatre to do a quick load of laundry as I realized the day before I’d done my laundry a day early and was now in need or a few more clothing items to wear on our travel day home.
After starting my laundry, I decided on a burger joint that’s right next to the theatre. A place that also sells gelato. While waiting in line Peggy came in so we had a bit of an impromptu lunch date. This place had a flavor of gelato called: Bacio. I thought I deserved a free scoop, seeing as it’s a good portion of my last name. The woman behind the counter was so dour I didn’t press it. Peggy and I had a great time talking about our love for the show and how we hope we get to do it again soon. After our lunch it was time for soundcheck for our final two shows of the run.
The Sunday Matinee show was a ton of fun. Was honored to be in a piece that was really a standout on this tour. It was a new choice scene with me and Colleen and the suggestion was Squirrel Baiting. Colleen had already picked up the red squirrel puppet, her favorite, so the path of the scene was clear. She was the squirrel and I was baiting her. What made the scene so great is Colleen didn’t say a word in the entire scene. It was just me leaving out nuts for her and her advancing and then creeping backwards. It was simple, it showcased puppetry, it was just a really funny scene. It ended with her attacking me and me yelling, “Squirrel Rape!” but other than that it was a classy scene.
Alien Barbershop suggestion was Hunting. My rhyme:
Oh every season,
I got hunting deer.
Never shoot anything
But I kill four cases of beer.
Not the best of the run, but it got a good chuckle. The Sunday matinee crowd was great and after the show I got a chance to chat with puppeteers Kanja Chen and Tom Stewart. Glad to talk to them in person as opposed to virtually. Both great guys.
Took the break between the matinee and the call for the 8PM show to walk back to the hotel and drop off my laundry. Soon it was back to the theatre for the final show.
What a show. This show was just loose and crazy and from the opening moments, the cast just seemed to decide that we were all going to screw with each other. From the opening number to the closing number were were having just as much fun as the audience. In the James Bond number the suggestion for the villain was The Ejaculator. By the end of the song, Ted had run off stage and come back with a bottle of hand sanitizer and created what might have been the single greatest and grossest puppet effect ever performed on stage. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what he did.
During another scene, Michael was playing a condemned man and I came in as the executioner. After strapping him into the ‘gizmo’ I said something to the effect of, “Clybourn, you have been sentenced to death for your crimes.” Without missing a beat Michael goes, “List them.” It was just so perfect. The audience loved it.
My final Alien Barbershop suggestion was Mediation.
People who meditate,
To you I scoff
I get more relaxed
If I just jerk off.
Dirty, but that’s where it seemed the show was going.
The crowd for the 8PM show was amazing. A great way to wrap up a great tour. After the show the whole cast went to the lobby for photos and then we hustled back to the stage to help Amanda pack up the puppets. We got it done in record time.
After we went to the Artful Dodger Pub to have a closing night get together. Ironic because that’s where we went the first night after arriving in town.
After the hang out in the pub, it was back to the hotel. Once there I had a nice time talking with Amanda about puppetry and the projects we’ve both worked on. Always super fun to connect with someone who has similar passions as you. Even though we’re on separate coasts, we know a lot of the same people so it was fun figuring out who we both knew.
(Photo by Dan Ring)
Then it was super late and it was time for bed to put the cap on the final day of Toronto shows.
