CrazyJohn the Superstar: Or half a song makes me the coolest!
Well... contrary to what I hoped to believe, my surprise was somehow half let out of the bag. Yeah... that's right... I went to Albion yesterday with Jimmy Shy to check out the Euphonics concert. I didn't want people to know that I was going to be in Albion because I'm a bastard like that... but the best part of the surprise was for later in the night. I'll get to it, but first...
Jim and I showed up around 5 or 5:30 Eastern Standard Time. He had the supreme honor to watch me order inventory from the road (that should be read with sarcasm). But I'm sure he found it interesting to see how much fun I get to have weekly in my phone conversations with Karen, the Sysco lady. Anyway... Jim and I got to Albion and almost instantly ran into Andy Groggel (perhaps it's because I drove up on the sidewalk a la Alex and Tony). I haven't seen him in like a year... how crappy is that? (Hint: very) We then ran into my son... whom I love and miss. We didn't see him long enough... he's always busy, just like his daddy. Jim and I then went and got food and headed back to the Kellogg Center. Upon arrival we ran into Chew, who now has a girlfriend who I remember trying to hit on once or twice (whoops! Hey... I hit on everyone equally at least). Speaking of hit on, allow me a brief digression to hit on my two favorite Chelsea/ys.
Chelsea, my muse: For those of you who don't know... I owe all (ALL) of my comedic inspiration to a solitary source: Miss Chelsea Sadler. I know it might be difficult to understand, as I was way funny before I even met Chelsea... but this previous statement is a lie, as I was not funny in the least before meeting Chelsea. She inspires me to be way cool so that really hot chicks like her might dig me... that is her gift. She also likes to ask me questions about myself and how my insane brain works. This is a total turn on. Know why? Because I find nothing sexier than... talking about myself. You know, when it comes right down to it, I'm probably just looking for someone who will let me watch myself make love to her, like Christian Bale from American Psycho except with less attractive stomach muscles and more pastry eating during coitus. (I can never tell if I've gone too far when I write) Miss Chelsea has a boyfriend who I could probably beat up, although I wouldn't want to because he's a great guy. Such is life... there always seems to be a hottie dating some dude whose ass you could kick if not for your conscious. But there are also hotties who date guys who could kick YOUR ass, and this brings me to...
Chelsey, my guilty pleasure: Yeah yeah yeah... I know I talked about having a secret (except now you know it) crush on Miss Chelsey Wagemaker... but let me tell you all something else: She's got a boyfriend who could kill me to death. He could probably do it with his newfound hair (which is actually a good look for him). Kill. Me. To. Death. I should just back away right? Right? Well... Chelsey's got red hair. And you know me and the red hair (and it's curly too). Plus! all I have to do is look at her a certain way and she blushes. And you know me and girls who blush (if you don't... I like girls who blush). PLUS! She lives in Grand Rapids. Why is that important since I'm in Chicago? I don't know... I'm just saying it's cool... and that I could pick her up on the way to see my folks so that they can meet her and we can get hitched as soon as possible, because I couldn't imagine being without someone as fantastically wonderful as Miss Chelsey Wagemaker. And she's hot. Don't forget that she's way hot. And I'm shallow. Don't forget that I'm way shallow. Good... we're all on the same page (page 273!). Let me get back to the concert...
The Euphonics concert was very well done. Very well done indeed. I really don't want to get into my feelings about it right now because I plan on writing an email to Mr. Mike Bohne to either read to the group or to post in the shared folder or something. And I hate being redundant... so maybe I'll just post the letter I send him once I'm done with it.
And now... here it is. So I've been talking to Bohne and Maggie for a while about coming to the concert to do "Sexual Healing". And, very recently, I learned it was going to be the encore. Then, even more recently I learned how they wanted to do the encore. You see... the Euphonics started the song without me on stage. I then entered (in as gratuitously dramatic a fashion possible) right before my part. What really got me at that point was the crowd's reaction. I honestly couldn't even hear myself 'rap' until about halfway through my first verse. Once I could hear myself I said to myself "I sound really high... that kinda sounds like shit... hmm..." I'm not looking forward to hearing myself on the CD (they're making a CD)... but I am WAY interested in hearing the crowd. It was so surreal that I kind of couldn't enjoy it while it happened... it all happened so fast. The song was over before I even felt like I was warmed up. I think I'm ready to go do it again ^_^
But what an ego boost!... a sorely needed one as well. As much as my cocky ass needs swift kicks in the balls... I'm kind of sick of getting it once or twice a week. Constructive criticism is good... it's how we get better at things; but I really needed to just go out and do something and not have someone tell me how it could have been better. So it was really really great to be able to be on stage and just have people tell me that I did a good job.
Speaking of which... slight sidenote: I ran into Doug Gohring at Albion. He's an art teacher there... and I've never taken one of his classes. I don't know if Sellers took any of his classes... I honestly don't know anyone who took a class from him. BUT after almost every major theatre roll I had and every Euphonics concert he would come up to me and tell me how great he thought I did and how talented he thought I was and how much he enjoyed the performance. Oddly enough, if you kiss my ass, I WILL remember you. So when he said something like "I'm not sure you remember who I am", and I say "Doug Gohring, right?", he said something like "Incredible".
And now I'll turn the sidenote into main text: I can't tell you how many people I hugged last night. It was insane. I hugged a few people I'm not even sure I knew. I hugged a few people I know I didn't know. And I hugged a few people that this court order >holds up paper< told me to stay 150 yards from. It was just a weird experience... but it was nice to feel like a 'celebrity' again. Like I told Andrea... in Albion I am someone, as opposed to the feces on the street I am in Chicago.
>sigh< It was very nice to be treated like someone who means something again... and it was so wonderful to be on stage again, after almost a full year... What can I say? It was worth losing all the sleep and having to drive 7-7:30 hours in one day. And now I'm really tired... goodnight :P