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Last night was the best Cavern of Whimsy yet. No disrespect to past performers, but this one worked like gangbusters from beginning to end, and I’m proud to have been a part of it. I’ll say this: I’m a lousy promoter and I can’t get butts in seats. I’m hoping to turn that around, but until I do, I’ll be satisfied that those who do attend get a phenomenal show, which this was.
Above is a painting by storyboard artist Dan Murphy. He got the suggestions “Rice-A-Roni” and “X-Men” and imagined a film in which Magneto hijacks a Rice-A-Roni truck, Wolverine defeats him, and Cyclops celebrates with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. If my girlfriend weren’t a diehard Dodgers fan I’d hang it on the wall with the rest of my past-show artwork. As it stands, I’m expected to find a location for it that she doesn’t ever have to look at.
What else happened?
A lot:
–My SoCal Slideshow Tours segment hit the Sunset Strip for an in-depth look at the most rock ‘n roll part of LA during the Halloween season.
–Dancer HeavenNezCree did a delightful routine with a broken radio that kept changing songs, forcing her to switch dance styles spontaneously. It also included a minute of silence for an A Capella solo. I’ll definitely be featuring more dancers in the future, because this was whimsical as hell.
–Standup comic Yedoye Travis killed for 12 minutes straight with really sharp, funny material. I don’t want to give away any of his bits, I’ll just suggest you go see him live. He’s gonna be huge.
–I made a cartoon! I’ll post it on the Cavern of Whimsy YouTube page later this week, but for now I’ll say it’s either the worst or best thing I’ve ever done, and seeing it played live for an unprepared crowd was enormously satisfying.
–Meredith’s Facebook Photos did an improv set based on an image of a Dad and a young girl at a computer, which involved a power struggle at a tattoo parlor, a genius 11-year-old who hates his kickball friends, and the sexual predators of Silicon Valley. They’re the host team of the Same Same show, usually on the first Sunday of every month; a fitting double feature with the Cavern.
–Finally, Diego Davidenko had a stellar performance of one song featured on his EP and two brand new ones. There was also a moment of unintentional comedy right before his set, where I awkwardly attempted to assemble his microphones for him, and who doesn’t like that?
What a night. I’ve literally never been happier than I was after this show.
Won’t you join us December 1st? It’s going to be huge, packed house or not.
-Mike