Heaven isn't too far away...

Been having a very metal week. (And I promise, I'll get to the second part of my "Soundtrack to Your Geekdom" post on heavy metal)  I finally caved and bought a ticket to the BIG 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax) at Yankee Stadium. I figured it was a once in a lifetime experience (getting to be ON the field at Yankee Stadium is going to be killer) and I've been wanting to see Metallica and Megadeth since I was in 7th grade. More on this after the show!

Well, that was the good stuff.

Jani Lane's death came as a big shock. One of those things that you come across on a newsfeed or something that you might not think twice about. The more I reflected on it, the sadder I got. Jani Lane was the former lead singer of 80's hairmetal band Warrant, probably best known for their ballad "Heaven" and the horny hit and karaoke standard "Cherry Pie".

But to me, they represent my adolescence. "Down Boys" was the first song I ever learned to play on guitar! I remember practicing it every day on the cheapo acoustic guitar that I got for my birthday in 6th grade. I played the song over and over on my stereo and played along with it until I got it "right". I also remembered changing the words to "Blind Faith" and playing it for my church group (!!). Sigh.Memories.

I actually own 4 or 5 of Warrant's albums (which qualifies me as a fan--since only their first two albums had any hits). I have a Warrant t-shirt somewhere in the attic. A souvenir from seeing them open for Poison some 25 years ago. And the video to "Cherry Pie" is probably responsible for me successfully making it through puberty. (And yeah, Jani Lane ended up marrying Bobbie Brown -- the girl in the video). Case in point:

But in all seriousness, Jani Lane's passing is incredibly sad. After years of struggling with addiction and weight issues (Lane even appeared on Celebrity Fit Club) he seemed like he was on a healthy path and ready for the next chapter in his career. He looked clean, healthy, and focused on his last appearance on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show (which aired shortly after his passing).

Weeks after Amy Winehouse's death, Jani Lane's passing might not be as newsworthy to some -- but it was to me. It made me think of some really great memories in my life that was associated with his music. I'm not going to pretend that he was a deep philosopher, but his music did teach me about fun and love -- especially in my most formative years. And for that, I thank him and will remember him fondly.

R.I.P. Jani.  We'll be playing "Heaven" here.

Where is the (geek) line?

 So, I've written about a lot of my geek obsessions. What I haven't mentioned is where I draw the line. Meaning: what won't I devote my energies to get to know at the "fan" level?


I have yet to write about anime (one of my great loves) and video games (love--but unfortunately, can't play at a really proficient level) -- but rest assured, I will get to those.

What I'm saying is -- where do I draw the proverbial line and say "NO, NOT THIS!"

Whether these are a product because of lack of time or lack of interest -- I cannot call myself a fanboy/geeklover of any of the below (though, I reserve my right to change):

• I used to pride myself on not becoming a Trekkie/Trekker (whatever is the PC term) and yet -- I do love the movies and would be interested in watching the original Star Trek series and TNG. 
• I have yet to see any of the new Doctor Who episodes, though I have seen some Tom Baker ones when I was a kid and was terrified of the Daleks. Will likely start watching sooner than later.
• Somewhat fascinated by the whole MMA and UFC thing -- but my WWF and WWE love would trump that (eh, it comes and goes, but when it comes down to it I'm still a Hulkamaniac)
• Love the Yankees and Knicks -- but can't watch every. single. game. like ahem...my loved ones. (You know who you are, you two.) And 6th grade Abe will always love the Mets.
• No fantasy sports for me! Meh. 
• PC RTS/RPG games-- dabbled, but never got into it.
• Scrabble -- again, meh.
• I can confidently say that I have never played Magic:The Gathering, Warhammer, or Dungeons and Dragons. 
• I have no interest in participating in Live Action Role Play (LARPing), Civil War re-enactments, Renaissance Faires (mostly because Asians would look kind of silly in the last two).
• No to cosplay.  

Any yays or nays for the list above? What should I try or avoid? 

So where do YOU draw your geek line? 

Louie, Louie.

I've been "aware" of Louis C.K. for years now. I knew that he did stand-up, was a writer for Chris Rock and Conan and produced some funny stuff. I wouldn't necessarily have called myself a fan, even though I thoroughly enjoyed his controversial HBO show Lucky Louie  back when it aired in 2006. I thought what he did was pretty, pretty good. But recently, I've come to appreciate his comedic and artistic genius because of his current (and now Emmy nominated) show, simply titled Louie -- absolutely brilliant.

**I'll take a step back and explain a bit. I'm going to free associate a bit and try to make sense of this: geekdom covers a wide scope of things. I've blogged about my typical geek passions: comic books, movies, music, tv shows, literature etc. But there are subgenres that if you think about it -- are genres unto themselves. I'd say, I am a bit of a COMEDY geek. (Which is a subgenre of tv, film, literature ..and yet, it expands into it's own genre. Does this make any sense? ) Some of my all time favorites: Arrested Development, Mr. Show, Spaced (see previous post), The Kids in The Hall, The State, The Mighty Boosh, Upright Citizens Brigade, Maria Bamford, Ricky Gervais, David Sedaris, etc.**

Louie -- if you haven't seen it already on FX -- has a loose format. There's bits of Louis C.K. (divorced with two kids, in real life and on the show) doing stand-up and then one or two -- I'd call them short films or vignettes -- that may or may not be related thematically to the bit of stand-up.The rhythm of the show, the way that it is shot, and the fictional vs. nonfictional elements of the show are completely unpredictable and wonderful.

Louie's comedy is filled with the lowbrow/highbrow stuff that I love. (And man, does he get away with a lot of mature themes on FX. Definitely not for kids!) He'll do an entire episode on masturbation that ends up being really thought provoking when he meets (and hits it off) with a woman from a Christian group that is against "self-abuse". He'll have a fight with a comedian who has conservative views and then spends the night in the hospital with him because their friendship is deeper than they can express. He will have a one night stand with a hot young lady who is into weird smelling old dudes. He will spend a night with an old friend who plans to commit suicide because his comedy career has failed. He'll have the absurd moments alongside the emotionally tethered ones -- equal parts pathos, joy, and fart jokes.

The show features some comedians and a guests that Louis has worked with. Ricky Gervais (who Louis worked with in The Invention of Lying) plays his inappropriate joke-spewing doctor. Todd Barry, Nick DiPaolo, Hannibal Burress and others also appear in episodes. Dane Cook was on the show and Louis addressed the controversy of Cook supposedly stealing from him -- in a very even-handed and hilarious episode. There aren't that many recurring characters (and sometimes actors change or play other characters -- there are no rules) other than his two daughters, a single mom character (played by the awesome Pamela Adlon -- who played Louie's wife on the HBO show and is also a consulting producer on the show), and a few others that return for more than one appearance.

 

The bottomline: His divorce and the realization that his kids are the reason for him to keep going is what he credits for his reinvigorated career. A lot of stand-up comedians spend their entire careers perfecting an hour of material and jokes that they can tell over and over. Louis does this every year--creates an hour set and won't repeat them the year after. He comes up with brand new material every year. Crazy.

Another major reason why the show is so appealing to me -- NYC is a featured character. The Comedy Cellar, the Olive Tree Cafe, Bleeker Street, Washington Square Park and other recognizable spots remind me of my days at NYU and working and living in the city. (Oh, wait! I live in Manhattan now! Sometimes, I forget. Always a Queens boy at heart.)


Recently, I listened to the Louis C.K. episodes on Marc Maron's awesome WTF comedy podcast.
The shows were about Louie's career and his (strained) friendship with Maron -- pretty great and revealing. Definitely check it out if you are a fan.

Which brings me to this: I'm a huge fan of Louis C.K. now and I'm hoping for good things for him in the future. I'm happy that he's hit his stride and getting the recognition that he deserves. I'd gladly share a pint of ice cream and some donuts with him. *manhug*

Geekomnivore score: Pizza-rific! (You shoulda finished that whole slice!) **Watch the show.and you'll get it.


*Images sourced from the Web. Gingers!