melissa's musings

Riffing with Joe Klocek, Nov. 28, 3-6pm, $80

Tootsie

Dave Chappelle - Cartoons

American Tune - Paul Simon

SF Gate/Chronicle!

Wow!

Read the full article from the June 19, 2005 SF Chronicle Datebook...or part of it below:

THE FUNNY BUSINESS ONSTAGE
- Delfin Vigil
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Kurtis Matthews does just about everything standing up.

Whether he's restocking soda and candy, putting up a poster of Lewis Black or adjusting a closed-circuit television, the guy behind San Francisco's Comedy College's Stand-Up Project has trouble sitting still.

The serious look ingrained on Matthews' face makes it clear that helping people be funny is no joke.

"This is a showroom for comedy -- not a toxic club," Matthews says, inspecting the new paint on the walls of the seventh floor of a Tenderloin building turned comedy club. "We're not here to get wasted. We're here to laugh and appreciate comedy as a pure form of art."

On Saturday nights Matthews and his comedy students convert their Mason Street classroom into the best comedy club in town -- where there is no two- drink minimum, no ID required and not even a cover charge.

"Part of the idea for the Stand-Up Project is to bring camaraderie back to the comedy community," Matthews says, standing next to a sign that reads "Over 1 Billion Jokes Told."

The evening begins with an open-mike hour at 6:30, which is when his "junior varsity" team -- beginning students from Matthews' satellite classes -- takes the stage. "The best of the varsity team starts at 8 p.m.," Matthews says.
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San Francisco Comedy College Stand-Up Project takes place at 7pm Saturdays at 414 Mason St. No. 705, San Francisco. Admission is free. For information on classes, call (415) 515-1098 or go to www.sfcomedycollege.com.

E-mail Delfin Vigil at dvigil@sfchronicle.com.

Come out, you guys... Seriously, it's a great show!

Cupcakes!

I made buttermilk cupcakes with chocolate frosting last weekend in honor of my 36th year and they were tasty! So it's the weekend again. And I'll be baking again. This time, I'm edging towards the spicy side of things with triple gingerbread cupcakes and lemon icing. Oh yes, it's spring and time to pay homage to the domestic goddess. Not only did I run out and buy my first plant last week-- a pretty purple and white cineraria, but I also received an incredible orchid last night, which is now gracing my bedroom with its hot pink greatness.

My favorite new pair of shoes: pale pink patent leather ballet flats with bows. Did I just turn 12 and not realize it?

It's all pink, red and purple right now. Cupcakes, glitter, flowers and pink shoes. Too much estrogen?

Hearing Problems

I looked up being hard of hearing and self-esteem issues online and came across this gem:

The consequences of hearing loss are many.

• First, the emotional consequences are anxiety, depression, negativism, irritability, embarrassment, frustration, anger, low self-esteem, and impatience.
• The social consequences are avoidance, silence, rejection, loss of intimacy, boredom, withdrawal, misunderstandings, conflict, and misinformation.
• Last, the physical consequences are indigestion, tension, headaches, high blood pressure, fatigue, heart disease, low tolerance for loud noises, and endangerment.

Anything else?

Maybe we should throw in some optimism, hope and humor. Oh, and I have friends, too. I think. ;)

I find this list sad, true and hilarious all at the same time.

How To Draw A Bunny

This fun documentary about eccentric artist Ray Johnson opens with a short teaching you, what else, but how to draw a bunny, then starts at the end. That's all I'm sharing. Check it out for yourself or just live vicariously. See be-bop legend Max Roach still playing the drums after 60 years. I enjoyed this little flick immensely.
 

Some Kind of Monster

I caught Some Kind of Monster on Saturday night and it rocked in more than one way. Besides all the great metal sounds, it was quite entertaining to learn more about the three mainstays of Metallica, our local homeboys made good, oh-so-good. I especially liked the many shots of San Francisco and Marin, as well as the band's therapy sessions and the way the film captured the guys' crazy rides through alcoholism and recovery. It's rock and roll.

Wow..these people rule!

I went to the San Francisco Public Library yesterday and thanks to the very helpful librarian in the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Center on the ground floor (thanks, Arden!), I caught up on my hard of hearing literature, but more importantly I rented a new video called Unheard Voices with actor/performer Gael Hannan. It's only 22 minutes long, but manages to touch upon many of the issues facing me and a fair amount of the other 28 million hard of hearing and deaf Americans out there. Gael's Canadian, by the way. And you can rent it from the library for free.

Speaking of women who rock, over the July 4th weekend, I checked out Samantha and the Ritual at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. They were keeping things plenty rocking on top of the hillside. Samantha's a tiny, indie, blondie chick (did I just write that? but it's true!) with a ballsy, boozy voice, if that makes sense at all. She's selling $5 demos at her live shows and her new record will be out in September.

And speaking of yet another woman who rocks, please check out Christene LeDoux. Her music is more folkie than indie rock, but she has an amazing voice and writes very powerful songs about people, places and love. You may catch her at one of the many festivals this summer or in the UK on her fall tour.

Oh, and one more plug for an excellent new book I found at the library called "Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears: The Road to Better Hearing" by John M. Burkey. After enjoying so much of the information, I just have to put out the good word!

I've worn hearing aids in both ears since birth and love hearing as much as I can, so I personally do not struggle too much of the idea of wearing hearing aids. To me, annoyances or not, it is FAR better to hear as much as possible than to struggle more than I already do to hear on a daily basis. I have run into a few people over the course of my life that also fall into this boat, but I've also had my share of encounters with people who stubbornly refuse to even consider the thought of getting hearing aids, because hearing aids will supposedly make them officially old, ugly and fill-in-the-blank-crap-excuse.

Funny how no one ever says that about getting glasses. Sure, you might see some 1940s movie in which the ugly too-smart gal with glasses and hair back suddenly becomes a gorgeous glamour girl when she removes her glasses and lets her hair down (see To Have and Have Not with Humphrey Bogart) but in any case, the days of four-eyed comments and so on are long gone, perhaps with the helpful advent of contact lenses and the popularity of the "hot librarian" fetish. Or not. Maybe people just matured and got over it.

Growing up, I ran into this very problem with my grandmother, who insisted her hearing was fine, despite much shouting, too loud televisions and so on to the contrary. Even as a child, I could not understand how she could be so stubborn and also, in my mind, so callous as to dismiss my urgings to "try a hearing aid -- it works for me." Callous because well, what's good for the little goose, apparently, isn't so great for the older goose. Well, thanks, Grandma! I appreciate the love and support. She's dead now, though (in Eddie Izzard voice. ;) ) so it's okay. Anyway, this book and Gael Hannan's video (see above) both address many issues that I've never seen anywhere else, including the sensitive topics of sexuality, privacy, denial, acceptance and most importantly, the many, many fears people have about being hard of hearing.

Please educate yourselves and others. Sorry to be so preachy, but I sincerely wish people would know this stuff.

Outside mostly

I've been spending almost every day and night out and about, enjoying the great weather we're having here in San Francisco. On Saturday morning, I drove out to Walnut Creek for a dim sum brunch with a group of gals from Bay Area Linkup, a social networking group. Great food at Tin's Tea House, including a shrimp-mango spring roll that was new to me and lots of tasty steamed dumplings, and good conversation was had by all. It was worth the drive, although coming back to the City was a bit longer than I expected.

Last Wednesday, I performed 25 minutes in front of a festival crowd of one and a half. Well, three people, including a five-year-old boy. Hmmm...what grandmother brings her young grandson to a comedy show? Well, someone in Saratoga, apparently. I had a bit of a time adjusting my set, but it worked out fine. I don't think he was really paying attention anyway.

On Friday, I went out to Sacramento for a half-hour set at Luna's and it was pretty good. There were no five-year-olds in the audience, anyway, so that helped, and there were several friends and family that showed up to support the other performers, which was cool. Mostly, it was just another chance to get more comfortable with longer sets, as I'd like to have an hour show eventually.

Yesterday, I walked over the hill to the Union Street Festival and was shocked by the low numbers of people milling around. I felt bad for the businesses, as hardly anyone was around -- no lines, no drinking, no smoking, just a little music. The kids' block was popular, though, and the new baby boom is in full swing. One thing was unnerving, though, was the large group of teenagers that were standing on every corner, armed with free books about a girl who died at Columbine. Apparently, the Christians are in full conversion mode right now. No big deal, but I felt like they didn't really think their marketing plan through. When I asked one of the teens what the book was about, he said, "Well, this girl was at Columbine and when the killers asked her whether she believed in G-d, she said yes and they shot her." So she had faith and she was killed anyway. I'm not sure why I need to read the book. Yes, I'm missing the point. But somehow they're missing it, too. Can I have a clue sent over?

Brian Regan

Yesterday I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Brian Regan (We even took a picture together! Well, so did all the other 15 people there, but still...) at his Q and A session at Cobb's yesterday afternoon. He's been called the funniest club comedian in America and the title suits him just fine after twenty years of very hard work. He was just as nice as he seems on stage and I thought it was pretty cool of him to hang out with us for an hour, answering questions about his career and his experiences on the road. It was fascinating to hear about his own growth over the years in his act and how he emphasizes pleasing the audience, not in I'll-dance-like-a-monkey-if-you'll-laugh-at-that way, but in just wanting everyone to have a good time. He works squeaky clean and appeals to a wide audience, yet I never feel like he's hacky. Two years ago, I almost pissed myself laughing at his bit about the guest bathroom. Yes, the guest bathroom. I know, it's hard to believe, but it's not so much his subjects as his expressions, movements and voice. If you missed him this time around, he'll be back. Don't miss him and buy your tickets as early as possible, because he sells out every time.

Word Wars

Last night I saw the hilarious documentary Word Wars at the Roxie about four participants in the National Scrabble Championships of 2002. I quite enjoyed it, especially the contestant who also happens to do stand-up comedy (a man after my own heart!) and the charming, somewhat snobby New Yorker scrabble aficionados (there's a scrabble word for you) of Washington Square Park. I love Scrabble and it was fun to once again experience the somewhat pretentious, yet endearing filmgoing experience of San Francisco in which the audience applauds heartily at the end, even though the filmmakers were not at the screening, as if to applaud ourselves for having such good taste. Ha! I love this city.

Spellbound and The Cockettes

Yes, there are too many documentaries floating around in these pages, but real life is more fascinating than fiction. I saw The Cockettes first, and it was kinda fun. The Cockettes were a mostly gay performance group that put on naked love fests of song, dance and glitter in San Francisco from 1969 to 1972. The film romanticizes the short-term hippie era of free love, drugs and expression, which is great for delving into false nostalgia for a time I wasn't around to enjoy. I liked the people and the fact that no one had any regrets whatsoever, despite losing many of their friends to overdoses and AIDS. Interviews with John Waters, the honest portrayal of what happened when the group tried to take their local phenomenon to jaded, hipster New York, and the joyous creativeness and enthusiasm of its members are among the highlights. The film also touches on the trials of communal living and the volatile nature of group dynamics. As for the shows themselves, it's clear that drugs are necessary to truly appreciate them.

Then I watched Spellbound, about eight young kids competing to win the National Spelling Bee. I was moved by the kids right from the start and praying for all of them to win. Well, almost all. There was one really annoying kid I couldn't stand to watch. But mostly, the kids were charming. More interesting than the actual competition was the portrayal of the vast cultural and economic differences represented among the participants and their parents, and how those factors played a strong role in determining who had the best shot at winning. This is not exactly news, but I was deeply touched by some of the stories.

Wow...this guy is something else

I went to see Will Franken perform his one-person show last night at the Marsh Theatre. It was amazing. He's really something else, and has taken the art of stand-up and performance up to a new level, which is very exciting to see. I especially enjoyed his poking fun at white liberals, open mic comedians and other ego-centric types. It was so good that I'm wondering why I bother getting on stage. Seriously, check this guy out.