SOFT ROCK EXPLOSION

Mark Siano and The Freedom Dancers

Come and see Joey and Mara Saturday night! This is going to be the best show yet! We have a horn section!!

Saturday, May 3rd, 8 PM
Chop Suey
1325 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98122
21+, $10 at the door, or Brown Paper Tickets:
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/31655
or 1-800-838-3006

We’re back with “The Softest Show on Earth!” Mark Siano and The Freedom Dancers present SOFT ROCK EXPLOSION, a brand new cabaret-style spectacular. This event will feature flashy dance numbers, original music and soft rock sing-a-longs led by a 7-piece band, music videos, stand-up and sketch comedy, and of course, a lot of ridiculously sexy people in ridiculously sexy outfits.

Seattle Neutrino Society will open the show with their signature videos and music, including a Patrick Swayze movie montage. Featured vocalist include: Miss Mamie Lavona, Joanna Hardie, Erin Stewart, and Celene “Leeni” Ramadan. And to complete the night, Seattle DJ BARBARELLA will turn Chop Suey into a giant soft rock dance party.

The Freedom Dancers www.myspace.com/thefreedomdancers :
Joey Chapman
Laura DiMarco
Andrea Ford
Abigail Guay
Joanna Hardie
Lieta Siano
Mara Siciliano
Additional cast includes Rachel Hynes, Paul Levy, and Conor McNassar.

Band:
John Kranz, band leader and keyboards
Dr. David Bowe, guitar
‘Skinny’ Lynn Cook, trombone and trumpet
Darryl Estes, alto and tenor sax
Ted Jones, drums
Dan Leary, bass
Aaron Malver, trumpet

I have recently reconnected with a group I used to perform with in college. As we prepare for an upcoming show, Legends, I find myself in a strange dejavu situation. Ten years ago I was sitting around with the same group of guys, hashing out ideas, coming up with funny bits, and generally laughing my ass off. At the time I was still coming into my own as the resident ‘funny lady’ who performed monologues, choreographed bits, and played all the resident female characters. I was 20, in college, wearing wing tips, dancing 5 days a week, eating bologna sandwiches daily, drinking amaretto sours nightly, having my long hair cut at Super Cuts, and selfish. I was horribly miserable in my personal life but a shining star in my rising performance career. I easily fell into being ‘one of the guys,’ and while I didn’t smoke copious amount of motivational weed, was kinda naive, and wasn’t as witty as everyone else, I still managed to hang in there and hold my own.

Flash forward 10 years later and here I am at 30: Living in the hood, drinking wine nightly, a salon cuts my hair, I am married, healthier, wiser, older…old. As I pleasantly look around the comedic round table (we’re rehearsing every night this week) I notice there is a different tension in the room; when we were young the air was filled with possibility: maybe we would be big, maybe the audience would give us the love we needed, maybe we would all hook up…Cut to us ten years later and we’re more seasoned: We all hold day jobs, own plain wardrobes, and skilfully balance various romantic entanglements–oh, and my marriage is always hovering around.

Unlike when I was 20, I’ve now spent years living in the company of a man. The male mystery of bodily functions, 45 minute bathroom sessions, and bizarre eating habits has long been revealed. Spending time with Josh’s friends from elementary school has also wizened me up in the ways of male banter. I’m perfectly capable of holding my own when the conversation steers itself into the toilet. Why, just the other night I learned about the bowel movements of two of my cast mates (every other day for one and every 3 days for the other–like clockwork). I also heard myself say, “You know, Dave, with the reference to the class of ‘96 in your monologue you’ve left yourself wide open for a 69 joke.”

However, the old gang is still just as motivated as always to crank out the funniest product they can. I’m amazed at how good these guys have gotten, turning comedy into a science–from every beat to making sure the lines are perfectly delivered–my cast mates have it DOWN. While the vibe is not as loose and relaxed as the last Legends show, there is nothing but positive, successful, feedback. These guys mean business, and now that we’re more secure in our lives, we have the focus to do it.

Typically, when you sit around with other actors you eventually have a little stage show where everyone tries to impress one another. With comics specifically it becomes a game to see who can out-humor the other–this is especially apparent in my recent meetings with the improv company I’m now a member of. Everyone (all the guys) compete to see who can be the funniest, the one with the most riffs on one topic, the one with the biggest belly laughs from their constitutes. I find myself chuckling along but inwardly rolling my eyes as I watch yet another game of machismo unfurls before my eyes.

This is also coming off a six week run where the entire cast of improvisers were women. I found there to be little to no showboating during the rehearsal process or the performances. We simply related differently. Instead of launching into a big masquerade ball we would eagerly ask each other how our week went, if coughing matched recent flu symptoms, and the state of the weather. I’m not saying we didn’t compete at all, the cast was full of its own quirks (i.e. she’s bringing in negative energy, we have no sound operator tonight and that means the theater doesn’t love us, etc.) However, the tone was definitely mellower.

I used to feel the need to be just as witty, funny, and competitive as the next performer but now I feel it’s fine to opt out. I’m more secure with myself, not feeling the need to constantly prove something to everyone: I’m funny! I really am! Well, that’s a lie, I certainly do still worry about being I’m funny–hence I’m committed to nothing but comedic performances in the future. I also think that there is validity in being firm and not allowing oneself to be pushed around. It took years of being in the service industry for me to recognize my voice and my ability to stand up for myself (the customer is NOT always right). As improvisers you need to have the confidence to take the stage, end someone else’s scene (editing), and not feel like you’re constantly being stepped on–or over. I think my early years in an all male comedy troupe really helped me learn this.

As I look around the table, I can appreciate the process more, plus my personal life no longer distracts me. Being a performer is exhausting work, and while my marriage wouldn’t be considered ‘exciting’, I prefer it that way. At 30, It’s a lot easier knowing whose waiting for me at the end of day then at 20 when I was just hoping someone would walk me home.

Jay Howell is an artist. Dude is crazy. He made this thing:

It made me laugh. It also made me want to animate more. I spent a small amount of time at evergreen on an animation project and truly enjoyed it. Has anyone else messed around with stop motion or anything of the like? Flip books in middle school?

This was shown in schools in the 90s, but alas, I’m too old to have had the privilege.

As one of our first events, The Helm has booked two rock shows in Tacoma featuring Berkeley musician Marty Anderson of Okay. Opening acts include The Elephants, Wallpaper, and Whiting Tennis.

If you’re not already convinced that this show is gonna be jam packed with tasty tasty pop music, check out “Oh Tina” on the elephants myspace or “Troll for you” from Whiting Tennis. Or check out this video of Wallpaper a couple years back. Mmmm, so tasty.

Here is the official press release:

Okay in Tacoma

Exit 133 and The Helm are proud to present two solo performances by
Berkeley-based singer/songwriter Marty Anderson. A local legend of sorts,
Marty is best known in Tacoma as the front man of Dilute; a jazz influenced
indie rock band that played a couple of highly memorable local shows a few
years ago. More recently, Marty has been playing pop based music under the
pun-lending name of Okay. Less experimental than Dilute, Okay offers
classically structured pop songs and impossibly catchy melodies, which are
uniquely delivered in Anderson’s obscure but charming wail. Without a doubt
this should be the most relevant and interesting indie performance to hit
Tacoma all summer.

Tuesday, August 14th, Okay will play a 21 and over show at Bob’s Java Jive
with San Juan (ex-Eyes of Autumn) and Whiting Tennis. Doors will be open at
8PM. Tickets cost $10 and are available at the Blackwater Café and online at
www.brownpapertickets.com .

Wednesday, August 15th, Okay will play an all ages show at Club SOTA with
The Elephants, Wallpaper, and Tree Roots in the Basement. Doors will open at
7PM. Tickets cost $15 presale and $20 at the door. They are also available
at the two locations mentioned above.

Listen to Okay:

Good

Sing-Along

Read more about Marty Anderson:

Pitchfork record review of Low Road/High Road.

SF Weekly article.

For more information about The Helm, visit www.thehelmgallery.com

I’m in a production coming up where the actors have to tell one of their Big Stories. You know how it is, everyone has at least one or two Big Stories they tell at every party. Many of you may have been on-hand at such a party and overheard me tell such a story. It is time for you to enlighten me on what you overheard, since of course, I’m suddenly blank. What’s my Big Story?

(And if you can’t think of one for me, feel free to share your own Big Story…maybe I’ll get inspired).  Confidential to Katie and Tonja: I’m not telling the Bathroom Story. I already performed that story seven years ago, it’s been done, (although I appreciate your input).

A few of you already know about this, but now it’s going public.

My friend Sean and I are opening an art gallery in Tacoma. We have big plans for community projects, installations, residency, design studios, etc, etc. There is much that is missing in Tacoma. But we plan to continue to plug holes in a consistently more and more seaworthy city. Convincing Seattlites that Tacoma is worth a damn is difficult, and in the past I have thought about leaving, but the longer I stay here the more I realize the potential. The guys over at Beautiful Angle made me aware of a passage about Pimlico, a suburb of London. This is taken from a G. K. Chesterton book entitled Orthodoxy:

“Let us suppose we are confronted with a desperate thing — say Pimlico. If we think what is really best for Pimlico we shall find the thread of thought leads to the throne or the mystic and the arbitrary. It is not enough for a man to disapprove of Pimlico: in that case he will merely cut his throat or move to Chelsea. Nor, certainly, is it enough for a man to approve of Pimlico: for then it will remain Pimlico, which would be awful. The only way out of it seems to be for somebody to love Pimlico: to love it with a transcendental tie and without any earthly reason. If there arose a man who loved Pimlico, then Pimlico would rise into ivory towers and golden pinnacles; Pimlico would attire herself as a woman does when she is loved. For decoration is not given to hide horrible things: but to decorate things already adorable. A mother does not give her child a blue bow because he is so ugly without it. A lover does not give a girl a necklace to hide her neck. If men loved Pimlico as mothers love children, arbitrarily, because it is THEIRS, Pimlico in a year or two might be fairer than Florence. Some readers will say that this is a mere fantasy. I answer that this is the actual history of mankind. This, as a fact, is how cities did grow great. Go back to the darkest roots of civilization and you will find them knotted round some sacred stone or encircling some sacred well. People first paid honour to a spot and afterwards gained glory for it. Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.”

A bit grandiose, but I enjoy the sentiment.

www.thehelmgallery.com

The opening will be September 20th. It should not be missed.

I’m mostly excited for the Danny J piece.

Well, I am finally feeling up to posting.

As you may or may not know, Greg and I are expecting. A baby. And to win the lottery, because, like the man says, you can’t win if you don’t play. Anyhow, some background: we decided we wanted more children about six months ago and when I went in for a pre-conception visit, I was sidelined by the whole “having cancer” thing. Well, six weeks after my successful treatment, my OB gave me clearance for take-off and I immediately got pregnant. I also knew immediately because — and I am not kidding here — I started having pregnancy symptoms TWO DAYS after conception. And, unlike my prior pregnancies, I have symtoms of every stripe — sick sick sick, sore and growing boobies, being worn out from taking naps, emotional to the point of absurdity, and others that I’m sure I’ve now acclimated to and hardly notice.

I am, as of today, five weeks pregnant. I go in for my first appointment with my OB on May 22nd, the day before I leave for an extended holiday. I feel compelled to tell you about my OB: I love him. And I don’t mean like, “I respect his work,” or “he is highly competent and has a wonderful bedside manner.” I mean, like love love. He makes me have cartoon hearts in my eyes. His name is Tommy and he is a personal friend of mine (I interned for him when I was in school and thought I wanted to be a doctor. Kids, huh?) I think Greg may love him, too, because, when he came back into the recovery area after I had my surgery, he hugged Tommy and said, “Thank you for taking care of her. You’re my hero.” And I’m pretty sure I saw cartoon hearts in his eyes, too.

Here’s some other interesting bits:

We have already picked out names for girls and boys.

Girls: 1st place: Xiaolin

2nd place: Ella

Boys: 1st place: Finn

2nd place: Carroll

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I will be delivering at this hospital and this will be my room. I will opt for the suite if it is available because I am a hedonist and none of my pleasures are guilty.

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My due date (per my last period) is January 11, 2008. The ultrasound I will have on the 22nd will either confirm this date or set a new one based on the fetal development.

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We’ve told all of our friends and family and everyone is positively giddy.

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It is momentous, friends, making a child with a person that you adore.

Yours In Puke,
Mel

…or in this case, too busy to stop and listen to beautiful music? If a famous musician plays in a crowded plaza, will people recognize the talent and take the time to enjoy it?  Maybe?  Maybe not.  The kids seem to know a good thing when they hear it.  Apparently, “life slowly chokes the poetry out of us”.  At least that’s what a poet named Billy Collins is quoted as saying in a recent article from the Washington Post.

Maybe some of you have already heard about the experiment conducted by the Washington Post in January during the morning rush hour at the L’Enfant Plaza? If not, you can read about it here. It is a fairly long article but well worth the time.

It reminded me of a time a few years ago when Katie and I were frantically doing last minute xmas shopping downtown and I stopped to listen to this guy playing the piano in either Macy’s or Nordstrom’s. Anyway, I remember that he was amazing. I remember I was having a hard time understanding why he was just hanging out playing in a crowded shopping mall. I wanted to stay and listen to him some more but Katie dragged me away because we still had so much to do.

Dina and I finally went this weekend to the Olympic Sculpture Park. Here are some photos.

A tree made out of silver!

Art. I gotta say, I wasn’t into the sculptures that much, but I did love the landscaping and the organization of the park. The ampersand was from the “Love & Loss’ sculpture — my favorite.

Dina and I had to stop and model.

I also love this crazy/freaky boy-love fountain.

All in all, it was a beautiful day.

More on Flickr.