Turkey leftovers dwindling

The LaZoom shows were great, and the people there were a lot of fun to work with. Hopefully this won't be the last of the bastard and the bus.

Thanks for everyone who came out - great crowds. I'd never done a show like this before, and the debut of the new George the Bastard costume went over really well. There's some photos of the Thursday show, so watch this space once I get them off the camera. For those of you unable to make it to the show, it was something really different. I stayed on the bus for the whole tour, while Liz and Jay got on and off at different times as different characters (the girl with the lost pet, the Inuit comedian, the crazy cat lady and so on). I nearly lost it at seeing Liz with the shawl on with the cat sitting on the bridge over the interstate.

Fridays was probably a smoother show than Thursday, and another great crowd.

Next show... up in the air at the moment - we're working on getting the DVD together, some planning for the upcoming massive next season of the Feral Chihuahuas. Watch this space!

The belt tightens

As a result of Asheville Brewing Company raising the price of a pint of beer by a quarter, I am going to be forced to cut breakfasts.

Nouveau Night 2007

After a meeting to finalize the LaZoom performances next week, I went to the Asheville Downtown Association's annual fundraiser "Nouveau Night" last night at the ballroom at the Haywood Park hotel. I had not been to one before, I've heard some good and some bad, but my bastard gut reminded me all through last night that I definitely ate and drank my money's worth.

There were six Beaujolais wines on offer, most of which were good, one was excellent, but I forgot to bring a notepad to get the names. Hopefully the labels will jog the memory if I get them again. It was an impressive set up with a circle of alternating food/wine tables. Most of the food was delicious, and a few of the restaurants I haven't been to really impressed me.

Sugo (warning, annoying flash loading page) had antipasto skewers of decent-sized chunks of mozzarella, chorizo, olives, prosciutto and roasted peppers, as well as a sweet potato gnocchi. The sauce with the gnocchi was mushroomy goodness.

Vincenzo's had a yummy stuffed chicken dish.

The Lobster Trap had a nice thick lobster bisque

Ed Boudreaux had two types of pate, which was an interesting selection from them. I'm not usually much for pate, but it is nice with red wine.

On the desserty side, I can't remember who had the 3 billion calorie truffles, but thank you for them.

Ultimate Ice Cream had a cinnamon gelato. I love gelato, and to make it even better, conveniently close was World Coffee Cafe with some sufficiently caffeinated dark roasty goodness.

Very well organized, and there was not much of a wait for anything. I'll be back next year for sure.

Bastard branching out

More busy times for the bastard these days, but I always like a new challenge, particularly one that involves writing.

Picked up the Asheville City Paper teaser yesterday, there's a call for freelance writers. I'm going to submit a few samples to them and see if they want some local comedic input that isn't political satire.

Starting next week, I'm a contributor to the Times for the Times blog. Nothing says bastard more than bi-weekly analysis of British crosswords.

Got your ticket for LaZoom yet? There's a very good chance that you will hear the bastard sing!



Anyone interested in trying out No Shame Theater on Saturday night? I've got a few half-formed (probably more half-baked) ideas I'd like to run by a test audience.

Get your tickets now for LaZoom + Feral Chihuahuas

They've hidden it well on their website, but you can now book tickets for the Thanksgiving shows.

This is going to be the most insane LaZoom tour ever - we recommend it for people over the age of 18, and elderly relatives you've had enough of.

Need a laugh on Thanksgiving?

LaZoom are doing some very special Asheville tours over the Thanksgiving weekend (they haven't updated their webage yet, but they're also doing something for the holiday parade this upcoming weekend.

Yes - on Thanksgiving day and on the day after Thanksgiving, LaZoom meets George the Bastard, Jay Becknell and Elizabeth Taylor of the Feral Chihuahuas. Get some local knowledge into your turkey-filled bellies and find out what happens when the comedy minds of LaZoom and the Feral Chihuahuas come together.

I'll have details on tickets and times ASAP. Check this bloggy space.

Japanese video game incongruity

OK, this cracked me up when I saw it. You've got to love Japanese video games and their kooky missions

Will I be able to find the medication for Shion?

Piss-poor drivers for Ron Paul

Add to the list of indicators of poor driving, the Ron Paul sticker. Last two cars who have tried to knock me off the bastard bike and one very impressive act of driving right down the middle of a two-lane road at 5 miles below the speed limit yesterday have all boasted the Ron Paul 08 sticker of poor quality driving.

Yesterday's car scores the double for the Florida tag as well.

George the Bastards list of things that indicate bad drivers

- driver is wearing a hat (other than a baseball cap)
- Quebec registration tag ("Je me souviens" is Quebecois for "Turn without warning")
- Ron Paul sticker
- Florida tag
- Nissan Sentras
- Fraternal Order of Police sticker

anyone got any others?

Monday already, even with the time change?

Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows this weekend.

Friday 9pm show - I'm sorry for those who didn't get tickets, those who waited patiently in the "maybe will call", and those that left. We needed one person to be point for the tickets, and it wound up with a lot of hassles. I'm looking into paypal or some other method of ticket collection for the next time we have a ticketed show and have to do our own tickets.

Show was good, been a long time since I've had to remember that many lines (this is a little easier with lines I wrote, but I am still terrible at remembering lines). We got going surprisingly on time.

Friday 10:30(ish) show - this is when the creatures come out. One of the rowdiest audiences in a long time! Stand-up set went over better the second time round (laughs help me remember jokes) - I was flying without a net for both shows since I'd left my book of cues at home. Loved the reaction to Cyrano de Bastard, which is my favorite thing I've written in a long time.

Revoluticon on Saturday - what a weird show. The post-apocalyptic shell of the former Best Western that is now a Sheraton in the making was the oddest venue. With all the renovation going on, there were no bathrooms, so one of the rooms (223) was opened up to be the restroom. There was a huge pile of chairs tossed in the parking lot, since it was only the first day of the convention I guess the hotel decided to get it out of the way and trash itself. Got there to find up there was nowhere to set up or change, so snuck off to drink heavily before the show. Once we got going it was a good show, funny crowd - I blew one line in my stand-up but got some good laughs.

So what is next? We're looking at doing something special arounf Thanksgiving, watch this space.

Feral Chihuahuas Tonight!

We're on for tonight at 35 Below with the second last Halloween Special of the year (Damn you, Simpsons for being later than us).

Thanks to the Citizen Times for the mention.

Tickets are still available ($10) - first show at 9, second show at 10:30 (ish). Here's what you'll get

- Stand-up with George the Bastard
- Six hilarious new sketches
- Spooky video sequences in Feralvision
- "The Halloween Carol 2007" - our traditional Charles Dickens parody showstopper.

And a chance for your laughter to be featured on the Feral Chihuahuas DVD and TV show.