GenCon, Day 3
Aug. 18th, 2009 08:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomMuch shorter report, except for the end.
Saturday. Up and at 'em. Hah. I was already dragging before I left the hotel room.
Very nice morning, though. People came by, a few bought stuff. At 1:00, I went for my first busking run. Didn't do a lot; it was loud, hot, and loud. Came back for 2:15 to do a bit in the Entertainment Spotlight, which went over pretty well -- I kept hooking people with one line or another. Several LJ friends came by, and if you held a gun to my head I couldn't tell you who.
The day progressed, kinda. Things blur.marcgunn, lukeski and I planned a little strategy: their sets were right up against each other, but I'd stick my head into each and we'd see if we could [a] get a larger combined audience and [b] get some cred for the notion of having a larger comedy concert next year.
At 6:00 p.m., I was supposed to busk some more. I admit that I did not, not for more than five minutes. No one was listening; the exhibit hall had just closed, and everyone out in the hall was either watching something else or heading for dinner. I went back to the room and ordered a pizza, and tried to get a bit of a nap.
At 9:00, I headed over to the Marriott. Luke's room was rockin'. So was Marc's, although it was rather smaller than Luke's... and this was where I was supposed to go. You'll recall that Thursday I got moved to Ballroom E, which was rather larger. At 10:00, I Hamelin'd everybody over there, and we had around a hundred, hundred and ten people. Fun.
About four songs in, some guy from the con came in, very apologetic, but pointing out that NASCRAG was going to have an awards ceremony at 11:00. And they were showing up to set up the room.
I kept playing, we kept shticking, it was very silly. The con guy was going for an all-or-nothing solution, but one of the NASCRAG people pointed out that they had to set up for their ceremony anyway, so we could keep going. And I said, excellent, give me a ten-minute warning, five minutes for the last song and five more to get out of the room. And we thanked them profusely and kept on.
About the time they were setting up the projector, someone yelled out, "Blue Screen of Death". So I started doing that one, and immediately an upside-down DOS screen appeared behind me. Which was great for a laugh, but not as good as when the NASCRAG people started listening to my lyrics, and began falling down laughing, and even shticking around in the b.g.
It got wilder, and crazier, and the crowd was red-hot, incredible bunch, and I was on baybeh, and Marc and Luke anddement1a sat in the back by the door, and Luke came up to help with "Cthulhu Fthagn", and it just kept building and building and at about 11:15 they gave us the five-minute high sign which you'll recall was actually ten minutes and so I did "307 Ale" and "Rocket Ride" and got a standing O, and we thanked NASCRAG again for their grace and accommodation and they thanked us for the music, and it worked out great for everyone. Again, one of the most fun sets I've played in a hell of a long time, but with a different dynamic because of the much larger audience. This is why I love doing this.
And I meandered back to the hotel, escorted by a couple of LJers, and pretty much fell over.
If any of you guys want to identify yourselves, I'd appreciate it. I literally am drawing blanks, I was so damn tired.
Saturday. Up and at 'em. Hah. I was already dragging before I left the hotel room.
Very nice morning, though. People came by, a few bought stuff. At 1:00, I went for my first busking run. Didn't do a lot; it was loud, hot, and loud. Came back for 2:15 to do a bit in the Entertainment Spotlight, which went over pretty well -- I kept hooking people with one line or another. Several LJ friends came by, and if you held a gun to my head I couldn't tell you who.
The day progressed, kinda. Things blur.
marcgunn, lukeski and I planned a little strategy: their sets were right up against each other, but I'd stick my head into each and we'd see if we could [a] get a larger combined audience and [b] get some cred for the notion of having a larger comedy concert next year.At 6:00 p.m., I was supposed to busk some more. I admit that I did not, not for more than five minutes. No one was listening; the exhibit hall had just closed, and everyone out in the hall was either watching something else or heading for dinner. I went back to the room and ordered a pizza, and tried to get a bit of a nap.
At 9:00, I headed over to the Marriott. Luke's room was rockin'. So was Marc's, although it was rather smaller than Luke's... and this was where I was supposed to go. You'll recall that Thursday I got moved to Ballroom E, which was rather larger. At 10:00, I Hamelin'd everybody over there, and we had around a hundred, hundred and ten people. Fun.
About four songs in, some guy from the con came in, very apologetic, but pointing out that NASCRAG was going to have an awards ceremony at 11:00. And they were showing up to set up the room.
I kept playing, we kept shticking, it was very silly. The con guy was going for an all-or-nothing solution, but one of the NASCRAG people pointed out that they had to set up for their ceremony anyway, so we could keep going. And I said, excellent, give me a ten-minute warning, five minutes for the last song and five more to get out of the room. And we thanked them profusely and kept on.
About the time they were setting up the projector, someone yelled out, "Blue Screen of Death". So I started doing that one, and immediately an upside-down DOS screen appeared behind me. Which was great for a laugh, but not as good as when the NASCRAG people started listening to my lyrics, and began falling down laughing, and even shticking around in the b.g.
It got wilder, and crazier, and the crowd was red-hot, incredible bunch, and I was on baybeh, and Marc and Luke and
dement1a sat in the back by the door, and Luke came up to help with "Cthulhu Fthagn", and it just kept building and building and at about 11:15 they gave us the five-minute high sign which you'll recall was actually ten minutes and so I did "307 Ale" and "Rocket Ride" and got a standing O, and we thanked NASCRAG again for their grace and accommodation and they thanked us for the music, and it worked out great for everyone. Again, one of the most fun sets I've played in a hell of a long time, but with a different dynamic because of the much larger audience. This is why I love doing this.And I meandered back to the hotel, escorted by a couple of LJers, and pretty much fell over.
If any of you guys want to identify yourselves, I'd appreciate it. I literally am drawing blanks, I was so damn tired.
