Cheap entertainment: Improv at ComedyWorx

Times are tough. (Just look at the front page of Tuesday’s News & Observer). We’re all looking for ways to save money and have a laugh. That’s why I love ComedyWorx. The Raleigh improv theatre features various improv styles each weekend. And the best part: Tickets for the late show are usually $5. … Oh wait, the best part might be that they also serve beer.

At 10:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night, improv performers ask the audience for one suggestion and then perform a series of usually interrelated sketches. The late show means perverted humor is completely accepted and in some cases embraced (which I think is awesome since I still continue to rock “that’s what she said” jokes). Live entertainment that promises a few laughs (hopefully a lot of laughs … ) for $5 and cold beer is pretty much a phenomenal deal.

But there are also regular family-friendly performances too. You can find out about them on the ComedyWorx website.

And I have to plug one team in particular: Big, Fat and Stealthy. With several filmmakers among them, they do more than just improv. They also occassionally produce short films, including this one that aired before their performance Saturday:

I might be a little biased because at least two of the members (@ilikefilms and @cammicam) are on Twitter, and improv can be more amusing if you have a connection to the performers. You can catch them for yourself at 10:30 p.m. Friday Oct. 24, when Big, Fat and Stealthy takes the stage again.

Also, if you’ve ever dreamed of giving improv a try, you can sign up for classes at the Worx Training Center.

Finally, I just found out the Super Sparkle Showcase, which is being hosted at ComedyWorx. This sounds like it may be worth checking out (although tickets are $10 instead of the more favored $5):

…the SHOWCASE is new talent competition presented in the guise of an outrageous Japanese game show. For six weeks, six local contestants will perform a new talent each week in order to compete for a cash grand prize and title of best all-around entertainer! Don’t miss any of the SPARKLE!

There are, of course, other improv options in the Triangle. I’ve told you a little about DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro before. That theater turns 3-years-old this month, so you may want to celebrate with them by taking in a show.

And if you know of other cheap ways I can get a laugh on a Friday night, let me know (and now, this is not one of my perverted jokes).

Meet the Raleigh teen who dropped out of school to play Guitar Hero

As you may remember, my eyes were recently opened to the joys of Guitar Hero. I don’t own the game, so I either have to urge my friends to invite me over to play or go to Fox and Hound on a Sunday night (which I have done … once and it was only slightly embarrassing to play on stage in front of the preppy patrons).

I would hardly consider myself an addict. I can’t even get through an entire song on hard. I have friends who I thought were pretty brilliant at the game, but none of them can even come close to the mastery of Raleigh teen Blake Peebles.

Blake counts himself among the top 10 Guitar Hero players in the world. He loves the game so much that he was able to work out a deal with his parents. He’s tutored at home now so he can spend more time playing video games. The News and Observer wrote an article about him.

Blake seems happy with his home school arrangement, as you would expect from a teenager who is allowed to stay up into the wee hours to play video games. Sometimes, when Mike heads to the gym before 5 a.m., his son is still playing video games. Blake calls it working “the late shift.”

He didn’t enjoy school, he says, and especially didn’t like the rules associated with attending the Christian academy. Shaggy hair is more his style.

He’s good at video games. “I wasn’t really good at anything else that I liked.”

I caught up with Blake during the Raleigh Wide Open celebration two weeks ago. He was playing Rock Band at the booth next to ours, so I pulled him aside for an interview.

Before you judge Blake or his parents for letting him drop out of school to be homeschooled, listen to what he has to say. And read the N&O article for more insight into how he’s doing.

Thoughts?

Local gallery features Raleigh photographers, including me

My friends know that I rarely go anywhere without my camera. I’ve learned the hard way that if you leave it at home you will miss the photographic moments that will never repeat themselves. For me, this realization came when I was at Snoopy’s hot dog stand in Raleigh one Saturday afternoon and a limo pulled up. Out stepped a bride and groom in their frilly and formal glory. They were there to order a hotdog because that’s where the met. But alas, I was without my camera.

So when a friend invited me to participate in a friendly photo competition with the promise of a gallery viewing at the end, I couldn’t resist.  Stan at Crocker’s Mark Gallery in Raleigh agreed to open up his gallery walls to 50 entrants from the Raleigh Flickr group. For some of us, it was the first opportunity we’ve ever had to see our work hanging in a gallery.

The contest rules were simple. Any photo shot anywhere between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1, 2008 was eligible. With such broad guidelines, you can imagine how diverse the entries were (everything from a controversial close-up of a penis to serene nature scenes).

The show opened on First Friday and runs through the end of December. If you’d like to see my photo (it’s the one the guy below is looking at) and the other interesting and well-composed shots, stop by the gallery.

The gallery is open from 11 to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It stays open till 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and on Saturdays you can pop by from 1 to 4 p.m., so says the gallery’s website.

A lot of the photos are for sale (mine’s not, but if someone made and offer, I’d probably sell it to you). So please check it out and support local photographers.

So who’s the better candidate, Obama or McCain?

So what happens when two famous political analysts (one who’s conservative, the other a liberal) come together to talk about the presidential campaign in front of an audience filled with Tar Heels? You get some laughs, some claps and maybe a boo or two.

David Brooks (conservative columnist for the NYT) and E.J. Dionne Jr. (liberal columnist for the Washington Post) met on stage at UNC’s Memorial Hall Tuesday night to discuss the presidential campaign. For a political news junkie like myself, it was 90 minutes of heaven.

Brooks opened with a surefire technique to endear himself to a Tar Heel audience: Insult Duke. “You guys are just like Dookies, only less stuck up,” he said, garnering applause and cheers from the nearly-filled auditorium.

It’s easy to get hung up in the media’s horserace coverage of political campaigns. So it’s refreshing to hear two intelligent analysts with mostly diverging opinions discuss aspects of the McCain/Obama race that can’t be covered in a sound bite.

Interesting observations (I took notes so all quotes are within a word or two of accuracy):

On McCain picking Sarah Palin:

*Brooks (the conservative): At the end of four years Sen. Joe Biden will still be the right pick for Obama. But with regards to McCain choosing Palin: “To be honest, I don’t know. I frankly don’t know if she’s going to be good or not. I’ve never met her I don’t know the character of the woman.”

*Dionne (the liberal): “Sarah Palin is clearly the most qualified person ever chosen for vice president,” he said, resulting in laughter from the audience and then adding “your laughter is my point.” He takes issue with: the lack of media interviews the campaign has granted so far and that McCain only met her (once or twice) before choosing her. He also is concerned about her lack of foreign policy experience. He said liberals will make a big mistake, however, if they “make a culture war” out of her selection by touting her as a small town American who shoots guns.

On the role of the Internet and technology in the campaign:

Brooks complained that technology (namely the ability to record video with small cameras and the use of blogs) actually make campaigns less transparent. He recalled the days when journalists used to rub elbows with candidates and chat informally on the campaign buses.

But with every move being recorded these days he added: “The candidate can not afford to unwind and open up … It has had this perverse effect of making campaigns less transparent.”

He added that the Obama campaign is particularly bad about this.

Strengths of McCain/Obama:

Brooks said McCain’s strength is that he has “incredible moral intuition” while Obama has incredible perception. He offered this anecdote, which happened before Obama announced his candidacy for president:

Brooks (the conservative) wrote a column criticizing the Republicans for spending too much. To make himself feel better for critiquing the party he said he threw in a couple sentences that said Democrats were guilty of overspending too. The next day, Obama sent Brooks an e-mail saying something to the effect of: “That’s fine if you want to criticize the Democrats, but you know you just added those two sentences to make yourself feel better.” Talk about perceptive, Brooks said.

Anyway, back to connecting the Triangle. One of the perks of living in communities rich with univerisities is the opportunity to see distinguished speakers for free. Although such lectures are not always well-advertised off campus. So you may have to do a little homework.

Duke University recently launched this comprehensive calendar. Does anyone know of any simialr resources for the area’s other universities?

Raleigh Wide Open Review

While wandering around downtown Raleigh during this weekend’s Raleigh Wide Open celebration, I couldn’t help but think that the Capital City has arrived. With the opening of the city’s new $221 million convention center (sorry, I can’t stop dropping that dollar figure) the celebration felt like a debutante ball for Raleigh.

Can you believe that since the beginning of 2006, 53 bars, restaurants and nightclubs have opened in downtown Raleigh? That’s according to the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, which tracks that sort of thing.

Here are the highlights from Raleigh Wide Open:

*Convention Center Opening.

The public got to see what its tax dollars went toward. Residents and out-of-towners alike wandered around the massive exhibition hall and roamed the other rooms and halls. The International Festival shared the hall with local businesses, providing an eclectic mashup that featured everything from Henna tattoos to free Segway demos.

*Street Festival

Fayetteville Street and several of her arteries were lined with vendors selling everything from deep-fried corn to wooden lawn ornaments. Parents pushed kids in strollers, a small circus train pulled families around and a mime entertained passers-by.

*Live Music

Ok, I admit I barely caught any of the bands, so I can’t offer any solid reviews. But Foreigner’s Lou Gramm seemed a hit with the crowd he drew Saturday night. And Chuck Berry’s almost rained-out performance received a favorable review.

*Parade

I’m a sucker for a cliche parade, and Saturday’s march down Fayetteville Street didn’t disappoint. The parade was incredibly short, featuring all the local news stations, a couple politicians, one band and a few businesses and nonprofits.

*The Beer Tent

I can’t believe the beer tasting wasn’t better advertised. Tucked beside the Wachovia building on Hargett Street was a tent filled with more than a dozen brewers from around the country. Ten dollars bought you a sample glass and a hole-punch card that allowed you eight samples. But most pourers weren’t stamping the cards, so the samples flowed.

Check out more of my pics.

I must complain about one small, petty thing. On Saturday afternoon I tried to go into the Marriott to show my friend the fancy lobby. But we were stopped by two bodyguards who looked like they should be looking out for Brittney Spears and not us Raleigh lovers. They told us only guests were allowed (even though I clearly wasn’t a guest when I toured the hotel a couple weeks ago).

Now I completely understand that they probably didn’t want a bunch of drunk people wandering around their halls, dirtying up their bathrooms and the like. But the city contributed $20 million in taxes to help foster the construction of the hotel. So I think that’s enough of a taxpayer contribution to allow the public inside for a quick tour. I’m only slightly bitter though.

What was your favorite part of Raleigh Wide Open (or any complaints that can be used for improvement next year)?

Say hello if you go to Raleigh Wide Open

Tomorrow is a big day for downtown Raleigh. The $221 million convention center officially opens. A noon ribbon-cutting starts things off, followed by two days of celebration with Raleigh Wide Open. Check out the full list of free events, which includes a Chuck Berry concert and more.

I’ll pretty much be living downtown for the next two days because I don’t want to miss a thing. If you’re going to check out the convention center this weekend, be sure to stop by the 30THREADS/MyNC.com booths. They’ll be in front of the motorcoaches parked in the 150,000 square-foot exhibit hall.

But if you’re stuck at work tomorrow and can’t see the ribbon cutting, don’t worry, we’re bringing it to you. We’ll be live streaming the event at noon tomorrow on the 30THREADS live page. We’ll also be providing updates throughout the afternoon.

Then on Saturday, I’ll be back again in the morning and early afternoon. So stop by and say hello. Don’t be a stranger.

The ice cream truck came to work today

Talk about a job perk. Our bosses ordered the ice cream truck to come deliver some treats to our staff today to thank us for our hard work. I went for the classic cherry screwball (You know the plastic cone with the gumdrop in the bottom).

Let’s go thrift shopping in the Triangle

I’ve been honing my thrift shopping skills since fourth grade, when I used to pick through the boxes of a corner store thrift shop in Chicago looking for something trendy that I could afford with money I earned from doing household chores and from our regular summer lemonade stands.

In high school, we had about 50 minutes to leave campus and scarf down lunch somewhere (because eating in the cafeteria at a school that opens its campus at lunch was so uncool). During my freshman year, when I had yet to make friends with anyone who could drive, my friends and I would occasionally walk to the Rescue Mission and Bargain Box to shop instead of eat.

So I was a little disappointed in myself when my best friend asked me where the good thrift shops were around here. I told her about my personal favorite, Thrift World in Durham (pictured above). In Raleigh, I’ve been to the Goodwill on Hargett Street and Cause for Paws on South Saunders Street.

As for vintage shops, I’ve been to Time after Time on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Dolly’s Vintage in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. And Vintage Nation (anyone know if this place still open, BTW? It has looked closed the past couple times I’ve passed by) and Father & Son Antiques. I would recommend all of these places in a heartbeat as they are reasonably priced and have eclectic selections.

(I snagged this 101 Dalmations dress at Vintage Nation for $20 earlier this summer).

There’s also Everything But Grannies Panties in Durham, which I haven’t been to in years. It’s not the best place to snag clothes, but if you’re looking for some awesome kitsch and aren’t clausterphobic, then go get lost inside (although maybe it’s not open anymore either).

So please help me beef up my Triangle thrift shopping skills. Tell me all the thrift shops I must visit and why (do they have crazy kitsch, cheap retro clothes, more modern, trendy stuff?). And let me know which ones aren’t worth my time.

Free Concert at American Tobacco

If you still haven’t been to Durham’s American Tobacco complex, you might consider checking it out on Labor Day. There will be a free concert in the lawn from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday featuring John Brown & The Groove Shop Band, an R&B and funk band that are likened to Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and KC and the Sunshine Band.

It’s a good opportunity to explore the restored tobacco warehouses while enjoying some free music. Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs, a cooler with snacks and make a Labor Day evening of it. American Tobacco is a must-see for Triangle residents who don’t visit downtown Durham as often as they should. My favorite part is the urban stream that runs through it and the strategically placed concrete slabs that allow you to cross it.

A new cute creature at the Duke Lemur Center

My heart melted a little bit this morning, and I thought you might want yours to do the same. I watched the video Duke University’s news service produced to introduce the world to Ichabod, an aye-aye.

The extremely rare aye-aye is a goofy looking creature that looks like a cross between a bat and a ferret. It hails from Madagascar, where it is endangered and is thought by some to be an omen for death for the village it shows up in.

Ichabod was born July 23 at the Duke Lemur Center.

I haven’t been to the Lemur Center yet, but I so need to take a tour. The center offers tours by appointment only. Yet another fun, unusal thing to do in the Bull City. For more on Ichabod, click here.

So do you think this aye-aye is a cutey or a little creepy?