Saturday, March 22, 2014

Define "First ever".

Being a juror for this year's Logan Whitehurst Memorial Award for Excellence in Comedy Music (official title) is something I consider a great honor being someone with limited ability to make anything that would be considered worthy of soch an honor. Since I was unofficially asked early last year, I specifically made sure to pay attention to all music released last year knowing that I would have to choose what songs would be deserving of that award. Here is a picture of 5 of the jurors and this year's chair imposed with the two jurors who were not at Marscon two weeks ago



When the month of nominations of songs and videos began I was periodically looking at the list and though the period still goes for another week and a half, I watched all the videos and made notes on my initial impression. Once nominations close and I get an email listing all the eligible ones, I will watch them again and decide which ones up to 5 get my vote.  For the two song categories (original and parody), I will listen to all of them and decide which ones get my vote though I have an idea right now which is subject to change upon songs which I might not be familiar and potentially new nominees.

The list of those nominated along with the form to nominate additional ones can be found at http://www.loganawards.com/nomination-list/.

A couple of days ago the channel IFC announced they are pairing with College Humor to present the "First Ever" Comedy Music Awards. Since the first Logan Awards was presented in October, 2011, the reaction from my friends was expected. Two past Logan Award jurors along with me and two others have replied to the article stating that. What really has me unhappy was that the music group Garfunkel and Oates (winners of the award last year) appear in the article along with the one video they made which I have written an past entry about.

Yes, there is a proper noun used for the show name and Garfunkel and Oates is appearing on a show with IFC so it is logical for them to be on the article but I believe the article implies the Logan Awards doesn't matter.

What I believe gives the Logan Awards validation is Dr. Demento's involvement from the beginning along with "Weird Al" Yankovic who was a juror for the first event.

Note: As of now, the Funny Music Project (a.k.a. the FuMP), the group that sponsors the award, nor any if its members have released any statement about this. The only thing that exists publicly is a podcast where two of its members initially reacted to the article late Thursday evening with them stating they need to figure out what to do.

I also have one additional thought after reading the many comments and replies to the people from IFC, College Humor, and Garfunkel and Oates about this: What would Logan Whitehurst have felt about this?

Sunday, March 16, 2014

The bottom of the barrel

As I stated in previous entries, I was able to perform Track 24 at the fan showcase and it went almost as well as it could. Three different music artists who saw it stated I am not as bad as I believe I was. Carrie Dahlby (the person who created the Luke Ski tribute CD and then asked me to make a bonus track in it) was among the three people who were recording video and here it is:



What made this performance unique was that I was the only fan who performed this year. The other people who performed that morning were artists.

At the beginning, I had the host read my "permission slip" signed by Dr. Demento proclaiming that I have earned the right to perform in EVERY future fan showcase.

Then I stated I would dedicate this to the person who was running the karaoke room 10 years ago still open from the night before when I did One More Minute  after waking in the morning waking up many people some who were not on the same floor. That person died last year and later that night, there was a tribute karaoke concert for him.

As many sat in the hot tub Sunday evening after the convention was over, people were discussing the lack in interest in the fan showcase and since a main stage event provides the same venue for the artists who don't have an individual concert as the fan showcase, it has become redundant and will probably be discontinued.

If that turns out to be the case I can state I was the last fan to perform in the fan showcase.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Post Marscon post #2

As I do every year, here is the map displaying attendees of this years Marscon dementia music track.

It took a little while to incorporate the map of Austria but that person's attendance far outweighed the difficulty in including it.



Post Marscon post 1

Still recovering from Marscon weekend and with being needed at work tomorrow and Friday these posts will be later than usual.

This year, a "by the numbers" list seems like a good idea and here it is:

Total hours: 128
Total miles driven: 1,250
Different people driven: 7
People I have never driven before: 3
Dollars spent on gas: 150 (ten less than estimated)
Times heard the song "Fireworks, Pornography and Beer": 5 (One on way to get rental, once just before entering Wisconsin, one while leaving Wisconsin, one at 2AM in party room, one live on stage)
Total miles to drive in Wisconsin to go from the Chicago area to the Twin Cities area: 288
Fireworks places seen: 10
Pornography places seen: 6
Cheese places seen: 14
Temp displayed in car on trip there: between 28 and 32

Number of people who scared a woman in TGI Friday's who turned 80 by shouting "happy birthday, Carol" together from their table: 16
Alcoholic beverages consumed by Dr Demento in Dementia Radio party room before the music started: 2
Alcoholic beverages consumed by me in the Dementia Radio party room while Dr. Demento was in it: 4
Number of stuffed large animals on display by Minnesota Hunting International during their convention held in the same hotel the same weekend: 15
Total occasions a podcast (or portion of) was recorded: 6

Total time slots for music performers: 14
Songs played by Possible Oscar in their 30 minute time slot: 1
Length in minutes of "epic sax medley" played as bridge of Possible Oscar song "At the Con" : 22
People in front of stage creating "kittens for sale" mosh pit: 5
Number of people who moved to their favorite section of the room to shout their favorite evil word: 5
Number of men in Dementia Smackdown wrestling: 14
Number of women in Dementia Smackdown wrestling including the winner: 4
Number of robots in Dementia Smackdown wrestling: 1
Number of horses in Dementia Smackdown wrestling who were attacked before entering the ring and replaced by a real wrestler: 1

Total people joining the wrestling champion who did a water aerobics class at 9AM Saturday morning: 9
Total people that were in the room watching the fan showcase when it started: 15
Musicians that were in the room watching the fan showcase when it started: 6
Musicians that performed in the fan showcase: 4
Fans that performed in the fan showcase: 1
People who recorded video of that fan's performance: 3
People who understood why the fan stated, "Gone, bitch!" in the fan showcase: 1
Musicians who told that fan he is better than he thinks he is: 3
People who agreed the fan showcase should now be discontinued since a main stage event provides the same purpose: many

Different people who watched Carrie's 2 year old son during her show having to go to and from the stage and the stroller in the back of the room: 3
People from Meep Morp studios that joined Dr Demento on stage talking about the documentary: 4
Logan Awards people who took a pic together after the main group one: 6
Total pictures or video I took with someone else's phone or camera: 12
Total pictures taken of Dr Demento with someone else's phone or camera: 4
People from the dementia group that together went to Saturday night dinner at the hotel (including Dr. Demento): 24
Alcoholic drinks consumed Saturday night: 1
Number of bottles that were used to make it: 8
People who played boob tree: 9
Of those who draw professionally: 2
People sitting on floor outside Dementia Radio party room talking while only 2 people were inside: 15
People who were watching their phones when the time went from 1:59AM to 3AM: 4
People who were in room when it closed at 6AM: 7
Meep Morp people who were in room at that time though they were conducting interviews at 10:30 the next morning: 2
Sober people in room helping those in their need: 2

People watching live recording of Luke and Carrie's Bad Rapport 100th episode: 24
Distance in feet from Luke to Ken when they did, "Let's call Ken": 12
Concerts I had to listen from hall trying to recover from caffeine headache: 2
People in conga line during last song of weekend (Pico and Sepulevda): 10
People who were in pool/hot tub Sunday night: 35
Places in pool/cabana area from the three times I attended Convergence I referenced while in hot tub: 5
Time pool was closed with me and one other person in it: 11:25PM
People in room when Dead dog party closed at 3AM: 8
Total CDs obtained: 4
Total items obtained for daughter: 3

Monday breakfast people: 20
Those who took picture of Kornflake after she put a cut out picture of Greg Brady's head over each her breasts: 8
Temp reading on car after making the way through slush covered frozen material to load car: 50
Temp in Menominee (do do do do do): 55
Temp in Madison: 60
Temp in Rockford: 45
Temp in Chicago: 55
Temp in Wood Dale: 50

Temp in Wood Dale Tuesday morning: 40
Temp in Springfield Tuesday afternoon: 70
Time spent in Springfield park enjoying weather before heading home: 1 hour
Temp in Joliet: 50

Time it took to write this: 90 minutes