tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49008395019826728052011-08-27T05:44:48.873-07:00PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.comBlogger1591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-4496502000729829502011-02-10T02:29:00.000-08:002011-02-10T02:34:07.490-08:00

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Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-42585424911289261612010-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:002010-11-29T21:34:12.970-08:00

The LA chapter of ShortLived 3.0 featured two very different, but equally funny and witty writers James C. Ferguson and Thomas J. Misuraca.  We chose a piece from each writer, having no idea that they were friends and writing partners who often collaborated on other theater pieces and even film. Misuraca's piece, "Communication", about two friends who randomly run into each other, is just as much

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-47669212522551849132010-10-22T14:38:00.001-07:002010-10-22T16:08:18.001-07:00

The following is a post which makes the case that American Theatre Magazine, and a good chunk of its readership, hates technology and youth. Exhibit A - AMT recently posted this status update on their Facebook page:"Has theatregoing etiquette seriously declined in recent years? And if so, what's the cause, and what might be a good solution?"Objection Your Honor, leading. Seriously this is the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-59595269632872842722010-08-12T12:04:00.000-07:002010-08-12T12:36:36.604-07:00

Thursday, August 12:Opening Night of the San Francisco Improv Festival - 7:30pm at The Eureka Theater - TICKETSFeaturing Big City Improv, Awkward Face and the SF Comedy College All StarsPianoFight hosts a kick-ass local line-up of improv comedy groups with German minimalist surf rock house band Das Haus Band holdin' down the beats and leading Das Sockenhopfen after the show.Friday, August 13:Dead

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-59643704347959498872010-07-29T23:21:00.000-07:002010-07-29T23:25:46.955-07:00

We've updated the Low Shoulders blog, which chronicles the creation of PianoFight's first short film project. Check out the new post on sex and violence as it relates to our film, Low Shoulders, and others here.-Evan

EWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105434221823333011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-38401626356559149732010-07-28T16:53:00.001-07:002010-07-28T16:55:04.373-07:00

We're having a fundraiser movie night to raise money for Low Shoulders, PianoFight's first short film project! Date is Saturday, August 7th, doors at 7pm.Check out more info about it, see the flier, scope some raffle prize potentials, at our blog, lowshoulders.wordpress.com.tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121889If you wanna check out the post on the Toxic Avenger event

EWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16105434221823333011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-8846248743536654752010-07-23T13:20:00.000-07:002010-07-23T13:39:49.841-07:00

PianoFight homie and occasional collaborator Dan Burke is putting together a 25 part behind the scenes video series on kick-ass metal gurus Devil Driver. Dan has been shooting video for Devil Driver since they got together in 2003 (his brother, Dave, has also been galavanting around the world with the band on tour as a guitar tech for a number of years now), so I've had the opportunity to see

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-40263792031505383352010-07-23T09:58:00.000-07:002010-07-23T11:51:33.273-07:00

The last paper I was tasked with writing in college was supposed to be on Ancient Greek Theatre, the topic of the class I had been loathing all semester long. Having dragged my feet for a month it came down to 24 hours before it was due, and I hadn't started. After thinking about the paper for, really, the first time, I quickly decided that instead of an essay I'd write a one act play, and that

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-6016845589768037932010-07-21T16:24:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:38:25.354-07:00

A piece called "Witness to a Murder," written by Evan Winchester, which competed in ShortLived 3.0, has now been renamed to "Low Shoulder" and is in pre-production for a short film. Elijah Wolfson (who has shot numerous excellent things for PianoFight) has signed on to direct and Gabrielle Patacsil (starred and produced many PF shows) is handling production.The whole process has been pretty

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-11605056715476271072010-07-16T14:27:00.000-07:002010-07-16T15:16:47.251-07:00

(NOTE: This is in response to a post on the Theatre Bay Area Facebook page titled "Theatre, Community and Mission." Also, very glad TBA posted this and is actively working to engage its members on this subject.)Ever hear that phrase, "It's about the work"? I certainly have. In classes mostly but also frequently in a professional context. "It's about the work." It bugs me just to type it. Because

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-41724427971085029352010-07-15T15:59:00.000-07:002010-07-15T16:20:12.287-07:00

Friend of PianoFight, Noah Grant, just so happens to be in one hell of a soulful trio called FoolProof Four and they're playing Friday, July 16th at Cafe du Nord at 8:30pm with Maria Taylor and Andy LeMaster and Morgan Nagler of The Whispertown 2000. Show should be domb diggidy! FoolProof Four has got a full length album in the works and will release their first single, "We're All For Sale," in

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-1355181644856945162010-06-21T23:31:00.000-07:002010-06-21T23:31:22.276-07:00

With so few ways to really measure your successes and progress in this business, it’s important to celebrate all of the moments, big or small, which do in fact indicate that you are on your way… that you’re in the game… that you have a career. I realized one of these moments today when I noticed that I had three emails in a row in my inbox that were from directors of different projects

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-53507785144278349222010-06-21T11:27:00.000-07:002010-06-21T11:43:36.068-07:00

The June show of PianoFight's Monday Night ForePlays, "SummHER Lovin'," has been racking up the love left and right. Last week, VidSF.com came by to get the lowdown on Monday nights at PianoFight:Then, on Wednesday of last week, PianoFight's female fueled "SHEketch" comedy took the stage at The Independent as part of WomenROCK. Special thanks to Bernadette and Ziva for putting together one hell

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-43887559771590814802010-06-10T16:20:00.000-07:002010-06-10T16:20:10.742-07:00

We all know this business is tough. Yeah, and the sky is blue. Not asking for sympathy, just sayin’… It’s hard enough to get an audition. Then to give a GOOD audition. Then to get a callback. Then to give a GOOD audition, again. Then to get the call that you got the part! (wahoo! but don’t get excited just yet…) Then to hold on to that part. (They went a different direction, the funding

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-50309187663067835852010-05-27T14:45:00.001-07:002010-05-27T15:15:24.105-07:00

Through an odd set of circumstances, PianoFight managed to obtain all access passes to the recent SF Fine Arts Fair - a pretty massive event the likes of which haven't been seen in the Bay Area for seven years. On hand at the Fort Mason Center was about $300 million in art, by over 500 artists and about 80 internationally renowned galleries. There were also free sandwiches. Point is, it was a

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-57848177678246246082010-05-14T10:47:00.000-07:002010-05-14T11:20:56.358-07:00

If you're relatively new to this blog, you may not know that I can't fucking stand ABC's Jake Tapper. And this past Sunday, his hosting stint on ABC's "This Week" garnered the show's lowest ratings since 2006. Good. This guy needs a swift kick in the ass. He is a TERRIBLE journalist. Examples:In this May 13th column, he actually pilfers a headline straight from the May 11th episode of The Daily

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-11672600653368902542010-05-05T15:36:00.000-07:002010-05-05T15:48:26.963-07:00

OMG guys! Did you peep Kristin Cavallari on the May 4th episode of The Hills?!?! It was TOTZ ridic and craze!! She wore fab new earrings from Emma Rose Designs which are for sures the fresh new pick of the season (aka, seas). Check it:Also, Kristin might be a drug addict.Back to the important part of the episode, the earrings, aren't they great? They were designed by Emma Rose Shelton, who is a

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-65194416662168726352010-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:002010-04-29T10:00:30.848-07:00

PF homies Stuart Bousel, Rana Weber and Julia Heitner were involved in this short for Hostelling International (funny! watch now!):Stuart, who wrote the script for the above short, and Julia, who plays the woman from the exotic land of Los Angeles, are both involved with the theater company No Nude Men, and you can catch those cats competing in Round 3 of ShortLived 3.0 in SF, April 30, May 1, 7

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-26221180411744144892010-04-27T13:52:00.001-07:002010-04-27T15:52:12.685-07:00

This past Sunday, I attended the ceremony for the Glickman Award, decided by five local critics and given to the best new play from the previous year. Armed with a small flask of Jameson, I met Jessica Holt (Threshold/Three Wise Monkeys) and Bennett Fisher (Theatre Pub) at Starbucks, spiked our respective caffeinated beverages (Jessica abstained from spiking), and moseyed over to the San

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-17097593509634891642010-04-23T08:21:00.000-07:002010-04-23T10:43:42.109-07:00

As you may know, most PianoFight shows tend to include some type of musical act. They've ranged from folk-rock duo The 45 to the aptly named and relatively self explanatory Oakland Soft Rock Chior. And over the past few months, the bands coming on and off the stage of Studio 250 at Off-Market have been, to say the least, impressive.Here's some info on some of the most recent killer musical guests

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-47505438795928464582010-04-13T14:21:00.001-07:002010-04-13T14:30:08.730-07:00

PF Music Director Arlen Hart, who is cold-heartedly moving to that awful place New York City in the coming months, drops his bad ass new album "New Peace" today on the iTunes.Arlen is one of the finest musicians I have ever come across - he wrote and performed original scores to FORKING! and A Merry FORKING! Christmas (which ultimately turned into A FORKING! Album, on sale at all PianoFight shows

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-41350175597528100182010-04-09T09:39:00.001-07:002010-04-09T09:56:29.450-07:00

The other day I sent a note to Allison Davis, a playwright whose piece "The Boyfriend Store," made it all the way to the finals in last year's ShortLived. She impressed the hell out of us, both with her writing and with her awesome human-ness, so we produced another one of her pieces in the world premiere of Monday Night ForePlays. Anyway, I sent her a note to see if she'd submit again to

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-38481029068579680712010-04-08T12:57:00.000-07:002010-04-16T11:00:39.796-07:00

UPDATE OF AWESOME: Here is video of the actual event I attended with S.H.I.T. Show crew ... you're welcome.WTF pro-wrestling w/Einstye concert, guts, sheep?roseman (kevin) | MySpace VideoSo I got invited to this event on Sunday which features semi-pro wrestlers, metal, and all the beer you can consume while rocking out and rooting for more steel chairs!! (I would give details but the email I got

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-69505437287968488392010-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:002010-04-05T13:17:44.482-07:00

The New York Times' theater/culture/arts reporter in SF, Chloe Veltman, took the time to call up PianoFight the other day and get some info on ShortLived 3.0, the largest audience-judged playwriting competition in the country. Chloe's been keeping an eye on PianoFight ever since we ran Throw Rotten Veggies at the Actors Night last year, so after I sent her an obscenely long email pitching the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-19965023088412803242010-04-01T12:43:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:52:32.220-07:00

The San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle posted nominations for their annual awards a few weeks back which sparked some questions from local theater makers on the SFBATCC in particular and debate about awards/press coverage in general. This post is an attempt to shine some light on the working of the SFBATCC and kick around some thoughts on awards. (Full Disclosure: PianoFight and Original Sin's

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-52130463658222539112010-03-26T09:01:00.000-07:002010-03-26T10:34:27.115-07:00

The aspect I most love about sports, be they professional or college or Olympic, is the ever present element of good old fashioned competition between rivals. A hotly contested rivalry gives each camp something to shoot for, a bar to meet and surpass, and pushes both sides to compete harder, better and smarter against all other competitors, not just the hated rival.And for the most part, the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-58627836432224519922010-03-19T14:11:00.000-07:002010-04-08T13:42:29.870-07:00

A short film made by PF homie Mauriccio Baiocchi and starring PF artistic director (read: d-bag in residence) Rob Ready. Happy Birthday to Me from Mauricio Baiocchi on Vimeo.

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-84099448747461907572010-03-17T14:22:00.000-07:002010-03-17T14:36:18.345-07:00

As you well know, Off-Market's a pretty small venue in the grand scheme of things. But we pride ourselves on providing intimate, provocative and fun entertainment at a relatively low cost. So when we suddenly get a bunch of compliments from creative and critical contemporaries alike, we're compelled to brag like idiots about the kudos.For example, did you know that:5 plays which ran at Off-Market

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-17085736987091121432010-02-17T13:44:00.000-08:002010-02-17T13:48:20.745-08:00

Critics' Circle member and Glickman Award panelist Rob Avila of the SF Bay Guardian had this to say about PianoFight's "The Position":From the ready pen of notable local playwright William Bivins comes a witty dystopic thriller too good not to be (essentially) true: In the USA's not-too-distant future, after "the Great Downturn," there's 80% unemployment, the population lives by scavenging,

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-43291744453933806222010-01-20T08:51:00.000-08:002010-01-20T09:23:46.384-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year!With 2009 in the can and a new decade in front of us, it is PianoFight's New Year's resolution to kick more ass more often. And we're starting by kicking the crap out of January.PianoFight's SHIT Show Headlines the Eureka Theater in SF SketchFest this ThursdayThursday, January 21, 8:00pm - Only it's second year in the SF SketchFest, PianoFight's SHIT Show is headlining at

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-10400998519789849002009-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:002009-12-15T08:01:03.698-08:00

For the Ninth year in a row Three Wise Monkeys is putting together its Bay One Acts (BOA) Festival running at Boxcar in February, and they just announced the line-up of playwrights, directors, and producing partners.PianoFight's part of it, producing Sam Leichter's deliciously evil play "The Philadelphian," with Rob Ready directing. Essentially, BOA picks scripts and signs up companies to handle

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-6427648562566371942009-12-11T11:18:00.000-08:002009-12-11T14:40:18.973-08:00

The monthly issue of Theatre Bay Area magazine is a pretty great read. They do an extremely diligent job of covering the goings on in the local theater community -- giving career advice, recommending shows, chronicling personnel changes, and always keeping a piece or two about the actual creation of art. In the December issue, TBA's marketing director Clayton Lord, who's been cool with having

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-56960198955212773452009-12-10T00:10:00.001-08:002009-12-10T00:13:12.423-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-293767803181454722009-12-03T10:30:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:28:37.905-08:00

Our friend Jesse Fernandez of Things We Made is a featured filmmaker in the National College Comedy Competition, and if he gets enough votes on this video below, the competition will, for some totally absurd reason, actually fly Jesse out to Aspen for the finals. You can vote for Jesse's video here. Apparently he lost last year's competition by like 10 votes, so if you've got a second, vote for

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-83762479958777106882009-11-25T17:21:00.000-08:002009-11-25T17:23:25.258-08:00

"One Shot" - Starring Logan Andrews, Eric Reid and Nicole Hammersla.Written by Rob Ready. Directed by Rand Courtney. MC'd by Eminem. HD'd by Science.One Shot from rand courtney on Vimeo.

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-62660675681852211002009-11-18T11:17:00.000-08:002009-11-18T11:21:43.367-08:00

The following are some test shots from director Rand Courtney featuring Logan Andrews playing with his new HD camera -- always cool to watch artists messing around and playing with new toys. This HD shit looks ridiculous:

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-23783665207712600162009-11-18T10:33:00.000-08:002009-11-18T10:35:20.509-08:00

A status update from playwright Allison Davis twigged some camp song memories. Here's the vid, enjoy:

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-830261197558823022009-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:002009-11-12T10:12:35.706-08:00

I live in Chinatown right across the street from Woh Hei Yuen Park. I also smoke cigarettes which means I spend an inordinate amount of time on my fire escape, which, incidentally, has a fantastic view of the park. Usually, there is a group of older people practicing Tai Chi with frickin swords:It is awesome. And this morning, even better, there was a group of ladies doing what appeared to be the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-75602608551415081502009-11-12T08:30:00.001-08:002009-11-12T08:57:27.701-08:00

I caught Daniel Heath's Fifty Years Hungry as a staged reading part of The Best of Playground festival earlier this year.The Aurora Theater in Berkeley also staged a reading of the play just last week I think and by all accounts it went off great.Fifty Years Hungry is Heath's first full length drama, commissioned by Playground in 2009, and he wrote it just after completing his first full length

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-34339980295248820332009-11-12T08:28:00.000-08:002009-11-12T08:29:49.524-08:00

UPDATE - 11/12: Bivins just landed another world premiere for this season. See below for the complete list, but this February, PianoFight will premiere "The Position," the show we commissioned Bill to write after winning our playwriting competition "ShortLived 2.0." Also in February, SF Playhouse will premiere Bivins' "The Apotheosis of Pig Husbandry" as the inaugural show in their "Sand Box

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-23432543958744195492009-11-02T10:14:00.000-08:002009-11-03T11:02:00.835-08:00

The following is a non-fictional video, a documentary if you will, directed by Rand Courtney, on how PianoFight decided to produce Monday Night ForePlays:Monday Night ForePlays opens tonight at 8:00pm at Off-Market, and runs each Monday through Nov 23. More InfoTicketsBecome a fan of PianoFight on Facebook for $5 off your ticket

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-6371769698335758562009-10-30T08:04:00.000-07:002009-10-30T08:22:45.496-07:00

A friend of PianoFight's from WAY back in the day, local kick-ass filmmaker Jenn Dorn has been coming up aces lately with project after project of extremely solid work. Below, check out her video for Sleepy Sun:And in honor of Halloween, here's some more kick-ass J-Do video ... of Zombies:Word on the street is that Jenn also managed to land the next Dodos video (which is dope because those cats

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-60332892546958480912009-10-28T13:45:00.000-07:002009-10-28T13:55:19.358-07:00

Jesse Fernandez of local sketch/stand-up comedy group Things We Made has got a pretty sweet video in Roof Top Comedy's National College Funny Film Competition -- check it out (below) and vote for Jesse here.ADDING: Things We Made also runs a weekly live show called Thursdays We Made every Thursday night at 10pm at the Dark Room and one big Saturday show each month, the next one happening Saturday

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-28037316296237679912009-10-23T12:32:00.001-07:002009-10-23T12:35:01.190-07:00

A respectable Arts blog covering PianoFight? It's true, and that blog is Arts Journal. Check it out for the story of how Throw Rotten Veggies Nights came to be, and thanks to head critic at SF Weekly Chloe Veltman for picking this up.

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-2795395869818093892009-10-19T09:58:00.001-07:002009-10-19T10:00:56.895-07:00

For anyone who missed it or couldn't get into the sold out shows, here's a video shot and edited by Rand Courtney of PianoFight's inaugural Throw Rotten Veggies at the Actors Nights, part of the world premiere run of SHIT Show Deluxe.

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-75697379620156029942009-10-14T10:15:00.000-07:002009-10-14T10:35:26.447-07:00

[The following is an email I got from good buddy (and pompous D-Bag) Rob Ready, AD at PianoFight, and I thought you bloggotubey folks would enjoy]CONTEXT: I had been taking a Commercial Audition class which also set students up on auditions with commercial agents. It was a great class, I learned tons about auditioning, specifically that I HATED reading those commercials. I felt awkward whenever I

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-52194114409695616222009-10-13T10:32:00.000-07:002009-10-14T10:34:00.563-07:00

Our buddy Ahmed kicking butt on the stage ...Way to go buddy!

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-12840442803245843552009-10-02T13:25:00.000-07:002009-10-02T14:16:29.369-07:00

Running publicity for anything means constantly pestering calendar editors, feature writers and event websites to get your show listed, recommended or written about. I often wonder if Calendar Editors ever feel like the only adult at a kids' birthday party constantly being pestered by every child in attendance to "Look at meeeeee!" "Watch thiiiiisssss!" etc. So I guess the question for publicists

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-35646698225687446602009-09-03T09:31:00.001-07:002009-09-03T10:09:38.627-07:00

I walked through Union Square this morning and couldn't stop myself from glancing over at our city's venerable half price tickets bastion, Tix Booth. First and foremost, this is a solid operation that usually swings PianoFight somewhere between 5 and 12 tickets each night we perform. The staff is competent and courteous, and doesn't mind if you stand around in front with flyers hawking your show

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-81940968216711054592009-09-02T13:03:00.000-07:002009-09-02T14:02:07.095-07:00

Finally, an article on the state of theater that is actually positive:In a time when businesses in many industries are closing their doors, theater companies in the Bay Area continue to operate in full force.Many thanks to Arielle Little for taking the time to interview a load of companies (including PianoFight) and make an objective judgment on the community as it stands. It's a far cry from

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-20416335738655988872009-08-21T10:08:00.000-07:002009-08-21T11:06:21.539-07:00

A few weeks ago we put out a press release detailing how Combined Artform and PianoFight are expanding their theater management duties in both LA and SF, which prompted local playwright and all around theater blogger Tim Bauer to ask this:"I'd like to know more about the "for-profit, non-government aided" model. I suspect that's the wave of the future, and would free you up from writing grants

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-36604569226946807882009-08-20T13:06:00.000-07:002009-08-20T17:20:31.798-07:00

It's not easy picking shows. What should be produced and why are difficult questions to answer. Those two questions usually translate out into these two: 1) Will it be a good show? and 2) Will it sell tickets?About a month ago, as Combined Artform and PianoFight were getting ready to announce the latest venue addition to the SF Solo Scene, Stage 205 at Off-Market, we were approached by Jennifer

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-57063968469431950192009-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:002009-08-19T13:25:20.813-07:00

Following up on a couple of recent comments (below):"There's a reason Chicago has a storefront theatre on every other block: the city gives them liquor licenses." - Dan Wilson"Small theaters need any income that they can get, and this under table/BYOB shit is getting tiresome. I agree with Matthew that any help that TBA can provide in reforming SF's horribly anti-art cabaret laws would be huge

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-44603888137570054762009-08-10T14:55:00.000-07:002009-08-10T15:05:31.934-07:00

First of all, and I want to make this absolutely clear, I believe there is plenty of room in the market for all types of theater, audiences, plays, shows, acts, sets, production value, talent etc. Theater is whatever you want it to be. There are no rules. There is no status quo. It is what you make it.Last week, Sabrina Lazarus, a marketing person at TBA, put out a post titled, "Why I'm Glad We

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-70588509842980074112009-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:002009-07-30T14:21:18.314-07:00

Ray Hobbs, Devin McNulty and Duncan Wold, producers of PianoFight's touring sketch comedy act, "The SHIT Show," shot the bull around with Casting Connection's Molly Craft in her radio show The Production Office for about an hour today, in advance of the premiere of "SHIT Show V: A Laugh 'N A Half" which runs Fri & Sat nights at 8:00pm, July 31 - August 15 (Get SHIT tickets here). Highlights: -

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-52037779996621782882009-07-28T11:09:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:13:37.217-07:00

Kick ass promo video for "The Stop Hating Imagination Time Show V: A Laugh 'N A Half" - limited world premiere run Fri and Sat nights at 8:00pm, July 31 - August 15. TICKETS - TICKETS - TICKETS - TICKETS

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-32433643359989852762009-07-21T13:55:00.000-07:002009-07-21T14:23:55.977-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 21, 2009 – As the recession looms and hundreds of theater companies receive government stimulus money (the NEA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants), Combined Artform and PianoFight, two for profit, non-government aided companies, are expanding in both Los Angeles and San Francisco while building a theatrical pipeline between both cities.In San Francisco,

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-72724052912399217912009-07-07T09:26:00.001-07:002009-07-10T11:04:17.728-07:00

PianoFight's Rob Ready, Eric Reid and Dan Williams were interviewed on Casting Connection's Blog Talk Radio with Molly Craft (7/7/09) about The Theatertron. Friends and fans called in to chat (make fun of us) and have a high minded debate on theatrical theory (continue to make fun of us).

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-65672207194489584002009-07-02T15:24:00.000-07:002009-07-04T11:38:20.479-07:00

After a lively debate on the blogotubes over the last few weeks, hopping around multiple blogs, lots of individual posts, and even more comments, we offered Combined Artform's Matthew Quinn some space to give his unvarnished thoughts on Theatre Bay Area's "Free Night," in order to condense a thread from four different sites and sum up the numbers - he graciously accepted. Below is a quick

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-27104108406379919272009-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:002009-08-18T12:43:17.963-07:00

(this post is in response to comments from TBA's Marketing Director Clay Lord regarding "Free Night of Theater")The big problem with TBA's "Free Night of Theater" is that it in no way addresses the actual problem - it misses the forest for the tree.The problem is this:- Between 1982 and 2008, attendance at performing arts such as classical music, jazz, opera, ballet, musical theater, and dramatic

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-24574449880946044522009-06-10T14:50:00.001-07:002009-06-10T15:41:06.873-07:00

The California Supreme Court's recent decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, prompted another round of uproar from the LGBT community and progressives in general.But really, it shouldn't have. I mean what did you expect? That the Court would rewrite the legal definition of marriage? That is far too large a political risk for any judge with higher aspirations who doesn't want

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-10338836692083364062009-06-10T12:19:00.000-07:002009-06-10T12:26:08.648-07:00

SF Weekly's Best Theater Companies in the City, both the Editors' Pick and the Readers' Poll choice, Sleepwalkers and PianoFight respectively, will be battling it out in Round 6 of PianoFight's audience judged playwriting competition "ShortLived" - June 12, 13, 19 and 20. Check out the promo below:TICKETS - TICKETS - TICKETS - TICKETS - TICKETS

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-47755213203092422392009-06-10T12:16:00.001-07:002009-06-10T12:19:09.948-07:00

Radiostar has once again given PianoFight a forum to espouse our bullshit in an hour long interview on the radiotubes. This time, oddly serious, we talk about the current state of theater, the dominance of not-for-profit companies in the industry, the sheer awfulness of "Free Night of Theater" and, of course, co-eds. Enjoy ...

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-86025888814167868092009-05-22T10:08:00.000-07:002009-05-22T10:44:21.992-07:00

PianoFight is humbled, nervous, and ever appreciative for being awarded the Best Theater Company in San Francisco chosen by SF Weekly readers in its 2009 Readers' Poll. We can't thank you enough, SF Weekly Readers, and we will try like hell to live up to the good name you are giving us.Thank you.-PF

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-63880065147342078722009-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:002009-05-20T13:33:26.705-07:00

Many heartfelt congratulations are in order for Sleepwalkers Theater for being named the Best Theater Company in San Francisco in SF Weekly's annual Best Of issue. Sleepwalkers is one of the VERY few companies in the Bay dedicated solely to producing new work, and is the only one that comes to mind which has a "Submit a Script" link on its website. These guys are the real deal, edgy and talented,

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-30750398438951520532009-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:002009-05-12T12:47:26.456-07:00

Perusing Chad Jones' Theater Dogs blog this morning and saw this:"Crowded Fire has announced that for its next production, Wreckage by Caridad Svich, running May 9 through June 6, there will be free tickets for the unemployed."Bingo. Well friggin done. This has been an unofficial, never-made-public (til now) policy at PianoFight since we started. Usually it plays out something like this:

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-88853808022164948362009-05-08T13:53:00.000-07:002009-08-18T12:36:03.274-07:00

About a month ago, the Bay Area Critics Circle announced their nominations for their yearly awards. Now, I know this is going to be a touchy subject, but I want to say up front that I am sure all of the nominated people and productions do great work, and are excessively talented at working a stage. What kills me, and in my opinion what is killing the industry, is the consistent staging and

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-41287437413589463792009-05-05T15:36:00.000-07:002009-05-05T16:10:11.623-07:00

Putzing around on Theatre Bay Area's website today, I noticed this:"The Playwrights Showcase seeks to expand opportunities for Bay Area playwrights by introducing local theatre companies to writers and work that represent both the high quality and unique diversity of playwriting in the area."Sounds great right? I mean, this is what the community needs is it not? A way for young writers to get in

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-18522412599559023162009-05-04T13:10:00.000-07:002009-05-04T13:23:01.576-07:00

An email PianoFight received from the Actors Theater of San Francisco regarding an acting class taught by their artistic director Christian Phillips:"After a winter respite and with students awaiting his return, Christian Phillips has started his Acting classes once again!"The email we got says $300 for 8, three-hour classes but their website says $400 - a difference of $37.50 or $50 per class.

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-31200096184860659912009-04-06T11:37:00.000-07:002009-04-06T11:51:18.980-07:00

I work hard to defend my city. I am an LA native born and raised, as was my father and his father. I am proud to call it my home. However, as an actor working my way through the Hollywood stereotypes and bullshit, sometimes I too can see what the San Franciscans and New Yorkers mean. Of course when they generalize about all the things they hate about LA, they are most likely talking about

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-1208202112445840092009-02-25T14:02:00.001-08:002009-02-25T16:32:23.632-08:00

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered the official GOP response to President Obama's State of the Union style address to Congress, and all I can say about him is, "More please."Here's the first part of the speech:Even Fox News hates him. It's terrific. And the best part is that the GOP seems to think the Bobby Jindal is the Republican equivalent of Barack Obama. That's roughly the equal to

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-54588107099173811572009-02-16T17:57:00.000-08:002009-02-17T00:11:22.630-08:00

Do you ever feel the need to express yourself but can’t, for the life in you, find a way? It’s like you have a gallon of whatever you want to call it to expel, and it can only be poured out through stirring straw. And to make matters worse, when you finally throw caution to the wind and place yourself in front of a keyboard, your fingers just keep knocking into each other like a bunch of clumsy

hang nailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995346042275701742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-28055500375092318552009-02-11T17:12:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:25:48.903-08:00

At a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana on Monday, President Obama made this point about those greedy fucking ass clowns in lower Manhattan:OBAMA: "You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime."Does that sound objectionable to you? Cause it sure as hell does to the mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman: DOUCHEY VEGAS MAYOR:

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-3297508023171473712009-02-10T15:01:00.001-08:002009-02-10T15:01:51.546-08:00

Last night, at President Obama's first prime time press conference, meant to address theeconomic recovery bill currently being hacked to death Congress, Michael Fletcher of the Washington Post asked this:Yes, you heard his question correctly, "What is your reaction to Alex Rodriguez's admission that he used steroids as a member of the Texas Rangers?" All I can say is ... ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-82427141068071973282009-02-06T11:48:00.000-08:002009-02-06T11:54:48.410-08:00

Diane Francis wrote this today on the HuffPo:"Frankly, specialty channels, reality TV and the blogosphere are very entertaining but they are hardly bastions of our freedoms, values or of facts that have been well-tested and curated by professional content-providers in editors' and producers' chairs."I'll give Ms. Francis that, yes, there are blogs/podcasts etc that are not "bastions of freedom" -

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-41185890045460528912009-01-30T14:54:00.001-08:002009-01-30T15:28:35.792-08:00

It's finally official - we, as the voting populace of these United States - can officially stop listening to Republicans when they speak about ANYTHING having to do with the economy. You may ask, "But Carl, with Obama's election, aren't we supposed to be ushering in a new era of bipartisanship, openness, and general awesome?" The answer, of course, is yes. The only problem is that the half wit

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-72537343644831753682009-01-28T13:49:00.000-08:002009-01-28T14:16:48.705-08:00

I was just in my car, listening to NPR, and some guy who's some economic something-or-other was just blabbing on about our 2 trillion dollar debt and Obama's economic stimulus package blah blah and what a mess our whole world is in. Honestly, I'd have listened better, and would therefore have better facts to present to you at this time, but my mental stability can't take it anymore, and I was

Teresa Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04597400124029125708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-2116000934889638652009-01-23T12:47:00.000-08:002009-01-23T13:08:00.998-08:00

After a meeting with President Obama over the proposed $825 billion stimulus package, House Republicans greeted reporters with skepticism with House Minority Leader John Boehner saying:"You know, I'm concerned about the size of the package, and I'm concerned about some of the spending that's in there. How you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives, how does that stimulate the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-76063827074090521012008-12-15T12:39:00.000-08:002008-12-15T12:49:51.908-08:00

PianoFight is proud to announce that we have been invited to perform in the San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival. We will be comedying it up on two nights, Friday January 23 and Saturday January 31 at 10:30 at the Dark Room theater alongside Elephant Larry, 3 Actorteers, Things We Made and The Freeze.So in honor of this honor, we finally put out video from the PianoFight's first SHIT Show and

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-39175758453954801852008-12-05T15:56:00.000-08:002009-10-23T10:17:12.812-07:00

It's Friday, which means that it's time for a recap of the weirdest shit that happened this week - let's go!1) To get kids interested in science, a British university asked four grade schools to design space suits for teddy bears then blasted those bears into space to see which one worked best.If you really want to get kids excited about science, lie to them. And/or tell them science wrote Harry

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-41501245455447241922008-12-04T10:38:00.000-08:002008-12-04T11:07:05.634-08:00

A blog I frequent turned me onto this awesome new show created by SNL's Amy Poehler. "Smart Girls at the Party" is a digital TV series powered by ON Networks, which basically celebrates young, smart and passionate girls just being themselves. The show itself is great. Lighthearted, straightforward with a significant message. But the fact that it is a web series made me think... Would this ever

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-60420238823817345502008-11-24T17:13:00.000-08:002008-11-24T17:20:34.140-08:00

Maybe I have some kind of disease. Some yet to be chronicled affliction that in reality, lots of people have, but nobody knows because it's never been diagnosed.Then again, I probably don't. However I still don't understand it. Women kill me. And I mean, they kill me. Like the other night, it was late, I was walking home from some fucking thing I'd been working on, a meeting or a script or a

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-77662552913087086932008-11-13T17:43:00.000-08:002008-11-13T18:03:34.156-08:00

For a long time, I have believed that abhorrent fuck ups of government were simple due to bureaucrats gross incompetence. How naive. I realize now that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with incompetence (I mean honestly, even Bush isn't a flagrant moron, rather he's flagrantly wrong), and it has EVERYTHING to do with fucking the taxpayer in the ass.Go ahead and have a watch of this video:That's

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-91439014879786545272008-11-11T12:32:00.000-08:002008-11-11T12:45:39.998-08:00

As we rejoice that our country was smart enough to vote for Obama, we mourn the loss of a very important right with the passing of Prop 8 and that our state was dumb enough to vote for it. In his "Special Comment" last night, Keith Olbermann explains rationally and thoughtfully why PROP 8 is so wrong. Go Keith.

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-68314821161685915862008-11-04T13:17:00.000-08:002008-11-04T13:38:53.198-08:00

Take a moment out of this crazy day in politics (we probably wont find out until late tonight, or tomorrow morning anyway) and listen to the hottest new thing in music- Harlequin Baby! Currently based out of Santa Cruz, CA these hip young kids will give you something to think about... or just dance about. They have their first gig in January. But if you can't make that I'm sure they will be

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-31190150723323867182008-11-04T06:20:00.000-08:002008-11-04T09:14:35.496-08:00

I realize this is a common affliction so I've never put too much thought into it until this morning, but I never remember my dreams.  Sometimes I remember having had dreams throughout the night but I can never remember specifically or with any detail what those dreams were about.  I've woken up in a cold sweat after having had a particularly bad nightmare and I've even woken up in tears after a

GenErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935284795684214757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-3373156392582661412008-11-02T12:03:00.000-08:002008-11-02T13:15:52.621-08:00

Oh my. Oh dear. Oh, oh dear.Sarah Palin Pranked by Faux SarkozyWowie wow wow. In other, wholly unrelated-to-the-current-general-election news, today comes the revelatory information that they are making "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max into A MOVIE. Dear lord! I almost think I can't go see this. Somewhere in me, in some deep part of my soul, the innate and total wrongness of

Teresa Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04597400124029125708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-7164809708077199932008-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:002008-10-31T12:54:43.333-07:00

PianoFight's stated goal upon creation of the company was simple: New Work, by New Artists. Period.After just over a year of new plays, a webisode series, a website, a blog, and a short film, PianoFight is proud to announce that we are now in the business of producing music.Our first foray into the field is with The Package's first track off what will hopefully become a full length album "

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-33857956584164828882008-10-31T12:10:00.000-07:002008-10-31T16:58:19.945-07:00

There are many, many things in this world that I do not understand. Physics - no fuckin clue. Women - I've tried, and continue to try, but really, I have no idea. Dip N Dots - how the fuck do they make those tiny balls of ice cream so delicious?However, and this question has been nagging at me for some time now as it's something I simply cannot wrap my head around: How is it possible, that in the

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-54443848355172585462008-10-30T14:28:00.000-07:002008-10-30T14:45:20.452-07:00

In you missed it, I am not usually a fan of pundits/anchors/commentators at CNN named Sanchez. However, over the last few months, one specific Sanchez at CNN, Rick Sanchez, has stood out in terms of calling any and all fuckers for what they really are - lying douchecocks.Here's the first example:Goldfarb: "You know who it it."Sanchez: "I have no idea. Who?"Goldfarb: "You know."Sanchez: "I really

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-49582067257110261002008-10-29T17:20:00.000-07:002008-10-29T17:26:45.294-07:00

Everybody loves a good fight. (A good PianoFight, that's for sure! I'm hilarious.) I like to think I'm fighting the good fight, working for change and hoping for some truly necessary new leadership. I'm from Pennsylvania, though, where the "Good Fight" looks totally different depending on which side of Amishland you live on. In the east, there are democrats, raging for change, and in the

Teresa Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04597400124029125708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-90163593618497298642008-10-28T09:33:00.000-07:002009-09-03T20:52:00.969-07:00

(This is actually an old post, but I'm going to Devil Driver tonight and figured what the hell)I am not a huge metal fan. However, due to the fact that a number of my friends rock some hard tasty licks whenever possible, I have been exposed to the music, and the live shows are amazing. Really, if you've never been to a metal show, just go. The raw and pulsating energy is tangible in that

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-87917187961111774742008-10-27T15:47:00.000-07:002008-10-27T16:07:59.599-07:00

I am a big fan of the newswire. A constant influx of headlines beckoning potential readers with a catchy turn of phrase or startling revelation. So as I browsed the AFP wire today I ran across these two headlines a few pixels away from each other:Spanish restaurant launches 'anti-crisis' lunch menu for one euroand ...100,000-euro birthday bash for pope's brother: reportSo basically, as the entire

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-31118826239543038412008-10-27T11:18:00.001-07:002008-10-28T12:56:39.139-07:00

I feel awful for saying this, but I kinda feel for the guy. Well, the guy portrayed by Josh Brolin in a movie about a president that is based on a true story about a president. Follow? After watching Oliver Stone’s latest, it’s hard to tell what his motive was. From the previews, and the rush to release it before the November election, I totally thought this would be a film made to make Bush

Nina Haradahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027292593787167412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-90395645708873468762008-10-25T16:16:00.000-07:002008-10-25T16:18:39.649-07:00

hang nailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995346042275701742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-86558393992465733992008-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:002008-10-24T13:18:01.372-07:00

I am AMAZED by this woman. Palin was asked why she hasn't released her medical records:Palin: "The medical records, so be it. If that will allow some curiosity seekers perhaps to have one more thing that they either check the box off that they can find something to criticize or to rest them assured over."Go back and read that sentence again, and try to keep your brain from exiting your skull and

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-70600263150833838052008-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:002008-10-24T13:59:17.783-07:00

Some people have an aversion to electronic music, they feel it's inaccessible; Hadaway's "What is Love", C&C Music Factory and the Quad City DJ's has probably had something to do with this disillusionment. Not all electronic music however is as formulaic as MTV's the Grind's track list might indicate (remember that show?) Eero Johannes uses this medium to create imaginative funky synth rhythms

hang nailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995346042275701742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-89287199096434461822008-10-23T14:27:00.000-07:002008-10-23T14:47:23.539-07:00

The Stop Hating Imagination Time Show 965 Mission St (between 5th and 6th)ThursdayFridaySaturday8pm$15 buy online$20 at the door(brown bags encouraged)

PianoFighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14042942251154069646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-23360565328327981582008-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:002008-10-22T14:13:11.953-07:00

Here's a quick clip of FOX News defending the fact that since being picked to be John McCain's running mate, the Republican National Committee has purchased $150,000 worth of clothing for Sarah Palin.Bimbo: "Here's my challenge: when we stop treating women as sexist figures, ok? That we all talk about what we have on, and what their shoes look like, and how their hair looks, but we don't say that

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900839501982672805.post-47097430004026595462008-10-21T14:48:00.000-07:002008-10-21T16:15:22.889-07:00

As you may have guessed, I have watched this election rather closely since the spring of 2007. That's a year and a freakin half. And in that obscene length of campaign time, I have felt emotions ranging from joyous, to utter disgust, to just wanting the damn thing to be fucking over already.This week brought an entirely new sensation.It started when the dearest of all cute and cuddly Mavericky

Carl Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01411747529339867393noreply@blogger.com0