Lowlands, Day Two

Woke up early today to continue the Lowlands adventure. Again, we performed for 1,400 people - a sold-out house. I got to beatbox with Robbie, do an improvised song with full backup to a giant, laughing, screaming crowd. It’s as close to being a rockstar as I’ll ever be. And probably as close to actual rockstars I’ll ever be. I watched Beck from backstage. Then I played Gameboy SP Castlevania till the batteries ran out. Took pictures, drove the van home and listened to stories told by my drunk fellow comedians.

My photographs have been chosen to run the Uitmarkt campaign at Boom Chicago. I also took all the photos for the new flyer. I have the first thing *ever* that says, “Photographs Courtesy” me. Riding high into the fall. Very tired, though. To be expected.

I know Scott and Jenny Flack are auditioning for Boom. Anyone else? Read my journal. See the proof. I know it’s scary to leave everything behind to live in Europe for a year or more. But I’m beginning to believe that anything that shakes you a little bit has some value. Scare yourself and affect your life. And do comedy every day.

Toodle-Pip

Lowlands, Day One

Just got off the bus from Lowlands, where Boom Chicago performed for 2000 people at a Woodstock-like outdoor music festival, at one of the 5 giant tents. Beck. Foo Fighters. Electric Six. And one of my favorites, Lamb. Something like 200 acts.

And since I’m a performer, I got a backstage pass to everything.

So Suzi and I headed to the place where Lamb was playing, and headed backstage so that I could offer up an apology — or rather, so that Suzi could say it for me, since I hate talking to people I don’t know. See, we were performing at the same time as Lamb — the only band at the whole 3 day festival that I gave a shit about. I wished them goodluck, and then we all sat at a table talking for a bit about Paradiso in Amsterdam, and their tours.

Rain, festival food, ravers, necklaces for sale, all that stereotypical festival stuff was in full effect. I’m exhausted, and I have to go back tomorrow for our next show. It’s the highest honor, and I’m so flattered to be a part of it all, again.

I don’t know who to thank for all this. I’m not religious, so I can’t thank a higher power. I thank my parents for their support, of course. A big shout-out to the two who raised me and gave me all the opportunites that lead to me hanging out with Lamb, and doing a show in Europe where people start lining up an hour before our show even lets in, declining the opportunity to see 8 different amazing bands while they wait for us. Thanks for the front row who came to scream “Yo Here We Go” with us, who *knew* us already and rapped the chorus with us. Thanks to Devo for saying, “Campbell, what are you doing next week? You should audition for Boom.” Thanks to all my friends who put up with the nervous breakdowns I had for months before the move. You know who you are, and listing you would just mean taking up hours that I should spend sleeping.

On the T-shirt, we’re listed right below Beck. I bought one to frame.

Auditions Up At BoomChicago.nl

HEY HEY HEY HEY!

If you’re looking to spend a year in Europe and do comedy and be paid and have a great time, then SIGN UP GODDAMNIT!

www.boomchicago.nl

Email Pep and say that you’re going to be in Chicago during the 16th 17th and 18th of September. And then audition for the irrevocable life change.

Toodle-Pip
(I’ll be emailing you people if you don’t sign up.)

Anime and Improv

Wow. I don’t know why this hasn’t dawned on me before, but I don’t know if I’ve ever met another improvisor in touch with Anime and Game Fandom. I can’t imagine the people at Improv Olympic or The Groundlings doing Cosplay. Is that because I’m a unique hybrid dork-comedianne? Or is it because Anime and Capcom/Square/Enix/Konami/Etc are as young to the US as I am? At both Boom Chicago and the other Improv Troupes I’ve been a part of over the years, (Ultimate Improv Nonwithstanding), I’ve been the youngest member of the team. Ultimate was different; here there were college kids when I was out of college, and I could make a Gundam Wing Sucks joke and they’d respond angrily and passionately (and incorrectly).

I would love to connect with an Improvisor who remembered playing Sega Master System’s Card-based games. Or Game Gear Sonic the Hedgehog. I would love to meet an Improvisor who owned some fansubs and was almost done with .Hack or Witch Hunter Robin or whatever. But I’m guessing that as far as this generation of comedians go, I’m one of the very few.

It’s not alienating. I’m not about to get upset about it or anything. But I have two very different audiences for this LiveJournal. My anime friends and my Improv friends. There’s no crossover, as a general rule. I’ve got a few who do both: Jess Lacher comes to mind immediately. Hell, we even got her to join us at AX this year. But where the hell are all the improvisors who can even make a Pokemon joke without saying “Which One is Pokemon again? Is that the one that is Yellow and says his name over and over again?”

This is a long rant. I’ve just been reading this great article over at InsertCredit.com about Video Game Journalism, and I realized that I had no one to share it with. So! Write an entry!! Right-o. Toodle-Pip.

Another week of Boom

Sometimes it’s difficult to update this journal, partly because I don’t have any personal time on the computers in the office (there’s always someone around), but also because so much happens, it’s hard to keep track of everything.

Big events this week? Tuesday, most of Boom went to Six Flags amusement park. Though I woke up early with every intention to go, I bailed out at the last minute when I realized there was no need to attend something I was dreading. I don’t like groups and I don’t like crowds and I don’t like amusement parks.

So I got breakfast and went to the Anne Frank Huis. Dissapointing; not much of a museum, and very little information about Nazism or the perils of Jews living in Amsterdam. Instead, it was more of a “Read the Book? Now see the house!” attraction catering to fans of Anne Frank. Which was all well and good, but I was hoping there was more on the nature of their hiding and less poetry from Kitty.

Then it was off to a bookstore, in an effort to satiate my museum need. Nothing at the bookstore, of course. It’s difficult living in a country where the english bookstores are few. I want a Barnes and Noble. Everyone here seems to have libraries in their houses, but no one carries books (english or dutch). So, I went home and played Final Fantasy.

In the evening, I joined Pep and Andrew and Seth Meyers for the trip to the dunes. Boom went deep into the forest/sand and spent hours juggling fire and talking. I was bored to death. So was Seth and Jim.

Also, while I was there, I got some bad news. Sophie, my dear girlfriend, has just gotten a job that will make her move away. It made us both very aware of how much we enjoy the freedom to see each other at any time. In February, she’s either going to Germany or Luxemburg, so … we’ll see. It’s an 8 month job. Sucks. But I’m so proud of her at the same time.

I love my life, as always. Having an apartment is key. Matt Jones may be visiting next month, which is great. Scottie came last week and totally brightened up things. I watch anime and play games and play. Yahoo. (I hope not to sound defensive. I’m really happy here.)

On Monday, my application for a job at the Newspaper goes in. I hope to draw comics, just like at Northwestern. Cheerio!

Scottie in Town

There’s so much to write and so little time.

Firstly, I’ve finally got an apartment. 7 months into my Amsterdam journey, and I’m no longer sleeping on anyone’s couch or in their closet. Already I feel happier every day.

I made pancakes in my tiny kitchen. It’s a little like camping in my living room.

Also, Scott Speiser arrived in Holland on Thursday night. Friday, he played in Heineken Late night. He made fantastic choices in his improv and really impressed Pep and the rest of the gang. It would be *amazing* if all the people who were cast in the show were friends of mine. All of them. And I believe I know the best improvisers in the country. I’ve been working for a long time, and I know that there are improvisers with more experience and greater accuracy, but I don’t think that the unique combination of youth, hunger, instinct, intelligence and cheer can be found in anyone else but my fantastic friends. I urge you, not just for my sake, but for your own, audition for this show. More on that:

This week, Nicole Parker — Boom until 2002, October — got cast on MadTV. That makes for 4 on Mad and 1 on SNL. Boom is not an entryway into television, but I can’t think of a better training ground for character (both personal character and presence, as well as comedic characters) than this theater on the Leidseplein. There’s a reason that BC turns out such talent. Part of it is the audition process; unlike Groundlings, there’s not a class-based, political scene to impress - this is just a show, and you have to work to get in. The other part of the system is the intensity and regularity of the shows. 300 people, every night. 6 shows a week. Where else can you find that kind of atmosphere to hone choices?

In other news, Sophie visited and helped me work on my apartment. Thanks to Jordan and Paige, the sinks were clogged and the dresser had garbage from Josh Meyers under it. (Ahem). But also thanks to them, I have the most amazing place to live in the world. Thank you thank you thank you!

I’m off to hang out with Speis and Ellie. I can’t fucking wait to introduce more of you to Amdam. Unfortunately, they saw one of the worst shows since I’ve been here — 85 degrees in the theater, and no audience response at all. If they’d only seen the late show, they could have seen what this show can really be. It’s really fantastic, I swear, when it works.