No Age Video

I don't really know much about Sub Pop's No Age, but I came across their video for Eraser on Pitchfork's Forkcast this morning. It's a fun, nonsensical performance video that complements that hazy, slop-rock tone pretty well. The video is directed by Andy Bruntel whose name I recognize from The Directors Bureau, home to geniuses like Roman and Sophia Coppola, and Patrick Daughters.

When pulled off, there's something nostalgic and charming to that stripped down, bored, tacky, suburban American technique a lot of directors use. Here, Andy seems to capture things very nicely using some fun fx work, too. I would have embedded the link to the video, but I can't seem to find one for whatever reason.

Check it out: No Age - Eraser

*The 1:00 min mark highlights one of my favorite creative decisions to come by a music video in a good while.

No Fliff Night, Still Hopeful

Sound's great but I just can't. Funny idea, though.

Best,

Brad Neely

And there you have it. Neil Hamburger ended up being too expensive and Brad Neely was the other hopeful source of entertainment I wanted to book, but alas, it fell through, too. Oh, well. Time to move this blog forward. Once simpler plans are put together I'll probably post some sort of announcement.

Ditch Wizards, Rich Wizards, Nintendo Wizards

Plans to get Neil here are still underway. His booking agent seems to be comfortable with my new asking price of $1500. I mean, he hasn't told me to fuck off completely. He's trying to negotiate a plane ticket on top of the $1500 fee which might still be doable since Neil would be coming up from L.A as opposed to New York. Last week Jimmy and I constructed a list of friends we feel confident would pony up a bare minimum donation of $20 to see not only Neil, but to send us off happy. We came up with close to forty people, did our algebra, and figured with additional contributions from family and ourselves it'd be very reasonable to raise enough money. Whoops, did I mention this would be our joint going away bash? Well, shit. Excuse me. The night is (knock on wood) going to be billed:

Goodbye David and Jimmy ...thanks - Feat. A Private Evening With Neil Hamburger.

But it looks like we will have to draw up new ways of exceeding of our intended budget or abandon plans altogether. Or...

The private evening might feature another surprise guest for a cheaper price. I'm currently working on contacting him...

Otherwise, June is reaching an end. It's been a solid month. I'm reading two nice yet completely opposite books, watched a great movie called 2 Days In Paris, and found this incredible Japanese one-sheet for The Wizard:

America's Funnyman

(Helping America Laugh: Neil Hamburger)

Now that marks two acts of intensely surreal and hilarious comedy for 2008. Back in May I had the pleasure of seeing Tim and Eric perform in their Awesome Tour show in Seattle. It was arguably the best stand-up variety act I'd ever seen. That is, until last night when Neil Hamburger graced the stage at the delightfully B.O.-stenched Rogue Hero bar in town. Given the laughs per minute rate and the run time of the performance, Neil and his Too-Good-For-Neil-Hamburger-Band took first place among best comedic performances I have seen to date. Distasteful and tacky do not adequately describe the mayhem delivered in his brand of punchline humor and songwriting. Above all else, the level of commitment this man puts into his character is something truly shocking and awe-inspiring. There is never a moments rest. His guard is never down. He is, without a doubt, the hardest working man in show business.

The experience carried over into today. I came up with an idea: Get Neil to perform at my going away party. As of this afternoon, I've been in talks with Neil's booking agent. I sent in an inquiry to see if Neil performs private parties and to negotiate a price for his appearance. The agent responded rather quickly and told me that private parties require a fly-in and would cost around $3000 dollars, depending on the situation. I'd like nothing more than to book Neil Hamburger for a party, especially a going away party in my own apartment, but I don't know how I can raise a few thousand dollars in a month. Any tips?

I leave you now with a sample of Mr. Hamburger's work. Here he is performing a round on the talk show circuit:

Sweeps Week

This blog started a little prematurely. It wasn't my intention to start these entries so early on before moving, but, SURPRISE, I'm here documenting the preparations before I depart. I was originally planning to start once I began with school in Syracuse, but I realized there would be opportunities to capture some important moments during the course of this summer, here in beautiful Bellingham. I also originally intended this blog to be titled, "David Drori 2: Lost In New York," but opted for something more appropriate to my tastes. Anyone who knows me knows that sandwiches reign supreme in my universe.

I think of relationships with my friends in terms of television and the art of the sitcom (or situation comedy). Right now my friends are also on the cusp of big, personal changes. They're all making leaps towards adulthood this fall and setting sights on new projects and possibilities. It's an incredibly bittersweet time, really. I've been spoiled having been surrounded by a great cast of people as long as I have. My point is that we're all prepping for the spin-off series where we shed our supporting cast eccentricities and earn a star billing highlighting our own advancements. I know it's a silly analogy, but it's a convenient way for me to put things into prospective. Growing up with a television in my room has proven, once again, to be a mixed blessing.

Anyway. Welcome, dear reader, to my new corner of the internet.

Inaugural

"Big plans for this new blog." - Mike Wilson, 2005