Maybe the Most Fun I've Ever Had...and we may even do it again.

After nine months of planning and coordinating and booking it finally happened: The Staying Alive 30 Year Tribute Party! On Wednesday, July 10th, 2013 (almost exactly 30 years to the date of Staying Alive's original release date), we packed out Brooklyn's Union Hall with the most fantastically enthusiastic crowd and group of performers. It really was everything I could have ever asked for and overwhelmingly MORE!

I've had this idea for literally almost an entire year, and to watch it unfold in such a fun and collaborative way made it worth every second of work (but let's be honest, it's not really "work" when it's Staying Alive). We had a live house band covering songs from the movie's soundtrack (props to my band The StalloneTones and to Frank Stallone for re-tweeting our event!),

a panel full of experts on the movie as well as Staying Alive neophyte, Mr. John Flynn, who we got to watch experience the movie and its effects in real time,

a Staying Alive Ultimate Trivia Challnge (which yes, I spelled it incorrectly 'cause that's what making a game board at 12:30am while drinking wine will turn into),

audience giveaways which included swag like the Staying Alive dvd (donated by Kim's Video), a gift certificate to Ovenly Bakery, and tickets to a production by Horse Trade Theater Group,

and last but not least, the unveiling of a signed head shot by none other than John Travolta dedicated to the Staying Alive 30 Year Tribute Party!

Overall, it was a dream come true for my Staying Alive-obsessed nerd self, and it wouldn't have been possible without everyone's support.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Staying Alive 30 Year Tribute Party! Your guys' energy and enthusiasm was off the charts! Thanks to my fellow StalloneTone members (Ryan O'Toole, Andy Christie, Bill Chambers) for all their hard work and talent, and thanks to my fantastically hilarious panel members for their wit and humor. Thank you to Union Hall for backing this insanely specific idea and thanks to Ovenly Bakery, Kim's Video, and Horse Trade Theater Group for their donations. In the words of John Travolta per the headshot he signed for us, "Dreams Do Come True!"

all photos courtesy of Maryanne Ventrice & Craig Ruttle. Full photo gallery HERE! And our big thanks to Todd Jackson for filming the entire evening.

Sandwiched between George Carlin and Paul F. Tompkins!

 

Mindy Tucker is an AMAZING photographer who covers the New York comedy scene. I've had the privilege of being photographed by her several times. In 2011, I featured her as the first in a series (which I need to rekindle) of "Genuinely Awesome People."

I am beyond honored to be mentioned in this article by Mindy about photography and the comedy scene. Featuring such comedy heavy weights as Weird Al, Eddie Izzard, Reggie Watts, I'm humbly sandwiched between George Carlin and Paul F. Tompkins! According to paste.com, I am now officially an "up-and-comer."

HUGE thanks to Mindy and paste.com. You just brightened the hell out of my day!

 

Jamming with The Flaming Lips' Drummer! No Big Deal...

Okay, guys. Sometimes I get to be a part of some seriously cool things. This is one of those times.

You may know Steve Burns as the former host of the wildly popular children's television show, Blues Clues. Not only is he an all-around nice guy, but he's a super talented musician as well. Which leads me to my next point...

The Rocktopus! photo courtesy David Bizzaro (L to R: Anthony Joseph, yours tuly, Steven Drozd, Adam Swiderski )

You may know Steven Drozd as the drummer of the wildly popular band, The Flaming Lips. Not only is Steven also an all-around nice guy, but he's a super duper talented musician as well. Which leads me to my next next point...

Steve Burns and Steven Drozd are combining their talents in a new Steve'nSteven collaboration producing a children's music album. But don't let "children's album" throw you off. These songs are layered, catchy, sophisticated, and I've been singing them ever since the first time I heard them. Which leads me to my, okay, you get it...

I got to spend an entire day physically attached to the drummer of the Flaming Lips while Steve Burns directed us as I fake-played a keyboard! All those years of piano lessons paying off. And it was AWESOME!

I also got to meet a great team of other creatives and musicians. The day flew by as we donned green screen suits, talked about Rush versus Led Zeppelin, and snacked on pizza and drinks. All in all, the perfect day.

I leave you with one of my favorite songs from the new Steve'nSteven collaboration as you peruse some photos from the day's shoot. This will go down in my mental history as one of the best days ever!

Creating Art in the Midst of a Storm?

Below is a blog that I wrote several days after Hurricane Sandy, but never got around to posting. So, here it is. Posted:

As New York works to regain some sense of normalcy after Hurricane Sandy, I've found myself consistently thinking about one particular thing—artistic sensitivity (and artistic necessity?) in the midst of a disaster. I've been thinking about this so much that I'm not exactly sure where to start, so I'll just delve into it.

On November 2^nd, several days after Sandy hit, my husband was scheduled to appear at KGB Bar in the East Village to celebrate the release of his first book of poetry, Enduro's Lament. This was years of writing and months of preparation in the making. Despite the storm and its affects, the books found their way safely to Brooklyn in time. And thus popped up the big question: Do we still hold the reading when so many people are still suffering and dealing with the hurricane's after-effects? Enter internal debate.

Enduro's Lament chilling at the KGB Bar

Are we being insensitive if we hold the reading? Could this actually be a significant and beautiful thing if we proceed as planned? Does the venue even have electricity? Will we be safe?