theEastside Scene - May 2015

Booker T. Jonesperforms the new, improved Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival

Arts and Entertainment | May 2015 Arts and Entertainment | May 2015scenethe

EASTSIDE

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150407 Crossroads Live Music Scene Mag 9.83x12.75f.pdf 1 4/7/15 4:24 PM

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JUST A TOUCH OF HOLLYWOODBollywood showhouse Totem Lake Cinemas diversi� es with second-run blocbusters. The

shift mirrors changes and renovations at Kirkland’s Totem Lake Mall.

Feeling the bluesDowntown Bellevue puts some � re in its belly, adds blues genre to annual jazz music festival.

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BEYOND THE NEW FRONTIERTwo new exhibits at BAM highlight

the work of Jana Brevick and the Paci� c Northwest’s “designer-

creators.”

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PLUSThe Don’t-Miss List 4 | Great Northwest Wine 7 | Conversations with Funny People 10

What’s Inside

PublisherWilliam Shaw

Editor/LayoutDaniel Nash

Production DesignerDiana Nelson

Contributing WritersMegan Campbell

Eric DegermanKyle J. JensenBrandon MaczAndy Perdue

ON THE COVER: Booker T. Jones

scenetheEASTSIDE

2700 Richards Rd, Suite 201, Bellevue 98005 | theEastsideScene.comFor Advertising, call Jim Gatens 425.440.0437

Arts organizations are dependent upon sup-port from the commu-nity in a wide variety of forms, including grants. I recently received a rejection notice to a grant proposal that was noteworthy.

In explaining why they would not be funding our request they said, “…we do not consider museums or art exhibits as we are unable to truly measure the impact they have on the greater community.”

I respectfully disagree.We all use measurements to assess our

progress. The business of the arts is no dif-ferent. We have budgets, we keep track of website analytics, we have numerical goals and objectives.

It is indeed challenging to measure spe-cifi c economic indicators that are attribut-able to arts organizations. For instance, it is diffi cult to determine the infl uence of an inspirational exhibition on the amount spent at local restaurants or neighboring retail stores. While arts organizations do impact the local economy in dollars and cents, it is the broader impact on the com-munity that is invaluable.

Our society grows and matures as cul-tural opportunities create space to explore

new ideas and share interests and needs. Whether it is a show that ties the process of making art to a fundamental need for expression and survival, a perfor-mance that engages the mind and offers a glimpse into another culture, or an educational activity that allows a face to face chance to engage in new dialogue—every experience with the arts has a tangible and real impact on individuals and on the community.

The Eastside is fortunate to be home to a broad diversity of individuals. The community that we build depends on our ability to exchange ideas and to under-stand our neighbors.

While it is sometimes diffi cult to provide quantitative data points, we in the arts strive to help develop the soul of the community. We raise awareness, we allow for conversation and we help ignite passion for engagement in what happens around us.

And that, in my opinion, is a truly measureable impact.

Linda Pawson is the Executive Director of the Bellevue Arts Museum. The Bellevue Arts Museum, or BAM, is dedicated to displaying the work of creators in the fi eld of craftwork as well as the traditional fi ne arts. The Museum is located on 510 Bellevue Way N.E.

LINDAPAWSON

The quality of quantitiesBeautiful View

Guest column by Linda Pawson

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The Don’t-Miss ListMAY WATCH | CabaretVillage � eatre will close out its season at Francis J. Gaudette � eatre with the musi-

cal classic Cabaret.First staged on Broadway in 1966 and adapted to � lm in 1977, Cabaret is the story

of the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a nightclub in 1931 Berlin, during the rise of the Nazi party. When: May 14 to July 3Where: Francis J. Gaudette � eatre, 303 Front St. N. in Issaquah

WATCH 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO | SIFFIt will be hard for the 41st Seattle International Film Festival to top last year’s SIFF. � e festival’s

40th opened with the heartfelt Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side, screened hidden gems like the low-tech, low-gore Australian horror gem � e Babadook and closed with the festival organization’s landmark acquisition of � e Egyptian on Capitol Hill.

SIFF has become the largest � lm festival in North America for good reason: It largely eschews the industry-worshipping glitz and glam in favor of providing a rich and varied viewer experience.When: May 14 to June 7Where: Various locations, check siff.net for details

LISTEN | Ester RadaIsraeli-Ethiopian soul singer and songwriter Ester Rada and her band will perform on Mercer

Island early in May. Raised in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Israel, Rada was born to par-ents who had been airli� ed out of Sudan as part of Operation Moses in 1984. She grew up with a love for the soulful sounds of classic performers like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as contemporary artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. As a performer, she’s toured Europe and North America and performed at SXSW. Tickets are available at SJCC.org .When: May 3Where: Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island

LAUGH | Jubal Flagg Presents Radio Gods, with Briane MooteSeattle morning radio show bros Jubal Flagg and Brian Moote, joined by Movin’ 92.5’s Jose

Bolanos, will open May with a standup showcase. Flagg is cohost of Bellevue top 40 station Movin’ 92.5’s Brooke & Jubal in the Morning. He’s

worked in entertainment for more than a decade, appearing regularly on FOX’s Dish Nation and writing comedy bits for radio stations across the country.

Moote is a Whidbey Island native who’s been working in comedy for more than eight years, fol-lowing a career as a special education teacher in Seattle schools. He has appeared on Nickelodeon’s Nickmom’s Nite Out and MTV’s Money from Strangers.When: 7:30 p.m. May 3Where: Parlor Live Bellevue, 700 Bellevue Way N.E. Ste. 300 in Bellevue

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Some people talk about doing great things.

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Jazz is going to the Blues for this year’s Bellevue Downtown Asso-ciation concert series — a fi rst-time

mashup of complementary musical styles.The downtown association had hosted

Wednesday night Bellevue Live concert events for several years before upping the ante with its fi ve-day jazz festival seven years ago. This year is the fi rst the BDA is blending Blues into the mix.

“We just wanted to open a door to other offerings during our seven years,” said Mike Ogliore, BDA vice president of events and operations. “A lot of these folks will blend from one area to another, and how you interpret that is up to you.”

The 2015 Bellevue Jazz and Blues Festival will kick off its fi ve-day lineup on May 27, with acclaimed local and national musical acts accompanied by performances by student musicians from around the Puget Sound region. Ogliore said the event capitalizes on the fact that student musicians are fueled by national competitions prior to the festival. Student jazz musicians will showcase their talents during weekend performances May 30-31.

“They’re really on their game and it’s just a nice addition to their calendar,” he said. “They’re there to do their thing and not concerned with being absolutely perfect.”

Four-time Grammy winner Booker T. Jones — of Booker T. & the MGs fame — said he’s honored to be the festival’s fi rst repeat headlining act, having per-formed at the Bellevue Jazz Festival back in 2012.

“I’ve changed my show somewhat. I have my son (Ted Jones) playing with me now; he wasn’t playing with me then,” Jones said. “Some elements of the show are the same because I still play the MG hits.”

Jones has been keeping his keyboards hot for more than 50 years, and was still in high school when he composed “Green Onions” for the MGs in 1962. He

said festivalgoers can expect MG hits and a bevy of work since then.

“I’m very fortunate to have the older work,” Jones said. “I still personally love it and was so fortunate to be able to play music that well that young.”

He released his 10th studio album, “Sound the Alarm,” in 2010, returning to Stax Records after breaking away from the studio more than 40 years ago because he felt creatively restricted when it changed ownership. He said he came back when ownership changed for the better.

“We’re very close now actually,” he said. “It’s like coming home.”

Jones will perform 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center; tickets are $35 or $20 for students. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform there the night before, also at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Bake’s Place will again host a bevy of featured artists during the festival, having a hand in selecting acts that really stand out to restauranteur Craig Baker, whose restaurant has been providing diners with live music six nights a week for the past 17 years.

“There’s a famous quote that says without space between the notes there is no music,” Baker said, “and we all need times in our lives when we can sit back and take part in something that has an effect on our very being.”

Seattle-based funk and jazz band, McTuff, will perform there 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 27 ($15 tickets) and is one of Baker’s favorites, he said, incor-porating the not-often seen Hammond B3 organ.

“They burn it up,” Baker said. “They’re just unbelievably good.”

Lloyd Jones Struggle will play 7 p.m and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28 at Bake’s Place, with tickets running at $20. Bake’s Place will not require a cover to see performances at the venue on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30.

Feeling the bluesBy Brandon Macz

Downtown Bellevue’s jazz festival puts some � re in its bellyIn� uential soul instrumentalist and multiple Grammy winner

Booker T. Jones will be a featured performer at the

Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival. Credit: Gary Copeland

Last month’s Great Northwest Wine Competition helped highlight some of the fi nest whites and rosé wines from the Northwest states and British Columbia.The competition at the Columbia Gorge Hotel drew 1,204 entries. The top wine was Palencia Wine Co.’s 2014 Vino La Monarcha Pinot Noir Rosé from Washington’s An-cient Lakes of Columbia Valley. The best white wine was the Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2014 Dry Rock Sauvignon Blanc from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Here is a selection of other white and pink gold medal winners:

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Paci� c Rim Winemakers 2013 Hahn Hill Vineyard Chenin Blanc, Yakima Valley: Aromas of honey and pear lead to a bright entry with fl avors of Honeycrisp apple, all backed by bright acids that lead to an attractive fi nish.3 Horse Ranch Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris, Snake River Valley: This delicious white reveals aromas of dusty apple and tropical fruit, including pineapple. On the palate, it’s a bright and tart white that provides fl avors of Asian pear and Golden Deli-cious apple.Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2014 Crawford Viognier, Columbia Valley: This luscious Viognier is a classic, with aromas of tropi-cal fruit, orange Creamsicle and sweet lemon. On the palate, it is a delicious wine throughout with a late burst of sweet orange acidity toward the fi nish. DeLille Cellars 2013 Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley: This blend of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Semillon is one of the United States’ top examples of wines in the style of white Bordeaux. Starfruit, lemon pepper, seashell and chalkboard dust aromas lead to fl avors of gooseberry, Golden Delicious apple and lemon juice. This is much more fruit-forward and com-plex than most West Coast examples. L’Ecole No 41 2013 Semillon, Columbia Valley: L’Ecole No. 41 has long championed this underappreciated white Bordeaux variety. This is another great example, with aromas of fresh-cut apple and lemon-lime, fol-lowed by a smooth entry with hints of apri-cot and stone fruit. Beautifully balanced acidity leads to a bright, peachy fi nish.

Mercer Estates 2014 Spice Cabinet Vineyard Rosé, Horse Heaven Hills: This gorgeous rosé by winemaker Jessica Mun-nell (pictured above) opens with stunning aromas of strawberry, raspberry, peach and apricot. On the palate, it is loaded with fl avors of of pomegranate, peaches and cream and cranberry, all backed by impressive acidity.Purple Star Wines 2013 Riesling, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley: Kyle Johnson, owner of this winery in the Yakima Valley, crafted this gorgeous Riesling with aromas of light apple, honey and citrus, followed by fl avors of apple backed by stunning acidity.Zerba Cellars 2013 Cockburn Vineyard Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley: White wines are somewhat rare at Zerba, so this was a delicious surprise. It opens with aromas of baked apple, hominy and a hint of marzipan, followed by juicy fl avors of apple and pear, along with light toffee and fresh caramel.Coyote Canyon Winery 2013 Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills: Justin Michaud crafted this Albariño from estate grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills. It reveals aromas of pear, Golden Delicious apple and kiwi, followed by fl avors that are both creamy and taut with just the barest kiss of sweet-ness. This is a perfect wine for crab. Huston Vineyards 2013 Private Reserve Chardonnay, Snake River Valley: Aromas of fresh caramel, white peach, baking spice and Golden Delicious apple lead to fl avors of pineapple and butterscotch, all backed by a touch of sweetness.

Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, a news and information site. Learn more about wine at greatnorthwestwine.com.



By Kyle J. Jensen

Arif Amaani is many things. He is an entrepreneur, fi lm enthusiast and former collegiate athlete. Yet more than anything, he is an entertainer.

“There is not a script for soccer,” Amaani said about his days playing soccer for Seattle University. “Sometimes, you need to be a little creative.”

That’s also his approach to business. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Amaani is the owner of Totem Lake Cinema, which has shown Bollywood fi lms for the last 14 years. Since then, he has seen plenty of changes in fi lm — the digital shift, Netfl ix and infl ated ticket prices, all of which have contributed to his decision to start showing second-run fi lms.

So why does he stick with the erratic fi lm industry? The entertainment value.

“Enjoyment isn’t money for me,” Amaani said. “When I see that I give an audience something to cheer about, it makes me happy. That is what it’s all about.”

During the past two years, business at Totem Lake Cinema has changed. Larger theaters have begun to show Bollywood fi lms, causing the audience to scatter to varying theaters.Amaani, realizing the need to keep up with the evolving industry, decided to transform his cinema. With movie prices rising, he believes that audiences will appreciate a cheaper theater experience.

In its heyday, Totem Lake Cinema was a meeting place for the Eastside’s south Asian community. Crowds would dress up in festive gear, interact with one another during the fi lms and connect to the entire cinema experience, ac-

cording to Amaani.Even though much of that has changed, the theater will

hold on to some of its old character.“We will still show Bollywood fi lms but we are adding

the second-run aspect to give the Kirkland community something new to enjoy,” Amaani said.

Tickets are priced at $3-$4, a third of the price for most fi rst-run fi lms. To kick-start the second-run format, the theater is currently showing “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” and “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”.

Sohel Azhar, Amaani’s brother, points to the cheap pric-es and family-oriented atmosphere as the biggest draw.

“There is still a vintage charm to the theater, and a fam-ily can watch a fi lm for no more than $20,” Azhar said.

The cinema isn’t the only business currently undergoing changes in the area. The Kirkland City Council approved a redevelopment of Totem Lake Mall on March 3, some-thing that has long been discussed.

As Kirkland’s population grows, the mall receives more traffi c and visibility, which gives Amaani hope for the future of the cinema and the mall as a whole.

“It’s been a quiet mall, but a lot of things have hap-pened recently so I think this will be a good time to bring something new to the community,” said Amaani. “The mall has been leasing more buildings recently and there are a lot fewer empty spaces than before.”

Ellen Miller-Wolfe, economic development manager for the city of Kirkland, said the Totem Lake Malls redevelop-ment plan has been on the city’s agenda for years.

“The city has been discussing it for a while, but only re-cently has a new potential owner come forward,” Wolfe said.

It’s too early in the process to say what exactly will hap-pen to the mall, but there is a high possibility that much of the empty space will be torn down and revamped, accord-ing to Wolfe.

“We should have a better idea of what exactly will hap-pen come the end of March,” Wolfe said.

Seeking to satisfy his itch to entertain, Amaani hopes that the potential redevelopment plan and his eye for a niche will help bring new business to Totem Lake Cinema.

“It will make me feel good to see a large crowd again whether it is for Bollywood or Hollywood fi lms, as long as I give the community something to offer,” Amaani said. “The thought excites me.”

Although Totem Lake Cinema may not have the Bollywood experience that it once did, a new experience has begun — a more communal experience. Perhaps the audience Amaani needs is the one he is trying to reach — the local community.

“I will make a new connection with a new audience, even though I’ll still have some of my old regulars,” Amaani said. “But I want to bring in a broader crowd, hopefully the Kirkland community.”

Kyle J. Jensen is a student with the University of Wash-ington News Lab. This story originally ran in the Kirkland Reporter.

Just a little bit of HollywoodArif Amaani at the counter of the Totem Lake Cinemas, where he’s recently begun showing second-run blockbusters to supplement the screening of Bollywood � lms. | Credit: Kyle J. Jensen

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Beyond the new frontierBy Megan Campbell

The Pacifi c Northwest has always been a place of natural grandeur — for better or worse, depending on whom you ask. The author Fred Moody, writing in his memoir and cultural history Seattle and the Demons of Ambition: A Love Story, described our geographic wonders as an insurmountable benchmark against anything men could create, causing an inevitable cultural malaise — you can’t beat Mother Nature, so why try?

But Moody’s words were published in the way-way back of 2003. In the 12 years since, the sleepy landscape’s been transformed by the advent of “sustain-able” architecture: Futuristic Tetris-block buildings that nevertheless incorporate the natural materials of the region. Northwest-erners eschewed rivalry with nature for partnership, marrying design and beauty.

And so it is when you step into The New Frontier, one of two new exhibits at the Bellevue Arts Museum; one where fea-tured Northwest “designer-creators” ride the line between fi ne art and functional utility.

You enter and begin with diverse woods sculpted to resemble pebbles. From pine to fi r, monkey puzzle and walnut, Seattle woodworker Joel Sayre’s “stones” vary in shape, size and design.

Moving through the exhibit, materials like brass and concrete are incorporated into furniture and other fi xtures.

The showcase highlights 28 studios from Oregon, Washington and British Co-lumbia. It combines, for the fi rst time, the modern styles of the Pacifi c Northwest.

The exhibit tries to capture the “bub-bling scene” emerging from around the region, co-curator Charlie Schuck said.

“It’s a snapshot of right now,” Schuck said. “This is the fi rst time we’ve been at a point in the region that we can have a show for this.”

Veering away from mass production, these highly trained artists explore the boundaries of creation.

Peter Bristol’s steel Cut Chair provides a sturdy place to sit, despite looking like anything but. The chair looks as though it has one leg to stand on, as segments from

the other three have been cut out. Bristol creates the illusion of instability; though the chair’s robust, cantilevered seat is support-ed by a plate concealed by thick carpet.

The Pacifi c Northwest artists’ work is very much a response to the economic downturn in 2008, realizing that building a long career in a corporate organization is not practical, Schuck said.

“All of these people are very much in that vein — the new economy,” he said.

These “designer-creators,” as co-curator Jennifer Navva Milliken coined, are intimately involved in their work. They are local artists making a living off of their unique designs.

Journey into in� nityAfter walking through a forest, thick

with creations incorporating diverse woods, metals and glass, the exhibit blasts into a new realm.

“You have permission to come aboard,” Seattle artist Jana Brevick said.

In her fi rst comprehensive solo show-case, Brevick invites the public to step aboard and explore a collection that spans her metal- and jewelry-making career.

The exhibit, This Infi nity Fits in My Hand, highlights Brevick’s witty humor and her interest with scientifi c phenomena.

Some creations date back 15 years. Objects on display include PuzzleGuts,

a fabricated and cast necklace fi tted with a tin man from her 1999 Robot series, and Strobe, a ring made from obsolete vacuum tubes from her 2000 “Intermittent” collec-tion.

The big reveal, however, is Brevick’s spaceship, Atomic Exfi ltrator Ship Seven.

Bellevue Arts Museum staff were hard at work putting the fi nishing touches on the section, which sets the framework to display Brevick’s new pieces.

The items on display in the ship all relate to space.

Her sterling silver lightning necklace, on display in one of the spaceship’s win-dows, provides the “Power Supply,” as it’s called, to the ship.

“This is about giving the ship energy,” Brevick said.

Brevick’s collection and The New Fron-tier are located on the third fl oor of the

Peter Bristol’s “Cut Chair” and other works in the BAM exhibit “The New Frontier.” | Photo credit: Megan Campbell

“Strobe,” a ring made from obsolete vacuum tubes from Jana Brevik’s 2000 “Intermittent” collection. | Photo credit: Roger Schrieber

Bellevue Arts Museum at 510 Bellevue Way NE. Admission is free for members and children under 6. Tickets are $30 for the family, $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.

The museum is open Tuesday through

Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admis-sion is free the fi rst Friday of every month.

For more information call 425-519-0770.

Megan Campbell is a staff writer for the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter

Kortney Shane WilliamsKortney Shane Williams meets me at Jai � ai on Capitol

Hill two hours before he’s set to get on stage at the bar with a group of other local comics. � e night’s show will

break from the norm —the audience will suggest fodder for jokes that the comics will have to write in a matter of minutes. Williams is somewhat wary of the gimmick, noting that stand-ups and improv performers have di� erent skill sets.

One-on-one, he’s a frank yet visibly shy man, rarely meeting eye contact. But Williams’ in his element on stage and over-comes his reservations as he ri� s o� of suggestions like “prom sex” and “no nipples” like a free-verse John Coltrane — he says he’s been more in� uenced by jazz artists than comics.

Williams began his career at 20, paying Central Florida clubs to put him on stage. Now past 30, he’s a known quantity in the Northwest comedy scene who runs his own showcase at Naked City Brewery.

Williams will perform at Laughs Comedy Spot with fellow Seattle comic Derek Sheen on May 27, 29 and 30.

Let’s start at the beginning: You began performing as a 20-year-old in Central Florida clubs. What made you want to start?

A� er high school, I started a day job at Coca-Cola and I worked with a bunch of older women on the night shi� in the o� ce. One of the women there, she was in her 30s -- and at this time I’m like 18, 19 -- and one night I tell her, “I think I’m funny.” And she’s like, [Williams deadpans] “You’re not funny.” And I’m standing there asking, “Every night I say something and you guys laugh, so how am I not funny?” She goes, “No, no, no, you’re goofy, but you’re not funny.”

So then I come to work and every time I made somebody laugh, I put down a tic mark. By the end of the week there were all these thatch marks. And, again, I was like “I think I’m funny,” and again she’s like “You’re not funny.” But this time I show her my steno pad and I go “Look! Look at all these times I made you laugh this week!” So the next time I see her, she’s printed up a � ier for an Improv Comedy Club open mic contest. And that’s when I started thinking maybe I would try this.

So what brought you from Florida to Seattle?Florida is really an awful place for art. Not for music, necessarily.

� ere are some musicians, hip-hop artists that are all right; there are pockets. But in general there’s not a lot of… it’s a very white collar state, a lot of people with o� ce jobs. So when you did shows there, people wouldn’t come unless you were famous. If you weren’t famous, you were nobody. When I started performing at open mics, I had to pay $25 to get on stage and do � ve minutes. And then when I got more into it, I would drive an hour and a half or two hours to go to a club and do a spot, then drive back. Just for an open mic — and that was every week.

I had a friend in the comedy business who told me, “If you want to be successful, you’ve got to get out of here.” So I went to New York � rst, with $5,000 in my pocket. � at was gone in � ve months. So then I went to stay with family in Cleveland, where I’m from, and that turned out to be the best four months of my career at that point. During that time, I book a show in Miami and a friend there tells me he’s driving out to Seattle and would I like to go with him? So I do and, during my � rst week here, I made $700 from performing -- more money than I had seen in my life from comedy at that point.

You’re actually the � rst Seattle comic I’ve interviewed for this. Most everyone I talk to works in New York or L.A.

Comics in Seattle are better than the comics in New York or L.A. No contest. Is that unique? I don’t know. � ere might be great comedy scenes in most cities. But the di� erence is there are a lot more people in New York and Los Angeles: hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of comics trying to make it. And maybe only, like, 5 percent of them are any good. Yes, New York has Dave Attell and Louis C.K. and people like that, but they’re the exception. � ere’s so little stage time available. � e lucky comics in New York are getting maybe two or three minutes at 12 a.m. shows. It’s a war of attrition.

But out here, people have � ve, 10, 15 minutes to work out their material and there are audiences. � ere are fewer comics out here, but I think there are more good comics because of that.

And you’re doing pretty well for yourself out here. You have a monthly showcase, (Stand-up Style), at Naked City Brewery. What qualities do you look for in the comics you pick to perform with you?

My only concern is to have a headliner who is strong, who I believe in, who can do 30 or 35 minutes of solid material on stage. � e rest of the performers are people that I like who can do 10 minutes. Maybe � ve. But if they have strong jokes, that’s what matters.

You’ve opened for heavy hitters like Dave Chappelle and Hannibal Buress. Who’s been your favorite performer to hang out with?

� e greatest hang is Hannibal. When I met him he was popular, but not famous. � is was way before [Buress’ 2012 special] Animal Furnace. His weekly show [held Sundays at � e Knitting Factory in Brooklyn] is one of the most popular shows in New York, but he wasn’t known outside New York -- he was in the background, writing a little bit for SNL and a little bit for 30 Rock. So it’s not like a celeb hang with him. He’s a guy I can call if we’re both in town and he’s like “Let’s just go tonight. Let’s � nd a show and get on stage.”

You write a lot about sports, and particularly football, on your website Comedic Prose. As a Seattle transplant, what was your take on Seahawks fever?

One of the most distinct moments, which I’ll never forget, was when Pete Carroll was � rst reported to come here. My best friend is a huge USC fan — I’m a fan of [rival school] Ohio State — and I tell him “Pete Carroll’s going to Seattle” and his reaction’s just, no-no-no. And I’m thinking, as they release more details and it turns out he’s going to become president, I’m thinking “� is is just beautiful. � is is going to be awful.”

And I was wrong. But those � rst teams were, for lack of a better term, they were so Seattle. � ey just played the way Seattle teams play. Not so� , but you think of Seattle and you think of Shaun Alexander and Hasselbeck and Trufant and you think of these guys who were so... nice. � e bad guy was Bosworth; and he never worked!

� en something happened and I’m telling you: � e moment Marshawn Lynch grabbed his nuts during that Saints playo� game it changed everything. I thought it was the greatest thing on Earth.

Another thing is, I love the characters. I love how much bolder they are, I love that they’re the bad guys, I love it. And I’m shocked that Seattle embraces it, because that’s not what Seattle typically goes for.

Conversations with Funny People

Interview by Daniel Nash


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theEastside Scene - May 2015

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Transcript of theEastside Scene - May 2015