Stand-up comedy, pop culture (music, movies, television, magazines, books, video games, etc.), sports...
Back when I was working in radio, I was taught "be able to speak intelligently about ANYTHING for at least 30 seconds." I took that to heart...and my interests have spiraled out of control in every direction ever since.
Music
What they tend to play on KEXP, I tend to buy at Easy Street Records...if that helps define my music tastes, so be it.
But, in addition to indie-rock, I grew up with K-Tel records, and I've never lost my sweet tooth for delicious pop sounds.
I also was a top nightclub dj (up until just a few years ago) and I can't help but succumb to a hands-in-the-air anthem, a sweet vocal house groove, some trippy trance, hard hitting breaks, intelligent hip hop, modern rock... Whatever gets people moving...
...and then there's my love for Brit-pop, alt-country, 80's wave, 70's funk, 60's soul, the British Invasion, 50's doo wop, cool jazz, 40's swing...
Bottom line...to me, there's only two kinds of music...good and bad. And those two kinds of music come in all kinds of flavors...and damn it, I want to own ALL the good stuff before I die...
Movies
The worst movie that I have EVER seen is "The Lonely Lady" (starring Pia Zadora.)
In the early days of Cinemax, I watched that movie over 60 times...so I KNOW what I'm talking about.
That should give you an idea of how impossible it might be to describe my favorite movies in any succinct fashion... I'll watch garbage I KNOW is awful just as readily as I'll watch movies that I truly enjoy or recognize as being well made.
If I picked five random DVD's from my collection...would that tell you anything? OK...how about..."Battle Royale," "Touch of Evil," "A Room With a View," "Fight Club" and "The Andromeda Strain"? What might THAT combination of films indicate?
Look...it's easy. Either I've seen it (and probably own it)...or it's in my Netflix Queue.
Television
I'm a sucker for British comedies...Python, Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, AbFab, The Office, Knowing Me Knowing You w/Alan Partridge, Black Books, etcetera.
I'm also a fan of the HBO Sunday night series past AND present...Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Flight of the Conchords, etcetera.
Rarely do I get into standard network fare, but I have a fond affinity for The Amazing Race, I can watch pretty much any variation of Law & Order and Scrubs is a damn fine show.
I'm actually beginning to miss Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip--more because I loved The West Wing and SportsNight and my wife wants to live in an Aaron Sorkin universe than any sense of comedy industry reality that S60 purported to have...
Then there are things like ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn and Jim Rome is Burning, Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, Bravo's Top Chef, G4's Ninja Warrior, BBC America's Top Gear and, most of all, Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares...
But, basically, the television comes on when I wake up...and is probably still on when I fall asleep... I've got as many channels as the cable company will grant me...I WILL FIND SOMETHING TO WATCH.
Books
BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: "Positioning" by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
Back when I was working in radio, I thought I was soooooooo clever. Then, I read this book...and realized that "clever" isn't terribly important...that you can't change someone's mind even if you're right...that the best you can hope to do is to tie an idea to something that someone else already believes, or to define yourself in such away as to allow others to understand you in the context of those things they already accept.
I immediately gave up on religion and politics after reading that book.
THE BOOKS I'VE READ MOST RECENTLY:
"The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts"--by Tanner Colby and Tom Farley.
--Inevitable but not any less tragic for it.
...and...
"X Saves the World"--by Jeff Gordinier
--I might not agree with where he ends up, but I certainly relate to his defining where I am.
Beyond that, I tend to read a lot of non-fiction (like "Freakanomics" or "The Tipping Point" or "Chain of Command")...but I'll read fiction by Nick Hornby, Douglas Coupland, Chuck Palahniuk, Irvine Welch, Jonathon Franzen, Max Brooks, Cormac McCarthy and plenty of others...
Heroes
Truth be told, my only hero is STILL a three-inch tall wiener dog that Geoff Brousseau knows. Sad? Perhaps...but accurate.
About me: I think I've hit the tipping point of having FORMERLY BEEN so many more things than I'll ever have the chance to BE. Former cheesehead, former radio personality, former commercial writer, former nightclub dj, former record store manager, former call center employee...it's insane.
NEVER GROW OLD.
Right now, I'm a Seattle-based professional stand-up comedian who does "ripped from the headline" stuff in comedy clubs and festivals across the country.
Assuming you didn't blink, you might have even seen me on NBC's "Last Comic Standing..."
Did you blink? Well, here it is then:
HEY! Want to REALLY see me in action? I did a show at the Comedy Underground in Seattle last year--a benefit for the Puget Sound Community School (three of their students were also doing comedy on the show.) Take a look:
Who I'd like to meet: ...more people who perform stand-up comedy, who like stand-up comedy...or who rock at whatever creative pursuits help them keep their personal demons at bay, even if it's just for a little while...
AND...it would have been VERY fun to see you here:
hahaha, well I did finish them, however, I haven't paid for a tattoo in years. My buddy takes care of me. I probably never would have done it if it actually cost money!
How are you, pal? Hope all is well in SeaTown! Staying busy? Rocking the comedy world?
hey. we're working someplace on the 22nd together. i haven't heard where it is, just that i'm featuring. how about carpooling? i know you're a fan of it...
I'm enjoying reading your blogs about the SF Competition, Peter! I did much better in SF last year than in Seattle, so it's bringing back fond memories. Even so, competitions are such head games! Best wishes to you, & keep on blogging!
so good to hear from you... im kinda busy the rest of this year with planning a wedding and all... but we plan on doing a lot of travelling over the next 2 years... im definitely gonna come out and see you do you thing. i miss ya bro!
