My "Friend of the Week" is not a person but THE best comedy room in Phoenix! Started back in 2005 by Jaqi Furback who moved to Seattle, it now being run primarily by Kirk Buckhout, Steve Maxwell and Ronnie D.
Music
Beatles,Elvis Costello,Allman Brothers,Alejandro Escovedo,John Prine,Miles Davis,Bob Marley,Scott Miller (V-Roys),Slaid Cleaves,Neko Case,Chris Knight,Lucinda Williams,Grateful Dead,Indigo Girls,Ghetto Cowgirl,Greg Trooper,Van Morrison,Steve Earle,Bruce Springsteen, Blaster, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (Refreshments), Ignitors,Flathead, Flatlanders,Little Feat,John Coltrane,Jackson Browne, Rodney Crowell,Jim Lauderdale,Johnny Cash,Tom Gillam,Neil Young,Richard Shindell,Dave Alvin,Tom Waits,Jerry Riopelle,Dave Alvin, Jethro Tull,Los Lonely Boys,Uncle Tupelo,Son Volt,Wilco,Danny O'Keefe,Tom Russell,Ryan Adams (Whiskeytown),The Cure,The Clash, Morrissey,Dave Insley,Nanci Griffith,Jayhawks,Tom Petty,Ray Wylie Hubbard, Pistoleros,Byrds,Derailers,John Hiatt ... That's just this week. Top 5 of all time: Beatles, Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Miles Davis. So there
Movies
Grand Canyon, This is Spinal Tap, Forrest Gump, Gross Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, Get Shorty, Big Lebowski, Mighty Wind, The Matrix, Waiting for Guffman, Saving Private Ryan, Best in Show, Phenomenon, ET the Extraterrestrial, Searching for Bobby Fisher, Mary Poppins, Comedian Ok, Ok, I finally saw Napolean Dynamite, Gosh!
Television
If you blinked, you missed me on Last Comic Standing
My appearance on the Tonight Show!
Books
Zen and the Art of Stand Up Comedy (Sankey), The story of an Illiterate Detective: "J" is for Murder (Steve Maxwell), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (It cracks me up every time he slams into that rock!)
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff,Arizona
Graduated: 1983
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Pyshology
Minor: Sociology
Clubs: How to smoke pot every day and still make the Dean's List.
Music Fans: "The Other Guys" with Brook Adams.
1977 to 1978
Arcadia High School
Phoenix,Arizona
Graduated: 1972
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Clubs: Key Club. Lettermen's Club (for real -- I got a letter for gymnastics -- I was on "Towells"). Hint: Don't look in the yearbook for Stu "Baker" bitches. My real name is usually followed by, "Isn't he dead?". My plan is working!
My Buddy Kyle Cease's DVD, "Weirder. Blacker. Dimpler." is out Now! Check out this conspiracy theory video!
From actual footage!!! Aaaah!!!!
The Stu Baker Story
Did you ever wonder where comedians come from? What kind of twisted psyche does it take to make a person want to continually go up in front of a group of people with a chance they might fail and experience a result many people fear worse than death?
Some say the comic perspective is formed in a troubled or challenged life. Humans laugh as a coping mechanism for adversity and the comedian's dramatic efforts are their attempt to control this elusive state.
If challenge and adversity are fertile ground for the comic, then Stu Baker has plenty enough fertilizer to be really funny.
When Baker was three years old, doctors gave his parents some alarming news. He was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. So little was known about the disease at the time that the doctors told his parents to prepare for the worst. It actually took many years for the worst-case scenario to appear -- he became a comedian. And ye, sadly, those doctors are all dead.
As a child with the severe physical challenges that MD presents, Stu Baker soon learned that he could call positive attention to himself with a sense of humor about his condition. While it earned him positive affection from his peers in school, it also earned him numerous trips to the principal's office. The principal, it seemed, had no sense of humor. Stu would often leave the principal's office thinking, "Tough room."
But frequent detention did not discourage Stu Baker. At a very young age, he developed an entire stand up comedy act complete with references to President Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson and "Milk is up to 27 cents a gallon? What's up with that?" He had dreams of being on the Tonight Show with Steve Allen ... then Jack Paar ... then Johnny Carson. But now they're all dead and it makes him worry about the well being of Jay Leno.
Somewhere along the line, he developed the bad habit of procrastination. He decided he'd get around to being a comedian later and installed a snooze button on his snooze button. He also began to have an additional recurring dream; that he would someday become a myspace whore. He didn't know what a myspace whore was then. (He does now.)
Before his now-famous comedy career, Baker got a degree in Psychology and immediately got work as an data manager in an engineering company (don't ask). He also worked as a professional musician, owned a recording studio, worked as a recording engineer and record producer, founded an independent record label and hosted a number of radio programs as a DJ in the Phoenix area.
For the last five years he has returned to his stand up dreams and attributes his recent success to two things, 1) The principal is now dead too. 2) He is a myspace whore 3) He is funny. See? He listed three things instead of just two. That's comedy!
Clubs, Bookers, agents, etc. can find easy-to-access bio, credits and publicity photos at my Stu Baker Electronic Press Kit myspace page. Just click on the pic below.
George Carlin, Firesign Theatre, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Bill Hicks, Todd Glass, Dane Cook, Brian Posehn, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Jon Lovitz, Tom Papa, Gene Pompa, Jerry Seinfeld, Kathleen Madigan, Mike Birbiglia, Scott Kennedy, The Smothers Brothers, Dave Attel, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Rock, Colin Quin, Arj Barker, Wayne Federman, Greg Behrendt, Nick Swardson, Todd Barry, Bill Burr, Rich Vos, Alonzo Bodden, Kathleen Madigan, Richard Jeni, Frank Caliendo, Bobby Lee, Dr. Ken, Greg Giraldo, DC Benny, Patton Oswalt, Lewis Black, Lenny Clarke, Brian Regan, Doug Stanhope, Tom Cotter, John Heffron, John Belushi, alright, ALRIGHT ALREADY I GIVE UP!!!! JESUS CHRIST!!!! (he's funny too).
And later ... Richard Pryer, John Belushi, Rodney Dangerfield, Johnny Carson, Ron Babich.
Always keeping an eye out for something funny. Is it you?
My "Rotating Top 24" This Week.
Comedy by Referral
Random Rotation!
I have a lot of friends these days on myspace. Sometimes I forget why I added someone. Chances are they're a comic because I often request adds from other comics. It could also be someone's music I like. Or, it could be a firend of comedy or someone who is just an interesting person to meet on myspace.
Still, I have lost track of some of them so I will rotate this section now and then and make some sort of contact to see what happens. Check in here often to see if you're here! I'll be writing you soon!
Every week I rotate in new comics into my "Rotating Top 24". I hope to meet them and/or work with them someday!
People all over the world are requesting them, Want a 'I'm Just Badd Ass" sticker? (http://bit.ly/47Ng85) Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to:
Crow Garrett PO Box, 86902 Tucson, AZ 85745.
And ill send one straight to you, Take a picture of ot posted to a Wall, Bar Stool, Your Girlfriend or Boyfriend even Your dog. send me the picture and ill post it on line!
So, the weekend has like, arrived, and I think there really is only one thing you should be doing...pleasing yourself. Make sure you spend every second of the weekend involved in heavy sessions of self pleasing, for once you have pleased yourself, you will be capable of pleasing others as well, prehaps at the same time.
Episode 8: Oligarchy rules of our little podcast is out now as well by the way, on itunes or last.fm, would love to know what you think of it, once you've pleased yourself of course :)
You don't look a day over 40. A decade or two, maybe; but, not a day.
Love you & miss you. We have A LOT of catching up to do. I hope all is well with you and yours (grandpa), and that you truly have a wonderfully memorable day.
Happy Labor Day, hope your having a nice long weekend. Did you start celebrating your b-day early? You should have! Spoil yourself! Anyways HAPPY B-DAY!
Online Now!
