improv

I wanted to let any of you out there in cyberspace who may care about two COMPLETELY IMPROVISED and totally FREE shows that I'm going to be in THIS WEEKEND at the iO WEST's Andy Dick Experimental Black Box Theater.

Yes, someone named a theater after Andy Dick...

1) Friday May 23rd at 11pm (following Heather & Miles at 10pm, who are incredible and I highly recommend seeing them)

2) Saturday May 24th at 8:30pm (following Laurel Coppock's "Breakdown City" at 8pm, which I can't recommend highly enough!)

I will be performing with my improv group HAMMERSPACE (www.myspace.com/hammerspace_improv).

These shows are all-ages, totally free, completely improvised, and really go a lot better and are more fun (and funny) when there's a good crowd... so it would be awesome if you could make it and see me wrestle with my new creative obsession -- LONG-FORM IMPROV!

Here's the details:
HAMMERSPACE
5/23: 11pm
5/24: 8:30pm
@
iO WEST - Andy Dick Theater (*note: this is not the mainstage, the entrance to the Andy Dick is on COSMO)
6366 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
http://west.ioimprov.com/

There are exciting things going on in Evangenital-land, and a LOT of them. This weekend is a Nexus of sorts, with 3 shows happening on one night - none of them Evangenitals shows - yet all of them Evangenital-related! Let me explain...

Evangenitals lead singer Juli Crockett (that's me!) has just landed a new gig singing the June Carter Cash parts in the greatest Johnny Cash tribute band ever - Cash'd Out. (http://www.myspace.com/cashdout) Evangenitals drummer George Bernardo has been drumming with them for the past year, and this Saturday night - April 19th at 11pm - I will having my debut performance with Cash'd Out at the "Belly Up" in Solana Beach, CA. If you happen to be in that part of town, I would LOVE to have some friendly faces in the crowd cheering me on!

Life is full. Full full full! Almost done moving into my new place, the car broke down (but I've got a big tax return coming in that will pay for it!), LOTS of rehearsals for plays and gigs and music and improv.... and now, on Monday I'm going to be driving down to San Diego with Georgie to audition to be the June Carter for the best-ever Johnny Cash cover band "Cash'd Out". Anyone that knows me seems to think that this is the "day job" I was BORN to have... it's only a question of me not freaking out and dazzlin' them in the audition. Heck, it would be awesome to be in ANOTHER band with George Bernardo, that's for sure. :-)

Before that big day, though, I've got two shows in one night (Friday the 28th) -- Artichoke at La Casa Blue (9:30pm) and Hammerspace (my Improv team) at iO WEST (Andy Dick Experimental Black Box at 11pm)-- to get through. It's a lot, and I'm loving it.

Saturday and Sunday we have to officially finish moving, clean out the old apartment (throw a couple of rehearsals and a class show for our Improv class on Sunday) and turn in the keys Monday morning. Then, at around 1pm I'm jumping in a car with Georgie to head down to San Diego... and DESTINY! In the meantime, I've got all my Johnny and June tunes on repeat play and I'm getting ready for greatness.

Say a prayer for me. :-)

- Juli

If you haven't notice, The Evangenitals are on a bit of a hiatus. Brett is working a film editing gig, the Valentine's Season has meant that Lisa got consumed by her Flower Industry job, George has been makin' bucks playing with Cash'd Out, and I've been trying to get my life in order and figure out what I really want to be doing with it at this point in time. I think everyone needed a big 'ol break after the Road to Oprah tour. Although, I am already excited about the next tour we take. I really liked touring, which is a good thing, considering that we're the type of band, I'm told, that is really going to make our mark (and money) on the road. I'm glad I'm cut out for it!

I just finished watching a BBC documentary about the Ocean called "The Blue Planet".  It's friggin' incredible.  This segment was on the "Open Ocean" -- sharks and dolphins and all kinds of other hunters and predators out there in the seeming wasteland that is the open ocean.  I saw bigger schools of sharks than I've ever seen on film before and seabirds that were sounding to depths of more than 15 meters.  Absolutely incredible.  Watching stuff like that always makes me really happy that I'm a vegan now. :-)

I'm really stoked to get back to watching Patrick's "Prehistoric Beasts" DVD's that he brought.  That series (also by the jolly 'ol BBC) is friggin' incredible as well.  So much good stuff to watch and learn!

We had our first improv practice today for our newly formed super-group "Hammerspace" that is going to be performing at the iO WEST on March 8th at 11:30pm in the Andy Dick Experimental Black Box.  Save the date!  Or don't... cuz I'm sure to be reminding everyone with ears when the time grown nearer.  That show is about a week before Lisa and I go to SXSW, and I hear there's a chance that Joey Ninja of Ninja Academy might be coming along to play with us, which would be ludicrous. 

Practice was really good for a first practice, even though Patrick and I both felt super-stiff and utterly bland.  Ah well, that's what improv class is for, and I've got mine tomorrow night!  I'm also starting a NEW (additional) improv class at PCC next week, and I'm pretty excited to be going back to a campus.  Yay for school libraries!  We're also hoping to take advantage of some of the open rehearsal space there for both improv practice and the History of Water piece.  Yay for resourcefulness and low-budget living!

My student loan money finally came in today, so I was able to do really important stuff like pay my rent... FINALLY!  Tomorrow I am in desperate need of a smog check, as my registration tags are expired and I've already racked up TWO "fix it" tickets that have to be settled by the end of the week.  Aye!  I hope I pass.  Also on the list of things to do is tune-ups for our bikes and buying student metro passes, right after I pick up my student ID, so I can stop driving that dang car anyhow and start riding bikes and taking the train as many places as possible.  Hooray!

I stopped by Evangenitals drummer George Bernardo's place today and got to visit for a bit.  There are some exciting developments on the horizon... such as a music video we're planning with Den and Nika Serras of Matterworks and some new recordings of tunes from the Road to Oprah tour to accompany the HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VIDEO that has been shot. 

There's a chance that I may start performing with the Johnny Cash tribute band Cash'd Out, whom Georgie has been drumming with, filling in as their June Carter for the LA & OC region.  This, of course, would be like wet dream #4 come true for me, so I'm pretty friggin' excited at the prospect.  I'm currently working on learning the parts for 30+ Johnny Cash, Carter Family, and June Carter tunes, and I've almost got them all down.  Some day soon, if lady luck shall shine upon me, I will be up there crooning them oldies with probably the greatest Johnny Cash tribute band there is.  Glory be!

And to top it all of, I'm writing new songs, reading new books, and working on telling the world about The 1 Second Film.  Amen.