We are more than half-way done releasing new episodes of the Lola LaRue Variety Show over on YouTube. We wrote an original song for each of the 5 episodes this series. It was a lot of work, but we are both really happy with how the episodes, so far, have turned out.
Here's one of the songs from the first new episode of the series. Diana agreed to let my love of The Pirates of Penzance and of Tom Lehrer serve as inspiration for this one.
It was a lot of fun to figure out how to play all of these songs on piano. (Sh. Don't tell Lola she isn't the one playing them.) Just a little holiday cheer.
This is the last episode in our current series. We've got a couple of specials planned for the rest of the year. And then we are back to work writing the next series. Will it be 6 episodes or 8? Will there be new characters? Who knows!
Here's the penultimate episode of series 2 of the Lola LaRue Variety Show. We're working on some specials for the rest of the year and will get started writing series 3 soon, after a little break maybe. It's hard work! But the good news is, since we produce it ourselves, we're renewed!
Here's the Valentine's Day Special, 2023.
We're working on Series 2 and hope to have it shot, editing and going out weekly at the end of April or beginning of May. Wish us luck!
If you didn't know, I've been going with some friends of mine to sing/entertain at an assisted living center every Wednesday afternoon for several years. We weren't able to go there during the original COVID-19 lockdowns. When they had to go back into lockdown from Omicron, we decided to start live streaming our singalong so they could still have some entertainment. Here's the one we did last week:
We'll be live streaming again this week, so if you are reading this before Jan 26, 2022, please drop by YouTube to watch on Wednesday at 3:30 pm Pacific. If you are reading this after Jan 26, 2022, you should be able to find the archive of the live stream on my YouTube channel.
Or is it just an excuse to share the latest song I've posted on YouTube?
I basically had no idea who Sparks were until I got to work way down the post-production stream on The Sparks Brothers documentary. It is really good. It is a love letter to the Mael brothers and you'd have to be pretty stubborn to not come away with Sparks as your "new" favorite band, at least for a little bit.
I have been a fan of Franz Ferdinand for a long time, but for some reason I decided to not buy the Sparks collaboration album, F.F.S. But I've bought it now and I love the song Johnny Delusional in particular. So much, that I decided to do a cover version. I've also been doing tap lessons on YouTube, so I did a tap to accompany myself on the song with.,
Anyway, go see The Sparks Brothers, which comes out in theaters on June 18, 2021. In the future from when I'm writing this you will probably be able to find it streaming somewhere. Then buy some of their music to support them. Don't just watch their videos on YouTube, but put some actual money into their pockets.
After a “break” during the holidays, when I had too much stuff to do and couldn’t learn a new piano song, here’s our first duet of the year!
After watching many interviews on late-night shows and
day-time shows during the past year, I’ve become keenly aware of the old go-to
stories that celebrities tell. Often, I don’t enjoy hearing the same one or two
stories from people as they do the rounds on talk shows to sell their latest
project. They usually have no variation. They have practiced the story dozens
of times, pausing for laughs in the same places, even if no one laughs. (The
one story I do enjoy each time I hear it is James Acaster’s Pin Drop band
story. Look for that one if you get the chance.) But this got me thinking about
what some of my talk-show stories might be. Here’s the first one.
After I had lived in LA for a few years, I started taking voice
lessons. To what end? Who can say? We got the trades at work and I did see an
ad in the one for variety acts for a local cabaret night, so I answered the ad.
I discussed the songs I knew with my voice teacher and we
decided I should sing “Another Hundred People,” by Stephen Sondheim. The promoter
who was trying to get the cabaret night together had hired a piano player, so I
just needed to bring the sheet music to the audition.
I went to the audition, at the club, The Palms, in West
Hollywood. I told a gay friend of mine that I was singing there and he asked me
if I was sure, because it was a lesbian bar. Sure. No problem.
The audition was acapella and the promoter was sufficiently
pleased that I got the job. It paid 2 free drinks at the bar the night of. I
wasn’t doing this for the money, so that was fine with me. I left a photocopy
of my music for the pianist.
I don’t remember much about before the show. I knew where
the club was from the audition. I parked at a pay garage instead of driving around
and around looking for a meter, so already I was losing money on this gig. There
wasn’t so much a stage as one of end of the room with a keyboard and
microphone. I sang and the piano player played…something. He certainly wasn’t playing
the song I was doing. I probably starting singing faster and faster, just
wanting to finish this weird duet of voice and noodling. It was excruciating
for me. I don’t think the audience noticed, if they were even paying attention.
I finished the song and took the one step from stage to
crowd. I made my way to the bar. I traded in one drink ticket for a coke. “You
could have something stronger,” the bartender suggested. No, just a coke.
A woman, older than me by maybe 40 years, who can best be
described as Popeye, sat beside me and started to chat me up. I was polite, but
I don’t think I even finished my drink before leaving the club. Did I thank the
promoter? I don’t know. Did I stay and watch the rest of the show? No. How rude
of me. I left and was thankful that I didn’t have to walk far to the parking garage.
I don’t think I answered any other ads looking for singers
after that. Not that it was a horrible experience, just that it wasn’t for me.
I guess that’s why I’m not famous.
Katherine posted an autumnal picture to Facebook with lyrics from this song, so I decided we had to do it next.
This is take 1 because my sister might also sing this with me. Here I am joined by my talented friends Katherine (on camera) and Alex (off camera).
