david crabb

Bad Kid is a New York Times Critics Pick!

2012-02-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

New York Times has selected "Bad Kid" as one of their Critics Picks and ran the review in today's issue! Check out the article online with the picture above of me making the exact same face I made when I found out!

New York Times "Bad Kid" review

Hooray for Bad Kid!!!

The reviews are rolling in...

2012-02-22T06:53:00.001-08:00

"Bad Kid" is getting some great reviews for it's 2012 run at Axis Theatre.

Flavorpill calls the show "highly entertaining."

"Behind the many laughs, a poignancy creeps in through Crabb's affectionate portrayals of the fellow outcasts who became his essential support system."
-Flavorpill

Curtain Up loved the show too and says you'll "jump in for the joyride."

"Crabb’s words simply pop in a magical way when he performs them. If reading his script is the equivalent of driving in a Camaro, then watching him perform it is like speeding down the Autobahn in a Lamborghini."
-Curtain Up

More to come y'all. Hang on to your Ankhs for a wild ride!!!

Black by popular demand!!!

2012-01-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Break out your cloves and pull out your Siouxsie and The Banshees records! My one-person show "Bad Kid" is back by popular demand on February 17th at Axis Theatre. We're painting our nails black as we speak. RELEASE THE RAVENS!

Show info HERE.

Ask Me: Dark Things

2012-01-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

To quote Carol Ann in the miserable sequel to 1982's superior "Poltergeist"...
They're baaa-aaaaackkkk...

ASK ME returns to Axis Theatre with a night of Gothy, witchy, scary and ultimately hilarious stories on Wednesday, January 18th at 8pm. Cammi Climaco and I couldn't be more excited about this group of drug-addled, Doc Marten-wearing, hyper-depressive and pyro-maniacal performers...
Erin Barker
Bridget O'Neill
Juliet Hope Wayne
and special appearances by Edgar Oliver!

So shoot your absinthe, put on your dog collars and throw your cloves in your military-issue satchel. We'll see you next week for big, dark, spooky fun!

Axis can be hard to find, so check this out.
10$ suggested donation
BYOB (You being drunk makes out job easier. So go nuts!)
Doors close by 8:15 at the LATEST! No late entries.

More info HERE.

My storytelling class at The PIT!

2012-01-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am honored and beyond excited to be teaching a storytelling class at The PIT starting next month. It's called "Storytelling: Tell and Show." Although I love the one-on-one relationship of directing and coaching, I'm really excited for this opportunity to be working with a group on their stories.
I plan on being a stern task-master and regularly humming The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" under my breath.

From The PIT site:
This is a class for storytellers with experience who are looking to incorporate more theatricality into their performance. If you’re looking to inhabit your characters and expand your physicality behind the mic, this is the class for you. In addition to fine-tuning your writing and story structure, you’ll learn to fully harness the power of your body and voice to create scenes, build tension, and transform into characters. If your crazy Aunt Gilda is better seen and heard than described, this class can show you how to become her. Class time is devoted to students sharing and critiquing each other’s work. Each student will develop at least three stories and perform one of them in a class show at The PIT for family and friends.

To find out more about the class and sign up, go HERE.

The Story Collider: Body Plans

2011-05-10T10:03:00.001-07:00

I am performing at a great science-based storytelling show next week on Wednesday May 18th. It's called "The Story Collider" and it's hosted by Ben Lillie. I'll be speaking about my battle with Crohn's Disease over the last few years. I've never publicly spoken about this before and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous as hell. I mean, some things are personal, but this is really personal. As much trepidation as I'm feeling, I'm actually quite excited to get it all out there in the open. People suffering from Crohn's have a suicide rate three times higher than the general public. Much of this stems not only from pain, physical limitations, and drug side effects, but also from the amount of shame and secrecy around the condition. It's this fact that keeps reminding me what a great opportunity I have in speaking to people about this insidious disease.

As heavy as all of this sounds, the story is quite funny and full of silver linings, which I'm always reminding myself to recognize lately. I've always loved the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." So I will literally be attempting to make verbal lemonade before your very eyes and ears. After all, doesn't a spoonful of sugar make the medicine go down?

I hope you can join us.

"Body Plans"

Wednesday the 18th of May
8pm
Pacific Standard, Brooklyn, NY

http://storycollider.org/shows/2011-05-18

For more information about Crohn's Disease:
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns

"The Triumph of William Henry Harrison" Premiere

2010-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

A thoroughly hilarious mockumentary I starred in last year called "The Triumph of William Henry Harrison" has been released on DVD and the premiere party is next week.

Narrated by Ed Asner, it reveals the "truth" about our country's 9th president, who faked his own death to command a shadow government responsible for a century of Western history. It sounds unbelievable... and it is. But hilariously so.

The DVD can be purchased here.
Here's a little taste of my character Vincient from the film.

The premiere party is Thursday, November 18th @ 7pm at Arlo and Esme (42 E 1st St. NYC)
Details here.

Congrats to the cast, crew, and amazing director Daniel Califf-Glick

David Crabb at RISK!

2010-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY Nov. 11, 7pm

RISK! Friendship

At the 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street, NYC

RISK! is the show where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share, created by Kevin Allison of the legendary sketch comedy troupe The State. RISK! is also a free podcast on iTunes with stories from both the stage and the studio. The podcast has seen one million downloads since its debut in October, 09.

Featuring:
Sara Barron (People Are Unappealing)
Dave Hill (The Dave Hill Explosion)
Melanie Hamlett (The Moth)
David Crabb (Ask Me)
Michelle Walson (Producer of RISK!)

Tix available here: http://tinyurl.com/2a9e5b2

"Down There" at AXIS Company opens Thursday September 9th

2010-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce the upcoming debut of "Down There" at Axis Company. We've been rehearsing this piece for almost 9 months and are excited to get it in front of an audience.

http://axiscompany.org/mainstage.htm

Written & Directed by Randy Sharp

September 9 - October 30, 2010
Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00PM
Running Time approximately 80 min.

Preview performances Sept. 9-11, 16-17
Preview Adult $18
Preview Student/Senior $15
Regular Adult $20
Regular Student/Senior $17

During 3 months in 1965, a 16 year-old girl was tortured and killed in the Indiana home of the Menckl family. Down There explores how this could have happened and what it might have felt like to the perpetrators as well as the victim.

Based on the real-life 1965 torture murder of Sylvia Likens, Down There is a new play from Axis Company, written and directed by Randy Sharp (based on an original script by Randy Sharp & Michael Gump).

Featuring Laurie Kilmartin, Jim Sterling, George Demas, Britt Genelin, David Crabb, Brian Barnhart, Regina Betancourt and Lynn Mancinelli

Assistant Director, Marc Palmieri; Stage Manager, Edward Terhune; Dramaturgy, Marc Palmieri, Christopher Swift
Lighting Designer, David Zeffren; Sound Designer, Steve Fontaine; Costume Designer, Elisa Santiago; Set Construction, Chad Yarborough; Photography, Dixie Sheridan; Website & Graphic Design, Ethan Crenson Written & Directed by Randy Sharp

Tickets available online or by calling Theater Mania at (212) 352-3101

ASK ME: CRIMINALS

2010-08-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

The storytelling show I produce and co-host in NYC's East Village with Cammi Climaco is still going strong and we had a GREAT show last night featuring:

Ryan Paulson (http://ryanpaulson.com)
Jenny Rubin (http://jennyrubin.blogspot.com)
Jen Scanlin
Ellen Garrison

The show was great with stories so insane that, at one point, the space's disco ball and dance floor laser lights were activated.
We also had a pilot filmed last night! So some very high-end clips from the show might be out there soon.

The podcast of ASK ME: BodyTalk is about to come out in a few days. So be sure to check ITunes and download it. In the meantime, check out our blog at http://askmestories.com/wordpress/

See you next month on Wednesday, September 1st for ASK ME: BFF
http://www.youtube.com/askmestories

My Band's First Official Release!!!

2010-05-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Reckless EP Preview

A CROWD ELECTRIC TO RELEASE “RECKLESS” – JUNE 8

With their debut EP, critically acclaimed remixing duo, A Crowd Electric (Madonna, Britney Spears) makes breaking up the sexiest thing to do.

New York, NY – May 25, 2009 – “Everyone has been in at least one relationship like this,” says Sparrow Hall, one half of the electro pop duo, A Crowd Electric, who rose to underground fame after releasing their unauthorized remix of Madonna’s hit single, “Miles Away.” “Everyone has been with someone that pushed all the right buttons—both good and bad.” “You play a song like Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance,’” adds David Crabb, the band’s self-proclaimed better half, “and you’re hearing that story from the woman’s point-of-view. But what if it was the other way around?”

Download the RECKLESS Preview FREE >

And so begins the 6-version saga of “Reckless,” a dancefloor-stomping battle cry for anyone who’s ever been caught in a relationship they really ought to get out of (but manage to stay in for all the wrong reasons). A 7-song EP where 6 of the 7 tracks are versions of the same song might seem like a strange way to introduce oneself. But seeing as how remixing was what set the stage for A Crowd Electric, it appears to make perfect sense.

A Crowd Electric – David Crabb and Sparrow Hall / Photo by Giovanni DiMola

“We had no idea [the Miles Away remix] was going to do what it did,” says Hall. “We were in the process of writing our own stuff and David threw the idea out there.” “We were working on a track of our own, called ‘Die Happy’,” says Crabb, “and there was this weird dialogue going on between the male protagonist in our song, and the female protagonist in hers (Madonna’s). So we put the two in the same room, and there you have the remix.” The chemistry created in Miles Away lit up the blogosphere and produced glowing write-ups on music and fan sites around the world. Warner Brothers eventually pulled the plug on the band’s version and forced them to remove it from their website. Today, you can only find the track if you go digging on the web.

Miles Away was followed by a remix for Britney Spear’s “Circus,” which, unlike the cease-and-desist they received from Warner Brothers, landed them on Spears’ official website, www.britneyspears.com . “That track was just incredibly fun to make,” says Crabb. “We applied the same formula everyone loved from Miles Away, and made Circus into this passionate, down-and-dirty contest between two lovers. The song is bizarre, and sexy, and has the effect of lighting a circus tent on fire with all the elephants stampeding and the terrifying clowns running around. And Britney, in the center of it, bringing the house down.” “You should hear some of the outtakes,” remarks Hall. “They’re pretty hilarious.”

Now, the band is bringing the theme of the “hot-mess relationship” to its climax with Reckless. “We intend to only make music about happy couples after this,” says Hall. “Really grounded, sound-minded individuals that know how to rock a J. Crew catalog.”

Or not. A listen on either of the bandmates’ computers (their instruments of choice) would provide a glimpse into what’s yet to come from this electrified twosome. “Honestly, the party is just getting started with Reckless,” says Hall. “It’s like the bar just filled up, and the go-go dancers are on their way.” “The song sets a tone,” says Crabb. “It has a lot of attitude, and it makes you want to dance and make a statement. Every remix of Reckless has a different thing going on. It looks at the relationship from different angles. There’s even a version (the “Revenge Mix”) that features a brand new part that Sparrow sings, and it takes it into this vulnerable territory that you don’t hear on the other tracks. There are layers to it, and I think that’s what makes you want to listen to the whole thing.”

Mr.Kitty

Reckless also features two collaborations with Texas-based electro artist, Mr.Kitty. “Kitty is amazing,” says Crabb. “We’ve known him for a couple years through Myspace and we’ve been following his work. His EP, Illusions is some of the toughest, beautifully orchestrated electronic music out there, and we can’t wait for his new album Until Death Do Us Part.” The album releases today, May 25, two weeks prior to Reckless. Mr.Kitty’s contributions can be heard on two of the Reckless remixes.

Reckless will be available for purchase as a download on June 8, exclusively on www.acrowdelectric.com. You can download the free mash-up preview track today through June 8 on Bandcamp at www.acrowdelectric.bandcamp.com.

To learn more about A Crowd Electric, please visit www.acrowdelectric.com. To follow the band on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/acrowdelectric or Like them on Facebook.

About A Crowd Electric
A Crowd Electric is an electro pop band based in Greenpoint, NY and Poughkeepsie, NY. Founding members include David Crabb and Sparrow Hall. Their original songs, remixes, and celebrity collaborations have received critical praise from music writers in the US and the UK, including EQ, Arjan Writes, Tape Recorder, and Hard Candy. The A Crowd Electric remix of Madonna’s “Miles Away” brought the band international notoriety, and their remix of Britney Spears’ “Circus” was selected by Spears to be featured on her official website. A Crowd Electric’s song “Secret Kiss” was featured in the critically acclaimed 2009 film Goodbye Solo by Rahmin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, Chop Shop). The band recently co-wrote and produced the song “Clothes Off” for British hip hop artist Master Shortie, and are currently collaborating with Texas-based electronic artist Mr.Kitty. For more information, please visit www.acrowdelectric.com.

CORINNE FISHER: I STALK YOU

2010-05-19T09:53:00.001-07:00

A one-woman show I've directed will be premiering Monday May 24th, 9:30pm at The Peoples Improv Theater. It's a hilarious ride through 3 generations of women obsessed with being obsessed.
From Corinne:

ABOUT THE SHOW: Class is in session, but you've never taken a course like this before! Join me, Corinne Fisher, for a history lesson. The only trouble is my lessons tend to get a bit, well, personal... I'll regale you with 100% true (and 110% disturbing) stories of one of the most integral parts of my family's history -- stalking! Famous or non-famous, old or young, male or female -- The Fisher family does not discriminate! I'll teach you some of our trade secrets so that you, too, can have the tools you need to follow Vivian Vance into a convenience store, walk the hallways of Dawson's Creek's Capeside High with Josh Jackson, make a fake pizza delivery to the hottest guy in your high school, or "befriend" your favorite folk singer on Facebook. You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape our love...and you won't.

DIRECTED BY DAVID CRABB

With Special Guest GOODIE GOODNESS

Live! At the Peoples Improv Theater
Monday, May 24th @ 9:30PM
$5

Buy tix: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/even...

ASK ME

2010-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

ASK ME: A night of Storytelling

Join us for a night of fantastic stories told by some seriously freaking funny people. Guests include:

Catie Lazurus
David Balutanski
Jen Scanlin
Cammi Climaco
David Crabb

Admission is $7 and the show will last god knows how long. Arlo & Esme is a beautiful space with a full bar, dancefloor, and pool table. So prepare for a late night (if you can swing the Thursday hangover).

Hope to see you there!
-David & Cammi

www.askmestories.com

Storytelling at the P.I.T.

2010-03-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

I will be performing Monday March 22 with a group of storytellers in NYC. Please come to the People's Improv Theatre this coming Monday at 8pm for a fun storytelling show hosted by Kevin Allison (of "The State" and "RISK: True Tales Boldly Told").

For more information, go to The PIT's website.

Edgar Oliver's "East 10th Street"

2009-12-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Axis Company's Edgar Oliver can be seen in a remount of his amazing show "East 10th Street" as a part of the COIL Festival at PS122 - beginning January 6!
http://www.ps122.org/performances/edgar_oliver.html

Check out the festival trailer narrated by Edgar himself (from a clip from the show).

DavidCrabb.net Launch

2009-12-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Happy happy! My new website launched today over at DavidCrabb.net. Designed by Margo Passalaqua, it's a rather epic and fun to navigate collection of all my creative work, including my actor reels, voice reels, headshots and music. Check it out!

DavidCrabb.net

Seven In One Blow Selling Out

2009-12-17T21:44:00.000-08:00

Axis Company's "Seven In One Blow" is selling out it's final weekend. There are only tickets left for the Friday night 7pm and Sunday afternoon 2pm performances. Get 'em while they're hot!
http://axiscompany.org/mainstage.htm

Axis recorded a great podcast interview about the show with NYTheatre.com.
Listen to it here.

Two Blue Wolves Official Release

2009-12-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

An important project I'm a part of has just been released. "Two Blue Wolves," a multimedia collaboration including a novella, music album, artwork and audiobook, is now available and part of the proceeds go to fighting Alzheimer's Disease. I produced and engineered the album and also perform with writer/producer/vocalist Sparrow Hall under the moniker "A Crowd Electric." It's a great soundtrack and I think you'll like it too. There truly is "something for everyone" on the album.
Please check out the project and help us spread the word.

The digital bundle can be previewed and purchased here:
http://www.sparrowhall.com/shop.php?t=1
Project trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKfUSRf0ErM

Official press release below...

TWO BLUE WOLVES
- Sparrow Hall

Groundbreaking Multimedia Collaboration Reinvents Short Story to Help Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

New York, NY – October 20, 2009 – Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. How will the next generation of caregivers begin to understand this often overwhelming disease and its implications? Sparrow Hall, American author, artist and producer, today announced the publication of Two Blue Wolves, a first-of-its-kind short story experience told across a wide range of multimedia platforms by a coterie of artists designed to raise awareness and funding for Alzheimer’s disease.

“We’re proud to present Two Blue Wolves, a digital collection that invites readers to connect to the story through text, music, motion pictures and art,” says Sparrow Hall, creator of Two Blue Wolves and its innovative digital publishing platform. “Alzheimer’s plays a central role in the story and the collection’s interpretations, and underscores how isolating the disease can be for sufferers and their caregivers. Two Blue Wolves offers the opportunity for readers to relate to the story through whichever platform they find most resonant.”

Featuring original compositions and works by members of Stellastarr*, The Hourly Radio, Elefant, A Crowd Electric, ArpLine, Kago, Ana Lola Roman and more, Two Blue Wolves is available as a downloadable digital collection that includes an e-book, audio book, original soundtrack, music video and artwork. The collection may be purchased at www.sparrowhall.com for $16.95, with 15% of every sale donated to the Alzheimer’s Association to support research efforts and caregiver initiatives.

To learn more about Two Blue Wolves and to purchase the collection, please visit www.sparrowhall.com. To follow the Sparrow Hall blog, visit www.sparrowhall.com/blog or follow on Twitter @sparrowhall.

Axis Company one of the Top Ten "People" of 2009

2009-12-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

NYTheatre.com names Axis Company one of the top ten "People of the Year."

AXIS Company: Now celebrating their 12th year, AXIS Company, led by artistic director Randy Sharp and producing director Brian Barnhart, had a prolific 2009, with the 10th edition of their unique Hospital serial during the summer, plus the play Trinity 5:29, a return of their perennial holiday show Seven in one Blow, and the Edinburgh debut of their recent hit, Edgar Oliver's one-man play East 10th Street: Self Portrait with Empty House. In the photo is a scene from Hospital 2009.

In 2010 AXIS will begin the development process of creating a new play based on the 1968 murder of Sylvia Likens. Taken in as a boarder by the Banezewski family, she was tortured to death over a three month period. One of the many extraordinary elements of Sylvia's story is that her protracted murder was carried out by an interchangable gang of normal neighborhood kids and that it was orchestrated by Gertrude Banezewski—the matriarch and only adult involved.

Full article here:
http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/poy_current.php

AXIS Company official website

Seven In One Blow Final Weekend at AXIS Company!

2009-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

The final weekend of "Seven In One Blow" at Axis is selling out. Get your tickets FAST!
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/133

the stylist episode 2

2008-12-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

ah, fashion...

charles is not so in charge.

2008-10-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

when i was little i took an acting course at john casablanca's school for models and actors. i left with this really amazing piece of video-taped theatre-craft...

from CHARLES IN CHARGE

the stylist episode 1

2008-10-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have recently become obsessed with the carcrash-like BRAVO show "the rachel zoe project." everyone on the show seems to speak the same way. in some bizarro "valley girl-meets-kelly ("shoes")-meets-exotic squaking bird" accent. it's hard to pinpoint exactly, but rachel and her staff's emotional devastation over dresses, blouses, jewelry, and shoes is absolutely hilarious to watch. here's my loving riff on her...

Voice Talkers

2008-07-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just because I work as a sound recordist and used to record audiobooks for a few years, but I find this hysterical. The group POYKPAK is hilarious and you should check out their youtube channel here.

good gay vs. bad gay 7-16

2008-07-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

alright. some things are just too gay. i'm not sure how or why. i generally don't feel anything can be too ethnic or too artsy or too... whatever. if something is done well it can't be "too" anything.
but things CAN be TOO GAY. and when they are tooooo gay, they are BAD GAY. when they are queer enough to be recognizably gay and somehow are better for it, they are GOOD GAY.

let me give you a quick intro to the concept utilizing popular music:

GOOD GAY:

BAD GAY:

got it?

today's official GOOD GAY/BAD GAY entry concerns two music videos and asks you to vote on a third.

GOOD GAY:
this new moby video is great. the music itself is total throwback to that sparse, fun house music of the 90's. moby uses a vocal that is (surprise!) NOT an old, sampled voice, but a newly recorded vocal by shayna steele, who's incredible at recapturing a very specific era with her voice (the jazzy stuff on her myspace page is also great- listen to "what R we giving"). not only is this video funny and totally DIY, it manages to be a very gay-ish dancefloor anthem while still making a statement about massive corporate food chains (KFC anyone?)

BAD GAY:
wtf is this crap? ultra nate has been around a long time and has always trafficked in making her circuit boys happy. but she's kind of like that "f*g hag" nearing her 30's that still hasn't established her own identity, boyfriend, social life etc. i know that girls and boys alike enjoy checking out hot people in various states of undress, but the guys in this video are just depressing. perfectly sculpted dudes alone in different spaces obsessed with getting off to their laptops and seemingly ignoring each other and the desperately voguing diva performing for them. the over-acted "climax" at the end makes me laugh my ass off but i think it's supposed to be sexy.
plus... the original by the pointer sisters is better (and somehow gayer- GOOD GAYer).

So... GOOD GAY/BAD GAY question of the day...
the new cyndi lauper video. her new album "bring ya to the brink" is really quite good- a combination of sentimental pop (with references to several of her 80's hits) and electro/dance (check out "echo" and "grab a hold"). the best track by far is also the newest single from the album- "into the nightlife." it's a great crunchy club track with a brooding, sexy verse that explodes into a stunning, bright, sing-a-long chorus that will be in your head for days.
all good, huh?
but WTF is this video all about? did they only have 2 hours in the basement of pyramid club to make this? and have you ever seen a more literal take on a video? "uh, the song's, like... uh, about dancing and, uh, stuff. why don't we just, like, uh... film people out... dancing... at night?" and why is her head sometimes hovering in a field of black life someone in a cirque de soliel show? is she a french mime? why is most of the song sung from what is apparently the tiny, dank bathroom of the club? and where's all that water coming from on the dancefloor? are they all on a cylon rebirthing ship? is there a leak in the upstairs toilet? ick! i don't wanna dance under that! (but apparently porn stars don't mind dancing under scary leaks.)
i must admit i like when she does that witchy "i'm casting a spell on you" shit with her hands towards the end. aww, cyndi... you're funny!

UPDATE: THE EMBED CODE KEEPS GETTING PULLED. SO HERE'S THE DIRECT LINK (trust me- it's worth it... the judging part, i mean.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivaXI7TIoL8

Into The Nightlife Video

So is it GOOD GAY or BAD GAY?

2008-07-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

these are the children i am currently in line to adopt. (should i gain any regular, well-paying employment, a nanny, a new home and a doctor that hands out anxiety medication prescriptions without asking me a lot of questions.)

hospital 2008

2008-07-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

so this episodic play i'm doing is getting some rave reviews, which is awesome. it's called HOSPITAL 2008 and it's playing at axis company on sheridan square in NYC.

http://axiscompany.org/index2.php

here are the nytheatre.com reviews.

Martin Denton · June 5, 2008
Episode 3 (July 3, 2008)

This series just keeps getting better and better: Episode 3 is more intense and more all-consumingly involving than its predecessors. The opening prologue on film—which I think provides enough information so that any newcomer to Hospital 2008 can follow the story, even if s/he missed the first two episodes—contains some footage we've already seen plus some new footage; what I was aware of, throughout, was a sense of mortality. I thought: what would it be like to realize that the day you're going through was the last day you'd spend on Earth fully conscious and alive?

The live action scenes that follow, in the tunnel and then in the hospital, are now all clearly the distorted memories of the play's protagonist, a man in a coma who is revisiting that last day I just alluded to—revisiting it in his mind while a team of doctors perform a surgery on him that does not go well at all.

Director Randy Sharp and her remarkable collaborators (on and off stage) balance an eerie dark humor with a mood that's at once supremely frightening and richly (and oddly) life-affirming, especially in the burlesque-of-a-hospital scene that occupies the center of Episode 3 (and the actors portraying the hospital staff give performances that are accordingly deeper and more resonant than in prior weeks; particularly Laurie Kilmartin's human, oh-so-fallible Nurse). This evocation leads us brilliantly into the final sequence of the evening, in which the recurring strangers in the tunnel (see below) appear once again, this time in the guises of Charon, Hades, and Persephone. Our hero is starting to understand what his fate is, following his catastrophic accident. I, for one, am ready to return for the final chapter of Hospital 2008, to experience it through his eyes. I sense transformation ahead...
Episode 2 (June 21, 2008)

Episode 2
Episode 2 of Axis Company's Hospital 2008 is even more riveting than Episode 1 was. It's spookier too; one of the most astonishing things about this serial show so far is how effectively it renders, in an intimate indie theater space, the complete netherworldly phantasmagoric environment that is inside the protagonist's sub/un-conscious memory.

We acquire some new information about what happened in the catalytic tunnel accident. And we learn more about the comatose traveler's state of mind at the time of the accident with the visitation of two new characters in a scene set in the tunnel—the legendary John Henry himself, with an assistant in tow, providing clues about the way out of danger. (Of course, this probably isn't actually John Henry.)

At the hospital (still rendered, ingeniously and eerily, on the same tunnel set) we meet someone who the doctors and nurse think is applying for a job. But she is obviously trying to find out what's happening to the man in the coma. And we understand, better than in Episode 1, that everything the doctors and nurse say is being filtered through the limited processing capability of said man in coma.

George Demas plays John Henry and is at once frightening, funny, and ineffably sad. Britt Genelin is the "applicant." Other cast members are as in Episode 1; all are spectacularly good.

Director Randy Sharp and the rest of the folks at Axis have created something that's entertaining, engaging, and—so it now seems—utterly addictive. I'm looking forward to Episode 3!

Episode 1

Axis Company's annual serial Hospital has been going on for nine years, and somehow I had never seen it until now. The first episode of this year's four-part play, which is set inside the mind of a comatose man seriously injured in the collapse of a tunnel (part of New York's underground water system), is arresting, thrilling, tantalizing, and—in terms of its physical production—spectacularly impressive. So far, I'm hooked.

The one-act drama plays out in three scenes plus a filmed prologue. This prologue is fascinating, interweaving scenes in what appears to be the apartment of the protagonist (where various details and seeming trivialities foreshadow what's to come) with scenes in the tunnel where the protagonist (called "Traveller" in the program) works. What follows is a quick and alarming representation of the accident: we don't know its exact nature, but we do know that afterward, the Traveller plus two of his colleagues are lost in the dark, underground. They radio for help but it's not clear that any is forthcoming.

The play then cuts to a hospital room, which is depicted on the same tunnel set simply by the arrival of a pair of doctors and a nurse; it's also shown to us on three video monitors above the stage that alternately provide the comatose patient's P.O.V and his heart monitor. This scene melds the eerie surreal qualities that permeate the edges of what we've already witnessed with a more blatant absurdity. When we return to the tunnel, characters from Alice in Wonderland turn up—the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and the White Rabbit—and the Traveller, though surprised to encounter new people down here, is nonchalant vis-a-vis their startling identities.

It's all very discombobulating and very magnetic. Nothing is entirely clear and yet the elusive nature of a subconscious dream state is thrillingly conveyed. There's a cliffhanger ending, inviting us to return for Episode 2.

Director Randy Sharp's expert story-telling is only the beginning of the roster of remarkable accomplishments on display in Hospital 2008. The cast does expert work, with Brian Barnhart, Ian Tooley, and Marc Palmieri entirely convincing as the possibly abandoned (and, in some cases, possibly deceased) tunnel workers; George Demas, Edgar Oliver, and Britt Genelin are wonderfully daffy and creepy as the Wonderland figures; and Laurie Kilmartin, Paul Marc Barnes, and David Crabb are comically off-kilter as the hospital personnel.

The film work—by cinematographer Ben Wolf and editor Laura Weinberg—is exceptional. And the design work for the live stage production are exemplary, among the best of its kind I've seen for theatre in any sector in NYC. Kyle Chepulis has transformed the stage into a believable tunnel, with craggy and convincingly damp stone walls and nooks and crannies leading off rather spookily. David Zeffren's lighting and Steve Fontaine's sound complete the ambience, combining realism with horror-film scariness in a manner that keeps us engaged and on the edge of our seats throughout. Matthew Simonelli's costumes—whimsical for the Wonderland characters, naturalistic for the Travellers, and somewhere in between for the hospital staff—are excellent.

The overall effect is to transport the audience to a world we've never been to for about 35 minutes...and to leave us hungry for more of the experience. Check back here for a report on Episode 2 in a couple of weeks.

Roses are Red, Valentines are GREEN

2008-02-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

Send a little eco-love to your valentine!

Share some love with the earth by checking out these great green
postcards to send to all your loved ones!

You can also check them out and send them to your loved ones here.

X-Games

2008-02-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

This month, ItYourNature went to Aspen to cover the X-Games. They've got quite a system set up as far as their recycling, composting, and sustainability goes. The event leaves behind almost no carbon footprint.
In this video, 3-time X Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler shares her tips for stopping global warming and protecting the sport she loves.
X Games Gretchen Bleiler and Global Warming

Add to My Profile | More Videos
Here's an excerpt from the article located at ItsYourNature:

"The Ski Industry has been hurting for some time now because of Global Warming. In Aspen/Snowmass alone, winter has started 18 days later and ended 10 days earlier over the last 50 years. In addition to less snow and fewer ski days, other changes include canceled races/events and fewer jobs for resort employees, which means higher unemployment and less tax revenue for important services such as health care and education. Now Aspen/Snowmass is one of the lucky mountain resorts with their base elevation at almost 8000 feet, but they are not immune to the effects of GW. Ski-resorts in low-lying mountains are putting more and more money into their snow-making programs, some as much as 20% of their overall budget. Internationally, glaciers throughout the Alps are reportedly losing one percent of their mass every year to warmer temperatures; two-thirds of the world-wide skiing market is found outside of the United States. The resorts rely heavily on the glaciers to provide the best international skiing and snowboarding possible, so more time and energy are put into making snow. As we all know, Global Warming affects us all. But for Skiers and Snowboarders, they take it personally. And they're doing something about it."

Check it out and make sure to sure to sign IYN's global warming petition here.

crabbtown at itsyournature.org

2008-02-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

hello all,

my new blog area at NRDC's itsyournature.org is up and running. you can find it at:

http://www.itsyournature.org/crabbtown

NRDC is awesome because of what they do:

1. Taking on corporate polluters and government indifference in court;
They sued the U.S. Navy and stopped them from blasting the world's marine mammals with deadly hi-frequency sonar.

2. Helping companies and institutions see the 'green' light;
They've partnered with Warner Music Group to revolutionize their music label into the greenest on earth. They've also "greened" this year's Grammy and Oscar ceremonies.

3. Making smart sustainable policies the law of the land;
We ensured that a half million kids in California are getting tested for lead poisoning every year.
If you're into environmentalism, check it out. If not... then check it out.

-peace

Vincient, Buddhist Part 1

2008-02-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun video in which I play Vincient Haroldson, an unorthodox and sometimes hypocritical Buddhist, who teaches (badly) how to attain enlightenment.

His first lesson: inner growth through volunteering

directed by Daniel Califf-Glick

OK Polluters: Radiohead

2008-02-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

This is an article by Ben Jervey from www.itsyournature.org. They've got a great blog at their myspace page. Ben's a great writer and I just haven't quite gotten my fix of heaping compliments on the world's best band. Enjoy.

OK Polluters: Radiohead, a band that gets global warming
by Ben Jervey

Radiohead's an easy band to love. Not just because their the best rock band on the planet (IM-not so-HO), but because they take serious issues seriously, and talk about them with candor, intelligence, and thought. Like global warming.

Consider these tidbits:

--For their upcoming US/European tour, they're partnering with the Oxford-based company Best Foot Forward to reduce the ecological footprint of the band's tour--right down to the collective impact of fan's travel. From a Treehugger post:

After gathering lots of information about their own environmental impact, Radiohead wanted to include their fans' footprint too. Best Foot Forward has analysed the two different types of tours Radiohead recently did in Amercia; the big gigs held out of town versus the smaller ones in city centres. This way they could find out which type of touring has the lowest impact 'per person entertained' as bassist Colin explains on their web site, based on transportation, food consumption and waste left behind by the fans.

Because the transport mode of the fans makes a big difference when it comes to carbon emissions and environmental impact, Radiohead encourages people to use public transport to get to their shows. They therefore have decided to play as many gigs as they can in cities because those provide better transport possibilities and don't require private cars to get to the event.

--Or Thom Yorke's conversation in Wired with David Byrne, during which they touch upon these same touring concerns:

Yorke: ... [At] the moment we make money principally from touring. Which is hard for me to reconcile because I don't like all the energy consumption, the travel. It's an ecological disaster, traveling, touring.

Byrne: Well, there are the biodiesel buses and all that.

Yorke: Yeah, it depends where you get your biodiesel from. There are ways to minimize it. We did one of those carbon footprint things recently where they assessed the last period of touring we did and tried to work out where the biggest problems were. And it was obviously everybody traveling to the shows.

Byrne: Oh, you mean the audience.

Yorke: Yeah. Especially in the U.S. Everybody drives. So how the hell are we going to address that? The idea is that we play in municipal places with some transport system alternative to cars. And minimize flying equipment, shipping everything. We can't be shipped though.

--Or, more metaphorically, Yorke's comments about "sustainable urban planning" through the lens of record contracts:

Signing a new major-label contract "would have killed us straight off," he added. "Money makes you numb, as M.I.A. wrote. I mean, it's tempting to have someone say to you, 'You will never have to worry about money ever again,' but no matter how much money someone gives you -- what, you're not going to spend it? You're not going to find stupid ways to get rid of it? Of course you are. It's like building roads and expecting there to be less traffic.

--And let's not forget Yorke's 2006 solo effort, The Eraser, which was entirely inspired by global warming. Or, actually, on the lack of political action to address it. As he told the LA Times:

In the paper one day, [Friends of the Earth activist] Jonathan Porritt was basically dismissing any commitment that the working government has toward addressing global warming, saying that their gestures were like King Canute trying to stop the tide. And that just went "kaching" in my head. It's not political, but that's what I feel is happening. We're all King Canutes, holding our hands out, saying, "It'll go away. I can make it stop." No, you can't.

IYN is no stranger to bands that back up their beliefs with action, and we're pretty fired up to see that one of the most influential and (to be blunt) awesome bands of our era is so hip to the real issues of our times. Maybe we'll catch them at All Points West. It is, after all, just a short train ride from IYN's NYC HQ.

canvas bags... the rock opera

2008-02-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

i found this video on youtube and discovered a really awesome musician/comedian. the guy's name is Tim Minchin and you should check out some of his other performances on the net. they're not to be missed.
i love this video because it's such a great way to talk about an important but really boring issue- using canvas bags instead of plastic. at itsyournature.org, we're always trying to make people aware, but it's hard to get folks to remember the basics and make being green a part of their day to day lives. maybe we just need to write more pop songs. this track is so damn catchy that anyone who hears it will find themselves humming "take your canvas bags to the supermarket" over and over again.
and that's gotta count for something. watch and laugh. (give it a good minute... wait for it.)

taking heads

2008-02-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

There was an odd exchange on CNN the other day.
CNN "Open House" host Gerri Willis was discussing the economy and joked with anchor Kyra Phillips that if she could predict the stock market, she and Phillips could run off to an island, prompting Phillips' co-anchor, Don Lemon, to ask not to be left out of the girls' getaway. This resulted in the following exchange:

Gerri: Alright Don, you come too.
Kyra: We could bring him along with the girls.
Gerri: Come on!
Kyra: He's paying! Thanks, Gerri.
Don: A little sandwich!
Kyra: Ooh!
Gerri: Whoa, I have to go now!
Kyra: Yeah, good time. You don't want to talk about the reverse oreo!

Willis was obviously embarrassed by Phillips' joke, though Lemon seemed to enjoy it, laughing out loud and announcing, "Oh, she said it! I'm glad she said it."

No one seemed particularly angered by the joke. Actually, everyone involved quite enjoyed it. Now, I hate to come off like some kind of Puritan, but my question is: Was it appropriate? This is the news (yeah... "news") and I can't help but feel like the people delivering it should have some sense of decorum when it comes to interacting with each other.

I remember in the early nineties watching CNN and feeling like I was really watching journalists at work. Even the anchors seemed somewhat invested in what they were saying, occasionally reviewing their notes and spontaneously changing up the way they imparted information (This could be seen most obviously by anchors on Headline News who had to recite the same loop every ten minutes.) Now, they just stare at that damn TelePrompTer and say the exact same thing over and over again. Watching Headline News for too long is like a bad acid trip. It's just impossible that these people aren't robots. I think "How can they be reading this text and saying these words yet again with such precision blandness?"

Watch CNN midmorning and you'll experience the saccharine coma of Christi Paul- a bobbing blonde head styled to within an inch of her life. Whether it's a fatal car crash or a feel-good story about found puppies, her tone never really changes. If you watch her for long enough, you begin to go numb. And just when you start to take her seriously, she'll say something like "Welcome back friends. I am so happy y'all are spending the morning with me." AAAAHHHHH. Shut up and tell me about Obama and Britney already. She does to me Mary Hart did to Kramer on that hilarious episode of Seinfeld.
Here she is in a silk blouse that has apparently been glued to the undersides of her breasts.

Watch CNN in the evening and prepare yourself for the fresh hell of Glenn Beck. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a man who's own opinion of his sense of humor is at such odds with the reality of how genuinely boring he is. The only compelling thing about him is shady sense of humor. He occasionally makes jokes that get you thinking he might have a naked girl trapped in a well beneath his basement. This guy is like your best friend from high school's creepy new stepdad who just can't stop trying so hard to be accepted.

What has happened to the televised news industry? Is it just me or does every anchor seem like a failed actress or male model from a J.C. Penney catalog? Who are these castrated automatons? How can so many bloated egos lack any distinguishing character definition? Where do these people come from? Do they have broadcasting backgrounds? And...
Why do any of them think it's okay to refer a fellow black coanchor as part of an Oreo?

Oh wow.

2008-02-01T10:08:00.002-08:00

I could go on about this article and racism, but I'll let Alec Baldwin do it instead. The original story scans below aren't that great, so please click on the pic to enlarge the image and read the story.
Reprinted from the huffington post

The Ascendancy of Barack Obama in Small Town America
by Alec Baldwin

For those of you wondering how the Obama ascendancy is playing out in Small Town America, I offer you this column from the Independent, a weekly newspaper published on the East End of Long Island by Jerry Della Femina, the former advertising executive turned restaurateur and columnist. This particular piece was written by Rick Murphy under his weekly "Low Tidings" column. Murphy is also credited as a publisher of the Independent.

This article has caused quite a stir in East Hampton and beyond. So much so that the paper has pulled it from their website and Murphy, a regular antagonist of the Democratic Party, both locally and nationally, and the Clintons in particular, has replaced it with a brief apology. The Independent is considered the more right-leaning and Republican-endorsing paper of the East End community. Della Femina himself is regarded as one of the great Hillary-Haters in all of the world.

On the heels of Barack Obama being endorsed for the presidency by the normally close-to-the-vest Caroline Kennedy, whose invocation of her father's enduring legacy carries, in some people's hearts and minds, more weight than any ten such endorsements by others, please read what the local Republicans in my home town are thinking, and publishing, about Senator Obama. This is, quite clearly, not to be believed.

my january 2008 hero of the month

2008-01-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

this is the most awesome beatboxer in the world, maybe better than Rahzel of the Roots. this is a clip of him performing on the French "Idol" show. he was one of the finalists.

crabbtown blog 1-25-08

2008-01-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

Whole Foods/Plastic Bags

This is what you get for shopping at the Wal-mart "bakery."

2008-01-23T20:27:00.001-08:00

Read the cake first:

Customer: "On the cake I would like written: "Best Wishes Suzanne." And underneath that "We will miss you".

Wal-Mart store by Ruskin, FL

Sad but true. This actually happened.

Goldfrapp, my favorite kinda Dingbat

2008-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

This new Goldfrapp video is bonkers and lovely. To quote my friend Seth at his blog http://www.sparrowhall.com/blog/ someone's been watching "Legend" again.

crabbtown blog 1-20-08

2008-01-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

i wanna...

2008-01-12T11:11:00.001-08:00

In the early 90's a lot of really wonderfully awful dance music was written and produced. it was silly and trite and vapid, but in ways that were way more inspired than any of the craptastic-ly boring dancepop that gets cranked out nowadays. Whenever i talk about this era of music and my foggy memories of it, I always mention a song that was literally called "I Wanna F*ck You In the A**." Whenever I mention it, people say "Oh, David... You're such a kidder!" I laugh and insist I'm telling the truth and no one believes me.
Who knew that one day this very song would be used... in a commercial! So here, thanks to some brilliant Dutch advertisers, is that wonderful song reborn!

Bush Administration Rejects California’s Global Warming Clean Cars Rules

2008-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

At what point did our politicians STOP supporting state's rights? And who is employed by the EPA these days? I'm reposting this from www.itsyournature.org

Here's the NRDC Press Release:

EPA Sticks Thumb in Eyes of Governors Representing Half of All Americans, Says NRDC

WASHINGTON (Dec. 19, 2007) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today denied California's request for routine permission to implement its clean cars law (AB 1493). This rejection represents bald-faced political interference with California's decades-long authority to enforce its own clean air rules, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Following is a statement by David Doniger, NRDC Climate Center Policy Director:
"The California standards are the single most effective step yet taken in the United States to curb global warming. By blocking the California standards, the administration has stuck a thumb in the eye of 18 governors from both red and blue states who have led the way on global warming by adopting these landmark rules.
"California and the 17 other states have led the way to cut global warming pollution from new automobiles. Their right to do so has been affirmed by three federal court decisions this year, including the Supreme Court's landmark ruling that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant, just like any other. The new energy law signed by the president today explicitly preserves this Clean Air Act authority.
"The EPA administrator claimed the new energy law sets a standard of 35 miles per gallon and thereby precludes California's more effective standards. That is just plain wrong. The energy law only sets a fuel economy floor. It requires the administration to set standards of 'at least 35 miles per gallon,' expressly giving the administration the power to go farther. And the law expressly preserves California's authority under the Clean Air Act to set independent, stronger standards to meet the challenge of global warming. Let's be clear: the California standard is stronger and more effective than the 35-mile-per-gallon floor established in the new energy law.
"EPA Administrator Steven Johnson's claim that California lacks 'compelling and extraordinary conditions' is completely indefensible. California is suffering severe impacts from global warming. Mr. Johnson's 'policy preference' for a different approach is exactly the kind of illegal free-lancing the Supreme Court rejected in its landmark April decision on global warming."

She Blows.

2008-01-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

This clip just kills me. It seems like the laughs are over after the first minute, but they return again and again in waves. Did this woman have a pageant coach or a music instructor? Are all the beauty pageants in Arizona this bootleg? What happened? How did it all go so wrong?
Ah... but it's so right.

An interview and more info about the poor girl (now a grown mother of two) can be found here:

http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2007/10/stacy_hedger_revealed.php

It's kind of amusing.

Recharge That S*#t!

2008-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I got an Energizer rechargeable AA battery pack. Now that I have it, I'm like "Why the hell aren't rechargeable batteries the only kinds that are sold?" It's so obvious when you think about it... Why wouldn't you spend 25 bucks on a charger and 4 double-A batteries that you would NEVER HAVE TO REPLACE?!?!
It goes without saying that it's the ecologically responsible thing to do (dead batteries take up space in landfills and leak mercury into the ground that contaminates the earth's water supply), but what about the savings? It's so much cheaper than buying battery after battery and just throwing them away. So buy yourself rechargeable batteries and save some cash... and a little landfill space.

green thom

2008-01-03T12:02:00.001-08:00

I've always loved Thom Yorke as an artist, but I'm appreciating him more lately as he becomes increasingly involved with environmental action groups, most recently "The Big Ask"- an ever-expanding British organization fighting for better climate change legislation. In this interview Thom talks about global warming and his son as his eyes blink endlessly out of synch with each other. I love this guy.

The new Radiohead album "In Rainbows" is out now. It contains what might be my favorite song of their career, "All I Need." Here's the first video from the album- "Jigsaw Falling Into Place."

Mor info about "The Big Ask" can be found here:
http://www.thebigask.com/

Green in the New Year

2008-01-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Kate Finklea, my awesome cohort at ITSYOURNATURE.ORG, reposted this great blog entry from http://www.simplesteps.org about going green in the new year. If you haven't yet checked out our page and blog, find us here:

http://www.itsyournature.org

and here on myspace:

http://myspace.com/itsyournature

It's Resolution time again, and as we all struggle to reform and renew our personal pledges, take a moment to think about how your individual improvements can create a greater worldwide impact. Thanks to our friends at simplesteps.org we have some help for those looking to act a little greener in the new year.

"Resolutions for a Greener New Year"

This year make a few resolutions that are easy to keep. Pledge to take a couple simple steps, one at a time, to live healthier, reduce waste and tread a little more lightly. Do one or do them all but each is a beginning, a small step to a more balanced life. Start by eating well, then take a couple steps to simplify your life and cut down on clutter.

Eat well!

Buy organic <http://www.simplesteps.org/content/view/1/103/37/> when you can particularly peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines and strawberries, which commonly contain the most pesticides.

Eat more locally grown food <http://www.simplesteps.org/content/view/1/192/37/> . In season produce that hasn't flown half-way around the world will be fresher, tastier and cuts down on pollution.

Stop buying tomato-based canned food and drink less soda. The linings of the cans leach BPA into your food and drink.

Avoid fish high in mercury and choose fish that are sustainably caught to ensure a steady supply for years to come.

Simplify!

Grab that stack of holiday catalogs and log onto Catalog Choice <http://www.catalogchoice.org/> to put a stop to unwanted catalogs <http://www.simplesteps.org/content/view/1/195/37/> .

Don't spray pesticides to control pest in your home. Safer alternatives are more effective and longer lasting.

Carry a reusable bag and refuse plastic bags -- no more breaking, tearing or blowing in the wind.

Save!

If you're leaving a trail of 12 oz. plastic water bottles in your wake, buy an aluminum reusable bottle instead.

Take a couple simple steps to save a lot of energy. Start by disabling your computer's screensaver and setting it to 'sleep' after 5 minutes of activity. Shut it off when you're done.

Don't buy clothes that need to be dry cleaned. Many fabrics can be safely washed or spot cleaned at home, even if the label says 'dry clean only'. Almost all dry cleaning uses toxic chemicals that linger on your clothes and in the air <http://www.simplesteps.org/content/view/1/198/41/> .

Clean your home with natural products, just about anything can be cleaned with vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda or Borax.

Reuse and Recycle!

Every piece of paper, bottle and jar counts. Every TV, answering machine and old computer really counts by keeping toxic chemicals out of our air and water.

Before tossing something, donate it or offer it to others.

I've been Overpowered by Roisin.

2008-01-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

But please don't save me.
I discovered this awesome singer recently named Roisin Murphy. (It's an Irish name pronounced rosh'-een.) She was with a band called Moloko that had a hit in the 90's called "Fun For Me." Her new album is called "Overpowered" and is the kind of disc Madonna would cut if she wrote deeper lyrics and had a sense of humor. While "Confessions On A Dancefloor" wants to get in your pants and pass out, "Overpowered" wants to seduce you over a martini and cook you an exotic breakfast. I love this chic's phenomenal voice and her wacked out asthetic.

Her newest videos are kind of the beginning of a longer story about a popstar who never stops being a popstar. From the club and on the way home in "Overpowered:"

In a common little diner on an otherwise boring day in "Let Me Know:"

The best two tracks on the album are "Primitive" and "Dear Miami." This live performance of "Primitive" is killer- seductive, intelligent, a blisterig guitar workout at the end. Roisin's my new girlfriend. She just doesn't know it yet.

Oh, Christmas Tree...

2008-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

I'm allergic to just about everything that grows. So when I enter a warm, cozy, Holiday dinner party and get that first whiff of a 6-foot Pine, I want to run for the hills. Preferably, Pine-free hills.
Not only am I allergic, but one time when I was 8, I was attacked by a Christmas tree. I was asleep on our sofa bed waiting for Santa Claus, when I woke up with a sharp pain in my legs. Our cat, Maggie, had climbed to the top of our tree, sending it falling on it's side and smack down onto my legs. My mom picked about 30 needles out of my legs as I sneezed and puffed up like a Christmas turkey.
I...
don't...
like...
Christmas trees.

But if you have a real tree, there are some environmentally-minded ways to dispose of it come the new year. I found a great resource at:

http://earth911.org/green-your-holidays/treecycling/

There, you can find out why and how it's good to recycle as many of the 35 million real Christmas trees sold in North America this year. The onetime symbol of your holiday joy gets smashed up and the remains of it get used for:

Chipping (chippings are used for various things from mulch to hiking trails)
Beachfront erosion prevention
Lake and river shoreline stabilization
Fish habitat
River delta sedimentation management

You can also check out http://www.christmastree.org for more info.

Favorite Music Video of 2007

2007-12-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

Dave Gahan's "Kingdom"

a real christmas song.

2007-12-22T23:33:00.001-08:00

good stuff. a song for the holidays that sums up and sends up the season in a really sincere but totally postmodern way.

his hot-ASSSS video

IT'S ALIVE!!!

2007-12-22T21:18:00.001-08:00

this movie will destroy me in all the best ways...

photoblogginggreycat

2007-12-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

my old friend donna from high school has a great photo blog at http://photoblogginggreycat.blogspot.com/
she's not "old" as much as she's just a friend from the past...
she's actually still quite lovely...
pretty hot, really.

check it out.

It's Crabby, bitches.

2007-12-21T20:13:00.001-08:00

So...
A while back, during the Chris Crocker/Britney Spears "Leave her alone!" phenomenon, I made a couple parody videos. One of them has been viewed now over 450,000 times. It's hilarious to me. I mean, I understand why they're funny. But to think, of all the plays, films, songs, and performances I have truly committed myself to and focused intense energy on over the years, this video has been the most watched thing I've ever done.
You tube really is something...

The other, less popular video:

For more youtube fun, go to http://www.youtube.com/crizzab74

Animal Rescue Site

2007-12-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten more friends today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box "fund food for animals" for free. This doesn't cost you a thing.

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

where's the green spice?

2007-12-20T11:21:00.001-08:00

The Spice Girls new single "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" is about how their friendships have endured over the years, in spite of the fights, failures and scandals. In the video, they writhe around in lingerie on fur rugs and dry-hump cold , angular modern furniture. With the exception of one horribly-staged shot designed to imply hot, lesbian action, the girls seem utterly unaware of each other and the very meaning of the song they're singing. The clip is as detatched from the song as America is from David Beckham.

I wonder if the visionary behind this clip is the same brainiac who decided not only to fly them to each of their tour locations in a private jet, but advertise it. In one of the boldest anti-environmentalist displays in recent memory, Virgin Records (once owned by cultural visionary and all-around green guy Richard Branson) is donating one Lear jet for each girl and her respective camp of kids, nannies, stylists, and egos.

According to Alex Lambie, who runs a website that helps consumers compare energy options, the combined flights will create nearly 10,500 tons of carbon dioxide. Granted, many stars have private jets, but you'd think these five girls would have at least been consciencious enough to fly together in one plane. These are Lear Jets afterall- flying palaces basically. If the girls can't get along for a few hours with that many square feet to escape from each other in, they've got problems that run deeper than anything they've sung about on either of their soul-baring, revolutionary folk albums.

Seriously, who's managing these girls? Upon their return to London last week, a plane that Virgin dedicated to them was unveiled. It's called Spice One, a name you might be familiar with if you're a fan of hardcore gangsta rap. The MC released albums in the nineties containing hits with names like "AmeriKKKa's Nightmare," "Dyin' 2 Ball," ""Fucked in the Game," "What in The Fuck" and "I'm the Fucking Murderer."
With all this sensible, well-managed behavior, you gotta wonder why they weren't invited to LiveEarth.

s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g

2007-12-20T07:27:00.001-08:00

So, this Holiday Season I've found myself buying a lot of stuff. I'm not a crazy consumer because well, I'm generally poor. But I've got a big list this year and several gift cards for my birthday to redeem.

One practical thing that I recently needed was a water filter. So I figured the best place to find one was Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was a terrifying and vulgar place with horrible lighting. The "Beyond" part is like an outer ring of hell designed to make you feel really bad about the state of contemporary man. But the filter was cheap and made by a socially-responsible company... I think.

Between trying to figure out what purchases are socially responsible and dealing with the mania of actually going to the store, I'm tempted to just make everyone mix cd's. But I don't think my mom would really enjoy the new Timbaland. And I can't see my mom washing dishes humming along to Sigur Ros.
So I looked into it and found some some ways to shop responsibly with less headache.

1. What's with all the stuff, anyways? Why not buy someone the gift of an experience? Take someone to dinner, a play, or a movie. Plan it right, and the memory will last longer than whatever disposable thing you get.

2. Don't drive all over town buying stuff at a lot of stores. Try and find as many things as you can online through one supplier you trust. And select ground shipping- it's six times more efficient than overnight air shipping which means less pollution.

3. CD's are to the new millennium what cassettes were to the nineties- DEAD! Almost everyone's got an mp3 player now. So why buy someone a CD that they'll burn to their Ipod and then store away until it ends up in a landfill? Apple has just introduced a higher quality mp3 through it's ITunes Plus. (And the new shuffles are only 79 bucks. So if you know some poor, unfortunate shlub with no mp3 player, buy them one!)

4. etsy.com is a great place to shop for handmade things from suppliers and craftspeople from around the globe- clothes, jewelry, toys, art...You name it, it's there. And they have a great forum where you can connect with other buyers for advice and information.

5. If you're big on online shopping, what do you need the catalogues for? The websites will be more up-to-date with more recent sale prices. So go to Catalogchoice.org and cut down on the pollution and clutter. The service lets you select the catalogs you don't want to receive and within a couple of months, your mailbox will be empty of unwanted catalogs.

There's plenty of advice over at www.itsyournature.org & www.simplesteps.org. They've also got some pretty smart ideas about holiday food buying, energy-efficient holiday lighting, and conserving energy in the kitchen cooking all those casseroles, Jell-o molds and gingerbread men. Have a very Merry whatever you have, but please... if you must go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, drop a Xanax first.

office of the living dead

2007-12-20T07:26:00.001-08:00

here are some of the new environmental spots i've finished with NRDC's itsyournature.org. they star jack perry, margo passalaqua, josh matthews, and yours truly. i wrote them with lucas longacre, who also directed them. kelly cox was at the helm of the project and we couldn't have done it all without her trusty bro jacob cox.

Make sure you check out www.itsyournature.org for more great videos.

I hate Wal-Mart.

2007-12-19T23:41:00.001-08:00

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has unveiled an environmental plan to boost energy efficiency, cut down on waste and go green. Or "greener" at least. Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott said the world’s largest retailer wants to be a “good steward for the environment.” They also want to use only renewable energy and eventually produce zero waste.

I've been down on Wal-Mart for a long time- the awful lighting, the shrieking PA system, those horrible dirty vests that employees are forced to wear two sizes too large for them. I'm always worried I'm going to be crushed and paralyzed by one of those ever-falling prices. I could sue them and be rich, but if they were as sneaky and cheap with me as they are their employees, I'd end up with no health care in a lawn chair with roller skates strapped to the bottom of it. Don't get me wrong. This promised "greening" of Wal-Mart makes me happy. But the proof is in the pudding and until I see it, I 'll remain suspicious. Make sure you check out this site:

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

It's the official site for a documentary by Robert Greenwald called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." He also directed another ace doc called "Outfoxed," about "how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know." The Walmartmovie.com site is full of resources for the Wal-Mart lover/hater in you. Well... maybe just the hater.
As far as hating Wal-Mart goes, nobody beats poor Betty Butterfield. Just going there sends her into frantic dithers.

Retro Seduction

2007-12-19T23:33:00.000-08:00

Damn! Who knew he could sing?
Or that his crazy vocoder could sing?
This is the best thing Snoop's done in ages. And the video is so painstakingly crafted to look old school. It's almost too good.

What's That Smell?

2007-12-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

"...when you smell a smell it's not really a smell, it's a part of the object that has come off of it -- molecules. So when you smell something bad, it's like in a way you're eating it. This is why you should not really smell things, in the same way that you don't eat everything in the world around you - because as a smell, it gets inside of you. So the next time you go into the bathroom after someone else has been there, remember what kinds of molecules you are in fact eating."

That's from my favorite scene in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm," in which a very young and thoughtful Elijah Wood stands in front of his class to deliver a report about olfactory senses. As funny as the monologue is, the kid's really on to something.

NRDC has found that more than a dozen common household air fresheners contain chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies. It seems the federal government doesn't test air fresheners for safety and the manufacturers aren't required to meet any specific safety standards.
Say what?

“More than anything, our research highlights cracks in our safety system,” said Dr. Gina Solomon, NRDC senior scientist. “There are too many products on the shelves that we assume are safe, but have never even been tested.”

Only two of the fourteen odor-ific brands tested, Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects, contained no detectable levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical called phthalate. (Try saying it aloud without sounding like Daffy Duck.) None of the products listed phthalates as ingredients and several are actually marketed as “all-natural” and “unscented.” (You know- Natural, as in "Come into my kitchen. It smells like Cranberry-mango-winter-breeze"-natural.)

The three with the highest level of phthalates were Walgreens Air Freshener, Walgreens Scented Bouquet, and Ozium Glycolized Air Sanitizer. These phthalates (say it three times fast) pose the greatest risk over long term repeated exposure. This exposure can can affect testosterone levels and lead to reproductive abnormalities, including abnormal genitalia and reduced sperm production. So if your kids spend too much time in the den, which stinks to high heaven of "Vanilla-cinnamon-fresh linen-new car," it could mess up their unmentionables.

"Manufacturers are getting away with marketing products as ‘natural’ when they’re not, and that’s because no one is stopping them,” said Mae Wu, an attorney in NRDC’s health program. “Our research suggests this could be a widespread problem in a booming industry that – so far – has been allowed to do what it wants.”

NRDC recommends that consumers who purchase air fresheners be selective and try to reduce home odors by improving home ventilation. That air freshener might make the bathroom smell sweet and cover the smell of your dirty sneakers, but why not open a window? Remember, when you smell a phthalate, part of that phthalate is inside you.

The scene in question is at 5:40. Funny stuff.

What Would Jesus Watch?

2007-12-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

You should really check out the new "What Would Jesus Buy?" It's a documentary by Morgan Spurlock, who made the great "Supersize Me" and the even greater TV series "30 Days." It's part exploration on the holidays and consumerism/part documentary about Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. The film dabbles its feet in some heavy issues and never really beats you over the head with statistics and disturbing sweatshop footage. It's quite entertaining and has some really engaging parts. At one point, the crew motivates a group of 3 thirteen year-old girls to contact the companies who manufacture their favorite clothes to inquire about their policies and production. Its an amazing thing seeing these giddy teenagers get excited about finding out the answers to questions they never realized they wanted answered. I hope the film makes some people think that way.

The release is very limited, but you can check the website to see if it's playing in your area code.

http://wwjbmovie.com/

Part of the promotion for the film, in conjunction with www.itsyournature.org, was to get people to make their own videos discussing how they would attempt to celebrate a less materialistic holiday. People made some wonderful videos about handmade gifts, holiday memories, and their favorite charities.
I am a smart ass though...

all i want for christmas

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Dove: Is Coverage Revealing?

2007-12-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Dove has launched this great ad campaign to directly address the beauty industry's role in making girls and women feel bad about themselves. I really like them and the company's getting a really positive response.

But this day in age, when you pat someone on the back, someone else will slap them in the face. And not always undeservedly. Many folks saw these ads and were bothered that people were labeling Dove a socially responsible company when it was thought that they were still testing on animals. But were they?
I've included a response to the question from Unilever US who runs Dove below:

"This is in response to your inquiry regarding our policy on animal
testing. Unilever understands and shares your concern about this most
important and complex matter. We are committed to the elimination of
animal testing for our business and recently we have made significant
progress towards meeting this challenge.

Our position has historically been that we do not test any finished home
or personal care product on animals, except where required by government
regulation. However, as part of our ongoing commitment to eliminate
animal testing, we recently reviewed these specific government
regulations against the products we manufacture and market. During this
review it became clear to us, that the only product category that
required testing was oral care. However, as you may have heard,
Unilever no longer manufactures oral care products. This means that we
can now definitively state that Unilever does not test home or personal
care products, including toothpaste, on animals."

What a strange, uh... answer?
The long and short of it is "Yes," they do test on animals. Did you miss the clue? The company is very careful to say that do not test "finished" products on animals. Well, why would they? If it's finished I guess they've already figured out it won't burn your retinas out. As for the oral products, I guess it's a good thing they don't make toothpaste anymore or they'd be as screwed as the rabbits.

Many people were offended that the company would launch a campaign so definitively feminist at the same time as they were producing the men's fragrance "Axe." In the "Axe" cologne commercials a man is generally attacked at a store or in a parking lot by a pack of near-rabid women whose insatiable blood-lust can only be quenched by smelling the five dollar, Walmart-bought stink on his neck.
(It comes in a pump for crying out loud.)

But does any of this take away from the company's honest attempt to address a growing problem with body-issues and anxiety? Does it make it any less brave in a commercial landscape where girls in bikinis are used to sell cars and Kiera Knightley gets nominated for awards instead of checked into a clinic? Is the life of an animal more important than a girl's self esteem?

In the nineties, Levi's made a decision to relocate 2 percent of its manufacturing to the U.S. because it was good American finances and would be produced in a more organic, less chemical saturated way. But Levi's tried to keep it a secret because they feared it would make their customers question the other 98 percent of it's products. To what extent were they onto something?

Has Dove's decision to take a step toward socially responsible advertising opened up the business to new criticism? Could this bold new branding actually hurt Dove? I think it's great when the populous questions the powers that be. I just hope we keep in mind that even though there are bad guys, there are also worse guys. Let's pick on them first and then constructively help the ones who are at least trying to change.

hello hello hello hello

2007-02-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

welcome to crabbtown. come to crabbtown to find out what the hell is going on in the life of david crabb. making this feels self-absorbed and i'm strangely ashamed... but here goes.