chuckography

"Woodman, spare that tree!"

Oct 31st is a good day to shop at Sears.

I saw a guy in a red flannel shirt walk by and thought he MIGHT be a person  who worked there.

Pretty casual shirt, though.

Then he came by again, carrying a double-bladed ax. Yes, I checked and it was a Craftsman model.

DUH. It's Halloween and he's in a costume.

A fellow customer waiting with me at the register started softly singing some lyrics of the Monty Python "Lumberjack Song."

I'm a Python fan so I smiled.

The fellow at the register said, "Wait till you see his partner - she's a tree."

And, great timing, she then walked past and Crystal Broad stopped to give a peck on the cheek to Frank Edwards, her favorite lumberjack.

Well, this started a series of awful cutting remarks and puns like going out on a limb, or leaf her alone. I faced him and said, "Let me ax you a question." There was a pause------ and he said "OK, I get it" and adjusted the tool on his shoulder.

The SEARS sign above the woodsy couple I altered by adding the word Halloween.

A few days earlier, I had seen comedian Louis C.K. at the Gaillard Center - the hottest ticket in town - on the second night of his two shows.

The Emmy, Peabody and Grammy-winning writer, actor and director, said he is venturing into larger venues for his hilarious stand-up routines.

He  "rented" the Charleston facility, sold his own tickets to thwart "scalpers" and offered all reserved seats at a flat $50 total, including tax and fees. WOW! 4,000 seats sold out quickly.

The only downside was the dire warning about taking pictures and I was seated close enough it would have been embarrassing to be called out.

So I went online and selected this photo, credited to Richard Shotwell, AP. It captured his look in a suit and tie instead of his more relaxed baggy t-shirt.

The next night I went to the North Charleston PAC (Performing Arts Center) for a delightful evening with Bonnie Raitt.

This was the fourth time I've seen her and I kept my small camera in my pocket, and my cell phone turned off as signs directed.

The warning didn't seem as harsh because my buddy saw online that, usually during her encore, Ms. Raitt will tell her fans she would not mind if they snapped a few pictures.

Many silent phones were quickly turned on and aimed at the stage.

Actually, I did take a few quiet photos covertly before the encore but joined in as we stood and sang along at the end of the show.

Louis C.K. had expressed it well the night before:

"Fans should come and enjoy the show with their own two eyes, not through a small screen."

He then described a sea of fans, each one holding up their phone cams, as a group came off the plane, all holding their own cell phones.

Funny image.

And security pointed a bright light at several in the audience who didn't seem to get the message.

A comedian does not want his well-rehearsed set being shown online in bits and pieces, with a shaky camera, poor lighting, and really bad sound.

Performers might start sending in an ax-wielding Lumberjack to assure enforcement of their demands.

(Click on the images and links for more details.)

Two nights of fantastic performances before large crowds and a small, funny scene in a Sears store in Northwoods Mall on Halloween.

Thanks for sharing my entertainment.

Labels: #Crystal Broad, #Frank Edwards, Bonnie Raitt, double-bladed ax, Louis C.K, Monty Python "The Lumberjack Song", the tree lady, Woodman

posted by chuckography @ 10:13 PM