B.O.R.E.D. Tour IV Begins Tonight

The B.O.R.E.D. Tour IV To Be Held In North Hollywood

The fourth installment of The B.O.R.E.D. Tour, the world's only comedy music festival, will take place at 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 16, 2001 at Hallenbeck's General Store and Main Street Cafe in North Hollywood.

The B.O.R.E.D. Tour's creator, Grant Baciocco, says that the mission of the B.O.R.E.D. Tour is simple, "We want to promote the genre of comedy music and make it more mainstream. There's more out there than just æWeird Al' Yankovic or Adam Sandler and our goal is to make folks aware of that." This seems to be working as the B.O.R.E.D. Tour has played to sold out venues since it's inception in 1999.

This year's B.O.R.E.D. Tour show looks like it will follow suit. Baciocco says, "We have an amazing line up this year. Hot Waffles and raymond & scum, two bands from orange county will be bringing their offbeat humor to the stage.

My own band, Throwing Toasters, who've been featured on the Dr. Demento Nationwide Radio Show will be here as well. Joining us on June 16th will be a very funny lady named Laurie Powell who has also had airplay on Dr. Demento. Plus we just signed the comedy folk duo The Turtlenecks, who if you haven't seen, you're missing out."

Baciocco is most excited about the show's headliner though. "This year we will close with Rob Paravonian. He's a big favorite on Dr. Demento, but he usually only plays on the East Coast. He's currently on a tour of colleges all across the United States and we were able to snag him for our show. He's got a great sense of humor and great playing style that will have folks rolling. Rob alone is reason enough to come out and see this show!"

Grant runs a tight ship when it comes to this show. "I hate comedy shows that turn into marathons. No one wants to sit and watch 50 comedy acts in a show that drags on for 3 or more hours. That's why I limit the number of performers at these shows and they must adhere to my strict time limits. When you come to a B.O.R.E.D. Tour show, you're only going to see the best these acts have to offer and you'll be out of here in roughly 2 hours."

The B.O.R.E.D. Tour IV is an all ages show and the admission is only $5, making it one of the best entertainment values in Southern California. People wishing to attend the show are encouraged to show up early to the venue as it will sell out.

EVENT INFO:
The B.O.R.E.D. Tour IV
Saturday, June 16, 2001 - 8:00PM - $5
Featuring: Hot Waffles (http://www.hotwaffles.com),
raymond & scum (http://www.comedyband.com), The Turtlenecks (World Famous Folk Comedy Duo),
Laurie Powell (whose song "The Stalker" was featured on Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes #9!), 
Throwing Toasters (http://www.throwingtoasters.com),
and M.C. Tom Konkle (http://www.lestermcfwap.com) with special guest Rob Paravonian.
Hallenbeck's General Store & Main Street Cafe  (www.hallenbeckscafe.com)
5510 Cahuenga Blvd. (Between Burbank & Chandler), North Hollywood, CA
(818) 985-5916

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The World's Only Comedy Music Festival!
The B.O.R.E.D. Tour

Larry Weaver Update

I'm hard at work on some exciting new stuff for you. Coming later this year: a new album, a new website, and major additions to TrailerGhost.com. Stay tuned, it's going to be an BIG year!

Funny Website Updates
Funny Pictures: "Porta Potty"
The "Name the Caption" picture for this month is the Porta Potty! You
kind of have to see it to fully appreciate it. Check it out and
provide a funny photo caption:
http://www.larryweaver.com/funnypictures/

Previous Name the Caption Winners: "Sesame Street Gangstas"
We had some pretty interesting entries for last months "Name the
Caption" photo. Read my personal favorites at:
http://www.larryweaver.com/funnypictures/

Space Monkeys!
Show someone special that you care. Send a free Space Monkey greeting
card today!
http://musicgreetings.mp3.com/createcard?task=step3&themeid=37&imageid=700&songid=188729

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Upcoming Shows
Family-friendly festivals, comedy rock extravaganzas and more...

Saturday, June 16  
Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave   
Early show 7:30 -9:30 PM. Call (919) 968-9308 for more information.
http://www.caverntavern.com/

Sunday, June 17  
Carrboro, NC @ Tyler's 
5:00 PM -- part of the Fete de la Musique Festival. 
http://www.carrboro.com/fete.html

Sunday, July 1  
Durham, NC @ Festival for the Eno 
11:00 AM on the Grove Stage. Come join me for a whole day of fun for a
great cause!
http://www.enoriver.org/festival/

Tuesday, July 3 
Greensboro, NC @ Fun Fourth Kickoff Party
Celebrate Independence Day Eve with The Catalinas, me and Gran Torino
(in that order!)
http://www.greensboro.com/festival/

Get the latest info at: http://www.larryweaver.com/shows/

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I'll have much more news in the upcoming months, so stick around. If
you're not on my mailing list, send a blank email to:
larryweaver-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Thanks, 
Larry Weaver
http://www.LarryWeaver.com/
http://www.mp3.com/larryweaver
http://www.TrailerGhost.com/

Phoebe's Phunny This Saturday & Next Saturday!

I just got back from doing some great gigs in Michigan where I made hundreds laugh. Now it's your turn!

Please check me out A LOT this Saturday when I M.C. this great comedy show.

When?        Saturday, June 16 - 7:00 PM  &  Saturday, June 23 - 7:00 PM
Where?       Goodbar - 9229 Sunset Blvd. (at Doheny) - 310-271-8355
How Much?       $8 cover

Tonight Show Gong Dark

After 39 years, NBC is pulling the plug on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Wait a minute folks! I mean literally!

In a salute to energy conservation and the California power crisis, Jay Leno will tape his June 21 episode virtually in the dark--without studio lights, TV monitors, amplifiers or "other power sources."

"There will be minimal lighting, which the audience will help us out with," says an NBC spokeswoman.

Provided viewers can still see what's going on, Leno will feature some "illuminating" segments, as well as appearances from nocturnal animals and Arsenio Hall. The rest of the night will be kept a surprise until it airs next Thursday.

NBC says the idea came up when the network--like most other businesses in California--was asked to turn off lights and computers whenever possible. "There was a memo sent out to everybody at NBC to conserve energy because of the power crisis," says the NBC rep, "and based on that, they decided to take this as far as they could and have some fun with it."

The show cannot be completely power-free...power generators or some kind of power-producing turbine or whatever have to supply power to the cameras or else no show can be taped for later broadcast in your time zone. Clarifies the NBC spokeswoman: "It'll be the least amount of power necessary to still put together a show."

Source: Newswires

Bozo Tapes Last Show

Over the years, the numbers dwindled from that peak in the 60's and 70's to just one in the year 2001: WGN Chicago. Now, the last part of the Bozo empire is coming to an end as the last part of what represented early children's TV is coming to an end. The ranch has been sold and the animals have been sold as the Bozo farm closes down.

WGN, which had the longest running locally produced Bozo program in the country. taped their final show Tuesday in front of about 200 people at a WGN-TV studio.

''Bozo: 40 Years of Fun,'' will be aired July 14.

WGN's reach as a cable ''superstation'' meant its production of Bozo was seen by more kids around the United States than any of the 180 or so locally produced Bozo shows that have already died.

Adults brought their children to see firsthand a show that was a big part of their own childhood, and recounted the days when the wait for tickets to ''Bozo's Circus'' stretched as long as a decade.

''To anybody 20 years or older, especially in Chicago, the show was a big part of our lives,'' said Billy Corgan, formerly the leader of the rock group Smashing Pumpkins.

Carol Bell, the widow of Bob Bell, WGN's original Bozo, said having fun was the whole point of the show. ''Bob's thing was 'I'm not going to teach them their ABC's, I'm just going to make them laugh,''' she said.

The last show included a lot of the kind of fun children enjoyed during the show's 40-year run. There was the grand prize game, where a kid throws balls in a line of six buckets. There were magic tricks, corny jokes and even a pie in the face for a member of Corgan's band.

Where on TV can today's children be that entertained anymore? Most all local TV stations no longer produce children's programming. Local TV stations no longer run children's fare as syndicators of children's programming dried up unless they can get them from UPN, WB, or Fox, but the children are stuck with such poor choices for entertainment with Pokemon, Men in Black, and Pepper Ann.

The audience included Alan Livingston, who created Bozo at Capitol Records for a children's record in 1946. ''It will probably be the thing I will be most remembered for,'' said Livingston, who went on to become president of Capitol Records.

By the time the cast gathered Tuesday night, the 9,500 shows broadcast had been watched by almost 2 million ''boys and girls, moms and dads'' in the studio audience and countless more in their homes.

Source: Newswires

Gumby and Pokey Ride Again on Network TV

ABC will use the green Gumby and his orange-pony sidekick Pokey to lure viewers to its summer prime-time schedule - hoping the duo's baby-boomer appeal will translate into more viewers for its summer reruns.

Gumby and Pokey, created by claymation pioneer Art Clokey, first appeared on "Howdy Doody" (another early children's TV show) in 1957 before getting their own Saturday-morning kiddie show that began airing in 1966.

Eddie Murphy also famously spoofed Gumby on "Saturday Night Live" in the early '80s, which may have been solely responsible for the Gumby revival in the 80's.

The characters will look exactly like they did back in the 50's as the producers will be using the exact same kind of Claymation technology that was used in those early Gumby shorts. The original actors will be reprising their jobs as voicists for the clay figures. Art Clokey, the creator, is doing the Claymation.

In the series of spots, called "Gumby & Pokey's Summer Adventure," the duo will wake up after a long winter's nap - realizing that they missed all of ABC's shows from last season and inviting viewers to watch the shows with them.

Gumby and Pokey were last seen on a regular basis in 1988, when a "Gumby & Pokey" show aired for a short time in syndication.

Cartoon Network Dives Into "Adult Swim"

The blocks will be including five new series and fresh episodes of the cult talk show "Space Ghost Coast to Coast."

The rotating lineup of "Adult Swim" will be anchored by new episodes of "Home Movies," the animated half-hour series that aired briefly on UPN in spring 1999. Another UPN castoff, From Soup 2 Nuts, will also be airing in the blocks.

The other new series:

-- "Sealab 2021," a kitschy update of a Hanna-Barbera production about an undersea city, featuring the voice of Erik Estrada;

-- "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a cartoon that follows an elite group of detectives who are also human-sized food products;

-- "Harvey Birdman," an animated courtroom drama that will try the crimes and misdemeanors of the cartoon world; and

-- "Leave It to Brak," a parody of the classic family sitcom featuring demented space alien Brak.

"Adult Swim" will be aiming their cartoons for the PG and R set, but not go as extreme as Comedy Central's South Park has been doing since 1997.

All of the series promise edgy humor, but the high-water mark the network is aiming for is "The Simpsons." They will do things that have adult appeal but never anything that could be seen as antisocial or mean-spirited or go out of the way to be offensive.

'Doh!' In Dictionary

That's right: "Doh!" is in the dictionary.

Homer's favorite pseudo-expletive was among some 250 new words listed on OED Online when the cyber-dictionary came out Thursday.

The dictionary defines the word as: "Expressing frustration at the realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish. Also (usu. mildly derog.): implying that another person has said or done something foolish."

The entry recounts the etymology of "doh!" (alternate spelling: "d'oh!" ), and quotes actor Dan Castellaneta, who supplies Homer's voice on the long-running FOX series, as saying, "The d'oh came from character actor James Finlayson's 'Do-o-o-o' in 'Laurel and Hardy' pictures. You can tell it was intended as a euphemism for 'Damn.' I just speeded it up."

When the word emerged in a short segment titled "Punching Bag" on "The Tracy Ullman Show" in 1988, the script called only for an "annoyed grunt."

Nearly 13 years later, it's an official colloquialism in the "OED." It's enough to make Homer let out a big "Woo-hoo!"

Source: Wires