New Years

Here in Kelowna at the fabulous Coast Capri. Jeff YU is opening for me, and Leanne and her family are around so it's pretty cool. Plus I'm playing a club where I'm "the staff favourite". It's nice to be appreciated - so I did 90 minutes last night.

More 2005 in review

This had to be one of the most ironic experiences I had in the last year. I was in Central Park, and was relaxing in the solemn atmosphere of Strawberry Fields, which is a few hundred feet away from the front of the Dakota where John Lennon was killed. There was a musician there, who played well, and people were enjoying it. Then this other guy shows up with his electric guitar and starts playing imagine, and the first guy loses it, yelling at him and ripping his amp cord in half. I quietly hummed "Give peace a chance" and photographed the event. (This seemed to cool things down. I actually used my camara on a couple of occasion to get people to behave. It works)

Watching these two guys fight over who gets to promote peace reminded me of what a confusing and complex place America, and New York City, can be.

Website Cracks 4000

The newly designed website has cracked 4000 views, and its still going. Even without me being controversial. Anyway, I am enjoying working on this blog, and hope my readers are liking it too. There's a pretty funny clip of me trying to sell CD's one night in Vancouver on the site - you should check out. The beautiful blonde with the mouth of a sailor is my niece Tara.

Happy Prince Photos

Here are the stars of The Happy Prince, including the backstage help, "The Big Three" Sunny the swallow, Graham the Prince, and Gillan as Oscar Wilde. The brilliant new comer is Breanna at her first "Cast Party".

Richard - director and child care worker

The production of the happy prince went over very well, everyone had a good time, and the audience was full of praise. About 75 people attended. But Rachel (the little match girl #2) is sick today and so I was enlisted to watch her and her sister while their mother (who did a fabulous job with costumes for the play - so I owe her) is at work. Most people view me as the person on the stage, havinf trouble believing that I might direct a Christmas play at the church, or be capable of caring for sick kids. They forget that I am a father, and with the comes alsorts of different perspectives, and talents.

It also makes you aware of how insignificant the pettiness of the comedy world.

Richard Pryor

Sadly, the great one has passed on to the big gig in the sky. Richard was a comedy hero for me, and many others. His re-invention of the form set a standard that's influence can be seen in every stand-up in the world.

Angels Manhattan style

These two guys at Dillon's Irish Pub on Fifty Fourth Street, helped me out big time , in launching my CD and giving me a pub to call home. I met a guy at the Vancouver Comedy Fest that said he was in New York several weeks after I left, and was looking for Letterman tickets, went round the corner of the Ed Sullivan theatre and there was my poster up, and the staf was still talking about my show. That was really the best part of playing new york city, was finding out that I can hold my own anyway! (Start spreading the news...)

Montreal Jazz Festival

Having no control over what dates we end up in places, it was great for me to be , by fluke, in Montreal during the Jazz Festival.

My Favourite T shirt of 2005

I saw this guy in Montreal, and thought it was the best joke I'd read in a while. I was performing that week at the comedy nest, and I must say, when in need of recharging on the road, Montreal is the place to do it!!

Coolest photo

My time spent in Toronto seems to be summed up by this photo, which I took on King Street, outside of a club that had these impressionistic dances outside.

The year of 2005 began on my daughter's birthday

Because I was going away for a few months that year, I threw a surprise birthday party for Bree in Late January. Her longtime buddy Watermelon was there, and gave her a pink boa.

Here at Two Tones

Working on my webpage at super-geek Paul's (Two Tone) web studio. Making sure people can buy my CD directly from the page. My friend Serious Lee filmed me at the club last week and put together a 2 minute piece on me failing to sell cd's after the show. Why is losing funnier than winning...
I hope everyone is liking the website, and The Blog. I plan to do a year in review with pictures on my blog in the next while. Look for it. The site has been up for about six months and is reaching it's 4000 viewer.
Look for the year 2005 in review - here's a sample from the home grown comedy night at Just For Laffs.

next shows at Yuks Dec 14-16

I'll be hosting the show at Yuk Yuks Vancouver next week (Dec14-16) The 17th is the presentation of the play "The Happy Prince".

Headlining Yuk Yuks Vancouver

I'm headlining the Vancouver club all week, tonight at 8:30, Friday 8 and 10:30 and Saturday 8 and 10:30. COME ON DOWN

Shattered Glass

Cold day in Vancouver, actually had snow the other day, usual... Should send a pictiure to the IOC for proof that we still get some winter.

Watched a good movie yesterday Called "Shattered Glass" which tells about the writer Stephen Glass, who made up all his stories for the New Republic magazine. The guy was such a good liar. He covered his tracks with charm and more lies. Reminded of the feeling I got when I realized my room mate of a couple of years and friend for about five years before that, was a chronic bull shitter. He would tell these stories of his impending greatness, and everyone, including me, believed it. And just like the magazine editor in the film, I was called upon to cover for his bigger and bigger lies, because I was his room mate, and because he was pretty vague about the details. I finally went out east to find that he had lied to everyone out there about where he lived and all the big time deals that were coming up for him and it all sorta fell apart. All I could do was seperate myself from him, and realize that his misrepresentations, which date all the way back to the Arsenio Hall show, were intended to raise his asking price, and obscure any of my real accomplishments. I knew it would unravel for him eventually, but like Stephen Glass, he would never admit to any of it. He would just come up with more lies. It is amazing how willing people are to believe things, wanting to beleive the person they are hanging out with is going to be on Letterman, or has a deal with HBO, or owns houses here and there. We want to believe it's true, even if it doesn't make sense. But once a red flag goes up, one that you can't ignore, then they all come up. And there is something creepy about people that will lie to your face, just for the sake of tricking you. You just can't believe anything they say after that. Anyway, check out "shattered glass" - it's a good one.

Coons in the hood

Racoons are cute, but being members of the bear family, they are dangerous. There is a family of them that periodically visit our back yard and leanne likes to feed them wheat thins.

Spoken Word at the Pic

Leanne and I went down to the open mike at the Picadilly last night. She did three poems, and rocked, and then I got up and did some vintage Richard. Beer was $2.50 a pint for Russel pale ale - yummy. So keith, the host of it, was loving us, because we do something different and cause were good. And I didn't go to the Well, which is always a good sign. (Meaning: I think the comedy community becomes like a family you can get sick of... so hanging with a different crowd is refreshing)

Ft St James ROCKS

I had such a great time in Ft ST James. The crowd was a lot of fun, the cops even got into the act, and Mindy and Erin and George and Kerry and Toby and everybody treated me great. Thanks for bringing me out to experience your beautiful town and a real sense of community.

The Show at Ft St James

Ft St James, official DJ of the James, Toby, owns the only mini van in Ft St James, as even the day care workers drive large supercab TRUCKS. The show went great and they raised six grand or something!! Nice work folks.

The Fundraising Team

Mindy and Erin, nee the Beck Sisters, put on a fundraiser for their good friend Lori Gross to help her with medical costs for her daughter. These pictures are the morning before the event, with the girls decorating the curling hall, and me showing off.

Ft St James and Stewart Lake

why all the bad blood with Richard

Lately people have been asking why the power brokers in Vancouver won'book me for their shows. (Obviously this does not include YukYuks who regularly book me.) They are referring to my obvious exclusion from the comedy festival in vancouver, and the often stated best club in vancouver, the Urban Well. Both these "situations" are due to, as is quickly pointed out, that I'm an asshole. It would be some much easier to say I wasn't funny, but well, nobody can say that with out sounding like an idiot. So it is my irrascible personality that prevents me from being welcomed into these events. I suppose it might be useful to point out my style of COMEDY is as an asshole, and that I was, and am, kidding. This, however is lost on people. This is not surprizing for people not in the business, but you would think that a comedian would be able to get it. The perception that a badass comedian, is a bad person does not hold up any more than an affable guy onstage, must be nice and likeable off. Its an act. ie bad guys aren't evil, and nice guys can be pricks. Anyway, the bad blood out there began due to the comedy festival. Initially, Brent and Jamie had a small add-on to the festival presenting the Alternative Stand-up Stage in a restaurant. There was no money, (a policy that would continue to this day) but even so, I showed up and began reading a story I had written. The agenda of the show was alternative, and since most of the guys were just doing bits that didn't work, my narrative approach seemed to be a clearer example of "Alternative". This was obvious as Brent - on promoting the Alternative show in various interviews, sighted my story as an example of "Alternative Comedy". Each night of the week long event, I would read a bit, and since I was headlining the last show, it seemed like a good time to finish the story. So on the last night, I was reading, with a page or two to go, when the call came from Jamie to wrap it up. I made some comment to let me finish, he said no, I said "Blow Me". This comment incited a hissy fit by Brent and Jamie that is still going on. I was disappointed that I wasn't allowed to finish for the people that had been following along, but left it at that. The story went on to become the award-winning and often produced show "The Clutch". But B and J were pretty pissed and the rift had begun. To Be Continued - as Richard gets the job as producer of "Straight Up Stand UP" at the 1999 Vancouver Comedy Festival and brent and jamie screw him.

Richard's next shows at YUK YUKS

For those of you that would like to see me do stand-up live, I will be performing at YukYuks November 30, and December 1-3.

Dead Poetry Slam

Leanne and I went the the Dead Poet Slam at Cafe Du Soliel. She went as Sylvia Plathe, and I was the Dead Cowboy Poet. I didn't have a poem for my Character, but entered the slam anyway, because they didn't have too many competitors there. Then a bunch showed up. Anyway, I went up, took a swig from my bottle of Jack, (a suggestion from Sylvia) and then read my freshly scribed poem, Cowboy Poetry is Dead. Well the judges LOVED it, and I was in first place going into the second round. So I did my other poem about poetry, "The Slam Poet" and scored even higher points and WON THE SLAM. So now I can put that to my credit along with the annoying "Canada's George Carlin". Anyway, the group photo is of the newly established fan club for the Dead Cowboy Poet.

Neal Murphy

Even though I lived with this guy for two months, dranks with him ALOT, he came out to NYC and covered my ass at the CD Launch, this is my only photo of him. He is a great guy whose marrying my great friend Briar, and had my back the whole way while I was out east. (Because, of course, he's from Alberta)He's in the hat. The bartender(bald guy) is saying hello to fisty.

Alexis Mazurin - great guy - gone way too soon!

I met Alexis only a few times, he interviewed me for CBC Radio 3. He was such a hale, strong person, I was shocked to hear that he had passed away at such a young age. Makes my impounded car seem pathetically trivial... Our prayers and sympathy go out to his girlfriend and family.

NYC Comedians

Heres some pics of some comics I work with in New York. Great guys, fun to hang out with, supportive and funny. I guess thats the difference between the Big and Little Apples. Meanwhile, I'm back to walking with my car impounded due to lack of funds. Money is a mofo, and this world is more expensive when your poor. Canadian entertainment grrrr.

Times Square, around the corner from the CD launch

the poem

INSOMNIA
By R Lett

One thirty - Two
Two thirty - Three.
Three Fifteen:
Three thirty - three forty-five
Three fifty six,
seven
eight…
nine…
Four am and I can’t sleep.
Inside my head now – in much too deep,
No way I’m dozing off with all these meetings
and arguments, all these things that go on
in the very busy place I call my brain.

Four Ten:
Half the world has no access to safe drinking water,
but everybody has access to Coca Cola.
They killed Orson Welles.
They crush genius for exposing mediocrity.

Four Fifteen:
They? who is they? am I they?
Never.

Four Twenty Five:
My teasing yawns are like false labour.
Eyelids shut out the darkness.
Bright as a Dallas afternoon beneath my lids.
It was Kennedy that wakened fear to us.
My generation – X, Y , zed, whatever.
Fucking Americans – USA – unlimited supply of assholes.
The Divided States of America.

I was three and a half that November.
Cracked my whole family up
TV repeated footage of his funeral so much,
I said
There goes Kennedy again.
I couldn’t sleep,
that night – a war started,
under false pretenses
on color TV ‘til I was 12.
Charlie crouched in the Jungle
Shit, still only Saigon.
They’re still there – he’s all gone gone gone.
Four thirty three.
They smart-bombed Baghdad one sleepless night when I was thirty
And nine elevened New York when I was forty,
Weapons of mass deception,
Katrian, Rita. Michelle (not a hurricane – my ex-wife)
Tsunami – Bali, and Pakistan,
Rwanda, somolia, bierut, palistine, hastings.

Four forty-eight…
And the telus bill
Four fifty
And the iron is still on
Four fifty four and twenty seconds
I don’t have an iron..
Four

Fifty

Nine

and

the martinizer shows up.

Brett was middling in Vancouver, so we got a chance to hang out. He's reading the screenplay Peter and I have going, and Kevin and I worked on my poem, INSOMNIA, which I performed the following night at the open mic at The Butchershop (very cool venue on 22 and Main).
PS. Apologies to all the waitstaff everywhere, but I do believe the staff at the Vancouver Yuk Yuks are the best!!.

the amazing web

The ability to take and image and broadcast it world wide - literally withing minutes, reveals me working on the blog. I use the internet at the UBCP offices(Actra BC).

Van Deuz wins the Canadian Poetry Slam!

One of Rogues persona's

Leanne and Rogue working it out at the WISE hall