Tortugapalooza!
It�s finally over. All the preparation, all the memorizing, all the rehearsal-not enough rehearsal-all the tweaking, honing, and finessing...all�that, and it�s finally over. And that�s not even mentioning the courting, hiring, and contracting of the stage acts and ninja minions.
Everyone was brilliant. From the entertainers to the techies, they all surpassed what was expected of them and performed well beyond the scope of their job description. That�s what happens when you hire people who support and believe in you. They give up most of a weekend just to make you look good. Because they see what you�re doing as something big and groundbreaking, and they want to be a part of it. Because they are good people who are great at what they do. Because they�re your friends.
The show itself is a blur of mental snapshots, laughter, and emotion. I can remember being nervous, enough to puke right up until the time we walked out on stage in our tuxedos...and the crowd went wild. After that, the nervous energy morphed, and it was like I was on a triple cappuccino high for the rest of the night.
the Boyz are Back in Town Double-O Tortugas a Blast From the Past
Earlier that day, people were asking me how I was doing. As I�ve mentioned before, my�tag-line�was, "I�m a seizure of calm." And I was. I don�t believe that I�ve ever been that frazzled before. Not since having to go to the principal�s office in high school to meet Sandy Swartz�s father because I said, "The slut speaks." Not very nice, true, but I was rather geeky in high school, and I wanted her attention-however I could get it. Don�t worry; I survived. Her father never showed that day. Lucky for me; sad for her. I was much nicer to her after that, and I�ve been working on my interpersonal relations ever since....
But I digress.
Now, where was I? Ah, yes.�Tortugapalooza.
It is amazing to me how something in such a state of disarray can become something quite wonderful. I don�t know how we managed to pull everything off-I think that Jef was even burning video CDs right up until the last half of the day of show. I hear that everything will be easier from now on. I certainly hope so. I don�t know if I could go through that again. We�ll see.
It was a magical night-for everyone I believe, but mostly for us. It wasn�t until we were through with the introductions that we fully relaxed enough to enjoy it. That moment we stepped out into the stage lights....
And the crowd went wild!
Too Much Brotherly Love! Superhero Hack Song Singing and Screwing Around with Hack & Slash
You�ll be able to catch everything on the DVD-yes, how could we not film it if only for posterity�s sake? There are some things that we will change in the future, tighten up here and there, but on the whole it was a wonderful night. A good time was had by all!
For those of you who were not in attendance, we invited two other acts to perform. First and foremost was�Hack & Slash, a swordfighting comedy duo out of Pennsylvania. Let me just say that they�rocked the house! They stepped out on stage and immediately captivated the audience. The second group that we brought in was a retro-burlesque troupe out of Tennessee. Scantily clad vixens performing provocative numbers-how could they not be a good time? Couple both of those with the video vignettes and the three different skits that�we�performed, and thus you haveTortugapalooza. There was dancing, there was singing (us and Hack & Slash), there were costume changes aplenty. We ran an hour longer than expected, and it�still�went by in a flash of spotlight.
Then there was the�after-party. Great food, including a sushi buffet-I never had the chance to sample any of it-a full-liquor bar with shots being bought all around-I�m still not drinking, so I brought in a bottle of my fave:�Diet Vanilla Coke. I did get the chance to squeeze a lot of palm flesh and sign a bunch of shirts. Time with the fans is always a pleasure for us. If you took the time to watch us, there were three cyclones of people circling wherever the boyz and I happened to be. I didn�t see much of them either. Not until the�after-after-party�at Jef�s house. We were beat, but that was a good time, too. We always manage to have a good time at Jef and Sharon�s house: they can throw one hell of a party!
To Think on Love is the Good Pleasure of both Angels and Tortugas a Possible First Meeting Here D'Angelo & I manage to get our shirts off again
Let me just say that for me the best part of this whole experience is the fact that I got to spend it with the people whom I count as my closest friends. In certain circles, I am known as the "aloof Twin," and I am. I don�t allow that many people to get�that�close to me. That Friday night and those few fast days before and after I had most all of my dearest friends and loved ones in one place. Some were already there, while others flew in from other states, and one-my mum-I flew in from the other side of the world. Through this experience, my relationship with each of them has grown deeper and my feelings of love and adoration for them have grown, if possible, even stronger. So, whether or not we make back any of the money that we spent putting on this party, I count�Tortugapalooza�as a bona-fide success. It has, indeed, enriched my life.
In fact, it was so much fun that we�re planning to do it again...this year! That�s right, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Charlotte, North Carolina, look out! We�re coming your way this year! Look for�Tortugapalooza�dates somewhere between the last two weekends of your own renaissance festivals. We�ll be able to give out details that are more specific once we�ve locked down the theaters and the dates, so keep an eye out.
And�that�s�all I have to say about�that!
Me & My Mum at the After-party
