Countdown to Palooza! - We�ve got our first shows at the new "Bay Area" site under our belt and I can�t say they�ve been bad but they haven�t been great either. The new site is going to be wonderful! But, it�s gonna take time. It�s definitely bigger than the old site and has the same Florida wooded feel but things are a little squished together right now. I guess there�s some Railroad tracks that split the land up that are to be removed next year, opening up even more land for the show. Our stage is passable but doesn�t nearly have enough shade. I do have to admit that the site crew has been very accommodating. They�ve done everything we�ve asked. Thank god we�re well like in these here parts.
our new stage in Tampa�trying to be studly�tryin' to keep a straight face
Apparently, "Puke and Snot" were on the stage before us but aren�t doing very well at the BARF (Bay Area Renaissance Festival) show. Rumor has it that they kinda tanked. So, they moved them to a smaller stage, knowing we�d pack �em in. I don�t have anything against them, it�s just that they have a rep for not being very nice to people. Since they�re the grand-dad�s of the festival world they seem to think that everyone else is beneath them. I don�t know if that�s true or not, it�s just how it appears. I haven�t watched their show in over ten years but from what I�ve heard it has barely changed, if at all. And, I guess most of their material is based on old vaudeville bits making them less original. Please understand that this is only what I hear from others since I really don�t watch other shows. I just don�t have the time.
Well, its only 2 weeks to the big show! Everything seems to be falling into place. I feel confident that we�ve had enough time to get rehearsals in for the boys and me. My biggest concerns are about the technical end of things. Since this is a multi-media event - both live action and video - there�s a lot that can go wrong. We�re only gonna have one day of tech rehearsals. That doesn�t leave much room for error.
We�ve got a really cool mix of live action, video, and interactive video spots. I don�t wanna give anything away but this last year of planning, writing, and shooting video has left us with some amazing stuff!
In my original vision, all we needed to sell were the VIP tickets and a few of the regular seats to pay for the event. Boy, was I off!!! After all of the production costs we�re gonna have to just about sell out to break even. I�m not complaining mind you, this is a labor of love after all. I can�t begin to tell you how much we�ve learned on this journey to Tortugapalooza. Our next ventures will be much more organized and easier to produce, but right now I�ve just got to get this one off the ground.
As we�ve been writing and rehearsing our favorite spots keep changing. Some of the bits we were concerned would be real dogs have turned out to be real champs, and others... well, we�ll see. I can�t wait to see how the audience responds to everything. I think they�re gonna be pleased with our guest acts. Hack and Slash are one of our favorite acts on the circuit and if I know our fans they�ll embrace them. Panty Raid! is a cute burlesque troop that will be a fun segue between video and live action spots. They also lend to the "Vaudeville" feel we�re trying to bring to the show. One thing�s for sure; it�s definitely been an adventure.
topless again without our swords�With a sexy wench�beer show chug
