No. 22: Brody Stevens, Amy Sedaris, CREEM, Dame Darcy, rock-star teeth & more
Remove your shoes at the door ...
Hey again! Are you feeling sleepy? Amused? Moisturized? Last night I ventured out to see a splendid DJ set by the legendary Genesis P-Orridge. Apparently, berets are very fashionable right now, because many folks were wearing 'em -- but really, when it's 30 degrees outside, who wants a hat that doesn't cover the ears?
Moving on, shout-out to the kind reader who told me he's always late to work on Fridays because of this newsletter. I hope it happens again today ...
11 things I'm into this week ...
A few things kissing my grits at the moment:
1. First off, I'd like to salute comedian Brody Stevens, who died last week. I've written about Brody a bunch of times over the years; he was truly like none other. Spend some time watching his clips on YouTube or hearing his podcasts, which include several outstanding episodes of my all-time fave podcast, WHO CHARTED?. Last year Brody also released a standup special called LIVE FROM THE MAIN ROOM (now on Amazon Prime), in which he delivers a late-night set after most of the crowd has left and gone home. (Who does that? Only Brody.) Once I saw him perform at a club, and he absolutely destroyed the table where I was sitting with his drumsticks, paint and wood chips flying everywhere. His positive energy and singular talent can't be replaced.
2. Did I watch the Oscars? Nope, but I did finally see CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, and I thought it was fantastic. Director Marielle Heller first caught my eye with her stage adaptation (and later, her film version) of Phoebe Gloeckner's THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL. Can't wait for her Tom Hanks/Mister Rogers film.
3. It doesn't get better or weirder than AT HOME WITH AMY SEDARIS. Now rocking its second season on truTV (and it's on Hulu), the warped homemaking series features amazing guests like Matthew Broderick, Bridget Everett, Julie Klausner, John Early, James Urbaniak, Martha Plimpton, Jessica Walter, Cole Escola and Campbell Scott. And that's just in the first two episodes! (She also makes frequent references to North Carolina's Research Triangle, which you don't hear enough in comedy these days.)
4. Check out this teaser for a new documentary about CREEM magazine. It features interviews with Cameron Crowe, Michael Stipe and other lovable notables. BOY HOWDY! THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE screens at South by Southwest, if you're going.
5. Speaking of rock trailers, I'm so eager to see Alex Ross Perry's HER SMELL. Elisabeth Moss plays a former '90s rock megastar who closely resembles ... well, just take a look.
6. I'm a sucker for anything with Mark Duplass' name on it, so I saw PADDLETON the day it was released on Netflix. It stars Duplass as a dying guy and Ray Romano as his best friend, and it's not *quite* as heavy as that sounds (but still pretty heavy). Between this and GET SHORTY and his Netflix comedy special, we're in the midst of a Romano Renaissance.
7. RIP to Ken Nordine, the velvet-voiced jazz poet whose COLORS album and "word jazz" never fails to make me smile.
8. Have you tried this website where you input a phone number and it generates a "short story" of random text? It's creepy but also could serve as a fun writing prompt. Notice each story contains tons of proper names, so you're bound to find some connections that make you wonder if the site eavesdrops on your calls.
9. Right now I'm reading Marc Spitz's 2006 novel, TOO MUCH, TOO LATE. It's about a rock band that was famous in the '90s -- I'm sensing a theme in this newsletter -- and what happened after they split. Spitz was such a gifted writer of both fiction and nonfiction. He died in 2017.
10. I'm probably the last person on Earth to discover UNHhhh with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova from RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE, but it cracks me up. Shout-out to Emily V. Gordon for tweeting about it.
11. And finally, have you been following the saga of Peter Buck's tooth?
Some recs from ... DAME DARCY!
You know how much I adore Dame Darcy: Her gothic, decadent MEAT CAKE comics have delighted me for decades, and I enjoyed her recent memoir, HI JAX AND HI JINX. (Recently I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and watched many videos she made with Lisa Hammer back in the '90s. Don't miss the ones where she teaches Courtney Love how to make a doll while Eric Erlandson hangs out in the bathtub.)
Darcy has killer taste, so I asked her to share a few things she's into right now. Here's what she said:
- "I follow lots of Tarot designers and enthusiasts; some also cross-promote my new Queen Alice deck and classic Mermaid deck. (I do tarot readings for my patrons on Patreon.) My latest favorite tarot people on Instagram are: aceoftarot, hypepriestess, louiselikespretties, oraclinzel and candyayumi.
- "Lately I've been watching and following doll crafters who remake Blythe dolls to look amazingly lifelike. Many of them are Russian and Japanese. I've been obsessed with Blythes and how their eyes change since I was a kid; I'm happy to be the mommy of four presently and just looked up how to style and detangle their plastic hair.
- "I got obsessed with Marie Kondo, the lady who shows you how to fold and organize. OMG, she changed my life, and I up-cycled or threw away everything that sparked fury. Her lessons empowered me to move a two-story entire art studio into the one-room apartment where I already live. I condensed everything so well I'm actually happier and saving tons of money!
- "I don't usually care for rap, but I really like the song "212" by Azealia Banks. In fact, I love Azealia ... my dream is to have her star in the MEAT CAKE movie. Her latest skIrmish with Grimes who is dating Elon Musk is insanely surreal, and her comebacks are hilariously cutting and describe a scene beyond imagination.
- "For my new album, I just finished my own version of "My Little Black Angel" by Death in June, but I made a kinda Middle Eastern dance beat. It's a social justice anthem when you listen to the words. Love it. ... Also, I currently jam with some local musicians who are also in a Cure cover band called The Love Cats."
Thanks, Dame Darcy!! She has a lot going on right now, including an upcoming tour to promote her memoir (look for dates on DameDarcy.com) as well as her Patreon, a new album and shows like this '80s-themed shindig in Seattle to celebrate drag superstar RainBowGore Cake. You can follow her on Instagram, AND you can also follow her 91-year-old French doll, Isabelle.
... and YOU recommend:
BOOKS: Jed is reading Marvel's digital-only JESSICA JONES: PURPLE DAUGHTER (issue #2 of 3 just went on sale), written by Kelly Thompson with art by Mattia De Iulis. "Thompson captures Jessica's voice perfectly and weaves a tale that's fast-paced, funny and heartbreaking," he says. "De Iulis' art is gorgeous and pops off the page." ... Jerilyn loves THE DREAMERS by Karen Thompson Walker, which she says is "about a mysterious virus that hits a California college town and all who are infected fall into a dream-infused sleep."
TV: Jenn loves watching THE GOLDBERGS, which featured The Lemonheads' Evan Dando on its Valentine's Day episode. "I had to have my 18-year-old daughter Google him so she could see what a dreamboat he was back in the day," she says. ... Douglas recently discovered Michael Palin's travelogue show. "He did a bunch a decade ago that I enjoyed watching," he says. "The current one is Michael Palin in North Korea. It gives a pretty interesting look into a country that we rarely see. It can be found on YouTube."
MUSIC: Herman wants to make sure we hear Morrissey's new cover of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." ... Carter in Long Beach, Calif., likes a new compilation of Kate Bush B-sides and rarities. ... Shane is into Japanese band Sekai No Owari, "known in English as 'End of the World.' If you haven’t experienced them, watch the video for 'RPG,'" he says. "Be sure to watch 'til the end for the dance moves. They're mega-stars in Japan and put on stage shows featuring life-size animatronic elephants, water effects, lasers, dirigibles, you name it. It’s the best thing in the world that nobody knows of outside of Asia."
MISCELLANY: Matt Scott works as a reporter, and he sent me this video he made about the M.C. Escher exhibit I mentioned last week. ... And Paul recommends this "five-hour (FIVE-HOUR!!!) 'bubble reel' of stock video, calming music and random pop ups of Maya Rudolph’s Hormone Monster from BIG MOUTH espousing on bubble baths." He adds, "It’s more soothing than any chill or ASMR video combined."
What are you into? Tell me! I'm around via email (just hit reply), or you can text/leave a voicemail at 929-515-1988. I'll share your recs in a future newsletter.
I posted this on Instagram -- yes, these really were my grandmother's sunglasses!
She had great taste.
It ain't over yet ...
Email me at whitmath (at) gmail with suggestions or just to say hi. Your messages help me get through the week! Don't be shy about reaching out -- I'm an introvert, too, you know.
Dial 929-515-1988 to hear my unpredictable outgoing messages and/or leave your own. If someone forwarded you this newsletter, you can subscribe here.
Counting the steps to the door of your heart,
Vivian Pickles
"When I was in my 40s, I started feeling bewildered and groping for a handhold, a grip on what it means to outgrow your youth. That entails looking back. The only way to answer that question was to write."
- Richard Hell