Key of E Recording Session

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On August 6th he cast of the Key of E was gathered together at their secret lab to record a vocals session for the new soundtrack that will be available on CD and Vinyl. There is a Kickstarter campaign going to raise the $3,000 needed to cover costs. Andy had to pay $3 for a sound clip of someone pissing outside a bar, so you can imagine the escalating costs. As of this writing, they have raised $931 towards the goal. Be the person to push them over the $1000 mark and get a copy of the soundtrack.

Justin Beckler set up the sound equipment and directed each recording segment. Audio was mixed on the spot using his laptop.Corey Volence  and Marisa Ashley are the romantic leads in this post apocalyptic rock musical with music written by Andy Matchett. The recording session was for the dramatic interactions between the characters. Although it involved plenty of hard work, it also was hysterically fun to watch. As actors searched for the right inflections and drama, they at times would break into uncontrollable laughter. Marisa had to do one scene in which she reacts when she sees a huge Tsunami wave. She must have done the line 20 times or more with endless variations of shock, awe, horror and amazement. Her performance as the sincere loving girlfriend is heart wrenching.

Corey who wrote the show read his lines off of his iPhone.  It seemed quite appropriate that he had a “Day of the Dead” T-shirt on. Andy, as a world renowned scientist, recorded an address to colleagues in which he predicted the end of the world.  He said it was pointless to warn the citizens since it would only cause mass hysteria. On the fly, Corey suggested that Andy say that, “We are safe in our colossal invisible helicarrier“. It was a tongue twister that caught Andy by surprise but when delivered right, it was hilarious. Joel Warren was blunt, gruff and funny as a cocky jock who appoints himself boss and bully in the post apocalyptic island camp. He would shout, “Sco!” meaning “lets go”, when he wanted his female minion to follow. I laughed every time he delivered that line. Amanda Warren, who is new to the cast, did an amazing job as the female branch of Corey’s conscience. Her singing was pitch perfect, so much so that I had to stop sketching and watch. Like a fine wine, this show improves with age.

This show was the runaway hit from this years Fringe Festival. It won 11 Audience Choice Awards. It is returning for a brief run at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). So, Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM
Saturday: 8/24 8 PM
Monday: 8/26 8 PM
Thursday: 8/29 8 PM
Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.

Key of E – The Full Cast Recording of the End of the World!

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The Key of E took the 2013 International Fringe Festival
by an apocalyptic storm. Help this award-winning apocalyptic rock musical record soundtrack come to life! You know you want it. The completely new and original apocalyptic rock musical by Andy Matchett won 11 Audience Choice Awards,
the most of any show in the history of the awards, including Best
Musical and Best of Fringe. A Kickstarter has been created to help
produce the soundtrack to the show on CD and Vinyl! The goal of the kickstarter is to raise $3,000 before August 21st at 5PM. To date, $280 have been pledged. Donate to the Kickstarter to guarantee you get your copy of the music.
For and donation of $250 or more you can get a signed archival print of the Key
of E Monster as seen on this site.

Mark your Calendar, The Key of E will be returning to the stage starting August 23rd to August 31st at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive Orlando FL). Tickets to the show are just $10. Show times are at 8PM. Seriously, this show will rock your face off!

4 x 4 Fringe Pub Crawl

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The 4 x 4 Fringe Pub Crawl on May 13th was in the Mills 50 District and in Ivanhoe Village. There were drink specials at Wally’s, Will’s Pub, BART and The Peacock Room in Mills 50 and The Matador, Hideaway, Hammered Lamb and Savoy in Ivanhoe Village. O-Cartz (included with the $10 wristband) transported patrons between bars.  There was a rumor that Andy Matchett would pay $20 to anyone who literally crawled from BART to the Peacock Room a block or two further up Mills Avenue.

I decided to go to BART, an arcade and bar on Mills Avenue that I have never been to before. Chan Sterling was checking his portable microphone and speaker. It was tinny but would have to do. Lead by Ruby Darling, Skill Focus Burlesque Dancers arrived and sat in the cushy lounge seating.  The entire cast of Jet Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe arrived all at once. They were all in their intergalactic costumes. There were photo opportunities of Jett and his crew playing video games.

Earth Girls are Easy was on the wide screen TV but music drowned the sound track. Paintings by Parker Sketch had just been hung earlier in the day. Parker arrived with a few friends and he let me know that several of the smaller pieces had already sold. A woman asked me if I was the Painter, Sketcher who was on the poster. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but finally realized she was referring to Parker Sketch.

Suddenly a gaggle of screaming women entered the bar. Two of them climbed onto the bar, dancing and making out. One girl had a long pink penis shaped water pistol filled with vodka and she was offering shots to all the men. I couldn’t bring myself to purse my lips in front of the phallic dispenser. One woman had penis shaped antenna and she was the one to go up to the mic to promote the Bachelorette show. I was given a business card with a tiny plastic bag of white powder stapled to the back, I did a detective wet finger taste test. It wasn’t cocaine but powdered sugar, then again, I have no idea what cocaine tastes like. The Bachelorettes vanished as suddenly as the arrived, probably off to the next bar. Suddenly the bar was relatively quiet again.

John Bateman took to the microphone and sang David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity” with lyrics that had been altered to the Jett Backpack theme. Kevin Sigman as the sinister Doctor Saurian also stepped up to the mic.  Matt McGrath shouldered up to the bar with model Sierra Missed. She had an angular futuristic hair style that made her appear like an exotic futuristic replicant from Blade Runner. I had sketched her just last month at the RAW event at the Abbey. I didn’t recognize her at first since she was all green when I sketched her, but she recognized me. Matt pointed out that I’m probably the only person in town who can get away with scrutinizing someone for several hours without appearing creepy. With my sketch done, I contemplated wandering off to another bar on the crawl, but decided one sketch was enough for the night.

I’m curious about that Bachelorette show now.

Remaining Show Times are:

5/18 at 7PM

5/19 at 4:20PM

5/22 at 9:30PM

5/24 at 11:15PM

5/25 at 9:15PM

Where: Gold Venue at Theater Downtown, Princeton and Orange

Tickets: $10 plus a Fringe Button

The Key of E Rehearsal

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The Dark Side of Saturn presents Key of E. Andy Matchett of Andy Matchett and the Minks wrote all the music for this original apocalyptic rock musical. I went to a rehearsal in a small art classroom on Colonial Drive near a sushi place. Andy welcomed me and apologized that some of the bigger effects might not happen at this rehearsal. I was happy just to listen to his amazing music. Andy began singing with Minks band members  Abraham Couch, Brandon Kalber and Randy Coole. I quickly sketched Andy and was surprised when actor Cory Violence replaced him at the mic singing “Just Can’t Wait for the Game to End“.

Cory takes on the lead roll of Ethan, a disillusioned hipster who dreams of how he might become a John Connor or Road Warrior hero if the world were to suddenly end.  As he sang of this apocalyptic bliss, his girlfriend played by Marissa Ashley interrupted to try and get him home.  She had to play the roll of annoying reason as he drank himself to oblivion. His dream  of the world’s end is suddenly realized when he is engulfed in a huge tsunami wave that leaves him stranded on a desert island.  The wave was executed with an ingenious effect with a parachute of plastic littered with garbage taking on the roll of the oceans surface. Andy stepped in as the narrator letting us know that the other characters on the survivor’s island were figments of Ethan’s imagination. 

The island had a typical bossy leader who felt he knew all about survival, sending the women to scavenge for food and clean camp. Ethan didn’t notice how this annoying character resembled himself. All the people on the island were there to help him survive and avoid his usual path of self destruction. Like the island on Lost, this place is a bit surreal. When Ethan discovers a bottle of whiskey he comes face to face with a dark red eyed demon.  His life could return to normal if only he could only put the cap back on the bottle.

Evan Miga, one of the mad scientists from Dog Powered Robot Labs devised the creature design. Right now, this show is my pick to be a sure runaway hit at Fringe. The music is hard hitting eclectic and ingenious. Cory really shines singing his way through the lead roll.  The entire cast of about 10 actors has pulled off an epic production on a shoe string budget. The Key of E is going to hit this year’s Fringe like a nuclear blast.

What:  

Key of E an Apocalyptic Rock Musical

When: 

Thursday, May 16 at 7:45PM

Saturday May 18 at 3:00PM

Sunday May 19 at 7:45PM 

Wednesday May 22 at 8:00PM

Saturday May 25th at 11:45PM

Where: 

Green Venue in the Rep

Tickets: 

$11 + a Fringe button

P.S. At 8:45PM tonight (May 16th) a certain Urban Sketcher will make a cameo appearance at Emotions Dances’ dis/CONNECTED in the Silver Venue which is in the Rep Theater. I really can not divulge details, if I told you, I’d have to kill you.

Spores

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At the Earth Day Festival at Lake Eola I decided to get a Vegan Lunch. The food court was at the South east entrance to the park under a huge Live Oak. I decided to get a carrot hot dog at Spork Cafe‘s booth. Tisse Mallon and her sister Joyce were working hard to keep up with orders. Joyce was at the barbecue grill searing the carrots over the coals. For a drink, I went to Midtown Eco Village for a berry smoothy. I ate lunch back at the Analog Artist Digital World tent. The hot dog was delicious although quit messy. A big splooge of mustard fell on my pants.

Journalist, Curtis Franklin had taken several photos as I sketched earlier in the day. He stopped by my tent to interview me. It was a fun talk and it turned out we have quite a lot in common.  Whenever he visits a new city, he walks the streets with a camera and a tape recorder to capture the city’s story.

My next door neighbor was Doug Rhodehamel, one of his art projects is “The SPORE Project” he makes paper bag mushrooms out of used paper bags that would usually end up in a landfill. The SPORE Project was
created in 2005 to promote support for art in schools and to illustrate
the importance of creativity in everyday life. He supplied paint and brushes so the kids could paint their own mushroom. Doug worked with a volunteer from Northland
Church and Hope4Orphans. This summer he hopes to to help send a few volunteers to
Ukraine and Russia. Through several week long summer camps, they will be
providing arts and crafts and paper bag mushrooms to hundreds of
orphans.

Doug’s spores are slowly taking over the world.  He stood next to me and laughed like a mad scientist. Parents and their kids would march through my tent to plant their spore and begin painting. There wasn’t much in my tent so it made the perfect garden gateway. I was glad, cause it meant more people would see my sketchbooks. I had the framed books hanging from the tent upper supports above children’s heads. Parents ended up banging their heads on my frames so I just had to plant a seat below the sketchbook so people knew to walk around.

Patti Matchett and her husband Andy joined me for the afternoon. I can’t thank them enough. With all the merchandise sold out, there wasn’t much to do other than hand out business cards and talk to people about the blog’s sketch a day mission.  Two Japanese culinary students wanted to buy the sketchbook suspended over my head. I tried to explain that it was an entire sketchbook but they could buy a print for $200. Language was a barrier but I have their contact information so maybe there is still hope to close the sale.

The Buddy Holly Story

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Andy Matchett, of Andy Matchett and the Minx stars in this production at the Ice House Theater, (1100 N. Unser St. in Mount Dora). I can’t imagine another performer who could so easily step into Buddy’s shoes. The role seems custom made for Andy. The Buddy Holly Story tells the story of the three years in which he became
the world’s top recording artist. The show features over 20 of
Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be The Day”,
“Oh Boy”, “Not Fade Away”, “Everyday”, “Rave On”, “Maybe Baby”,
“Raining In My Heart”, Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba”, and the Big Bopper’s
“Chantilly Lace”.  ‘Buddy’
Holly’s music and story have been shared live with many more people than the real Buddy
Holly ever had the chance to perform to. The incredible legacy of the
young man with glasses, whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief
period during the golden days of rock ‘n’ roll, continues to live on.

I went to sketch a full dress rehearsal run through of the show. As actors got dressed, Whitney Abell sat stage right fingering her iPad. Soon all three of the actresses, the back up chorus, were ready for mic checks. The band went through their mic checks and perhaps an hour went by before the director called out, “Places!” An actor shouted back, “Thank you places!” The red velvet curtains closed and then re-opened. The primary conflict in the show was that country music radio stations didn’t understand Buddy’s music. They wanted to mold him into a country music star. When Buddy and the Crickets performed live at a radio station they switched up the performance and started playing their brash rock and roll. The stations phones lit up. During the rehearsal, the play came to a halt when power to the mics was lost on stage. One of the musicians joked, “We should rename the show, Buddy Holly Unplugged!”

The final number performed was “Rave On!” Midway into the song, the music just stopped and the theater went black and silent. A single spotlight illuminated the now deserted microphone where Buddy had been singing.  On February 3rd, 1959, the man who changed the face of popular music tragically died in a plane crash at the tender age of 22. Also on the plane were, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens’. That was the day the music died. In the darkness the entire cast bowed their heads. The show bounded back with an encore performance by Buddy with the lights blazing. At the end of the song, Buddy raised his fist in the air shouting, “Tell all your friends Buddy Holly is back in town!” This awe inspiring show will run from
January 18th to February 17th with evening shows on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday nights with matinees on Sundays and select Saturdays. Some shows are already sold out, get your tickets now!

Hedwig Manifestation

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Director, Tara Corless, invited me to sketch as actor Brian Thompson got ready for the final night’s performance of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Majestic Theatre and Lounge inside Revolution Nightclub ( 375 South Bumby Avenue). I arrived a bit early and all the doors to the club were locked. A fellow with long dark hair was waiting in the parking lot. It turned out he had left his cell phone in the club from the performance the night before. He had been waiting since 4PM and I believe the performers started arriving around 6PM. The lead actor and actress, Dorothy Massey who plays Yitzhak, and  Brian, who plays Hedwig, pulled up in a van. All the costumes were piled up in the back and they opened the tailgate and started eating their takeout Chinese food. Andy Matchett pulled up, rolled down his car window, and he asked if anyone wanted a drink since he was making a drink run. Dorothy began relating Saint Augustine ghost stories as the sun set. Every fifteen minutes or so, Cessna airplanes would swoop down over the Club on their approach to the Executive Airport.

The dressing room was maybe 10 feet square and the entire cast had to use the space. I found a spot to sketch from, and I checked with Dorothy to make sure I wasn’t blocking anyone. It would take a full two hours for Hedwig to manifest and transform himself into a woman. His eyebrows were already shaved which would save time. Dorothy explained that her transformation to a man would take much less time. Stage manager, Ally Gursky, arrived with a container of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. She had skinned her knee the night before and somehow every piece of musical equipment carried through the dressing room managed to bonk her raw knee. Being insensitive, I couldn’t help but chuckle.  On her iPhone, she played a wonderful video that pointed out the obvious and hilarious reason to be supportive of gay marriage. Then Tara arrived with containers full of red white and blue cupcakes left over from Veterans day no doubt. Dorothy straddled Brian’s lap and started painting decorative swirling eyebrows. Andy arrived with a bottle of Burbon. He said to me, “Care to take that sketch to the next level?” He filled my cup and asked if I wanted some Ginger ale to water it down. I decided to taste the burbon first. My throat lit on fire and I whispered, “Yep, I need some ginger ale.” My lines loosened up with each sip. Dorothy started dancing in wild abandon to “Do It With a Rockstar“.

One of the Guitar players started to thank every one. “I started this show tentative and unsure, but you all made me feel at home. Thanks you everyone for your friendship and support, I’m going to miss you all when this show is over.” Andy said, “No problem, Uhm, what is your name again?” Everyone laughed. Tara circled everyone up for a pre-show ritual. Half of the cast circled up their index finger and thumb creating a cavity in their palms while the rest of the cast inserted their index fingers in the warm cavities. All their hands and wrists intertwined. Ally shouted, “Five minuted to show time!” actors shouted back, “Thank you 5!” There was an electric excitement in the air. Tara announced that they had 30 people in the audience, that was the largest audience they had in the entire show’s run. Andy claimed that on some nights they performed with only three people in the audience. This was a case off life imitating art imitating life,  The band went on stage and  a flash of electric music filled the theater with the Origin of Love. These rock stars were ready to raise the rafters!

Skill Focus Burlesque Presents: Classis Horror

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I went to a Skill Focus: Burlesque rehearsal of Classic Horror at the Peacock Room. Skill Focus is Orlando’s premiere nerdy burlesque troupe. The Peacock Room has been lavishly decorated for Halloween with life sized ghouls, demons and plenty of spider webs. The rehearsal was just getting started and Ruby Darling, the troupes director, had the performers run through their numbers in the order they arrived to the rehearsal.  On stage Andy Matchett was setting up for the live performance by The Continentals. Andy Matchett, Matthew Mendel, and Shawn Bryant – are Orlando’s
hippest trio of musicians, who bring you all your favorite hits from the
past with tons of style and a whole lot of rock and roll. The other members of the band hadn’t arrived yet so Andy was flying solo. At one point Andy asked if anyone knew how to play guitar. One of the girls knew a few chords, so he handed her his guitar and showed her the chords he needed her to play. Then he asked for anyone who could drum. Count Dracula got on stage and pounded out a beat on the snare drum. Andy had an instant band.The other performers did arrive after a break and the Continentals gave a hip edge to each Burlesque act.

This nerdy burlesque tribute will pay homage to everyone’s favorite classic movie monsters of the past, with live music by The Continentals! Come watch Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and more of your favorite creepy creatures take it off to the hottest songs of yesteryear. Skill Focus is made up of hot nerdy ladies (and guys!) who love geeking
out and sequins, performing saucy, sassy, sultry striptease while
portraying their favorite characters from comic books, video games,
sci-fi, anime, horror, fantasy, you name it.

Hosted by the illustrious Chan Sterling – human encyclopedia and master
of dick jokes – Skill Focus is proud to present a lineup of seriously
talented, seriously nerdy burlesque performers from Orlando:

Ruby Darling,
Cherry Bob-omb,
Rickabilly Bond,
Syber Digit,
Shy Labuff,
Fifi Latio,
Nekkid RoboJoe,
and
Rosita “Queen of Offensive Burlesque” Sparkles.

The rehearsal was insanely fun with satin capes, baubles, glitter and plenty of flirtatious bump and grind. An eight foot stage runway will be added to the room allowing the ladies and guys to walk out into the audience. Guaranteed, this will be a standing room only show. Don’t miss the HORROR!

The show is TONIGHT, Tuesday, October 16th at
10pm. The doors and bar open at 9pm. 18+ only, please!  The Peacock Room
1321 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, with plenty of parking in back and on the side streets.

Tickets are $12 at the door. $2 off for Halloween Horror Nights team members! – If you are an Halloween Horror Night team member, please bring your work ID to the show to avoid extra charges at the door.

House of Blues

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I heard that Andy Matchett & the Minx were performing at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney. Traffic on the Disney roads was really backed up. I’ve never seen so many cars on the road, and I worked down there for ten years.

I also heard there would be plenty of robots from Dog Powered Robot. Last year, Dog Powered Robot made a surprise visit with the band at House of Blues. Fisher, the Pomeranian who powers the robot, was unfazed by all the commotion. The stage manager at House of Blues had a fit. There is a “no pet” policy at House of Blues. There wasn’t much she could do since the crowd loved them. You couldn’t exactly have a Dog Powered Robot without the dog.

Even after breaking all the rules, the robots were back, but this time the friendly Blue Pomeranian powered robot wasn’t in the mix. The curtain opened and Andy was bound center stage, being held captive apparently by a robot with a grudge. I didn’t follow events closely, but I believe Lollybot must have saved him. I’m sure her robotic claw could have cut through the ropes. Terry was on her feet shouting, “I love you Lollybot!” She had on her Lollybot t-shirt and was as rabid as any Beatles fan. Andy Matchett & the Minx began playing and confetti canons blasted it’s colors over the crowd. Balloons and beach balls were then surfed over the crowd. People went wild. Balloons were popping everywhere and strobe lights made me dizzy as I worked on the sketch. Then, just about every robot at some point danced on stage. Ninja Noids were up on the balcony level and they wafted large hot dog shaped balloons over the crowd. A large parachute was unrolled over the crowd and Andy jumped down off the stage to join the audience as the dance under the undulating canopy. Oh yea, there was also plenty of hard driving fun rock & roll! An Andy Matchett & the Minx concert is a guaranteed good time.

One and Only Dream Scene

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The final scene that needed to be shot for Britt Daley’s “One and Only” music video was the dream sequence. Everyone was dressed in 1980’s fashion. This scene lap dissolved from the scene of Britt spinning on the audition stage with Andy Matchett. Britt and Andy are spinning in the dimly lit theater surrounded by characters frozen still. When they walk up to the bar, Kyle Raker and Jessica Mariko snapped to life. Kyle served martinis and Jessica began a sensual dance.

Center stage, Will “MainSwitch” Campbell and Darci Riccardi begin a break dance when approached. Britt and Andy laughed and danced as the dream snapped to life. Finally they approached Nicholas Corcoran, and skating Katie Peters who performed a blend between a “Saturday Night Fever” dance and a roller girl dance routine. They were a smooth and well oiled dancing machine. I was amazed at how this scene was rehearsed, then performed in a matter of hours.

The scene was shot multiple times. One master shot followed Britt and Andy the whole time, then cut away shots and close ups were done. Scott Wilkins, the director, explained that the scene would be cut together with multiple shots sliding into place much like the complex montage scenes from the 1966 film “Grand Prix.”