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For the first time I can recall, maybe ever, I went somewhere JUST for fun.
As difficult as it was, I refused to bring my chalk. I hopped on a plane with the smallest luggage I own, some jeans, a few t-shirts, and a Swiss Army Knife.
I'm usually on my own chalk pitch for 12 hours of the day and only get to hear shows. If they're pole or unicycle shows I can usually make out the finale.
But I was surprised at how few shows I actually wanted to see, once I had the opportunity. I judge so quickly now for reasons the audience really doesn't care about, and it makes me feel a little snotty.
I'm sure we all do, in our own ways.
Anyway, amidst many, many really great acts, ONE stood out to me and I stuck around to watch it several times. It's evolving quickly and I suggest that anyone in the area catch it while the festival is still running. Catch it before Eric Cash disappears back into the internet and becomes merely an electronic caricature once more.
Eric arrived to Edmonton with a half built chicken cannon, some shorting out electronics, and a brand spanking new show, never before performed. The goal -- to succeed with a variety show with absolutely no variety content. All original stand-up and sincere audience interaction. This new show lays bare for everyone what the majority of street shows are, but try to keep secret -- that it's a whole lot of entertaining distraction, leading up to a ridiculous finale, which ultimately means nothing. It's all about the character. Do they love you? Then who cares what you "do".
What did Eric "do"? He climbed a ladder (just the average Home Depot kind), and had an audience member aim a cannon to fire a "bang" sign, a burst of water, an air horn, and a stuffed chicken, wearing an aviator's helmet.
All Eric "did" was climb a ladder and press buttons on a remote control. But what he DID was make me laugh my freaking guts out even long after the jokes had settled. ...which is difficult with the anti-depressants I'm on, because big gut laughs sometimes make me a little nauseous. So in short, Eric Cash made me want to puke.
He gets away with jokes that, if read as a transcript could look really mean. But they're not at all. If you watch the interaction, there's a glimmer in his eye and smile on his face that lets the audience know he loves them. He cares. He's on their side. They love it.
There are a bunch of glitches to work out in the show, to be sure, but this is the spine for something pretty great, I think.
Before any great break through, it's always just "a crazy idea". And no great breakthrough ever came from a normal idea.
I think Eric is showing himself as a performer's performer with this new show, and as soon as he switches from a ladder to a pole he's sure to make great hats.
That's my two cents.
My extremely eager and overly proud two cents.
As difficult as it was, I refused to bring my chalk. I hopped on a plane with the smallest luggage I own, some jeans, a few t-shirts, and a Swiss Army Knife.
I'm usually on my own chalk pitch for 12 hours of the day and only get to hear shows. If they're pole or unicycle shows I can usually make out the finale.
But I was surprised at how few shows I actually wanted to see, once I had the opportunity. I judge so quickly now for reasons the audience really doesn't care about, and it makes me feel a little snotty.
I'm sure we all do, in our own ways.
Anyway, amidst many, many really great acts, ONE stood out to me and I stuck around to watch it several times. It's evolving quickly and I suggest that anyone in the area catch it while the festival is still running. Catch it before Eric Cash disappears back into the internet and becomes merely an electronic caricature once more.
Eric arrived to Edmonton with a half built chicken cannon, some shorting out electronics, and a brand spanking new show, never before performed. The goal -- to succeed with a variety show with absolutely no variety content. All original stand-up and sincere audience interaction. This new show lays bare for everyone what the majority of street shows are, but try to keep secret -- that it's a whole lot of entertaining distraction, leading up to a ridiculous finale, which ultimately means nothing. It's all about the character. Do they love you? Then who cares what you "do".
What did Eric "do"? He climbed a ladder (just the average Home Depot kind), and had an audience member aim a cannon to fire a "bang" sign, a burst of water, an air horn, and a stuffed chicken, wearing an aviator's helmet.
All Eric "did" was climb a ladder and press buttons on a remote control. But what he DID was make me laugh my freaking guts out even long after the jokes had settled. ...which is difficult with the anti-depressants I'm on, because big gut laughs sometimes make me a little nauseous. So in short, Eric Cash made me want to puke.
He gets away with jokes that, if read as a transcript could look really mean. But they're not at all. If you watch the interaction, there's a glimmer in his eye and smile on his face that lets the audience know he loves them. He cares. He's on their side. They love it.
There are a bunch of glitches to work out in the show, to be sure, but this is the spine for something pretty great, I think.
Before any great break through, it's always just "a crazy idea". And no great breakthrough ever came from a normal idea.
I think Eric is showing himself as a performer's performer with this new show, and as soon as he switches from a ladder to a pole he's sure to make great hats.
That's my two cents.
My extremely eager and overly proud two cents.
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