The process is mechanical as hell and they know it, but it seems Craig Ferguson’s thing is to “push the envelope” and they did. Warm up comedian used real and all the cuss words (multiple MF’s which pumped me up!) and told some really raunchy but good jokes. (Show was 18 an over). They prep, search and seat you, tell to you how to laugh and to laugh even when its not funny. This was not the Price is Right. On the way into the studio set I saw and hollered at Danny Bedrosian, Lige Curry and Ed Fletcher. (Fletcher and Curry created the band Naked Funk) and I was feeling it.
I don’t want to give all the details away before the Feb 3 airing (plus I’m lazy) but Craig Ferguson flat out stated he wanted to do a show for black history month but knew he was not prepared or the person to do it. So that’s why he did it. He changed the format to give Dr Cornell West the whole hour damn near and Dr. West did not disappoint. Damn it was a joy to take in his intellect and his funky animated style. It was just brilliance.
George Clinton & Parliament Funakadelic opened the taping by performing “One Nation Under A Groove.” They did one tv shortened energized song and they was gone. For the hardcore maggots I could say who was there in the band or not but let that be a surprise, but I will say it was good to see Mr. Billy “Bass” Nelson. My energy was up and I was on. When the band came out I stood up and greeted them. The audience was so quiet I was able to talk directly to them! When they played I ran down to the balcony rail closer to get mine. Every chance I had I expressed my energy and excitement and vibe and it felt so good to share my love fo rmy passions publicly like that. (Not during taping though).
When we were leaving the set, my ride made the “right” turn into the green room as I was clowning and I didn’t see him. Mr Steve Boyd was trying to tell me but I was zoom zoomin hugging Kim Manning and Shawna Hall and acting crazy as I walked down the hall singing like I was home in my shower. Now I’m outside and he’s not and I knew instantly I missed it! And yes, I screamed! LOL Im outside the building animated talking to myself and the universe and playfully cursing my ride for scoring like he did when I meet a lady who was also in the audience. We chatted about Dr West as she works with an organization that’s doing stuff with him and she complimented me on my energy (cuttin up) in the show and asked did I get a ticket to see Dr West Feb 3. I said “no” so she gave me her e-mail and instructions on how to score a ticket. As we continued to talk and I told her of a sound-byte I practice and the subject matter that I wanted to say to Tavis Smiley and Dr West. As this was happening the guy with the tickets walks out and she says “come on let’s ask him!” LOL Next thing I know I’m shaking hands and introducing myself and I got a ticket to see Dr Cornell West at Northridge College on Feb 3rd!!!!
So Im still on the premises and I go searching for another way in. I found a main exit that had a lobby with security desk and I saw the guard who had the unreturned checked in cellphones (I knew my ride’s phone was in there). No love from him, but the girl at the desk was cool and thats when I saw Mr Tavis Smiley and Dr Cornell West walking down the hall towards me.
I was cool, I was focused. I knew a moment was about to happen that I would be writing about like I am now. I even calmly commented to the security guard girl “here they come! here they come!!” playfully overly excited. And then I laughed, kicked it into a focus mode and told her in a deeper in control voice without looking at her “Naw I’m cool, I got this. Watch me do my thang.” LOL It was good too standing there with all my ego and confidence in the game and ready to play with the big boys. So I put a little smooth cool on my opening step and gesture to them as I flashed my excited smile and with a little sumn sumn in the bass range of my voice I said “Dr West, I enjoy your work” and nodded and semi firmly shook his hand, looking into his eyes man to man. Thats when things become a blur and seem to speed up. LOL Not sure how I finished my West greeting all I remember is repeating the process with Mr Smiley and looking into his eyes and thinking “wow this man is handsome.” Then he asked me was everything all right and by then I was toast. I “yeah yeah everything is cool” and was ready for this to be over so I could gawk about it. LOL They made their exit, my coolness returned and thats when I realized I forgot about my sound-byte! I completely forgot!! LOL
That kinda brought me down for a second too. I had a tremendous day getting Steeler love from everybody, even the comedian and so there was no need to be down. So I go back to studio lot loitering until my ride emerges and we see Lige Curry, Danny Bedrosian and Bobby Easton. So I’m out there Steeler fan happy talking football with the boys and I aint down no more. We were talking when Steve Boyd and Sue Ann Carwell came out and I got to talk to her about her new record and her singing with the Ladies of P-funk at the Long Beach Funk Festival.
So as Mr Easton, Bedrosian and Curry leave for the hotel we run into pfunkjazz.com who is too late and can’t come on to the lot. So we all ended up chatting more with Easton’s car stopped in the exit way.
From there I left my ride and jumped into the pfunkjazz mobile and end up in a real comic book shop in Hollywood. I was like wow, this is cool. I was impressed with all the artistry and creativity in the place. From there we hit Amoeba Records and this was yet another saturation of vision and sound. Visually stimulating down to the graffiti on the parking lot air ducts. Record and music visuals everywhere in a huge airy eclectic store. I got to browse used albums like I use to in the 80’s. They were priced 50 cent to a dollar and I do have a turntable and equipment to turn them into mp3s should I had decided to purchase any.
From that pfunkjazz dropped me off at Hollywood Blvd and Highland and I went into the Kodak Theatre complex to use the public restrooms before catching 2 trains home.
