The Volunteer State Bulldogs Association Show
I have performed in many different venues for various groups. Movie theaters, marinas, retirement communities, and even churches. This past Saturday evening, I performed for an organization that supports pit bulls and their proper treatment. Not all pit bulls are bad and these little guys behaved like champs. This was on a big old ranch in the small town of Milton, Tennessee. The ranch was tucked away nicely from the main road but because of the severe weather Milton just received before we got there, the back roads to the ranch was not for a Ford Taurus but a GM Hummer.
The show was put together by Gary Dull. Ben Bergman, Leslie Nash and myself made up for the other comics on the show. We were told that there were going to be around four hundred people at the event. Driving to the gig and seeing the black skies we were more concerned if there was going to be a show. But there was and we'll get to that in a minute.
We show up and see that there was around fifty or so that braved the weather for the entertainment, bonfire and unlimited hot dogs. Here's the thing, the bonfire was about twenty feet tall and thirty feet wide. They better have fifty foot long sticks. The fire was lit by an artillery shell firework and that was cool since they added diesel to dry out the wet pile of logs and brush. Whammo! That thing went and every body in a twenty mile radius was warm for the night.
The band played two sets and then we were scheduled to go up and then the band would go on a finish the night out. During the wait we got hungry but we wanted to fire to die down so we could get close enough to cook our hot dogs. But when it comes to two stories of nature burning, it could take a few days for that. So like a dumb person I go and brave the heat so I can eat. I cooked in fifteen second intervals. I'm no scientist but I know a zillion degrees when I feel it. My eye brows are some what missing now. It took forever to cook two hot dogs.
The band rapped up their second set and it was time to get the show going. It was weird to perform where the front row is fifty feet away. And it was difficult to gauge the crowd from that distance too. Show must go on, you know? After I rapped up the best of The Loyded News I brought up Ben Bergman. For performing for only six months, Ben is getting some cool new experiences under his belt early. Ben did good and then I brought up Leslie Nash. The crowd just loved Leslie and when don't they? She's easy to fall for.
After Leslie wrapped up I brought up the Headliner, Gary Dull. This is were we watched Gary unload his almost complete arsenal of funny. No one was expecting this. Neither was the band waiting to play their third and final set. Did the comics mind? Nope. Did the crowd mind? Hell no! They couldn't hear enough of Gary Dull. But did the band mind? Oh yes they did. The odd reason why they were complaining was because it was ten on a Saturday night and one guy had an hour drive home and another had an hour and a half drive to home. Well that sounded pretty weak to me so I didn't do a thing. Then the bass player tried to get Gary's attention and to wrap it up. Gary didn't want a part of that and asked the crowd which did they want? They wanted more Gary and hardly anything for the band. It was great and I wish I video taped it.
Gary wrapped up almost an hour later from when he started and then I brought every body back up to take a final bow (wow) before we headed back home. All in all, including the weather running off over three hundred people and leaving fifty'ish, I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again.