This is how we get the best of the year. First, we voted. Oh Lord did we vote. We reviewed. Holy Ghost did we review. We had a snack. Oh mercy, mercy, mercy did we have a delicious snack. Then we did some more reviewing, praise be, we reviewed. Then were allowed to vote again. Sweet God we were confused. Then Kenny came in and we reviewed again. Okay, what the hell? Then we took a smoke break. Seriously, what's going on? Then we tried to sum it all up before the host came in. Hallelujah something. And then a day later Shane gave us the results and we went to work on our favorite sketches of the season.

Anyway, this is the end. Cheers.

It's like this: we're going to do a lot of online content, vids, maybe some fun audio stuff, so our stage season is shorter. But man what a season! As we enter the home stretch, I'm reminded of all the great times we had. I'm not going to share them with you, as they are personal. Anyway, I missed the last two shows for a wedding and my anniversary, but one of my sketches did make it in the previous show (with Jordan)!

I'm looking forward to participatin' in the next two shows (starting this weekend). I miss the crazyness of everyone prepping backstage in the blue light, memorizing lines, brushing wigs, listening to the current sketch onstage. It's one of those memories I cherish and hope- wait a minute. What did I just tell you about my memories being personal. I'll thank you to stay the hell out of my head. The nerve of some people.

Lines from my sketches this week:

DOUG
Yes, magic. Magictology is the religious practice of the science of magic.

and

WINSTON
Climb on. Sit on my lap.

On to the next, as they say, and they say a lot. Man, "they" really know everything there is to know and have their finger on the pulse of all things.

I digress. Anyway. We're driving head-on into episode number four. The brake lines are cut, we're drunk and the path we're on is straight downhill for this one folks. The crazy has dropped its old, ratty suitcase and crashed on our couch for "just a few days"(we know this will turn into about six years, it's LA after all).

Tommy summed it up well in his post(you might as well have titled your post "First", jerk). I took the avenue of relationships and mixed it with poorly planned time travel to both the future and the past. Suck it, McFly! I also worked on a third part in a character series, but we shall see if I can make that one work in time for the show. It may need to be held off.

I'm very excited about this week's show. The first three episodes were great, but I really think this week is going to go up another level. And, after the amazing final sketch of last week, I don't think we have too much grossness following up this week. But hey, you never know!

Seriously, my g was stuck on the title. Wow, this really is turning into an amateur entry. Hmm, I guess I could just erase all of this and just start over, but that's not very 'Fries.' Moving on!

Last week we had an amazing show, but this week, oh mercy, this week looks even better. How do I know? Well, I don't. But I can guess. And I'm guessing 'better,' which would put us somewhere between 'fantastic' and 'glorious.'

You know it's going to be crazy when resident crazy-guy Kendra had two very grounded and pretty much complete sketches. Look for time travel, a stroke victim, T-pain robot voice, Coast FM, a squeeky voice, guys in wedding dresses, Satan and sock puppets. Not all in one sketch, though I am considering a mash-up sketch for next week which would include all of the above. Movinggggggggggggg on- seriously?

Lines from my sketches this week:

AUNT REBECCA
This is the best conversation I've had since the stroke.

and

ROGER
Well, I do have testicular thrombosis which makes my testicles feel very heavy.

Been swamped this season getting FRISCO (Free Range Improv School & Company) up and running as part of the San Francisco Comedy College. But thanks to fellow Fries member Avi Rothman, I've been included in the cast in "Ogden, The Inappropriate Yoga Guy", a new web series online at Yoga Journal magazine's website.

Here's a direct link to Episode 2, in which I have a lot to do as Assistant Editor Marc, giving Ogden a tour of the magazine offices...

To follow Julia's great post, I thought I'd include a letter from Paul to the Corinthians which I think really captures the essence of Fries. Just kidding, I'm not going to post that. But it really does capture Fries, look it up.

So, second meeting for writers is tonight. Last week's show was a blast. While some may think it wasn't our strongest work, I have to agree with the lovely Pam, you can tell our cast is having a great time on stage so we have fun right along with them. I'm just a writer, not writer/performer. As exhilarating as it must be on stage, I get to sit with the audience and experience every moment with them. It's quite an experience. And when my material makes it into the show, there is nothing else like it on earth. Drug addicts take note(I would say newer addicts. You veteran addicts, you're completely dead inside now, good luck dying): you want a great high? Write a sketch that kills and sit in the audience as they roar with laughter. You'll hand the coke over to your long-time addict friend who has nothing to live for(if it's a heroin needle in your hand, you may need a few of these experiences before you hand it over completely) and feel better than you ever have in your life.

When I first joined Fries, I just thought of it as a fun hobby that I did on the side(bite me, it's the best phrase for this thought). But quickly I realized this is a show to love and to cherish. A show to make sacrifices for. A show to be proud of. Fries fosters and encourages creativity. I know it's cliche but it's true. In every idea, we try to find the best and the funniest. Rarely does an idea get completely squashed(unless it's Jeff's).

I've rambled enough and quite honestly, this reads like a drunk guy trying to articulate to his best friend how much he loves him, but not in that way. Fries continues to be one of the best experiences of my life and yes, I acknowledge that I need to get out a lot more.

Some of you know that my day job is in the music industry and I am also a musician (Fries trivia for you - my first year with Fries I was a musical guest with my former band Pretty Shifty) so most of the time my world revolves around that.

Below is an email from Moby (yes THAT Moby) to Bob Lefsetz (music industry guru guy) that struck me as relevant to Fries. I wanted to share because I do think it's relevant and something to think about as the show continues to progress.

Each week as show producer I focus on getting more butts in seats, more press, more buzz, bigger names - which are all good things to focus on that will continue to help the show grow; however, this is a timely reminder about the creative process and another measure of success.

After reading Moby's note, it occurred to me that Fries produces what I consider the equivalent of a kick ass record album each week (yes I still call albums records and I listen to records at home). As much as we appreciate the value of a hit on the charts, each week we work hard to produce a complete show; each one has it's own vibe, it's own flavor, it's own cadence.

As an audience member you come to experience the entire show, not just one or two sketches. People don't show up late or leave early. They come early and stay late. Week after week, month after month, year after year.

Attending a Fries show is like getting a live rendition of your favorite album. It sticks in your head when you walk out of the show, for the next week your humming your favorite tune, quoting your favorite lines, telling all of your friends about highlights of the show. And you can't wait to get to the next one to see what's going to happen next.

And the cast and crew? We don't get paid. Not a dime. So what's in it for us? We do it because we love it and believe in it, in the art of the craft, of being a part of something special. You can feel the energy, you know you're a part of something bigger, something amazing, something so unique that could never be re-created.

That's what Fries is to me, and that's what makes it so fucking amazing.

*****

yup, it's me from danbury/darien/stratford/storrs/stamford connecticut (my mom and i got around a bit).
the new record is melodic and fairly mournful.
lots of strings and very open and spacious.
see, i had a quasi-epiphany last year when i heard david lynch talking about creativity (and forgive me if this sounds new age or hokey).
he talked about how creativity in and of itself is great, and i realized that he was right.
and i realized that, ideally, the market should accomodate art, but that art shouldn't accomodate the market.
i know, it sounds idealistic.
i had been trying to make myself happy and make radio happy and make the label happy and make press happy and etc.
and it made me miserable.
and i also don't really aspire to selling too many records.
see, my friends who are writers sell 20,000 books and they're happy.
my friends who are theater directors sell 5,000 tickets during a run and they're happy.
i like the idea of humble and reasonable metrics for determining the success of a record.
and i like the idea of respecting the sacred bond that exists between musician and listener.
again, i know this sounds hokey, but it's where i am at present.
i also really like records. i know that 90% of the people who listen to my music download individual tracks, which is fine, but i want to make cohesive albums in the hope that someone might listen to them from start to finish.
for even one person to make the effort to listen to music that i've made is pretty remarkable, and i need to be humble and respectful in the face of that.
some people can be larger than life rockstars, and i love them, but i'm just a bald jerk who makes music in his bedroom and hopes that someone might listen to it.
oh, i also mixed/produced the album (it's called 'wait for me') in a very old-timey way, with extreme stereo panning and analog reverbs, etc.
it sounds AMAZING in headphones, if i do say so myself.
ok, long winded email, sorry.
if you send me a mailing address i'll burn a cd and put in the post.
thanks,
moby

So, I'm hopping on the blog train as well. Most likely it will derail around week 4 as I become consumed with sketch writing and my barter/trade/sex business on Craigslist. Anyway, really looking forward to this season. It's shorter, tighter and will lead to a digital awakening, much like a physically fit little person visiting from the future.

I'm not giving away any lines from my sketches. I'm not being a jerk, they just aren't written yet, but I have plenty of time. I get out of work at 5 and live about 20 minutes away and our meeting isn't until 7:30. Even with L.A. traffic, I still will have a good 15 minutes to write two sketches.

I will say this(or type rather), my sketches this week explore death and torture. Yes, they are funny. Rather, they are written with the intention of being humorous. I will not say they are brilliant or hilarious, I leave that up to you. As we all should.

So, I leave you this week with a hearty congrats to Marc Hershon. Congrats Marc, the patent finally came through on his "Instant ShirtOff" device. It's great, when you get that lady home and made the mistake of wearing a dress shirt with all the reinforced buttons clasped, this little devise will rip and shred the shirt right off your body. Go you, Marc.

This should prove to be an interesting Fries season, indeed, as we cram all the magic into just a few short months of live shows and then bottle the rest into video productions. I'm so happy to be a part of this great ongoing creative endeavor, experiment and exercise!

This year is going to be super-hard for me to make the trip from S.F. to L.A., but I'm going to do my best to be part of the writing team -- submitting my sketches, reading the staff writers' and freelance submissions and making notes, participating via video Skype during the weekly writer meetings and trying to make a few Saturday shows.

Last year I was busy with screenwriting projects and writing a book which kept me out of the action a lot of the time. This year I'm starting up administrating and teaching the Free Range Improv School & Company (FRISCO), a series of improv comedy classes and a new improv group, all in association with the San Francisco Comedy College. Which means, by the time the Fries season is at its height, I'll be running four nights of classes and shows in San Francisco.

At the same time, we're priming the pump for the possibility of bringing Fries On The Side to San Francisco! This is something Shane and I have been kicking around for a couple of years now, but it seems like it might finally start coming together.

For right now, though, join with me in focusing creative energy at the exciting, upcoming Season 7 of Fries On The Side!!!

Yeah, I'm blogging. I didn't do it last year but this year, oh, I'll blog. Season seven promises to be a powder keg of laughs, making us all terrorists of humor. That being said, I'm excited to blow your minds, destroy your preordained notions of sketch comedy and will probably jack your car. You park on the street, right?

Lines from my sketches this week:

JUSTIN
Look at me! I'm fucking yelling in a library!

and

JEFFERY
I'm sorry, but it's well documented that people from this time were dicks. Ok, it was far out seeing you dudes. Dicks.