This weekend I got to see some quality entertainment.
On Friday I went to the World Cafe Live in Philly, to see a former classmate of mine perform with his band, A Fistful of Sugar. There were a few other really good bands in the lineup & it was a fun night.
On Saturday, I went to the Broadway Theater in Pitman to see a true New Jersey legend- Floyd Vivino, aka "Uncle Floyd".
Awhile back, I posted an homage to this fun-spirited entertainer, who was a childhood inspiration of mine:
The Monkey Buddha Archives:
When I was in elementary school, I remember watching his local access TV show every week.
It was a talk show mixed with music performances, comedy skits, puppets, & other craziness. The wacky humor & his tacky plaid outfits totally captivated me when I was a kid, despite the ridiculously low-budget production. Behind his desk, he would hang up drawings that people sent in, so my Mom mailed him a couple pictures I drew of him & his puppet Oogie.
Later on, I think I was in middle school, he had a different show called "Uncle Floyd's New Jersey". My whole family got into this show, because it was so awkwardly funny & different. Uncle Floyd was THE originator of 'Reality TV'. He would basically just walk into random businesses in North Jersey. Then, he'd talk to customers & the workers, try to get free food, and just generally be hilarious. Even the Uncle Floyd's NJ theme song was absurd & funny.
Anyway, my awesome Mom got me tickets for a show at the nearby Broadway Theater. Uncle Floyd was performing with Dennis & Judi, who are apparently morning radio show hosts, with opening comedian Steve Trevelise. The headliners were Dennis & Judi, who came on in the middle. They were entertaining, but when Uncle Floyd came on, he brought down the house. He's a very funny & talented professional entertainer, who's still one-of-a-kind.
During his set, Uncle Floyd would switch between doing some stand-up bits & sitting down at the keyboard to play some songs. He's got an old-school way about him, but he was throwing in some blue humor without resorting to foul language or overly raunchy jokes.
Unfortunately, he had to play an electric keyboard for his music bits. The theater didn't have a proper piano for him to play, which would have been much better for someone with such an encyclopedic knowledge of old time melodies & Italian songs.
There was no chance to meet the performers afterward, but I'd still like to meet him someday. Maybe I'll have to book him for one of my birthdays so I can meet him in person...
Here are some photos I took at the show:
No comments:
Post a Comment