Here I am, typing as a breather from being elbow-deep in dishwashing after yesterday's turkey feast and rehearsing my (not so) little keister off. That can mean only one thing: we're coming into holiday show season!
Had an amazing Oct./November: shows in Loveland, CO, Casper, WY, Goldendale, WA, and at FARWest in Eugene, OR--got to see the Rockies for the first time ever and the Cascades for the first time in decades. Then, after battling the bronchial bug I caught on the plane home, we headed back East, for a delightful time as Jon Stein's guests on WTBQ's Hootenanny Cafe, some much-needed R&R in and around NYC (including showing Stephen the city for the very first time), recording in Brooklyn with our friends Stereo Sinai, visiting L.I.'s North Fork wineries that inspired my song "Talking to the Vines." Next, we headed back up into the Catskills to NERFA in Kerhonkson, NY, where we had an intense weekend showcasing (both for ourselves and backing up marvelous Mara Levine), networking and learning. And I finally triumphed over that pesky turkey (free range organic) and got it to the table for friends and family. (Still can't contemplate the concept of "mealtime" just yet--maybe in a few hours. No more dirty dishes......pleeeeeeease)!
About those rehearsals: I'm multitasking from now till just before Christmas. Intensive rehearsals (first weekly, now daily) have begun for the 88th annual (and my tenth) CBA Christmas Spirits revue, "LawLawPalooza." Besides my usual supporting and choral roles singing and committing attempted dancing, I'm front and center this time--singing lead and playing guitar (hey, Bob--my Gramann!) in a scene. (Six changes of costume--yike!). For the first time, we're discounting ALL advance purchases: instead of the erstwhile $65, tickets are $45 orch./$25 mezz. That's right--the lowest-price Broadway-style theater ticket (and by far the funniest evening) in town. Dec. 6-10 at the Merle Reskin Theater, 60 E. Balbo in the South Loop. 7:30. Don't miss it! www.barshow.org or 312-554-2134 for tickets (and tell 'em I sent you).
Then it's Andina & Rich's annual "Holiday Party for Those Who Hate the Holidays" show. Usually held in Madison, WI, this year we're bringing it down to the Chicago area (we'd wanted to do a Madison/Chicago doubleheader, but the venue we'd planned to use up in Cheeseland is retooling). Sat. Dec. 17, from 7-10 pm we'll be ho-ho-hamming it up at Grounds For Appeal Coffeehouse in Berwyn, IL (only a block from the Metra station). Joining us as our special guest will be the inimitable Andrew Calhoun, who'll regale you with traditional holiday and folk songs, his originals, and his world-famous puns. (In fact, we may have a pun throwdown). How much is this gonna cost you? Just the cost of getting there--and whatever you feel like feeding the tip jar. As always, there'll be free cookies, Wendy's door prizes and her gigantic and delicious hot-and-cold-drink (no alcohol) menu.
So we have all that Madison-specific holiday stuff, and the guest performers up there who were going to help us play it. What to do? Well, keep an eye out for Red Dragon TV's "Andina & Rich Holiday Spectacular:" the best of this year's "Andina & Rich Comedy Hour," our year-end topical recap, special commentaries, new holiday-themed sketches (there WILL be pie), and of course holiday music: our own originals and our spin on the classics as well as topnotch songs of the season from our arsenal of artists who've graced us with recordings and videos--all hosted by "Escape to Music's" Sam Spindler. And it streams worldwide at reddragontv.tv, as well as going into our YouTube on-demand archive, so "Madison's too far" is no excuse!
January brings the main tracking and mixing sessions down in Sparta, IL for the third Andina & Rich album, "Chasing Lightning." It'll be chock-full of co-writes, as well as a couple of choice covers and plenty of humor--a nice balance of silly & serious. And on Jan. 26, I'll be doing a rare solo early evening free set at Metropolis Coffee (cor. Granville & Kenmore, 1.5 bl. e. of the CTA Red Line) from 6-7. You'll hear stuff I don't usually get to play out these days, and drink some of the best coffees & teas in Chicago!