Laughter as an Art Form



 

                                           Photo Credit: Jason Ruiz

Jerry Brandt (left) and Chris Adams (right) pose with fellow

comdeian Mitch Fatel after a performance at the Improv in April.

     Jerry Brandt and Chris Adams are about as odd of a couple that one could imagine. Brandt, a tall, fire haired ex-Navy electronics technician towers over his stocky, Middle Eastern, thick rimmed glasses sporting friend. However contrasting these characters’ lives may be, they intersected in the dark, cynical world of standup comedy and they wouldn’t trade it for the world.

            “My friend John introduced me to Jerry and told me he was a funny guy and I should give him a chance,” Adams said. “It took about eight times of him trying to introduce us before I actually did. The comedy world is filled with distrust and spite.”



A survey conducted on 50 California State University Long Beach students shows not only a high interest in attending stand up comedy events but also that many of the participants have attended performances in the past. However, the interest level of attending and the actual attendance numbers suggest that interested parties might not actually make it to live performances with the frequency that the numbers might suggest they would.



            Adams grew up in Orange County, spending much of his younger years living out of a van with his mother and stepfather. His mother, who was addicted to drugs, turned to prostitution to support her habit which eventually landed Chris, 9, in Costa Mesa with his aunt and uncle. There, he developed his love for comedy. Watching anyone from Richard Pryor and George Carlin, to the Tonight Show and other comedic skits on television. He was enamored not only with how these people could make others laugh, but also how they could command attention and take control of a room.

            Brandt’s childhood only mirrored Adams’ in the respect that he moved around a lot. Born in Redlands and growing up primarily in the Inland Empire area, Brandt moved to Arizona for high school where he fathered a child before graduating and then joined the military to help support his daughter. After serving in the United States Navy for nine years, Brandt moved back to California after being diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 25. Brandt was able to make a full recovery because the diagnosis came so early and his brush with mortality spurred him to try out his comic legs so he began to frequent local comedy clubs where he met Adams.

            “We met at an open mic at a place called Coffee Haven which is right next to a liquor store and a sex shop, a primary place for comedy to take place,” Brandt quipped.

            Both Adams and Brandt cite the late Mitch Hedberg, a popular American comedian who died of a drug overdose in 2005, as a major reason why they decided to get involved in the comedy scene. Although they don’t try to mimic their influences, they both admit to trying to incorporate elements of Hedberg, Carlin, Pryor and other comedians that have at some point shaped the way they appreciate comedy.

            “You really try to find your own style because it becomes kind of obvious to your peers that you’re stealing someone else’s delivery,” Adams said. “The goal is to hide your influences. You want to become the truest form of yourself without stealing someone else‘s material.”

            Adams and Brandt are now roommates, practicing their bits in their modest apartment unit nestled just outside the heart of downtown Long Beach. They head out nearly every night to open mic sessions, many of which are walking distance from their home, trying out their new material and honing their craft.

            “That feeling of being in control of a room and knowing you’ve got them in your hands and having that power, that‘s what I love about being up on stage,” Brandt said. “It’s like, ‘these guys all like me right now.’ When I can get that to happen from 300 people at once, it’s awesome”

            The duo also host a radio show at CSULB titled “Drinking Buddies” which aims to capture the dialogue had between them and their comic friends during the afterhours of their performances. Their implementation of their comedic experience and ability to tell stories in a way that intrigues people has made them on of the better listened to shows on the campus. They first approached John Trapper, the general manager of the radio station, with the concept of their show two semesters ago and he was instantly intrigued.

            “I was excited as I know Kbeach will succeed reaching various niche markets, comedy being one of them,” Trapper said. “Like all of our talent, they just keep getting better and better.”

            Comedy, like other artistic scenes is unforgiving, often times swallowing those who can’t cut it as well as those who do yet lack the perseverance. Living in a large city like Long Beach has made it harder to get stage time because of the saturation of people as well as the level of competition available. For now, comedy isn’t paying the bills but it does serve as a catharsis for an itch that has followed the two since their early childhoods.

            “A lot of comics get bitter and say ‘I wouldn’t do comedy if I didn’t have to’. If I won 5 million dollars tomorrow in the lottery, I’d still be at the same shitty open mics or hopefully I’d use my money as influence to get better shows. But I’d never leave comedy, I love it too much from the first time I stepped on stage I fell in love with it. It’s the first thing I’ve ever don’t that I feel I have to do it or I won’t feel right.”



Friends that drink together, stay together

Photo Credit: Jason Ruiz

Hosts Jerry Brandt (left) and Chris Adams (right) entertain an in studio guests

during their hour long session of drink talk.

     Don't let the name fool you, Jerry Brandt and Chris Adams don't actually drink on the air. But the "Drinking Buddies", both aspiring stand up comedians, do discuss all the super important topics that arise when one drink turns into a 11 or 12.

"Most comics after the show will sit down, have a few drinks, talk shit and so on," Brandt said. "The point of the show was to be like, these are the types of conversations that comics have, but only on a radio show now."

"There's a lot of alcohol in comedy," Adams chimed in. 

     Adams and Brandt met while performing at local open mic nights and befriended each other after an initial standoffish stage that is a self proclaimed trait of the comedian lifestyle. Jerry, a 32-year-old military veteran and cancer survivor and Adams, 27, have a chemistry that has vaulted them to be one of the most listened to shows in KBeach's lineup.

     Their show got off to a fast start with an interview with comedy and radio veteran Adam Carolla calling in as a guest during the first 5 minutes of their first show.

"It was like, Adam Carolla is calling during your first show, it was really nerve wracking," Adams said."

"Luckily he's such a radio pro he was able to carry us for a few minutes and we made it through," Brandt said. 

     In addition to trying to get people to laugh, the duo hope to spread awareness of stand up comedy because they feel that it is an under-appreciated art form that most students would enjoy if they were to experience it live. Their show often features comedians performing in Long Beach area who either call in or occasionally stop by for in studio interviews to talk about the art of comedy and plug their tour dates. Adams and Brant have interviewed the likes of Steve-O from Jackass and Kevin Hart along with many other traveling comics.

"There's something about being there live that you just cant get on CD," said Adams. "A good comic makes you think they're talking to me, makes me laugh, makes me think and that's just really hard to capture on a recording."

     In addition to performing locally, Adams and Brandt also host events in the Long Beach area. Beginning in May, they'll start to host a monthly stand up show at the Art Theatre on 4th Street in Long Beach and in June, the two will perform monthly under their "Drinking Buddies" title at the Improv. On May 19th, Steve Mazan will be performing at the Art Theatre for a benefit for the American Cancer Society. The $9.00 ticket charge will go toward the society to aid in research for a cure.

 

Jazzy Jam Sessions

Photo Credit: Steamers Cafe website 

The entrance to Steamers Cafe.

     Steamer's Jazz Club and Cafe, a fixture of downtown Fullerton and home to many contemporary artists played on KJazz's rotation has announced an open invitation to all musicians for a weekly jam session to be held on Sunday evenings.

     Participants will be able to play with the house band which includes band leader Evan Stone on drums, David Miller on bass and Matt Politano on piano. The concept of the weekly jam sessions is to get all aspiring musicians, who are interested, on stage to perform with professional musicians in the effort to unite jazz musicians of all ages.

 "It's a great idea, especially since Steamer's is a pretty reputable place," said Curtis Cleveland, a junior music major at CSULB. "I just really like that we're being given the chance to get up on stage and perform with known musicians at a popular venue."

     Steamer's holds nightly concerts showcasing both local and touring jazz acts with an all ages environment that opens up the largely considered "adult world" of jazz to be opened to a larger audience. Their modest prices for both entry and food and drink make it an affordable way for people to broaden their musical horizons while taking in the smooth sounds of jazz music in a very intimate setting.

     "The interaction that it's going to provide is really important, especially for a genre of music that has kinda been kicked to the side," said Chris Williams, lead singer of the Chris Williams Quartet, a constant player at Steamer's. "Hopefully this will bring in a different demographic that might not otherwise have been interested in our music scene."

    The open jam sessions will provide all musicians, most importantly, aspiring CSULB jazz musicians an opportunity to showcase their abilities while at the same time having fun performing with professionals.

Spreading Diversity With Respect

Photo Credit: Jason Ruiz

Students can win a free membership to the SRWC if they correctly 

identify the gay member of the panel.

     The inaugural "Respect Week" at CSULB begins Monday April 25 with a week full of scheduled activities to help students confront stereotypes and generalizations in an effort to build a stronger sense of respect for all fellow students regardless of culture, religion or sexual orientation.

     CSULB is an eclectic campus when it comes to cultural diversity with transfer students from Australia to Thailand electing to pursue their degree at Long Beach. That is exactly why the idea of "Respect Week" is both necessary and practical, to help students gain insights on their ever diversifying classmates.

     James Sauceda, the director of the Multicultural Center on campus hopes that a lot of good will come out of these events as students will be exposed to new things and hopefully gain an understanding of their classmates' differences. Sauceda commented on the matter in the student newspaper, the Daily 49er:

      "We want you to leave having dispelled stereotypes of another culture, having learned something, having left out the easy cover for the bigger challenge, having sat down with other people of different cultures and introduced yourself," Sauceda said

      Among the scheduled events which include a capoeira demonstration (Braziliain art of dance fighting) and a movie night with free popcorn is a contest hosted by KBeach where contestants will be asked to test their gaydar for a chance to win a free summer member ship to the Recreation and Wellness Center.

     In the game, titled "Guess Who's Gay", students will be asked to identify the secret panelist that is gay after reviewing the answers to 20 questions answered by members of the panel. The point of the game is to demonstrate how stereotypes aren't always accurate. After the contest, the gay member of the panel will speak to the crowd about how hate speech has affected them and their lives.
   
     The game will take place Wednesday April 27 in front of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center from 12:00-3:00 p.m. .

Psych Your Mind

 

    KBeach Global Radio boasts an eclectic collection of radio shows that reflect the diversity of the awesome campus at California State University Long Beach. However, no show might be more intriguing than Aftermath, the weekly dive into the minds of psychopaths with your tour guide Dr. Robert Schug.

      Dr. Schug is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology as well as a research psychologists with a doctorate from the University of Southern California in Clinical Neuroscience.His aim for his show is to help the victims of psychopaths who according to Schug, make up about 1-4% of the general population.

"People often associate psychopaths with serial killers, " Schug said. "That's not always the true but they do victimize people and those people need help in their recovery."

     Dr. Schug is in his second full semester of producing the show that allows people who have been the victims of psychopaths to call in and find help and comfort in knowing that they're not alone in their struggles. Dr. Schug often has professionals in the field of psychology on his show to share their insights on the inner workings of a psychotic mind with his listeners. For anyone interested in reading more about the mind of a psychopath, Dr. Schug recommends "Without Conscience" by Robert D. Hare.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

     So far, people are listening and grateful for Dr. Schug's efforts. Schug says that he has listeners from all over the globe and often gets letters of appreciation from people that have heard his show, either live or on podcast, and have found strength in his words and insights.

"I think the most satisfying part of doing this show is when I get those letters or phone calls from people thanking me for doing this and that I've helped them out and that they don't feel alone anymore," Schug said.

     Dr. Schug hopes that his listener-ship on the campus will grow, especially with the transition to an HD signal later on this year that will allow KBeach radio shows to be broadcast to car radios rather than just by internet and smart phone applications.

     Schug's organization, Aftermath, works to inform the public about psychopaths and offers online support to the victims of these troubled people. There are professionals opinions available as well as a blog and chat-room where victims can connect and share stories of their experiences.

     Although Schug carries a busy work schedule like most professors on campus, he shows no signs of slowing down, with either his work for Aftermath or his growing radio show on Kbeach. 

   "Hopefully one day this will turn into something spontaneous and interactive," Schug said. "It's easy to do, I love doing this and I intend to continue to do the show for as long as I can.

 

Rockin the Beach

 

Photo Credit: Isabelle Noack

 Isabelle Noack (left) and Lady Vajayjay (right) who was a guest on 

her show to promote LBGT awareness and promote his/her events.

     Isabelle Noack is epitome of how diverse of a campus California State University Long Beach is. She is of African decent, grew up in Germany, lived in Paris all before discovering she was a California girl at heart while studying abroad in Sacramento during high school.

     Her show, "Rock the Beach" aims at capturing all the diversity that walks our campus and conveying it through the radio medium.

"I just try to go with the flow when picking my topics, this campus has so many resources," Noack said. " I'm always walking around, looking for my next story idea. Although I'm a student journalist, I take it very seriously. Being a reporter isn't a job, it's a lifestyle and you have to always be in that frame of mind."

     Noack tries to stay current with her topics, choosing her guests accordingly with what's happening on and around campus and in conjunction with the world outside of CSULB. She also incorporates a wide array of music into her show, again, demonstrating both the diversity present in her and on the campus.

     "I think the most rewarding part of doing my radio show is the freedom that my show allows me to have," Noack said. "All the different topics that I cover allow me to be so creative because I have no restraints on what I can talk about from week to week."

     In addition to her weekly show, Noack, who is a broadcast journalism major, also teaches as a supplement instructor on campus. As part of the campus' effort to help students that are struggling, SI instructors maintain office hours much like normal professors and work in conjunction with the core class to help students succeed.

      Noack, who will graduate next spring, is a strong advocate for KBeach and for all the opportunities that the station offers to aspiring broadcast journalists or just students who want to do something fun in their down time.

"When I first came to this campus, I heard about the station and I thought it was a really cool thing because it was right in line with what I'm trying to do with my education," Noack said. "I just couldn't pass it up and now that I've been doing it for two semesters I'm grateful for the experience in the field that it has provided for me."

     

 

Broadcast yourself

 

Photo Credit: Kbeach.org website

Student DJ manning the controls during a morning talk show. 

     With the semester nearing the end KBeach radio is looking for student voices to fill the voids created by students returning home for the summer or being forced to leave the dorms while school is out of session. 

     KBeach runs year round with over 45 shows fueled by the voice and ideas of students. However, the summer break and graduation tends to leave the station short handed while students go home to visit family or move on to the next phase of their lives. The process of getting involved with the station is a fairly simple process. Students must first pitch a show idea to the general manager of the station, John Trapper. After that, it's a matter of being trained and groomed by the staff as their show takes shape. 

     "We try to make it as easy as possible recognizing this is a commuter school and people don't have that much time," Trapper said. "You can be up in like four training sessions and we assess your capabilities. Everyone is welcome to have a show as long as they meet those criteria. It's not like we're going to reject anyone, we're going to make you work, and when you get on the air we're going to make you work some more."  

      This resource is especially useful to students seeking a career in broadcast as real world experience is gained through hands on interaction with the technology employed by professionals in the field. Although KBeach runs on a limited budget of about $40,000 a year, their facilities are comparable to that of most radio stations in the area with all the capabilities of a professional station readily available to CSULB students.

    

  "We crank out real entertainment industry professionals at this station and I love that," Trapper said.  I mean I have a former student and she's the vice president at Interscope Records right now we have people in television that got their foundation here, a little of everything out there is represented by us.You can't get the kind of experience that you can get here in the real world, if you get an internship somewhere most likely you're going to be getting somebody coffee. But here you get to do all the things that you actually do at a real radio station. And i don't like to say that we're not a real radio station but we're a training ground."