From Corporate Seminar to Park Slope's Punniest Event

Hosts Fred and Jo (via Punderdome)

A few different things might grab your attention the first time you hit up Punderdome 3000, Park Slope's raucous, year-and-a-half-old amateur pun competition. Because a lot's going on: Candy bars flung at the audience? Yes. Human-powered applause-measurement devices? Yep. TV theme-song sing-a-longs? Check. 

But for me, and I suspect for a lot of people, it was the balding, middle-aged, Rodney Dangerfield-impersonating co-host Fred Firestone. Look, Brooklyn is hip, and Brooklyn is young. So, it was weird: How did this guy, who is nautical miles away from an emo haircut and skinny jeans (to his great credit), end up on the Southpaw stage? (The show is now held at Littlefield.)

As fellow host and show creator (and daughter to Fred) Jo Firestone said, "People like that don't really perform for young people. It put a spin on things for hipsters. They don't usually see middle age, balding men on stage." Yeah, so how'd THAT happen? 

I set about finding out the story behind one of the Slope's oddest, funnest live shows. And the answer is an equally odd pairing: of a young, Brooklyn-based comedian and St. Louis dad who conducts corporate seminars. That's right, at the heart of this increasingly successful, monthly conglomeration of dorky fun are seminar principles first designed to get Missouri Avis professionals on their A-games. Well, that, but weirdified the way only Brooklyn (and maybe Portland) can do.

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Whassup: Supergorgeathon Edition

via freefantasyfootballpicks.com

Are you filled, Brooklyn? Are you filled with so much football rage?! Meh, yeah, me neither. I guess it's just not so exciting when there's no idiot-savant quarterback leading a NY team against Ken and the Patriots. And also: it's Park Slope. We eat way too many organic things to be big football fans. Still, the Big Game is a great excuse to eat and drink a lot more than you should, which we here at Whassup encourage without reservation. So, welcome to Whassup: Supergorgeathon Edition:

* Friday, Feb 1: Borough Battle, Greene Space: You've got Brooklyn pride, right? After all, you didn't come all the way here from rural Minnesota for nothing. And while here, you may have noticed that some of your fellow Brooklynites are in bands. By "some," I of course mean "all." So, as rich as this borough is in poor musicians, it's gotta beat the others in the Battle of the Boroughs, right? You can start showing your support Friday, when the Brooklyn bands in the competition host a concert. It features, among others, FiPS' favorite (and Slope resident), Rabbi Darkside. The show's sold out, but you can catch the livestream on the website. 7pm, FREE (online).

* Friday, Feb. 1: Live Rawk-aoke, Rock Shop: Throw up some devil horns -- INSIDE YOUR OWN THROAT!! That's how hardcore this description is going to be, right off the bat. Because it's necessary. The Punk Rock Heavy Metal Karaoke Band is exactly what it sounds like: they shred their instruments, and you shred your vocal cords to whatever punk, rock, and metal song suits your fancy. Rock isn't dead, people -- it's just a novelty act now. But an experienced one: these guys have been at it since 1999. 8pm, $5.

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Whassup: So Cold, It's Hot Edition

via jokeroo.com

Good Lord, so I guess there's a winter this year, after all. If the cold-snap hasn't lifted by the time this goes to screen, y'all are likely either hiding from the weather or nursing flash-frozen cheeks. I recommend rubbing your face against a warm housecat. He'll hate you for it, but that's a likelihood with cats, anyway. Regardless, I encourage you to fill your gullets with soup, tea, whiskey, molten lead and any other warm things you have handy. For you must be fortified -- there remains fun to be had in Brooklyn! Welcome to Whassup: So Cold, It's Hot Edition:

* Thursday, Jan. 24: Trauma, Truths, and Twitter; PowerHouse Arena: Postponed by Hurricane Sandy (itself an event that caused some trauma and got a little Twitter coverage), this talk by authors Rahimeh Andalibian and Rory O'Connor looks at social media, Islam, and the Arab Spring. It's brain food, people, and it will make you understand the world better. And since you live in a part of America where most people actually have no problem with understanding the rest of the world, go for it. 7pm-9pm, FREE. 

* Friday, Jan. 25: Brooklyn Contra, Lyceum: As gentrification turns more and more of old Brooklyn into new, hip, weird Brooklyn, it's nice to know that some of the old, weird, Brooklyn can still survive. The Lyceum hangs on to what's old with a night of Contra -- a folk dance that fuses New and Old World styles. And you won't even need a cheat code for extra lives. (That's my convoluted way of saying there's a beginner class starting at 7:30.) 8pm, $12.

* Friday, Jan. 25-Saturday, Jan. 26: John Hartford Tribute Weekend, Jalopy/Littlefield: On Friday at Jalopy (Red Hook) and Saturday at Littlefield, a whole wagon-load of roots musicians pay tribute to the bluegrass music of John Hartford. People, this is the sound of folk music quietly taking over south Brooklyn, to try to cure us of all this big-city bustle. It's an insidious plot, obviously, but probably a good thing. Chew some straw between your teeth, and kick back. 8pm, $12-15.

* Sunday, Jan. 27: Metball Takedown, Bell House: It's been a bit, but Matt Timms' excellent food-competition 'takedown' returns to the Bell House -- and this time, it's all about Matt's balls. Well, not his balls, per se. Other people's balls. Meat balls, that is. Like the other takedowns, this cooking and eating extravaganza casts you as the judge in a competition among amateur chefs. Let them put their balls in your mouth. All of their balls, you food sluts, you. 2pm, $15.

* Sunday, Jan. 27: Tete Offensive Open Mic, Freddy's: Don't let the punny name fool you -- you don't have to be clever to take part in this spoken word/poetry/storytelling/music/comedy open mic -- just ballsy enough to get drunk and talk into a mic for five minutes. It's a great way to try out some new pieces of whatever it is you create, or just get a thrill if you have any sort of stage fright issues. And if you're clever, all the better. 9pm, FREE.

* Wednesday, Jan. 30 (Order-by): Delaney Bowl-B-Q: Daniel Delaney, the meaty genius behind last summer's awesome BrisketLab and the ongoing, awesome BrisketTown, has a much better Super Bowl food option than tired old wings and pizza -- party packs of ribs, sides, and brisket that is so moist, flavorful, juicy, ahdghshskdljohlllll…sorry, was drowning in my own drool there for a while. Anyway, orders are due by the 30th, so get on it if you want it.

Whassup: Say Everything Edition

High art (via fanpop.com)

Somehow, I admit it, I ended up watching the Golden Globes, and maybe that was a waste of time, though it is always pretty cool to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler do their comedy thing, and Tommy Lee Jones was unintentionally pretty hilarious, but the real point is that maybe everything you do teaches you something, and there's always a lesson to be learned, and I'm very attracted to Jodie Foster, so watching her speech has given me total permission to just fucking ramble on and somehow, people will find it meaningful, so there you have it. Welcome to Whassup: Say Everything Edition:

* Friday, Jan. 18: Rabbi Darkside, Paper Box (Williamsburg): I was introduced to the MC Rabbi Darkside, at a John Lennon sing-a-long at Roots Cafe in South Slope. While the other musicians capably covered and interpreted the Christ-insultingest Beatle's work, the Rabbi ripped apart and reconstituted "Happiness is a Warm Gun" via live, looped beat boxing. Then, he rapped over the top of that, creating a pretty amazing new piece from the old standard. I'm just kinda taking a flying chance here that the rest of his stuff is just as intelligent, creative and "ooh"-inspiring. Headlining above the Rabbi are Brooklyn indie rapper Soul Khan and Philly soul/hip-hop fuser Kuf Knotz. 7pm Doors, $10-15.

* Saturday, Jan. 19: "Pretty in Pink" Novelization, Union Hall: Seriously, it rarely fails to raise a laugh when reading drivel in a serious and overly dramatic manner. That shit's never-fail comedy gold, on par with over-analyzing pop-song lyrics and wacky sit-com neighbors. So, this should be pretty fun: a dramatic reading of the script to Molly Ringwald's "Pretty in Pink," one of the main reasons I spent the '80's smitten by redheads. 7:30pm, $5.

* Saturday, Jan. 19: Brooklyn What Record Release, Public Assembly (Williamsburg): A real-life NYC band, the Brooklyn What kids have been pounding power chords since they first exited their mother's wombs RIGHT HERE IN BROOKLYN (well, prolly more like ever since they went to middle school RIGHT HERE IN BROOKLYN). They party-rock like it's their job, and so will you, 'specially if you like to mosh and suchwhat. 8:30pm, $8. 

* Sunday, Jan. 20: "Print Collaboration" Lecture, 440 Gallery: The 440 Gallery wants to learn your brain for you, with a series of Sunday lectures -- all at 4:40 (get it?). That's right, you've got twenty minutes to prepare for class. This Sunday, master printmaker Kathy Caraccio teaches your whole brain all about collaboration in the printmaking process. Look at all your gorgeous grey matter. 4:40-6pm, FREE. 

* Sunday, Jan. 20: TV Night, Videology (Williamsburg): This video store-cum-screening bar gives you all the Lena Dunham you need, adding "Girls" to its Sunday night screenings. The show we're all supposed to be talking about (I guess) joins "Downton Abbey," already on the docket, and presumably sneering in aristocratic disapproval of Lena. 8:30pm, FREE.

* Monday, Jan. 21: MLK Tribute, BAM: It's actually possible to be non-cynical and spend the holiday honoring Dr. King in the intended way, i.e., remembering the Reverend, not shopping for deals. Not that I'm trying to guilt-trip you, I'm just pointing that out. I'll just set here in the dark. Harry Belafonte gives a talk, while the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir sings Dr. King's praises. (Pick up the free, first come-first served tickets starting at 8am.) 10:30am, FREE.

* Wednesday, Jan. 23: Planet Money Live, Bell House: Wanna peer behind the money-colored curtain, and see how the finance sausage gets made? Wanna find out just how mega-fucked in Park Slope (or anywhere else in America) we all are? Careful with your answer -- you can't un-learn this stuff. This live version of the NPR money segment will tackle the topic, "Is America Screwed?" At best, I think, the answer begins with an "m." Prepare your angry face. 8pm, $12.

Whassup: A Year Ain't Nothin' But a Number Edition

BookCourt's books need some post-Sandy love (via onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com)

Haha, what? New Year's Resolutions, what? No, haha, I never-- No, I don't make -- never said I wouldn't -- *weeps and shoves face full of processed meat and alcohol* Hooray! Let's all celebrate that time of year when we can throw off the yoke of oppressive good intentions! Screw New Year's resolutions, let's all go drink too much. Welcome to Whassup: A Year Ain't Nothin' But a Number Edition:

* Saturday, Jan. 12: Sandy Read-a-Thon, BookCourt: So much literary talent oozes through the brownstone-lined streets of Brooklyn that there is literally someone narrativizing what you are doing AT ALL TIMES. They are watching you from the coffee shop windows. All those authors -- well, many of them -- turn their word talents to the post-Sandy recovery with a marathon, ALL DAY reading. Check out some Emma Straub. Have a little Jonathan Ames. And more. 10:30am-9pm.

* Sunday, Jan. 13: WFMU Sandy Benefit: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (my personal favorite musical incendiary device) headlines a live-music benefit in support of NJ indy radio station, WFMU, which suffered the storm's wrath along with much of the rest of Jersey City. 7:30 pm, $20.

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