The Rise of Rhino Comedy Club

A good performance space can mean the difference between a mediocre show and a memorable one. Not all comedy rooms are created equal. I once performed in a hallway, during the day, without a microphone, while a TV blared Days of Our Lives above me.

Every once in a while I come across the total opposite. A one of a kind room. A room with magic! The lighting is just right, the sound system strong, and the atmosphere electric with possibility. This year I was lucky enough to find such a room. Tucked away in the quiet town of Suffern, NY, a mere stones-throw from New York City, lies a very special comedy space. The Rhino Comedy Club. Its owner, Maria Vail Guevara opened earlier this year after months of preparation. There isn’t anything like it in the area and walking in, you can tell it’s a labor of love. Maria is also a talented college theatre professor at nearby Ramapo College. She is my former professor in fact!

Host Joseph Turner, Owner Maria Guevara, and Producer Laz Vic. 

I was lucky enough to be invited last summer to teach a comedy course and begin producing in the newly opened space. Within a few months I saw the Rhino transform into what it is today, a comedy and theatre venue where artists and audiences alike can come to enjoy art exhibitions, improv shows, musical acts, and of course an amazing live stand-up comedy show, showcasing some of the best untapped talent in the area.

Our first show, “Stand-Up Comedy Headliners,” opened in September and was a smash success. Followed up by the hilarious, “Ladies Night,” series. Audiences have been discovering what a fantastic space this is. This is a new home for comedy and I’m proud to call myself a Rhino. 

Saturday. November 11th is our next Stand-Up Headliners show. We have a great night of laughs planned. Will you join us?

Check out the website: www.rhinocomedy.com

The Stockroom - We made a movie!

What a ride this has been. Congratulations to the cast & crew of The Stockroom! Also a big congratulations to the writer/actor/director the very talented Victor Cruz! We made a movie! The Stockroom is slated to release in 2015.

Laz Vic Wins Meadowlands Comedy Contest!

Hi-Ho folks. What an amazing weekend at the Meadowlands Comedy Club. I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone who came out to see the show. The audience was fantastic.  All the comedians that performed rocked the house and I just want to give a special shout-out to the runner up Mario Lucena who had them rolling. Shout out to Pete Rock who always Rocks. Nick, Craig, Rexon, George Jenkins Jr, and the ref Johnny MCcarthy! If I missed a name its because there was like 12 of you and my memory doesn't last that long! Big Thanks to Joe Loesner for putting together yet another great show! 

The Apple Geek's Creed

My Macbook is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My Mac, without me, is useless. Without my Mac, I am useless. I must fire on my Mac true. I must type faster than my enemy who is trying to hack me. I must hack him before he hacks me. I will...

My Mac and I know that what counts in this cyberwar is not the ram we install, the noise of our fans, nor the websites we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will get hits...

My Mac is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its i-sights and its OSX. I will keep my Mac clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My Macbook and I are the defenders of my Wifi. We are the masters of our Network. We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until victory is Apples's and there is no enemy, but peace!

Why I didn't take the Gig.

Hollywood as we know it, is going through a change. I call it the slowly dying a slow painful death phase. The war on cable is being waged and won by the so-called cable cutters who care little about paying for cable and instead opt for cheap, and in many cases, free on demand Internet TV. I am one of those people. Increasingly the entertainment found on the internet is better than real TV and Hollywood can't or won't keep up. With the saturation of reality shows, clip shows, and about 100 horrible TV channels that just air repeats of Cops; you have to wonder what has happened to our entertainment and how this has adversely affected the industry. TV shows used to be 25-28min in length, now with the amount of commercials jammed in, its more like 20min of actual show. Late at night I can't even enjoy watching Family Guy without a huge billboard advertisement blocking half my screen.

Last week my very aloof agent contacts me for a "major" audition. A national commercial for a beer company. The "Principal speaking" role paid a whopping $450 US dollars. So lets do the math:

They want me to go audition - Day 1 = $0 IF they like me they will have me back for a callback audition - Day 2 = $0 IF I then pass these two auditions and book the job - Day 3 =$450...maybe That translates to $150.00 per day IF and only IF I book the job.

I'm sorry fellow thespians but to me that is just unacceptable. A national commercial for a major brand used to pay an average of 30k for a year of use. Now they want to pay us bus fare to exploit us on TV, Internet, and publications. WTF?! Some of you may say, "Yea but you'll be on TV"... my answer to that is, BLEH! That is precisely the mentality that is eating up all the good and real entertainment to save a buck. Fake Fame is winning out over Real Talent.

Even though it was a principal speaking role to air nationally they still called it a non-union job. Your kidding right? I think the words, "Contract work" and "Non-Union roles" are now synonyms for Bullshit.

I don't even like beer!

For the first time in a long time I turned down the possibility of work. Call it blind integrity.

Your thoughts?

Friday the 13th - The Blog!

4-Alarm Fire in North Bergen.http://youtu.be/44FJLk7gD2E Che..Che...Che...Blog!

What's up party people.  Its Friday the 13th and I'm just glad its Friday!  Lots of adventure this week.  On Wednesday I came home from work to a huge 4-alarm fire a couple of blocks away from my apartment.  It looked like a war zone with fire, police, helicopters, and what seemed like every news van on earth. They closed down my entire block and you could see the black smoke from a mile away.  Every time their is a fire in my town a large group of people gather like lemmings to witness it.  It's like a morbid block party.  The irony of it all is that my girlfriend just dropped off her expensive suit jacket to the cleaners in that building just a day before. Since they are Chinese she still holds out hope they'll clean it anyway.

I recognized one of the reporters from Pix 11 news and I was tempted to jump into one of the live broadcasts and yell "BABABOOEE!". I noticed after broadcasting these reporters would just stand around in the cold and wait until the next one. Some would pile into the tight news van with their crew and suddenly the reporter's job didn't seem so glamorous.

A lil common sense goes a looong way.

 It seems as though the past few years have seen a slew of comedians who passed away too soon. Patrice O'Neil, Greg Geraldo, and Mike DeStefano to name a few. While living in LA it seemed like every other week I'd hear about another young comic's demise and it was unsettling.  A heart attack, a drug overdose, or a car crash were just some of the many causes of death.  My Facebook page quickly began to look like the daily obituaries.  I wondered if the proliferation of the social networks made it seem like their were more deaths or was the business of comedy just reaching a dangerous new level.

According to Steve Martin's book "Born Standing Up", their were about 100 or so comedians traveling the country in the 70's. Today it seems like every Tom, Dick, and Harry call themselves comedians. The competition is fierce and for the most part not based on talent at all. Rather its based on what I call the "What can you do for me" syndrome.

  Comedian: I'm interested in performing at your club.   Booker: How many people can you bring?

The fact is that comedians are getting the shit end of the stick.  Club owners and bookers are getting rich by promising exposure instead of real life dollars. Comics are nervous about pushing for compensation because another comic will just do it for free. The bottom line is we are working and  providing a specialized service that we should be compensated for.  I don't hire a painter and then tell him he should paint my house for the exposure.

I agree that new comics should be hungry for it and pay their dues but that's what open mics are for. While this isn't the only contributing factor to what's happening to these young comics it certainly is the big fat pink polka dotted elephant in the room. Until we demand our fair share we will never elevate ourselves in the field.  Maybe if these guys were making a better living they would have longer lives.

Congratulations are in order!

My good friend Mark Viera just landed a new sitcom on Fox. George Lopez is executive producer.  I wish him all the luck in the world.  It's nice to see truly funny artists making it!

Humor Mill Magazine Article

A New Year Approaches

New Stand-Up Shows, New Projects, New Skits Coming in 2012! Stay Tuned!

To the Center of the City in the Night

Waiting for You

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...Los Angeles"

Here I am 8 months later, I mean I think it's been 8 months now. This place seems to have a way of displacing time. I've been many places, and seen maybe things, some good, some gross. Quite a few wackies and some sane people. I've worked the comedy clubs as diligently as a beaver with a steak knife. I've become a regular at the HA-Ha Cafe in Hollywood. I know it sounds so Hollywood saying the word Hollywood. I've been hosting there for the past few weekends and it's been a blast.

Heavy Sleeper On one particular weekend an interesting thing happened during my set. It was a packed house, I'm on stage, everything is peaches. I look to my left and in the middle of all these laughing people is a woman fast asleep. I'm talking slumber, her legs up on a chair and everything. I stop mid-bit and just had to say something. "Um, is that a woman sleeping in the middle of a comedy show? Either shes dead or I'm terrible. Talk about killin em." I went on, milking it for every penny, the audience is going wild, but still she lay asleep. I proceeded to sing her a lullaby, and walk off the stage with the mic. At the end of the song she magically awoke to find and entire audience staring at her and laughing. Quite the shock, to which I ensued, "Good Morning" Needless to say the poor thing had one to many and sorta passed out. Drunks can do that ya know, pass out anywhere. I once passed out at a Rave club on a speaker.

Hamburgler

Serial Joke Thief On another night another interesting thing happened, yea. I'm not about hating on other comics, in fact comedians are like frat brothers, we love each other but then get into fights when we sleep with the same girl. Anyway, one night in walks this comic who we shall refer to as Dicky Kraps. Dicky walks in and is in a hurry. He has another set and needs to go up first, asked if the host could cut his opening set short so he can split. Form your own opinions I will say nothing more. So he gets on stage, I don't think he's bad at all, in fact pretty good. Later on I'm chatting with the other comics and they tell me this story about how Dicky Kraps was a Boston comic who got run out of town for stealing other comic's material. This I found revolting. After a little google-ing, I found an article about the story. It stated that a bunch of comics got wind that Mr. Kraps was stealing jokes. They confronted him in a green room at the back of a comedy club and from what I understand got his ass beat like a red headed step child on fathers day.

All I have to say is news travels fast comedy fans. Don't steal other peoples shit, it's NOT COOL. Fine some things are ok to steal like cable or ashtrays but not jokes. They are like our children, it takes years to raise them, they eat up all your sanity, and sometimes they spit up. If he takes one of mine I'm gonna call an amber alert on his ass.

Go for the Green A few days ago I was picked to be a contestant on this new game show called, "Go for the Green", hosted by Tom Green. There were about 50 of us waiting outside on benches most of the day. So we got to know each other. Quite the cast of characters. One guy who we shall refer to as Stan, was a cool California dude who's overbearing enthusiasm and packaged personality quickly wore thin among the group. He would do things like stand in front of everyone to make sure he was in the shot and then say jokingly, "Am I in your way." A girl who was seated next to him for a short while stood up and said, "His testicles are just to big to be sitting next to him." After awhile people wanted to kill Stan but he wasn't the worst....well he was but their was this one guy who would just yell out inappropriate phrases at the most inappropriate times. We were in the studio with Tom Green and he just yells out, "Your not Dane Cook!" To which Tom Green replied, "Yes I am."

I actually appeared on TomGreen.com, at the end of a video clip called, "Go for the Green". Check it out and see if ya spot me.

Another interesting fellow looked very familiar to me, as if I've seen him before. Yes on TV, but where? We get to talking in a group and he says that he has in fact appeared on TV many times. Maury, Montel, the News. Apparently his girlfriend stabbed him 9 times in a public restaurant and he was dead for 2 minutes. He pulls up his sleeves to reveal the scars and explains that she stabbed him because he was breaking up with her. So remember kiddies, if your going to dump someone send an email.

Upcoming Appearance Check me out on Fox fall'08 on a special called World's Greatest Magic Tricks Revealed. All I'm going to say is I'm the guy in the tuxedo hanging upside down playing the violin. Peace LaZ JustLaz.com

Beautiful Strange

Signs of Life 2007 was the toughest year of my life. I conquered many personal goals and lost someone very close to me. I over came adversity and tumbled into wonderland. I made new friends and lost old ones. I moved across the country and realized home is in the heart. I don’t know where these new travels will take me; what I do know is that this can all be just a dream.

Mad Visions

I recently wrapped a TV pilot called Extreme Reactions, a reality comedy series. It’s got a great cast including Zak Williams (Robin Williams’s son). Produced for Lion’s Gate Entertainment its like Candid Camera meets Kids in the Hall and we are hoping it gets off the ground soon. Anthony Maddox (Producer/Director) was great to work with; he knows what he wants but lets you find the way there. Check out their website: www.madvisionentertainment.com/

Jet Blue and only Jet Blue

Confession: I am a Jet Blue fanatic. If I have to fly for me there is no other way to go. The other airlines treat us like red headed step children compared to Jet Blue’s service. You not only get 36 channels of direct TV (umm hello) but they also serve (pause) Dunkin Donuts Coffee! The only thing better would be a Hooters Flight. www.JetBlue.com/

Anyway, the point is that I made the big move. I now and for the time being live in Los Angeles. I was pondering the thought of changing this blog to “A LA Comic”; however since I do come from the east coast I shall strike the last thought from the record.

When I first moved here I felt like a fish out of water, which was strange since I am not a fish nor reside in water. After a month or so it is starting to feel like home. I love the weather, and yes it does rain from time to time. I can’t watch the discovery channel anymore because they always have earth quake specials on but I can go outside in a t-shirt. Exploring around my neighborhood, I found a cool little coffee shop, a book store, and a movie theatre. Not to mention and most importantly, a 24hr 7-11.

LA Comedy Nights My first gig was in downtown Los Angeles, at this old hotel called The Alexandria. Opening in 1909 it was the meeting place for the early Hollywood elite. In its lobby it had a million dollar rug and tall marble columns, but no more. It was host to many swanky parties in its ball rooms with its huge stained glass ceilings, some of which are still there. Charlie Chaplin was a frequent guest and made the deals for the creation of United Artists there. It’s also one of the most haunted hotels in America, a fitting place for me to start. I was lucky enough to be introduced by Garrett Morris, one of the original cast members of SNL. It’s a great show check them out. www.downtowncomedyclub.com/

SiTV Laugh Festival I’ve been making the rounds to most of the local comedy clubs. I had a great experience at the Ice House. It was a rainy Wednesday night. On the way there I was certain the audience would be small if not minuet due to the weather. I don’t mind small audiences but that night they were taping the show for a website called Comedy Time. When I arrived the place was packed from wall to wall, not a seat in the house. The host was fantastic and I had so much fun with the audience. I’m looking forward to performing there again. Check out the video on my links. www.comedytime.tv/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To My Father Its hard saying goodbye to someone you’ve known your entire life. You can’t help but search your memories and hold on to them as tight as you can. Wishing I could tell time to stand still or walk back with me for a while. Only now can I write about this. Still the sadness is overwhelming and the pain at the surface. Death changed the way I live.

Thank you for being my father. For all the advice and wisdom you bestowed upon me. For teaching me strength and kindness. For always being there when I needed you. For treating me like a son. For sacrificing yourself for your family. For showing me that life is worth living, to be brave, bold and always face forward. To never apologize for being who I am. You will always be a part of me.

“Life is just a game of chess” PM 1944 - 2007 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two Thousand & Eight It couldn’t be worse than 2007 because the Giants already won the Super bowl. Go BLUE!!! That was the most inspiring game I’ve ever seen. I nearly overdosed on pizza and hot wings. After the game we ran outside and people were yelling and screaming. Doing flips and hugging each other. I think I saw a dog dancing with a cat. Still today over two weeks later you can walk down the street and just say, “Go BLUE!” and you will get a “Go BLUE!” back.

I predict 2008 will be beautiful and strange.

Today my heart Swings

Inspirational Comedy Set Sometimes through the most unlikely of circumstances you find inspiration. You’re having a bad day, week, month, year and just when you think it can’t get any worse, God throws you a life line. Yes I believe in God :)

I got this gig in a bar in Bergen County, NJ. This bar is unlike any bar I’ve ever been to. It sits by itself like an anomaly in the middle of a secluded residential area. Just houses all around, children playing and white picket fences. It doesn’t even have a sign, just Bar. So the show starts, I don’t even think these people are aware that a comedy show is taking place. Slowly some people mosey their was into the room and sit down. I’m sitting at a back table, sipping on my ice water, thinking about my broken frig and how I have to get rid of it and buy a new one. How much are refrigerators anyway? Why does it have to have such a long name? Long name means it’s expensive. Shit.

The host announces the next comedian and I notice that this comedian had a half shaven head. Like one side of his hair was missing. So he introduces himself and says: “I’ve recently had brain surgery, no this isn’t a fancy haircut, I had a fuckin tumor! You think I would wear my hair like this!?”

People bust out laughing, and he was funny. I realized everyone has got their problems, its how you deal with them that counts.

I've been encountering lots of interesting people lately. Once in a blue moon you meet someone who changes the way you think and you suddenly remember who you once where. You see what the world used to be like for you.

Engagement ala Sketch Last night I was a part of something I shall never forget. One of my dearest friends who is also a comedian calls me up and asked me to be part of a very special comedy sketch. I was to play a waiter named, “Jew”, yea I know. The other characters were named Mary and Will. In the sketch we all lined up revealing our t-shirts that said, Will Jew Mary……and my friend says ME. He proposed to his long time girlfriend on stage in front of a packed house. The crowd went wild and it was very emotional. I wish them both all the best in the world. They make a beautiful couple.

Needless to say I was the next comic on the show. How the hell am I going to follow a marriage proposal? I mean how do you top that? The crowd was amazing though, they really enjoyed my performance and it felt awesome.

Show Updates Don’t forget to check out my schedule on myspace for shows, events, and more. www.myspace.com/twice77

This Sunday I’m hosting America’s Got Stand-Up at the Laugh Factory in Times Sqaure.

Summer of Screenings

The Cast of REWIND At the tail end of the summer my film “REWIND” was in full swing and playing at three different film festivals. The NY International Film Festival, Film Night in the Heights, and the HBO Latino Film Festival.

The HBO festival was the biggest one and our film seemed to be getting buzz from the start. We were in good company though; the other films on the bill were all amazing with great young directors. Over several nights our cast got together and watched our film on the big screen, it was an awesome experience. Do people still say awesome?

On the night of the final screening, I’m waiting for my friend who was in the cast to come down from Pennsylvania Land and we got to the theatre 10 min late, maybe 15, 20 min tops. We walk in and the box office is closed, however there are two older ladies perched on chairs against the wall. One of them looks at me swaggeringly and says:

“Can I help you?” “Yes I’m so sorry I’m late.” “Are you here for the film festival?” “Yes, may we still….” “Do you have a ticket sir?” “Yes…at the box office.” “Uh Oh, the box office is closed so if you don’t have a ticket…..”

Rewind Primere

Out of nowhere, Mr. Chinchilla, the founder of the festival passes by and sees me. He points at me and says, “Aren’t you in that film, Rewind?” He was kind enough to let us in, pretty cool. I can still see the chilling look the women gave me in my dreams. We ended up winning for Best Short Film at the 2007 HBO Latino Film Festival!!! Congratulations to the cast and crew of “REWIND”. SPEECH! SPEECH! “Well, I’d like to say that standing here on this cyber podium today, that I am very honored to have received this prestigious award. I would like to thank my mom, who has stuck by me, even the time I shaved off my own eyebrows because I thought it would come into style. I would also like to thank my father, for letting me live. In conclusion I would like to say that the war in Iraq is wrong and (MUSIC PLAYS) and Bush is a piece of…..(CUT OFF MY MIC)……………..Thank you.

Center of the World

Living in the Center of the World

I’ve been doing a lot of different types of jobs lately. Producer, Writer, Comedian, Actor, Extra, Promotional Person, Website Designer, Video Editor, Sound Editor, Audience Wrangler, Forklift Instructor, Motorcycle Pilot, Archer, Life Coach, and many more.

Cannon Job

I love New York, there is always something different happening everyday. Where else can you find a job herding people to chairs while you watch the US Open on a jumbo size screen outside at Rockefeller Center, or carry a 40 pound television on your back while you take pictures of strangers. The last job I had was for NIKE, promoting their product throughout the city. They gave me this limited edition pair of Nike kicks that were based off the Transformers, killer! I was walking with my team around the village and I run into Mark Summers, from Double Dare, on Nickelodeon, come on people remember? Anyway he looked kinda old-er and was staring down at the floor as he walked but as soon as I said, “Hey Mark Summers”, he kicked into Double Dare mode and gave me a big HELLO! As a child one of my dreams was to get on that show and take the physical challenge.

One time I was talking on my cell phone not paying attention and nearly crashed into Matthew Broderick, hey he was doing the same thing and didn’t see me either. We both stopped suddenly and looked at each other as if to say, “oops” and walked our separate ways.

On my way to work the other day, I turn on 46th street and end up in a Brazilian Parade. There were so many people I could barely walk. They were waving flags, having food, and enjoying the floats as they passed by. I somehow end up behind the police barricade, on the street, in the middle of this parade. Now people are staring at me and some are cheering, so I just started turning and waving as I marched my way through to the next avenue. The funny part is this isn’t the first time I get stuck in a parade.

Only in New York…

Talk Amongst Yourselves

While I try to Figure it out. I’ve always had this urge to hop in my car and just drive and drive until I don’t know where I am. To be a new stranger while I visit even stranger places. I think you adapt to your environment and eventually become what’s around you. Sometimes, though, you lose yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing.

I recently was thrust in quite an adventure. A friend of mine told me about this comedy festival about to take place in Los Angeles. It’s called the Si TV Latino Laugh Festival, and so, being Latino myself I submitted for it.

Two days later I get a call from one of the producers of the show, telling me they are interested in me. Although interested, I had to show a little more leg and audition for the head of the festival in New York. The audition took place at Stand-Up New York, a good sized comedy club in the heart of Manhattan. I wasn’t nervous (yes I was) after all, they are already “interested”. If this were a date; all I would have to do now is play it cool, not say the wrong thing, and keep buying drinks. I went on stage and did my set. It was clean, it was solid, and it was funny. I was confident they would call me straight way……but they didn’t. After spending two weeks waiting for a phone call while throwing an inner tantrum, realizing all hope is dead, and staying up till 4am watching reruns of the Jefferson’s, they called. I was on my way to sunny L.A.!

Lazzywood

Hollywood Land I arrived in L.A. on a Friday morning. They actually had a car waiting. Wow. A car, an actual car, it was way better than the one I have at home. One of the comics I was traveling with wanted to stop and get Popeye’s chicken, which is fine, but at 10:30 in the morning? How could you eat that greasy ass, heart attack, beat up chicken that early in the morning?! It was pretty good though.

We get to the Renaissance Hotel. A real swinging place, right on Hollywood Blvd. Hotels excite me, they make me feel… clean. With no time to waste, I immediately went to my room and inspected the bounciness of my bed. It had an 8 out of 10 bounce factor. I mean it was fancy; they had an iron in the room and everything! I was lucky because from my hotel window; if you turned your head all the way to the left, and squished your face up against the glass, you could see the all magical “Hollywood” sign in the distance…on a clear day of course. Can someone tell me why their is a huge cross perched on a hill below the sign? That evening we were picked up and taken to the opening party at Cinespace, a swanky bar a few miles away. After a few glasses of wine I was taken to the Improv Olympic West in Hollywood. Stepping into the green room I realized that a lot of these clubs and theatres hold a lot of the same energy as all the others. A sort of runaway tension wrapped in illuminated possibilities. Figure that one out.

Just after performing and just as quickly I would move on to the next show, spending the night observing interesting characters and seeking new opportunity. Meeting and greeting and exchanging information. Standing in a place I’ve never seen before and sharing my opinions on and off the stage. It felt great to explore and take in the atmosphere. The nights are beautiful in LA, the parking sucks but the night’s are beautiful.

Laugh Fest Crew

Kodak Theatre Gala

The last night of the festival was the most memorable. We were invited to the closing night gala at the famous Kodak Theatre. I walked into the event and saw a big red carpet with lots of photographers taking pictures of the people walking by. I didn’t think I was supposed to walk the carpet until a P.A. suddenly grabbed me and pushed me onto it. I imagine the first few photographs they took of me were surprised and confused but I soon adapted and began to strike some posses. I liked it, made me feel….wanted.

A few minutes before show time I’m standing around in the lobby, just hanging out when I look up and see a bunch of people on the balcony, looking down at me. Who the hell are those people? Someone explains to me they are just random people who wanted to see what’s going on, fans if you wish. Sort of like armature paparazzi. So I waved to them, of course they didn’t wave back. I even thought I heard one of them whisper, “Who the hell is that?” Carlos Mencia hosted the show and I have to say he did an awesome job. Even though their are plenty of rumors floating about of his joke stealing habits, I can’t knock the guy if I don’t know what he does first hand. All I know is that he was charismatic and impressed me with his performance that night. We were treated to a host of celebrity appearances and special guests. It was a great feeling to be in a room full of successful Latino talent. All working and doing it. It suddenly became real to me and gave me a new found motivation to do it for myself.

The show ended into an after party where I got to mingle. I took some pictures but then felt “Touristy” and “Un-Celebrity-Like”, so I put the camera away and just had a good time. I met many extra ordinary people and tasted a little bit of the good life.

Film Festival Mania! The independent film I'm in called "REWIND" got picked up at three different film festivals including the HBO Latino Film Festival. Check out www.JustLaz.com for a film screening schedule.

I’m 1000 different people...

I KAN'T CHANGE It’s been months upon months since I’ve updated this blog. One of the reasons for this is because I’ve been writing a feature length movie, so I’ve done all the writing I can take for the moment. My script is now finished and registered with the Writer’s Guild of America. Which makes sense since America is the country I wrote it in. More details about the script to come soon.

Lots and lots has happened since I last wrote.  I re-joined modern society and got a job. I gave into the perils of commitment and moved in with my lady. Lastly, I have succumbed to the man and started paying for cable TV.

I’ve kept real busy. Been performing in comedy clubs, bars, restaurants, and lounges around New York & New Jersey. In May I have a gig at Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn.

So about my job. It’s great, much better than working for the yuppies. Damn those yuppies. Anyway, I got hired as a writer/web designer/producer at a very hip company in the heart of Manhattan. I work all the time. In fact the only time I’m not working is when I’m eating or sleeping but I love the work. I get to meet interesting people and not be confined to a small cubicle all day. Damn those yuppies!

ON THE SET OF REWIND I just wrapped up a short film called “Rewind”. I played a thug named Pako who robs people around his neighborhood, nice right. Anyway the main character has the power to REWIND time, but only for a minute or two. Hopefully it will get into some film festivals and win some awards, I think it’s worthy of some. If I had the power to rewind time I’d mostly use it in the morning, to sleep in.

I’m also still shooting the independent feature film, “Playing Doctor”. It’s been a lot of over night shoots with trail mix and coffee but all the hard work will be worth it in the end. I’ve also made some really good friends in the process.

On Tuesday night I was invited to do a set at the Laugh Factory in Times Square. It was a LLEGAMOS show, the crew I used to role with. This was the first time I wasn’t in the show as a regular cast member, just a comedian and it felt strange. I got to see all of my good comic friends and they all asked me why I left the show. I said, “Nothing personal I just have too many irons in the fire right now”. Which is the truth. A comedian’s dream is to be able to just do comedy full time, a goal I’m working on. Anyway, I was up first and the crowd was amazing. They listened, they laughed, and they guffawed. I had a great set and the energy flowed like fine wine…from the old country. I hope to get in front of a big crowd like that more often.

EPILOGUE of THOUGHTS What can I say? I feel like a different person every day. I think I have the Dr Jekeyl/Mr Rodriguez Syndrome. With an endless stream of lack of patience I look for peace. I need an I-Pod so that I won’t be alone with my thoughts for too long. This sounds depressing but I’m totally content, well at least partially. I can’t change who am I, no matter how hard I try. There are tons of things I want to type that are much more interesting than this.

BLOGenetics

Musica Musica I just finished up another run of LLEGAMOS at the Laugh Factory to much success. I had the pleasure of meeting many musicals stars such as Frankie Negron and P-Star to name a few. P-Star is an 11 year old rapper who really has the skills of a professional. She rocked the audience with her charm & original music. Check her out on MTV: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1531954 Singer, songwriter Frankie Negron was a pleasure to work with. He’s really down to earth guy and has a great sense of humor. He joined the LLEGAMOS cast in a few sketches that left the audience in tears and then serenaded the crowd with a tune from his new album “Mejor Que Nunca”. Check him out at: http://www.frankienegrononline.com/ New York Paranoia During this run I wrote a sketch called, “The Underground”, based upon the experiences of riders on the New York City subway. The sketch is in three parts, the third part being about a Muslim looking man entering into the subway with a suspicious package. The entire sequence was wordless and played upon the audience assumption that all Muslims are terrorists. Which or course is not true but I find people’s paranoia humorous and apparently so do they.

Playing Doctor ~ Behind the Scenes

I’ve been filming a movie called “Playing Doctor”, for about 2 months now. I play the part of Fred, a conniving, sneaky, larger than life, pothead, antagonistic charlatan of a person. The shoots usually take anywhere between 10-14 hours, so it’s a lot of work but very good work. I really understand the director’s vision and have had so much fun doing it. Everyone is so professional and cordial to each other. Accept for one particular actor (theirs always one) which shall remain nameless. This person is just the opposite of everyone else and has thrown a few monkey wrenches into the production. Perhaps it was just too big an undertaking but never the less we are moving forward and the film looks like it’s going to turn out really great.

Stand-Up or Sit Down Sometimes as an actor or stand-up comedian you come across certain situations that test your patience, integrity, and morals. I think it’s important that I share these situations on this blog, after all what the hell is this thing for anyway. However I also feel you should never bad mouth anyone because it’s a small business. With that said the following is a true story but the names, dates, and locations have been changed to protect my ass from getting shot.

Once upon a time I had a big show at a major club. It was a packed crowd with many of my own people in the audience. Ten minutes before show time the producer half heatedly announces that he will not use me as a stand-up comic in the show. He gave me no rhyme or reason, actually flexing his position as if he were showing off his muscles. I in turn immediately protested and spoke up. After much quibbling I was told in a very harsh manner that I was to be used as he saw fit and even though I was not getting compensated for all my hard work I had to still swallow this very bitter pill and not receive the stage time I was promised. So, I made a choice. The great thing about choices is that you can make them and no one can stop you. I made the choice to quit right then and their. I shall not be shaken or stirred. I shall not lend my skills as a writer and then lay down and be walked over. I am a Stand-Up Comedian, an angry, uncaged, unapologetic animal of humor put here by the theatre gods to infuse comedy chaos about the earth. Don’t tell me I can not!

Ten minutes after I left I got a phone call to please return and by golly I got my stage time. Not only did I get my time but I rocked the house harder than I ever had. So to any fellow up and coming comics out there I give you this advice. Never Surrender!

One Night In New York City

Center of the World I’ve been going out a lot lately. Last week I was invited to a party for the HBO Latino Film Festival. It was held at a trendy club in the city called Crobar. I arrived around 10:30pm and their is a line as far as the eye could see. I called El Gordo, one of my associates and I find him standing in front of the place. I felt like I was an in episode of Sex in the City, not that I watch Sex in the City, but I was tricked into watching an episode for the simple reason that Sex is in the title. Anyway, there was a press pit in the main lobby. A press pit is a group of photographers huddled together like a roman orgy, fighting each other to snap their pictures of the important. These important people would stand in front of a wall with logos on it. The photographers would snap away as these nicely dressed people glided passed. I recognized a few faces but for the most part I have no names for you. I didn’t have to stand on line because our publicist gave us these pink bracelets that allowed us to immediately enter. I saw some other people with green bracelets on and wondered what that meant. I suddenly envisioned my self being forced onto a train that was headed for a concentration camp. I actually ran into a friend of a friend from L.A. and I got to meet a lot of cool filmmakers. The pink bracelet actually meant I could go into the V.I.P. section. I suddenly felt important and made my way up the V.I.P. stairs, ate some V.I.P. shrimp, and stood around trying to look like a V.I.P.

By 2am the place was packed. The music seemed to be getting louder and they pumped smoke onto the dance floor. Now I can’t hear or see, I can barely move and I want out! Standing outside in the middle of the night, in the middle of the city, suddenly wearing a pink bracelet wasn’t so hot anymore. I had a good time though, I felt…..important.

The China Club….not in China A few nights later I was invited to a friends birthday bash at the China Club in midtown. He said if I arrive before 11pm I could get in for free so I arrived at 10:58pm. Again the line was so long my eyes couldn’t reach the end of it. I saw my friend standing outside and he was able to get me off the line and into the club straight away. I was led up a flight of stairs where large black men waited to search every patron for weapons and paraphernalia. It’s nerve racking just to go out dancing.

As the night progressed more and more people began to fill the dance club. It seems to me that the later it gets the weirder people become. I wasn’t drinking much because the drinks are just astronomical in price. A bottle of water cost five bucks, not even a big bottle. On my way out of the club I ran into a friend of mine and was dragged right back in. I didn’t go home until the sun came up.

Face the Music I saw an ad for an audition in which they needed extras for some comedy pilot called "Face The Music". I can’t really put extra work on my resume but I figure since I’m free that day anyway, what the hell. The director calls me up and we have the following conversation:

Director: Yes, would you happen to be Latino by any chance? Laz: As a matter of fact, I am. Director: I need an actor to play….well do you happen to own a bandanna? Laz: You mean like a gang member? Director: I didn’t want to say that. Laz: Yea, as a matter of fact, I do. Director: Also, can you possibly grow out a go-t for the shoot? Laz: You mean to look more like a thug? Director: I didn’t want to say that.

So I got the job. At least I’m not an extra anymore.

I Remember when I lost my Mind

Does that make me Crazy? As I write to you now, the sounds of fire works are exploding outside my window. I feel like I’m in the middle of Bagdad. One fire cracker exploded so close I ducked and yelled to “watch out for Charlie”. It’s a tradition in my town for everyone to run around exploding dangerous flammable mini-bombs on every corner. Not just on July 4th but the weeks building up to the holiday. Some nights I would have dreams people were shooting at me for no apparent reason. These Nutz!

I’ve been keeping myself semi-busy lately. I wrote and directed a show which is currently playing at the Laugh Factory in NYC. We do a lot of stand-up which is our strong point and we added some new sketches which compliment the show nicely. It’s sponsored by Coors Light and we’ve had a steady audience. In between that I’ve been working at the Joe Franklin Comedy Club on and off, the New York Comedy Club, and a few other events here and there. In particular was a Cancer Benefit Show that I did at a club in Brooklyn called TJ Bentleys. I always forget that Brooklyn can have nice places. For some reason I always picture it to be a place of poverty and ruins.

Talk about procrastination, it is now July 19th and I’m continuing to write this blog. Anyway, I went to the Dentist today. What a painful experience that was. First of all, the dentist’s assistant is hot which makes it that much worse when blood squirts from your mouth as she pokes you with the suction. Secondly, they stick you with what looks like a needle for a dinosaur and then say things like, “Are we all nice and numb?” Thirdly, I have no thirdly because the painkillers haven’t worn off yet.

Chacho...How Time Flies!

It is now July 25th, 1:20am, Eastern Time. I’ve had insomnia for as long as I can remember, that might as well be 10 minutes because that’s as far as I can remember. When I do finally fall asleep I don’t wake up until 14 hours later. I don’t even have regular dreams. The last one I had was about a giant squirrel trying to kill me. He tried to force himself into the house. I held the window shut while he tried to pull it up, didn’t even try to smash it, just pull it up. Weird.

My cell phone always rings at inopportune times. Like when I’m taking a dump. I mean I’ve been sitting on the couch all day doing nothing, could have used a good conversation in fact, but no, I get a call in the middle of a number 2.

Asi De Fria!

Tomorrow night I have a show at the Laugh Factory in New York. We’ve already done three shows and it’s been damn fun. The audience response has been terrific and the free Coors Light I get, refreshing! If you’re in the New York City area and want tickets to the show please visit my website – www.justlaz.com and if you want to tell your husband that your baby may not be his call Montel.

Just Waiting for this Moment to Arrive

Last Time on Highway 101 My trip to California had to be cut short because reality doesn’t wait. I had some financial business to attend that couldn’t wait. However my last week in California didn’t go to waste. I spent most of my time sleeping and watching T.V.

My Aunt kept trying to convince me to stay and find work there and I was very tempted. Over there I have my privacy, life is a lot slower, and the weather is paradise but alas I didn’t feel it would work out for me. I need the hustle and bustle of New York and I’m not ready to give up my dreams so easily. It was sad to leave Santa Maria again; just the scent in the air reminds me of happier times.

The day I left I woke up early and drove to L.A. a 3 hour trip. One more time I took in the mountains and the ocean along highway 101. I even saw a black bird flying beside me and one more time I thought about the words to that Beatles song by the same name. Before I dropped off the car I decided to pay a visit to Freddie Prinze Sr. at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Burbank. This was the biggest cemetery I’ve ever been too. I pulled up to the front gate where I was greeted by a security guard who gave me a map and instructed me where to go. Not really knowing where Freddie was located I just went in hoping to drive in the right direction. I parked the car next to a curb and just began walking around. I almost took my camera with me but then I thought it wouldn’t be appropriate, no it wouldn’t. This moment was supposed to be private. I couldn’t believe how many grave plates and stones and plaques covered the grass. I walked through an outside corridor and by chance just ended up standing in front of Freddie’s grave. It was located on a wall in a section called the Sanctuary of Light. I noticed that he had fresh flowers already placed on his tomb and so did his Father Karl who was located right beside him. I clumsily made some room for some white flowers I had bought for him and just sat there with Freddie for a while. Someone had hung a little angel trinket over his name and I wondered who had come to visit him. It was surreal to be there, in front of him. He passed away the same year I was born and now here I was standing in this cemetery 3000 miles from home, visiting a person I never met. Even so, I do feel I know him, not as a comedian or T.V. star but as a person, I do know that.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in an airport coffee shop thinking about what an adventure this past month has been and how I would miss it.

Meeting Joe Franklin I wasn’t back in New York long before I started doing comedy again. A good friend of mine started to host a show at the New York Comedy Club and he invited me down. It felt good to hang out with some comics on a cold NY night and do a set in front of a crowd.

A few days later I caught up with my producer friend, El Gordo and we met with a production company to talk about the future of our show. On our way back to Port Authority he asked me if I wanted to come with him to see Joe Franklin. I agreed and we ventured up into the offices of the Laugh Factory in Times Square. I didn’t know much about whom I was about to meet other than his office has a reputation for being cluttery, to say the least. When we walked in I could barely see the little man amongst all the boxes and papers riddling the room. Newspapers, Magazines, Books, and Novelties stacked up as far as the eye could see. His desk was an enigma of paperwork and the only spare room he had was carved out around his chair so he could sit and swivel. Two vintage phones sat on his desk with his assistant constantly answering one of them while Joe conducted business on the other.

I immediately recognized his face and thought back to all the times I’d seen him on T.V. He gave us a big smile and gestured for us to sit down. I thought it rude to interrupt him while he is in the middle of business but it quickly dawned on me that his office was never empty and this was business as usual.

In between phones calls he would give us a word or two of small talk and then the phone would ring again, but I never got the feeling we weren’t welcome there, in fact it was quite the opposite. Before we left he graced us with a joke, he loves jokes:

One man complains to his friend that he can never get laid so his friend tells him to lie and pretend he’s someone important like a doctor or a lawyer. Sure enough the man meets a pretty lady and tells her he’s a lawyer. Later on they end up in bed together and the man thinks to himself; “Wow it’s only been half an hour since I’ve been a lawyer and I’m already fucking someone.”

Click here for more on Joe Franklin

Back on Spanish Television Telemundo invited us back to tape a few more comedy sketches for their morning show. Again with barely any notice I came up with a few quick skits we could pull off. It’s difficult work to say the least because the odds are against me. I have to improvise on national television with no props, sound effects, or post production. It has to be done on a bare set with two cameras on a very tight schedule. Needless to say I think we once again pulled through and gave them what they wanted but I bumped heads with the producer about allowing me creative freedoms. We’ve been fighting a lot lately about the content of the show but the way I see it is if I wrote it I should have final say over it. Maybe I’m to over protective of my work.

Grand Opening of a Comedy Club

The king of nostalgia, Joe Franklin whom I had met earlier in this blog just opened a brand new comedy club in the heart of Manhattan. I was invited to perform a set on the opening weekend of the club which was very nice of Joe. It was a Saturday night and as I approached the front entrance I spotted the producer I work with along with another fellow posting up headshots. I remember enjoying the atmosphere in the air. Spring finally arrived and as the sun set the city became alive with movement. I stood outside for a bit and chit chatted, then I walked inside.

I met a few new comics I’ve never seen before. In particular, this little Russian man who wore a loud shirt and was partially bald. He reminded me of Robin Williams in the Fisher King. He told me he was a calculus teacher when he wasn’t doing comedy or commercials. He mentioned how he lives in the projects in Newark and only pays $642 dollars a month while the people with houses across the street pay a lot more. He regarded it as a great deal and it never dawned on him that living in such a place was bad. He thought they called it the projects because they haven’t finished it yet. This conversation made me realize that life is simply what you perceive it to be. That one man’s nightmare is another man’s paradise.

The show went well although we all wished the audience was a tad more….alive. No worries, that was the first show and everyone was well received. The second show turned out to be decent with a birthday party that came in and they were very lively. When I finished my set I asked Joe if he would do me the honor of signing the copy of his book, which his associate was kind enough to give me. I was impressed that Joe remembered my name even though we had only been introduced once.

Joe Franklin’s Comedy Club is located on 50th Street & 7th Ave, next to Fridays.

Nuyorican Poets Cafe My good friend Victor invited me to be in his music video for his DVD, the Victor Cruz Show. It’s nice to work with friends because that underlying pressure doesn’t exist on the shoot. We had a lot of laughs standing in some playground on the upper west side. A week later I got to see the finished product on the big screen. I headed down to the Nuyorican Poets Café downtown for the premiere. This place has plenty of history to it. It was started in 1973 by poet and writer Miguel Algarin who was also a college professor at Rutgers University. I had the pleasure of meeting him face to face and we chatted a bit about art and theatre. Copies of his book were neatly on display on top of his bar and he perched beside them. The entire scene was already surreal and so I dove in and purchased a copy of this book in which he signed. The rest of the night was just as interesting with performances from comics to an audience mainly consisting of comics.

Victor’s little brother Geo went up and did a comedy set. The kid’s got natural talent and is obviously following in his brothers footsteps.

JustLaz.com Updates

Make sure you check out my website. I’ve revamped the entire site with a new format. New Videos – Pictures – and even a New Audio section with goodies going up all the time. Sign my guestbook or just drop me a line anytime..

You Promised Me Poems

This Dark World Mine I came across a Memory that Lies within my Thoughts. A Dream of you in which I lost the Battle I had Fought. I Never spoke the words of Love to her I will not Speak. And All my Secrets run and Hide, as Long as this Heart Beats.

Your Whisper heard around the World, and Kiss of Demon Lock. Your Eyes that Melt away the Blur, and Pierce like Diamond Rock.

I Lay in Lust, this Dark World Mine Where Hate is Loved and Love Despised. My Skies are Bleak, my Rivers Deep, My Sanity Deprived. Who might this Creature be, who Carries Cries Within my Night And Speaks of Fate in Rhymes. That Destiny will hold your Soul a Thousand Years of Time, I must be Guilty of this Fear I have to Love you is a Crime.

Alone I be with Naked Lies, and Bitter Truths, I must decide, Fore in the Dark my Love is Gone, Alone I Dance this Endless Song.

Peaceful Thoughts will run Along with Wrongful rights and Rightful wrongs, but no one comes and no one cares, alone I’ll drink my wine, my rum.

My Eyes are Dead, no Longer Clear My Sound far Gone, I can not Hear. My Touch so Numb, I can Not Feel. My Soul now Lost, I have no Fear.

By Laz

California Dreaming

Hop in for a while My trip to California began on a Sunday in early January. I was on my way to the airport just before dawn and not one soul was on the streets. The song Blackbird began to play on the radio, a song I’ve never heard before, all of a sudden I felt a rush of relief come over me. I thought about the past few years and how I’ve always had the same job. I thought about friends I had just seen and would probably never see again. I thought about how much I’ve changed and how much had stayed the same. So much confusion and doubt had followed me around but somehow I knew this trip was supposed to happen. My stress already, began to pour out the open windows and for the first time in a long time, I left it behind me.

I met with my dad for breakfast before I left. I hardly get to see him anymore and it was nice to sit down just the two of us. He never really opens up and tells me what’s on his mind but then again neither do I. He was nice enough to drive me the rest of the way to the airport and with a quick goodbye and take care of your self, I was off. Even though we never really communicate much, to me he’s a great dad and I’m lucky to have him.

It was a long plane trip on top of another three hours in a car but I finally arrived in Santa Maria that night. As soon as I stepped off the plane the scent in the air transported me back in time and all these great memories came rushing back to me. It was nostalgic and a bit depressing all at the same time because those times were so far away gone.

Don’t call it Frisco! First thing I did when I got to Cali was rent a car and oh what a car it was. A brand new Chevy Cobalt, ohhhhhhh. I hopped in my rental car, said goodbye to my aunt and drove 300 miles to San Francisco. It was such a great drive, just me, some good music, and the beautiful weather. Half way to my destination I stopped to refuel. I pull up to this gas station in the middle of nowhere country and I just sat there waiting….and waiting….and waiting. I’m saying to myself, “Where the hell is this gas attendant!” I’m honking the horn and causing a ruckus and wondering why everyone is staring at me. Then I see the sign that says, “SELF SERVE.”

I arrived in San Francisco 4 hours after I left Santa Maria. Luckily I have a friend who just moved to Frisco two weeks prior to my arrival. She was now living with her boyfriend and they were nice enough to allow me to stay at their new place. It was in a section called the Mission. This city has many little sections with names like Chinatown, the Castro, and Dogpatch and all these little sections are very small consisting of only a few blocks. You can smell the liberalness in the air; it’s a very open minded city, except don’t call it San Fran or Frisco, they hate that.

One particular activity that grew on me was the drinking of wine. My friend was always into drinking wine and she educated me a little bit. We sat in her back yard sipping and talking about old times waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. I was a little nervous about meeting him; after all here I am some guy he doesn’t know blowing into town to see his girlfriend and staying over his place. Probably didn’t sound too good when he heard it either. When we did meet he was very nice to me, also a genuinely funny person. He won me over right off with his sense of humor and we quickly became good friends. This friend of mine, let’s call her Cha-Cha, is like a bratty sister to me and unlike some guys I am capable of having a friendship with a female that has nothing to do with sex.

Attacked by Cujo

Sitting outside relaxing I was introduced to their roommate and also to a gay next door neighbor who came out to do some gardening. Following closely behind him was this animal called a pit-bull. Now I’m a dog lover, I even like cats, I’m in all around animal person, I am not however food for an animal. The second this beast came out I had this nervous feeling and I said to myself, “Relax Laz the dog just looks vicious and mean, it’s probably just a lovable little creature.” That’s when it attacked the roommate, viciously. The only thing the gay neighbor could do was faintly yell at his dog, “Thtop it! Thtop it!” Seems to me that even the owner was a little scared. Why would a gay guy keep a pit-bull anyway, seems like an oxymoron. Anyway, it wasn’t long until this dog got a taste for some Latino blood and came lunging at me a few times. For the rest of my stay I kept having nightmares that I was stuck in the Steven King movie, Cujo. That weekend we painted the town red, bar hopping, dinning in fine restaurants, and watching live bands. By the last day I was so tired and hung over all I wanted to do was stay home and order a pizza, and that’s what we did. The pizza in Frisco taste different from New York. For some reason because of the natural chemistry of this city everything is made with sour dough bread. Also it was being prepared by 2 burnt hippies instead of the usual Italians in wife beater shirts yelling out phrases like, “Ay, ya wanna pie or what?”

A little History and a lot of Chicken Wing.

Before I left I did get a chance to spend some time with my aunt from my dad’s side of the family. Her family was so nice taking me out to Pier 39 and showing me all the sites there. The last time I had seen her was when I was 12 years old. We spent the day walking around and catching up on each others lives. I learned a little more about my family’s history like how my dad stole one of Castro’s boats and sailed here illegally when he was 15 years old. He didn’t even get all the way to the USA instead somehow ended up in Haiti first. We also talked about my late grandfather. It was sad coming back because the last time I visited he was still alive and it was the first and only time I ever met him.

That night at the apartment we ordered Chinese food. Chinese food in Frisco is similar to the pizza, made by hippies and not by authentic angry Chinese people who talk 100mph. So I bite into a chicken wing and one of my crowns came loose, as in one of my front teeth crack off. I freak. I run into the bathroom and luckily it wasn’t that bad, but now I have a loose tooth and normal eating is a thing of the past, great. I left San Francisco a little wiser and made a few new friends along the way. It was a good experience with the city by the bay.

Here I go again on my Own

The following week I was back with my aunt from my mom’s side of the family in Santa Maria. A quaint little farming town that’s very quiet and very boring if you don’t know anyone and I don’t. I call up the dentist because of my emergency and get an appointment to go in the next day. They say I have to get a new crown and that it’s going to take at least a month. Well, what am I going to do just walk around not eating anything? So I agree and the same day extended my stay until God knows when. I actually called up Jet Blue and had the following conversation:

Laz: “Yes I need to extend my flight.” JetBlue: “Certainly sir, until when?” Laz: “God knows when lady.” JetBlue: “Your flight has been extended until God knows when. Would isle 16A be ok?”

I went to the bar attempting to make some friends since I’d be staying awhile and the bartender was putting up the chairs at 9pm. Not a soul is in this town. Luckily I have my 16 year old cousin to entertain me. I sit in the house and watch him play video games or I drive him about the town to see his friends. It’s great just me and all these teenagers hanging out at the Barnes and Nobles. I’ve never felt older in all my life. I asked one of his friends how old he thought I was and his response was, “You’re like in your thirties, like old right?” My other cousin is 18 and the lead singer of a hardcore heavy metal punk band. He invited me over to see one of his shows and I thought, awesome he’s older and bit more mature how hardcore can his music be. The entire night I stood in the back of the room fending for my life. I felt like a lion tamer holding up a chair pushing back kids who were going crazy in the mosh pit.

On my way to L.A.

My producer set me up with an actor friend of his who lives in L.A. Now I’m weary about staying in a stranger's place but I have a cousin whom I never met before who lives close by so I figured I could always crash at his place. Yea I know makes no sense. Anyway my producer also got me this two day gig doing a showcase for CBS. His voice message sounded like this:

“Dude, Laz listen. I got you this audition with CBS, their doing a comedy showcase out there, I want you to go and stay with a buddy of mine, you better fuckin go alright, peace bitch.”

An audition for CBS, wow I thought. So I drive to Los Angeles and find out I just volunteered to be a stage hand in a showcase for CBS featuring the best sketch comedians from around the country. Basically they didn’t even know I existed. I was just there to move the scenery. Well I made lemonade out of lemons and for the next two days I got up and was the best damn stage hand I could be. I ended up meeting the VP of casting for CBS and made friends with some of the actors. I got to watch a great director and writer from Broadway work and it turned out to be a great experience. The rest of the time my actor friend who we shall call Raff, took me all around LA. The first night I was there we went to this bar on the Sunset strip called Skybar. It was an interesting atmosphere. The lights were turned down way dim, a swimming pool lay right there in the middle of the room, and beds were scattered all about. I wondered if I should have bought a pillow and some swimming trunks. Talk about seducing someone here, you didn’t even have to take them to a motel when the time came.

After a few drinks Raff and I headed over to the famous Rainbow room. I didn’t really see anything famous about it. It was a bar and upstairs they had a room where amateur musicians and comedians would perform all night. When I say all night, I mean until 2am. Every place in California closes at 2am, very tame compared to New York but as Raff pointed out, “You don’t have to drive in NY.” Not having a car in LA is like missing your legs in a potato sack race, it just won’t work.

Sleeping on Deflated Air.

Raff was kind enough to let me stay at his place, and he set up an air mattress for me in his small studio apartment. Now Raff has two cats and one of them apparently clawed a small hole in this air mattress. Slowly but surely it deflated over the course of the night. I began sleeping on air and by morning I ended up on the hardwood floor with two cats oddly staring at me as if to say, “Look at this asshole, sleeping on a deflated air mattress.” Before I met with Raff, I decided to pay a visit to my long lost cousin on my Dad’s side of the family whom I’ve never met. It’s funny how I end up in Long Beach in a complete stranger’s house and they treat me as if they’ve known me all my life. They took me out to a real nice all you can eat buffet and set me up in my own room. I also learned a little bit more about my past. According to my cousin who is now in his 60’s, the Viciedo family were millionaires in Cuba before Castro took over. My Grandfather owned 3 farms, 2 department stores and a gas station. No wonder I have such good taste, hehe. In any case, one by one my family left Cuba for a better life here in the United States. The only one who stayed behind was another aunt of mine who is a doctor.

The Longest Blog in the world. My trip isn’t over yet and I plan on updating as often as possible. At this time I would like to thank all of you who read this blog but I would like to especially thank Paula (pictured below) who has stood by me and supported my career for a long time now. Thankx Paula! I would also like to send out a big thank you to the people at the Chico and the Man forum on Sitcoms Online for being like a second family to me. As Elvis would say, Thank you….Thank you very much. Laz has left the blogging.