November was an extremely busy month. I participated in the Lavender Rights Project’s 2nd annual LGBTQ art auction. I had work featured in Confluence Gallery’s “Wit & Whimsy” exhibition, as well as Art Intersection’s “Little by Little” show in Gilbert, AZ. On top of that, I was preparing for two additional shows, setting up my shop to sell greeting cards, and doing a dozen of other things that probably aren’t worth mentioning here.
Things were looking up! Until I found out that my favorite venue in town would be closing.
That may not sound like a big deal, but to put things into perspective, I spend most of my time indoors and desperately need a social outlet to stay sane. This is a small, often conservative town. RadarStation was the one place I felt safe enough to be myself, and after attending their open mic night for several weeks, I gained the courage to try stand-up comedy. I was immediately hooked and came back as often as humanly possible.
You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with the piece above, which includes a 2011 tweet by Rihanna that reads:
“Good luck with booking that stage u speak of”
Well, the answer to that question is kind of convoluted! I had just done a particularly bizarre set at RadarStation that involved Costco and Rihanna in a top hat. (Please do not ask me for additional details unless you give me a few drinks beforehand.) Ultimately, this piece served three different purposes:
It was a continuation of an unofficial series about tweets by pop stars and celebrities.
It was an embodiment of my unhealthy Rihanna obsession.
It was reflective of the anxiety I felt that I’d never perform comedy again.
This story has a somewhat happy ending. I performed the Rihanna set to a packed room at the final open mic night, and it went better than I would have ever anticipated. The rush I felt walking off stage made it a bittersweet goodbye. If that was the peak of my comedy career, I might be okay with that.
While RadarStation as a physical space is gone, it still lives on in many other ways! Follow on Facebook or Instagram for phenomenal art, local events, and other things that I am mentioning because I am guilty that I made this entire post about me.
Is this piece available?
“That Stage U Speak Of” is available in my online shop.