While all of you were glued to your televisions watching bizarre “breaking news” leading with the header: Remembering Michael Jackson (memory and breaking news are mutually exclusive in my book), I was at Roxxy for the club’s Thursday night comedy event watching comedian Andre Paradise (above, moving so fast he’s just a blur) give a more fitting tribute to MJ.
He actually did a five-minute, Evolution-of-Dance-inspired Michael Jackson mini-dance marathon to Billie Jean, Pretty Young Thing, Bad, and Thriller. He also mentioned a new screenplay he wrote that is being produced: “Mormon Football.”
Man was pretty damn good — way better than watching the reels of news footage on CNN streaming at the bar.
Though Andre was just our well-fro-ed host, he was the highlight of an evening that, for $5, was the most impromptu fun I’ve had out in Salem.
It also attracted more black people than I’ve seen anywhere in this town — pretty thrilling in its own right for someone used to a more diverse city of folks.
You don’t go to the Roxxy for the food — as pretty much everyone and his retired uncle has suggested. According to the place’s one slutty librarian waitress, who took about 45 minutes to take our drink orders, the place is changing management and has lost some of the regular menu items it had as it restructures.
No matter.
The puffy doorman, a really swell blueberry of a guy in a fancy tan suit, promised to “talk things over” with me if I didn’t like the acts.
I did not ask for my money back.
Cariss, a heavy-set, lovably raunchy black woman comedian opened the night with some stories about hating bull and of her time swinging on the horses near the State pen.
She was followed by a potty-mouthed old dude–wish I had his name–who had more offensive old guy sexual jokes than I’ve heard in recent years. Three quarters through the set, he whipped off his toupee and used it as a prop. He also hit on the waitresses the entire time, with a comeback for all of their annoyed quips, and verbally assaulted a table of three people who made the unfortunate choice of sitting too close to the stage.
You’ve been warned. Go, but unless you’ve got thick skin, stick to the perimeter.
It would be nice if the song Thriller would stop playing in my head nonstop. I should have walked away from the tube last night and headed out. Sounds like that was a fun time. Congrats on the 15,000 views by the way. It’s an excellent blog and I enjoy reading about what you discover and uncover around town.
Thanks so much, Salem Man it’s been fun to see blogging take off here. As for MJ, I’m partial to The Way You Make Me Feel, and nobody’s been playing that one.