One day your name will be in lights

Combining storylines from Tommy, The Wall and Sid & Nancy, local Aaron Lyon has created an original “rock opera” called Hollywood Outsider that is playing at the illustrious Blue Room Theatre. Stepping up his game, Young Turk Jeremy Votava took on writing, directing and a last-minute role as the decrepit rocker King. But it was new-to-the-Blue Beau Hirshfield, playing prima donna Sky, who carried the show. Beau’s full-tilt performance came off as a Timothy Roth-meets-Roger Daltrey hybrid; I look forward to seeing this kid again. And the live band had its own stars, notably Maurice Spencer (The Craze) and the always-present Clint Bear on drums. Clint, it must be remembered, had his percussion skills featured on a Party of Five episode and apparently loves the limelight so much he’s working on a stage adaptation of the “Danny West Side Story.” In it, Danny West gets caught up in Chico’s gang activity, but I’ve already said too much.

Had pizza with a friend at Firestorm the other night while a band warmed up at The Red Room. My god, it was honestly like time traveling back to 1992 when Pizza Face and Juanita’s were side by side. Forget “glory days,” this is happening now, and it looks like it’s here to stay. It’s been a long intermission between bands at 142 W. Second St., but the show has started up. Besides Stormy’s located next door, where else in town can you see the band from the outside window? Used to be a time when you could watch a band from LaSalles’ window, but that time is no more. Standing on the sidewalk, looking in the window of the Red Room, I find it hard not to flash back to Charm Fueled busting through the pane, Hucksalt Hedspeed buck naked against the glass, MIRV mugging for the outside crowds, Skitzo throwing up multi-colored puke, Babyland playing steel containers with circular saws, Amish Rakefight dressed as flying monkeys. Those windows inspired many of the last wave of local bands to fight the good fight. So perhaps we might see bands of 13-year-olds doing something besides crank in the park, once more.

Hats off to all CHS students past and present and to everyone who made the parade a fun event. Yeah, I’ve spouted off how our July 4th parades SUCK, but this was different. It had a nice community feel. My only qualm—CHS shot glasses? C’mon, what’s next, CHS bongs?