Coming in for landing, Friends!
It’s been a long haul but the premiere of my HBO special, From Bleak to Dark, is the end of this story arc. I’m trying not to feel it as the crashing of a wave. I felt that creeping, empty sadness after it aired on Saturday. It’s normal.
I underplayed the night it premiered a bit. Not on purpose but it seems I do that. I remember my very first television appearance. It was An Evening at the Improv. I had flown to LA. I didn’t rent a car. I stayed in Santa Monica near where it was being taped. I bought a shirt that day at Stussy which looked nothing like anything I would wear. I wore it. After the taping I took a bus back to my hotel with my girlfriend at the time. Show business. The glamor.
The other night wasn’t the same. I was alone in a hotel. I didn’t know if I could get HBO. I did an IG live trying to find my special on the TV in my room. I laid there and watched it. When it was done I packed my bags and went to sleep.
I knew the entire build up and the experience of doing it would fade fast in the rearview. I mean, I’m excited it’s out there but when you worked towards something on many different levels for a couple of years and now it’s done it does feel like a loss somehow. I know it is out there being found and now I can see how people react to it. But now what?
I want to thank all of you for supporting me along the way. All the listeners, audiences and the plague IG crew, the girlfriends on the couch. It was a group effort getting here.
I had fun in NYC and somehow remained vegetarian, even vegan, as far as I know. I have a feeling there may have been some animal fat in something I ate. Ghee, perhaps. Instead of corned beef and sable I had knishes and baba ganoush. Brendan and I ate at Dirt Candy and it wasn’t just amazing vegan food, it was just amazing food like nothing I ever experienced.
I did the tonight show in my new suit. It’s always fun talking to Fallon. He’s a good listener, engaged. He asked me if I wanted to play with The Roots going out to a commercial. I said, ‘absolutely.’ Before the show we decided on a key and I put my pick in my pocket. All I could think about the entire time I was talking was nailing that first lick. I had less than a minute to land the riff. I was told Quest would count us in but they were already kind playing lightly in A. I strapped in, looked at Quest, laid out the first riff and he just picked up the groove from me and off we went. The most amazing thing was I was locked in and attentive enough to see him call the change to the 4 and I was able to land on it. Thrilling.
I’m excited to get home to the three dummies.
Today I talk to Marc Summers about starting out as a magician and being standup at The Comedy Store and then hosting TV shows. Also, OCD, cancer, car accidents and Burt Reynolds. On Thursday Tim Blake Nelson is back to talk about his new novel City of Blows. We talk about other stuff as well. The book is great. Great talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
The Rearview.
