A Spark of Laughter

By Taylor Jones

            Moseying into the newly opened Stardust Playhouse in Monterey, the crowd gets acquainted with their friends and their little red seats as they prepare to enjoy an evening of comedy. Tonight’s presentation of “The Marijuana-Logues,” written by Arj Barker, Doug Benson, and Tony Camin, features a collection of monologues detailing both the stereotypes and the realities of smoking pot. The show’s director is CSUMB film student Kirsten Clapp, aided by her mother and co-owner of the theater Judie Swartz.

About forty or so chairs line the intimate theater. I sit facing the green, yellow, and red stripes on the backdrop, and in its center rests a bold, black hemp leaf. In contrast, an ocean of blue splashes over the walls that surround the audience. But all of this artistry would fade in shadows if not for the three miniature chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, their crystals dancing with gleam from the light. While listening to Bob River’s song “What If God Smoked Cannabis?” playing overhead, I’m getting a strong hint of what tonight’s subject matter will cover.

Photo by Nate Phillips

“Marijuana…say it…” pleads actor Allen Aston, sporting a tie dye shirt with a picture of the Earth covered by a peace symbol. “Marijuana!” echoes the audience in response. After Aston and his fellow performers Patrick McEvoy, Drew Davis-Wheeler, and Tyler Shilstone get the crowd comfortable with the word, they explain how they simply want us to loosen up and give the plant a chance in the name of comedy. Matter of fact, why don’t you say it out loud right now? To yourself or a friend, to a spouse or a neighbor, or even to a small child (alright maybe not a small child), because marijuana is what this production is about anyways, so best get comfortable.

            As the play progresses, I become increasingly familiar with vocabulary such as “jazz plants”, “El Diablo de Verde”, and “John Claude van Amsterdam” just to name a few. Shilstone provides a raving sense of humor in his outside-the-box thinking and blunt delivery. In one instance, he debated that smokers don’t use weed to hide from their problems, on account of “that’d be a lot of weed to be able to hide behind!”

            During a brief intermission, “marijuana fun facts” play over the speakers while a classic “cigarette girl” in a deep red, vaudeville dress sells a wide assortment of munchies, ranging from Cheetos to Kit Kats and M&Ms. Without these fun facts, I may never have learned just how delicious chocolate pudding is…. that it is in fact “seriously, delicious.”

Davis-Wheeler poses an interesting and valid question to the hypocritical police of Las Vegas, Nevada. He questions why he could be in Las Vegas and be arrested for carrying small amounts of ganja, while people are free to gamble their life-savings away and practice insurmountable counts of intoxicated sex with prostitutes. In his defense, Davis-Wheeler stated “all I [hypothetically] wanted to do was smoke some weed in my hotel room, eat a Snickers, and go to bed – without bothering anybody.” And you know what? I agree that the law is partial. If Americans “enjoy” the right to purchase alcohol, knowing the risk of abuse could be harmful, they should be able to purchase marijuana and use it responsibly. 

Sometimes I feel like the use of N.P.S. as “non-pot smoker” is somewhat condescending to those who don’t smoke the lean green, and places “pot-smokers” into a stereotypical image of someone who all too often sits on their behind and plays video games all day. Smoking pot is not so black and white as television and movies make it seem, it is more accurately a rainbow-tie-dye mixture of personalities and characters.

“The Marijuana-Logues” proved to be a very funny performance and would be entertaining to all adult audiences. It definitely sparked laughter in me as well as the rest of the crowd. Thanks to Stardust Playhouse on 2115 Fremont Avenue, Monterey County now has a new source for theater. This coming weekend will be your last chance to catch the show, so don’t miss out.

      —Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27 & 28^th at 8 p.m.  

          Sunday, Jan. 29^th at 2 p.m.

Links:

Trudeau Publishing on Facebook

http://www.stardustplayhousemonterey.com/

Revolution Rock: A Story of The Clash

 By Taylor Jones

After bursting onto the punk rock scene in the mid 1970s, British boyos The Clash awed world audiences in 1979 with their third album, London Calling, delivering youthful punk messages packaged in their own brand of ska and reggae seasoned rock n’ roll. No other band has ever adapted so well to spread their punk music, an art form so misunderstood by the snobby old man who looks down upon the “hooligans” running amuck up and down the street. However, this music speaks to those kids. It speaks to the tattered down teenager who watches greed and corruption run the world until punk music sympathizes with him and shouts “fuck em’ if they aren’t gonna take you for who you are,” stopping the Earth in its tracks for but a moment before launching it back into orbit.

            So what was so different about The Clash? The answer lies in the fact that their music didn’t merely speak to Jimmy Jazz getting harassed by the police, it spoke to the world and to future generations. Singer and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer once said “London Calling” was written for anybody who has kids, because we must keep this world turning and functional for hundreds of generations to come. The title track kicks off the record and describes the foretelling of a disastrous London, stricken by the plight of war and nuclear power, not to mention the teeming zombies. And while their songwriting seeped with punk attitude, their experimentation with reggae and ska styles tossed an island spice over their 1950s American rock n’ roll influence. Thus, The Clash produced a sound of their own that was accessible to countless more listeners than the brute, in-your-face punk of say the Sex Pistols. Granted, if you’re listening to the Sex Pistols, you desire their crude rawness that drives “civilized” people away, which is the reason you know punk music will always retain its controversial edge.

           The Clash, consisting of singer/guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky “Topper” Headon, were not only successful due to their versatility in music, but also for their lively stage presence. Often dressed in a collage of Spanish and English military attire, The Clash conveyed a wild energy (like that of Strummer’s signature jungle callings) that demanded the crowds’ attention. They’d strut on stage, pick up their instruments, and boom! They chase you like an off-roading eighteen-wheeler from hell and the only way to save your life is just to dance! Strummer and Jones would perform their iconic one-footed passing of one another from opposing ends of the stage while Simonon and Headon always locked in with each other just behind the ever-pushing pulse of a live performance.

          Notably, Simonon takes over vocals on his composition “The Guns of Brixton,” condemning police brutality and impending race riots of Brixton, south London, where he grew up. This song is an example of Simonon’s reggae influence, specifically mentioning Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come,” but casts a heavy shadow of discontent through struggle-filled lyrics. Simonon’s voice is considerably lower than Strummer’s, and by singing with a monotonic laze, he provides the darker atmosphere that “The Guns of Brixton” demands.

          As we recently reminisced over the ninth anniversary of Joe Strummer’s death, we embraced the fact that his message will continue to live on through his music. The last named track on London Calling, “Revolution Rock,” (not to be confused with the hidden track “Train In Vain” which was added to the record at the last minute) promotes The Clash’s self-held and evident belief that their music was breaking stylistic barriers and opening up the doors to future punk rock bands (i.e. everyone from Social Distortion to Green Day). While The Clash exploited the trifles of war, the corruption of greed and advertising, psycho hysteria, drugs, government wrongdoing, and police brutality, their contribution to the punk revolution is forever solidified in vinyl grooves through the lyrics “everybody smash up your seats and rock to this brand new beat!”

Links:

http://trudeaupublishing.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/trudeaupublishing

Contact: taylorjones9393@gmail.com