Tour Gives Musical
Comedy Its Props

By Steve Irsay
Staff Writer

If there is a comedy heaven for the likes of Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman (if he really is dead) and Sam Kinison, then there surely is a comedy purgatory waiting to accept Tom Lehrer, Stan Freberg and “Weird Al” Yankovic (who is believed to still be alive — physically, if not professionally).

These are some of the legends of musical comedy, a satirical subset of the funny business that, in the true Dangerfield-ian sense, often get no respect.

Which is why California State University, Long Beach, alumni and comedy musician Grant Baciocco started the B.O.R.E.D. Tour, a comedy music festival that hits the CSULB Players’ Second Stage Theater at 8 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets are $15.

Founded in 1999 to give comedy musicians a better venue than open mic night at standup clubs, the tour was named as a play on the now-defunct traveling jam band music show, the H.O.R.D.E. Tour.

“We don’t really ever tour anywhere,” Baciocco said of B.O.R.E.D., which has never left the Los Angeles area and had its only multi-night stand (two) back in 2003. “But I’m proud to say we’ve lasted longer than the H.O.R.D.E. Tour.”

This year’s show will feature Baciocco’s own (often one-man) band, Throwing Toasters, Los Angeles comedy music group The Four Postmen, New York comedy songwriter Rob Paravonian and Raymond & Scum and Hot Waffles, both of Orange County.

Headlining the show will be Barnes & Barnes (a.k.a. actor Bill Mumy and musician Robert Haimer), whose 1980 classic “Fish Heads” made them comedy music cult icons. The duo, who will be introduced by comedy music radio legend Dr. Demento, will be the first inductees into the Comedy Music Hall of Fame, Baciocco’s latest venture to get comedy musicians some glory, if not groupies.

“There is a rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame,” he said “But I don’t think a lot of people I like will get inducted.”

Baciocco bristles at the suggestion that the craft of comedy music is merely “a novelty” or “silly songs.”

“It takes just as much time and energy to write a funny song as a regular song,” he said.

And while he does not consider himself a standup comic, Baciocco laughs at the suggestion that his shtick wouldn’t stick without a guitar to “hide behind,” as some have suggested.

“I’ve actually had someone tell me that ‘if you did not have a guitar, you would not have an act,’” he said.

Which is, of course, not true. Without musical accompaniment, Baciocco’s song “N.R.L. (Nursery Rhyme Lawyer)” would simply be a spoken-word indictment of nursery rhyme legends like Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill, who decide to file claims over their infamous slip-and-fall incidents.

“And Little Miss Muffet gets a restraining order against the spider,” he added.

For more information on the B.O.R.E.D. Tour, or to purchase tickets, go to www.boredtour.com. A few tickets should be available at the door.

The Players’ Second Stage Theater is in the Theater Arts Building near the Seventh Street and East Campus Drive entrance to CSULB. Parking is available nearby.

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