Phil’s playing a couple of songs in it, and so are lots of other LA artists.  The donation is $20 and you get a ton of music plus “beverages served.”  Not sure what that means, but it sounds harmless.  It’s all happening at:

Red Planet Studio
5711 Santa Monica Suite B (near Wilton),
Hollywood, 9003
6 pm to midnight

For info, call 323-363-8905 at a reasonable hour–it might be someone’s personal phone.

And on April 17, Phil’s back on the set of “Up Late With Adam Fisher,” this time sitting in as the house drummer. The musical guest, improvising what will surely be a breathtaking number based on an audience suggestion, is Phil’s own spouse Silvie Zamora.

Ooh, and look – I have a teaser!  I never had a teaser before.  Coming soon–news on how to obtain the compilation CD “War and Politics Volume 1,” produced by Folk Alliance International and featuring Phil’s song “Stupid.”

Saturday October 9, 8:30 pm, $5
Up Late with Adam Fisher
The ComedySportz Theatre, 733 N Seward, Hollywood, 90038

This show is a trip. It’s a late-night-TV-style talk show complete with a monologue, desk humor, guest interviews and a live band…and the staff writers are writing the show as it happens. Try seeing that on a major network! I’m the musical guest this Saturday night, and presumably will be inventing something very quickly on the spot. Let’s see if I can do it!

45-60 minutes of music and laughs, possibly for mature audiences. Limited seating, so buy tix in advance by calling the box office at 323-871-1183.

The ComedySportz site, with show info and directions: ComedySportzLA.com

And if you happen to be in the Bay Area later this month and you’re free…

October 21-24 in San Jose
The Annual FAR-West Conference

Acoustic music heaven. You can’t come to this without registering for the conference, which you can walk up and do on the spot if you’ve got nerves of steel. I’m doing a bunch of intimate showcases, as are a zillion other extremely worthy acts. Let me know if you’re coming!

The Folk Alliance Region – West site, with all the info:  FAR-West.org

A couple items worth repeating…

Phil’s newest song, available for online listening

“Ethel of the AFM” is all about a crucial, historic, and completely-made-up-by-me milestone in the history of the American labor movement. Here’s the link – members.unionsongcontest.org/entries#82925 – if it doesn’t take you right to my song, use the menu on the right to scroll down and find it…

And!

Click the picture to the left and help save ComedySportz–family entertainment in LA (and my place of employment) for 22 years, now threatened by the economy.

Thank you! Stay warm. Drink cocoa. Snuggle.

-Phil

Hi, everybody! You can be among the first to hear, absolutely free, my brand new song “Ethel of the AFM.” It’s all about a crucial, historic, and completely-invented-by-me milestone in the history of the American labor movement. It’s also full of fresh, grade-A goofiness, just as you’ve come to expect from me.

It’s one of many union-centric songs you’ll find on the Union Plus web site. You can go there and hear “Ethel of the AFM” and 44 other songs, some of which are pretty cool. (For example, the genuinely famous John McCutcheon posted one–he rocks!)

Here’s the link that should take you right to my song (if it doesn’t, use the menu on the right side to scroll around till you find it)…

http://members.unionsongcontest.org/entries#82925

I’m sure you’ll notice that yes, these songs are all entered in a contest. If you’re the kind of person who likes to spend your time registering on web sites so you can vote for things, you can do that while you’re there by clicking the “Login” button. I’m not urging you to vote any particular way; please vote your conscience. That’s my advice in most elections.

In sadder (and factual) news…goodbye to ComedySportz

Many of you have visited the ComedySportz Theatre in Hollywood to see improv shows and/or hear me play. Heck, it’s where I recorded my latest album. Sadly, CSz is a victim of the economy and is scheduled to close its doors at the end of October, ending a 22-year run.

We’re trying to keep it going a while longer by selling tickets like crazy. I don’t want anybody to give CSz a handout (unless you’re rich, in which case yes I do want you to give CSz a handout); I just hope you’ll consider buying tix to CSz in the next few weeks. We do shows THU thru SUN, a whole variety of ‘em, not just the team-vs-team format. And most of ‘em are rated G, so you can bring whomever you like. We’re selling tix at a bargain rate right now, so if you’re wondering what to give your comedy-loving pal for her/his birthday, buy some tix and give ‘em away as presents. They’re good thru at least October.

To explore the bargain Ticket Packs we’re selling, click the picture and check out this site:

If you just want to casually attend a show or two, click here’s our schedule:

http://www.ComedySportzLA.com/shows/show-schedule.html

Let me know when you’re going and I’ll try to be there too so we can hang out.

Thanks to those of you who came to my last few gigs! I’ll have more coming up in the fall. We’ll talk then.

Your favorite spurious historian,
Phil Ward

DO NOT INSERT IN EAR CANAL has fourteen songs on it, recorded live, including stuff you’ve seen on YouTube like The Hoosegow and Stupid, and of course the staggering mini-opera Ugly Little Pizza, featuring a sixteen-voice choir, bringing the album to a thunderous climax that would make Wagner envious, or at least giggly.

How to get yourself a copy: buy it or download it digitally from CDBaby.com, or through Amazon.com. Or get a copy Phil’s favorite way…go to the ComedySportz Store, where only Phil’s previous CD EASILY AMUSED is visible (the site is being updated). Order that CD, but in the “Special instructions” area, type something like “Don’t send me his old one; send me his new one! Why in God’s name would I want the old one? What kind of out-of-date relic do you take me for?!” Rest assured you will receive the new one. Not only do we aim to please, but we really dislike being yelled at.

On, or shortly after, the release date, you’ll be able to buy the CD, or download it digitally, at the usual sites. More on that in a later update.

DO NOT INSERT IN EAR CANAL has fourteen songs on it, recorded live, including stuff you’ve seen on YouTube like The Hoosegow and Stupid, and of course the staggering mini-opera Ugly Little Pizza, featuring Aubrey Richmond on violin and a sixteen-voice choir, bringing the album to a thunderous climax that would make Wagner envious, or at least giggly.

Here’s what that looked like:

And Phil’s got three appearances coming up this month. All very different, each in a different price range, and each extremely wonderful in its own way:

• Fri Sep 4, 10:30 pm: ¡Viva Luis! at the ComedySportz Theatre. Yep, it’s a benefit to help one of LA’s funniest improvisers pay his medical bills. Improv, standup comedy, and a set by Phil. Myles Nye will tap dance during The Hoosegow! To find out all about it and buy tickets (they’re $25), click here.

• Sat Sep 19, all day: Phil fronts the comedy-bluegrass band Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at Disneyland. Five shows, starting from 11 am to 5:15 pm, at the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland. Expensive, but look at it this way: they also have expensive food.

• Sun Sep 20, 2 pm: the free one! (Donations are gladly accepted.) It’s Comedy Music Day at Dana Charnofsky’s Songwriter Sanctum series at The Church In Ocean Park, Santa Monica. Phil will play a half-hour set, sharing the bill with some funny acts he really likes, such as Dale LaDuke and the very R-rated Eric Schwartz, and some that he’s never seen but which sound great, such as Elizabeth Grey and Ukulele Bartt. It’s at 235 Hill St, Santa Monica, 90405 (just off Main St. on the corner of Hill and 2nd). Dana says bring quarters for metered parking.

Phil’s website: www.philwardmusic.com

You can always send Phil an email at phil@philwardmusic.com, and you can always be removed from Phil’s mailing list by sending him an email with “Please, I beg you, no more” in the subject line.

If you’ve been paying attention (and wasting time at work), you’ll have already seen the videos for some of these songs on YouTube, videos such as “Stupid” and “The Hoosegow.” Snap this sucker up at CDBaby.com, Amazon.com and iTunes–or if you want to do things the old fashioned way, just drop Phil a line (phil@philwardmusic.com) and he’ll tell you how to order one directly from Trough Records by mail.