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More fun in a recording studio.
For the second time in the last few months, I had the opportunity to record some radio commercials for Old Style beer. The gig came through a fellow improvisor who knew someone at the agency handling the campaign. Several pals auditioned and were selected to read for different two-person spots.
The ads are based on Old Style's "krausening" (pronounced CROI-zen-ning) process which, up until recently, I thought was just a clever marketing word. When I moved back to Chicago nearly ten years ago, our favorite hangout was a local dive bar whose outdoor signage said simply "Packaged Goods" beneath an Old Style logo. So when friends and I were making plans to meet there, we'd ask "Shall we go get fully Krausened?" in reference to the beer's slogan.
Well, it turns out krausening is a legitimate step in the beer brewing process. On the premesis that krausening beer improves it, the script for our radio ads apply the concept to other situations in life. So after a decade of goofing on the term, I found myself in a professional recording studio repeating take after take of lines like "So if I krausened this block party, I'd win the bag toss!" and "If I krausened this cooler, it would always be full of ice cold Old Style!".
I don't listen to the radio much, but I've been told by friends that my first two ads (titled "Pool Table" and "Local Porch") have been airing all over popular stations for several weeks. I included them in a YouTube video you can check out here. The new spots ("Softball" and "Block Party") should start popping up on the airwaves soon.
I hope this post krausened everyone's day.
** It's been almost two months since I updated this
thing, so my thanks to all who hung in there. **
So it's been four paws and eight weeks since my last post.
The gentleman pictured above is Linus, a one year old shih tzu that Brooke and I selected to foster through Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation, a wonderful no-kill shelter that places homeless pets with temporary and permanent owners. Eight months after losing Dana Monster, we decided fostering was a great way of having a dog around without the permanent commitment. It's also nice that CCRF covers all vet expenses while you're a foster parent ... including the visit where, as we say, Linus lost his Liney Beans. As we learned, the poor dog had a rough first year. He was rescued from a puppy mill and bounced around a couple different shelters before Brooke and I met him, so we were happy to give him a good home.
Brooke grew up with a shih tzus and loves the breed, so it was an easy choice and she got attached right away. Rarely did I walk into a room he wasn't curled up in her lap or on his back comatose while his belly was scratched.
With me it was a different story.
Like Brooke, I liked Linus since we the moment we found him. His unkempt mane and trademark underbite gave him a scrappy appearance which, in my opinion, belied the fact that he was a froofy lapdog breed. Unfortunately, Linus could never really warm up to me. Despite the fact that I'd also indulge him with pettings and compliments, he'd go into hiding whenever I entered a room and our walks devolved into comical scene about a 6'3" guy practically dragging a reluctant 15-pound dog around the block.
I tried to be a good sport, but it sorta crushed me that "our" dog - who's supposed to always be jazzed to see you - seemed afraid of me no matter how hard I tried. Did I resemble some bearded version of Cruella DeVille from his previous life? Whatever the reason, I felt like I was helping to dogsit Brooke's best friend most of the time ... and if you know me, you know I'm not great with sharing a spotlight.
So when we got a call from CCRF saying someone wanted to adopt Linus, I was torn. I knew it would be difficult for Brooke to give him away, but also that the current arrangement wasn't working out quite how we hoped. Luckily, the adoption application was submitted by a family in the south suburbs who had a big backyard, two kids and an enormous English bulldog called Murphy. Giving up Linus was still rough, but the decision was made easier knowing he was going to a good home.
Today we got an email from Linus's new family letting us know he was doing well. Written in the first person, it says, things like "I am adjusting to my new life here ... three kids and two parents there is always something going on." and "Our backyard is a lot of fun. It is large and full of grass we run around all day – well I do most of the running and Murphy kinda just watching me run around him."
The photo they attached says it all ... especially the sign in the background. Check it out here.
More fun in a recording studio.
