A white, wrought iron arbor dripping in white orchids and crystals served as a perfect backdrop against which guests could mingle as they drank champagne, classic cosmos and The World’s Coldest Beer, made in a glass with chilled liquid nitrogen. Waiters served miniature lobster tacos and artichoke and caper mousse wrapped in delicate filo dough shells. Anna bé bridal boutique displayed earrings, bracelets, headpieces and brooches from Haute Bride to show the plethora of choices brides have when it comes to accessorizing for their big day. (Our favorite was a pair of mother of pearl faceted teardrop chandeliers with pave-set white opal rhinestones.)

It's the first day of schooooooollllll!

Hi. Remember me?

I took a hiatus. I quit smoking on Oct 29th and went completely cuckoo bananas on food for the past few months (we’ll get to that at a later date). I’ve gained fifteen pounds. Fifteen pounds that I have absolutely no interest in. It’s not happy weight. And, with a new year, I wanted to try something new, so I joined The BodyLab. You’ve seen the articles we’ve run about Jesse Morreale, right (Rockbar, Q&A, El Diablo, etc.)? This is one of his ventures, too, with head lifestyle engineer and owner Matt D’Amico. Basically, Matt kicked Jesse’s ass so successfully, they thought they’d give birth to a gym together. Righteous (that’s a meathead word).

Matt’s going to be my boy through this process, but you’ll be introduced to many other…Professors of Hot Body Making, as well. At The BodyLab, the lifestyle engineers are cloned to be interchangeable when necessary. So, everyone can get what we need from any of them—this is useful if you can’t always make the same session. Word, BodyLab. That’s real, real nice.

But, let’s start from the top. An actual reason exists as to why this blog is called The School of Sweat Hot. I just became a freshman, a co-ed (No more girls-only shtuff. Hello, testosterone.). Except, maybe I should call it a first year grad student? In theory, I have a nice base of knowledge beneath me. But, I have all sorts of unresolved wants and needs. Much like a college frosh has to figure out how to do laundry, do homework, feed themselves, clean and party, I have to figure out to do laundry, do homework, feed myself, clean and party…and work out like a fucking maniac. What I’m really searching for is balance. Or, happiness–a blue bird on my shoulder. Sigh.

And, just like there’s something sexy about college despite its absolute normalcy, The BodyLab is the same way. Maybe it’s the sign on the showers encouraging people to conserve water and shower together (I wonder if this actually has happened? It’s not a sexual place, by any means), or maybe it’s the fact that the two trainers I’ve worked out with, Matt and Tyler, cuss a lot and say hilarious things while you’re working out (I feel like I might be the only one who is actually listening to their jokes…sort of like my comp class, where two hundred kids stared blankly at the professor when he decided to bring his barbershop quartet in for a performance. Based on the other students’ reactions, I’m 99 percent sure I was the only one who realized this was happening. Today, Matt was saying he beats us because he loves us. The other day, Tyler was saying, “This song is about heroin. Pretty heavy stuff for your Saturday morning workout. Great song. Really sad.” I was so high off my workout I didn’t even catch what song it was…). But, maybe it’s more primal than that. Men + women + lots of sweat and panting = hot. Whatever…I’m sure over the course (get it?) of my tenure (get it? get it?) at The BodyLab I’ll be able to generate plenty of similarly mind blowing equations–so don’t worry.

I will be hot, I will be hot, I will be hot.

So, in high school, you had to jump through all sorts of hoops but only like one teacher of like six actually seemed to like give a shit about your education. The main thing was that if you were going from high school straight into the job market, you knew the power of punctuality and you knew how to take it from authority figures. People were ready to bust you–like a dentist who’s discovered you’re not flossing every day…or ever–just flexing their power muscle to vindicate some deep affliction inside.  I like teachers, but you know the type I’m talking about. Then, you get to college and the professors are teaching to the top 10 percent of the class (not the bottom dwellers) and flunking you if you fall short (versus coaxing you to pass so that their standardized tests and averages are okay) without warning. They’re like, “Don’t waste my time with your bull shit, you impotent little weasel. ” Okay, that’s where BodyLab is more like grad school. Those who aren’t serious need not apply. There’s no point in signing up for grad school if you have no intention of mastering the subject matter. “The BodyLab doesn’t just take the tuition payment and let you fail.  We make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain,” Matt says. “It takes a lot of time and work to reverse deeply rooted behavior patterns that need permanent correction in order to make a lasting change and produce a ‘graduate’ (somebody who’s never again going to fluctuate more than about 3-5 pounds).” Hehem, fifteen pounds of flux so far from me. This is why I’m still just a freshman. But, a drop out, I am not.

That's Matt. And, that's me having the time of my life.

Let’s return to ciggy butts, for a hot minute. I quit smoking and went astray. Despite showing myself one of the biggest acts of kindness I ever could by ditching that nastiness, I also stopped showing myself the respect I deserve by going overboard with other things (things = food). And, isn’t diabetes more dangerous than cigarettes? It seems that way to me. And, like a true graduate, I’m not going to verify that fact for fear that I might debunk something I really need to believe right now. Anyway, I walked into The BodyLab, got on the treadmill and fantasized about how awesome I will look by my thirtieth birthday in July. How nothing will control me. I felt powerful. Resolute. But, then, low and behold, my first BodyLab workout entailed smoking a fitness cigarette. A combination of sprinting and jumping and squatting and stress combine to make your lungs tight as hell. I was still wheezing six hours later. It’s funny how everything comes full circle and how certain coincidences can help you feel like you’re on the right path. So, my hiatus started with ciggs and is ending with them, too. Serendipitous to say the least.

If you want to learn more about where I’m working out, click here.

Laura Standley has been editor in chief of 303 Magazine since 2007.  To read her past blog entries, click here.

.

Photo Courtesy of Kitty Mae Millinery & Accessories

Local designer and co-owner of Kitty Mae Millinery & Accessories, Susan Dillon, is now offering a new line of men’s hats. It’s a good thing too, because these unique and handmade hats are the perfect accessories for just about any guy. The reason for the new line, she says, is that there weren’t many options available in men’s hats that truly reflect a gentleman’s personal style.

Dillon, who began sewing as a child and who later worked in fiber arts, launched her line of women’s bridal and couture hats in 2010. The men’s line was the next natural step. “I love everything about the process of hat making,” she says. “From the moment I get an idea, to figuring out how to make it a reality, the sewing, the forming and the embellishing – the whole endeavor is so interesting and rewarding for me.”

All of Dillon’s hats are one-of-a-kind, and she finds inspiration from just about everything she sees. Sometimes it’s a shape or a color combination that sparks her creative side, or sometimes she just plays with materials and sees what happens. Currently, Dillon is offering three styles of men’s hats and caps that she describes as vintage-inspired with a modern twist. They are designed to be fashionable, easily wearable, and they can be custom made to suit any guy’s preferences. Many of the hats are made from thrifted suit jackets, so they’re green as well.

“My favorite two styles in the collection so far are the Harrison and the Jonesy,” Dillon says. “The Harrison is a soft-brimmed, two-toned hat with a contrasting band and detail on the brim, and the Jonesy is another soft-brimmed hat with patchwork inset in the crown and a contrasting brim. Right now, I am making them in woolens, but I will offer them in linens and cottons for the warmer months.”

Photo Courtesy of Kitty Mae Millinery & Accessories

In addition to the current designs, Dillon also plans to add hand-blocked fedoras and bowlers (hats with a round crown and an upturned brim) to the collection. These new offerings also will be available in a variety of colors with almost endless embellishment options.

Pick one up at the Kitty Mae Millinery & Accessories boutique located at 3559 Larimer St. or online at kittymaemillinery.net.

For more on fashion, be sure to attend 303 Magazine’s Spring/Summer Runway Presentation at Denver Fashion Weekend March 1 – 4 at EXDO Event Center. Anyone attending on Saturday, March 3, is encouraged to dress in 1920s attire (in keeping with the theme of the evening). As an added bonus, the first two people to correctly answer this week’s trivia question will win two free pairs of tickets to DFW Nights 1 and 2:

We added a fourth day to this spring’s DFW. Where can you mingle with DFW producers, models, salons, stylists, boutiques, designers and the 303 Magazine family over a special brunch menu on Day 4 of the show?

Misty Milioto is affectionately known as Denver’s Fashion Gal. She covers haute trends and local designers in the Mile High City, all while keeping a close and critical eye on national trends that are currently rocking the runways and the major glossy magazines. Stay tuned for all the best in fashion that Denver has to offer.

Not all restaurants choose to put their best foot forward during the RW festivities.

In fact, some places even create new and cheaper dishes so that they can turn a better profit. I think RW should be a chance for restaurants to get new customers by giving them a taste of their cuisine at a great price, and Chef Jorel agrees with me. At Euclid Hall, they have managed to get most of the items on their regular menu on the RW menu. Couples will choose one appetizer and one entrée each, as well as dessert and a 22oz bomber to split! Beer is too important to Euclid Hall to leave it off of their RW menu, Jorel told me. Another thing I liked about their RW menu was the lack of “additional cost” options. I like to try and stick to $52.80 per meal during RW, just to see what I can get without paying more. Luckily I got to sample a few items off their RW menu.

Chef Jorel is a self-professed textural fanatic, and nowhere is this more evident than the roasted cauli salad. Built on a foundation of tender roasted cauliflower, Jorel adds creamy Haystack goat cheese, spicy shishito pepper marmalade and scallions. The texture is perfected

with a sprinkling of tempura crunchies over the top. Probably the best cauliflower I’ve ever had. I cheated and tried one other starter: the black pepper & garlic spätzle. If you’ve never had this German classic before, you’re missing out. Jorel sautees these little pasta bites in butter and tops them with Brussels kraut and sage creme fraîche. That’s right, Brussels kraut, which is to say Brussels sprouts leaves pickled sauerkraut style.

For my entree I selected a brat burger, a fatty patty made of sausage between two “bretzel” buns covered in coarse salt, this little beaut also has pickled cabbage and 10,000 island dressing. That’s house made dressing with more ingredients, for 9,000 more islands on your burger. I could have eaten any given part of this burger on its own (except maybe the dressing), but the total was more than the sum of its parts. Dripping with meat juices and salad dressing, this burger’s not for the light of heart.

I also got to sample some of the Hall’s famous hand-cranked sausages. The boudin noir is a rich and dark blood sausage, brooding with complex flavors like madras curry. The Abel to its Cain, the weisswurst, on the other hand, has clean and simple flavors: veal, parsley and lemon. Either of them pair excellently with the quartet of mustards they supply: yellow, Bordeaux, horseradish and spicy brown. If you’re going to go more than a mile high with some of the Hall’s added goodies, consider ponying up $2 more for the chicken fried quail and waffles. Chicken fried anything with duck gravy and habanero-maple syrup has got to be good. The pan-seared prime tri tip steak with fingerling potato and black pudding-shitake hash also piqued my interest, but I decided to just take a picture and save a thousand words (and $5).

Finally, you’ll split a spectacular dessert. The waffle ice cream sandwich caught my eye; I love a good twist on an old classic. A truly tart sourdough waffle holds a generous brick of salted butterscotch ice cream in its pillowy embrace, but the texture obsessed Chef Jorel wouldn’t be satisfied without adding crunchy pralines to the ‘wich. The hot waffle and cold ice cream won’t last forever, but they don’t need to when they taste this good. So, if your schedule isn’t already booked, stop by Euclid Hall and treat your mouth to something tasty.

Virabhadra

I was out last night with a friend who has recently gotten into yoga, and as a result, he has initiated his Sikh (a branch of Hinduism) girlfriend (who had never previously tried it–oh the slight irony). She joined us at one point and was discussing yoga, how she felt, what she did/didn’t like. She was very specific on one point, that she didn’t like any of the warrior poses, Virabhadrasana WARRIOR I & II, (she’ll obviously change her tune when she gets to III –non-serious tone there) which I understood, as they can be challenging and are endlessly analyzable as far as a alignment goes. One can always find things to tweak in WARRIOR II no matter how many years he or she has practiced. And no matter the type of yoga, Anusara, Vinyasa, Forrest…you will eventually find yourself in that swaying dance of a flow with Virabhadrasana II WARRIOR II, Utthita Parsvakonasana EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE, and Viparita Virabhadrasana REVERSE WARRIOR. This is THE flow in the beginner class (C1) at Corepower Yoga, and a variation of it is usually found in even the most revered teacher’s classes I’ve taken (Shiva Rea and Twee Merrigan both incorporated it at last week’s Yoga Rocks the Butte Festival).

The true Warrior Series has quite a story to it, and a detailed explanation can be found here, but quickly, its symbolism is basically Hindu mythology dealing with a wedding and some rather contentious characters: the poses represent Virabhadra bursting up from the earth, chopping a head off and putting it on a spike (WARRIOR I-III all together, and don’t worry, the aforementioned beheaded does get a new and improved goat head to replace the one he’d lost).

Despite the violent mythology, the Warrior poses represent large portions of the bedrock that form modern yoga. Each works on balance, opening of the hips, concentration, and sculpting of the leg muscles. They aren’t always the most fun, but with a frequent asana practice, you’ll be in them more times than you’d likely care to count. I’m reminded of a time during my Teacher Training when I was letting my not-entirely-positive feelings on Nataranjasana DANCER’S be known. One of my favorite instructors let me know that the reason I wasn’t getting it was because I didn’t care for the pose, which became a very big teaching moment. How often can you push against something because you don’t like it only to get nowhere? Like knots in the muscles during a massage, the harder you treat them, the less likely they are to get worked out. If it’s WARRIOR I or any other pose that you find uncomfortable, be gentle with yourself, and if you are lost please ask a teacher what you can do. There’s always a modification or other pose that accomplishes the same thing–there are 840,000 yoga poses. Sooner than later you’ll be dancing into and out of the warrior poses along with the others in your own beautiful way.

“In January 2011, weeks after [Michele] Leonhart was confirmed [as DEA head], her agency updated a paper called ‘The DEA Position on Marijuana.’ With subject headings like THE FALLACY OF MARIJUANA FOR MEDICINAL USE and SMOKED MARIJUANA IS NOT MEDICINE, the paper simply regurgitated the Bush administration’s ideological stance, in an attempt to walk back the Ogden memo. Sounding like Glenn Beck, the DEA even blamed ‘George Soros’ and ‘a few billionaires, not broad grassroots support’ for sustaining the medical-marijuana movement – even though polls show that 70 percent of Americans approve of medical pot.”

But a growing coalition here in Colorado plans to respond to these actions. The Patient Voter Project is a joint effort by a number of pro-marijuana groups, including Sensible Colorado, the Marijuana Policy Project, and NORML. Opposing Views reports the coalition has “a combined reach in Colorado of more than 40,000 online supporters.” Their goal, they say, is simple: ”We want the Obama administration to end its attacks on legitimate and legal providers of medical marijuana and to trust the state of Colorado to regulate the industry in a thorough and competent manner, as it has done already.”

The project is apparently an awareness campaign seeking to alert Colorado voters of Obama’s apparent hypocrisy surrounding the medical marijuana issue. Visitors to the website are offered a subscription to the coalition’s e-mail list for updates about “the Obama administration’s actions in Colorado.” Also available is an automated form to send a pre-written letter informing supporters’ friends and family of the “recent attacks on medical marijuana providers in Colorado.”

Though their website carries no direct references to political action, the coalition will be involved in protests and rallies. As Westword reports, the group came together outside of Obama’s campaign headquarters here in Denver on Thursday to make their voices heard. Expect them to make more demonstrations around the state as the general election in November approaches.

Austin Wulf is a freelance writer and cannabis activist. Read more of his THC-infused coverage of the pot industry. Want more updates? Follow @Cannabytes303 on Twitter.

Photo Courtesy: Beth Kovacs

The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) has quietly emerged as one of the ‘coolest film festivals in the world.’ Celebrating the spirit of Independent Film for the last 8 years, the BIFF annually pays tribute to films and filmmakers from around the world with screenings, parties, workshops, red carpet premieres, and many star sightings like James Franco, Oliver Stone, Chevy Chase, and Alec Baldwin.

This year is no different.

Last night, at the kickoff of the 8^th Annual Boulder International Film Festival (Feb. 16-19) at the Boulder Theater, famed director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill, Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Award of Excellence in Producing recipient, Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Our Idiot Brother), attended a red carpet gala to present a pre-release screening of their latest film, Darling Companion.

Starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, Darling tells the story of a Denver woman who rescues a stray dog (Freeway) only to have her husband lose him after a wedding at their vacation home in the Rockies. In the aftermath, the couple assemble a unique search party to find the missing dog. And in pursuit, uncover much about themselves. With a talented ensemble and a handful of schmaltz, Darling is a pleasant retreat on life, love, and relationships.

Then, fast forward to tonight. And William H. Macy is back in town to accept the Vanguard Award during “A Conversation with William H. Macy.” The Oscar nominee and two-time Emmy winner is best known for his range of roles, from his breakout performance as the Minnesota car dealer, Jerry Lundegaard, in Fargo to warm comedic roles in Pleasantville, Happy, Texas, and Mr. Holland’s Opus, to dramatic made for television movies, “The Wool Cap” and “Door to Door.” Currently, he’s starring in Showtime’s original hit series, “Shameless.”

Topping things off, tomorrow afternoon (2:30 p.m. at the Boulder Theater), Martin Sheen, will be on hand for a healthy dose of Q&A. The veteran actor has over 65 films to his credit, including Badlands, Catch-22, Gandhi, Apocalypse Now, and Wall Street, while also dominating the small screen in memorable roles like “The West Wing,” “Murphy Brown,” and “Two and a Half Men.” A committed political activist for peace and justice, Sheen will join George Clooney, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson on stage for “8,” about the court fight over California’s gay marriage ban. And then, star in The Amazing Spider-Man, out later this summer.

Of course, in between all the star sightings, the BIFF is showcasing many terrific feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Among them, Jeff Who Lives at Home (starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms), a hilarious romp about a slacker turned private eye, Lasse Halstrom’s charming romantic comedy about faith and fish in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt), and the powerful true story of Maldives’ environmental crusader, Mohamed Nasheed, in The Island President.

Plus, many more: BIFF 2012 Schedule

Rounding out the festival on Closing Night will be a presentation of the Best of the Fest awards (Vielehr sculptures). And a screening of Chasing Ice, a documentary produced in Boulder by Oscar nominated filmmaker Jerry Aronson (The Divided Trail) and Oscar winning producer, Paula DuPre Pesmen (The Cove). The film follows National Geographic photographer James Balog and his team as they track down the world’s disappearing glaciers. Balag and Pesmen will be on hand after the screening for a brief Q&A.

Then, in addition to the red carpet events, the BIFF will host a Digital Media Symposium with Pixar co-founder, Dr. Alvy Ray Smith, a Master Animation Class with Bill Plympton, a Filmmaker Lounge for mingling with all the artists, documentarians, and storytellers alongside a handcrafted beer or glass of wine from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and BAD, an After Dark program that highlights short films from local animators and award winners with live comedy and music.

Chasing Ice

Plus, student workshops and seminars on how to make your own short film or produce your own documentary.

One of the most influential young festivals around, the BFF brings the art of cinema with a touch of class to downtown Boulder.

-Mark Sells, “The Reel Deal”

Mark Sells is a nationally recognized film journalist and Critic-at-Large for 100.3 FM The Sound (Los Angeles). In addition to his blog on 303, you can follow The Reel Deal on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook for the latest entertainment news, reviews, and interviews.

For tickets and information on the 8^th Annual Boulder International Film Festival: www.biff1.com.

THIS WEEK’S PICK:

On any given day, Seamus Moore and Ryan Kjos will venture into Twist & Shout or a thrift store and leave with arms full of records to add to their wall of vinyls.

Like Pretty Lights and DJ Shadow (two of their inspirations), Moore and Kjos dig into their collection to merge rare samples ranging from a Russian orchestra’s symphonies to Daft Punk beats and add their own synths and keyboards. The final product is the down tempo, beatscape sound that is Human Agency—always changing and always diverse.

“I struggle with calling myself an electronic producer because I still want to play all sorts of things,” said Moore. “We are looking at developing the sound to the point where we don’t know where it will be in the next two-to-three years.”

Denver natives and best friends since first grade, Kjos ( DJ name: Biorhythm) and Moore (DJ name: Dialogue), started making music together at age 15, and have seen each other through Moore’s techno DJing at age 13, marching and jazz band performances and their own hip-hop crew, Modus Operandi. They first performed as Human Agency during a 2009 Halloween house party in Breckenridge and released their first album on June 22, 2011. Since then, they have added drummer Jonas Otto, originally of Octopus Nebula, to the mix—first stepping in when they opened for Bonobo. Now they have secured spots at SnowBall, Electric Forest and Phibstock, in addition to being the closing act at Westword’s Artopia this Saturday.

Moore, who studied music sound engineering at CU Denver, and Kjos who scratched turntables at age 13, are behind the melodies and technically rooted beats of Human Agency, but Otto helped perfect the beat and rhythm, which has given the tracks take-away value and heightened the live show experience.

Human Agency’s recorded tracks can be downloaded for free on Bandcamp, but the live performance is what they strive to be known for. With additions of a live drummer and Kjos scratching the turntables, live sets vary and differ from recordings. Hoping to never end up like DJs who simply stand behind a booth fist pumping, a goal is to have a light show and/or dancers and video for future shows, especially by the time of Electric Forest.

“It’s not just for a jam crowd or an electro crowd or a hipster crowd—anyone who likes music as a whole can listen to Human Agency,” Otto said.

So go ahead, stream their albums “Ancient Chemistry” or “Lost Alchemy,” and start moving. Denver music scene: don’t say I didn’t warn you.

After years of working at fashion shows, I was able to actually enjoy one as a guest this season and witness the always entertaining and inspiring street style simultaneously. I observed several umbrella trends – color block, fur, Native American prints, high-low hems, brightly colored statement pieces (specifically yellow), leather pants, hair fastened in high knot buns, and booties – as well as some classic fashion staples like skinny pants and the omnipresent NYC “black uniform.”

Here are some of my personal street style shots. Enjoy!

For more New York Fashion Week street style visit Style.com and TheSartorialist.com. 

Rachel is a Denver native, currently residing in Los Angeles. She has worked for some of fashion’s most recognizable brands and is a devoted fashionista. From trend analysis to street style to what’s next, Rachel has her finger on the pulse. Style is a lifestyle and she is living it.

Kevin Nealon is filming his latest Showtime stand-up comedy special in Colorado

No need for sneaky messages from Subliminal Man to convince me that Kevin Nealon is one of the funniest dudes out there. With his honed wit and trademark dry, straight delivery, Nealon has made a name for himself as an understated observational comic who still comes off as the nice guy you’d want as your neighbor. A veteran of  Saturday Night Live (where he not only anchored Weekend Update, but also created trademark characters as Franz, Tarzan and – fifty dollars – the aforementioned Subliminal Man), Nealon currently keeps us all rolling with laughter weekly with his portrayal of perpetually-stoned Doug Wilson on the award-winning show Weeds.

And now we lucky kids in Colorado get to be part of his next move.

Nealon is in town this weekend, filming a special for Showtime at Comedy Works South at Landmark Village. I caught up with him for a quick Q&A. He’s an easy man to talk to … and his crisp, sarcastic wit had me feeling like I was part of the act at times (especially when he threw in bits from previous performances.) In addition to talking about his upcoming show, we discussed social media, pot laws, the correlation between blues musicians and comedians, and, um, his irrational fear of chimpanzees.

(First things first, however. Nealon will perform four shows Friday and Saturday at Comedy Works South. For tickets, please call (720) 274-6800 or purchase online at www.comedyworks.com)

The following are excerpts from our conversation:

Laura: You have to be one of the busiest guys in show biz right now with Weeds, Glenn Martin DDS, the new pilot Isabel, and now stand-up. What drove this return to performing live? It certainly seems like you have lots to occupy your time.

Kevin: Well I’m not really returning to stand-up, I’m really just doing another special. I’ve always done stand-up – it’s what I started out doing, and it’s my passion. Even throughout my years on Saturday Night Live, I never stopped doing it. So I’m just continuing with it, and have been doing a little bit more of it in the last six months to get ready for the special … first of all you need to come up with new material, you know? It’s going to be an hour special so I’ve been on the road for the last six months developing new material and getting a feel for what I want the special to look like.

L: Where do you get most of your material?  

K: A lot of it comes from real life. I think being a comic is a lot like being a blues musician. You have to kind of live life and experience a lot of things before you can create a good soulful act. So I get my material just from living life and from the things I go through. As I look at my act, as it’s accumulated, a lot of it is sort of fear-based. I guess the things I talk about the most are the things that affect me in that way. Experiences I’ve been through … whether it’s surgery on my arm or a fear of chimpanzees.

L: So you’re truly afraid of chimpanzees?

K: Yes, I have a fear of chimpanzees. You know, since all these chimpanzee attacks starting happening…(laughs)

L: Yeah, those sneaky things, on tricycles, with horns, you know. (note to readers: see video here if you’re thoroughly confused…) I know you’re pretty active on social media, Twitter (@kevin_nealon) in particular. Do you use it to test out new material and gauge reactions? And how has it changed the way you develop material?

K: You know what? I do actually. I’ll tweet out a joke or an area that I like and see how many people re-tweet it, and then I’ll know if it’s funny or not. But you know the advent of the Internet has really created a whole new landscape for comedians. With YouTube, blogs, Twitter and Facebook, it’s a whole new avenue, and I think if you want to be successful you really have to adapt to that and evolve with it.

L: One of my favorite bits of yours is “The Little Things People Say” from (2009 Showtime special) Now Hear Me Out … it absolutely cracks me up. What can we expect at this new show … are you going to be taking some of your old material and adding to it in this special, or do you have a whole new slate of material that you’re bringing to Colorado?

K: It’s a whole new entrée. It’s really a prix fixe. It comes with the appetizer, the entrée and dessert. It’s all new material.

L:  One of the things you’ve talked about, even in Now Hear Me Out, is that people assume – mainly because of your Doug Wilson (Weeds) character – that you’re an avid marijuana user. You’ve said publicly that you’re not. I’m sure you know many in Colorado somewhat consider the state to be a capital for medical marijuana…what do you expect to find here?

K: Because I am on Weeds, I do get a lot of people who partake in pot coming to the shows hoping to find a compadre.  Don’t have anything against it, except for that it’s illegal, but I do believe in medical marijuana. I think medical marijuana should be legalized everywhere, just for medicinal purposes, and for recreational purposes.

You know, we have a lot of medical marijuana dispensaries here in Los Angeles too. They always seem to be next to a bail bondsman place.

L: …or fast food

K: Yeah, or check cashing places.

L: I work in an office that shares a wall with a dispensary. Sometimes you can tell when they’re trimming next door because the office gets a little pungent…and coworkers start hitting the snacks a little harder.

K: I guess it’s not hard to get a card. You just have to tell a doc you’re kind of depressed.

L: Yep. In Colorado it’s a little harder. I think we only have seven things you can get them for. In California, I think you can go in with a hangnail and say you’ve got ‘major pain issues’ and they’ll give you joint and a card.

K: (laughs) Really? I’ll have to look that up and see if I can come up with something for the show.

L: You’d get a lot of laughs for that here in Colorado for sure. Now I know we have to wrap up here pretty soon, but talk to me quickly about the new pilot you just filmed called Isabel. What can people expect?

K: This is a script that kind of fell into my hands a couple of weeks ago, that’s how fast it all happened and I really liked it. And what is interesting too is of course there’s still another season of Weeds to do, so my manager and agent figured out a way for me to do both. So we shot the pilot – and it’s a really fun show. It kind of tickled me like Weeds did when I first read Weeds. It’s a dark and dysfunctional family but a normal dysfunctional family – they could probably each have their own marijuana medicinal card, you know…(laughs) But I’m married to Marcia Gay Harden’s character, Francis, and she likes her wine and her father is on his death bed. And he has a lunch truck business and I’m dying to take it over – quit my insurance salesman job – and so I have it repainted and I’m hoping he kicks the bucket sooner rather than later. And our daughter is able to communicate with him in his coma, because she has this extraordinary mental power where she can be in touch with most things people can’t be in touch with, so we’re kind of dealing with her. It’s really one of the better pilots floating around  Los Angeles.

L: This sounds so…weird. And so fun. When is it going to make it to TV?

K: Well if it gets picked up, it will be on NBC. My fingers are crossed and hope I’ll go right from shooting Weeds to shooting this now.

L: which brings me to this final question…you’ve done a lot of things with stand-up, and obviously SNL where you got your big launch. But then there are movies, dramatic productions, TV, comedies, and you’ve even written a book. Do you have something that you prefer? And if so, why?

K: You know what Laura, for me it’s nice because I kind of get to do it all and I don’t get tired of one thing. If I was just doing stand-up I’d probably get antsy being on the road all the time. But because I have Weeds to go to, where I can act, and films once in a while, where I’m hanging out in one area for like three months, it’s fun. I did a film in New Zealand a while back where I took my family there for 2 ½ months and got to see that part of the world. And writing a book was very cathartic because you really get to just emote a string of feelings and get them all in order and put them on paper, which is nice. So, yeah, I like doing it all.

Kevin Nealon will perform four shows this weekend at Comedy Works South in the Landmark Village:
Friday February 17, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. and Saturday, February 18th, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. Advance tickets are available. Please call (720) 274-6800 or purchase online at www.comedyworks.com

Videos:

For classic Nealon (and one hell of a Swayze mullet) click here.

Laura Keeney originally became a professional writer because she was too cheap broke in college to pay for concert tickets. She’s obsessed with The Clash, gets easily distracted by politics and shiny objects, and thinks Spock is sexy. She blogs and writes for 303′s print edition about various things. Follow her on Twitter at @onnabugeisha.