Brag on my Buddy SarahJ!

Ok, this video is so crazy awesome (not fabulous quality, but it’s definitely worth watching). This is my friend, SarahJ, winning the (coveted?) title of HAMPDEN IDOL 2008!

Hampden Idol is a karaoke contest at HampdenFest-- the winner comes away with a surfeit of Glory and gift certificates!
SarahJ is someone I feel really PROUD to call a friend, like I like to brag to people that I know her. She’s a fireball of energy and always an enormously good time, and she’s a Renaissance Woman if ever there was one. Locally-famous puppeteer, improv performer, emcee, actor, storyteller, occasional mascot, and water ballerina. And get this – aside from being a performer, she’s a professionally trained costume designer and constructrix. She made her own puppets! and they are Guy-Smiley+ quality. My favorite is The Only Gay Eskimo, he’s real cute. Also, she’s a marvelous cook. Envy me that I know her, yes.

Here’s the behind-the-glory tale of her triumph, though. She had planned to do a totally different song, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood:
I dug my key into the side of his Pretty little souped up four wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seat
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights
Slashed a hole in all four tires…
She had the cowgirl outfit, pissed off dance moves, practiced the words all through, and then built a truck out of foam core that she was going to destroy on stage. Really! Brought spray paint and a baseball bat and everything.

When she got there, they didn’t have the song.

Never discouraged, SarahJ literally ran back to her house, put together a new costume (including making head- and wrist-bands from cutting up her sweat socks), grabbed the hula hoop and baton lying about, and made it work. Dude, seriously – I didn’t even see the show, but she deserved to win.

Happily and to my unceasing astonishment, I have a good number of people in my life that are similarly splendid in their pursuits – folks I feel humble to know and real, real proud to brag on. For two related examples, the emcee you see at the beginning of SarahJ’s video is Mr. Justin Credible, also my excellent friend and Baltimore City Paper’s Best Drag King 2008 (second year in a row, boi!). The whole daggone festival, 21 bands and a day of wonder, was programmed entirely by my friend Dr. Robot.
Not that I did a damn thing for this event, no I didn’t. But how cool are my buds? Awesome!!!