SFist Reviews: Porchlight Third Anniversary
Good thing we got to the Swedish-American early for Friday night's Porchlight Third Anniversary storytelling evening -- even 45 minutes before the show, the rush ticket line was snaking all the way down to the Lucky 13. And inside, the crowd (women in flower-print shift dresses, men in corduroy) was distracted from the arduous folding-chair seat selection process by the gigantic set of klieg lights and steadicam equipment -- KRON 4 was taping the show. (We've always wanted to be on KRON 4!!! Look for us!)
Porchlight is basically the live San Francisco version of This American Life -- hosts Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick invite people to come up to the stage and tell an extemporaneous story on a theme. No notes, no patter, and a strict 10-minute limit per person.
Friday's show was Porchlight's Third Anniversary show, with the theme, "Eye of the Tiger: Stories of Weird Little Triumphs." Because it was the Third Anniversary, storytellers were limited to 6 minutes, and the show also featured a lightning round, where five members of the audience would be picked to tell a one-minute story each.
After the jump: the tyrannies of a live studio audience, the ominous 2-minute piano warning, and Matt Gonzalez on Archie Manning.
Picture of Porchlight hosts Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick by Lori Spears
If it seems like we have a good understanding of the Porchlight idea, it's because the show was actually introduced three times -- the first time, Arline and Beth came out to explain that the show was being taped for KRON 4 (after a deal with HBO fell through) and that they would be coming back out with the cameras rolling and re-introduce the Porchlight conceit for KRON watchers all over the bay. Exeunt. Triumphant reentry onto the stage! Crowd goes wild! Clap clap clap clap, whooo! Explanation of Porchlight! And then... a cameraman runs up to the stage, whispers something, and Beth and Arline say, "....oh shoot, we have to do it again!" Exeunt. Second triumphant reentry on stage! Repeat!
That one must have been okay, because Beth and Arline made it through the intro without further KRON ado. In the intro, they explained that the timekeeper, at the piano, would play an ominous note at your 2-minute warning, and then, a dangerous-sounding minor chord at 6 minutes. Time limits would be strictly adhered to.
....and in fact, the very first storyteller got the minor chord! Stacey Lewis, telling the story about getting a bookbuyer job at City Lights, was in the middle of a funny story about Lawrence Ferlinghetti when the minor chord rang out. Looking puzzled, she kept going. As did the piano. Oh, it was awful, like in the Oscars. We were hoping Stacey would pull a Halle Berry ("stop!! I'd like to thank my attorney!") but instead, she said, "....am I at four?" The audience cried out, "six!" and Stacey hastily wrapped it up and left the stage.(Stacey, who's a regular Porchlighter, probably got thrown by the 40% reduction from 10 minutes to 6 that night.)
It's really a very nice way to spend an evening, hearing stories. Tom Barbash told a hilarious story about filming a candy commercial in Australia, A.H. Weatherman a poignant tale about being entered in the "Miss La Petite" child beauty pageant at the age of 6, and Suzanne Kleid a story about unhappy guests at her "party-friendly" youth hostel. One of the other highlights was a joint story by the founders of Clubbo Records (Joe Gore and Elise Malmberg), a fictional record label that issues "re-releases" of the label's big hits over the last 40 years, and their tale of a New Mexican country singer's sad end. And Matt Gonzalez, looking well-scrubbed, told a sweet story about Archie Manning, his father, and New Orleans.
But our totally favorite part of the evening was the lightning round. Audience members were invited to put their names in and Beth and Arline called out the names of five people to come on stage and tell a minute-long tale of triumph. It was like being on the Price is Right! Eager audience members came racing out of the balcony, or tearing down the aisle, and leapt on stage: one got a birthday card from Henry Winkler; one met her husband; one snuck into the last concert at Kezar; one had a baby; and one quit a job. Everyone's got a story to tell; how nice to have a place to sit down and really listen.
Next month's theme: "Utilities Included: The Roommate show." Send in your 10-minute stories of your roommate from hell to Porchlight at submissions@porchlightsf.com. We'll be there to hear what you've got to say! (Unless we used to room with you, of course.)