All the Concerts Fit to Print

This is the live version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It has many people who were on MST3K, but they don't have rights to the name, so they call themselves Cinematic Titanic. There were five cast members, Joel Hodgson (Joel Robinson), Frank Coniff (TV's Frank), Trace Beaulieu (Dr. Forrester and Crow), Mary Jo Pehl (various, Pearl Forrester) and J. Elvis Weinstein (the original Crow and Dr. Erhardt).

Before the show started, an old guy named Groover came out occasionally to get the crowd going. Then the players (except Joel) came out one-by-one to talk, and basically do a little stand-up comedy. Frank did some political stuff, including a poem entitled "Why I like Scott Walker," and consisting only of two seconds of silence. A recent tweet of his was: "Dick Cheney is alive thanks to modern era of cardiology advances. Many others are dead thanks to modern era of Dick Cheney." I thought his political jokes were funny, but fortunately, there was no further political humor for the night.

After a break, Joel came out to start the movie. Everyone took their places (stools or chairs) on either side of the stage, started up their ipads (nice lighting on their faces), and the movie started. From there, it was pretty much what they've always done - say funny things about the movie, and make it look even worse than it already is. The movie was The Astral Factor. A convicted strangler, studying the paranormal in his jail cell, learns to make himself invisible. As an invisible man, he escapes from prison to stalk and strangle the five women who testified against him at his trial. Robert Foxworth plays the police lieutenant assigned to protect them, and to catch the invisible strangler. It was pretty bad. The cast included Elke Sommer and Stefanie Powers ("in her first no-pants role").

The crowd was kindof odd, in that it was very homogenous. Everyone there either was a geeky, goofy college kid, or had been one. There was a distinct bell curve, with the median age in the late thirties. Just a handful of teenagers, and a few "older" people, but mostly people in their thirties and forties. The show debuted on national television over 20 years ago, so there you go. The Pabst was sold out, and quite a few people had been to the show the previous night, since they do different movies every night.

at the Pabst. Steve must have won these tickets.

This is one of those "Steppenwolf, featuring John Kay" kind of shows. Not a reunion kind of tour, just featuring one of the original members. At the rock stage again.

I went to Summerfest several times in 1989. Femmes, BOC, Steppenwolf, and I also saw Nora Dunn ( on 7/2) and Sigmond Snopek (back when he was still doing two shows daily) and Michael Winslow (on 7/9) at the comedy stage.

I can't remember who the headliner was at this show. I'm guessing it was Emo Phillips. I know that Rita Rudner and Larry "Bud" Melman were there.

I think this show was at the UMW Union. That is, outdoors, in the square between the Union building and the library. A chilly night. The opener was Art Kumbalek. I don't remember who the other was.