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Ken Ortiz
Hello all,
Last year I wrote about some cool MFTE (My First Time Ever) moments I had recently and that, even in our advanced age (well...maybe semi-advanced age), we can still experience those moments. After I got back from Vegas (a MFTE for me), I experienced a couple of more cool MFTE's and also a couple of very cool Lane Tech Alumni sightings in 2019. One of those MFTE's was My First Time Ever participating in a Walk To End Alzheimer's event. What a great event that was, and it was also at that event where I had one of my Lane Tech Alumni sightings. I will expound more about all that, and about my other cool Alumni sighting in future posts.
My other MFTE needs a bit of background first. For the last couple of years, I have expanded my IC (Inner Circle) bubbles to include a group of very creative (artists, musicians, comedians, etc.) folks that are local in my area. I got to know several of them pretty well and have attended various shows, open mics and other local events that showcase some of them. Hanging out with them inspired me to try to come up with something creative that I could do at one of their open mic events. So, I finally came up with something and that was my other MFTE last year. My First Time Ever I performed at an open mic event.
So, what was my bit, you ask?
Ever see the show "Whose line is it anyway"? I watched it from time to time and that was when Drew Carey was the original host. It is still on TV on Friday evenings on The U (Channel 26 in Chicago). If you have seen the show, one of the segments they do is when they perform "Hoedowns" on a particular topic. If you have not seen the show, and you are curious on how the Hoedowns work, you can go to U-Tube and search for "Whose Line is it anyway Hoedowns" and there will be multiple videos of them as they did that segment on just about every show. So, that was what I did for the open mic. I came up with some Public Craft Brewery (the open mike venue) Hoedowns celebrating some of the different brews they have created throughout the years.
So, how was my bit received, you may ask?
As I was not experienced with performing in front of a live audience, I was pretty rusty and shaky, and it was lame and cheezy, but it was fun and silly and I even got a few chuckles (I had to perform the Hoedowns a cappella as there was no piano or Hoedown music besides us clapping to a beat). But it got better and I was more used to being on the mic and I also added more lame and cheezy material after several open mics. It helped that I was among some familiar faces and also the venue was small (a local brewpub) I was familiar with. The good thing was that I had unique and orginal material and it was a fun niche that hasn't been done before on their open mics. Now I seem to have developed a reputation for being the "Hoedown guy" when I visit that particular pub. Actually, maybe I have a talent for creating Hoedowns, as I have come up with some on other various topics. I do know for sure that I am better at creating material as I am at performing said material. So, there is no chance of me doing any kind of stand-up comedy routine, but I will give my comedian friends funny material they can run with. Which brings me to this:
Lately, I have been working on creating some Lane Tech Specfic Hoedowns (LTSH....not LTHS) and I have posted a few below. I am hoping that once you see them, that can inspire you to create some of your own LTSH's (Lane Tech Specific Hoedowns), or even revise some of mine. I will also show you an example of a Hoedown that has several different versions, so hopefully that can make it easier for you to come up with something witty, lame, cheezy, goofy and if nothing else just loads of fun, no matter what.
Here are a few of my Lane Tech Specific Hoedowns (keep that Hoedown piano beat as you read these)
Went to Lane Tech high school- home of the myrtle and the gold
Always took the bus there- whether hot or cold
Even went during a blizzard- what was wrong with me?
Could have just stayed home that day- and watched some tee-vee
(watched some tee-vee) <------ The show ends the final Hoedown with repeating the last line
I’m a class of 76’er- a bicentennial
44 years later- time has taken its toll
Seeing the campus now- really hurts my soul
Cause they sold the stadium- and removed the totem pole
(removed the totem pole)
When I went to my senior prom- I was expecting romance
But my date was still brooding- she wouldn't smile or dance
She was still not over her ex- and I wish I would have known
I would have told her "Thank you, next!"- and gone to prom alone
(gone to prom alone)
I had my first real heartbreak- at Lane Tech high school
Thought she was the one- I was such a fool
When she kept blowing me off- I finally understood
That she had another true love- in her neighborhood
(in her neighborhood)
The first Hoedown, with some alternative endings following:
Went to Lane Tech high school- home of the myrtle and the gold
Always took the bus there- whether hot or cold
Even went during a blizzard- what was wrong with me?
Could have just stayed home that day- and watched some tee-vee
(watched some tee-vee)
(OR)
Even went during a blizzard- what was wrong with me?
Could have just slept in that day- all warm and snuggle-ly
(all warm and snuggle-ly)
(OR)
Even went during a blizzard- what were you thinking Ken?
Could have just stayed home alone- rockin to Led Zepplin
(rockin to Led Zepplin)
(OR)
Even went during a blizzard- trudging through all that slush
Could have just stayed in bed- dreaming of my Lane Tech crush
(dreaming of my Lane Tech crush)
(OR)
Even went during a blizzard- getting to the bus all frozed
When I finally got to Lane- found out it was closed
(found out it was closed)
I am sure I will be coming up with some more of these LTSH's (Lane Tech Specific Hoedowns) in the future, but I hope you had fun with these. I will be looking forward to seeing some of yours. I am thinking that the best Hoedowns will be the ones about our Lane faculty.
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