March 31st, 2008
There is going to be an amazing show coming at the end of this month. Darkhouse Productions is hosting a ‘Grand Opening” party on Friday April 11, 2008 starting at 9pm at Mary’s Place in downtown Rockford. It’s going to be big! I’ll include an excerpt from Darkhouse’s myspace page (myspace.com/darkhouseonline) to better describe the event :Matter Of Fact, First Round Failure & Kirkland will be joining us to help celebrate our Grand Opening. There will also be special appearances from the one & only Jonathan Bradley and some of the ladies from the Rockford Rage Roller Derby. The “Derby Girls” will be on hand with some cool swag to give away. Darkhouse will be giving away many different door prizes including (not one…but) TWO $100 recording packages!!! So be there to help us announce our plan of WORLD DOMINATION & take a chance on winning some great prizes. I’m extremely lucky to be a part of this show. It will be my first time playing in a bar and my first time playing at a Darkhouse Productions sponsored show! The cover is $5 and I hope to see you there!!
March 31st, 2008
The hype of “Men In Trees” is well-deserved - when the premise can stayed focused. The premise follows radio host Marin Frist (Anne Heche), who moves to an Alaskan town after discovering her fiancée’s infidelity. “Men In Trees” is shown to be adept at using comedy and tragedy almost interchangeably to get the point across, but with so many interesting characters floating around the town, the show seems to determined to let no one go to waste. Unfortunately, in doing so, the dramedy flushes so many subplots the main plots receive only a token coverage. Still, the show’s eclectic and likable cast makes it an extremely watchable show in ABC’s prime time. “Men in Trees” airs Wednesday at 9:00 PM on ABC.
March 31st, 2008
About a month ago, I reviewed Carpoolers, resulting in the most awkward and painful time of television yet. By contrast, the comedy Miss Guided is the complete opposite – a show which leaves you literally wanting more. Judy Greer plays Becky Freely, an unpopular near-perfect student who returns to high school years later as a guidance counselor. The show is sporadically intercut with unpredictable interviews with the characters, adding hilarious and engaging commentary to each scene. The only problem is the show barely fits into a half-hour time slot. ABC tries to compensate by showing two episodes back-to-back, but characters and stories this funny and this good really need the whole hour to build on an audience. Miss Guided airs Thursday at 7:00 P.M.
March 24th, 2008
I’d like to start with an apology. After the last goNOW was published last Thursday which included information about a show of mine the following day at Starbuck’s I learned that it was cancelled. If you happened to attend then I apologize for the inconvenience. The good news is that I learned that the performance will be rescheduled. More on that later. Last Saturday night I ended up at Breeze, a bar on the Northeast side of Rockford, with a group of friends and as expected we all had a good time. What made the night, however, was the decision to have an ‘after hours’ at a buddy’s place. While there we brought the ol’ iBook G4 and did some web surfing. I discovered that the best thing for me and my friends to do while drinking is look up 90’s TV Trivia. On YouTube we looked up several tv intros including, but not limited to, Salute Your Shorts, Denver the Last Dinosaur, Nick Arcade, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Wild and Crazy Kids, etc. Our collective minds worked together to re-remember memories that we thought were long lost. The end result? An all-in-all good night and me really, really missing The X-Files.
March 24th, 2008
Anyone who thinks a lesson in sixteenth century Reformation isn’t a steamy pitch for prime time hasn’t seen Showtime’s The Tudors. The period piece follows King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) early into his reign, as he annuls his marriage to the dutiful and somewhat naïve Catherine of Aragorn (Maria Doyle Kennedy) for the worldly yet manipulative Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). The movers and shakers in King Henry’s court react, as some vie for power and others stand for principle. Particularly noteworthy is Peter O’Toole’s engrossing portrayal of the presumptive Pope Paul III on the receiving end of the Reformation. One small problem is the extremely fluid timeline, which eclipses entire years within a span of two or three episodes. The Tudors airs on Showtime Sunday March 30th at 8:00 PM.
March 24th, 2008
Though FX boasts a host of anti-heroes on prime time, none are as compelling, sympathetic or honest as scammer Wayne Malloy (Eddie Izzard) on The Riches. He lives in a dead man’s life literally, assuming the upper class life of deceased lawyer Doug Rich with his family, including Wayne’s ex-convict wife Dahlia (Minnie Driver), their crafty daughter Di Di (Shannon Marie Woodward), lock picking son Cael (Noel Fisher) and cross-dressing youngest Sam (Aidan Mitchell). The second season follows Wayne managing with fallout caused by the Malloy’s murderous cousin Dale (Todd Stashwick) as the rest of the family make a break for it. The show only shot seven episodes before the writer’s strike, so be sure to catch the Riches on FX Tuesday at 9:00 PM.
March 17th, 2008
What I had originally planned to write is irrelevant at this point because I have had a difficult last couple of days and I will share them with you. If you’ve been following these articles with any regularity you may already know that I work in Vernon Hills until I’m transferred somewhere else leaving me having to commute to work from Rockford. That hasn’t proved to be a problem for me…I don’t mind the drive and after April bought me a BlueTooth Headset I was able to get a lot of calls to friends and such out of the way. Well, after getting to work with ease on Sunday and a few hours had passed I decided to get some food at the local mall. (Side note: There is a lot of great food in Westfield Mall) After I ate at the greatest named food shop ever, The Great Steak & Potato Co., I made my way to my car to get back to work. Problem is, my car wouldn’t start. Battery is fine, car won’t start. Long story short - I got stranded in Vernon Hills until April picked me up and brought me back home. What’s wrong with my car? Fuel Pump. There is nothing I can do at this point except hope I can get it back soon because as it is, I cannot get to work.
In other news, Mike Honson has been kind enough to include me in a set at Starbuck’s on Perryville this Friday at 6pm. The last time we played at a coffee house it went well. So, maybe I’ll see you there.
March 17th, 2008
Initially CBS’ answer to “Lost”, “Jericho” has now become a cancellation-defying powerhouse in the line-up. An exuberant mix of “The Stand” and “Red Dawn”, the show follows the people of Jericho as they piece together information following an attack on the United States. Now embroiled in second Civil War with corruption and conspiracy behind every corner, “Jericho” is more exciting than ever. It is noticeable that private military companies are becoming stable antagonists in prime time, evident in past shows like “K-Ville” and the “Knight Rider” back door pilot. Jericho’s Ravenwood is every bit the sinister network team we’ve come to expect, but their motivations and interactions with the town folk are explored in further detail. With a steady mix of ominous conclusions and likable characters, Jericho airs on CBS from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM Tuesdays.
March 17th, 2008
The worst thing a comedian can experience is a flat audience that doesn’t stifle a laugh at a single joke, but a weird role reversal is in play with the new Fox comedy “The Return of Jezebell James.” The laugh track plays out for joke after joke, but few are funny, making the results awkward for the audience. This is the same, for the rest of show is actually quite charming, centering around editor Sarah Tompkins (Parker Posey), who reconnects with her sister Coco (Lauren Ambrose) after Coco agrees to be her surrogate mother. The story is heartwarming, the characters quirky and the actors top-notch, but the show just isn’t funny yet. “The Return of Jezebell James” airs Friday on Fox 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
March 11th, 2008
“ICE…. HOGS…. GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!”
The voice is probably familiar, even if the name is not. Chris Toltzman is the man behind the microphone at every IceHogs home game. I took some time this week to ask him a few questions about his involvement with the IceHogs.
Andrew Wright) What is your official title with the IceHogs?
Chris Toltzman) Rockford IceHogs Public Address Announcer
AW) When did you first start doing P.A. work for the IceHogs? Had you done any PA work elsewhere before you came to the ‘Hogs?
CT) This is my 9th year of announcing for the IceHogs- I auditioned with about 10 other people for the job back in the summer of 1999. The only other announcing I did was in college at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville when Bo Ryan, the men’s basketball coach at the time (now with the University of Wisconsin) asked me to give announcing his games a try. You don’t say no to Bo Ryan.
AW) Are Hockey announcers more important than announcers in any other sport? In other words, do you have more fan interaction in Hockey than you would elsewhere?
CT) Besides announcing for the IceHogs, I’m also the announcer for the NIU Huskies Football team in DeKalb and the Hononegah High School boy’s basketball team in Rockton, so I have experience with several different sports. I definitely have more fan interaction in my job with the IceHogs. I think it’s due to several reasons. First, I have always thought of myself as a fan first, and announcer second. I think our fans have picked up on that and have embraced me because of that. Also, being open to the arena and the atmosphere- as opposed to being enclosed in a quiet press box high above a football field- allows me to feed off the energy from the players and fans and give it right back in my performance. Plus, I have more than 9 years and more than 400 hockey games in which I have been able to form a relationship with our fans- and the football and basketball jobs simply can’t compete with that.
AW) What got you interested in Hockey? When did you decide you wanted to do PA at Hockey games?
CT) Honestly, I was never a fan of hockey until I had to be. I didn’t know much about hockey when I auditioned for the job, so when I was told I was chosen I got right to work learning as much about the sport as I could. I checked out books, I rented movies, I went to as many games in the area as I could so that I didn’t make a fool of myself and the team on opening night back in 1999. The more I learned the more I fell in love with the sport. I mean, come on! You have players that possess the athleticism of a basketball player and the toughness of a football player, combined with the chance of being killed by a puck or a skate blade at any moment. What’s NOT to love?!?!
AW) You generate a lot of excitement with the fans, were you influenced by other PA announcers who were able to capture that same excitement?
CT) I really can’t recall any public address announcers that have influenced me, but I do have a long list of announcers that I love listening to. For a long time- and this goes for all sports, not just hockey- the job of the announcer was to be the voice that relays important information to the fans. It was neither a flashy job nor a position where personality was a key ingredient. But more recently you are finding more announcers who are being relied upon by the team to be an integral part of the fan experience- so you are finding more announcers who have a certain style or trademark to what they do. To use me as an example, I am relied upon by the IceHogs organization to make sure our fans have a good time whether we are leading by 5 goals or losing by 5 goals. That’s where the announcer-fan interaction becomes critical. I can’t do a thing about what happens on the ice, but I have a lot of influence in making sure people have a good time while they’re at the game.
AW) What, to you, is the difference between a “good” announcer and a “great” announcer?
CT) In my opinion, the difference between a good announcer and a great announcer lies in the details. A great announcer will take the time to learn the correct pronunciations for the visiting team, and will make sure that every time he or she opens up the microphone they know exactly what they are going to say and do it in a manner that’s easy to understand. But most of all, a great announcer knows the difference between saying too much and saying just enough. That only comes with experience.
AW) Tell me about some of the iconic IceHogs chants - How did Tick Tick Boom get started? When did the Cowbells become huge?
CT) Tick Tick Boom refers to the IceHogs goal song- “Boom Shake the Room” by Will Smith. From our first game in 1999 and into our third season we were using Gary Glitter’s “History of Rock n Roll Part 2″ song for a goal song, which was the same song the majority of teams in the league were using. During the 2001-2002 season I made a mix CD of Will Smith songs for my wife and she commented that the chorus to Boom Shake the Room song would make a great goal song. So I proposed playing it as our goal song to the owners at the time and they were all for it. It didn’t take long for our fans to embrace it and design choreography for it! Because it was so unique and popular among our fans, I know of two teams in the former UHL that were thinking of stealing it for their goal song. But in the end they decided against it because it was just too unique to Rockford. As for the cowbells, they are a traditional hockey noisemaker. But I think their popularity with IceHogs fans started with the farm-theme of our mascot and grew larger and larger every time our fans were told they couldn’t use their cowbells at road games because the home team’s fans were complaining about their noise!
AW) What is the coolest thing you’ve been invited to do or person you’ve met while working for the IceHogs?
CT) There have been many cool things I’ve been a part of during the 9 years working with the team. Meeting and working with Saliva on this year’s opening video ranks up there, and being able to co-host the Jersey Auctions is also a favorite of mine. Recently I went to a Blackhawks game and got a tour of the press box, including having my picture taken at the Blackhawks organ. But I think the time I first met Rick Nielson stands out. In the early years of the IceHogs Rick had season tickets and attended most home games. I began to notice that every time I played a Cheap Trick song Rick would look up at me in the press box and pump his fist in the air, so I started returning the gesture. One time we had a piece of glass shatter during the game, and since it was going to be about 20 minutes before the game resumed, Rick decided to come and visit me in the press box. We talked about music and what songs from other bands would work well at hockey games. It was totally cool and laid back. The fact that he took time to come up and meet me will always be a special memory.
AW) What changes have you noticed that you like since the IceHogs joined the AHL? What changes have been difficult for you?
CT) I have really enjoyed the quality of play on the ice and the large-market cities we play against, like Toronto, Milwaukee and Houston. I also really enjoy the new press box in the MetroCentre and the increased level of professionalism we all have stepped up to. There haven’t been many changes that have been difficult for me personally. At the start of the season it was challenging integrating the new video board in with the established game operations, but it’s going very smoothly now. I guess I’d also have to say that the player’s names seem to be more difficult to pronounce this year than in years past. There are more foreign-born players in the AHL than in the old UHL the IceHogs played in. I’ve gotten the hang of Russian names, but I still struggle with the Swedish names!
AW) What do you like most about being the announcer for the IceHogs?
CT) There are two things I love most about announcing for the IceHogs. First, the support of the fans is off the charts! The reason why I’ve had success calling IceHogs games is because our fans support all the crazy stuff I do. Our fans and I have a working relationship that most announcers could only dream of. They know that I’m just like them- only I have a microphone, and they know that I give it my best every single game. The other thing I love is the support of the IceHogs staff and ownership. I’m very fortunate to have the latitude I’ve been given when it comes to developing and implementing new ideas to the game operations. They know that I take my job very seriously and I’m always looking for ways to improve both my performance and the fan experience. Even though I’m technically a “seasonal employee” I have never been treated like a part-timer. I’m sometimes invited to team functions and many times treated the same way as the rest of the full-time staff, and I really appreciate the amount of respect everybody associated with the IceHogs gives me.
