We’ve written about it many times before, but the hottest show in town is the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour every Wednesday night at The Basement, hosted by local poet Derrick Brown. The shows have been getting bigger each week and attracting talent from all over, as witnessed by last week’s appearance by well-known comedian David Cross. Tonight, Lightbulb Mouth kicks off – as always – with an open mic at 8:15pm, and will jump straight into the action with visits from author Jeffrey McDaniel (The Endarkenment), music from rockers GLISS and the night’s “informationist” Captain Wally Fingers who will… I don’t actually know what Captain Wally Fingers will do, but that’s part of the fun of the show.
As we prepare for tonight, let’s take a video tour of last week’s show, shall we? As always, the show opened with the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour theme song, a tribute to the culture and nuance of Long Beach, appropriately named “Long Beach.”
Yes, Derrick Brown really likes soup. The show then moved on to the musical performance. In the past, LMRH has boasted some incredible acts like this display from local group Deep Sea Diver. This night, Brown’s longtime friend Jason Whitton was on to perform the song “Madagascar” from his album Thriftstore Cowboy.
We then moved on to the interview with David Cross, who you may recognize from his stand-up comedy, or appearances on several Comedy Central shows and FOX’s Arrested Development, or if you have small kids, Kung Fu Panda and Alvin & The Chipmunks. This interview drew the largest crowd that the show has ever seen, as Cross dishes on Fig Newtons, The Doors, and how he would describe the state of Florida to a foreigner.
The night closed with a reading from local poet and former CSULB professor G. Murray Thomas. My camera ran out of batteries at this point, but Thomas’ poetry of surfing, California culture and the experience of needing a kidney transplant were moving and bitingly truthful. A fitting night to Long Beach’s best kept secret. Check it out tonight at The Basement at the corner of Broadway & Linden.
Tickets are $7, but $5 if you wear cocktail attire. Visit lightbulbmouth.com for more.