All posts by Matthew Callan and his Amazing Friends!

The Crooked Frame: Eric Nusbaum

Hello there again! Thanks for stopping by for another edition of The Crooked Frame, wherein I ask a pal to describe their most “memorable” live experience. If you want a better idea of why I put “memorable” in quotes, check out the first two posts in this series. Go on, check ’em out. We’ll wait here for you.

Today’s tale comes courtesy of Eric Nusbaum, who is a co-editor of Pitchers & Poets and contributor to future sports publication The Classical. His work has appeared in publications including Slate, Deadspin, and The Best American Sports Writing. His tale unfolds after the jump.

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The Crooked Frame: S.M. Shrake

Hello there again! Thanks for stopping by for another edition of The Crooked Frame, wherein I ask a pal to describe their most “memorable” live experience. If you want a better idea of why I put “memorable” in quotes, check out the inaugural post of this feature, which also contains an excellent tale of rock hubris from one Franz Nicolay (story especially recommended for lovers of Kings of Leon-based schadenfreude).

Today’s tale comes courtesy of S.M. Shrake, who is the co-founder and leader of The Story League. We story-told on the same bill back in March for The Show and Tell Show’s St. Patty’s Day evening and I can say you should go check him out if you have the chance. And you will have that chance on September 8 at Busboys and Poets down in DC (14th and V) for the League’s next Story Contest. His tale unfolds after the jump.

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The Crooked Frame: Franz Nicolay

Oh hi! Didn’t see you there! Welcome to a new, hopefully regular feature here on Scratchbomb called The Crooked Frame. The name comes from a quote from Chuck Jones: “When you have 10 pictures on a wall, the crooked one will get the attention.” At least that’s how I remember it goes. If I’ve misquoted you, Chuck, please do not drop an anvil upon my head from The Great Beyond.

What this is is this: I ask people I like and think are fun to share their most memorable “live” experience. By “live experience”, I mean any sort of performance-type event that one observes as an audience member or participant. That could be anything from a rock-music concert to a comedic monologue to a chicken race. I do not discriminate.

By “memorable”, I don’t mean one’s best or most favorite such experience, but the one that made the most firm impression on one’s mind. For instance, I have a few candidates for the best baseball game I’ve ever seen in person, but the most memorable one I ever attended is undoubtedly this one. What I’m looking for, really, are instances where one is overwhelmed by discomfort and overall oddness, or where things don’t quite work out as envisioned, yet the overall experience becomes indelibly imprinted on one’s psyche.

I’m very pleased and excited to kick off this feature with one of my favorite people in the world. Franz Nicolay is a musician from Brooklyn; formerly of the Hold Steady and the World/Inferno Friendship Society, currently of his own damn self. You can catch him this Tuesday 8/16 at Death by Audio, along with the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, and on Friday 8/19 at Union Hall with Fishtank Ensemble. Those who like to plan ahead can mark their calendars for 9/12, when he will participate in Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal’s Hot Tub Variety Show at Littlefield (all these venues are in Brooklyn, by the way). Without further ado, here’s Franz’s tale.

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