Tuesday, December 30, 2008

drop it like it's hot

The concept of First Night (Name of Your Town Here) started in Boston in 1976. I don't know if it was on January 1, 1976 or December 31, 1976 but that's not important right now. It has since spread to dozens of cities nationwide. Knoxville climbed aboard the First Night bandwagon a year ago.

First Night's mission
is "to foster the public's appreciation of visual and performing arts." In addition to all the musicians and artists on the First Night Boston schedule, there are two comedy improv troupes performing, Improv Asylum and Improv Boston. First Night Knoxville has followed that model by booking Einstein Simplified for performances at 9:00 and 10:15 p.m. We go on after two shows by ventriloquist Gene Cordova in the TVA West Tower. Somebody from First Night Knoxville asked Paul Simmons if I could plug the event on the radio. Unfortunately I can't because a competing radio station is an official media sponsor. Last I heard, there's a chance we could be on "Live at Five at Four" on Wednesday afternoon to promote First Night Knoxville.

Three of the other First Night celebrations were included on Trip Advisor's list of the quirkiest New Year's events. First Night Bethlehem ranked #2 because of their clever and quirky Marshmallow Peep drop at midnight. An improv group from Philadelphia called The N Crowd is among the entertainers there. First Night Talbot in Easton, Maryland, made the list because of their crab drop. At First Night Raleigh they drop an acorn. Raleigh also has a performance by an improv group called the Transactors.

The Peep drop got me thinking about Knoxville's festivities. At midnight a ball will drop from a crane in Market Square. The ball is okay, I guess. It's good enough for New York after all and could be thought of as representative of our Sunsphere. But why not drop something that just screams East Tennessee? How about a couch? Or a women's basketball? Or a papier-mâché head of Cas Walker? What's your suggestion?

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4 Comments:

Blogger Cassie said...

How about dropping an orange and white construction barrel ? Or maybe one of those pesky redlight cameras :-)

12/30/2008  
Blogger Sandy Weaver Carman said...

You'll be fabulous, Frank! Congrats on getting to be part of Knoxville's New Years celebration...do you know which games you'll play yet?

Happy New Year to you and all you hold dear...may 2009 be your very best year!

12/31/2008  
Blogger Frank Murphy said...

Thanks Sandy! No, I don't know which games yet but we'll have time to talk about it after our appearance on "Live at Five at Four," which has been confirmed. I suspect that we will stick with the tried and true favorites like Party Quirks, Da Doo Run Run, Chain Murder Mystery, etc. Do you have any requests?

12/31/2008  
Blogger LissaKay said...

We hope to make it down there tonight, Frank ... watch for us!

12/31/2008  

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