NASHVILLE |DT: OCTOBER 21, 2015
FR: LIBBY COFFEY/MSO PR
A CONVERSATION WITH STAND-UP COMEDIAN
BILL BURR
WHO WILL PERFORM AT
—A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR CANCER PATIENTS WHO CAN’T AFFORD TREATMENT—
TUESDAY, NOV. 3
AT THE EL REY THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES
CONFIRMED TO PERFORM:
BILLY IDOL, DAVE NAVARRO, JULIETTE LEWIS, DUFF McKAGAN, GILBY CLARKE, DAVE KUSHNER, MARK McGRATH, JOSH FREESE AND KESHA
TICKETS ON SALE NOW (Here)
RED CARPET (6:00-7:00 PM); CONCERT BEGINS (7:00 PM)
Pictured above Bill Burr. Photo link: http://msopr.com/files/billburr2.jpg
The stand-up comedian BILL BURR (“Breaking Bad,” “Walk of Shame”)will bring his unique brand of comedy to RHONDA’s KISS, the benefit concert on Tuesday, November 3 at The El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles which will raise money for cancer patients who can’t afford treatment. (5515 Wilshire Blvd). Read the Q&A below with BURR, an actor and comedian who is gaining national attention for both his blunt delivery and daring jokes, will perform a 30-minute set as well as serve as emcee for the one-night-only event.
Following BURR’s performance, an epic night of rock n’ roll for a great cause is on tap with a full concert featuring music luminaries: BILLY IDOL, DAVE NAVARRO (Jane’s Addiction), JULIETTE LEWIS (Juliette & The Licks), DUFF McKAGAN (Velvet Revolver, Guns N’ Roses), DAVE KUSHNER (Velvet Revolver), GILBY CLARKE (Guns N’ Roses), MARK McGRATH (Sugar Ray), JOSH FREESE (NIN, Devo, A Perfect Circle), pop-singer-songwriter KESHA and more. All proceeds from RHONDA’s KISS will benefit City of Hope in Los Angeles, a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. All tickets for the event include open bar and appetizers; tickets are on-sale now (here) and at: www.rhondaskiss.org.
Presented by Double Platinum, the event will also feature a VIP gift lounge and silent auction from Double Platinum (Grammy Foundation, VH1 Save the Music, Sundance Film Festival), and a talent meet and greet.
RHONDA’S KISS (http://rhondaskiss.org) is supported by the Marc A. and Rhonda L. Stefanski Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3). In 2014, Rhonda Stefanski was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. While she lost her battle, one of the greatest gifts she left was to create Rhonda’s Kiss an event to raise money to help those who receive a cancer diagnosis, but may be unable to make ends meet for treatment and support. Rhonda’s Kiss provides financial support to decrease late-stage cancer diagnosis in urban communities and for patients in financial need by using a three-pronged approach that integrates outreach (education, awareness and screening), navigation (medical and home) and patient services (treatment and financial assistance and emotional support). All funds will benefit City of Hope, a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
Below is a conversation with the stand-up comic BILL BURR who is currently on a national U.S. tour and will premiere his animated comedy “F is for Family” on Netflix in December. Feel free to post and/or share the Q&A in its entirety.
What drew you into comedy?
“I watched comedy, I loved it, I never studied it. Like I love music and listened to music and the next thing I know I started playing drums. So I love comedy and next thing I know I start doing stand-up. You just gravitate towards whatever you’re interested in. I failed at everything else pretty much. The only thing I was good at was screwing around. And then I ended up working in this warehouse in New York with this guy who was gonna try comedy and I realized I could do it. I thought you had to move to Hollywood. I didn’t realize you can just go down to some bar, stand on stage, and make a fool of yourself. Once I figured that out, I’ve been doing it ever since.”
When did you start playing drums?
“I started playing drums sometime in 1988. I played for about five years. During that time I started doing stand-up and moved to New York. When I moved to New York, all of a sudden I couldn’t play because drums are loud. They’re loud and I couldn’t afford the electronic kits-I wasn’t making any money. So I stopped playing in the mid-90s until the year 2000. And it was right around then I was seeing this girl who wanted to learn how to play drums and I got back into it and started teaching her. I’ve been back into drumming ever since.”
Describe your craziest experience drumming…
“The craziest show? I’ve only played in my parent’s basement…Well I do the show, the goddamn comedy jam. But about a month ago Dave Kushner asked me to if I wanted to come down and watch him and a bunch of famous guys play music for a school. He asked if I wanted to play a song and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll play a song.’ So I rehearsed AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ with the band during the day and at night we went back to do the show and half the band that was there from the daytime walk off the stage. Then, Dave brought me onstage and I’m like ‘what’s going on?’ ‘Where’s the band?’ Then he says to the crowd, ‘we have a couple more special guests that are going to help us out on this one.’ Please welcome from Guns N’ Roses, Duff McKagan and Slash. I almost fell off the drum stool. It was one of the sickest things…I can’t even explain to you. I used to play with my brothers and do a cover of ‘Highway to Hell’ in my parent’s basement. My brother Phil stood on the left and my other brother John was always on the right and we would play Appetite for Destruction and Use your Illusion. I used to play all of those songs. Steven Adler is one of my favorite drummers. All of a sudden, here I was playing ‘Highway to Hell’ which I haven’t played in twenty years with anyone and last time I did play it I was probably in my parents basement with my two brothers. Now, here I am playing it again and with the two guys from that album that I used to play all the time. It was 50 layers of surreal. It was unreal. The sickest part of the song was in the end when the song cuts out, and Frankie Perez sang the last part and they all turn around to me for a cue for when I’m going to end the song with a symbol crash. When the two of them (Duff and Slash) turned around and looked at me, that was something and I couldn’t believe it. I was smiling like Julia Roberts for four days, molars and everything.”
Later this year, you’re going to perform at Madison Square Garden. How do you feel about that?
“Embarrassed. I don’t know. It’s a weird thing to do. It’s not something I ever thought about doing. I definitely wanted to do theaters, but to play in an arena? We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know. I just keep picturing that person all the way in the upper deck and me saying ‘What’s up with cell phones?’ My act doesn’t seem worthy enough, to be honest with you.”
Your new Netflix series “F Is For Family” comes out in December. Why did you decide to make it animated?
“Because you can get away with a bunch of stuff because the characters are animated. Then put time period back in the 70’s and you can get away with even more. In animation, jokes are allowed to be funny. Nobody gets offended. These days, if five people get annoyed by a joke then they act like 5 zillion people were offended and it just isn’t true. Plus, I don’t like doing the whole hair, makeup, wardrobe and all of that crap. Animation makes it easier, but it’s actually a lot more work in some areas. It’s easier in the sense that I can show up looking like a bum and create something with a bunch of other people. Plus who wants to be known beyond a certain level? You still want to be able to walk around right? All those poor people from ‘Friends’ had all that money, but could never go outside. I’ll take one-millionth of what they got and be able to walk down the street and get a sandwich.”
You’ve been doing a weekly podcast called Monday Morning Podcast. Do you feel the podcast has become an important platform for comedy?
“I don’t even look at it that way. I do it cause it’s fun. I did it, started doing it, and it was fun and I kept doing it and it’s grown into this thing. The core of it is, if it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t do it….people have a rule. A fun rule. If it’s fun I’ll do it. That’s how I’ve lived my life as far as the jobs that I’ve done since I quit my day job. When I got into this business and discovered you can have fun and make money. Once you get used to that you get spoiled, so when you actually doing something that isn’t fun for money you have this viscory reaction like omg this is ghross, this sucks, I have to get out of here. This can cause me to be a little moody or bratty sometimes but it keeps me living a cool life.”
You act as well, how different is your approach?
“Comedy is just say whatever you want, done in real time, and that’s much more structured than hit your mark, say your line and all that type of stuff. They’re both fun though… Acting is different since I’m working with somebody else. In comedy there’s a set up and then I have to do the punchline and float the set up over to them.”
Who are you excited to see most at the upcoming Rhonda’s Kiss event in Los Angeles?
“The band obviously. I’m a huge Jane’s Addiction fan. I loved Billy Idol when I was growing up. I know Gilby Clarke was in Guns N’ Roses and I saw them. Obviously Duff McKagan is going to be there. Juliette Lewis-I have never seen her perform in front of a band. All of them. Josh Freese is the sickest drummer ever. I have never seen him live so I’m finally going to see him live. I got to meet Mark McGrath through Dave Kushner and he’s a really funny, charasmatic guy. It’s going to be an awesome night. Kesha-I don’t know anything about. I’m an old man so I’m thinking ‘oh good’ It helps me as a comedian to know what the younger kids are listening to and that’s always good. “
What do you like your live audience to get out of the night?
“Their money’s worth. That’s a big thing. I want them to feel like they didn’t get screwed and hopefully they’ll want to come and see me again the next time.”
RHONDA’S KISS:
Benefit Concert
WHERE: El Rey Theatre
5515 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
WHEN: Tuesday, November 3
6:00 PM — 12:00 AM
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5:30pm
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Media Check-in & set-up on Red carpet.
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6:00pm
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Red carpet begins in front of El Rey Theatre
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7:00pm
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Red carpet ends.
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7:00pm
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Open bar, appetizers and gifting lounge.
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8:00pm
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Comedian Bill Burr performs comedy set and concert begins.
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WHO:
Comedian and actor BILL BURR (“Breaking Bad,” “Walk of Shame”) will perform a special 30-minute comedy set and emcee the night.
Featuring live musical performances from THE HELLCAT SAINTS featuring: BILLY IDOL, DAVE NAVARRO (Jane’s Addiction), JULIETTE LEWIS (Juliette & The Licks), DUFF McKAGAN (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), GILBY CLARKE (Guns N’ Roses), DAVE KUSHNER (Velvet Revolver), MARK McGRATH (Sugar Ray), JOSH FREESE (NIN, Devo, A Perfect Circle) and pop-singer-songwriter KESHA.
About RHONDA’S KISS:
As a tribute to his late wife Rhonda, who passed away last November 2014 from pancreatic cancer, Marc A. Stefanski, and his children, hosted inaugural event on July 10, 2015 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called Rhonda’s Kiss which raised over $600,000. Rhonda’s Kiss raises money to help those who receive a diagnosis of any type of cancer, but are unable to make ends meet for treatment and support. Through The Marc A. and Rhonda L. Stefanski Foundation and in partnership with City Of Hope, proceeds from Rhonda’s Kiss will provide financial support to increase cancer screenings in urban communities, and to assist patients diagnosed with cancer who are in financial need, by using a three-pronged approach, integrating outreach (education, awareness and screening), navigation (medical and home) and patient services (treatment and financial assistance, and emotional support). For more information or to donate directly, contact: www.rhondaskiss.org.
About City Of Hope:
City of Hope is proud to be the beneficiary of the Rhonda’s Kiss Foundation fundraising event to be held November 3, 2015. City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Our researchers discover treatments that revolutionize how patients across the nation battle their diseases. And our physicians, surgeons and expert staff give life-saving care with compassion and comprehensive support. Since its beginning more than a century ago, City of Hope has touched the lives of countless individuals facing the challenge of disease and has given them hope. For more information, visit: www.cityofhope.org.
About Double Platinum:
Double Platinum is an established leader in brand integration, events, gift lounges, bookings, sponsorships & fundraising. With an unmatched roster of top-tier talent and key industry players, Double Platinum’s boutique services offer individualized support for our clients to gain entry into this elite forum in a creative and strategic way. Double Platinum’s organic approach and connections with high profile clients creates a platform for optimal product branding opportunities which guarantees a unique lasting memory of every product and event. Contact: www.doubleplatinumllc.com.
For MSO assets and press releases:
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For musician advance interviews, red carpet photo/video credentials and requests for concert review passes, contact:
Libby Coffey/MSO PR
818-380-0400 x224
