Friday at the 2010 Phoenix Comicon – the awesome hour and rock band

Since I didn't write about it while I was there, I'm recapping some highlights of the 2010 Phoenix Comicon in the next couple posts, starting with Friday.

Friday:

I have felt creatively stagnant for months, and unable to write much of anything. I suspect it's because the creative part of my brain has been busy with various acting gigs, so it's not something to complain about, but the end result is that I just don't have any new narrative stories that I feel are worthy of performance.

I didn't want to read something I've done a bunch of times before (I joked that I felt like I was just playing Freebird over and over again) so I looked at some columns I'd written for LA Daily last year, and ended up telling two stories about classic gaming on the Atari 2600. I was nervous about it, because I'd never performed them in public, but I figured that it was worth taking a risk to give the audience something they'd never heard before.

I thought the reading portion of the Awesome Hour went very well. I had a good time telling the stories, and as far as I could tell, the audience enjoyed it as well. I was particularly happy that I only used up half of the hour when I was done, so I had time for more than just one or two questions during the Q&A, which ended up lasting almost an hour, because the audience demanded it. Awesome.

The entire presentation was streamed live, and is available as a podcast from Versus The World Productions.

Friday night, we did our second annual Rockband party, which was a HUGE SUCCESS. Like I said last year, it didn't make a difference if we looked cool or not, because just having fun was all that mattered to us. 

I want everyone to take a moment and applaud the fearless people who got up on stage and played with me. This era of ubiquitous internet videos and the inevitable internet dickwads they attract makes me think twice about doing anything that could look silly, and I'm a professional performer. All of the people who played with me were very brave, and as far as I can tell, we all had a great time.

Here are three highlights:

That was as fun as it looked, and I think it was my best performance of the night. I especially love that the guitarist threw caution to the wind, embraced the cheese, and elevated Livin' On A Prayer from "didn't suck" to "was awesome."

As I pointed out to the audience, this was the first time I had ever heard Poker Face in its entirety, so I didn't really have the freedom to … perform … this the way I did Livin' On A Prayer, so I was really grateful that John and Felicia grabbed the Cheat's glowsticks and threw a lightswitch rave on stage to back me up. 

I'm a little disturbed by how much fun it was to sing this song, once I figured out the pattern.

Finally:

I thought I liked Journey a quite lot … until I found out how much John likes Journey, and realized that my scale was in desperate need of recalibration. Note that we did this song at 2am, after we'd been playing Rock Band for 4 hours, after we'd been at a con for 10 hours.

Up next: Saturday.

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69 thoughts on “Friday at the 2010 Phoenix Comicon – the awesome hour and rock band”

  1. That’s Totally Awesome Wil!
    I’m glad you had fun, it sounds like it rocked!
    So coming to, or near Oklahoma at all for any reason any time soon? lol. That would be awesome! Well thought I would try my luck there.

  3. Thanks for taking the time to interact with us as we were getting the live streaming/podcasting ready, and especially thank you for taking the time to Tweet about the coverage. We were able to get it out to a lot more people live because of that.

  4. The concert was awesome. Your fellow Bon Jovi performers were rad, as was everyone who got up to perform. It’s too bad those of us who were down front cheering got shooed away to make room for “media” to take pics/videos. Though, these videos kind of make it worth it.
    Oh, how I less than three John Scalzi singing Journey. That’s joy, right there.

  5. If that’s you not really properly “performing” Poker Face, I think we all anticipate the day you’re able to let loose on that song.

  8. I can honestly say that is the first time I’ve enjoyed listening to Poker Face.
    Also, I think spontaneous glow stick back-up would make any karaoke or rock band performance 1000% better!

  9. I enjoyed the Awesome Hour, and it was definitely aptly named. Glad to see the videos of Wil Wheaton Rock Band since a couple of the previous events running late prevented me from attending. I look forward to seeing you next year and hopefully I can be lucky enough to get up on stage with you.
    Ashes to ashes,
    DJ Pheonyx
    The Cape Radio
    http://www.thecaperadio.com

  10. Thanks for streaming it! I've wanted to send one of my performances live to the Internet for years, and I thought it was super awesome that you guys were doing that.

  11. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT JOURNEY!!! NOT THAT FUCKING SONG!!!
    Wil. You’ve destroyed my ENTIRE WORLD in a single video.
    brb crying

  12. Dude, that looked like an absolute hoot’n-a-half! Thanks for posting the vids and as for “embrace the cheese”… I am SO going to use that, lol.

  13. Wow… you rocked Bon Jovi so hard I feel a geek crush coming on. That rock band setup is so… kick ass. Maybe I’m just super jealous of all the fun. Yeah, that makes more sense. I’m just jealous.

  14. The Awesome Hour totally did live up to its name! Thanks for sticking around extra to answer questions.

  17. I have always thought you should try RFB live. It is easier than you might think. Hell, if _I_ can figure it out… It’s a lot of fun when we do live shows, and have immediate feedback from listeners in the IRC channel and email.

  18. Study ice skater Johnny Weir’s performance of Poker Face, geek it out, make it your own and then your Poker Face performance will have no choice but to go epically viral.

  20. Rock Band for four hours? *swoon!* I am so completely jealous of that! It looked so fun, too! One day, I will take part in something like that. I don’t know when, but it’s gonna happen. It’s too awesome not too.

  21. I saw a vid for RE: Your Brains up and was going to compliment you and the band for a flawless FC.. and then realized you were playing no fail… Aw well, it was a party, so I guess it was ok… And whoever was playing drums on Livin’ on a Prayer was rocking out. That’s the way to play!
    You ever bring your RB setup up to Sacramento, I’ll drag my ION kit over…

  22. Wil (and all of the Wheatonites),
    If you love Journey, and I know you love Metallica, you have got to listen to “Don’t Stop the Sandman” by Rock Sugar – featuring world renowned voice actor Jess Harnell (Wakko Warner) on lead vocals.



    You can thank me later.

  23. Many thanks to you guys for making this possible and thank you to Wil for releasing his panels in this way.
    I’m in the UK so not exactly in the position to just zip over to the US for a con so something like this is a fantastic way of sharing some of the fun.

  24. Well, if the acting and writing for some reason (I have no idea what that would be) don’t work out anymore, you can always go and become a rock star. 😀

  26. Your awesome hour was just that, AWESOME. Glad my first con was so great, and your panels made it that way….you should totally be promoted to Lt. now.

  27. I was there as a fan and shooting pictures for the convention. I want to say it was great and you were really awesome for sticking around the entire 4 hours… even though you had too… lol, your words not mine heh. I got some video as well so I can post up different angles of some of the songs I got.
    Due to techinical difficulties with my card reader I missed the Guild panel (thank you Youtube!), but plan to see it later. What I did see and loved was the TNG reunion panel. I have to say that was the funniest thing I saw that entire weekend. It seemed as you three, Levar, Jonathan, and yourself were completely at ease and just sitting back going down memory lane, so thanks for doing that.
    I am currently listening to Just A Geek and well I just got past the part were you talk about you and your brother watching the original cast stumble on out and you have that “moment” thanks to your brothers “dude” and well I have to say I am glad that you got over that “dude” and embraced all of the Con scene and talking about TNG, because otherwise fans would never get to see those moments, things that maybe the outside world wouldn’t get, or appreciate but the fans and trekkies would and do. So thanks!

  28. Hey, I just stumbled upon your blog, and I want to apologize for being one of those internet people to make comments about Wesley, not that you probably ever saw them. I forgot you are a person as well, not just the character you portrayed. (Also, in said characters defense, TNG and Star Trek in general is kind of ridiculous–I say as a hardcore fan–and people shouldn’t be so hard on Wesley.) I also apologize for thinking that you actually owned (and possibly liked in a non-hilarious way) that clown sweater. Wesley’s turtlenecks are still stupid, but you are pretty cool.

  32. You know I don’t know why there was so many people that did not like Wesley. I adored him, I hated when he was gone, I started watching because he was on it, probably my first TV crush (no pun intended). I don’t even remember how old I was, but I was young. My favorite episodes were those that Wes was in. My fav Wes eps I think would have to be the one where Wes is driving with Picard to some planet so Picard can have surgery, and then the one where they crash, or is that the same ep and I am remembering them as seperate eps? Been a while since I saw it.

  33. You look so young while you’re doing that! Hey… There’s an idea for me LOL 🙂 I’m so sad that you’re not going to make it to Dragon Con. It looks like I’ll have to find another one to attend. 🙁 🙁 🙁 On well, we couldn’t ask you to not attend your Woodstock 🙂

  35. Wil, the Awesome Hour was just, well, awesome. The 2600 stories really took me back to my youth. I love how you talk about your family; such warmth!
    I can’t express how participating in your Rock Band party made me feel. Somehow, singing AFI in full Victorian costume, with my daughter on bass, and you on drums, with over 300 people cheering us on kinda made my day.
    Only sorry I had to miss your hour with the amazing/amusing Scalzi.
    Thanks for helping to make this one of the best cons ever!

  36. Thanks so much for posting these videos! Being a Midwesterner, I get bummed when I hear how much fun you have in Phoenix and at PAX in Seattle and at other venues on the West Coast. I’m glad we have the Internet and things like YouTube to help those of us who weren’t there get a little taste of the action. Plus, watching these videos and w00tstock videos are getting me totally revved up for w00tstock Chicago on Sunday! Despite my 24 week pregnant belly and a 4 1/2 hour drive home afterward, I am going to be there! It may be the only time I’ll get to see you perform live (and possibly meet you in person afterward) before I become a very busy mommy of two. I am so looking forward to it!

  38. Listening to you (&Felicia&Frakes&LeVar) live (YAY for VWT) was amazing and those videos are awesome!
    You made a german nerd very happy! 🙂

  39. I am so glad I was paying attention at your panel you said “I know SOMEONE will make me sing Bon Jovi,” and glad the two guys in my band were cool with it when I suggested it, cuz that was AWESOME!!! Thanks again, Wil!!

  40. You say you’ve never heard Poker Face in its entirety…does that mean you missed out on your pal Molly Lewis’s cover version?


    (Which is, for the record, the only reason *I* have heard that song in its entirety. Also why I got a stylophone for Christmas.)

  41. OMG POKER FACE XD
    I fully admit to dancing and singing along while watching the video. (I didn’t get into Gaga until April of this year, but I was surprised as hell that I like her as much as I do. :p )

  42. Indeed, very cool, and since I am a “retired” WoW player I actually tuned into a few of your other “regular” spots.
    Tonnes of fun – thanks!

  43. Thanks for making some great vids. I know that when you do you give up being completely in the moment, and that can suck sometimes, like when you realize you missed a great moment because you were thinking about the charge left on your battery, or how much memory you have left.
    Kudos, indeed!

  45. Wil, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you got pwnd by Felicia twice in one night! Once during the panel, and when she came out with John dancing to Poker Face, even the camera decided to keep them in the pic.
    hehe!
    That said, I can tell, you don’t mind getting pwnd by Felicia as much as you let on.
    You ARE a rock STAR, Mr. Wheaton!

  46. You know, Galactus, it’s funny. I used to be pretty ambivalent about “that fucking song,” too. Then I discovered Possible Oscar’s “Wolverine” filk song to the tune and had an absolutely fantastic Dragon*Con experience while it was on a short time later.
    Now?
    I adore “that fucking song,” and I can’t hear it without a huge smile splitting my face. So I say rock on, Galactus, rock on.
    *bows before you*

  47. I personally thought the drummer in “Livin'” was awesome… and I don’t think I will EVER get over Felicia and John jumping onto the stage. Pure.Genius.

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