The last taping

For a while. The show debuts January 17th. If it gets picked up (and I don't see why it wouldn't) tapings will resume. Last night's show was the best yet. I can't wait to see it.

Kyle had to work again so it was Lindsay, Jim and me. We got there early enough to get great seats. The best seats, really. Right in front of the band. The energy in the room was up, probably because it was the last taping and people were looking forward to the wrap party.

We didn't know if we would be able to go to the party because Jillinda said they were being sticky about having only the cast and crew attend. But at the end of the taping they said everyone with a black wrist band should stick around. We were on the guest list, we had black wrist bands. Far out. Now we just needed to get Kyle in.

They had the party set up in an empty soundstage. It was basically like a big warehouse with soundproof walls. They had decorated it with Trucker set pieces, including the truck. The catering was appropriately Trucker-esque; In-N-Out Burgers, corndogs, popcorn, chocolate bananas and sodas. And a bar. Gotta have a bar.

Jim asked around about getting Kyle into the party. Turns out there was no problem at all getting him in. Lindsay was much relieved.

They raffled off some of the props from the show. When they brought in the box of props there was a guitar sticking out the top. I said ooh, I want that guitar. It was the first thing they raffled and we won! It had been used in one of the shows that we missed (look for the Civil War Dream sketch). It's a small, black guitar with a bullet hole in the front. Gruber and Koechner signed it. It shall occupy a place of honor in our studio. They also had paint buckets (with custom Trucker labels) filled with paint stirring sticks that had The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show and the Comedy Central logo printed on them (another joke from a sketch. "It's a found object."). We brought home a bucket and a bunch of paint sticks.

At one end of the room they set up a photo booth where you could get a picture with a cut-out of T-Bones and Trucker. Later in the evening I went up to Koechner to shake his hand and tell him how much we've enjoyed the tapings. I know Gruber but this is the first time I've talked to David Koechner. Well, he couldn't have been nicer. He said, "Hey, let's grab a picture!" and dragged Jim and me over to the photo booth. Way cool! Kyle and Lindsay also got a picture with him.

Outside we talked to Gruber. He was happy we're the ones who ended up with the guitar. He said it couldn't have gone to a nicer family.

The whole night was great fun. I had three people come up to tell me how much they enjoyed my song. Yay!

Oh no! No more tapings! Trucker withdrawal!