Monthly Archive for July, 2006

If you love Iron Chef, you’ll appreciate the craziness that we found ourselves in last night.

Iron Composer spoofs Iron Chef, and then some.

Iron Chef is a popular Food Network show that pits top chefs against each other in Kitchen Stadium, where they are given a secret ingredient and an hour to create a masterful four or five-course meal.

Iron Composer—a Seattle creation that I hear will be turned into a TV series—follows much of the same idea, but with music. Contestants have to write a song (and perform it) in 45 minutes based on an interview with a random audience member. But, unlike the chefs who are pretty much left alone to cook, the “composers” are forced to drink five shots, are not allowed to speak to the band directly, and are distracted by “Turmoils”.

Oh, the turmoils. We saw a woman with a strap-on, some cheerleaders, flying apple pies, Axe body spray (stinks), lots of unnecessary physical contact. That’s Martin Crandall of The Shins dancing his way out of a Bachelorette Party turmoil while women stuffed money down his pants.

Are The Shins big? I wasn’t sure, but last night was supposed to be special because it was for charity. Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen battled The Shins.

My highlight was spotting Elyse Sewell (America’s Next Top Model) in the crowd. Reality TV kills my braincells, but I need it to take my mind off Actual Reality.

POSTSCRIPT—Jay thinks being a news junkie is making me depressed and is challenging me to an info detox. No news? What do I do when I wake up?