Drinking Made Easy: Q&A with Zane Lamprey

Zane Lamprey has a better job than you.

No, I’m totally serious. He’s been a writer, producer, comedian, actor, and director. But most notably he’s been the host of Three Sheets, a show that takes him around the globe to mix and mingle and get drunk. And I’m a super big fan of that. I wish someone would pay me to walk up and down High Street and get drunk. I’d do it for about ten bucks. And he’s a television star, so you can be sure he’s making a bit more to booze it up than I would.

He's even got his own drinking game

Drinking Game
Tags: Drinking Game

So, I’m sure you’re wondering why a rad fella like that would take it into his head to ring up my ol’ Blackberry at 11 AM on a Friday morning in May. And I can tell you it’s because he’s on his way to our fair city on Wednesday June 9 to promote his new book Three Sheets: Drinking Made Easy ! 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean Hangover! He’s also filming for his new show on HDNet, Drinking Made Easy. But enough of my jibber jabber. It’s better when he tells you about it himself. It went a little something like this…

Lauren Wilson: I’ve been super nervous about this all week. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but you’re totally my hero. I’m such a squealing fangirl right now.

Zane Lamprey: LOL. (yeah, he really LOL’d there. I almost dropped the phone) I think whenever you’re nervous, you should have a drink. That helps. Or something. It helps me. I’ve already had a beer or two this morning.

LW: I’ve been drinking for the last hour. I’m drinking my favorite hangover remedy even though I’m not hungover. But it’s good in the morning. So I guess I’m just an 11 AM boozer right now.

ZL: What is it?

LW: It’s super strong French press coffee, milk, sugar, and bourbon.

(don’t fret folks, I had the day off)

ZL: Wow. Yep. That’ll do it.

LW: Wow. Ok. Lemme shut up and we can get down to business. I’m sure you’re super busy running around being awesome.

ZL: It’s cool. Right now I have the only down time I’ll have all day. We have a show tonight in Norfolk, and then in an hour I have to be in Virginia Beach to shoot a scene for Drinking Made Easy. So right now I’m taking a little time to buy a pair of sneakers at the mall. That’s how exciting it is to be me.

(right about here is where I nearly peed my pants)

LW: So you’re touring to promote your new book Three Sheets: Drinking Made Easy, but you’re also filming at each stop for a new show called Drinking Made Easy, right?

ZL: We’re filming in most of them, yeah. We’re doing 53 stops on our comedy tour and doing 25 episodes of tv for Drinking Made Easy for HDNet which comes out in the fall. In Three Sheets it was just me, but now we’re not in cities long enough for me to do it all. So I have two correspondents. I have Steve McKenna who people might know, and another comedian friend of mine Mark Ryan. They’re sort of doing correspondence pieces during the show getting out to distilleries and breweries and stuff like that. It’s a tremendous amount of work, but we’re having fun. In the morning we wake up and do a few interviews. Then we hit the road and shoot two or three different bars and drink, you know, a decent amount. Then we come back and watch some of our game tape. And then we hit the stage and do a show for about 500 people. That’s a day. Then we get on the bus and we wake up in a new place and do it all over again.

LW: So with all the time filming already takes up, what inspired you to try to cram a live comedy tour in there?

ZL: That’s what kind of came first. I said let’s go out and just do a comedy tour. And my buddy Mark Ryan is this amazing comedian, and he wanted to go. And Steve McKenna wanted to hit the road too. So we were gonna get a tour bus and go out there and do it. I called up Mark Cuban from HDNet, and said hey what do you think about this as a tv show? He’s like I love it. Let’s do it. So we’ve sent in some of the stuff that we’ve shot, and they think it’s incredible. It’s gonna be what people expect it’s gonna be. It’s a great show. There’s education, there’s lots of drinking, and there’s lots of fun. Now it’s just all in the U.S.

LW: How will Drinking Made Easy compare to Three Sheets?

ZL: Well, ya know, it’s tough. It’s a tough bar to set. People love Three Sheets, but I think we can meet their expectations. It’s me going out and drinking which seems to be the formula people like. I do think about that a lot. I hope that people like what we’re doing. We’re having a good time for sure.

LW: That’s really all we wanna see… just you running around getting all drunk.

ZL: Well that’s what they got in the book, and that’s what they’re gonna get in the live show, and that’s what they’ll see on Drinking Made Easy. I drink good.

LW: I do too. I kind of end up Steve McKenna’d more often than I should. I think I need a show called drinking made harder.

(For those of you that aren’t aware, Steve McKenna is Zane’s buddy, and his name has become synonymous with extremely high levels of intoxication)

Check out Zane and Steve in action

Hop Cast - Episode 102: Zane Lamprey & Drinking Made Easy from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

ZL: Yeah. We’re probing that option. It’s kind of a joke really. I mean what is drinking made easy? Drinking IS easy. We are finding ways to make it more difficult, certainly. Sometimes it ends up downright painful.

LW: Drinking made painful. I’m familiar with that too. So, I know there’s a big push from your fans to get the Travel Channel to pick up another season of Three Sheets. Any progress to report on that front yet?

ZL: I don’t know. I would say yes, they’re definitely dragging their feet. I don’t know what the resolution is. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. But somebody, somewhere is going to do something. Let me just say that. I’m not using any sort of inside information to say that. I mean Mark Cuban was immediately like, “I love it, sounds awesome, let’s do it.” The conversation lasted about 30 seconds. I said, “can I do a show where I drink all over the U.S while I do my comedy tour?” And he was like, “let’s do it. Yeah.” Ok. Thanks. Bye. So it would be great if someone wants to do the international version of this show.

LW: I’ve been creeping around your Twitter and Facebook posts, and it seems like you’ve been having a rad time so far. Have there been any stops on the tour that really stand out so far?

ZL: Well, just surviving New Orleans was something else. We did two days there. I sat and drank with the lady that invented the hand grenade. That’s a crazy drink. Went to Pat O’Brien’s, the bar that invented the hurricane. I went to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Bar, the oldest bar in the country. I did the Absinthe House. Wow. And no offense to any of the other cities, but New Orleans is just the Mecca for partying.

LW: I can’t imagine anyone could take offense to that sentiment.

ZL: Yeah. Right? I mean Vegas is Vegas. It’s a different animal. But Bourbon Street is just one street. It’s not spread out. It’s just… here it is. Boom. And the French Quarter… even Vegas can’t hold it’s own in the French Quarter.

Speaking of Vegas...check out the entire Three Sheets Las Vegas episode on Hulu.

LW: So, in case you forgot, or maybe never really knew… I’m calling you… I mean you called me in Columbus, Ohio. Have you ever been here before this tour?

ZL: Yeah. Actually I have family in Columbus.

(I think I squealed here. I’m totally about to pass out from a wicked combination of nerves, excitement, morning bourbon, and now knowing that Mr. Lamprey is totally somewhat on the home team… carrying on… )

LW: That’s awesome. Do you have any favorite hangouts or watering holes here?

ZL: I haven’t been there since I’ve been of drinking age. But I’m totally gonna find out.

LW: So the new book talks about some of the hangover remedies you’ve tried from all over the world. What’s your go-to day after fix?

ZL: Right now I’m walking around the mall drinking some Starbucks. But I had a radio interview at 9 am this morning, and I had a beer. And then I’m heading to Virginia Beach soon, and I’ll be drinking there. But there’s really only two ways of avoiding a hangover… don’t start drinking or just don’t ever stop. I guess I’m doing the latter of those choices.

LW: When people ask you what’s your favorite drink or the best drink, I’ve read that you tell them it’s whatever you’re drinking at that moment. From what I’ve seen, they’ve not all been so good. What would you rather never have to put in your mouth again?

ZL: Um… Steve McKenna.

LW: Wow. Yummy.

ZL: No, not at all. He’s horrible.

LW: I should be clearer with these questions. What drink would you never put in your mouth again?

ZL: Anything that has a dead animal in it. I just don’t get it. No more viper rum. No more snake penis wine. No more geckos and worms. I could live without that.

Viper Rum...as awful as it sounds...

LW: I know this is such a cruel question, but if you could only have one drink for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

ZL: Beer. For sure.

LW: This question was sent to me by a little librarian pal of mine. She wants to know how Steve McKenna feels about being turned into a verb?

ZL: Um. I think he’s actually an adjective. We’ve done extensive research, and there are a lot of people that think he’s a verb. But verbs are like, you know, stuff like running, and you don’t really, um, Steve McKenna-ing. I think he’s an adjective. Trust me. We’ve toiled over this one extensively and we feel that he’s an adjective. And how does he feel? I think he f*@cking loves it. He’s out here and he’s embracing it. He walks on stage and before he says a word, he kills a six pack. I’d say he’s having a good time.

LW: I haven’t seen a tweet from Pleepleus since the end of April. Is he ok?

(Pleepleus is the stuffed monkey that travels around the world with Zane. He’s awesome)

ZL: He’s fine. He’s been really busy. He’s part of the live show. Let me talk to him though. That’s a good call. Now I’m worried about him too. I’m going to go straight back to the bus to check on him.

LW: I thought maybe all the fame and attention turned him into an egomaniac, and he just doesn’t have time for the small folk anymore.

ZL: He does have ego issues. But at some point he may have had too much to drink, and I may have taken away his Twitter privileges. You should never drunk Twitter or drunk Facebook.

LW: Don’t I know it. All of my electronic devices need breathalyzers. Is there anything else I should tell the folks before I let you get back to shoe shopping?

ZL: That’s about it. I’m excited to get back to Columbus. Come out and see the show at the Newport Music Hall on June 9. Read the book. Get drunk.

(swoon)

More info about the tour and book can be found at drinkingmadeeasy.com. You can also follow Zane Lamprey on Facebook. Or head to twitter and follow @zanelampreyor @pleepleus.

Local Music Darlings to Release Debut EP

I have a confession. I’ve fallen in love with four people at the same time.

They’re all musicians. It’s so scandalous.

The objects of my tawdry, booze-soaked affections are none other than Jenny Lute, Aaron Bishara, and brothers Bill and Joe Patterson… collectively known as The Wet Darlings.

It started with a Tuesday night meeting at a dimly lit table at Surly Girl Saloon. There were Fritos and egg salad. It should have been just like any other interview. I ask a few questions, they give a few answers, we have a beer or two, and I write a perfectly delightful piece about the band and their upcoming CD release party for their fantastic debut EP, X. Instead, we stumble out of another bar four hours and at least six rounds of cocktails later with a secret handshake, a nearly unintelligible audio recording, plans for a diaper party, a slew of inside jokes, a new love for Blanton’s bourbon, and perhaps some gaps in our collective memory. Luckily I remember just enough to make you swoon for The Wet Darlings as much as I have. I hope.

The band came together just as you’d expect. Boy (Bill) stalks girl (Jenny) on MySpace. Girl moves to the big city from small-town southern Ohio. Boy and girl and boy’s brother (Joe) meet up over Ravari Room karaoke. Boys talk girl into singing their tunes. Then along came one fantastic drummer (Aaron), a little fairy dust, more great songs, a bunch of booze, and The Wet Darlings were born.

But these guys are more than just a gathering of four gifted musicians. As soon as they’re in the same space, you can feel the undeniable chemistry in the group. They’re like family, and they’ll draw you in instantly. Even with a killer headache, Jenny is absolutely CHARMING. She’s warm and welcoming and sweet and endlessly talented. But there’s no doubt that she’d be the first one at the party to get rowdy enough to stand on the table and sing, then knock the table over, maybe throw some Fritos, and then take her top off. Wait. No. She’s a class act. She’d probably take your top off instead. Joe tells me that he plays the bass because it’s easy, and the chicks like it. He also prefers Chingy over Nelly, for what that’s worth. Drummer Aaron (or Bishara as they all seem to refer to him) graciously takes a lot of ribbing from his band mates for being the brainy, organized type. But turn your back on him for just a second, and he’s got his fist in a pint glass making lewd gestures at the table while your face aches from laughter. Guitarist and primary songwriter Bill becomes the default mouthpiece for the group answering most of my questions leaving all of our mouths free to drink more cocktails. He likes his rock stars to be sexy and drink a lot, and he likes his Blanton’s neat. He talks about the unique challenge of being a guy writing for a female singer. Jenny tells me about the major challenge of overcoming her vocal surgery earlier this year and that her major fear was not for her own singing voice but fear of letting her band down. Aaron shows me pics of her vocal folds (aka: Jenny’s laryngina) that he’s saved on his phone. Everyone giggles at their resemblance to girly parts. And most of all, they all talk about how excited they are about playing together and for their upcoming release of their EP, simply titled X.

X is a five song EP that will leave you hot and bothered and begging for more. The boys provide a heavy unadulterated rock and roll backdrop for Jenny’s vocals. Her voice evokes that feeling of running from a hot shower and jumping naked into a bed full of clean blankets. Velvet blankets. Or, you know, the sexiest blankets you can imagine. Last year, Columbus’ Other Paper referred to The Wet Darlings’ style as “sex-pot rock,” and it’s pretty damn spot on. The album, produced by Grammy –award winning Jeff Ciampa, leads off with Bicycle, which seems to be a band fave….and for good reason. The first few seconds tease with a seemingly innocent little melody until Jenny and the fellas launch into a no holds barred sexy rock-fest that just might make even your teeth a bit sweaty. The second track Vampires has already seen radio play on CD101 and brings more of the same lusty yet gritty brilliance. The band takes a bit of a throwback retro turn on Pretty’d which will leave you wrapped around Jenny’s CHARMING little finger and have you swearing that she’s flirting directly with you through your stereo speakers. The final tracks Drown Me and Ordinary Sunshine close the record at a slower tempo but don’t bore you for even a second.

So let’s get down to the dirty details. I can hear you aching for the scoop on how to get your own piece of the Darlings’ action.

X is available for free download through the band’s websitewww.thewetdarlings.com. Yeah, you heard it right. It’s FREE. But, if you love it like I do and want to support local music, it’s also for sale on iTunes. You can get a limited edition hard copy of the album at local shows, Magnolia Thunderpussy, Lost Weekend Records, and Used Kids. And speaking of live shows, The Wet Darlings CD release show is slated for Friday April 29 at 10pm at Rumba Cafe. Phantods and Happy Chichester will be opening making it a night of Columbus music you’d be crazy to miss. And after you get the record, see the show, and fall in love, watch for the second EP from the band coming out later this year.

In case you didn’t catch it earlier, keep up with the Darlings on their websitewww.thewetdarlings.com, keep up with them on Facebook and MySpace and on their great blog Wet Sounds: Diary of the Darlings.

Visualizing Beer

I've spent all week wracking my brain trying to figure out something to blog before today. I need to focus on data visualization, and believe me...this girl loves to visualize some data. I love a great infographic. But as I browse through graphs and charts on the great, wide internets, nothing jumps out. I'm totally uninspired. I'm not wired to prattle on about population statistics or unemployment rates or incidents of infectious disease. I'm even looking through my favorite infographics on Good, and I don't want to talk about politics or environmentalism or any of that stuff either. I'm nearing defeat and ready to smack my face on my keyboard when I see this...

Image courtesy of blogs.houstonpress.com

What? Could it be? It’s an infographic about…beer.

I. Love. Beer.

Specifically, I love craft beer. I love quality ingredients and thoughtful brewing methods. Long gone are my days of swilling gallons of cheap yellow canned beer at crowded house parties. I now seek out of the way spots with a great tap selection. I don’t want behemoth national monsterbreweries. I want craft beer. So as I investigated the above map further, I wasn’t totally happy. I realize the map is supposed to represent what folks think of as iconic beers from specific regions, but some of them are downright terrible. I mean Yuengling from PA instead of Victory? Blasphemous.

Just then, the angels started singing, the sky opened up and sun shone down and I found this…

Image courtesy of www.good.is

A map of the country’s best craft beers by state. Now we’re talking. Of course some of you winos and teetotalers may be still scratching your heads thinking…what the hell is craft beer anyway? What’s she going on about? I’ll let Seth and Mike from Beer Nation explain.

So now that you’re surely ready to run out to your local watering hole to grab a craft beer or 12, you may be wondering what to order. And I’d point you to the Style Finder at craftbeer.com. You can search by beer styles and get great recommendations. Once you find a style you like, use this handy guide to branch out to related styles.

Image courtesy of popchartlab.com

Now if you'll excuse me, it's 80 degrees here in Columbus, and there's a patio somewhere with a craft beer waiting.

Something Old and Something New

"Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul." ~Author Unknown

It's the end of the evening and I'm settled on the couch. I'm still unshowered. I smell a little like gasoline and dust and dog. I have oil or dirt or some black grungy substance still stuck to the inside left ankle of my jeans likely caused by rhythmically and unconsciously flipping a kickstand up and down. The muscle in my right inner thigh has a tight twinge from my struggle to keep 500 pounds of metal and rubber from crashing to the garage floor. Today I spent hours perched on a motorcycle...hours spent talking and laughing and thinking...hours spent wishing I could start those bikes up and take off on the road with no particular destination in mind. Alas, I don't know how to start them or how to ride them or more importantly how not to crash them. For the past six months, I've dreamed about owning one and the freedom and escape it could allow. After today, I know I need one. The desire seemed to seep through my skin...like osmosis. I look forward to learning to ride. I am craving a sunny weekend, a big field, and the loud engine sound under me. I might fall and I might be scared at first. I look forward to the fear the most. At least then I'll know I'm alive.
Enough of my rambling...I'm off to search for a bike for sale. I know it's waiting for me somewhere. I will find it, and I will have it.


And so there it is. There's my "something old." And this blog is my "something new." The post above was from my very first (and very failed) attempt at blogging in March 2008. That was my first post. That was my final post. I had high hopes and great intentions and zero follow-through. This new venture will be different. This blog is not just a new blog but a representation of a new life, a new path, and a new career. Since March 2008 I learned to ride, bought and sold one motorcycle, and now own a Vespa. There's one dream fulfilled. Now it's time to tackle  another one. Big changes are ahead. I'm ready for something new. 

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images