In researching material for this column, I often find myself questioning just what it means to be a nerd in this day and age. What was once a moniker of derision has morphed into a proud self-identifier - an indication that one's overenthusiastic obsession with cultural ephemera is something to be nurtured and celebrated, not scoffed at. It seems as though anything can be considered nerdy now, even things that were once perceived as jocky (fantasy football, anyone?).
It comes as quite a relief, then, to be able to report on three forthcoming events that plant their feet firmly in the comfortable nerd-space of old.
FRIDAY, NOV. 15: DRUNKEN TELEGRAPH: CLASH OF THE TITANS
Over the years, live and public storytelling has re-announced itself as an art form. Beginning with the revival of the oral tradition in the form of the one-man show, the likes of Spalding Gray and Stephen Tobolowsky once more popularized storytelling as a fascinating bit of theater - whether taking the form of hilarious anecdotes or moving tales of woe. Podcasts like The Moth and Risk! carried storytelling further into the public square.
Drunken Telegraph (taking its name from a Rudyard Kipling quote about Tacoma) is a local storytelling live show. Each show has a central theme featuring various Tacomans telling different stories on that theme, with the final act being a storytelling slam from members of the audience. This installment - hosted by the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts as part of their "Free For All" series - is entitled "Clash of the Titans," and will focus on the battles faced by the evening's storytellers.
BROADWAY CENTER STUDIO III, 7:30 p.m., 915 Broadway, Tacoma, free with registration at broadwaycenter.org, 253.591.5890
SATURDAY, NOV. 16: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MEETUP
My first time playing Dungeons & Dragons was as a 10-year-old, with my brother and our friends, and with my dad presiding as Dungeon Master. I was always drawn to the world-building and imaginative nature of the game. You could literally be anything you wanted to be and do anything you wanted to do (provided the dice rolled in your favor).
We were frequently regaled with stories from my dad - an old D&D pro from the '70s - about his early exploits in the game, which included finding a group of Smurfs and pissing on them (Smurfs melt when exposed to urine, it turns out). At one point, a portal through space and time was opened, revealing to the D&D warriors an alternate universe where several nerdy dudes sat around a table rolling dice. The archer fired an arrow at the Dungeon Master, and the game ended.
Tap into your D&D-loving nerdy side with a Dungeons & Dragons meetup at the Tacoma Main Public Library. Your Dungeon Master will be provided for you, I'm told, but you must bring your own pencils, paper and dice.
TACOMA PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH, 1-3 p.m., 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, free participation, 253.292.2001
SATURDAY, NOV. 16: CHEECH AND CHONG
Having spent the afternoon slaking your thirst for dragon blood, spend the evening doing the other thing that my dad spent the '70s doing: laughing at Cheech and Chong.
People who've only seen the films of Cheech and Chong haven't gotten the full picture of what these guys are all about. Yes, their humor is largely druggy, but the characters they played in films only showed one aspect of them. As comedians, Cheech and Chong were surprisingly incisive and clever, weaving through absurdist bits and satirical commentary.
Sure, they've gotten up in years, but Cheech and Chong have retained the anarchic glee that established them as two of the best stand-ups of the '70s.
EMERALD QUEEN CASINO, 8 p.m., 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, $45-$100+, 253.594.7777