BARRY COURTER: Lisa. The Lisa-nator. Writin’ a column. Lisa the column writer.
Can you guess Rob Schneider is coming to town? I figured you might recognize his Richard Laymer “Saturday Night Live” routine quicker than a line or two from his movie “Surf Ninja.” He’ll be at The Comedy Catch on Friday and Saturday.
LISA DENTON: Well, my first thought when you called me The Lisa-nator was that you had discovered my alter ego for the World Wrestling Entertainment Live show coming to McKenzie Arena on Friday. How’s that for a lineup? John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and The Lisa-nator.
Lisa Denton and Barry CourterBARRY: It’d be a good monster truck name, too.
LISA: Yes, but monster trucks don’t wear capes.
BARRY: On that note, World of Wheels returns to the Chattanooga Convention Center this weekend.
LISA: Anyway, The Lisa-nator is a good way to remember Schneider’s “The Richmeister” character, too. That routine was so stupid it was funny. Don’t forget he also played Tiny Elvis and Sensitive Naked Man, though I don’t believe either is part of his stand-up act.
BARRY: Friday will be a busy night. I have a feeling that more than a few people will be at Track 29 to hear Kansas. I’m sure you remember driving around town in somebody’s Camaro with “Carry on Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind” or “Point of Know Return” playing on the eight-track. Just know, though, that the band no longer has its original lead singers. Robbie Steinhardt quit back in 2006 and Steve Walsh retired last year. Guitarist Rich Williams and drummer Phil Ehart are the only originals still left.
LISA: What’s weird is that both Schneider and Kansas were both originally scheduled to be here last year, but both shows were postponed. Not that I’m complaining. January is a fairly slow month in entertainment, so having these two shows definitely lights up the calendar.
I also want to go to the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s next Chamber Series show Sunday afternoon at the Sheraton Read House. But I have to admit I misunderstood when I first heard about it. “Basically Baroque” is not the same as the Southern way of describing an empty bank account. Nope, this is music by composers such as Bach, Vivaldi and Purcell.
BARRY: I thought the same thing: They’re playing my song.
It’s another all-over-the-map week, isn’t it? Comedy, rasslin’, old-school rock, custom cars and symphonic music. It bodes well for another interesting year ahead.
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Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.