Quentin Mark Chuck Tarantino Klosterman

It's pretty rare that I actually get to sit down like a real audience member and enjoy something in the theater, but I've been lucky enough to be able to twice within the last week: once for a viewing of Pond Hockey during the Landlocked Film Festival (cool movie, produced by my friend Andrew who runs the Little Village... I'm not even a hockey fan but I was drawn in)... and again last night to see Chuck Klosterman.

It was a standing-room-only kind of night, which are my favorite kinds of nights here. Sidewalk a-buzz. Lobby packed. Ushers down front waving one finger in the air, signifying one last available seat.

The picture above was snapped from my seat in the fifth row, from my Motorola RAZR cellphone (which has one of the lamest camera phones I've ever come across).

I've read half of one of his books: Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs. I loved it, but I stopped reading it for no good reason other than I just don't make enough time to read. Based on the book, I expected Klosterman to be "too cool for school" - a little smarter than you and I, and not afraid to let you know.

Not at all the case. Very laid back, funny, natural, approachable and real. In fact, the way he described his approach to problems and other issues, he reminded me a lot of myself. Not that I'm nearly as witty or as good of a writer. I'm not. But I am almost his age...

I spent the rest of the night trying to place who he reminded me of: the sound of his voice, his mannersisms, the words he used.... hour after hour, racking my brain... it finally dawned on me around midnight:

Quentin Tarantino. He sounds exactly like Quentin Tarantino. Especially when Tarantino gets all geared up and enthusiastic, explaining some little semi-fascinating nugget of pop culture, flailing his arms about... Klosterman did a lot of flailing about. His commentary was thoughtful, funny and, most of all, humble.

Today at a lunch meeting, relaying the events of last night, I called him "Mark Klosterman," making me seem like such a knowledgable authority not only on pop culture, but on what's playing at the very theater I work at. Niiiiiiiiiiiice.

For another take on the evening, here's a review from The Daily Iowan.