Posted in
My Damn Channel with tags
My Damn Channel,
Big Fat Brain,
The Landlord,
Harry Shearer,
Don Was,
David Wain,
Wainy Days,
Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music,
Jill Sobule,
San Francisco,
Elizabeth Banks,
Troy Hitch,
Matt Bledsoe,
Funny or Die,
Dick Cheney,
Scooter Libby on 6/29/2010 2:29:48 AM by Rob Barnett

Good things come in 3's.
3 years ago, a small band of true believers were readying the launch of My Damn Channel: 7/31/07.
Here are the inaugural videos from the first 3 artists we signed.
David Wain came in with the world's fastest pitch for Wainy Days: (paraphrasing) "I want to make out with the hottest women in the world and every date goes horribly wrong."
His first episode (a 3-parter) co-stars Elizabeth Banks as Shelly:

David Wain as David Wain, Elizabeth Banks as Shelly.
Harry Shearer was the first hero we signed. He sat in prosthetic makeup for over 4 hours to become Dick Cheney, singing sexy for Scooter Libby:

Harry Shearer as Dick Cheney.
We wanted music to marry comedy in our company from Day One. We turned to another brother and one of the best musicians and producers on the planet, Don Was.
Don's "Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music" is an earful of the best music you can't get anywhere else.
His first My Damn Channel production starred one of the smartest singer/songwriters we know, Jill Sobule:

Don Was, Rob Barnett, Jill Sobule, Warren Chao at the My Damn Channel west coast launch party, 2007.
Here's a rare, bonus video from the archives. Day one back on 7/31/07 also starred Big Fat Brain, the geniuses behind You Suck at Photoshop, and the web designers of all things DAMN. One of our only spoof vids looked 20 years into the FUTURE and poked our pals at Funny or Die, who had launched a few months earlier:

Matt Bledsoe, Troy Hitch

A natural photo opp happened this weekend deep in the land of My Damn Channel. The moment reminded me of the Led Zeppelin cover for House of the Holy.
We birthed everything new in 2007. Now, we're almost 3 years old "and it's a real fine way to start."
It's soon time to celebrate new good news with the My Damn Channel family. OPEN to all your ideas on how to deliver an August bday month of goodness to you.
We need to start with the right title...the right theme to launch new wonders, videos, series, stahhhhs n' more.
My Damn Channel: Coming in 3's ?
My Damn Channel: 3Some ?
The day approaches: JULY 31st
lettuce know: rob@MyDamnChannel.com
Posted in
Boxee,
Press with tags
Boxee,
Wainy Days,
My Damn Channel,
David Wain,
Megan Mullally,
Nick Offerman,
Zandy Hartig,
Harry Shearer,
Don Was,
Illeana Douglas,
Easy to Assemble,
Horrible People on 6/10/2010 3:00:00 AM by Rob Barnett

Boxee is the best way to get TV shows, movies, videos, music, and photos from the Internet on your TV. We’ve been watching this company grow and we’ve seen people’s heads turn every time their name is mentioned…inna good way. Put simply, this company is hot – with the right ideas to build the future with you in the driver’s seat. Here’s more.
Boxee just gave My Damn Channel access to one million new households. We just gave Boxee every single video we’ve had on My Damn Channel since launch in 2007.
You can now see our original music and comedy in the comfort of your own domestic domicile – on the largest screen of your choice. This is a HUGE win for our fans, artists, and sponsors … even our moms will finally think we’ve all got real jobs.
We’re launching this new chapter of our life by giving Boxee exclusive off-site distribution of the premiere of David Wain’s new “WAINY DAYS.” This is episode 32 from one of the most-watched comedies in the new world - starring David along with Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman & Zandy Hartig.
If we weren’t working so hard to entertain you – we’d be home right now partying our brains out watching Wainy Days, Easy To Assemble, the entire catalog of the Don Was Cavalcade of Recorded Music, all those You Suck at Photoshop and Horrible People episodes and the deadly smart creations by Harry Shearer.
It's all there waiting for you. New stuff we can't even tell you about yet will be there soon, too. Admit it: you want to go there. It's okay. We want you to go to there, too.
THANKS BOXEE!

That new Harry Shearer video, Deaf Boys, premiered today. And the worst part of it, the VERY WORST PART of it, is that the song has been stuck in my head ALL. WEEK. LONG. I catch myself humming it at odd times of day, and when someone asks me what I'm singing I get so freaked out that I LIE ABOUT IT. I mean, it's about the Catholic Church scandal...and priests and young boys...and I don't need anyone to think I'm weirder than they already do, so I LIE ABOUT THE SONG.
It's pretty much like Harry Shearer made me sin. So, I start thinking I should go to confession, right? Ask for forgiveness and all? But "confession" just reminds me of that song by Usher: the one that's all about Chili from TLC, but Usher keeps saying it isn't? So, now, because of Harry Shearer's Deaf Boys I have that stupid Usher song in my head. And for that, Harry Shearer, I don't know if I can forgive you.

Woke up and did something I haven't done since 11/7/07.
I read the first blog entry at My Damn Channel. We were about 3 months past our 7/31/07 launch.
The Writers' Strike had just begun. We were moving from our first NY space on Ninth Ave. to new digs off 7th Ave. You can read the rest. The veiled reference to that phone call was about Coolio. His series, "Cookin' with Coolio", created 10 episodes full of fast freedom.
Two and half years later, we just moved back to our original space. The hackey, over-used movie title speaks volumes. We're back. Inna Good Way.
Our last office had massive water damage, reconstruction insanity, busted elevators and - oh yeah - 3 terror scares in a week - so the webgods said "MOVE."
The new place is coming together - we're growing - we're hiring - we're launching all new programming all summer long and heading towards 7/31/10 - our 3rd birthday.
Perfect that Mr. Banjo was the commentor on blog one. Respect to the Smokester.