The Clean Machine – Robot Act, Fargo’s Pizza, Old Mill Shopping Center, 1978

From my “act” in 1978. I eventually worked as a ‘beer tender” in the evening hours at Fargo’s Pizza in the Old Mill Mall in Palo Alto, CA and on Fridays and Saturdays when the hot disco bands were playing, I got the band-break gig. I had 15 minutes on the dance floor during the 45-minute break.

It started when I was entertaining as a public “robot/mime” out in the enclosed mall and the owner of the Pizza place saw what I was doing while he was taking cover charges at his front door. I recall that his name was Jack. He came over and asked if I would entertain for a few minutes inside the restaurant and told me he’d pay me $20.

That led to a job there and a regular gig doing mid-band entertainment as “The Clean Machine” — a dancing, illusionist, robotic janitor character I developed. The jump suit would come off mid-act, after taking momentary cover, and I would reappear in a silver lammé tuxedo-esque outfit and a top hat. My act ended with dancing and magic to Earth Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star” and when the song ended I froze, standing straight up and tall, then tilted back on my heels past the point of no return, slamming my back to the ground amidst screams from the audience.

It was a great finish, I thought.

No, I don’t do that anymore.