My pen, truly, is mightier than the sword.

I must apologize. I am the man responsible for the sudden and disappointing cancellation of the Jon Reep comedy show last night in Reading. Yes, folks, I am "the emergency" that kept you from enjoying a side-splitting evening of laughter.

The Reading Comedy Outlet's announcement was that Reep (aka the "that thing got a Hemi" guy) himself postponed the show due to an "emergency."

But the truth is I wrote a preview story about this show last week, thus tarnishing your Sunday evening plans before the weekend even started.

I'm referring to a bludgeoning curse that tails me around where ever I go. It's been punishing those I write about for some time now and I apologize to you for being so naive about this show. I should have known it would come to this.

Here is how the curse works:
1. Chris March is asked to interview a band/celebrity/comedian for (insert publication here). and write a fiery preview for the upcoming event.
2. Chris March says "Yes! I love him/her/them! This will be fantastic!"
3. Chris March interviews said act, writes fiery preview piece of exciting prose and punchy quotes.
4. Chris March is offered a free ticket to event by promoter/manager/band/etc, and takes it without thinking twice because who says no to free tickets?
5. Chris March goes to said event, whether it means a drive to Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Reading or Spring City.
6. Chris March arrives and finds the show has been canceled.
7. Chris March cries and vows to give up on writing about awesome upcoming touring acts, because it's ruining lots of great evenings for friends and couples.

How many times has this happened?

Well, the above scenario happened with The Flaming Lips about 2 years ago. I wrote this article, and oops--they canceled.

Not long after, I wrote about The Killers for the same publication, and--trying to avoid the cancellation curse--I actually asked their manager if I could attend their show in Philly instead of the one in Atlantic City which was the one I previewed. But there was no fooling the curse! It knew of my scheming. The AC show went off without a hitch, but the Philly show was postponed due to an unfortunate family death.

Last year, I started working here at The Merc and started to write of bands less. But the curse still possesses the same hunger to ruin awesome shows, and has continued to bring it's awful misery to the masses any way it still can. Last fall, I got my hands on a pair of tickets here at work that I spun into a reader contest. To promote the contest, I of course wrote glowing tome's of the band and the contest which ran in the paper and on this blog. And what happened to the poor winner when he went to redeem his tickets and rock out to some "Syncronicity II"? He found out that Sting had a sore throat and had to postpone the show.

And now Jon Reep. Sorry to bring you into this mess.

But! Don't think I'm going to stop writing. I love writing! And I love chatting with these people that entertain and create. Please just be thoroughly cautious about attending something you see me writing about. It may mean a night of cancellations.

For information on the to-be-rescheduled Jon Reep show, check out www.readingcomedyoutlet.com