Join Adam in this walk down memory lane as he reconnects with a piece of costuming that was part of his early jobs working behind the scenes of San Francisco's famed Beach Blanket Babylon musical revue!
Shot by Josh Self and edited by Norman Chan
Music by Jinglepunks
Subscribe for more videos (and click the bell for notifications): kzhead.info_c...
Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks:
/ @tested
Tested and Adam Savage Ts, stickers, (de) merit badges and more: tested-store.com
About Tested: www.tested.com/about
Meet Adam in Person: www.tested.com/events
TikTok: / testedcom
Instagram: / testedcom
Twitter: / testedcom
Facebook: / testedcom
Discord: / discord
Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/adamsavage...
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
For those trying to figure out what castle this is, it's the White Tower at the Tower of London. Built in the 1080s (well... the original was. I'm sure the hat piece Adam has here was built much later).
Thank you. The architectural style looked familiar but I couldn't place it.
I used to work for BBB for 13 years to end its 45 year run. I freaked out when I heard you used to work there when I first got hired! Alan, along with Tim, Matt, and Jane’s work, to name a few, was inspiring! Their process, ingenuity, and creativity is unmatched. BBB was family that was truly something special. As always, thanks for doing what you do and helping inspire my work and educate my skills!
Adam ... thank you. For over 30 years I have worked locally as a designer and scenic artist for theater and opera, with the occasional side-step into special events. You'd think think that after all this time I would be able to let go of those jobs that did not go so well, but I admit that it hurts my heart (and sense of professionalism) that there might be people who would run the other way if they saw me coming again. Amazing, isn't it? How in those moments we forget all the times we succeeded, and brilliantly? It really helped me today to hear you speak so candidly about jobs-gone-wrong, or times when you got in over your head. Because such moments are ones where we learn, and grow. But it is all too easy to get caught up in our own sense of failure. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It was like old home week watching your video. I went to Beach Blanket more times than I can count. The pianist, Michael Ashton, and I are still friends. The original Mr. Peanut, Bill Kendall, was also my friend. I've lost touch with Val but her voice will live with me forever. It is so cool that you have a piece of that history and that you worked there; I had no idea. The show that's in Club Fugazi now, Dear San Francisco, is a fabulous show, if you get the chance. Thanks for taking me down memory lane today. Now I need to go through my old photos. 💜
The Reel Directory is still a thing. I don't know if you can a physical copy. But there is a website.
I'm genuinely surprised about that. The Reel Directory seems like something that benefits individuals and is therefore something that gets crushed by late stage capitalism.
Beach Blanket Babylon ran for an amazing 45 years. It ended in 2019 and was replaced by “Dear San Francisco”.
I assumed Club Fugazi closed when they stopped Beach Blanket Babylon. I didn’t realize that shows are still going on there. Thanks.
as someone who works in stage design i love this so much!!!!! i love when he discusses theater :)
it's so cool watching him pulling information emotions and memories.. his mental palace is insane..
As someone who moved to the Bay Area (and San Francisco) within the last five years, it's truly a joy hearing you talk about the recent history of the city.
8:30 as someone who has build his fair share of architectural models during Uni, i recognize the hand of the Master. It may look rough to some, especially on closeups, but that's someone making these for production. I've no doubt in my mind that the individual that worked on this piece made spectacular models when they so desired. Everything's done with the required precision, balanced on the point of time. When you have a deadline, being able to make something like this fast AND more importantly, clean... it's not easy. Many of us struggled early on with this dilemma "i need to make it look good"... and then you came in with a half finished project and your adjacent pieces (plans and presentation) suffered. Good piece. Love it, especially because it's a hat. :))
Love you Adam. you were a major part of my chidhood joy watching cable TV, this video makes me proud of how you've evolved. the pride you show for this institution makes me so happy. Thank you for sharing your joy and appreciation with us,.
Thank you for posting videos! You’re literally my childhood!! I loved mythbusters!
Seeing this prop makes me miss working in the theatre. For the Demerit Badge pack it should be called "Everything that can go wrong..."
Adam please do more videos like this ! You had my full attention all the way and it was a joy to listen to all of this 😁
You sir are a master storyteller. Thank you for sharing!
Chair of the Federal Reserve was a side gig
Looks like the White Tower at the Tower of London
That's what I thought
It is!
"The Accident Demerit Aficionado Collection"! 🤣😂🤣
Thanks for that insightful look at such a neat moment in history!
Some of your best videos are you talking about your past experiences. I really enjoy when you talk about your ILM days.
Call your de-merit badge bundle The Maker Bundle. Because every maker has experienced every single one of those. I'm only a weekend hobbiest and I can check off most of those every time I walk into my shop.
That thing about enough detail that makes it look good from the audience makes me think of an adage a scenic designer once taught me. "It can look like shit from the orchestra pit, as long as it will go by the front row."
It's funny. When you described the giant wigs and such I immediately thought of Chris on Project Runway and then you mentioned him. 😂 He was my fave on PR.
For the de-merit badges call the collection the measure of experience. Bonus points for sending them attached to a fabric strip that is also a measuring tape.
that building looks great! I've made great things out of foamcore to the point that i have doubled back to using it over other foam. three years in a row my first prop of the year has been a foamcore sword
My wife and I saw BBB when on our honeymoon in San Francisco, hi-larious.
Holy cow! I looked up those hats and they're WILD! I thought Adam was being hyperbolic, but I have really seen cars that aren't as long as one of them.
Great story. Nice trip down memory lane.
I loved that show so much, I’d always try to go about once a year. Was crushed when they announced they wouldn’t be continuing.
Your hippocampus is something to be awe inspired by
I would suggest a forgot to eat or drink badge. Plugging away on a project for 7 hours unable to tell why you're grumpy then you remember you still need food to survive.
As soon as you said Chris March, I knew exactly who you were talking about. He was great on Project Runway. I'm sure he's missed by many.
Such a simple but totally recognisable model of the iconic, White Tower, at the Tower of London. I hope it has a home with your set of the British Crown Jewels
The bundle of demerits should be called "The Lifetime Achievement Bundle"
Or Lifetime Mischievement Bundle.
I LOVED Beach Blanket Babylon!
I loved Beach Blanket Babylon. Saw it many times.
Just wanted to say thanks again for staying apolitical; Left or Right, we all need a break from politics and a little pleasure in our lives. 🍻
The full set HAS to be called the 'Total Failure' package.😂
Suggestion for the demerit badge bundle: make a 25th badge, a kitchen sink. Then include it in the everything bundle, and you get where I'm going with this...
Cool Thank you
3/4 of the way into the video without mentioning the Tower of London prop….love it
My Beach Blanket Babylon story: I massaged the partner of the costume tech as they visited Tahoe. Loved the massage, and sent his partner. Partner thrilled, both saying Best Massage Ever. Extra tip: Bring your girlfriend down for a show. Set up with great seats, middle, middle. What a hoot! I was in tears.
When I got back to Tahoe, I found out that one of the gals I worked with grew up with Val Diamond and went to high school with her, joining her in a couple of plays.
Looks like the Tower of London.
Was NOT expecting that castle to be a HAT
PIECE of a hat... that's a special kind of random.
A feel like a complete set of badges should be called “The Complete Maker Experience”
Thats super cool. The tower of London is a good choice plus its haunted
I noticed the Emeco 1006 chair in the background with a lot of holes in it. I wonder about the story behind this object. Is it optimized for minimal weight while remaining functional and not falling apart? I need to know :)
Adam savage is class ..wish they bring back mythbusters
Where is the San Francisco Hat? I hope it’s been preserved.
Off-the-cuff suggestion for the masterpack of badges: "An Embarrassment of Glitches"...?
Wow!!! Freakin WOW!!!❤ cool you have a prop from that show!
They still have directory here in richmond va.
Great video sir
I love the models adam makes,he's hot a real talent.
I love your Workshop but I got to ask do you use everything in there.
Could you imagine how those people that past you by on the reel directory feel now that you're pretty famous and have worked with a lot of big names
I love the 3D Print Spaghetti demerit badge.
Maybe the badges should be called the Get Good Collection. I'd buy that.. LOL
The pitcher with brown liquid on the edge of the workbench is triggering my anxiety! lol
Oh thank god, I thought it was just me!
So I don't understand the Val Diamond story about them being one note off key? I need a better explanation because I'm curious.
Since this is a blast from the past video i gotta try and ask. In the first episode of mythbusters I noticed a small mad hatter figurine. After posting about it I actually got a message from American McGee himself saying you made him a costume back in 1999 for his first game. Any chance you keep a collection of old project photos?
Gosh this video is how I found out Beach Blanket Babylon shut down!
Nice
The "Life Bites Back" bundle ™ & ©
I had no idea that Allen Greenspan made hats!
Here I was thinking it was Beach Blanket Babylon 5
Adam Savage. Master of rabbit holes.
Lovely
Excellent video! May I humbly suggest a name for the collection of Demerit badges? DeezMerits
Suggestion for the collection of demerit badges: The Sigils of Ultimate Learning!
I was just at the White Tower this morning
The Reel Directory is a website now.
Name suggestions for the full demerit badge budle: - The Giving Her She's Got, Captain bundle - The Life, The Universe, and Everything bundle - The Kitchen Sink bundle - The "Yes And" Bundle
I loved BBB. I attended that show 3 or 4 times. Is it still even running?
It stopped running at the end of 2019.
I'm in for the 24
24 Badges = Cave Maker Collection
tower of London
$55 well spent, Adam. Worth way more than that with your stories.
how about calling the all 12 badge collection "the blunders pack"?
"The Demerithon - 24 Demerit Badge Collection"
Suggestion: fubar badge kit/ collection
I hope he talks about that swiss cheese chair in the future
That show closed just End of 2019.
The name of the pack that contains all badges is obviously "cluster fuck"
The collectors set could be called "Want a Cookie" . (If you know, you know - lol.) And it would be appropriate because if the badge/patch happens you probably need one.
Huh? Was that actually plugged into the wall while on someone's head??
It's giving me vertigo. If it becomes a permanent cam protocol, I'll have to stop watching the channel. I want the fixed cam-mount.
The title made me think the video would be about grant lol
I think that all creators see too much. And the clients seldom even see them
The FUBAR bundle?
THE BLUNDER BUNDLE
Call the bundle "The natural walking disaster" bundle?
That’s really annoying camera movement. Bailing out.
Fake News, Fake News, this is a basement workshop not a cave.
Go mid 2000's "Epic Fail Bundle".
Hello Tested! Hopefully Adam sees this, I know he has a love for making boxes, my favorite is the 1-12" Mitutoyo micrometer box, but Inheritance Machining just made an absolutely beautiful box: kzhead.info/sun/qLWKeJyQsZ6diY0/bejne.html
MAKERS LIFE BUNDLE
did you really just pay 55.00 for it ? ..wow amazing
Fire the cameraman. Phone on stand is much, much better.
Please no hand-held camera. I like the fixed phone-cam, it looks raw, un-slick, real. I don't mind the stand-adjustment noise, I'm used to it, in fact it makes it even more live.
That's not a flying Razor Crest.
Wow good job 👏 u so smrt