A coffee machine grinds in the background over the din of various conversations in the True Love Cafe. Patrons of the popular cafe are crowded around tables making origami objects, or playing a game of Scrabble. It is not the conventional setting for a talk show, but then again, The Nobody Show is not necessarily what someone would consider conventional.

Every Thursday night starting at 9 p.m. Eric Bianchi, the host of The Nobody Show, takes the small stage of the True Love Cafe to interview anybody who has a story to tell. All they have to do to appear on the show is fill out a yellow Audience Questionnaire that can be found on the table tops within the cafe.

Guests are encouraged to talk about anything they wish, and as a reward for their bravery they’re given a gift. Last Thursday guests were given a variety of CDs, such as Taproot and Justin Case.

Guests were asked to answer a random question from the Random Question Generator, complete with sound effects, before they were given their gift at the end of their interview. These questions ranging from “What celebrity would you most like to make out with?” to “What kind of salad would you be?” are submitted by the audience members either by form or by e-mail ([email protected]). Obviously, audience participation is encouraged, so it is not uncommon to see audience members getting involved in the interview process. The host does promise the guest will be treated with respect, at least by him. However, Eric warns, “If you are going to make a fool of yourself, I’m not going to stop you.”

Last Thursday, The Nobody Show’s guests included Kat, a young woman whose 1989 Chrysler Le Baron was giving her a streak of bad luck. Not only did it break down, but it could have possibly cost her over a thousand dollars. Luckily, the young lady found a friend who fixed it for around $300. Unluckily, the newly fixed car was hit by a drunk driver before she even got to pick it up. The following guest named Jacob, who appears to be a regular on the show, had similar problems with his car.

The most interesting of all its guests was the three men who make up Warp 11, a “Star Trek” spoof rock band. These guys were hilarious, and definitely the highlight of the show by picking up the pace when there were lags. They played various songs from their CD, which was given out to the audience and guests, and also told quirky stories. Because of the proximity of the audience they were able to include them in their declarations of “Sex, drugs, and Star Trek!” and the fact that Trekkie rockers also get hot girl groupies.

Though it certainly wasn’t the typical Thursday night activity for most college students here at CSUS, it was most definitely time well spent. My two companions, who honestly had no clue what they were getting themselves into when they first agreed to go, enjoyed themselves thoroughly and profusely thanked me for inviting them along on this little adventure. One even came away with a Warp 11 CD.

So the next time there is a free Thursday night, and you want to inject some dork-chic fun into your life or if you have a story you’re dying to get off your chest, The Nobody Show is recommended. Just be prepared to be included despite being a guest or not.