Yeah, you read that right. In line with my thesis defense, the last thing I’d tell you is I’m opening for the Itchyworms on Tuesday night in 70’s Bistro.
See you after my thesis is signed, sealed and delivered!
.:39/365: Torn And Restored:.
I hope you like that one…
There are a lot of “torn and restored” routines out there, but this one is suitable for the month of hearts, because what do you know, it focuses on tearing a piece of red paper up and then restoring it in the shape of a heart.
I don’t really have much to say about this effect, as it’s really that simple, and after watching the video, what else do you need to know about it, right? David Goldrake’s take on a fundamental magic effect is nothing out of the ordinary, but it does serve its purpose, and on this month of hearts (Bah, humbug. LOL.), you’d definitely want to have any weapon at your disposal.
.:Today Was Quiet, But…:.
Swung by Reedley after the DK this morning. It was a bit interesting because Logan started doing jokes I heard on Yes FM. Heh. What’s worse is he role-plays with us, making the joke sound more realistic and just… insanely funny and corny.
Outside of that, not much. Let’s just say today was an incredibly boring day, albeit a few good conversations with Inka and My Beloved have definitely given me a turning point in my life heading into this crazy week.
.:15/365: Banachek:.
Steve Shaw, better known as Banachek, is one of the three pillars for beginner mentalists who wish to study videos, along with Osterlind and Maven. He’s generally regarded as one of the most brilliant performers out there, having collaborated with the likes of Criss Angel, Penn and Teller, and the Amazing Randi over his illustrious career.
As a performing mentalist, Banachek jumped into the industry hot on the heels of his pivotal role in the infamous “Project Alpha” that saw him pretend to be a psychic for scientists to test. The ruse lasted for five years and its ramifications on parapsychology are felt to this very day.
What boggles the mind is after outright claiming to be a fraud, many believers still insisted that Banachek was the real thing. Truly, a believer will refuse all evidence to the contrary, even if it’s already the supposed psychic debunking himself. It sounds crazy and all, but it shouldn’t be too surprising to find that Banachek has rabid believers, as the video above already indicates.
Banachek is also very well-known for bending silverware, and is the father of the bends that defy physical explanations. While Mr. Geller is known for straight bends, a spoon in Banachek’s hands actually twist, thereby putting him at a level that few people at the time thought impossible for psychokinesis.
Among the three pillars of contemporary mentalism, I must admit that Banachek is my least favourite. Despite that, it’s rather clear that he’s the most influential in the bigger scheme of things.
.:Oh, It’s On!:.
Harkening back to the days of 93.9 DWKC, Logan waxed poetic about the “Joke Time” segment of the classic radio station this morning on the Disenchanted Kingdom. What followed was something we didn’t expect to ever hear from 99.5 RT. Ever. Discussions about my unexpected magic show last weekend also surfaced…
Suddenly, all four people in the booth started telling the corniest, and I mean the corniest jokes you will ever hear. Whether it was the real definition of “hassle,” or what you call a knife fight between two ugly people is, we were rolling in the aisles, laughing like mad.
Oh, the jokes we used will never make it to Comedy Cartel shows, but for some odd reason, everyone was just laughing their @$$ off this morning, and that wasn’t going to be the end of it.
With some of my kids from Reedley tuning in, a good friend all the way in Scarburough, Canada tuned in, and a host of other good vibes going in, our Pinoy Na Pinoy topic for the morning was all about “Dramatic Lines”. Marf got in some good lines from JLC, Cleo really sounded like she was turning the waterworks on, Logan’s dramatic voice sends shivers up my spine.
Meanwhile, I quoted “Stupid Love”, I did a time-tested skit about a guy who brings pancit home for his mom only to find her sprawled on the floor, and two dramatic shout –outs to two of my exes. That moment just shocked everyone in the booth… heh.
.:The Bound And Gagged Megapost!:.
It was a blast! If you didn’t catch it, too bad!
October 23: The second Kel and Jay megashow has just wrapped up, and it was one awesome show for the ages. What started as merely a brainstorm for something bigger and better ended up becoming a reality, and one that we certainly will be pulling off yet again sometime next year.
Getting The Pieces Into Place
Oh, yeah…
The date of the show was set up since March of this year. We wanted a sequel to “Laughs And Gasps”, and we wanted to make it a bigger and better show.
Initially entitled “Music and Misfits” because the original concept was music and magic, the predictable departure of a rather disappointing cog in the machinery ended up with us looking to take the show in another direction. After a while, it all made sense: the show will be called “Bound and Gagged”, and will feature escape acts and the top ventriloquists of the country, thus indicating the main thrust of the show.
That was well and good, because I’m on fairly good terms with two of the best ventriloquists in the country, sir Ony Carcamo and sir Wanlu, who are definitely amazing performers in their own rights. Wanlu was also part of last year’s show, and is now a hall of famer in TV 5’s “Talentadong Pinoy”, while Ony is actually Wanlu’s mentor, and is someone whom I personally believe would be recognized as a National Artist sooner rather than later.
So it was all well and good, and we wanted a comedian like Giselle Sanchez to complement the show. With Ms. Sanchez booked in Hong Kong on that date, there was no way we could get her, so we had to look for the likes of Ms. Tuesday Vargas or even the controversial Ms. Candy Pangilinan. All things considered, things didn’t pan out too well in the comedy department – until the Comedy Cartel came along.
You see, I’ve already known the Cartel for a while, but I haven’t really had the opportunity to pick their brain, only getting snippets of their show mostly through my good friend, Stanley Chi. At some point in April, I got into standup comedy myself and I ended up feeling that hey, this show can carry itself without necessarily having some super name value. That’s why I ended up getting one of the pioneers of Philippine standup comedy, Mike Unson, and the winner of the Tawag Ng Tawa, Richie Fernandez. As a huge fan of comedy, I knew I could count on Mike and Richie to deliver the goods.
The last thing we wanted to consider were special musical guests who could enhance the show. It was an easy choice for us initially. We wanted Project 2 and Grin Department. Unfortunately, Project 2 disbanded, but in their stead was one of the cult favourites in the local music scene, Giniling Festival.
We were hoping to get the Itchyworms at the last minute, but their volatile calendar prevented us from doing so. Next year, just you wait… heh.
The Buildup
Rope a dope! LOL. I love being the writer of these recaps.
The sponsorship process was long, and arduous. In the end, though, we can’t thank enough Geiser Maclang, C2, Granny Goose Tortillos, Jack n Jill Potato Chips, E-Games, and Goldilocks for helping us make this show happen. The bulk of my thanks though is reserved for the last-minute miracle courtesy of my bosses at Nuffnang Philippines allowed me to actually make the show happen without me having to go through last year’s expensive lessons. All in all, the sponsors helped us majorly, and even our media friends, TV5, NBN 4, and Hero TV, were more than enough help.
I even went on to do radio tours and stuff to promote the show. From RX to WAVE to Magic to RT (Where I now sorta regularly go on air, thanks to King DJ Logan.), things have been going just peachy. All in all, I was grateful that my friends on radio really pulled through and helped me promote the show as much as they could. It’s hard to find friends as awesome as these guys are. We even had people walking in on the day itself just to check out what’s going on.
The people at PETA Theater are also nothing short of wonderful guys to work with, too. They were there, helping us out at every step of the program, and they really supported us all the way. I couldn’t be any happier about how well they treated us if I tried. Seriously, these guys are pros.
On the day itself, we were rehearsing all our stuff like crazy. It wasn’t easy, but we definitely made it work, and Brenda’s role in the finale was something we couldn’t take for granted. The guys from The Story Circle really made sure that every single detail about the show was running in top form, and even my mom got into the act, making sure things were ironed out perfectly. I was the producer, the marketing guy, the promoter, the stage director, and the performer. It was going to drive me crazy if i didn’t have any help at all, and these guys really came through in a pinch.
The First Half
Annoying pose, isn’t it?
The show opened with a bang, as Carl Quion, the youngest stage magician in the country, performed an amazing routine that just made people’s jaws drop. Carl helped us out immensely in preparing for the show, so there was no way I could refuse when he volunteered to be an opening act for the show.
It was great, as Jay and I went onstage and started talking to the audience. It was funny, really. We had a captive audience, and I even ended up squeezing in a bit of my standup as we needed to buy time for the first band.
The contrast is umistakable. Photo courtesy of Lei.
In all the merrymaking, Giniling Festival then stepped up and really got the crowd going. I was a bit worried about two kids in the audience, but it seemed that Giniling Festival wasn’t going to cause much grief for them at all, and their segment actually went over pretty well.
Again, courtesy of Lei.
Anyways, after Giniling got the people going, Jay and I went back up and performed Gypsy Mystery, emphasizing that one of the first things Tito Lou Hilario gave us as advice about the routine is to never perform it with two men. Clearly, we listen to such sound advice.
(W)hoops! Yep, still a picture from Lei.
Things were happening on full clip because we wanted to cram as much fun as possible within three and a half hours. Richie Fernandez then took on the role of doing some really great standup as he regaled everyone with his unique spin on comedy to the delight of the audience.
After this, it was my turn, as I performed a David Copperfield classic: the Slo-Mo Dove special. It was, without a doubt, one of the most embarrassing but memorable parts of the night, particularly since I danced “Nobody”. Twice. Once in slow motion.
It was good clean fun, and we wanted to end the first half of the show with a bang, so…
Wanlu and Manny Pexman never looked better together. Also from Lei.
Wanlu’s set featured multiple puppets, talking masks, and even a marionette. There was no question about it, really: Wanlu was the perfect act to cap off the first half of the show, as we knew he was going to really get the crowd on their feet. Needless to say, he hit one right out of the park, and we were heading off into intermission with a lot going for us.
The Second Half
I wanted them to be the main event of the show, but they were a bit reluctant since they had a gig in Bicol the next day. As such, we had them open the second half of the show.
Now, I’ll be honest with you: with the kids in the audience, maybe Grin Department wasn’t the smartest choice for entertainment that night. Their very loud, off-color, in-your-face style of music certainly isn’t meant for kids. Their notorious reputation for giving the fans more than their money’s worth isn’t without basis, too. What was supposed to be a five-song set became a five-medley set that had audience members polarized but reacting throughout the entire time.
Regardless of how you see them, though, they are legends in their own right.
Yep. Lei took this photo, too.
To me, it was an amazing moment to see Grin Department really just tear it up on the stage, and they were well worth the extra cash I had to cough up for going overtime. I had to manage my audience, though, and a quiet moment where I performed metal bending for the kids in the audience who had to leave the show really made me feel that as crazy as things were going, we were still on the right track. I was worried about time, but the remaining acts were going to really step up the tempo of the show. If this show would run for five hours, it better be the bloody best five hours they will ever go through, and I’d like to think we achieved that.
Jay Mata was up next, and in true form, he proved for a second straight time why he is one of the premiere mentalists in this country.
You just had to be there. Seriously. Picture from Lei.
He did what he did last year, with one key difference: when he had a volunteer step on his back and face, he withstood what must have been unbelievable pain and held off for at least fifteen seconds. While last year, the volunteer, Mike Abundo, was indeed tall and not exactly a light person, the volunteer this year was noticeably heavier. And Jay survived it.
The lighting at this point was perfect. We wanted to convey a moody atmosphere, so instead of having the goings-on projected on a huge screen, we instead asked the audience to gather closer to Jay so they could see for themselves what he was doing. It was eerie, it was unbelievable, and it was just… surreal.
Afterwards, the audience was still in for quite a treat. My personal favourite standup comedian, Mike Unson, was next.
Ang galit na nauwi sa WALAAAAAA!!! Photo from Lei.
The audience was laughing like crazy at this point. There’s a reason why Mike Unson, in my opinion, is one of the best Filipino standup comics ever, and he proved it that night. Every single joke was met with raucous laughs and heartfelt applause. And he did all of this in record time, being the consummate professional that he was. He was just on a different plane that night.
And the thing is, when you step the game up like that, you just know that with a show like this, there was no way things would go on a downward trend. Ony Carcamo followed things up with an unbelievable set where he used only one puppet, Mr. Parley, but he still managed to get people laugh non-stop for what seemed like hours of non-stop entertainment.
I won’t spoil anything here. You should’ve been there. Pic by Lei.
What really amused me was how Ony actually referenced Mike in his set and it was just so natural and hilarious. The whole “this is PETA theatre” bit was just awesome, and I couldn’t think of a better one-two punch than Mike and Ony performing and just really taking everyone’s breath away. This was grade A comedy, and I was just so proud to have been witness to it.
And then came the finale. Naturally, that meant we had to Rickroll people. Again.
You know the rules. And so do I. Pic by Lei.
Paying tribute to the Pendragons for our last act, Metamorphosis is often regarded as “the fastest illusion of all time”. Behind the choreography and dance steps, it was a matter of doing something so fast, that anyone who’d so much as blink would regret it.
Not pictured: Brenda is in that box. Picture by Lei.
… And we pulled it off. Brenda was in the trunk one moment, and the next, she was outside of it, leaving me inside the trunk.
But it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Throughout the night, you see, Jay was on the receiving end of my jokes and ribs. He vowed revenge, and promptly knocked me back into the box to lock me in there until he saw it fit to release me. He even started to thank everyone for going to the show and was sending them on their way, what with me trapped in the box and all.
That’s why I had to tell him off right then and there.
From the balcony.
Yep. You read that right. Ever heard of the Transported Man? That’s sorta what happened right here. And it was a success. A tremendous finale that we worked on for weeks, and it paid off in the end.
The Aftermath
Well, the show happened, and I couldn’t thank the people who went enough, especially my friends from Ditzy Diner and the Laffa 2 guys, as well as Jeff Tam and the other people from IMC. Things would’ve been perfect despite Grin Department going a tad overtime if it weren’t for one thing, though…
Some rotten soul stole my cellular phone off the stage, and even stole a lot of other stuff backstage that night.
It was sad, really, as this was a charity event, and this was the last thing you’d expect from an event like that. Nonetheless, I’d like to think that the world has a way of balancing itself out, and the good we’ve done for this night cannot be outweighed by the bad things that may have happened.
Oh, indeedy. You can be sure we’ll be doing this again next year.
Thanks for the support, one and all, and we’ll see you again soon for the third Kel and Jay megashow!
Expect a megapost sometime soon, once the pictures are ready.
In the meantime, my thanks to the performers: my partner Jay Mata, Ony Carcamo and Wanlu, Mike Unson and Richie Fernandez, and Giniling Festival and Grin Department.
I understand Grin Department may have gotten a bit out of hand and definitely went overtime at the expense of the other performers, but I’d like to believe their hearts were in the right place and they really wanted to give people their money’s worth. Still, you can’t take away anything from their performance: they are who they are, and in the end, Mike Unson and Ony Carcamo, the last two acts to follow Grin Department aside from Jay and myself, still managed to captivate the crowd with their wonderful repertoires.
Of course, Richie’s standup comedy was well-received, and Giniling Fest definitely won over some new fans that night, but let’s not forget Carl’s special guest segment where he opened the show for us with an amazing magic routine that really had me going.
Jay’s glass walk was of course stuff of legend, and Brenda made sure that Metamorphosis and Rickrolling would go soooo well together. Hee. Patrick’s assist during the Dove Vanish was hilarious as well. All in all, things really neatly lined themselves up, and it was great, for the most part.
Will write about it in full when the pictures come in. But for now, if you didn’t get to catch the show, too bad! You really missed out on an amazing night.
Much love to our sponsors: C2, Granny Goose Tortillos, Jack n Jill Potato Chips, Goldilocks, Geiser Maclang, E-Games, Sheero Media, and of course, our co-presentor, Nuffnang Philippines.
.:It Bears Repeating…:.
Bound and gagged, with Ony and Wanlu, Kel and Jay, Mike Unson and Richie Fernandez, Giniling Festival and Grin Department, is on this October 23, PETA Theater. Tickets are available at the gate, at 200 and 300 depending on your seating, and program is pegged to start at 7:30.
Proceeds of this show will be going to The Real Life Foundation, in aid of the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng and (heaven forbid) Ramil, if it gets to that.
This event is co-presented by Nuffnang Philippines, and is brought to you by C2, Granny Goose Tortillos, Jack ‘n’ Jill Potato Chips, E-Games, Geiser Maclang, and Goldilocks.
Thanks to our media partners as well, TV5 and Hero TV.
.:Conversations Into The Psyche:.
I must say, speaking to one of the most stellar magicians of our country, Lou Hilario, has afforded me a very unique perspective that I cannot help but appreciate.
Truly, he is one of the greatest minds in magic in the local industry, arguably even the world. He’s just that good.
.:A Season Of Grace:.
You can’t keep a good cause down.
Rejuvenated by a very generous soul, my main focus for this entire week is nothing but putting out the best show I ever have since “Laughs And Gasps” last year. “Bound And Gagged” is definitely entering an exciting phase as we are but one week away from the show, so I strongly suggest you guys get ready for the ride of your lives.
.:Standup And Watchpad!!!:.
Embarrassed myself twice because I sang “Magasin” and “What’s Up”, but it was a load of fun, after everything has been said and done, especially since a lot of the bloggers had a good time last night, not to mention found themselves enjoying a spot of SPIT immediately after.
The night before that, I was with Jayvee and Jane, as they actually went to Sidebar to see us do our standup comedy sets. I was definitely appreciative of the support from my friends, as I definitely am personally proud of the progress I’ve had in my standup sets. Never thought I’d be able to get this far, truth be told.
.:If You’re Feeling Down, Don’t Let It Keep You Down!:.
Sometimes, it’s really easy to let something get to you and ruin your day, but all you need sometimes is a fresh perspective on things. Personally, I’m very wary of letting myself fall into a funk, but it never fails that I end up in one every now and then.
Lately, I’ve been listening to this song, and though I really can’t understand most of the lyrics, I do agree with one particular sentiment: sometimes, when the going gets tough, the best thing to do is to just stop caring and just keep on keeping on. Hearts have been broken, tragedies have been borne, but the human spirit cannot be crushed by any of these adversities if you refuse to let it happen to you.
Is it a matter of will? For the most part, it is.
So throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em like you just don’t care, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh…
In the middle of a hurly-burly week filled with preparations for my show, bonding with friends, and enjoying life, I leave you with this song for inspiration…
.:The Philippine Blog Awards 2009 Not-So-Megapost:.
Lemme start with my quick thank-you video…
It was a crazy night, but it was still a night to remember. As I donned my white Dutch cap and stepped into PETA Theater where our show, Bound And Gagged, will be held on October 23, it was good to run into old friends like Karen and Maro, as we talked about everything from doing a Kanye West ad nauseam to the possibility of having another Bitter Ocampo writing about not winning the award (but not caring that he or she didn’t, no siree…) yet again.
Thing is, while I was nominated for the Top 10 Best Blog Posts Of The Year, I certainly didn’t expect to win at all. I still believe that my best post ever was The Rick Astley Megapost, but as luck would have it, my nominated post turned out to be rather… intriguing.
This year’s theme was “One Blogging Nation”, and as I saw a Jose Rizal analogue talking to an Andres Bonifacio analogue (Both, I believe, played by Vince Golangco.), I realized how much I see my post in the hilarious video clip. Still, did that tell me I had a shot at winning? Hades, no. With amazing writers like DJ and even the crew of TNL, I felt like a gnat surrounded by giants.
But lo and behold, when they started awarding the Top 10 posts, I was the first one they called onstage, and I was stunned. So I went up onstage, and I was still wide-eyed and I could hear the heckler’s section, composed of myself, Maro, Ade, and Noelle, and they were delivering their ribs at me audibly from the back. I didn’t care. I was just gobsmacked, and for the rest of the night, I was clutching that trophy like it was never going out of style.
I’d like to also congratulate sir Jim Paredes for winning, as well as fellow rusher, the Professional Heckler for winning. I’d mention Aileen, Noemi, Janette, as well, but if I went on, I’d end up congratulating everyone who won. Maro won a couple of awards, too, and of course, he got the much-coveted Commentary blog award, among other things. Ade went home empty-handed, hence his rather bitter post.
Mica was a big winner that night, though, as she won the blogger’s choice award, and well-deservedly so. See the picture here courtesy of Fritz.
Maro, Mica, and I are winners. Ade is not. Neener neener neener…
In all seriousness though, I’d like to thank Ian Uy, whose post, abrasive thought it may have been, inspired me to come up with my first Lost Gems post.
Sometimes, it’s the tough questions that makes you look really long and hard at yourself, and from there, you manage to draw out the truest, purest, most well thought-out response. Yeah, the post was a bit humorous and all, but it did get its point across rather well.
Ian, I have but one last rejoinder to you…
You said in your post that Koreans have something to be proud of, while in contrast, you find it difficult to find anything to be proud of in this country, with all the corruption, lack of discipline, and apathy that mires the Philippines. It’s difficult, to say the least, and it’s certainly a bit bleak at times, perhaps even hopeless in some other cases.
In light of the Ondoy and Pepeng tragedies, and the everyday heroes that rose through the ashes to help each other, despite all the politicking, despite all the looting and racketeering, think upon those who chose to rise above all of that pettiness and just genuinely help others just because it’s a good thing to do.
I hope, dear Ian, that in the aftermath of these storms, you finally found a reason to be proud to be a Filipino. I know I did. 
Thanks for giving me a chance to look deeply into the core of my psyche and find in myself why I’m proud to be a Filipino, no matter what idiotic government we may be under, or whatever latest international brouhaha we commit faux pas after faux pas in. When push comes to shove, the Filipino can.
One blogging nation. Now, more than ever, I believe this to be true.
But darn, I still think the Rick Astley post should’ve won.
Here are the list of winners of the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards:
SPECIAL AWARDS
Best Blog Design – The Site Guy
Best Filipino Blog Abroad – The Warped Zone
Best Foreign Blog – My Sari Sari Store
Blogger’s Choice – Micamyx
Best Filipiniana Blog – Pilipino Komiks
TEN BEST POSTS OF THE YEAR
Karnabal by Tuyong Tinta ng Bolpen
Finding Your Soul Mate: A Statistical Analysis by Guttervomit
Lost Gems Of Philippine History: The 1896 Board Meeting by It’s true! It’s true!
The Diving Boys of Quezon Bridge by Dennis Villegas
Twenty Pesos by Lostphotograph
The way of the leaf by SMOKE
Portrait of a dramatic highlight in Nick Joaquin’s A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino by Gibbs Cadiz
Kaya Dumarami ang Bading Kasi… by Manila Gay Guy
The Parable of the Furry White Rabbit by Good Times Manila
The Amazing Bulul: A Story of Epiphany by The Cat Whisperer
BEST BLOGS
Best Technology Blog – Jaypee Online
Best Travel Blog – Langyaw – Sojourns and Off-the-Beaten Path Travels
Best Entertainment Blog – Lessons From the School of Inattention
Best Personal Blog – Writing on Air
Best Food & Beverage Blog – Table for Three, Please
Best Family & Living Blog – Make or Break
Best News & Media Blog – Virtual Journals
Best Business Blog – Negosyo Ideas
Best Sports Blog – Fire Quinito
Best Hobby & Recreation Blog – Bearbrick Love
Best Fashion Blog – Who is Elyoo?
Best Photoblog – I Am a Documentary Photographer
Best Culture and Arts Blog – magnetic-rose.net: Japanese Pop Culture for Filipino Fans
Best Commentary Blog – The Marocharim Experiment
Best Videocast Blog – Entrepbuff.com
Best Podcast Blog – Brink Notes Entertainment Daily
Best Humor Blog – The Professional Heckler
Best Gaming Blog – Blog Mike Got Game!
Best Advocacy Blog – Autism Society of the Philippines
Best Beauty Blog – The Doctor Is vaIN
.:The Name Of The Game:.
The past several days, I found myself in a whirlwind of performances, both of the magical and comedic persuasions. It was certainly a challenge for me, but I definitely made sure I was more than prepared to handle what came my way.
Ditzy on Friday
Ditzy Diner was quite enjoyable, as a tough crowd forced my hand, resulting in me dropping standup comedy in the middle of my set and moving straight to my magic, which proved to be a good move. I had the crowd firmly on my side by the end of my set, so I was happy about that.
Project 2!
I can’t believe they’re disbanding! =(
It was the final gig ever for Project 2 last September 19, so needless to say, having them ask me to do a bit part where I would perform magic by producing a longganisa from thin air was a bittersweet experience.
You see, sometime last year, I saw Project 2 for the first time ever, performing during Route 196’s “Rick Astley night”. From then on, I was hooked, and I really wanted to hear and see these guys more. In fact, I wanted to see them perform so bad, I even asked them to guest for our show, Bound and Gagged, and they graciously agreed to do it.
Sadly, it wasn’t in the cards, and they disbanded last week.
I’m gonna miss those guys. They had hilarious songs, and it was a great honor to have performed magic on their final gig.
Thanks to this event, I could barely remember what actually happened at Wordcamp, other than the fact that I’m doing much better using my Wordpress blog now thanks to that seminar.
Tough Crowd!
Sunday was a challenge for me, as Nomer and I, two mentalists, dived right into a swath of skeptics. If it weren’t for the fact that I had the foresight of doing our legitimate levitation, things would’ve been a disaster for Nomer, since his mentalism was being scrutinized by everyone in the party, while my more laid-back comedy magic was just well-received all around.
Normally, I do mentalism myself, but after several days of performing, I wanted to ease back a bit and just have fun, and I think I made the right choice that day.
Afterwards, I ran into some TSC members in Trinoma who found out that I’m quite a gamer as well.
Fulfillment
One of the best shows of my career was a simple birthday celebration for a cause at the end of Ramadan.
I will not mince words: this was an exhilarating experience for me, to perform for the kids from the Cancer Warriors Foundation, and to amaze them and open their sense of wonder. What was supposed to be a quick show for only half an hour turned into a significantly longer run where I pulled out all the stops, making sure that the kids would be very happy to watch my show.
To the Cancer Warriors Foundation, rest assured that if you need someone who would be more than willing to entertain those kids, I’m just a message away. That’s really all I could say at this point. I was overwhelmed then, and I’m still overwhelmed now. The smiles I managed to coax from the kids was something money cannot buy, and I’ve had very few audiences who were happier to see magic than these kids.
And you wonder why Jay and I insist on doing a fundraiser at least once a year?
Breaking In
The open mic people had their first ever run-in with Sidebar Café in El Pueblo, and it was a great experience.
While we were a bit apprehensive about the night as it was the first time standup comedy was going to be performed in the venue, we still gave it our best, and we had people rolling in the aisles for much of our performances. I was especially pleased with my set, as an uncooperative mic meant I had to make sure that my energy level made up for it, and it rubbed off on the audience, who actually appreciated my material.
It was also a night that Victor Anastacio pretty much killed the crowd with point-on jokes and commentary. He was definitely proving why he was the winner of the first ever Laffapalooza. Trian came back from the dead as well to deliver a lot of comedy goodness from his end, too.
All in all, it was quite a good experience, and we’re hoping this means more chances for us to strut our stuff there in the future.
Well, that’s pretty much how my last few days went, really. We didn’t have standup in Toyz last night, but I’m sure we’ll be doing Ditzy again in a few hours. Ciao!
.:Today’s LSS…:.
No further words necessary…
Thank You
by Tyler Collins
Thank you for teaching me how to love
Showing me what the world means
What I’ve been dreamin’ of
And now I know, there is nothing that I could not do
Thanks to You
For teaching me how to feel
Showing me my emotions
Letting me know what’s real
From what is not
What I’ve got is more that I’d ever hoped for
And a lot of what I hope for is
Thanks to you
No mountain, no valley
No time, no space
No heartache, no heartbreak
No fall from grace
Can’t stop me from believing
That my love will pull me through
Thanks to You
(Adlib)
There’s no mountain, no valley
No time, no space
No heartache, no heartbreak
No fall from grace
Can’t stop me from believing
That my love will see me through
Thanks to You
Thanks to You
For teaching me how to live
Putting things in perspective
Teaching me how to give
And how to take
No mistake
We were put here together
And if I breakdown
Forgive me but it’s true
That I’m aching with the love I feel inside
Thanks to you
Thanks to you
.:Gratefulness:.
There have been a lot of things to be grateful for, and I must say, that last Tuesday’s Toblerone event really brought all of it to the fore.
Admittedly, I usually reserve my gratefulness near the end of the year, but it wouldn’t hurt to thank a few people, as we enter the very crucial month of October, where we’re going to be having the highly-anticipated sequel to last year’s Laughs And Gasps, Bound And Gagged!
Firstly, we’d like to thank our blogger friends, such as Jane, Jonel, and Jonas, all of whom really ensured that the word is out about the upcoming show. We pulled out all the stops, and with a winner lineup of comedians (Mike and Richie), magicians (Kel and Jay), ventriloquists (Ony and Wanlu), and musicians (Giniling Festival and Grin Department), you just know you’re in for a treat.
Secondly, we’d like to thank some of the sponsors who have come in to help us, such as Nuffnang Philippines, URC, and our upcoming media partners, TV5 and Hero TV. Hero TV already interviewed Jay and myself for their network, in fact, and I know more things will be coming in as the days go by.
Much love also has to go out to some of the friends who have been helping us out, such as the Story Circle, the New Worlds Alliance, and Cosplay.ph, all of whom have been more than gracious in extending their assistance to the show in any way they can.
And of course, our beneficiary, the Real Life Foundation. We can’t thank you guys enough for allowing us to share all these blessings with your worthy cause.
As a special note, I’d like to thank my dearest achie Rochelle, who has been my source of sanity at this insane point in my life.
I’m excited about this show, no question about it. I hope you guys would be there, because we’ve prepared for a really long time for this one.
I saved my last bit of thanks for last: thanks to Geiser Maclang and Sheero Media for having sponsored this endeavour for the second straight year. You guys rock, and Geiser generously invited yours truly to the launch of the National Thank You Day campaign by Toblerone.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t say it enough. If you can’t either, join not only the people who celebrated in Fiama, but the rest of the nation as we all express our gratitude. Don’t miss out on the chance to thank the people who need thanking!
.:Crazy, Crazy, Crazy…:.
I experimented with some new jokes and setups for my standup last Thursday night, and I must say I strictly prefer my old premise for N.U. The new one just takes too much time, and uses too few punchlines.
There’s still room for loads of improvement, and really, that’s what open mics should be about. I’m really happy the Pokemon jokes are getting a lot of mileage, though. It’s something I didn’t quite expect.
.:Your Moment Of Zen…:.
I bring you…. Nomnom!
What is Grimace doing to that kid?!?
.:Enjoy The Long Weekend!:.
It’s a very brief post, I know, but given how hectic this week has been, I guess it makes sense. Nonetheless, I think it’s time we stopped beating around the bush and got to the news…
.:Project 2 Is Disbanding!:.
One of my favorite indie bands, Project 2, is unfortunately disbanding. ::sobs::
I know most of you probably realize they were supposedly booked to perform in Bound And Gagged, so you just know how disappointed I was to find out that due to unforeseen circumstances, the band will be parting ways,and their last gig will be in Route 196 this Saturday night. They will be missed.
.:Having Said That…:.
… JP from Project 2 has kindly allowed me to get in touch with an awesome band to take their place.
For those who don’t know, we will be replacing Project 2 with Giniling Festival for the October 23 show. I’m definitely excited about this prospect, as this turn of events was unexpected but certainly a good thing. Here’s to a successful “Bound And Gagged”!