Bound And Gagged!

.: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!

News and Updates, Personal Commentary comedy, friends, magic, music

.: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 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!

News and Updates, Personal Commentary bound and gagged, gratitude, kel and jay

.:Interesting Long Weekend…:.

1. Had one of my better standup sets last Friday
2. Wordcamp happened
3. Project 2’s last gig ever
4. Had to perform magic for a tough crowd in Shangrila
5. Ran into some TSC people while in Trinoma
6. Cancer Warriors Foundation gig

And yes, tickets for Bound And Gagged are now available. Just ask me for details!

News and Updates bound and gagged, kel and jay, randomicity

.: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”!

News and Updates, Personal Commentary bound and gagged, comedy, friends, kel and jay, moment of zen, music

.:Just When You Thought Your Funny Bones Were Safe, Kel And Jay Strike Again!:.

We’re baaaaaaacccckkkk!!!

Last year’s “Laughs And Gasps” was a rousing success: hailed as a big magic and comedy hit, a clamor has been raised for a sequel, and because you demanded it, the “Penn and Teller of the Philippines,” Kel and Jay, are back, and they’re pulling out all the stops!

This year, “Bound And Gagged”, the sequel to last year’s show, will be happening on Friday, October 23, 7:30 PM, in PETA Theater. The venue shouldn’t be too hard to find, since it’s on Eymard Drive, which intersects with E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Quezon City.

From this show, you can expect nothing but top-notch magic and mentalism from your heroes of Mind and Magic, Kel and Jay, as well as an unprecedented showdown featuring two of the country’s top ventriloquists, the Philippine’s Premiere Ventriloquist, Ony Carcamo and the Ventrillusionist, Wanlu. Also slated to perform are two top comedians from the immensely popular Comedy Cartel, the winner of 2009’s “Tawag Ng Tawa” Richie Fernandez, and one of the hosts of TV 5’s “Front Act”, the inimitable Mike Unson. Special musical guests include the cult favorite Giniling Festival, and the legendary 90’s icon, Grin Department.

On October 23, you will be treated to a night that will excite, delight, and ignite your imaginations, and all for a worthy cause! “Bound And Gagged” will feature some amazing acts that combine Kel and Jay’s unique style with special homages to some of their greatest influences, like Houdini, Copperfield, Osterlind, Maven, Brown, and of course, Penn and Teller.

For a sample of what Kel and Jay can do, take a gander at this guesting last November in “Unang Hirit”!

With Kel and Jay, Ony and Wanlu, Mike and Richie, Giniling Festival and Grin Department, how can you possibly go wrong? Don’t miss out on an evening of wonders, bringing laughs and gasps to another level.

This is “Bound And Gagged”. Tickets are available at 200 (balcony) and 300 (orchestra) each, available at the gate, and proceeds of the show will be given to the Real Life Foundation (Yes, they are also doing relief aid for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy.). For more inquiries and ticket reservations, call or text 09175126883.

This event is made possible by Nuffnang Philippines and Sheero Media.

News and Updates comedy, comedy cartel, magic, mentalism, music, ventriloquism