Bound And Gagged!

.:DK-Oke!!!:.

Wotta night, wotta night!

Thursday night last week was a historic night for the Disenchanted Kingdom and the rest of 99.5 RT as they took over 121 Bar and Grill in Pasong Tamo extension to bring to their friends and listeners “DK-Oke,” an awesome night of music and drinking, where you get to go onstage and perform with a live band and you on lead vocals.

I got there fairly early, fully prepared to sing one song and only one song: “Nobody,” by the Wondergirls. Prior to that, though, seeing Lou Skywalker, Anna Q5, Marf, Cleo, and of course, King DJ Logan, was quite a sight for sore eyes. Everyone was in a festive mood, and this was going to be quite a night for the show, its listeners, and the station as a whole.

I sang first, and lowered the bar sufficiently for the rest of the night, but with Cleo singing “Alone” at top form, it was rather difficult to keep the bar low, although Ms. Nancy Jane and her friend CJ did have fun singing “Torn” and “I Touch Myself.” Overall, it was an insane night, and hearing Logan belt out “With Or Without You” and Marf sing “I’ll Be” with gusto definitely drew a lot of reactions.

At some point, the King asked me over onstage to perform a bit and entertain the audience with my magic and mentalism act, and I happily obliged. I decided that doing the Michael Finney classic, the Lady and the Rope, would be most suited for a wonderful volunteer as Ms. Nancy Jane herself…

I love this routine.

Overall, I must say this was a pretty awesome night, and I can’t complain about how things turned out. With the DK hoping to do this on a monthly basis, and with the show just firing on all cylinders as of late, and the couple of days a week I’ve been guesting with them, I must say that the Disenchanted Kingdom is looking towards exciting times en route to its first anniversary.

It was pretty hilarious what happened last week, though…

KDL: So, if we guys all ended up trapped in the Amazon, and we had no choice, who would we be gay for among the four of us?

Lou Skywalker: Kel looks like a softie. I think I can take him. I ain’t gonna be a pitcher.

Marf: I think I’d go for Lou. He’s hairy.

Cleo: Marf, you’re Chinito! I guess that means Kel will go for you!

KDL: Wait, dammit! Why is nobody gay for me?!?

Uh-huh…

.:For The Lulz:.

Remember this infamous picture from when Facebook controversially deleted Alodia Gosiengfiao’s accounts?

Gasp! How could they?!?

This was always why I believed in Friendster far more than Facebook, no matter what everybody else says. After all, they’d never delete an account for no reason at all, would they?

Would they?

Double gasp! How could they?!?

Project 365 comedy, disenchanted kingdom, friends, karaoke, radio, randomicity

.:Starstruck At The Disenchanted Kingdom!:.

ZOMG!

Ladies and gentlemen, as a person who has met a lot of people over the years, who has interviewed the great Mick Foley himself, as the guy who has encountered so many celebrities in his life (without being one himself), it takes a lot for someone like me to get starstruck. I tend to just really look at them much in the same way I look at anyone else, although few exceptions immediately come to mind, such as Gary Valenciano and of course, Mick Foley.

When I dropped in this morning for the second straight day on the Disenchanted Kingdom, I certainly did not expect to meet the lovely, funny, smart, and sassy Ms. Rhian Ramos. We were a packed house that morning, with the official trio of Marf, Cleo, and King DJ Logan, and the unofficial trio of myself, Ana, and newbie Lucio. I was stumped, as at that moment, Rhian was all by her lonesome on the couch, and I deigned not to just sit beside her, since, yanno, celebrity and all, and I was promptly starstruck.

I’ve heard my friends who’ve met her all gush about her, but seeing her in person made me realize what it was all about: she was stunning, and she was so witty, and as Logan introduced me to her while I stood in the booth, she asked me to sit beside her on the couch, and I gingerly did, as Logan explained to her that I was called “Plant Man” because I don’t respond unless I’m ruffled. She took that as her cue to ruffle me, and I was playing it off like nothing was happening, but Marf pointed out I was turning a bright shade of red.

Anyways, as the show went on, we talked about things you didn’t expect to hear from a 19-year old like her. It was naughty but classy how she proceeded to nimbly and coyly play her way into getting a perfect 10 on Por-No, Por-Yes, and everyone listening must have been suitably impressed by how she pulled it off. Personally, I was most impressed with the way she thinks, and that was really what made me take notice of her, more than anything else.

.:The Street Magic Tour!:.

Just came from my first day of my street magic tour for Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, and it was a blast in SM North!

I’ll be performing this Sunday in SM Megamall around 2,3,4, and 5 PM, either at the Cinema or Foodcourt area in fifteen-minute burts. Next week, I’ll be doing more of the same in SM Manila and Mall Of Asia.

Pretty exciting time to be a magician, eh?

Project 365 brush with celebrity, disenchanted kingdom, magic, magikel, radio

.:Back On DK After A Whole Week!:.

It was fun being back, although sobering talks about animal cruelty offset with explanations about gay lingo made for a very interesting morning, to say the least. It’s good to know that the show went very well, and everyone was on the same page to start the week off right.

.:68/365: The Shanghai Shackles:.

It’s one of my signature routines.

The Shanghai Shackles would be one of the most popular routines I’ve been using for years, and with good reason. If there are two things I’m known for, one is mentalism, and the other is comedy magic.

This routine is technically an escapology routine, but it plays so well for comedy, simply because there’s nothing more amusing than to see rapid-fire in and out moves playing off with rapid-fire patter. There are so many different ways to present this, but for me, the comedic approach works best simply because it allows you to make people laugh but make them still think and wonder how in heaven’s name you pulled off the entire routine.

The (fictional) history of the Shanghai shackles is very colourful. Hailing from Shanghai (duh), the shackles were created to restrain the most maniacal of criminals and prevent them from utilizing chopsticks properly to eat. This forced them to eat with their hands, thereby impugning themselves and resulting in a loss of self-respect. Most prisoners ended up killing themselves in shame.

Others learned to like eating their hands, migrate to the Philippines, and become Capampangans.

Not-so-accurate history aside, this bit of escapology is one of the best routines in my book because it really gets people’s attention. I like performing it on a close-up setting, contrary to popular notion, simply because if you know how to manage the crowd, the fact that it’s that up close and personal can only amaze them even more.

Sir Lou Hilario made it a point to mention that I do the shackles close-up. It seems to me that I was one of the few people who did that, and I’m glad I did, because whether I did it in the middle of the street completely surrounded by onlookers or I did it at a restaurant table, the Shanghai Shackles is one of the best bits of escapology I have ever had. I’ve known several people who have actually asked me for dimensions for my shackles, or tried to duplicate my routine, but they can learn the mechanics of the escape, but there’s no way they could just pick up the subtleties, the panache, and the flair I have injected into the routine that is uniquely me. Ultimately, isn’t that what separates the true performers from those who just know how to do magic?

Project 365 backblogging, comedy, disenchanted kingdom, escapology, magic, magikel, project 365 2010, radio

.: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.

Personal Commentary, Project 365 disenchanted kingdom, love, magic, magikel, My Beloved, radio

.:18/365: Predictions:.

A Larry Becker killer effect to show off what predictions are all about.

There are so many variations for predictions, I decided to just include them all here in one discussion.

The thing with predictions is, it’s a very strong allure for most people to be able to determine the future, and to find someone capable of doing so. It boils back down to the Oracle phenomenon and how the regular question and answer segment mentalists do can often be the highlight of their one or two-hour show.

Whether it’s about mentalists who attempt to predict the lottery, or the fabled notarized headline predictions by Devin Knight, mentalism has managed to achieve a point where almost anything can be predicted, albeit one is led to wonder why none of these accurate predictions has ever resulted in a mentalist actually winning the lottery. Would the ethics involved truly be too much of a dilemma for them?

I’ve had my share of prediction routines in the past, and I must say, these routines are among the hardest-hitting of the lot. When you make a prediction, and it’s accurate, and people are racking their brains trying to figure out how it’s possible, well you manage to establish yourself in a way nobody can possibly hope to.

Prediction routines, when hyped properly and when done correctly, can get you the most mileage in terms of publicity and recognition. I’ve done simple predictions in the past where months later, a former client would approach me from out of the blue just to tell me that I did something right. It’s quite a great feeling, really.

I’d love to show you one of my prediction routines, but wouldn’t you know it, I actually haven’t really allowed myself to be filmed yet doing one of them…

I predict you’re disappointed, but just look at it this way: out of all the mentalism effects out there, this is arguably the one that needs the least amount of explanation or buildup. Everyone understands what’s at stake when you make a prediction, and manage to nail it.

.:Today’s DK…:.

… the Por-No, Por-Yes record has been broken by K-24/7! Wow!

Also, we’ve had tons of really funny jokes in our joketime segment this morning, not to mention a lot of other interesting conversations, including Jason Ivler, Kris Aquino, and so forth.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s episode, as well as the episode featuring Jonas Diego and Elbert Or on Thursday, as they talk about comics.

Catch the Disenchanted Kingdom on 99.5 RT, Mondays to Fridays, 6-9 AM. This was an awesome start to the week. =D

News and Updates, Project 365 cleo caliente, disenchanted kingdom, magic, magikel, mentalism, project 365 2010, radio

.: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.

Personal Commentary, Project 365 cleo caliente, disenchanted kingdom, magic, magikel, mentalism, project 365 2010, radio

.:12/365: Uri Geller:.

Failure?

Fewer people in the mentalism world has caused as much controversy as Uri Geller. Claiming extraordinary powers bestowed upon him by extraterrestrials, Uri started his career in the 1970’s by doing demonstrations of drawing duplication, spoon bending, and even blindfold driving. He’s been one of the most influential figures in mentalism, but also one of the most polarizing. You either believe that the man is what he claims to be, or a complete hack who preys on people who don’t know any better.

Uri craves the spotlight. He’s a man who has built a name by making claims that have gotten increasingly more outlandish over the years, until his eventual fall from grace thanks to his arch-nemesis, James Randi. Randi, a very renowned skeptic, was the man behind Uri’s apparent failure during the Tonight show with Johnny Carson, as he asked Carson to make sure that Uri doesn’t use his own materials when demonstrating his spoon bending.

It doesn’t really matter where you stand on the divide between Uri believers and naysayers. For those who believe him, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, none will ever prove sufficient. Personally, I’d rather celebrate the man’s contributions to mentalism, because without him, people wouldn’t be standing and taking notice of the things we can now accomplish. He opened the doors, so love him or hate him, I still respect him for that.

And truth be told, how many mentalists would say “no” to an opportunity to be heralded as “the next Uri Geller?” From “Phenomenon” to several other productions held all over the globe, the desire to find a successor to the controversial Uri Geller has taken on a life of its own already. Who knows, right? Perhaps the next Uri Geller would be able to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is indeed the real deal.

.:DK Insanity:.

Wow. Last week’s Tuesday episode of the Disenchanted Kingdom was on a higher octane level than usual.

It started off with us talking about how ABS-CBN managed to sensationalize the whole Efren-Angel affair, not to mention the big fuss they made about Kuya getting hospitalized due to over-fatigue. Sometimes, when it’s a really slow day, I guess they can’t help but try to stir up stuff just to keep things spicy, eh?

After that, we had a laugh trip as we talked about my ex. Cleo was berating me about how quickly the whole thing lasted, while Logan was theorizing that I pulled the whole thing just so I could get Cleo jealous. We also ended up talking about Cleo theorizing about us having kids, and how I’ve progressed from someone Cleo would never consider to someone she’d consider having test-tube babies with. All in good fun, really, as I established that my Lovey-Dovey wasn’t really a Snuffleuppagus, so to speak.

Afterwards, we had very interesting discussions, along with rapid-fire comebacks left and right. From doing voices and pretending to be hoodlums set to do a mafia drive-by, to on-the-button insult comedy we managed to hit each other with, it was all good and all fun. I guess that’s great, considering how I lost my voice shortly afterwards, and the soonest I could come back to RT would be on Monday already.

Anyways, it’s been really good, and the fact that my rapport with the hosts of the Disenchanted Kingdom has been steadily improving has definitely resulted in a lot of good times to be had on and off the air with them.

News and Updates, Project 365 cleo caliente, disenchanted kingdom, magic, magikel, mentalism, project 365 2010, radio

.:Three In Two!:.

So I started the day off right by going to the Disenchanted Kingdom and just watching Cleo Caliente blush like a tomato at the latter half of the show, and discover that the true pornoisseur of the DK is none other than Marf himself. Not even super producer B-Roc of Turbulence Records fame could beat Marf’s inporn talent.

After hitching a ride on Marf’s brand-spanking-new Mazda 3, I headed off to the airport to catch my flight to Davao, as I’m supposed to be performing there at around six in the evening. It was crazy, but after going through all the motions of checking in and getting ready for the whole thing, I ended up really exhausted by the time I got to the venue, but still managed to perform a rather entertaining show with just enough variation from my gig for the same client last Wednesday for the people who watched my Wednesday show to still appreciate the Friday show.

It was tiring, and a very refreshing conversation with My Beloved that night energized me for the very early flight back from Davao the next day. Can’t really complain about that, as even if me and My Beloved are no longer together, we’re still very close and I can’t thank her enough for making that kind of a difference in my life.

First Flight Out

Immediately hit the sack as soon as I got home from the airport around 8:30 in the morning. I needed to recuperate, and I was really just exhausted because of all the flying around and the performing that I needed to do in short order. Still, I left very satisfied customers in Davao, albeit I ran into Arn from Aircheck at the airport, as well as one of the people I performed for the previous night.

Afterwards, I headed off to Malate for my second gig in as many days. I had to host and do magic for Jive’s 7th birthday, and I must say, it was a blast. The kids were all ears, they loved playing the games I lined up for them, and even the parents enjoyed their time to shine as we played “Name That Tune” for them and the mommies swept the daddies, six to nothing. I managed to pull things off just right, and the magic show really hit the spot. The kids were amazed, but more so were the adults, who really loved the last two things I did for them.

Afterwards, the parents and even some of the grandparents and aunts thanked me after the show, which really felt great, especially when one of them said, “You’re really good. Even I was entertained, not just the kids.” Nothing feels more rewarding than to know you did a great job and people aren’t ashamed to let you know you did.

Still, my day wasn’t done yet. There was one more show to perform at, and knowing I was going to help someone hear once again, this, to me, was the most important one of the three.

Fundraiser Night

I am helping Katrien hear. That is the first thing I’d like to say, for the record.

Secondly, last night had an amazing lineup of comedians who really knew how to get the crowd going. Ryan and Victor were just on fire, and of course, an exceptionally inspired Raffy Taruc was performing on a whole different level that night.

As for me, I performed a few new jokes, but chose to instead focus on doing my sponge ball routine, and a special request: the blindfolded Rubik’s solve, which I managed to complete under five minutes.

I feel I acquitted myself well that night, and there’s nothing better than knowing I’ve done my job in entertaining people with a vengeance. This was definitely one for the books.

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