Saturday, September 26, 2009

Laughing out loud

Anybody who knows me knows that I LOVE to laugh. I walk around with a giant smile on my face pretty much 24/8.

[24/8 is a discworld thing, simply accept it and roll with me minions I'm still high on life here]

I just got back from an event that had me grinning, guffawing, shaking my tush to some awesome music and people watching like crazy.

Four of my all time favorite things…..…well, of the things that can be done in public.

There's an energy generated from a performer opening himself up to a crowd of onlookers that doesn't happen in any other aspect of life.

And when you're ten feet from the stage and the performers are encouraging audience participation it doesn't get a whole lot sweeter.

A willing crowd, talented performers and a great space to entertain in, what could be better?

I only saw two acts because I was running behind after rescuing a damsel in distress [a story for a different day] and under my coat I was soaked to the skin and only keeping my teeth from chattering because I was laughing so much.

Because, oh yeah, did I mention that it was raining like Noah was building an ark today?

My hair was flat and I looked like a drowned rat and I still had a great time……

Mostly because the electricity the performers generated in the audience was palpable….these guys had the crowd in the palms of their hands.

When I hit the lower level entrance to the Detroit Superior Bridge Brian Gardner was on stage. He sings, he dances, he has a little patter, he has stunning backup dancers he calls Divas…. and oh yeah, he has BREAK AWAY PANTS……. About two seconds into my entrance his pants came off and then the fun really began. He bumps, he grinds, he walks on his hands. He jokes offhand about those dreams where you dream you're at work in your underwear….. it was such fun. Like Vegas, only free and in Cleveland. [and no tigers]

Then Aaron Bonk took the stage. Aaron if you remember is the fire eating, stilt walking juggler that I met in the park the other day.

Aaron demonstrated that his knives were actually sharp by slicing an orange in half and then he proceeded to juggle multiple balls, knives, a bowling ball and bean bags. He went on to perform several death defying feats, some requiring a helmet.

AND THEN………..

He worked with CHILDREN, and everybody knows that the first rule in show business is never work with animals or children, but Aaron pulled it off, no problem and they each only upstaged him a little bit.

After that he asked for a volunteer from the audience. When a sacrificial lamb was proffered to him he used a bull whip to separate the head of a rose from the stem while the rose was in the guy's mouth. Not kidding. In a volunteer's mouth. And the guy stood there calmly while it happened.

[I'll have to ask him if this was a set up]

Then he finished up his act with a passing of the hat and collected some booty and some promise of booty for later cause I SAW the hat and there were at least two thongs in the collection.

I walked the rest of the bridge and saw some of the amazing artwork that was displayed and got to talk to a few other folks.

I really hope the Bridge Project takes off and this space becomes a recognized, frequent [and funded] place for performers to showcase their talent.

It was a horrid weather day, the place isn't a cake walk to get to and there were STILL hundreds of people enjoying the food, the ambiance and the performers.

Hopefully lots of people give the city feedback and they drum up corporate sponsors to get this space funded so these local performers can make a living doing what they do best.

Making people smile.

Or in my case, laugh out loud.




A link to other folks yammering and tweeting about #bridgeproject

10 comments:

~Tim said...

Bonk juggled children? Wow! Did you get a photo of that?

[smirk]

Glad you had a good time and, seriously, did you take photos?

Rougeneck said...

"My hair was flat and I looked like a drowned rat and I still had a great time……" Oh sweetheart. You sound like me. Except I don't know if I would have been able to finish that sentence with "and I still had a great time....." I probably would have said something like: "My hair was flat and I looked like a drowned rat and THAT'S why I didn't give my thong to Aaron Bonk, the fire eating, stilt walking juggler." Sigh.

Karen from Mentor said...

Hey Tim,
No actual children were juggled, but boy that would be something to see.
Aaron did say as part of his patter that he couldn't toss knives to children ANY MORE...and there was something mumbled about a lawsuit.....but the kid was all FOR catching a knife...fun stuff.
I planned to take a camera, but it was CARWASH raining and there was no way that I could have kept it dry, so I just took pictures in my head. And laughed so much my face actually hurts.
Karen :0)

Karen from Mentor said...

Hey CG,
I tell you what, I understand the throwing your panties on stage thing now. YOWSA.
His pictures don't do him justice.

Still grinning.
Hugs honey! Been missing you.
Karen :0)

judy said...

Wow! In the rain, too! I think we're spoiled in California. Unless it was, you know, The Beatles reunion (and yeah, I mean ALL of them), I can't imagine a crowd of hundreds standing out in the pouring rain. You are a hearty bunch!

I wish my name was Bonk. I'd just have the one name then. Like Cher. Bonk. My whole life would be different... =)

Karen from Mentor said...

A Beatles reunion Judy? Are you writing another zombie story?
[*yikes* that'll get some letters...]

There is a roof over the performing space, so once you were inside it was dryish.

Otherwise? I think the performances may have been a bit TOO electrifying what with all the the mikes and amplifiers and flood lights and such.

Single names are great for performers. But I don't think Bonk is quite the way for you to go...you'll have to come up with something more descriptive of you....like FLAMEGIRL..... yeah..I like that one....

Anonymous said...

Sounds like loads of fun. Wish we had something similar here or I might have to move there :)

PS: again... thanks for the picture :P

Karen from Mentor said...

Tee hee Estrella, the picture will just be between us.

The bridge project was sooo much fun. I stayed up on the phone with a friend for hours afterwards because I was too wired to sleep.
So we're pretending that I'm actually awake today.
Look around in your area, I'm sure that there are fire eating juggling stilt walkers SOMEWHERE to go watch in the rain...Or you could just move here. Talk to Fery about that ok? [I'll wait]

Thanks for tweeting the #bridgeproject link to my post so I didn't have to give in to Vader cause he was working *HARD* about 3:00am....
You're a doll.
Hugs!
Karen :0)

Cat Connor said...

In the middle of Wellington city - is an area called Manners mall which is my FAVORITE place in the summer. Street performers galore. You never know who will be there or what will be happening.
You'd love it Karen!

Karen from Mentor said...

I'm sure I would Cat. I'm thinking of joining the circus so maybe one day you'll see me in Wellington City.

Ah, but "Can write a story from random lists" really be whipped into a death defying act?
Maybe if I do it while a giant pendulum swings over my head.....

hmmmm... I'll have to give this some thought

:0)