Comedy: Serious Business

.:The Serious World Of Comedy:.

First, let me get the shameless self-promotion out of the way: this coming Monday, I'm headlining at Barley Gastropub in Sct. Bayoran corner Sgt. Esguerra, in Quezon City. I would really appreciate if you guys could catch me perform there around 9-ish, because it's the first time I'm headlining a comedy show, and I'm both nervous and stoked about it at the same time.

I never thought about it until recently, but I've actually already spent half a decade as a standup comedian. While magic and mentalism is really my primary competency, I have to admit that I really am glad to be doing what I do in standup, and the opportunities I've been given over the years.

Don't call it a comeback. We never left.

Nonetheless, the Philippine standup comedy scene is definitely a growing scene, and the Herculean task of establishing the scene set up by the Alan Manalo's and Tim Tayag's and Mike Unson's of the country has paved the way for many comics to really thrive. Whether it's Alex Calleja or GB Labrador of Comedy Manila, or the newly-crowned Komikazee winner Chip Balbuena of the Comedy Cartel, there's room for everyone to be better and to grow, and healthy competition certainly makes for better comedians.

They're not marching to Malacanang.

And while all this is happening, growing with it side by side has been improv comedy. From Bacolod's Kinenkoy to SPIT and now Switch Improv, there's something to be said about how much the improv scene continues to thrive as well, despite the apparent lack of marketing drive it has in contrast to the standup comedy scene. Why is that, though?

Loud noises!

I don't want to speculate, but I think the answer is that improv answers a completely different demand from standup, even if both of them usually end up in comedy, one way or another. Standup comedy is an entirely different skillset from improv, and it's hard to succeed in one or the other while carrying exactly the same attitude towards both crafts.

I've only been actively doing improv since 2012, which is three years after I started with standup. I've always had a healthy fear of improv, because while I could memorize jokes, there was something about being challenged to be funny at the drop of a hat in improv that frightened me.

Except the more I looked into improv, the more I realized it's not about trying to be funny that makes it funny. And the reason it's funny to people is also the reason it gets raised eyebrows from pure standup comics: the laughter comes from the truth, not from the punchline. We always say “it's funny because it's true,” but it's never been truer anywhere else than it is in improv. People laugh their heads off and give applause breaks for improv performances that did not contain a single punchline because reasons, and that's the magic of it all.

Yet, to say that it's better or inferior to standup comedy, to even compare the two on that level, is to do an injustice to both art forms. True, both have the same goal: to entertain people. However, the way they take it can be ridiculously different from each other, more often than not. Standup has a rhythm and method all its own that makes it work for what it is. Improv has a rhythm and method all its own that makes it work for what it is. And as vague as it may seem, those two are as different as can be when you pick up on all the nuances and small things they choose differently. For starters, one is a showcase of an individual's humor and point of view. The other is a group effort of people who build on the concept of “yes, and” with fanatical devotion. If you tried coming into an improv scene with a bunch of pre-planned jokes, you might be thrown for a looop when your partner decides to do something else.

Which one you prefer may very well be a matter of taste. But to say which one is better is ultimately a fool's errand. And to the practitioners of these art forms, there's absolutely no doubt that comedy is serious business.

So yeah. See you Monday, y'all!

Project 52 2014 (23/52): I'll Never Go

.:Project 52 2014 (23/52): I'll Never Go:.

You always ask me those words I say, and telling me what it means to me...

There's so much left unsaid, but after last week's great series of shows and my hosting for Mr. Rex Navarrete and Mike Unson on two separate nights, I can't help but feel rather accomplished, and raring to go for more. So now, I try to focus my mind on stuff outside of work and performances. And I realize that so many of the things I say and talk about run the gamut of significance based on who I'm talking to, and when I'm saying it. It's not really something you just get to determine in one go.

Having said that, what else is there to think about, really? I've been running myself ragged the past week, but it's been all worth it.

Every single day, you always act this way...

So I do get questioned from time to time. I do end up having to defend myself and defend my integrity because that seems to be the most appropriate thing to do when questions come your way, and after everything's been said and done, I stand. Proven.

For how many times I've told you, I love you, but this is all I know...

If I didn't love what I do, I wouldn't be here any longer. Sometimes, that's all I have to go on, really. It's the "fumes" when I'm "running on fumes." It's the "what" in "what keeps me going." Passion. Love. For what I do, and in the pride I take in doing what I do as best as I can, and finding myself unparalleled in it. I begin to understand what they mean when a great man once said: "I'm the best at what I do..."

"... bub." Snikt, snikt.

And speaking of Wolverine and all that stuff, I realize I should review X-Men: Days of Future Past when I find the time. I'm just so occupied with all the stuff I have to do, I don't know if I'd ever manage. But whatever.

I'll never go far away from you...

In the end, all I have is my steadfastness to go by. That no matter what happens, regardless of the tempest, I will remain. I will survive.

Even the skies will tell you...

And many have questioned that. So many, indeed. But that doesn't affect me much, insofar as I concern myself more with vindicating myself through actions and through accomplishments, not through empty rhetoric and shifting blame.

That I need you so...

I need you so because I realize that this passion is what drives me. And it's good to realize that this passion isn't directed towards an all-consuming desire for a person, whether or not it is reciprocated. I've finally broken free of that. It's passion that I need, but it also emanates from within me, rather than something I need to be inspired into. And no matter the uncertainty, one thing is for certain...

But this is all I know, I'll never go far away from you...

Back In The Swing Of Things...

.:About Damned Time:.

I've pretty much sidetracked myself for long enough, and if last Tuesday's show was any indication, I do believe I need that aside from improv, I ought to go back and focus on magic and mentalism more, especially since hypnosis is now also a part of my repertoire.

The show in Route 196 was a blast. Wish you guys were there, but every Friday, we still do improv shows in The Fort, around 8PM or so in the Jamba Juice area. Do drop by us, and if things work out, you just might hear about another show featuring Switch Improv, Mike Unson, Ony Carcamo, and yours truly coming up again one of these days.

Mission Accomplished, But It Gets Lonely Up There

.:Now I Can Breathe...:.

Mayhem accomplished!

It was an epic weekend, to put it mildly. As I was there, hosting the big show in Solaire, with Rex Navarette and Mike Unson as the featured performers, I really couldn't help but feel very happy that I was set to close my 2013 with a bang, as far as my hosting and magic were concerned. It was a whole lot more than I could have ever asked for.

Couple that with the fact that I had an amazing time the next day despite being a zombie, as I hosted Sean and Hai's wedding, and spent the day with the JGL. It was definitely a great time with Clair, JM, Sacha, Wayne, Peppy, Diane, Mark, and of course, the newlyweds, as I squeezed in as many Rick Astley lyrics and Mario references as I could throughout the reception. It was a blast, really. An absolute blast.

This has been a fairly quiet 2013 for my performance career, but with Switch and standup and mentalism and even more hosting to come soon, I couldn't be more excited at the inroads this year's experiences has managed to pave. It's been a blast, and it's only going to get better in 2014.

.:But There Are Times...:.

Weddings always have that effect on me. I'm so happy for the couple, but I can't help but wonder about where I'm headed. If I'd ever find myself in the same state.

I've gotten rather jaded lately, and the fact that I'm a Christmas grinch, and there I was at a wedding so near Christmas, so you can just imagine how that bodes for my emotional state. I won't harp on the whole "malamig ang Pasko" bit, seeing as it won't be long before I end up vituperating about February 14 soon enough, but damn, it does get lonely from where I stand. 

I hate it because there have been so many words said, so many things done, yet in the end, it's little more than lip service, and the status quo still remains. I'm not happy with it. I'm definitely far from satisfied with it, and all the so-called gratitude in the world feels more and more empty when everything becomes just a one-sided parody of what a relationship between two people is supposed to be.

I don't know where I am. I don't know where I'm headed. And the notion that I'm cluelessly hurtling towards the rest of my life has ceased to excite me, and has begun to alarm me. 

The Comedy Challenge

.:The Comedy Challenge:.

After four years on and off of doing standup comedy, I've found myself mostly relying on current events material for my jokes. That's nice, except for the part where you have little choice but to discard your material after a few weeks.

A week ago, I did a 15-minute set for the first time, and I couldn't thank GB enough for the opportunity he gave me. It certainly felt like a culmination of sorts, as I did a fairly competent extended set, and I had it all recorded, so I more or less knew if I was doing stuff right on the money/

Then last Monday, I opened for Mike, and he asked me to do 10 minutes, and it seems that's the norm he expects from me at this point.

As my friend and mentor, Mike challenged me to develop my material, and give myself a year to be able to do a full 1-hour set. It's daunting, looking at it right now, but I have to admit, that is something I want to strive towards.

With Switch, the improv comedy group I'm a part of, really taking off as well, there is so much good going on in the world of comedy, and I'm glad to be even just a small part of it.

Here's hoping that I do manage to continue improving my craft. I have such a long way to go, but I have never felt more optimistic about it than I do now.

Comedy Randomicity

.:Improv Comedy Goodness!:.
Until further notice, Switch Improv, the newest improv comedy group in Metro Manila, will be performing regularly in the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheatre area every Friday night, around 7:30PM. Should be awesome!

In the event it's raining, by the way, we will be relocating near the Promod shop int he same area. It's a free show, so come on down!

.:Standup Comedy Goodness!:.
Will be opening for Mike Unson next Friday, 25 October, 2013, in Bistro M, at the Miramar Hotel. Definitely looking forward to it, and Mike himself has a pretty huge show on 28 October in Solaire, along with Usapang Lalake's Alex Calleja.

Would have loved to be there myself on 28, but you know, reasons.

A Season Of Grace...

.:A Season Of Grace...:.

Now, now. It'd be a good idea to leave the puns at home over this one, though.

It's been a great week so far, even if it's been a tad stressful. Spent yesterday at the Rowdy Empire with King DJ Logan and Dani, and that was pretty interesting, and it sure made me feel very, very happy to still be in radio in some shape or form.

Pictured: JJ Abrams on radio?

Overall, it was a pretty cool show, even if we had to make a lot of adjustments on the fly. It was a fun time for everyone involved, and I must say, the sooner I can do this more often, the happier I would be, definitely. 

Tried not to tackle the downer issue about Carlos Celdran getting sentenced to jail time, as I felt that it didn't really suit the matter. We instead went and discussed how amazingly observant the PNP were when they pointed out that in their expert opinion, security lapses led to the Megamall robbery last Saturday. No, really? That's news to us!

With the explosion in the Fort today (That's like the second one since Judd and I caught one a few years back!) and the other shooting incident in Robinson's Magnolia, it seems there have been a spate of public disturbances lately that might be cause for panic for the fidgety among us.

.:The Thankless Job Of Judging:.

Las week, I actually went and judged a cosplay competition for a certain school, and sourgraping hit myself and my co-judges when the cosplayers didn't agree with our results, essentially saying behind our backs that we "had no idea how to judge." 

The funny thing? 35% of the criteria indeed went to costumes, but just as weighty was the 35% to stage performance. The thing is, none of the cosplayers saw each other perform because they were all behind the stage waiting for their turn, so unless they have X-Ray vision, they were in no position to make these claims, either.

Oh, well.

.:Wakeboarding!:.

Also last weekend, I finally went wakeboarding again after a year, and given that My Beloved and I are going to be doing it with some regularity now, you can rest assured I'm going to get the hang of it - even if I did do kneeboarding this time out.

Elegant form as I stumble while not even in the water.

Well, what can I say? With Angel going with us to Deca in Clark last Sunday, I was simply amazed at how accessible wakeboarding has ended up being for us thanks to this new venue. I bet my friends from Japan, Australia, and Taiwan would be so proud to see me finally work towards a goal I set for myself a year ago, and yes, I'm gonna be back in Clark sometime next week!

It's great in Deca Clark, and if you really want to give wakeboarding a try but have no desire to go to CamSur yet, then you should go and give this place a shot!

She is perfect.

The most important thing to note, by the way, is just today, she got the job in Australia that she wanted. I am so proud of My Beloved!!!

You know I am.

.:The 10th Kanto:.

I've been opening for the great Mike Unson for the past couple of years, so it's awesome to be a part of his 10th year anniversary show on February 9. You get to catch awesome performances all around that night, and it would really be awesome and mean so much to me if you guys could come and watch us in Gweilo's on that night.

Mike is, in my book, the premiere standup comic of the Philippines. I have nothing but good things to say about the man, and to see him still standing and an undisputed success after ten years of this is something I am honored to be a part of.

I hope to see you guys there!

The 10th Anniversary Retrospective: 2011

.:The 10th Anniversary Retrospective: 2011:.

Yeah, I think this was a better year than 2009 and 2010 combined...

Hmm... 2011. A perfectly good mix of a year, in all honesty. It wasn't overtly amazing (Except for the part where I met Kim Chiuuuuuuu!!!), and there were some clunkers along the way, too, and yeah, losing several friends along the way also proved to not exactly be a great experience, for that matter. Despite that, I think 2011 was a turning point for me because that was when I began to learn how to live my life without My Beloved, assuming that I was never going to see her again.

It was the year where I tried to finally open myself up for life beyond her, but the mistaken notion was that a life beyond her needed someone else to fill the void. Maybe that's where I was wrong: because the attempts I had to fill in that void were pretty regrettable looking back, to say the least. There were very few bright spots, and no, a pretend-relationship via mostly Facebook with Lovey Dovey probably wasn't one of them, nor was the mistake I made sometime October. 

Project 52 in 2011 was all about music. I had a song of the week, reflecting my regular lyrics posts in 2003 or so. This time, I managed to put more impact in doing those music-related posts simply because I had to justify why I was sharing each song in question. This is also why I ended up performing for the Itchyworms several times, including their 15th anniversary show, which has to be one of the biggest highlights of my year as a performer.

The amazing thing, though, is, after January, after CamSur, I discovered that making mistakes isn't such a bad thing anymore. I found out that I had the capability of walking away from mistakes now, and I wasn't going to stick by a mistake until it hurt so much that it was doing far more harm than good to me. I opened and capped off my year with Philo-Sophie, and I realized at that point that I was just being used, much in the same way I allowed myself to be used in 2009 by various people.

2011 was a turning point because I learned better than to let anything bad happening to me stain me permanently. It was when I started seeing how I could turn any lemons my way into lemonade. I also started contributing to Filipino Freethinkers this year.

The low points of 2011 came when Sugarfree disbanded, and AJ Matela passed. And probably the horrible April Fool's day joke bloggers received. The less said about that, the better.

Geekfighting, OGM, these things became part of my life this year all the same. I started opening for Mike Unson, culminating in me being part of Rex Navarette's November show in The Fort. Overall, I was trying so many different things to fill in the void, as I attended the weddings of one of my closest friends, as well as someone I almost got involved with romantically. This is why my first blogpost of the year is also probably the one I'm most proud of having written in 2011: the wedding proposal for no one. And yes, it doesn't matter if in 2012, the first thing I did was contradict myself. When I wrote that post back then, it was really something so true and heartfelt.

Winning a second time in the Philippine Blog Awards wasn't too shabby, either. I must say: 2011 really had a lot of good moments, and it all started when I realized that no matter how much my past still matters to me, I can walk away from it all. 

The sweetest or creepiest gesture I ever received in my life. Let's go with creepy.

And really, that's all there is to it: nine years of blogging in 2011, and I finally learned perhaps the most important lesson of my life: I am resilient. And sometimes, though something may mean the world to me, I need to turn my back on it because what good is holding on to a world going down in flames?

Comedy, Comedy, More Comedy...

.:Overdosing On The Best Medicine!:.

Tuesday nights, Tomato Kick has open mic nights in Katipunan.

Thursday nights, I get to catch SPIT in Quantum.

Friday nights, Chihuahua has open mic nights in Makati Avenue.

This Saturday, I open for Mike Unson in Gweilo's in Makati. Is this awesome or what? It's a week of comedy overload, and I'm not complaining at all!

2011: An Autobiographical Retrospective

.:2011 In Retrospect From My POV:.

Well, wow. This was quite a year. For the past how many years, I've always done a top 5 or top 10 people I'm most grateful to, but I think that with everything that's been going on, there's just way too many people for me to thank. Let's just put it this way... if you're mentioned in this MASSIVE post I'm writing right now, then yeah, I'm thanking you for being a notable enough part of my year for me to actually make mention of you. If I manage to, maybe I'd even itemize that list after the post to thank you all. Whatever, really. It's my blog, so I'll write it as I see fit.

I wanted to recap how 2011 went through my eyes. This is, after all, a rather autobiographical blog. Always has been, it's just been masked by the fact that I do a lot of navel-gazing and projection when I go through with it, and it ends up being of relevance to other people in general. It's just a case of good fortune, I guess. I'm kinda tired of actively trying to be profound, so I'd happily settle for profundity in the midst of banality.

January: Not on the right foot...

Except this foot, I guess.

It was a pretty unpredictable start to 2011, as it appeared that love was on the horizon, especially given the first post I made for 2011: the wedding proposal for no one. Alack and alas, things weren't meant to be, and I started off the year with quite a downer of an opening, despite the fact that I went to CamSur and even attended two separate weddings. At this point, I lost one of my best friends. And at the rate things are still going to this day, I think I lost that person for good. The sad part? I actually feel better this way, than when I pretended we could still patch things up.

The only thing that gave me a semblance of sanity was my Project 52 2011, where I covered music videos that caught my fancy during the week in question. It was a pretty good idea, even if I sometimes couldn't write as much about the music video as I really wished I could. Nonetheless, that project took on a life of its own, and really brought to life the old adage: every song tells a story. And oh, what stories they told!

January also opened with the sad news that both Bamboo and Sugarfree, two of the best bands in the past decade, were disbanding.

Indeed, January didn't quite start off on such an auspicious note, but hey, maybe February was going to turn out better, right? Right?

February: My life was complete...

Yes. Yes, it was.

Well, yes, admittedly, my Single Awareness Day was far from perfect, but not only did I have my first date with Jazminne, but for the first time ever, I met the one and only Kim Chiu. I think that would pretty much be one of the highlights of my year, if not the highlight.

February was pretty depressing, but Kim Chiu more than saved it, to say the least.

March: Rocking my world...

This was the night the music died.

March was marked by the earthquake that hit Japan, more than anything else. Sure, there was talk about the National Blogger's Association, as well as the whole brouhaha over Manny Pacquiao and Willie Revillame. Things were definitely coming to a head, and the Jan-Jan issue just exploded from this point on, really.

Things were definitely cooking, and the craziness that ensued from the whole Willie Revillame drama still reverberate to this very day. What wasn't cooking, though, was rice. For me, at least. I gave up rice from my diet during Holy Week.

Sugarfree's farewell show brought tears to my eyes that month.

April: We were all April Fools...

I am a Patriotic Filipino®!

April was the month of iBlog 7. I wrote about day 2 since that was the only day I attended, but there were laughs to be had about the stuff that went on during day 1, to say the least. It was pretty hilarious to hear cries of "cyber bullying" from the very same people who used their blogs to attack and malign the reputations of people because it's "their blog, their rules." Ah, yes. The maverickness of it all never ceases to be a source of amusement.

Nonetheless, iBlog 7 was indeed interesting, but so was Willie Revillame's tirade. He dissed everyone from Aiza Segeurra to Lea Salonga to Jim Paredes, and it was just... wow. Unfortunately, his disappearance from the airwaves didn't last too long. MVP has invested too much into this guy to just allow him to disappear from his network for keeps.

Of course, in celebration of the logical fallacies that littered the landscape, I made a series of posts to address these logical fallacies. Needless to say, it was a pretty amusing time, and it didn't take long before a lot of people started responding to the discussions I directly or indirectly instigated. On top of this, I even went to Nagsasa for a nice weekend of peace and quiet, which was my only respite from the hurly-burly of the year, come to think of it. Quite a crazy month, really. It was only going to get crazier.

May: The geek Is fighting...

On this month, Randy Savage stopped the end of the world. 

Maybe on October 21, then?

I started going to Geekfight in May. It was quite an experience, and certainly changed my life, as far as making new friends would be concerned. Of course, it was really fun to be doing standup comedy on a regular basis again, as we started off in Tomato Kick, and I managed to meet some new open mic people. Couple this with a few performances that happened in Merck's as well, which definitely made the comedy scene get really hype.

On top of that, the RH Bill started getting a lot of mileage at this point. People were debating about it left and right, and needless to say, I found myself firmly on the side of the pro-RH. It was pretty awesome as I slowly worked those little bits and pieces of my personality into my standup comedy, all the same.

I also got myself an iPad 2 on this month. Any time I felt like playing on the go, my PSP had to settle for being my second choice at this point.

I got into OGM around this time. Best decision I ever made.

May also marked the month that Bearwin Meily betrayed the magic community. Also, this was when Mindmaster was in full swing, and of course, I ended up writing for The Filipino Freethinkers the minute he started doing seances. It was really an embarrassing time to be a magician, what with all the infighting and the outright charlatanism that was being peddled as legitimate on national television.

June: For the lulz...

That's my... girl?

By this time, I had a sylvans rival sandwich, and it was heavenly. Nuffnang had its family day, along with a few other events, all the same.

This month was when my addiction to Cracked went into full swing. I am an avid reader of their articles, and over time, my writing style was inevitably influenced by them somewhat, especially when it comes to making stupid captions on pictures. It was highlighted by stuff like Abante plagiarizing a satire article, as well as some hilarity involving Gerald Anderson and Supot.ph. I also continued to write for The POC, and made sure to discuss homophobia with a very contemptuous tone.

Of course, I hosted Toycon as well, which was quite a highlight for me, especially since Jazminne actually won. Pretty amusing how that turned out.

And, oh. I started doing Just Another Magic Monday in June, because I kinda missed writing about magic, which also means my Project 52 in 2012 will definitely not be about magic, since I can just keep doing that as is, anyways.

Truth be told, June was a pretty happening month. With all the comedy shows I was taking part in, who knew I was going to end up doing even more soon enough?

July: The laughs keep on rolling...

No captions needed.

July was the month of Fabio, as he challenged the Old Old Spice Guy, Isaiah Mustafa, to a mad libs duel on YouTube. Needless to say, it was a total riot. I was on the losing team, though, since the Old Old Spice Guy ended up getting the nod. I was hoping to see the Old Spice Girls, though. This month saw me do the most blogging in 2011.

I started opening for Mike Unson in Capone's in June, but the succeeding months, I just ended up doing more and more of them. It was quite an experience, to say the least, and I'm glad that Mike went ahead and took me under his wing. I couldn't thank him enough for it, to be honest. Considering that I opened for him and the Itchyworms in the same venue on successive nights, I really felt honored that these people have been asking me to open for them. I've been a huge fan of Mike and the Itchyworms for years, after all.

Of course, Harry Potter 7.2 came out this month, too, and I wrote one of my best posts about the franchise when I wrote about Snape and his unique way of showing his love. In Snape, I felt a kindred soul.

July also marked the month that the Morning Rush would celebrate its 15th year. I went to the celebration, of course. It was really one of the most awesome times, ever, seeing so many old faces that day.

And, oh. Sara Duterte and Vicki Belo grabbed some headlines at this point, too.

August: The Explorers, triumphant...

Because you can't go wrong with a hidden goatse.

Geekfighting was extra fun in August, since my team, the Explorers of Uranus, hosted our own Geekfight. I even came up with the questions for one category, the Fighting Games category, which was, admittedly, a pretty easy one. My friends from the Comedy Cartel actually participated in that one, which amused me to no end.

Also, in August, the Freethinkers won in the Globe Tatt awards, and I was very happy to have been a part of that success, no matter how minute.

A minor controversy about language cropped up this month as well. I wrote a retort, which, unfortunately, remained unaddressed by James Soriano, which was a crying shame, really. Nonetheless, I was pretty proud of how I did that article, because I think it provided a very succinct and civilized counterpoint to James's haphazard attempt at being contrarian. There was a bigger hubbub over Mideo Cruz around this time, but I didn't feel the need to throw my hat into the discussion as much, despite having met the man in person. I was far from offended by his artwork, but I simply wasn't impressed. I've seen it before, and I've seen it done better. At this point, though, the National Artist F. Sionil Jose had something to say against Mideo's work that made me begin to take stock in the man's blowhard attempts to posit himself as a still-relevant authority on anything. This was going to come to a head in later months.

Of course, on the lighter side of controversies, Christopher Lao happened. Sorry, but I'm backing the dude. He didn't deserve the flak he received. At all.

August was the first time I ever met Rex Navarette. This was really awesome, and became the opportunity that allowed me to host his second show in the NBC Tent later on during the year. I still am not over that. It was, in my book, the milestone of my year.

So I broke my one picture per month rule. So what?

I also discovered why having a stalker sucks at this point. But let's not dwell on that.

Oh, by the way, the world-famous magician, Shoot Ogawa, went to the Philippines in August! He wouldn't be the only big shot magician coming to the country this year, though.

September: Wake me up when September ends...

We still miss you, AJ.

I normally am very pessimistic about September, being my birthday month and all. But who knew it would suck so much, really? If one month could be struck out of 2011 in the vain hopes that it never happened, I wish it was 2011. Seriously.

It started off okay enough, when I met Roderick Paulate during the Zombadings premiere. Things were even more awesome when I first met Marybeth, one of my favorite co-hosts of all time now, and hosted Best Of Anime with her, which led to me getting "married" to Jazminne. It was all fun, but I think the bad still outweighed the good, even if the Disenchanted Kingdom also celebrated its second year of existence this month. Yes, even if Michael Ammar went to Manila.

First of all, F. Sionil Jose happened. This was quite a frustrating thing, because I ended up losing a so-called friend who apparently valued some person she doesn't know more than someone she's been friends with for almost half a decade. That was disheartening, to say the least, but y'know what? She can go dunk her head in the water for all I care, at this point. She's dead to me, at this point.

So yeah, that was pretty lousy, and so was the whole thing about bloggers getting a worse and worse rep in general. But you know the worst thing about September? This was the month where the blogosphere became a far less fabulous place. We lost AJ Matela, and his loss came with a heavy price, both emotional and financial.

The blogosphere came together in a way that could only be called phenomenal, but if we could undo all of that to have AJ back, I'd have happily made the trade. I'm sure a lot of us would have wanted the same, as well.

We still miss you, AJ. A lot.

October: The less said about this...

I still say the show title had a lot of unfortunate implications, though.

Well, first, the awesomeness: I hosted Alodia's Fantasy. It was a great honor, and it's good to know that Alodia has a lot of faith in my ability to host, as she entrusted me with the hosting duties for one of the biggest nights of her career thus far.

Of course, this month also marked one of the least well-contemplated big decisions in my life. I think a lot of it owed to the wedding I attended on this month, and the surrounding circumstances, but now, looking at how things are today, I must say that it was a monumental waste of time.

I think I've had more good memories with my X-Box Kinect (Which I bought in October.) than that other thing.

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya. Who knew this post would turn out to both be relevant and prophetic to me in the months to come?

November: Right place, right time...

Not pictured: the pepper spray cops.

I met Hillary Clinton, then on the same day, I hosted Rex Reloaded. What more could I have asked for? It was, to put it simply, just a great career month for me. Aside from that, I even performed with the Itchyworms on their fifteenth anniversary. It was, without a doubt, an awesome time to be a performer.

I think I can bask in these two paragraphs at this point and call it a month, because I couldn't have asked for anything more from November. Instead, things were, on hindsight, even better, because I undid something stupid from October. Thank heavens.

I also met a new friend this month, during the TOEI show, which was, to me, a homecoming of sorts, since it was my first ever hosting gig for cosplay, five years ago. Kristell Lim is one of the most awesome new people I have met in 2011, no questions asked. I have a soft spot in my heart for TOEI.

So overall? It was actually a good month.

December: Lost in the reverie...

Did you know Kurt Angle inspired my blog's title?

So aside from Piolo and Mo Twister, December was pretty quiet for me. I was surprised to see myself nominated this month. It was for the Personal and the Society categories of the Philippine Blog Awards. Lo and behold, I won for the latter. I was pretty shocked because I was doing voice over duties during the event, so winning was the farthest thing from my mind.

Nonetheless, with all the reverie of the year, I was very delinquent with my blogging, to say the least. It was fine, though. I still managed to do my Christmas shopping properly, and I even squeezed in a bit of hosting during the Christmas ToyCon for one stretch of the program, where I conducted the auctions.

I also saw something happen to me in record time. Let's just say that I found it funny because it just exposed all the lip service for what it was: lip service and nothing more.

Thought it didn't directly affect me, the Sendong typhoon really sucked, though.

I think the weird thing about this year was it was bookended by the very same person who started my year off on the wrong foot. I don't harbor any ill feelings towards her at this point, but I won't let myself be used again any longer.

All in all...

... It was your average year, although the new Sales Manager in Nuffnang certainly is quite a game-changer, work-wise. I'm guessing it would be for the better, though. Some weird firsts happened in my life, including the first time I ever got a sermon from my own mom about my lovelife, but overall, I can't really say this year was significantly better than last year, save for the fact that the one-two betrayal punch I received in 2010 from a certain someone probably won't be outdone by anyone else for a long time. That shadow hovers over me to this day.

2012 is a year for hope, regardless of those stupid end-of-the-world predictions. Despite that, I'm rather cynical now, so I don't put much stock in this hope any longer.

Pardon me while I burst into flames. At least, 2012, if I'm going down, I'm going down in a blaze of glory. If not, then I can be your firework.

HillaRex Reloaded!

.:Hilariously Hillary:.

                                                                                   Unedited picture from Pinoy Weekly.


I have nothing to do with this man.

So I'm not really a big fan of Hillary Clinton, but I don't have much
against her, either.

That being said, Wednesday was a pretty larger-than-life experience for me as I found myself in the National Museum to take part in "A Conversation With Hillary Clinton," which, while quite a softball affair, definitely called attention to the many things we take for granted about US-Philippine relations.

Indeed, in the middle of beauty pageant questions about the contents of her iPod and her smartphone of choice, I must say that I was mildly disappointed nobody tried to ask not-necessarily hardball questions about, say, the Occupy Wall Street movement, or her opinions regarding reproductive health. All in all, the questions asked were very trite, predictable, and downright patronizing, to the point that when the activist, Marjohora Tucay, stood up to deliver his protests against the Mutual Defense Treaty and the VFA, I actually thought it was part of a script by GMA-7 to spice up the afternoon or something to that effect.

Regardless, I still inched away from him mainly because while I am sympathetic to his cause, I certainly am not sympathetic to his methods. It's good that he managed to conduct an interview after the fact to explicate his side, because he only ended up looking pretty silly when he was in the forum.

After all of that, one can't help but see that Hillary Clinton's eloquence and charm undoubtedly allows her a far wider berth than many other political figures from her country, especially if they're Republican. Do I still have misgivings about the lopsided terms of the MDT and the VFA, particularly when it comes to extradition? Well, yes. But I wouldn't posit it in a venue where my message would be drowned out by people who are unabashedly her fans.

In any case, I didn't have any compunctions about having my Patriotic Filipino® photo opp, courtesy of The Philippine Beat and momblogger.

                                                     The Philippine Beat

Feel the Filipino-ness!

.:Rex Reloaded!:.

I completely neglected to have a picture taken with Rex this time out. LOL.

So I hosted Rex Reloaded in the NBC Tent after the whole Hillary thing, and I must say, I did a pretty cut-up job getting the whole crowd hyped throughout the night. While some of my friends were asking me why I didn't do any magic that night, I mentioned to them that I specifically asked to be the host because during the first Rex show, Noel Gascon had to pull double duty as both the voice over and the performer, which looked very awkward, to say the least. Let's face it: JB Dela Cruz is an awesome magician, but he himself would tell you hosting isn't in his skillset, so I had to do the honors.

And an honor, it truly was. Rex was very gregarious throughout the whole thing, and he really hit his stride well with the crowd. JB's magic and Mike's comedy definitely set the stage for a very raucous night of laughter and amazement, and Rex delivered the goods, no question about it.

On top of that, he even won an ALIW Award for his previous show! How's that for a crowning moment of awesome for him?

All in all, everyone was pretty happy about the night. Everyone was in stitches during his bit about the joke of jokes, and even the appetizer jokes were just as hilarious. Rex is a master of his craft, and it really shows.

It was a supremely humbling and memorable experience, one that I still haven't quite recovered from.

Here's hoping to more awesomeness for Rex in the near future!

Just Another Magic Monday: On Hold Until Further Notice

Welp, I had to do it sometime, I guess. I've been so busy lately, and to be honest, with everything I've been doing, it's just getting more increasingly difficult

Nonetheless, let me take this time to plug the fact that I will be hosting this Wednesday's Rex Reloaded at the NBC Tent!

JB Dela Cruz. Mike Unson. Rex Freaking Navarette.

It's a must-see, y'all!

I Know I've Been So Quiet Lately...

.:I Know I've Been So Quiet Lately...:.

... but I guess that comes with the territory of being busy, busy, busy.

Last night, I had a last-minute magic show for an aunt of the awesome Andrada sisters. I was just as surprised as the people I performed for that I was there, but we made something pretty memorable out of it.

Tonight, I'm hosting and performing for Mike Unson's "Comedy Mayhem" in Capone's. It's absolutely free, and absolutely awesome. Mike will also be performing in Conspiracy Garden, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City, on Saturday night.

On Saturday, I am doing hosting duties for Alodia's Fantasy, which should be a pretty highly anticipated event. People who wanna catch it can go to that hyperlink and watch the show for themselves at the very comfort of their own homes, from 8 to 10 PM.

It's been quite a blur with Pancakes as of late, but I couldn't think of any reason I'd ever want to trade all of this in for the world. Guess I'm a lucky man, after all.

Next week, there's even more insanity lined up for me, since I'm going to be performing on October 29 in Subic Lighthouse Marina, then Nickelodeon's Halloween show on October 31 in Mall Of Asia. All I can say is, wow. The hits do keep on coming, so after over two years of bad hits, I'm happy to note that the good hits are now on a roll.

But for now, I'm officially putting into the backburner my intentions of writing a satire about satire, and I'm in no rush to write about the Batangas sign by Vilma Santos for Taal Volcano. It's pretty memetic, though, and I was amused to have been part of the initial volume of people to notice it. Nonetheless, for the POC, I did write an article about that silly dragons article.

Universe, please keep this up.

New Highs

.:Reconnection And Reignition:.

Recently got back in touch with Chanty, an old friend of mine, and she was actually with me last Friday when I opened for Mr. Mike Unson last Friday in Capone's, along with JB Dela Cruz and Trapeze. It was a pretty awesome night as I was hitting my stride with standup comedy, finding that now that after finally having gotten the hang of properly sequencing my jokes, I can experiment with the delivery to see which lines get better or worse reactions.

It's like you photoshopped three separate shoots together.

I must say that a kind of confidence was instilled in me ever since Mike took me under his wing. It was good to know that someone wouldn't hesitate to let me have it if he felt I wasn't performing well enough, or give me props if he felt I was. It's been awesome, and when I did a second straight set last Saturday in Conspiracy, I managed to throw out new material without having that usual moment where I falter because I wasn't sure where I was going with it.

One of the things I learned from Mike was when you're onstage, you need to own it. Sure, you are a nice guy in real life, but if you're going to do blue material, then own it. Sure, you're not homophobic in real life, but if that's your material, then own it. If you can't, then obviously, don't do the material. Write something you can and will own onstage, no matter how absurd or ludicrous or offensive. After that, work your way up to better and better material, better and better delivery, and never rest on your laurels. Keep on keeping on.

Which, apparently, also applies to my Geekfighting.

After a mild miscommunication between me and Chanty, she ended up joining me in last night's Geekfight in Last Home, which is an awesome Geekfighting venue with rather terrible service (Three hours to serve fried chicken? Really?!?). There were, all in all, six teams that night, and we were just pleased as punch that the whole thing was running as smoothly as can be, and initially, during the first round, we were joking to some of our adopted members that it shouldn't shock them how badly we were doing because we were, after all, the "Worst Group Ever."

But then, when we Joker-ed the second round, we just went on a tear that shocked even us.

By the end of the night, we came in second, although there was a notable gap between the first and second placers, so we didn't have any excuses that night. It was stunning for WGE, since none of us came into that Geekfight prepared. We all went in cold, yet there we were, giving people a run for their money, and even squeaking past Broken Social Skills, who placed third. If there were a prize for an effort like that, Ms. Philippines placing higher than Ms. China in the Ms. Universe package a while ago would mean we owned the Spratlys now.

Awesome, awesome night, and can't wait for the next Geekfight!

Fight for the right to be mediocre!!!

Just Another Magic Monday: Suddenly, Hecklers

.:Just Another Magic Monday: Suddenly, Hecklers:.

And not even the good kind!

So let me tell you about last Friday's show in Capone's, featuring yours truly, Arianne dela Cruz, JB dela Cruz, Penguin, and Mike Unson...

A friend of mine from MTG was there, along with some of his officemates (I presume). They were having a good time, and because I told them we were having a free show in the bar in a bit, they stayed on to catch it. Things were going mostly fine until near the end of Arianne's set, when one of the people from that group asked her to play "Price Tag", but nothing too big a deal.

Then, during JB's set, one of the people from the group decided to become a full-on heckler, and started exposing JB's magic and ruining the fun for everyone else. JB managed to maintain his composure all throughout, but it was clear that this heckler was ruining the mood of the night.

Things came to a head when it was Mike's turn, as the heckler went and tried to turn Mike's set into a two-man act, where she says something ridiculous, and Mike puts her in her place. Repeatedly. This went on until at some point, this heckler actually got flashed in the face with a strong flashlight, then proceeded to go up onstage to accost Mike, who managed to keep his composure despite the clearly agitating situation.

Suddenly, there were hecklers.

Me? I got off easy, because during my set, the heckler was outside, grabbing a smoke. I managed to get through my set thoroughly unmolested, and only when Mike flashed the light at the heckler's face and she didn't even so much as flinch did we realize that this heckler was probably more drunk than Aquaman swimming in an ocean made of Tequila.

Anyways, the moral of this story is that no matter how good you are, it only takes a little too much alcohol for a member of your audience to turn against you. The onus is therefore on you to figure out a way to put that heckler in their place while keeping the rest of the audience on your side. For the most part, Mike pulled that off, even winning an applause break when his putdown really just deflated the heckler enough for her to want to accost him onstage.

To Tim Tayag's credit, he also had an excellent comeback for when a heckler asked him if he was gay. Here's the video for proof.

Performers of all kinds, whether magicians or otherwise, need to be prepared for hecklers. Yeah, they ruin the fun, but there are always ways and means to mitigate the damage they can do to your show, and it's up to you to figure out which one works for you and in which situations.

Effective responses to hecklers range from: ignoring them, putting them in their place, breaking their arm (Ask Richard Osterlind about that.), humiliating them, or straight-up stopping the show to drive home the point you mean business.

After everything has been said and done, always remember: you hold the microphone, not them. You have the power. You have the pipe bomb, as CM Punk would put it. If you remember that little fact, you'd find yourself at a point where nothing a heckler can do could possibly faze you.

Just Another Magic Monday: Raising The Bar

.:Just Another Magic Monday: Raising The Bar:.

So, tell me... which of these people held you up at gunpoint again?

Aside from the fact that the awesome people from Nuffnang Australia swung by the Philippines a few weeks ago, I even had the pleasure of hosting the 10th birthday party of Teriyaki Boy in Eastwood recently. Whether it was the awesome dance moves of Moo and T-Boy or the great costumes from the cosplayers who joined that day, or even the Happy Lemon drink I was introduced to by my co-host Erin and her man, it was quite an experience that really made me understand the need for being a multi-dimensional performer.

It's not much of a secret, but as some of my friends know, with each breakup I've had, I ended up getting professionally involved with something. Before, it was magic and mentalism, and now, it's standup comedy. When it comes to the Philippines, where magicians are still considered a dime a dozen, people need to do what they can to stand out, and that's why most of the best magicians you will know of in this country are equally known for something else.

For instance, The Boss, Rannie Raymundo, is considered a veritable Renaissance Man. He does magic, true. Outside of that, he is also well-known as an OPM artist, having composed excellent music over the years, resulting in multiple gold and platinum records to his name. You talk about Jeff Tam, and you could very well be talking about the fact that he's an internationally-awarded magician, or the fact that he's a TV comedian, or the fact that he's a well-known tattoo artist.

In my foray as a Philippine magician and mentalist, I've branched out into standup comedy as well, and I've been doing respectably for the past two years I've been at it. Needless to say, it has been a great experience for me to open for Mike Unson as I have been doing, what with our shows in Capone's A Venue, every 10PM on a Friday night. Performing comedy in a bar setting is usually expected, but doing magic in a bar setting is admittedly a bit harder, even for people who actually do it for a living.

It's something I've been doing for quite a while already, though, and mixed and matched with standup comedy, it produces quite a lethal package.

Not pictured at all: mediocrity.

In fact, last Saturday, in The Grillery, Mike and I had a phenomenal show, despite the torrents of rain pouring down throughout the night. It was my first time to perform in The Grillery, so I was pleased as punch to know that we had a great show that night, although when your night is being capped off by a Mike Unson comedy show, I fail to see how that can't be a great show, really.

I find performing in bars to be among my favorite situations to perform magic in. When the audiences are inebriated by juuuust the right amount, they tend to be even more appreciative than any other audience you could ever hope for.

And speaking of a magical Monday, why don't you celebrate your work-free Monday night with this?

Stay classy, Explorers!

Indeed, my awesome team is hosting tonight's Geekfight, so come one, come all. It doesn't matter if you've never attended a Geekfight before. Once you're there, it'll all come naturally to you, I promise.

See you guys at B-Side tonight!

Finally Caught A Glimpse Of The Husky Boy, Rex Navarette!

.:Rex At Resorts World!:.

Everybody should've watched this! It's a good for you!

Resorts World brought in Fil-American comedian Rex Navarette for a night of laughter, bringing down an entire theater filled with comedy fans into a writhing morass of chuckles, chortles, and guffaws. Three comics shared the stage that night, from 2008's Lafapalooza 2 winner, Noel Gascon, to the inimitable 2005 Comedy Wars Grand Champion, Mike Unson, to the main event, Rex.

It was pretty awesome just getting there, actually. Ran into so many people, as I rode with Ethel, ran into Achie, then hung out with GB, Richie, Ryan, and had dinner with Elaigh and Chad, then finally capped off with just shooting the breeze with Mike, Pam, and Rex himself in Opus.

Rex even told me that he wants to see my magic show next time live, because he said he was sick of all that "recorded shit." Can't say I disagree with him there...


I was actually pretty surprised how affordable it was in Resorts World, because I full-on expected tourist prices all the way, only to find out that it was pretty much affordable prices everywhere. It was a pleasant surprise, and my surprise turned into uncontrollable, hysterical laughter the minute we got into our seats.

Noel opened the night with his manic, frenetic style that got the crowd pumped and laughing. He was on fire and everything he did, even his bloopers, just connected with the audience with hardly any effort whatsoever. By the time he did his PAGASA joke, everyone was applauding him wildly as he just owned the performance.

As soon as he passed the stage to the great Mike Unson, Mike proceeded to keep the laughs going and he acted with the knowledge that the whole audience was completely in the palm of his hand, like a charismatic actor at his own fan's day. It was amazing how Mike just conquered the jitters he was apparently feeling and made more than just a respectable set to get everyone primed for Rex.

Rex Navarette, as predicted, was a house on fire. His jokes were just really hitting all the right notes with the crowd, and the true testament to his amazing skill is the fact that when he finished his set, nobody noticed that he went two hours, and everyone was still clamoring for more. Considering that word has it, Rex will be back this November, the whole auditorium packed with comedy fans may very well get their wish.

During the after-party, I just shot the breeze with the performers for the night in a quiet spot in the club. It was hilarious though when we had a slight misadventure at the end of the night as Mike and I looked clueless where Rex and the rest were. Conversations were animated all the way 'til four in the morning, and everyone was undoubtedly still on a high.

Of course, the highlight for me was this:

If great punchlines could kill, these guys would cause genocides.

Congratulations on an excellent show, Rex, Noel, and Mike! Looking forward to your next ones, whether together or individually.

And speaking of "next ones," Mike will be having a show in Capone's, A Venue this Friday, around 10PM, and I'll be opening for him.

On Saturday, he will have a show in Grillery in Saguijo, and yup, I'm opening for him as well.

Stay safe, and let the laughter into your life!

Housekeeping

.:Back On The POC!:.

So, after a brief interval, I'm back with a couple of new articles on The POC.

First, I wished "Get Well Soon!" to GMA.

Then, I played an old childhood game: One Of These Is Not Like The Other. I'm sure Jacque Bermejo, Christopher Lao, and Migz Zubiri would all be proud.

As I go along and do more and more of this stuff, I realize that I want to be known as a multi-faceted person, given how I'm in radio, magic, comedy, mentalism, political commentary, philosophy, and showbiz commentary, among other things. It's something I've been cultivating for years because being one-dimensional is just too bland for my tastes.

.:Speaking Of Comedy...:.

I won't be there tonight most likely, but the Comedy Cartel will be having its regular open mic comedy show in Tomato Kick Katipunan at 10PM. It's a free show, so there's no reason to miss it if you're in the area.

This coming Saturday, Mike Unson and yours truly will be hitting the stage of Capone's in Makati's A Venue at 10PM to deliver nothing but the best comedy you can shake a stick at. And yup, it's free, too!

And of course, on August 24, Rex freaking Navarette will be in town, and you can catch his show in Resorts World! Mike Unson will also be opening for the man.

August 26, you'll see us again at Capone's!

Then on August 27, you have this...

A blast, no doubt.

This will be my first time performing in Grillery, so I'm pretty excited about it. Things are cooking, and it's going to be one hellaciously awesome ride.

Itchyworms + Mike Unson = Double Route!!!

.:The Itchyworms Wedding Of The Year Video Launch!:.

Sorry, the video isn't officially out yet...

The Itchyworms launched their new music video for "Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal" last Monday, and they spared no expense to let people know about it, including having a full press release for it. I found it hilarious that I had to be referred to as "Magikel" to avoid being confused with Kel Yu, the band's bassist...

Feeling sikat ang lola niyo!

That being said, I was very honored at the prospect of opening for the Itchyworms, since everyone knows they're my favorite band, and I'm a huge fan of their music. I got to Route 196 that night ahead of everybody with my brother, just so I could set up properly.

That night was filled with awesome performers and regret over the fact that my camera phone sucks. I would've wanted to have pictures taken with Philia and Tanya Markova, but noooo, the chance never presented itself. Still, at least I finally got to talk to the awesome people from Tanya Markova, who I am really impressed with.

When it was my turn to hit the stage, I performed some of my favorite routines that night, and managed to prove that despite the fact that Route 196 is known as a haven for bands, there was room for topnotch comic mentalism and magic that night there.

Bondage. Always a killer.


What did I say about bondage again?


Being a magician has its perks.


I was pretty starstruck, yo.

While performing, I was pretty amused to find out that the lady for my infamous rope routine turned out to be the lovely wife of none other than Ako Si Chris, the YouTube sensation, founder of JoePM. He's pure American, but just totally loves to sing OPM tunes, and has developed quite a following over the years because of his musical talent and earnestness.

After the opening acts got the crowd pumped and ready, came the main event, as we were treated to a masterful music video featuring the Itchyworms and several guest stars, under the direction of Mr. King Palisoc. Everyone was marking out like crazy as the video was funny but charming at the same time, and I was definitely impressed by the way everything came together.

We loved the video so much that we demanded to see it twice, shortly after the Worms finished doing an awesome, awesome live set for everyone. They thankfully obliged us, and after the whole thing, we managed to stay on and have a lot of interesting conversations before heading out.

Although... I did totally find it awesome that I had these shirts to show for that night.

That'd look good on the bedroom floor of a groupie. Oh, wait. That works for bands, not magicians.

By the way, if you want to see the music video, type in: MYX REQUEST Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal send to 2366! I'd be happy to see that video go all the way to number 1!


.:TNT Night!:.

Within 24 hours, I ended up right back in Route 196 again, this time performing with Tetas and the Tw**, Mistress, Lee Grane, and of course, Mike Unson. This was a pretty awesome night, because a lot of the people here have never seen me before, and it was an opportunity to really turn some heads.

I opened the show, and did very well, pretty much keeping the people in the audience plain stupefied over the whole thing. Mike Unson does his set, and then we were taken to a pretty awesome musical journey that included the ending theme of Voltes V.

This was quite a run, really. Performing on hallowed ground like Route 196, to me, is quite an achievement.

Much thanks to Katt Torres and to Mike Unson for having me last night!

A True Honor : Open Gigs This Coming Week

.:The Wedding Of The Century!:.

It's been a long while since I've seen the boys of Itchyworms, but they asked me to open for them tomorrow night for their music video launch, so Hades, yeah, I'm definitely going to open for them on Monday night.

It's happening in Route 196 tomorrow night, around 9PM, and as I promised to them I'm gonna be there, you can rest assured that it's going to be an awesome time all around for everyone involved.

Magic, music, and a whole lot more. What else can you ask for, right?

.:Two In A Row!:.

The very next night, I'm gonna be there in Route 196 again, this time to host as well as open for the one and only Mike Unson as he does his own brand of standup comedy, sure to delight and excite the people in Route.

Quite unexpected, really, especially since just next-door, Tomato Kick will be having its open mic night mostly with GB, Ryan, and the rest of the gang from the Comedy Cartel, but hey, the more comedy to go around, the better, I always say.

Couple that with the fact that on Saturday, I'm going to perform with Mike again in Capone's. It's going to be a very great time to be a fan of comedy, magic, and music, no questions asked. After all, last Friday, we had a great time with everyone who came to watch the awesome show featuring LC Reklamo, Karen of General Luna, Arianne dela Cruz, Penguin, yours truly, and Mike Unson. You can expect more zaniness this coming Saturday night, 10PM, in Capone's.