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Blogged Around Philly: Farewell Edition
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But then, not every young man is Barry Silver, Master Magician, sideshow performer, and member of the Unholy Sideshow.
Barry kindly agreed to chat with Phillyist about what he does, and - more to the point - why he does it.
What is sideshow?
Sideshow is the combination of Physics and Anatomy to produce what might look like a magic trick; but magic tricks are fake, where sideshow is real.
Real how?
When you're laying on a bed of nails, you're laying on a bed of nails; when the needle goes through your arm, it actually goes through your arm.
Why would you do that to yourself...voluntarily?
The reason I do sideshow is to prove that things which seem impossible are not all that impossible. And by doing that, inspire people to go further and further, and achieve things in their normal lives that wouldn't otherwise do.
How did you find the Reverend First Minister and the Prop-stitutes (the people you perform with)?
The Reverend First Minister was working for The Hydrogen Jukebox, which is a band that I was hired by. We became friends, he was interested in sideshow, so I started teaching him sideshow. He was an excellent talker, and we decided to put together a new show.
So, is he your "barker", then?
"Barker" is a term used by laymen. It's sort of insulting. (Eep! My most humble and sincere apologies, Reverend First Minister. Please forgive this layman for not knowing any better. No offense meant! - ed) He's a talker. He's an inside talker.
As far as Prop-stitutes, Elisha [Caplan] is my girlfriend. Whomever I'm with has always been my assistant, because it's always been someone who is into the realm of things that I'm into. Hellcat is the Reverend First Minister's girlfriend, who is also performing sideshow. She was performing sideshow before we got together; before they got together. I introduced The Reverend First Minister to Hellcat in a bar, and they hit it off.
You said you taught the Reverend First Minister sideshow. Do you teach a lot of people?
I do teach a lot of people. I have taught about five people how to fire eat and fire breathe; which is because it's not cheap, and I won't teach just anybody. I've been asked numerous times by millions of people. I was the youngest professional firebreather (as far as I know) on the East Coast when I was fifteen, and it's something I take very seriously. I only pass on the things that I know to keep the living alive; to keep the sideshow artform alive.
Being as sideshow is not very prevalent, is the only way someone can learn it through other performers?
No. There's books, there's videos, Coney Island has a sideshow school. Coney Island, as far as I know, is the only sideshow school in the USA that's of any source. As far as sword swallowing, there's probably five people who can teach you, including myself, who actually do teach those things. You have to learn by books, videos, and other people.
On your website you're listed as "The Geek." Do you do traditional chicken-head eating geeking?
No, I do not do traditional geeking. I do eat insects; I eat mealworms, I eat crickets, I put a tarantula in my mouth. The "Pincushion" is considered a form of geeking...
Is that when you put pins in your face?
"The Pincushion" is when I put spokes in my body, and I leak no blood. But generally, geeking refers to someone of a barbaric nature who does things to actually induce the audience to vomit. After the tip's collected - the tip's the money that you make - after the tip is collected, you're trying to get the people out of the tent as fast as you can because then you can get another ten people into the tent and make more money. Traditionally, as the line is said, if somebody throws up, you pick it up and throw it at 'em. And I've cleared many a tent.
Of the stunts that you do, which is your favorite to do, and which is your least favorite?
I can't really exclude myself to one favorite; I have a couple of favorites. The straight jacket escape; I pride myself in using regulation straight jackets and trying different ties that people put me in. I've been stuck in a straight jacket for an hour, two hours, before. I've broken my elbow two times in a straight jacket during a performance. I've passed out in a straight jacket. So that's one of my favorites. But overall, in general, I pride myself as being a Pain Proof Man. A Pain Proof Man is somebody who has the ability to separate their mind from body. Those feats include: walking on glass, lying on a bed of nails, having a cinder block broken over your head, the Pincushion, snapping a mousetrap on your tongue or your fingers. Being able to control the actual reflex that happens regardless - it's an involuntary reaction - and being able to control those things. Like bleeding; being able to control blood flow. Breathing. Being able to separate your pulse on two different arms.
What haven't you done yet that you'd like to?
Right now I'm learning to bite the head off a nail stuck in a three inch board. Basically, I pride myself on doing things that seem impossible. I want to have a truck run over me while I'm under a bed of nails. I want to do a suspended straight jacket routine. I want to hold the World's Record for the longest fire breath, eventually.
What is the current record?
It's around 20 feet. I can't say the fuels that I would use, or the breathing techniques, but hopefully I can accomplish a flame of 30 - 40 feet, which I think I've been pretty close to a couple of times.
How long do you think you can physically do this?
The things that I do, I should be able to do my whole life. There are repercussions. For instance: eating light bulbs. Whereas it doesn't technically hurt you - my stomach is intact, no internal bleeding - it grinds down the enamel on your teeth. I've paid so much in medical expense for dental work that I've decided after 500 light bulbs in the past five years, I won't eat light bulbs anymore. It's not worth it to me.
But the purpose of a sideshow stunt is different than just a basic stuntman. You still are taking a calculated risk, but, for instance, if you walk on glass, the purpose is not to get cut. And if you do that correctly, you should be able to walk on glass over and over again and never get injured by it. But doing certain things do have an affect. For example, smoking a cigarette won't give you cancer, but it can increase your likelihood for having the genetic mutation for cancer. So, holding a torch in my mouth between my teeth will increase my chance for gum cancer. But, at the same time, if I were to burn my face, that would be an immediate risk that I'm prepared for, because I shouldn't burn my face. But there are long-term affects; so everything, you have to calculate.
I plan on doing sideshow in my 20s and 30s; then I will probably concentrate on big scale illusions. An illusion is a magic trick, but more. It has a story behind it. It's a very simple thing, like the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty that David Copperfield did, but it has a story behind it. But, a trick, you could do a trick. Illusions are sort of self working. It's there. You're looking at what it is. But you don't see it. You don't know it.
When and where can people see you perform?
That's the hardest question to answer. Well...in October the movie will be coming out. October 25th. (The movie, The Unholy Sideshow, is an independent horror film featuring members of the Unholy Sideshow troupe that is currently in production in the Philadelphia area.* - ed).
Right now, the best place to check is the website: www.unholysideshow.com, or the myspace page: myspace.com/unholysideshow. Right now there are currently no featured events, but we do about five events a month. Private parties, night clubs, weddings, bar mitzvahs, bars, not-for-profit organizations trying to promote something...so whatever.
*In the interest of full disclosure, Phillyist should tell you that we have a very small role in the movie - which is how we discovered the Unholy Sideshow in the first place. It is also how we chanced to see some of their stunts up close and in person. Let us assure you that it's amazing stuff.
Images used by kind permission of Barry Silver.
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