The Big E 2014 (Eastern States Exposition)

I made my annual pilgrimage to the Big E again this year for the 98th Annual Eastern States Exposition. To avoid the record crowds I always opt to visit during the week and this year I took  the day off work to attend. The weekend prior the Big E broke its daily attendance record 170,612  people passing through the turnstiles.

As is customary the first stop of our day was at the Big E Circus Spectacular where we Ty McFarlan returned as Ring Master. Shows are held three times a day at 1, 4, and 7pm and this year include a full cast of performers.

Tomas Aguilar, Mexico’s master juggler extraordinaire dazzeled the audience with his juggling skills. He juggled not just with his hands but with his mouth everything from balls to candlepins and even hats. The speed of his juggling was the most amazing part.

The Minnestrelli Canines, first time in America, from Russia, amazing & delightful doggies performed a series of well choreographed routines and acrobatic flips. These playful pups being new meaning to well trained and energetic partners.

After the Dogs we were treated to the upside-down, topsy-turvy acrobatic stars known as the The Risley Brothers. George and Miles performed a series of acrobatic feats known as Risley which is the art of juggling people instead of props. While they are not actual brothers they must have the trust and strength of that type of relationship to perform the show.

Throughout the show we were entertained by Rob Torres who I had seen before. He was the clown at the Big Apple Circus I saw for my birthday. I didn't think he was as polished here as he was there. Many of his tricks seemed to have complications and as a seasoned performer he just kept going but they were noticed.

Next up was Mayya Panfilova with her adorable performing housecats. I have seen many other animals perform at the circus but housecats I had not seen before. I think of house cats as independent self absorbed creatures who never do what you want when you want but instead when it suits them. Mayya proved us wrong as her cats performed  a variety or acts from jumping through loops, high wire, climbing ladders and even jumping from heights.
   
The Original Dancing Gauchos described as a whirlwind display of South American fury perform a fanciful display with drums and flaming whips. Their energetic performance definitely keep the energy in the tent high.

The last performance was by the Sensational Cybertrons. Their performance included the mid-air motorcycle and aerial acrobatic skills of Galaxy Girl & Johnny Rockett. Galaxy Girl hung from her teeth and from only her feat as she was twirled around by Johnny Rockett's motorcycle. Even he took flight at one point and spun on his bike.

While it was an entertaining show as a whole it wasn't as fantastic as years past.  I felt a good portion of the performances were what I would call safe rather then being a true spectacular. The clown while historically funny fell flat and the Dancing Goucho's  didn't wow me with their loud performance. I enjoyed the Juggler, Risley Brothers, the animals both cat and dog since I am a complete animal lover but the two final acts were a let down.
After the circus we were all hungry and made our way towards the many food vendors. I picked up my usual traditional greek Gyro while Dan went for a corn dog, Part of going to any fair for me is the delicious food and the Big E is no exception. After finishing lunch we picked up a Famous Big E Cream Puff and headed to the Avenue of States.

Where else can you visit every state in less then an hour. The Big E is the only fair in the country that has participation from multiple states.  Each state has a replica of its state building built to a smaller scale. The Avenue of States is an opportunity for each state to showcase themselves through vendors, food and other ways.  You can also purchase lotto tickets from each state.  I picked up a blueberry pie in Maine and and enough cheese in Vermont to tide me over for hours. I also picked up a Del's Lemonade Christmas ornament I think will pair nicely with my food theme'd Christmas tree.

After finishing all the states we walked across the street to Storrowton Village where we picked up a Sam Adams from the pub. I picked a Cherry Wheat which is one of my favorites. Next we headed back to the Better Living Building to explore the many as seen on tv style items you can buy. There is lots of cool stuff and many worthless things to be found but I did manage to pick up a new heat/cold pad with an activator button that I used that night on my knee.

With most things done and having been walking around all day we opted to call it a day and head home. It was another great year at the Big E/

Big Apple Circus comes to Beantown

The Big Apple Circus has been around for over 35 years amazing audiences with their circus acts. There are only about 15 rows under their small tent giving every seat a great view. Every seat is within 50ft of the ring. I have been many times over my past 34 years for my birthday.

This year was no different and I got a chance to see their new show Luminosity which celebrates the 24/7 hustle, bustle and vitality of life at the “Crossroads of the World”. The show is designed to take place in very crossroads of the world we all know as Time Square. 

We got there a little early and were one of the first to take our seats under the big tent. It's a cool experience being under the big tent almost completely by yourself. The rows of seats cast in the blue glow from the light is very cool.

If you have every been to NYC then you know getting around the busy intersection requires a fair amount of skill and coordination. Many of the characters you meet are represented by performers such as Japanese juggler Ty Tojo. His character runs a hotdog cart. Like the real vendors who juggle customers and product Ty handles first three, then four, five, six and seven balls effortlessly. This 2014 Guinness Book of World Record holder didn’t disappoint as he dazzled the audience with his uncanny ability.

Between acts we were entertained by the amusing and talented clown Rob Torres. His humorous skits definitely kept us well distracted from the preparations for each act. What I enjoyed most was his ability to get the audience to participate using props such as the cheer box.

He also made a variety of interesting balloon animals for the younger audience members such as a question mark and Sunglasses.

What city isn’t always under some kind of construction and repair man can be found everywhere. The circus portrays French circus pro Daniel Cry as a paint splattered ladder carrying repair man who channels Fred Astaire with his gravity defying latter act. It was awe inspiring to watch him balance effortlessly on his ladder.

As amazing as he was the next act stayed mostly on the ground but balance and strength are just as important. The Acro-Duo show up like construction workers and proceed to build mind boggling examples of balancing city life with their bodies as the medium. Their hand-to-hand, hand-to-feet, shoulder-to-shoulder and hand to head poses are an impressive feat of human skill.

As preparation for the next act took place we were entertained by Pierre Ginet who showed us that slight of hand can help you take anything from anyone. His flimflam abilities on one unfortunate audience member had us all amused and the victim wondering what happen.

By the end of the act the poor guy had empty pockets and a confused look on his face. It was amazing to see how easily a person can be pickpocketed by a skilled professional.


Next we meet the local dog walker and her four legged companions. Jenny Vidbel treated us with a performance by her perky pooches. Try to stir clear of those leashes. My favorite part was the miniature horse who acted like a taxi cab for his other four legged friends.

High above all the fray in any city are those who wash the windows of our high rise office buildings and keep our views clear. Many of them are aerialist themselves and the Mongolian Angels represents their contribution to city life. Without fear they ascend 20 feet up and perform a series of high flying stunts sure to make anyone hang on the edge of their seats.

After the intermission we got to see Jenny Vidbel once more with her amazing horses. These large animals sashayed their way around the ring like synchronized swimmers. Each following the lead of the other in a perfectly choreographed production.

Rob Torress returned once more with a series of amusing and audience capturing gaffs designed once more to distract from the setup for the high wire act of Duo Guerrero. They represent the many skilled construction workers building those gleaming glass towers and balancing on steel girders high above our heads. Once preparation was completed they ascended to their perch high above. The female member of the group serenaded us along the way.

Once high above she performed a series of daredevil acts such as balancing on a chair, walking blindfolded across, sitting precariously while her male counterpart danced his way effortlessly and even jumped over her. As they wrapped up their skilled performance they descended gracefully with her standing balanced on his shoulders. It certainly was a great experience.

The final act was the Dosov Troupe. They represent everyone in the city trying to make their way to their destinations. Navigating the crowded streets requires skill and precision. Their teeterboard performance not only had their flying cast members soaring high but each and every audience member mesmerized by their flips and spins as they spun and flipped their way back to the ground. Their sculpted lean muscular bodies helped them twist and flip in unimaginable ways and like a cat landing perfectly on their feet.

One of the most important people however is the ringmaster John Kennedy Kane who throughout the performances introduces and delights. His relationship with the two clowns both amused and intrigued the audience and provided perfect transitions between the bigger acts. The first of the clowns was an adorable goofball named Rob Torres who seemed to collect the energy of the crowd in a box while his cohort Pierre Ginet spent his evening pick pocketing unsuspecting audience members. 

The whole show is designed to remind us that Luminocity is the City of Life and while the reality of life in the big city can be daunting it is all still just the circus of humanity. All the performers came out for one final bow at the end while the audience showed their appreciation with a hearty applause.

Task 63 & 65 - Buy 1 Antique / Piece fof Art

Store: Boston Consignment
            238 Highland Ave
           Needham, MA 02494
           (781) 449-0900

Rating: 4-Stars

This past weekend I stopped by Boston Consignment. It is a pretty non-descript building but something in one of the windows made me decide to stop in and see what they had. Almost immediately when I entered a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus poster caught my eye.

The colors were bright and vivid and the growling leopard head really captured my attention. I noticed that there were two other circus posters as well. The posters were all in excellent condition. I asked the owner of the shop Sheila the story behind the poster’s and she told me that they came from the estate of a printer and that these posters were printed for the circus in his shop and he had retained a few copies for his personal collection.

Dan also saw a huge mirror he was interested in but it wasn’t cheap at $695. He decided to think about it and the poster priced at $450 required that do a little research before pulling the trigger. While driving away I called my father to get his opinion and sent him a picture of the poster. I also began looking online from my phone and discovered several of these poster’s for sale ranging from $650 - $795 unframed. 

After some conversation Dan decided he wanted the mirror and I decided I wanted the poster. We returned to the store and Sheila and I negotiated a price of $1000 for both items. The way her shop and most consignment shops work is that these items are owned not by here but the original owners and she is tasked with the job of selling the items on their behalf. She is allowed some flexibility on each item’s price but it varies from item to item. 

Net cost of the poster with tax for me was $413.00 and I was pleased with my purchase. Anyone that has ever had anything framed knows that a poster this size would cost $200 - $300 to frame alone.

I was torn which one of my 101 things tasks to put this one as. Antique or piece of art. I decided since it was old and not something that they still make today and that there was a limited number of them printed I would count it as an antique.