On the stage stood a man, his face bound with silver duct tape. Beneath the tape gleamed a metallic lining of aluminum foil, its purpose perhaps to help psychic messages reach his brain. For this was just no ordinary, this was Ethan, part of a two-man act also featuring his partner Jim.
At the moment, Ethan was violently pounding paper cups, blindfolded. Underneath one of these cups sat a four inch steel blade, waiting to stab into his hand the moment he lost concentration. The audience gasped as Ethan deftly avoided the booby-trapped cup.
According to the duo, he was doing so via telepathic message sent from Jim, warning him which cup not to smash. Later on in the evening, Jim would stick his hand into a real bear trap, and emerge unscathed. After that he would guess the color of a woman’s panties. Mindbenders was the title of the show, and it was only the beginning.
On Thursday, April 14, the Mindbenders show kicked off the Gorham Events Board’s crown jewel event, Spring Fling. The mind-bending duo have performed at venues all over the United States, including The Trump Plaza, and have appeared on The Tonight Show.
Jim, the self-proclaimed “psychic madman,” holds numerous world records, including for throwing playing cards the farthest and mentally influencing the most people at one time. A true showman, Jim seldom stops talking or joking throughout the act. “Our show features unique and unusual feats of the mind,” said Jim.
His partner Ethan stood stoically in the background. Jim said he found Ethan in Las Vegas, hustling cards. “He is like a combination of Rocky Balboa and the Rainman,” said Jim. The secret behind all of their tricks, according to Jim, is their amazing control over their own minds, and in turn, the minds of others.
Bobbi Brewer, a 20-year-old psychology major, found the show entertaining, yet unsettling. “Some of the things that they did were funny but frightening at the same time,” said Brewer. “It just kind of blew my mind.”
An annual event heralding the advent of summer, Spring Fling features three days of events for students to enjoy right before finals. On Friday night, Loki, Parabellum, The Monolith, Po-Town Underground and Aries 12 created an all-encompassing compendium of rock and funk, performing sets until almost 2 a.m. “We like the funk,” declared Greg Rothwell, bassist for the jazz trio The Monolith.
Also present were local rock favorites, Loki. Having reached a substantial level of local fame, Loki lead singer JT feels playing at USM is going back to his roots. “I was the events coordinator last year, the Portland Events Board chair, and I am an alumnus here,” said JT. “The very first gig we ever had, was here, two years ago at Spring Fling,” said JT. Rage Against the Machine, Incubus, Tool and The Doors were just a few influences cited by the band.
Also among the musical groups were up-and-coming student bands Parabellum and Aries 12. Parabellum drummer John Doucette described their sound as “full-ahead rock.” Mike Nelson, lead singer of Parabellum, found it difficult to trace his eclectic influences. “I usually draw from a lot of influences,” Nelson said.
Aries 12 guitarist John Buttland, was excited about his set. “I think you can expect some rock man, some good hard rock and some nice melodies,” said Buttland. The Po-Town underground also fashioned some fine folk rock tunes as they kicked off the evening. “I just play music,” stated lead singer and guitarist, Tony when asked about his “sound.” The evening was a hard rockin’ event for the approximately 30 to 40 students who showed up.
Spring Fling festivities continued on Saturday, despite rainy weather. That night, Jill Sobule performed to an eager audience. Sobule was a big attraction at the fling, being one of the more famous personalities ever to grace the student center stage. A man in a purple suit with a megaphone could be heard heralding students to the indoor carnival. The GEB spent approximately $16,000, nearly one half of their yearly budget on the festivities.
Despite low attendance, Kelly Locke, GEB member, believes Spring Fling was a success.
“We were hoping that more people came out to the events but in the end I believe the people who did attend Spring Fling had a great time, therefore our goals were accomplished.”