Mind Tripping Show: I’m Not Sure What That Was

I don’t believe in magic. I never have. I remember when I was little watching David Copperfield on television performing magic tricks. He would make things disappear or saw a woman in half, and the crowd would always go wild. But I knew it was all an act. Of course it was an act. There was no way that someone could actually perform these tricks in front of a live studio audience.

Never having seen a magic act before, I was a little nervous to attend the Mind Tripping Show. I had no idea what to expect and was curious if it was really a magic show, or more of a psychological thriller type of show. Either way, a good friend of mine had introduced me to it, and his brother was actually one of the main performers. Mind Tripping is brought to you by Christian Painter and Katalina Absolon.

Before I get into the show itself, let me tell you a little bit about the relationship I have with not only Christian and Katalina, but also his brother, Harrison Painter. I first met Harrison on Twitter. After coming to a handful of tweetups we became friends. Then I showed him to my blog and the rest is history. Harrison was actually the one that started telling me about his brother’s venture with magic. So I took immediate interest and started doing my own research.

Christian and Katalina actually met back in 1994. They were both soldiers in the United States Army and it seemed like love at first sight. Katalina was a captain in the military. Her focus was on intelligence, and after seeing the Mind Tripping show, you will see why. Christian, however, was a platoon sergeant. Because of his position in the military, there was a lot of yelling involved. That too is obvious during the show.

The two have been married now for fifteen years. During the show itself you can see how well they play off of each other. They tell jokes, they banter back and forth, and they just look like a couple that is meant to be together. They love each other off stage, and you can just see the love they have together on stage.

Part of what makes the show so enjoyable is their passion for the art. Christian studied psychology in college and became obsessed with the way people think. He also learned to watch people, to pay attention to small details, and to be able to spot someone who was telling the truth versus someone who was lying. He claims that the mind, and the way people think, has been a passion of his since his youth. This adds one more level of validity to this Mind Tripping show.

Katalina, while not having studied psychology in school, comes from a long line of Hungarian mystics. Based on her upbringing and her desire to follow her heritage, she has learned to be very smart, witty, and sharp. That, matched with Christian’s abilities to practically read minds and to understand the way people think, make these two a perfect match for a show of this magnitude.

The show itself has toured all over the world. They have played in living rooms and exhibit halls, and also play a lot of resorts and cruise ships. During our meal at 120 West Market Fresh Grill, I had the chance to chat with Christian about their résumé of shows. He says they like being on a cruise ship and staying at resorts, but miss being home. They live here in Indianapolis, Indiana, and travel more than they are home. But they are back, for at least six weeks anyway, and will be performing two shows every Friday and Saturday night at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites.

Speaking of 120 West Market Fresh Grill, if you are going to the show, make sure you stop in for dinner. As a part of your ticket, you get a buy one get one free entrée in the restaurant. Sheryl and I decided to go to the later show, starting at 8:30, so that we could grab dinner after work. It was perfect timing making our dinner reservations for 6:30 and managing to sneak in a couple of filets before the show. You can also get discounted parking with your ticket purchase.

After dinner we headed upstairs, to the sixteenth floor, for the show. Seating only forty people or so, it provides for a very intimate experience. We sat in the back, hoping to not get involved in any of the action. Apparently this show includes a lot of audience interaction. Could that possibly be why all of these tricks work? Was it the audience interaction that does it? Who knows? But there was indeed a ton of audience interaction.

The show got started a little late. It was actually their very first showing, and they were still getting rid of some of the kinks. In the process of getting started, Christian started talking and telling jokes and keeping the crowd entertained. He told us where they had been the last few months, about their residency at the Hilton, and how we could all expect for our minds to actually be tripped that evening. About ten or fifteen minutes later it was time to get started.

When the show began, they did some introductions and told us all a little bit about where they came from. Then it was time for some magic. And while I won’t tell you every magic trick they did that night, I wanted to touch on a few of the ones I felt were the better tricks.

One of the first acts they did was basically reading minds. It started slowly, but eventually worked into the audience for some more detailed mind reading. Katalina put on a blindfold, walked to the front of the stage, and began answering questions thrown out by Christian. He walks over to an unsuspecting audience member and asked for his cell phone. Christian asked, “What do I have in my hand?”

“A cell phone,” Katalina claims.

“Yes, correct. What color is this cell phone?” asked Christian.

“I am getting a darker color, grey is the color of the cell phone.” Katalina sounded positive in her declaration.

“Yes, the cell phone is grey.” Christian was proud of his wife. The crowd clapped, the owner of the cell phone was impressed, and they went on to the next trick.

The evening went on like this with one trick leading to another. My favorite was either the guessing game or the numerous card tricks. I have always been impressed with card tricks, but for some reason, Christian had a way with cards. Sheryl and I were actually asked to stick around after the show for some personal card tricks, right in front of our faces. I was impressed through and through, and can honestly say that my mind was tripped during the show.

Another thing that excites me about these folks is their branding. With the help of Harrison on their side, they are all over Facebook, Twitter, and more. Even gaining ad space on sites like NUVO and Metromix and getting radio spots doing interviews and commercials. If you live in the Circle City, you need to see this show. If you live within driving distance of downtown, I highly suggest checking this out. You can buy tickets online, at the door, or just contact them directly for a true VIP experience. They have sold out every show since opening night, so make sure you pick a date and get your seats. You won’t be sorry.