Even though she’s accustomed to playing larger venues such as ones in New York, former Prince Albert resident and Guinness World Record holder Carisa Hendrix is performing at the Prince Albert Brew Pub tonight (Monday) at 8 p.m.
“I thought it would be nice to come back home and show people what I can do,” she said.
“The show will include fire-eating, glass walking, blockhead -- which is where I hammer nails into my head -- some acrobatic stunts, and I believe I’m going to do human pincushion.”
The human pincushion, she explained, is “sticking needles through your skin.”
Although larger venues are receptive to her performances, she’s a bit hesitant to guess how a hometown crowd will take the show.
“I guess we’ll see,” she said with a laugh.
Hendrix grew up in Prince Albert, moving with her family to Calgary when she was in Grade 6.
“I was such a nerdy little girl growing up, I had a lot of trouble making friends and one of the first … grownups to take an interest in me was a magician and a sideshow performer, himself,” she said.
Honing her performance skills over the years, she found herself invited to the Italian television show Lo Show Dei Record last April, where she was invited to break the fire torch teething record, which was one minute and 32 seconds long.
The show will include fire-eating, glass walking, blockhead -- which is where I hammer nails into my head -- some acrobatic stunts, and I believe I’m going to do human pincushion. - Performer Carisa Hendrix
The trick involves a person using their teeth to grip the wick of a flaming torch. Hendrix obliterated the record by adding 29 seconds to it.
"You're so focused on the pain and the technique and you're concentrating so that you can barely hear the outside world," she told the Daily Herald shortly after the record was announced in October.
"I remember (the host) saying that new record is set and thinking 'Oh my goodness.' So now everything is gravy. Just hold it as long as you can.”
Although she moved away when she was only 12, Prince Albert is still considered home since it houses Hendrix’s largest concentration of family.
Although she comes back home to visit about three times per year, with her Guinness World Record fresh in people’s minds, she decided to take the opportunity this time around to strut her stuff for a hometown crowd.
Hendrix will perform at the Prince Albert Brew Pub tonight (Monday) for 45 minutes beginning at 8 p.m.
