‘CHICO’ GARCIA – Dropping the bottles and picking up the Mic

Updated: August 1, 2004

Formerly of Columbus, Ohio and now residing in the Flair Mecca Las Vegas. Christopher ‘Chico’ Garcia talks to us about making the change from a world caliber Flair bartender to one of the top Flair emcees in the world. Which craft he likes better and why!

Age? 32.

How long have you’ve been bartending? Since December 18th 1993. The day I turned 21.

And Flair bartending? Pretty much two months after that.

Where do you Work and what do you do? I resident DJ and production manage at Kahunaville Las Vegas inside Treasure Island.

What got you into Flair bartending? My first bartending job was with TGI Fridays. Any old school people will understand that. Fridays didn’t teach you Flair but they strongly encouraged it. You were also forced to compete in at least the in store competition. That’s what got me into it. Fridays in Columbus, Ohio.

How did you start learning to Flair? Just some basic yada yada from people that say this here and there. There were no videos then, no FBA, no Flaircos and no yard days. If someone had a cool move they kept it. So for me it was just seeing some old Fridays comp footage and hearing about stuff and having people at the bar say try this and try that. I was also low man on the totem pole working lunches so I had free time at work to play.

What makes you stand out from other Flair MCs? I have no idea. Do I stand out? Tim ‘Stormin’ Norman calls me a shouter. I guess that would be it. Maybe the fact that I used to Flair.

Which do you like better… being a Flair bartender or DJ and Why?I’d have to say DJ-ing & emceeing. One, because it is what I am currently doing and Two, because it allows to be more involved and see everything that goes on at a comp. Bartending I was constantly stressed and back stage missing out on a lot of routines. Now I can see everything, be involved and have no stress. Three, when my shift is over now, I leave! No more cleaning and counting drawers. I miss the tips though, I miss being able to control my own destiny on a nightly basis.

What do you hope to get out of Flair ? I hope to continue to get a living out of it. I hope for it to make it more and more to TV and for the prize packages to continue to grow. Who knows. It got me to Vegas as well as a lot of other things along the road and none of it was planned. It just fell into place. Opportunity is always knocking, If you don’t answer the door it will go somewhere else. Wouldn’t mind being in a Jimmy Buffett video either. I like Jimmy.

Chico at the Legends of Bartending 3.

Tell us about your involvement with the Legends of bartending competition? Nothing really. That is all Ken Hall. He asked me to be involved with running it for Legends 5 which I did. Ken asked me to help with Legends 6 but I was involved with Kahunaville and couldn’t be both places at once. This year for Legends 7 his right hand man will be Jim Allison.

Who do you look up to in this Sport? I look up to everyone here and now that has the dedication and desire to practice and train to compete at the level everything is at. I love emceeing and being able to see it all first hand. It takes a lot of time to get to the finals in any comp now. You have to be on your game. There’s no easy or ‘maybe’ way in like before. You have to earn it. To single one person out I’d have to say Ken Hall.

There is a deep history with Ken that a lot of people don’t know. Quest almost died in Florida and he solely ran it one year and kept it alive. Look where it has gone because of that. He started Legends and look what that has done for Vegas. The majority of the Flair bartending job opportunities here were created because of him and Legends. Plus, he is still competing. A lot of ‘Old Schoolers’ from back in the day have retired or quit because the commitment has become to great. Yet this guy is running comps and still competing in them with newer and newer moves plus routines! Watch tapes. His routines don’t mimic one another.

How did you get the Job at Kahunaville, Las Vegas? Two words. Rick Barcode.

What are the biggest differences working behind the turntables rather then the bar? Tips. Tips. Tips. Plus completely controlling the entire room and not just the people in front of you or at your bar. It’s nice to not be so sticky and sweaty after every shift too.

What is your favorite Flair Bartending competition? I would have to say my FLIP$ 4 TIP$ comp. I say that not to sound greedy, but the same way that Ken would say Legends, Chuck would say Bottleslinger, Flair Devils would say King of the Ring, Bill would say Islamorada, so on and so on. That is a fundraiser comp that I started in Ohio and have continued here in Vegas. I like it because it is a good cause, relaxed and has my little twists on it. No place like home. It’s the most comfortable ya know?

I think it was Battle of the Flairgods 1, If I remember right, You were emceeing the event and Travis Koontz hit you square in the nose with a full drink and you kept on emceeing the event and didn’t miss a beat. Tell us about that experience and if anything else beat that as the most memorable experience for you on the microphone? I can’t think of anything really beating that. I did at Best in the West for three weeks pronounce “Upper echelon” as Upper “ECK-A-LAWN” and everyone kept letting me do it. They just kept laughing at me week after week.

Some chicks at a Chicosun event.

As with the Travis incident I had just a week before that gone to a magic show and watched this intermission guy put a cup of coffee in a round hula-hoop contraption and spin it. I thought “Cool” I’m going to put that into a routine. Next week Travis was doing what I was thinking about doing and had apparently, for a while been doing it. Now I’m watching intently because I want to see what he does. So he takes this pool rack that is attached to a rope and with his left hand he starts doing a column. He places a full drink on the base of the pool rack and while doing the column starts to ‘Talladega’ the column with his right hand slicing through the bottles.

‘m thinking “Man, that’s going to fly out” Then I think “NO, he has to be good and confident enough with this or he wouldn’t be doing it”
I’m also thinking “Someone is going to stop him because we are at Shadow Bar Caesar’s Palace,” and it is PACKED! I mean you can’t swing a dead cat in this place and this guy is whipping pool racks with full drinks in them around in a circle attached to a rope. If this thing comes out and hits someone it’s going to be major lawsuit time. Someone is going to sue the casino and try to get rich. I mean let’s face it. They’re not going after the Argentineans that run Flairhouse. They are going to go after the big fish.

So round and round the rope goes and BAM!!!! It gets snagged on the curtain and, like a rocket, I mean a ROCKET, that glass shoots out of that rack and hits me open ended right in the face. And yes, without missing a beat I said, on the mic, “That’s gonna leave a mark” Christian Oldan about shit his pants because he thought that I was going to go after Travis. There were a lot of video cameras there that night. If anyone has it on camera I would love to see a copy.

For those of you who missed it. Here it is, ‘Chico’ getting hit square on the nose and still emceeing without missing a beat.

What advice would you give to aspiring MC’s out there? Enunciate! Practice in front of the mirror. Record and listen to yourself. Try to have fun. Control the room. Be prepared.

How often do you practice? About one hour a year.

Tell us about your Chicosun All-Stars, who they are and what they do? The CHICOSUN LAS VEGAS FLAIR BARTENDING ALL STARS are bartenders that I use to do shows and guest bartending events. They consist of pretty much anyone that Flairs. If I have a show and can use someone I will call them and offer them the job. Most people are a part of the All-Star team and don’t even know it. It’s a lot of fun and everywhere we have done we have shattered sales and rocked the roof off of the place. I guest DJ & Emcee the event and whoever I take guest bartends the establishment. I put it together as a total package which includes flyer design, a sixty-second produced radio commercial, round trip airfare, hotel stay, rental car, entertainment fee and all taxes. Any Bartender that goes to a show with me is guaranteed a pretty good minimum pay with all expenses paid. If I get a lead from a bartender, that BT gets an extra $250.00. All they have to do is call me and I set everything up. We are currently traveling all over. We never work more than eight hours and don’t have to wait on cocktailers. One show we did in Reading, Pa was for five and a half hours and the bartenders made twelve hundred and were treated like Rock Stars. You can get more details on it at www.chicosun.com.

What do you think of Flairbar.com? It’s for bartenders by bartenders. What’s not to love? I think it is informative, fresh and that you guys are doing an excellent job.

What is your favorite drink? I would have to say a SKYY CITRUS Lemon Drop made the Fridays way with fresh squeezed lemon, Tbs bar sugar, 1/2 oz Grand Ma, splash sour and splash of Seven served shaken with ice and strained over ice as a drink. Hard to find bartenders that can make them good though so my most often ordered drink is the old Captain & Coke…….NFL.

Chico and some of his All-Stars.