REVIEW: Paranormal expert Amy Bruni shares ghostly stories on live tour
Image courtesy of Grand Central Publishing / Provided by official site.
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Amy Bruni, one of the paranormal investigators featured on TV’s Kindred Spirits, has built a career out of heading into spooky, unsettling places around the globe and checking in with the spirit world that may or may not reside there. On the reality shows, she enters houses, mansions, jails and sanitariums, along with her team members Adam Berry and Chip Coffey, looking for what’s lurking around the corner. Her form of paranormal investigation is kinder than most, with an emphasis on bringing closure to the questioning ghosts and not necessarily jumping to negative conclusions about supposed hauntings. The word “evil” doesn’t pop up when she’s on the case.
Bruni, when featured on TV, is entertaining and engaging, but Bruni live in a theater, with photographs of her investigations and some evidence to share with the assembled crowd, is even better. At a recent stop on her October tour, the TV personality enraptured the crowd at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York. What a fitting place for an evening of paranormal stories. This is, after all, Sleepy Hollow country, right down the road from the Headless Horseman bridge and Washington Irving’s estate. Plus, the Tarrytown Music Hall has a few ghost stories itself.
Throughout the 90-minute evening, Bruni described her unique form of paranormal investigation and shared various stories from her career, both in front of the camera and before her reality TV career even began. She explained many of the instruments of the trade for newcomers and played a few audio recordings for the curious crowd. The Q&A session at the end was particularly enlightening with well-thought-out queries about this unique field of study. One audience member asked about Ouija boards and whether they are harbingers of evil (spoiler alert: Bruni has no problem with the boards and has used them in the past, but she does believe they’re an antiquated method of investigation that is better left to inquiring teenagers.)
It’s best to keep the details of her presentation a secret for those who haven’t experienced Bruni’s lecture. To receive a preview of how the evening proceeds, one can pick up her best-selling book, Life With the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts, which covers similar ground. But rest assured, audience members will be enthralled by the storytelling and walk away with a new appreciation for how Bruni confronts her chosen profession.
Let’s be honest: Paranormal investigation, especially when it appears on reality television, has its deserved critics and skeptics. Bruni welcomes these people to her audience. She’s not trying to dispel any deep-seated beliefs or win viewers over to her side. She’s a believer because of her past experiences, but she’s perfectly comfortable with others who are still being Dana Scully and waiting for hard evidence.
For the believers, Bruni’s stories likely present an affirming perspective that feels right at home. For skeptics, these stories are enjoyable and perfect for the Halloween season; they’re not too scary and not too unbelievable that a hardened critic can’t have fun — and maybe have a little doubt in their head on the way home.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on Amy Bruni’s live appearances. Her October tour continues Oct. 19-29 with stops in South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
