A Face in the Crowd

BRANDON PRIMM, "Minister Mime" Tell me how you joined together what could possibly be two of the most irritating things around—mimes and preachers. Well, in 1998 I was the president of my young adult choir at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on Second Avenue, and I wanted to do something really different to help spread the word. I realized that people were getting tired of the same old songs, and they weren't getting the message in full. So you started spreading the word without sayin' a word? That's it in a nutshell. The first time I performed in church was to Yolanda Adams’ "The Battle is Not Yours," and the church went into an uproar. They loved it. What's the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you while you were performing? Once, during a performance with my mother present, by the third song she was so overjoyed she jumped up and grabbed me around the neck and started hugging me while I was ministering. Another time I was pulled over after a performance on Dickerson Road with my makeup still on before I knew it I was surrounded by officers. They thought I had just robbed a bank or something. I showed them my card and told them what I did and they got red in the face with laughter. They took pictures with me and everything. I'm still waiting on a copy. What are your goals? I would love to start a school of dance and mime…that would help people to direct their energy toward positive things and keep them off the streets. Mime Ministry touches the lives of those from 1 to 101. Do you ever scare little kids? Yeah. Day cares are the toughest.   What do you do? I get down on their level and act like a baby. They usually come around.