One thing you should do if you haven’t already is set up a Google Alert for your name or the name of your show. In theory whenever Google indexes something new with your alert terms, it will email you. I just got this alert:
So it looks like I’ll be on Masters of Illusion next week on Saturday 7/16/22. It’s a new episode and I haven’t seen the official press release, so I don’t know what routine I’m doing on the show. Hopefully I’ll get the official press release later today and can better promote it. -Louie
I don’t get it when magicians are annoyed when people in the audience want to show them a magic trick. If I was guessing it comes down to an ego thing. When I’m doing roving close up magic, I always let them show me their trick. Sometimes you’ll be surprised at what they show you…usually it’s just the 21 card trick.
Occasionally I get to see this two card change:
However sometimes you get to see an amazing trick, this is probably what I’d consider the greatest trick I’ve ever had someone in the audience show me!
Letting someone from the audience have their moment makes you a generous performer. Now there are times where it’s inappropriate to have them do a trick, but in 95% of times when they offer there’s really no reason for you not to let them show you the trick aside from you being worried that someone will steal your spotlight.
I’m trying to decide which is a better ending for a routine with a deck of cards:
1: Ending with the deck back in new deck order 2: Ending with all the backs in the deck of cards different (rainbow deck)
They are similar in effect in a very broad sense, visually all the cards are not how they should be. However the effects are different. When the backs are different it’s a transformation and the when they’re in order it’s a transposition.
The other question is whether to do both effects or just one? It’d be easy to get the second effect after the first one with a deck switch. That would make the color changing backs the kicker effect to the cards in order. I think I’ll just have to try it each way and figure out what I like…
This video of a magic trick came across my social media feed:
It’s not a deep mystery, but I’ve watched it maybe 6 or 7 times and it makes me smile every time!
I’m not sure how or why you’d use it in a show, but I love that someone came up with it, wrote it up in a book and many years later someone else made one! -Louie
A few weeks ago I posted about how I’ve started doing the ambitious card effect with the cards spread across the table (read it here). I’ve added a third phase:
The ending with it in the card box is a great third phase.
I have changed the second phase a little bit since I made the video above. I’m putting the selected card second from the top of the deck. What I noticed was happening most of the time was at the second phase, people would very quickly point to the top card. When they do that, I show it’s not there and remove that card. Then I proceed as in the video and it’s getting a great reaction. If the don’t immediately point to the top card, I do the reveal with a double lift and that sets me up for the third phase.
I’ve also made a change to the third phase. I’m setting the card on the table (after the switch) and having them put it into the deck.
One thing that magicians frequently complain about is having a generic “magician” on a post and not their name. Here’s a 20 year old poster advertising a fair that I came across:
Look at the listing, at the bottom they list acts by name. There are specific titles and generic ones. For example, Scott Land Marionettes is the name of his show, so the full title ends up on the poster. Then there’s the generic Face Painter. Both of those titles tell the person going to the fair what will be there. A generic face painter may not do good for the face painter’s ego, but it is probably more exciting to a ticket buyer than “Shelby Winters”, unless that’s a prominent person from the community.
Let’s take a closer look at the listing, I circled an act:
I circled Grinn & Barrett, I know what what this act is and know the two people in the act, but 99% of the people going to the fair have no idea what it is. In that place a generic “comedy juggler” or “juggling show” would have gotten more people excited about than the name of the act.
This is something I’ve changed recently with my show. I used to bill it at fairs as Louie Foxx’s One Man Side Show, which is still the name of the show, but I don’t use that at events like fairs or festivals. It doesn’t really tell the audience what they are going to see. I’m now using The Magic of Louie Foxx and since I made that change, I’m seeing bigger starting audiences at my shows. This is nice, as I don’t have to build as hard as I did in the past.
Take a peek at how you’re being advertised in a program and think about if you didn’t know who you are and what you do, would you go see the show? Personally I’d rather be listed as a generic “magic show” in a program than just “Louie Foxx”.
Last night I hopped onto a plane to head to a gig and my carry on is my sound system. This PA fits in the overhead compartment, so I don’t have to check it. I do frequently check it inside of a suitcase, however I’m travelling light this trip.
I use a Roland Street Cube EX, what I like about it is that it can run off of battery power. It uses 8 AA batteries and not an internal battery. If it had the internal battery, I’m not supposed to check it. Also if I forget to charge it, it’s easy to replace them. I do use rechargeable AA batteries in the system, so I’m not constantly buying them.
When I bought this, I needed three inputs for my show, however I currently only need two. If I was to buy one now, I’d get the standard Street Cube and save a couple of bucks.
I just stumbled across a video of the trick Ink Hole and I really like it!
Here’s what the trick has going for it:
it’s not a card trick. Yes, I know there are plenty of tricks similar to this with a card and hole. My thinking is the less tricks that I do that don’t use cards, the better. I’m not anti card trick, however for texture in the show, if I can avoid a card, I do!
It’s very visual and in a strange way!
it happens in front of your body and not on a table.
What I don’t like about it is that there is (as far as I can tell) a requirement that you wear a black shirt. This isn’t a deal breaker, but it is definitely a consideration.
I’m on the fence about getting it, it’s more the wardrobe condition that’s keeping me from ordering it.
Even if I don’t get it, I still think it’s a really cool effect!
There was a time many years ago when I would do about 75 library shows in a summer. This year I think I’m doing 5, however I’m staying very busy performing in other markets. Yesterday I performed at one of the first libraries that I ever performed at!
The pic was taken as I was setting up and people were trickling in, we ended up packing the place!
One of the great things about library shows is that they normally have a theme each year and you get to create with that theme. It makes creating really easy because you have rules you need to follow. In the case of a library it’s the theme of “outer space” or whatever.
Since I was only doing a handful of them I didn’t offer a theme this year. I do kinda miss writing a 45 minute show every year and taking it from nothing to a a polished show! Those skills have really helped me with creating material for other venues!
Oh man, I just got home from being on the road for little while and I had a package from Jonathan Neal waiting for me! This arrived the day after I left and I’ve been anxiously awaiting it! I had ordered two of his parakeets for the vanishing birdcage! These aren’t rubber, they are silk on the outside.
These little guys are amazing looking and collapse into virtually nothing! I like them as they visually have more “pop” than the plain ol’ yellow canary that I had been using.
Unfortunately my cage is in California right now and I’m in Seattle, so I can’t try them out just yet.
