When I travel I always try to support local magic shops. Recently I was performing in Kansas City, there’s a Magic Shop that’s website says it’s the only brick and mortar magic shop in the city.
I’m glad I read a bit deeper on their website as it says it’s open by appointment only. That saved me a trip driving out to a place that wasn’t open. However that got me thinking, is a shop that’s only open by appointment really a brick and mortar magic shop?
Technically I guess it is. Based on a quick internet search the criteria is that it offers a place where a customer can interact with the products before buying. However, if you don’t have regular hours, you’re really just an warehouse that people can visit.
I was in town for several days and the owner of the shop was never available for me to visit.
I try to support local magic shops, but sometime they make it impossible to do that. Sure, I could support them by ordering online, but that defeats the purpose of supporting a magic shop in a city I’m visiting. If they’re mailing it to me, I might as well order from my preferred online, family run magic shop that also has a location I can and do visit.
-Louie
Month: March 2024
Painting a Magic Prop…
One of the tricks I’m working on uses a fake lime slice. The one on the left is how I get them. It looks good, however the white rubs off fairly quickly and from a short distance it’s not obviously a lime.
For the one on the right I went to an art store and the lady there helped me pick out a paint to use that should be more permanent. So far the new white paint is holding up a lot better than the original paint.
Sometimes it’s the little things like white paint on a fake lime that makes a huge difference in the trick!
-Louie
Out of Town Notice
I’m out of town from March 19th, 2024 to April 8th, 2024.
No orders will ship or work on orders will happen during this time.
If you need something during this time, contact Hocus-Pocus.com as they normally have most of my products in stock.
The daily blog will continue to be updated below this notice.
-Louie
Backstage Props!
When I’m performing a formal show where my show is set up onstage when the audience arrives, I have a backstage set up as well.
These are all the props that end up on my person when I walk on stage. I don’t put these things on until about 15 mins before I need to be onstage. Here’s what you’re seeing:
- Wireless mic with transmitter
- Mic tape
- Glasses with no lenses
- Two Promystic receivers (one is a back up)
- Deck of cards
- Marker
- Music remote control
Sure I could set up and keep all this stuff on me, but I don’t. I’m worried I’ll accidentally turn on my mic, or play music. The other worry is that something will fall out of my pocket or I’ll use the pen and forget to put it back in my pocket.
For me, having all this stuff on a stool or table, then putting it all where it goes at the same time is the most sure fire way (for me) to not forget or lose anything!
-Louie
Doing an Interview…
A couple of months ago I did an interview with Canvas Rebel
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-louie-foxx/
They interview you with prompts that you choose from a list. It was a strange way to be interviewed and I’m not sure if I’m super happy with how it turned out. It’s not bad, but I don’t think it’s great.
Let me know what you think!
-Louie
Reducing Magic Clutter!
One of the things I’m trying to do is carry around less stuff. For example, for a 45 mins show, I used to travel with 60+ mins of material. That’s a habit from when I was younger and the time it took to do routines would vary wildly show to how. With years and thousands of shows under my belt, I’m much more consistent with the minimum time that routines take.
Here’s my set up from a recent show at a comedy club:
In the past, my table top bin would be filled with soo much extra crap that I never used. That’s just extra weight I’m lugging around. Now there are only two extra tricks that I’m travelling with.
Here’s the what my two prop bins look like:
The two extra routines I have are the gypsy thread and my ACAAN with a jumbo deck and I rarely use those. Frequently I’m finding myself cutting a planned routine out of the show because I’m running long!
Having less clutter in my gear is super helpful for reducing set up and tear down times and having less stuff onstage makes everything much more efficient!
-Louie
The Moisture Festival Podcast – Mathieu Bolillo
In this captivating episode of the Moisture Festival, we have the pleasure of hosting the extraordinary acrobatic athlete, Mathieu Bolillo. Mathieu shares insights into his formative years in gymnastics, recounting how this journey ultimately propelled him into the spotlight as a performer in Cirque Du Soleil’s renowned production, “Ka.” Delving into the challenges of overcoming injuries, Mathieu reveals how these setbacks became catalysts for his remarkable transformation into an accomplished author, dedicated teacher, and sought-after physical trainer.
Join us as we explore the depths of Mathieu’s resilience in the face of adversity, uncovering the inspiring narrative of his multifaceted career. He also tells us a bit of what audiences can anticipate from Mathieu’s upcoming performance at the next Moisture Festival. Tune in for an engaging and uplifting experience that is sure to leave you inspired and eager for more.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Pi Day Magic Trick
One of the things I do to try to keep creative is come up with tricks for holidays. While Pi Day 3.14 isn’t a traditional holiday, it’s a theme that I can create a trick for. Here’s a counting trick using Pi Day as the theme.
“We’ll the first 5 digits of Pi which are 3.1415, without the decimal, so we’re using: 31415”
“Let’s start on the first digit, so touch the three. Now you’ll spell “Pi Day” jumping one number per letter. You can move forward, or backwards for each jump, you just can’t jump from end to end. Go ahead and start jumping now.”
“Pi is a number that never ends and I’m going to guess you’re not on either end, so eliminate the 3 and 5. That leaves us with the 1, 4, and 1.”
“Using the number you’re touching, jump that many times, forward or backwards.”
“I’m guessing you’re not on the first number one. That leaves us with a 4 and 1.”
“Using the number you’re not touching, jump that may times.”
“You’re on the number one!”
There you to a simple trick that could be used as a social media video or as newsletter content!
-Louie
Brass Magic tricks!
Recently I acquired a whole bunch of brass magic tricks. This appears to be all stuff from the early 2000’s and a lot of it was really tarnished.
I spent some time and elbow grease to clean them up a little bit. Below is a comparison of the two cups from a set of Flying Coins, one before and one after cleaning.
I like a nice patina on things, but sometimes patina just look funky. These look a lot better after a quick cleaning!
-Louie
Performing At Retirement Communities!
One type of show that I love doing are shows for seniors! These shows are personally very rewarding to do and I always feel amazing after them. These facilities have tons of activities going on.
It’s a market that NEEDS entertainment! I’ve been working these venues since I was a teenage while they used to be a bigger part of my income, I only do a dozen or two a year. That’s based on my travel schedule, I can only take them on dates that I’m locked into being in a town or at home.
When I was younger I used to tour doing senior shows. I would book 2-5 shows in a town and then drive to the next town. It’s a lot of work, but it was worth it to me!
You can learn more about performing in this market from my book How To Perform For Seniors!
-Louie