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Working Slow…

Recently I watched Anthony Jeselnik’s stand up comedy special on Netflix. In it he works really slow and really takes his time. I had also recently watched David Hira’s Penguin Live Lecture and on it he talks about using pauses. Last night on stage I decided to experiment and really take my time. I went … Continue reading “Working Slow…”

Recently I watched Anthony Jeselnik’s stand up comedy special on Netflix. In it he works really slow and really takes his time.

I had also recently watched David Hira’s Penguin Live Lecture and on it he talks about using pauses.

Last night on stage I decided to experiment and really take my time. I went at a what felt like a snails pace on stage, in real time it wasn’t nearly that slow.

It really took me out of my comfort zone, but well worth it. I got a lot more applause in the show and better laughs. For me, it’s mentally really hard to pause and wait for a laugh that may not be coming. Waiting for applause is easier, but the waiting for the laugh stresses me out onstage. Waiting is the better choice than just plowing through it and stepping on it.

Unfortunately bad gigs make it hard to do good gigs as they give you bad habits. Things like stepping on a laugh when you are really just trying to get through a rough gig. I think that I need to work bad gigs like they are good gigs and just do everything the way I normally would and almost treat them like rehearsal, and not like trying bail water out of a sinking ship. If I know it’s the gig (and not me), like a horrible set up, or whatever, then just treat it like a rehearsal.

Robotic Patter…

There’s a lot you can learn by watching other acts. Last night I watched a saxophone player do a show. He played two original songs and the rest were cover songs. One thing that I liked was the production value of his show. There were a lot of light cues, which added a lot to … Continue reading “Robotic Patter…”

The show was fun, the one thing I didn’t like was when he talked it sounded too scripted for me. It sounded like he’s done it a hundred times, and he probably has. The advantage of how he talked was it was very slow, thought out and easy to follow. The disadvantage it that it didn’t some off as remotely sincere.

The goal in talking in your show is for it to not sound robotic. For example, he would ask audience for a response and if no one interacted, he just moved on. He didn’t mention that “oh, no one from new jersey” then move on. It’s not living in the moment when the moment pops up that makes your show feel reel. Your response doesn’t have to be a joke, it just need to address whatever happens.

Somewhere there is a balance between being scripted and sounding natural.

Using Magic For Good…

One of the cool things about being a magician, is you frequently have the ability to change someone’s day. What I mean by that is showing someone a little card trick can change their mood. Here’s an example, I was stuck in line that wasn’t moving. Someone recognized me a the magician from the show and we chatted for a minute. Then I offered to do a card trick. Everyone in the line went from being annoyed at a non moving line, to laughing and having a good time. One little card trick changed the mood and experience of 30 people.

Sometimes I wonder why so many magicians say they never do a trick for people outside of being paid. Personally I thinks it’s a very self centered approach. Being willing to do a little magic trick, if very different than feeling like you have to do a magic trick. You can say no, and sometimes you’re asked to show a trick and it’s just night a right situation and in the end no one will really gain any real joy from it. But when you know it’ll improve someone’s day, you should do it!

This is part of leaving your mark on the world. Jeff McBride is really into this type of “giving” with magic. It doesn’t mean doing a show, just a quick thing to make someone’s day a bit more fun! That’s why in my wallet I always have a trick that I can do, that’s a good trick, with a direct plot, but also quick. It’s not a long routine, it’s a quick trick. I actually have a 15 min show in my wallet, but usually don’t do the full thing.

Study Stand Up

Watching other live performers can teach you a lot about performing. I was just watching Anthony Jeselnik’s new stand up special on Netflix, and it was very interesting to watch how he moved on stage.

Anthony moves very little, but it’s very coordinated. His stillness after he delivers a joke helps let the joke land. He also does a lot with his face, how he’ll move his eyes at a punchline. Magicians can learn a ton by watching stand up comedy.

Stand up is probably the most “pure” of the novelty acts. It’s just a person, their thoughts and a microphone. There is nothing wrong with props and a skill. Stand up is simply about selling your personality.

This is a place a lot of magicians miss the boat. They sell the trick, and not their personality. Don’t get me wrong, if you are a magician, then the trick has to be sold and it has to be good, but you must have some personality in there somewhere.

The $100 Peso Bill Switch…

About a week ago I was thinking about the Hundred Dollar bill Switch and what I didn’t like about was that is all of the folding. Yes, the folding does create a magic moment…which is good for live shows, however for social media content or a sizzle reel, it can be too slow. That got … Continue reading “The $100 Peso Bill Switch…”

About a week ago I was thinking about the Hundred Dollar bill Switch and what I didn’t like about was that is all of the folding. Yes, the folding does create a magic moment…which is good for live shows, however for social media content or a sizzle reel, it can be too slow.

That got me thinking of a way to do it visually for video and here’s what I came up with:

I really like how visual and quick this came out. I think that the double change makes it a little bit more of a “head scratcher” than if it was a single change. Also it changing to a foreign currency in the middle gives makes bill change less subtle than if it was just a American bills.

I think the place this trick has in would be in a stage show, as part of a longer routine. Like while you are asking to borrow a bill, and if you use your own, every thinks it trick. You do the bill changes almost as a gag to fill time, while someone is getting their bill out.

Leave the Path…

Having a great show has a lot to do with living in the moment and being present in your show. Even if your show is scripted, you need to be on the lookout for real moments where you can venture off script and into what’s actually happening. This is what makes live entertainment so good, … Continue reading “Leave the Path…”

Last night in the show the kid that I brought up on stage was really chatty. I realized this very quickly when I asked him his name and he told me how to spell it. Then he didn’t know how to spell his last name. Letting the kid be a kid, he was perfect for the trick and he really rocked it onstage. Playing with the kid onstage lets the audience see your personality through how you interact with the kid.

I wasn’t in a hurry to get to the next joke, I let it play out with the kid however it does. Having a script to the show, allows me to get right back into it when it’s time. It could just naturally segue back into the show, or I may need to guide us back into the show. There’s no way it runs 100% of the time, however that’s why having a script is so important. I’m not thinking of the planned routine, I’m just thinking how to get back to it.

Make Notes As You Go…

Last night I did two shows and I noticed another spot in the show that could use some “stinger” music. Unfortunately I notice it as it happened in the show, and didn’t have a chance to add it before the next show. If you are present in your show and pay attention during it, the … Continue reading “Make Notes As You Go…”

One of the things that I’m trying to do to my show is tighten it up. There’s a transition in the show where I need to move a table from center stage to stage right. It’s down time. It’s only 5 seconds of down time, but it’s down time. That time could be used better than just moving a table across the stage.

During the first show I noticed that I could move the table which I don’t need for the trick before I move it as the guy is coming up to the stage for that previous trick. What I did “dead time” to eliminate dead time a few minutes later. It worked great, and I think I’m going to do keep it.

As the say, “the devil is in the details”. Little things can make a huge difference in the show. You just need to keep on them, and over time they’ll add up!

The Blow Off

Yesterday I wrote about doing a “spectator as mind reader” type effect and it having to be a clean trick from a method standpoint. The spectator who reads the mind must be unaware of how you get them to reveal what the other person is thinking. Today I’m going to talk about something similar, but the opposite way, where at the end everyone knows how the trick was done. This doesn’t just apply to mentalism, but to magic.

Let’s start with a premise everyone knows, which is paper balls over the head. Personally I dislike this trick, because it has no ending. Sure, you could produce a bowling ball from the tissue at the end or something like that. In its standard for you are basically telling the same joke over and over, there is no punctuation on the trick.

One way some people end it is to reveal the paperballs on the floor to the person. The problem with that is there is a bridge missing, the person doesn’t know how they got there, they just see them on the floor. Did the disappear and reappear there…you miss the moment where they are let in on the gag. Watch Michael Finney do the card on the forehead, it ends when we get to see the person onstage react to the finally seeing the card. You’ll never get the same reaction when the person sees the paper balls, plus they will be turned around looking at them, so we can’t see them.

My point is when you do a trick where everyone knows how the trick works, except one person, you need to completely let them in on the trick. You have to essentially tell them what happened, or they will not react well because they are trying to cross a bridge that’s not there. The challenge is to completely reveal the trick in a second or two. At a glance the person on stage should be able to figure out what happened.

Magically Sound Magic

One of the things about doing magic tricks is that you can do some amazing things and you can do them fairly easily, but that doesn’t make it good magic. What’s got me thinking about this, is that with the internet, magic is very accessible to people that perform other variety acts, and it’s easy to add magic to their show and get a good reaction.

Being able to do a trick, and present it is only part of the game if you want to be a magician. It’s OK to do a magic trick in your show, but once you basically start doing a magic show, it’s time to actually learn how to do magic.

I recently saw a card trick where the performer did the trick in the easiest manner. Fine, but watching I could think of 3 better ways to do it. Three better ways that were more deceptive and none of them that much harder than what he was already doing. He wasn’t in a magic show, he was doing a magic trick within a larger show, so he get’s a pass.

TLDR: if you’re going to call yourself a magician, you need to learn to do magic.

Roll With It…

Last week someone tagged me on a Facebook post, saying that my show as great. That’s a nice compliment, however it was on a post for a show in a week, that was never booked. By never booked, I mean they never contacted me. I dug through my email, webform and phone records and there was no contact from the venue, aside from when I did a show there in 2012!

After some investigation I found a text from about 6 months ago from an agent inquiring about availability. That’s it. I contacted the agent, got the info and the gig is good to go!

I could have gotten all upset with the booker or venue, but that doesn’t solve anything. I was available, so the gig is going down today, and it’ll be fun!