MagicShow.Tips – Page 7 – A daily blog about magic by Louie Foxx

Openers – Magic Book

I just started reading the book Openers. This book is a compilation of “openers” for magic shows. The book is mostly close up openers so far, but I’m only about 1/3 into the book.

So far my favorites are:
Virus by John Guastaferro: This is a full deck, all backs routine where one side then turns blank, then to normal playing card faces. It’s not too hard to do. I like the routine, however I think I’d need to find a new theme for it. His theme is great, just not for me.

Contender by Liam Montier: This is a quick trick where you know which card someone is thinking of. I think this is a great “bar bet” style of trick.

I should also mention that I’ve been hunting for chop cup routines that don’t use a table and there’s one in this book called The Gold Cup Con by Carl Royle. It’s a close up routine using a small chop cup that will hold a golf ball. It’s a great routine, just not for what I’m personally trying to do with a chop cup.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the book!

-Louie

Handheld Microphone For Magic Shows

The next step in switching to a handheld microphone has happened!

I just bought a Sennheiser handheld microphone that’s compatible with my Sennheiser ew G4 receiver. That saved me having to buy a new receiver. Also I still get the benefits of a smaller and battery operated camera mount receiver, which I prefer of the larger plug in style receivers.

Another advantage of switching to a handheld mic for my main show is that most venues already them, so I don’t need to bring my own for many gigs!

-Louie

Out of Town Shipping Notice

The Daily blog will continue to be updated below this pinned post**

This is a quick heads up that I’m out of town October 4th, 2025 through October 12th 2025.

No orders will ship during that period or work on products will happen while I’m away. In stock items will ship on 10/13/25.

**The daily blog will continue to be updated below this pinned post**

Getting to the Gig!

Years ago when I was out there doing comedy one nighters, I learned that we’re really getting paid for the travel.

For example, when I do local gigs I’ve started to charge more if my travel involves rush hour traffic.

I should say that I try to not be in a rush to a gig. If I have a gig that would involve me sitting in traffic, I’ll actually leave a couple hours early and get close to the gig. Then I’ll work out at a gym, or go to a coffee shop and do some work. These are things that I’d normally do during my day, I’m just taking back the 45 minutes I’d be sitting in traffic.

Trying to never be in a rush has really taken a lot of stress out of my life.

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Cyara Hotopp

On this episode of the Moisture Festival Podcast we welcome in Cyara Hotopp. We discuss a wide variety of topics including her law degree, where she practiced law and how she gave up being a lawyer to pursue the circus arts.

We talk about her background as a figure skater and all the lessons she learned from that and their application to ariel. A great conversation with a fantastic performer.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Nice Seeing You!

I just wanted to give a quick “thanks” to all the magicians who came out to visit with me this summer!

Here’s the pictures of some of the magicians that visited!

There were a ton more, but I can’t find the pictures.

If I’m ever performing in your area and you come out, be sure to say HI!

-Louie

Visiting Haunted Houses

A few weeks ago when I was in Utah, one of the acts I worked with was the juggler Charles Peachock. He’s into haunted houses and we went to a few of them with some of the other acts at the event.

I think the last time I went to a haunted house was thirty years ago.

We went to two haunted houses over two nights. Here’s what I learned, I preferred the haunted houses where the actors weren’t there to just jump out at you, but they were there to help the story move along.

What does that say about a magic show?

A show with some sort of a story or through line is probably something that I’d prefer over a collection of tricks. Now thinking about my show, there’s not really a through line in the show, but it’s more that a collection of tricks. Each routine tells you a bit more about me, however I’m thinking I need to start thinking of more of a through line for my show.

-Louie

NEW Louie Foxx Lecture Notes!

In a week I’m heading out to the 2025 PCAM convention to do my full show and a lecture. If you can’t make it, you can get the lecture notes from me!

2025 Lecture Notes .pdf $25

These are the lecture notes from the lecture that I will present at the 2025 PCAM magic convention. They focus is on stand up/stage magic. They contain seven tricks/routines and five essays.

Introduction
The Opener Card Routine: The five-minute card routine that Louie does as my warm-up for family audiences!
Developing a Unique Show
Louie Foxx’s Take Out Box (Two Versions!): Turn a Chinese food take-out box into a production box!
Moving the Sponge Ball Down the Field
The Fortune Teller: A folded paper fortune teller becomes a self-contained prediction system!
Process in Magic and Mentalism
The Body Language Book Test: A book test plays BIG!
Can I tell that joke?
The Cracker Card Trick: A card trick using crackers! This was performed by Louie TV’s Masters of Illusion!
Fiat Currency: An opening effect that explains what you do.
Why You Should Hang Out With Magicians
The Stand Up Chop Cup: A chop chop routine that uses no table and no one from the audience!

48 pages
These are a .pdf that will be emailed to you within 24 hours of placing your order.

2025 Lecture Notes .pdf $25

The Stand Up Chop Cup

In the October issue of Vanish Magazine I’m teaching the Stand Up Chop Cup routine that I’ve been doing this summer. I wrote about this routine a little bit ago, it was created with rules.

Those rules were pretty simple:

1: No table: I don’t work behind a table, and didn’t want to add one just for a chop cup. Also, when on a raised stage, it can created a visibility issue for people seated on the floor below you.

2: No openly going to the pockets (or case): I think that if you constantly go to your pockets or prop case, it’s not hard for the audience to backtrack where the large production item came from. Sure they may not know how you got it there, but they know where it came from.

3: No one from the audience onstage: The chop cup really doesn’t need a spectator onstage…especially if their only job is to let you use their hands as a table. It’s a lot of dead time to bring someone on and off stage, and most chop cup routines don’t justify that.

Oh, I guess I should mention that this is a platform/stage routine and not a close up routine. I wanted to be able to do this as a solo piece onstage and the reason that I created it was there wasn’t anything that fit all three of those rules.

If this is something that appeals to you, check out the October 2025 issue of Vanish Magazine!

-Louie

Portland Society of American Magicians Meeting

Last week, I was able to attend the Society of American Magicians meeting in Portland, OR. It was their Most Entertaining Card Trick contest night.

It started with John doing a prediction that played like an invisible deck, but was a very different method!

Michael did a version of Fly Cards, where cards with pictures of flies moved around and ended with the pictures of the flies being smashed.

Vinod did a routine where the cards were shuffled by a spectator and they colors ended up separating into piles of red and black cards.

Jin did a do as I do routine where at the end he and a spectator both selected the same card!

Mel is a card trick with 3 piles of cards where a selected card jumped from pile to pile!

And the final contestant Larry did a trick where aces turned to jokers and back to aces!

The winner by popular vote was Jin!

It was fun to see all the different styles of performing card tricks!

-Louie