southern sideshow hootenanny

Standing Ovations and You…

My favorite part of the Southern Side Show Hootenanny was how different acts punctuated what they did. It’s the showmanship aspect of it that I find interesting, and one of the things that makes all of the acts unique. That’s also something (one of the many things) that separates the amateurs from the pros. One … Continue reading “Standing Ovations and You…”

One great act was the Tinderbox Side Show. They had three performers and they did a high energy act that ended with a knife triumphantly stabbed into a table. The could have stopped there, and it would have been a great ending, however, Trashique, put one hell of a punctuation on it. She paused, picked up the table and smashed it on the ground! It made the audience jump to its feet and got them a standing ovation!

It’s the little things like smashing a table, or holding an applause pose for just a second longer that makes a huge difference. People love it when you triumph, that’s why escapes are such a popular ending. I’m a big fan of things like mic drops, balloons popping, confetti, etc. Go see a circus show whether a tent show or a more modern circus show and see how they end their shows. Then apply what you’ve just seen to your show.

Production Value

One of the things that has blown me away is the production value of the acts at the Southern Sideshow Hootenanny. While some acts (like me) go out and talk and do our thing, the younger acts play much bigger. This is due soley to music.

All of the younger people’s acts has music components, and most were timed to the music. The act was to the music like a dance routine, instead of just hitting a couple of beats. This makes the whole thing look more like a show, than someone just doing a trick or a stunt.

Once you add another production element or two, like lighting, or a set piece and these have become theater shows, not bar shows. How can you add production value to your show to make it a show?

Modern Classics…

I’m currently performing at the Southern Side Show Hootenanny in New Orleans. I’ve seen some amazing acts so far. One of the acts that I had heard a lot about are the Monster’s of Schlock, which is a two person sideshow. They do all the classic acts in a modern way.

Sideshow tends to attract acts that are more “dark” than comical. These two guys did a great job of have a story arc through the show, and get a ton of laughs in the process. I think that performers need to look at something old as the hills and figure out how to breathe fresh air into.

Sideshow is a great example, as most acts are based on classics and there are probably less than two dozen of those acts. So how do they make acts stand out. A lot of times it’s a fresh look on the props, by either themeing them or making them more modern.

As a magician, you have no excuse for doing a store bought die box when these side show people are finding innovative ways to pound a nail up their noses

Not Everything Has To Make Money…

One thing that drives me nuts is when performers in online groups say things like, “I won’t get out of bed for less that $500…”. That’s fine, you can have a price that you won’t work for less than, however you are missing out on a lot of opportunities. What I mean by “opportunities” … Continue reading “Not Everything Has To Make Money…”

What I mean by “opportunities” is chances to perform in cool shows that have a lot more value than a paycheck. Here’s an example, last year and this year I’m performing at the Southern Sideshow Hootenanny in New Orleans. This is a festival of sideshow performers and variety acts from around the world.

All of the acts are getting paid the same, and many of their rates are thousands of dollars for a single show…yet they are working for a fraction of their normal rate.

Why?

Easy, this is part of something bigger than a one off paycheck. They are building their brand within their industry AND networking. I’ve made a lot of great connections with people at festivals like this which have yielded more money than I would have made if I got my normal fee for that show.

Then for me the greatest value is to work with great acts! There’s an old saying, “you are the sum of the 4 people you are around the most”. What that means is if you hang out with people that aren’t good performers, you’re going to have a hard time getting good. However if you hang out with people that are amazing performers, it will elevate you and push you to be better.

These festivals are great chances to meet and become friends with amazing artists! Go out and apply to a festival and up your game as a performer!

Louie