A while ago I worked with a mentalist and they did a “psychometry” sort of routine where they matched things with the object’s owner. To do that the objects were put in bags then mixed up before the mentalist returned them to the proper owner. This mentalist (and many others that I’ve seen) put glasses on to do the part where they needed to read the marks and removed them after they read the marks.
DON’T DO THAT!
Sure probably 90% of audiences won’t notice that or make the connection, however many do. It’s like casually looking at an Apple Watch to get information, people notice. A friend of mine who isn’t a magician, but books big events had a mentalist and I asked how they were. My friends response was, “they looked at their watch a lot” and that told me all I needed to know.
Audiences do notice these things. Can you come up with a different way of making the prop?
Sew beads into it’s marked by feel?
Or use something that’s easier to see?
Can you wear glasses your whole show?
Think outside of the prop you bought that will work better with your eyesight!
-Louie
Tag: stage magic
Magic Monday in Seattle!
I was up in Seattle on Monday last week, so went and performed at Magic Monday! This show happens on the second Monday of the month and has been running for something like 25 years!
Before the show I met up with Chris Beason for a quick drink at Teddy’s. This bar was one of the places where Cliff Gustafson used to perform when I was a teenager (and not old enough to get in to see him)
The performers were Jim, Evan, Payne and me.
Sorry Jim, somehow I didn’t get a picture of you.
It’s not just the show, a lot of magic happens, like Ruben doing some close up magic for the audience after the show.
I look at this show like a magic open mic. It’s a place to try new stuff for a great audience! It’s also like a magic club meeting as we all get together in the pub downstairs and hang out after the show.
If you’re ever in Seattle on the second monday of the month you should come out to the show!
-Louie
Fixing a Vanishing Birdcage!
A while ago I got a text from a friend who found a vanishing birdcage that was for sale. It was in really rough shape, it was missing a bar, had another bar that was loose and two of the corner bars needed to be fixed.
I bought the cage with an experiment with my bird cage guy to see if he could repair it. It came back and it looks like a totally different cage!
Not only were the bars replaced/fixed he also cleaned the cage. The cage was pretty loose when I got it and he tightened it up a little bit so it’s less like handling a jellyfish!
I’m glad I tried this and it’s good to know that there can be a second life to some of these old broken cages!
-Louie
Best Spoons and Forks for Metal Bending!
Frequently, I see people ask in social media groups “what are the best spoons/forks for metal bending?” The answers are all over the place, from ones specifically being sold at magic shops to Walmart. For me, you can’t the the Costco spoons and forks!
The cheap ones less than 31 cents per fork and less than 27 cents per spoon. They’re soft and ready to go out of the package. The normal Costco doesn’t normally stock these but the Business Costco does! A normal Costco membership will get you into the business Costco and walking around you might find other things you need for your show that the normal Costco doesn’t have.
I don’t know if Costco sells them online, but you should be able to search based on the info in the pictures above.
Happy spoon/fork bending!
-Louie
Library Magic Show
A couple of weeks ago I did a magic show at a library and their marketing department recorded my show and made a little promo reel about the show.
I think it came out pretty well! It’s always a nice surprise when I the venue does something like this. It may end up being something I send out to other libraries in the future.
-Louie
Magnet Ankle Switch
I have a prop that I altered to run off of an ankle switch. I made a simple holder for the straps to hold the magnet and the switch. These are the tops of an old pair of socks that I cut off.
I simply folded them in half upwards to make a little pocket. Then I sewed them to make the pocket hold the magnet or button. Simple solution, however if I keep the prop running this way, I’m going to make a better version.
-Louie
Click here to learn more about building your own magic props!
Challenging Stage
This is a cool looking stage, but a hard one to work on. In the picture you can’t see the depth of the stage behind the proscenium arch. It’s about 8 feet deep to the video wall with name on it, then the stage sticks out about 20 feet or so in front of the proscenium arch.
The challenge is sight lines for the audience, no matter where you stand, there are people that can’t see your face. The drawing below might help visualize what’s happening:
No matter where you are, either the side of the arch is blocking or people are behind you. That’s just the seats on the floor, there’s spots above that are almost on the same wall as the arch!
This makes showing things really difficult and time consuming as you have to show everything to the extreme right and left sides.
Challenges aside, this is a really fun room to work! I’m glad I got to do seven shows there, and was able to dial in the show to just work worked in the room. It would have been a shame if I only did one show there and that was it. This is also a good reason to travel with back up material, two of the routines that I planned to do in the room weren’t ideal for this space.
-Louie
My Summer Library Show
Now that I’ve had a chance to do the summer library show a bunch, it’s gotten tweaked and changed. It’s now in its (mostly) final form, at least the trick list is. I’ll keep adding gags, etc to the show, but the set list is solid.
Here’s what the show looks like from the front.
I only use the table cover when they give me a giant table and don’t have something smaller for my prop box to sit on.
I use a rope for my front row, but move the rope a few minutes into the show. I’ve learned over time, that noting will keep the one or two kids that are going to cross the line from doing that. As I say, “scooters gonna scoot” and nothing short of a fence will stop that.
Here’s what the show looks like from the back:
Early on, I didn’t like the Milson Worth Silk Cabby in the show. It’s too much of a magicy prop for me. The prop’s use is justified in the show. The effect is a small scarf turns into a 20 foot streamer. There’s a lot of silliness/clowning that can be done with a silk cabby, and it’s a great prob (it just doesn’t fit my normal show aesthetic). What fixed the routine is that I added a hotdog production from the streamer at the end and that’s what made the routine click! It when from my least favorite routine to one of my favorites to do!
Here are the props that are on me during the show:
The PopSchticle by Whit Hayden is a prop of opportunity, and not something written into the show. I don’t use it often, but look for places where I can “organically” add it, like when I ask a kid a simple question and they tell me a long story that’s unrelated to the question. It’s a great prop for things like that!
So that’s what my library/summer camp show looks like.
-Louie
Doty Scope
There’s an old magic prop/gag called the Doty Scope. The way I’ve seen it done is the magician has their back to the audience to not see something. Then a periscope with a eye at the end pops up over your shoulder and the eye looks around. I think that’s how its intended to be used, but I’ve never owned one to see the instructions.
I have a use for the gag, but they’re not currently being made. I decided to make my own little one. There’s not much to making a simple one. I used a Eyeball Finger Puppet and a mechanics extendable mirror to make one.
Construction is pretty easy. Cut a slot in the eyeball so the mirror fits into it. Shove the mirror in and then glue it in place.
This will fit in the pocket of my vest. During the trick I turn my back and while my back is towards the audience I extent it and have the eyeball pop over my shoulder. I then rotate the handle a little bit to make some motion to make the the eyeball appear to be looking around.
That’s it, easy to make and do.
-Louie
Indian Magic Show
One thing that the internet has ruined is the regional styles of performing. When I was a kid, in the USA you would see different styles of performing on the east and west coasts or even different trends/styles within the same state.
Someone shared a video of a magician from India and the style is very different from what’s performed in the USA. For example there was a piece that I’m assuming was a patriotic piece that ended with an enemy impaled on a giant drill while flags were waived by the military.
You can watch full video here:
There are a couple of acts that potentially used without permission of the creators, so there’s that. It is great to see things that look different from what in the USA can be cookie cutter magic shows and magicians. For all I know, this is what a normal theater show looks like in India and it’s a cookie cutter show there.
-Louie