Magic Session Day

Just got home from the most incredible day of magic with some old friends and some new ones. I'll file a full report tomorrow. Goodnight! =)

Well as predicted, I stayed up all night perfecting, creating, and delving deeper into tons of stuff. So what are we at now? A little over 24 hours of straight magic.

Wow! And loving every minute of it as well.

Got a few hours of sleep and popped out of bed at 12ish - I should be conscience enough now to give a detailed report of yesterdays happenings.

Steve Dobson, Andy Vanornum, Stephen Minch, Stephen Hobbs, Jack Carpenter, Allan Ackerman, and I showed up to Thirteen Coins Restaurant around 12:30 PM. (Allan is here in Seattle to do a Lecture this coming up Saturday and he was staying close to the airport. He'll be traveling up to Canada to lecture as well and a few other spots.)

Right away we started busting into things. Cards was really the main focus as we were all mostly card guys after all. I'm not going to go into detail about each of the effects which we jammed on, unfortunately there is not enough space in cyberspace to hold that blog post. But maybe I'll type it up in a Word document some day.

The following should do justice to just tipping the iceberg of what we dove into yesterday. Here are some highlights.

Steve Dobson and I shared a few new touches on the classic, turnover, and spread pass.

I gave an in-depth look at Ron Bauer's Riffle Action Palm. Way to go Andy-keep up the great work! And thanks for the compliments. With continued practice you will own that palm.

I demonstrated the visual and technical sides of Dan Garcia's Ego Card Change and some of it's applications. Everyone had a little bit of a different take on how it should be used and at what angle. I know Jack, it's not the Impulse Change, but it'll do!

Allan shared with us Jack Parker's Reloaded with is featured in this months copy of Genii magazine. Jack Parker's idea for a "spectator-in-control-poker-hand-pick" is quite nice. Allan showed us some of his own ideas for this routine which put a nice spin on things.


We spoke of The Asher Twist, the diagonal insertion, Re-Set, and many other gems. Allan let us know of a false in the hands shuffle which Allan says "is the best he's ever seen" that will be coming out soon in book format I believe. Steve Dobson showed me quite a few, nahh, many things that absolutely fried me. Full deck tricks, packet miracles. He loves his little O.W. Poker Hand gem. He was also very generous to tip me on many things and hand out multiple compliments throughout the night on how he notices since the last time he saw me, how my touch became softer, and what I'm doing is "starting to look like magic." Thanks Steve, you know how much that means. Thank you. Another thing I experienced yesterday for the first time was how someone can properly dish-out constructive criticism. Most people when they want to offer CC, their words air more on the side of criticism and not constructive. When Dobson, had a tip for me he would lend it with a very concerned, honest, and non egotistical hand, thusly airing mainly on the side of constructive. He truly made my nerves settle, my hands warm up, and made me feel comfortable to open up and accept the important advice he gave me. I'm not trying to "suck-up" or stroke Dobson's ego, I do however feel that it is important to mention this attribute of his publicly because we all have something to learn from these characteristics. Mr. Dobson doesn't just quote the Bible, he lives it.

Throughout the night, Dobson, Andy, and I had a down-to-earth, very human talk about an issue which we were privy to. We all saw eye-to-eye on it and it was good to be able to share our feelings regarding life's little issues and not only double lifts and half passes.

As you are probably getting a feel for it right about now, I thoroughly enjoyed myself yesterday. I was comfortable, learning, sharing, and perfecting myself as a magician and human being. This was definitely the best session I've been to. Truth is, it was probably more like a one day convention more than a session. It's just that only four or five people were invited and we didn't have to pay 300 bucks!



Great food, great company, and phenomenal magic. But it was only beginning. Stephen Hobbs and Minch left at that point.

We then were cordially invited to Jack's place for dinner and more magic. Allan showed Dobson and I a trick which he had shown earlier but we had missed. Andy says it's the best trick he's ever seen. Essentially two fives are cleanly displayed with nothing in between them and are placed aside. A card is named. When the two fives are placed on the deck and immediately spread, they have a joker between them. Quite startling and amazing but unfortunately not the card named. Without and funny business or anything the joker in between the fives changes into the card named, while between the jokers. Trust me folks, this is clean. It's method is superb and if Allan plays it smart he should never tip this again.




This would definitely fool a layperson, as Allan demonstrated by showing the trick to Joaane, Jack's wife. This is also a magician fooler for sure. Trust me. I think I can speak for Andy and Dobson when I say that it's utterly beautiful and impossible, and clean too!


Although the magic for those many hours at Jack's was really top notch - I would definitely have to say that Joanne's meal took center stage. We had roast, potatoes and carrots, garlic bread sticks, (which I'm going to need the recipe for) corn bread, gravy, and plenty of wine, beer, and whatever else our little magic hearts desired. There is no picture of the spread here, I don't want you drooling all over your keyboards! Thanks again Joanne for the delicious food, and to both you and Jack, for you tremendous hospitality and warmth. Cheers! It was really a special night.


Allan showed us a very clever wild card type of effect utilizing CDs. Quite good. Very visual, and it's good to see something other than ropes, sponge balls, cards, handkerchiefs or any of the other standard props. Very nice!

We were even treated to some boogie woogie and finger picking on the guitar! Go Jack go! Jack doesn't play for people too often so he doesn't really know how incredible he is. I'm glad I was able to open his eyes to that a little.

Pictured from left to right: Jack Carpenter, Andy Vanornum, Allan Ackerman, myself, and last but most certainly not least Steve Dobson.

What a great night. I feel personally that I brought my magic up to a new level and I believe everyone shares those same feelings. To many more! Long live Magic.

I want to wish Allan Ackerman a great stay in Seattle, a successful lecture, and safe travels throughout. Thanks for visiting and jamming Allan!

Marc Salem's Mind Games

Last night, my friend Rick Anderson, his son Tevin, and I went to see Marc Salem at the Moore Theater. Marc is a mystery entertainer and more specifically a mentalist. In his presentation he never refers to himself as a "mentalist" though. He simply states that he has studied the human mind for years and more specifically, non-verbal communication.

It was a packed house and I thought it was quite a good act.

Here's a review.

The place goes pitch dark as the mysterious music build to a climax and all of sudden the spotlight goes on shining on Mr. Marc Salem center stage. He says "Just me!" which I thought was cute. After the whole build up of the music which was quite dramatic he simply says "just me!" implying the one man show he's about to do.

He started with some "warm ups" jumping right into getting a two digit number from the audience at random and performing the Magic Number Square. It had a pretty good reaction from the audience.

He continued warming up with a few standard number predictions. You know, "think of a ninto the act.umber between 1 and 100, both digits odd and not the same..." a few of those and it was
off into the act.

He performed a simple version of the "lie detector" plot, wherein five helpers come on stage and get their own sheet of cardboard and a marker. They were asked to draw a simple illustration of something and then mix up all the drawings. This was all done with his back turned to them, there's no way he could have seen anything. He then took one drawing and went down the line of people asking "did you draw this?" They were all instructed to say no, therefore one person would be lying. He managed to divine "based on body language" which people drew which drawings.

Then Marc gave a wooden box with a cube of six different colors on it's sides to an audience member. He turned his back while still on stage and had them put the cube in the box with any color facing upwards and then close the box with the cover. He manged to tell them what color was facing up. He did this with a few other people.

He proceded to do a very basic version of book test wherein a lady brought up her own book and another lady selected one supplied by the theater. It was simple. They both peeked at a few words and he divined what those words were.

Then he had a few people in the audience give him some personal information. A gal was brought on stage to help. She reached inside the zippered compartment of his wallet taking out the sealed envelope. Inside was a letter which she read aloud.

Hi Silvia, Thanks for coming up and helping. Please let everyone know that my lucky number is 764. Tell Josh I hope he had a great trip to Hawaai. Also, I like your red dress.

It was something along those lines... you know how it is.

The next while into the closing was object sensing with the coin and duck tape blindfold bit. Marc is exceptionally experienced in entertaining and really making it seem that he's actually picking up on "signals." Even when you know the secret to this age old secret, you manage to get sucked into thinking "how the hell is this possible?", just by the way Mr. Salem presents it.

He finished with duplicating a drawing of a helper. Pretty convincing!

Overall I was impressed by Marc's show. He really is experienced. His charm, whit, scripting, presentation, and ad libbing with the audience's remarks were the most exceptional parts of the show for me.

As for the actual effects? I felt it was a pretty standard mental act and he didn't do a good enough job selling just how impossible the stuff he's doing really is. Presentations of such greats as Bob Cassidy, Kreskin, etc. are more what I like to see from a mentalist performer. Marc didn't really build up his effects.

All in all it was really a good time and it was interesting for me to see what a mentalists act should and does look like for regular laymen. This was my first time going to see a Mental Act for real people and it was great!

Marc was also a very nice person and he really took the time to speak with me regarding what I do and all that good stuff.

More later...

The Mulitple Selection

My friend Tom has recently been mentioning his discussion with magicians surrounding the multiple selection routine.

Tom said: "We started out with a hearty discussion about the multiple card selection comparing Doc Eason, Ricky Jay, Paul Cummins, Malini, Eddie Fechter & Brian Gillis. We all threw in our two cents as to what we like and don’t like about the various methods of controls and of course the revelations. It’s a routine in all of our working repertoires."

I think that it's an absolutely fabulous trick.

Today after work, I saw six or seven guys and girls playing cards on a corner in Downtown Seattle. I decided that I would show them the multiple selection trick.

I have realized that the best techniques, audience management, presentations, bits, and lines, often come from the very people we perform for; our audiences.

So back to the story. I said "instead of just having one card picked this time, I'm in the mood for a special challenge. I will have six or seven cards selected and try my best to find each and every one of them! Sound good?"

They were already very excited which is nice. It's always nice to hype up a routine even before it begins. No you might say "doesn't that break one of the rules of magic?" That is, not to say what you're going to do before you do it. My take on it is that for this specific trick, it's nice to say what you will do before you do it. It sets the tone for the trick's apparent "difficulty." That's just my opinion.

So I proceeded to have 6 cards selected and memorized. Just as I started to request the selection be returned one at a time to the deck, someone piped up "I'll collect them for you". Caught off guard I said ok and they collected the cards. Once collected they cut the packet. I had them return the pile of selections to one spot in the deck. I didn't know how I was going to find the cards in order... Leave it to good luck, I managed to find the cards in order and return them to their rightful owners. That was close. I got a better reaction to the trick with each card becoming more and more challenging. Whew!

On the way home I was thinking about what had happened and realized why the routine was substantially more powerful than any other time I had performed it. The impression as I see it on my helpers was not only that I was able to have 6 cards selected and managed to find them all, but that I manged to return the specific card to whomever had taken it.

I thought about how I would be able to re-enact the same trick and I figured it out. When the cards are ready to be returned I designate one person to collect them and give the cards as many (as you know) straight cuts as they'd like. How can I do that? The answer is as simple as a key card. I nor anyone I've heard of has ever used a key card within this framework. I force the first spectator a card I've noted. This way when I have that "key" person collect the cards theirs will be the very bottom. I know now that the five cards to the left of my key card are the selections. It's also possible to have a key card in the deck aside from the selections. I like the key card to be amongst the selections though, because it allows total freedom as to where the selections go back. It also is a fun challenge for me and whenever I can get a classic force in, I jump on the opportunity.

The interesting thing about forcing the key card is that with a break being held over the key card to be forced I can spread out the cards and have everyone reach in and take a card. This way I don't have to close up and re-spread. Inevitably someone will take the force card. Ta da! They've just become the "collector." If for some God forsaken reason I don't manage to have one of them take the key card, I can always resort to keeping as my key card in the deck and go on from there.

I love this routine! What I've learned from the multiple selection trick, more so than any other card trick is that tricks are never solidified. They are in a constant developing process. It's always good to tweak, alter, and revise.

I love this Magic thing.

What are some of your thoughts regarding the construction, management, presentation and script of the incomparable Multiple Card Selection?

Sol

Pic Du Jour

Performing on the baby grand at the Seattle Marriott. I like the smooth surface and how people can come close and form a half circle around me.

Sponge Ball Routine

My sponge ball routine has pretty much been the same for some time now. I am looking (as with many of my routines) to put in the necessary effort to make it more than just a standard trick. I'm not so satisfied with the whole procedure.

Here's how it goes:

Two balls are brought out. One ball goes in my hand and one in the spectators. My ball dissapears and reappears in their hand. I then "cut" one of the balls in half, now giving me three balls. I now go into the only one in the pocket, one in the hand, and one in the pocket bit. They are asked how many balls are in my hand? One? No, three. This is done again in slow motion. This usually gets some laughs. They guess one, and again there are three in the hand. This is done one more time and the hand ends up being empty! This is the standard bit, and as a whole the routine is pretty standard. There's not enough wow factor for the 'ball appearing in the spectators hand' part. And there is just an unsettled feeling that I have when performing this.

Which routine do you use/prefer/like? I am trying to construct my own routine but would like some insight as to some good bits and ideas.

Solomon

Color Changing Deck

This is the color changing deck routine that I do. David Williamson is a genius! This routine is informative, funny, and amazing. I do it with my own tweak of course, but the skeleton stays the same.

What do you think?

Solomon

Welcome!

I had an idea this week. Here it is. Welcome to magictalkblog.blogspot.com!

Here is where us magicians can and will discuss anything from techniques for color changes, to marketing tips for the modern day magician.

Please post and say hi, stating you name, age, and what your most passionate about in magic.

I'm looking forward to great things!

Solomon