I actually didn't work this Friday as I had three gigs to do! I still have some Magic Fridays that haven't been posted here though, as they were originally written for SMM. Thanks for reading.
What The Audience Sees:
"Okay, so Jamie showed us this little white pocket knife and was complaining that he really wanted a black one when, all of a sudden, he's holding a black knife! It then turned back to white and then back to black and, well, all sorts of %$@% up things happened. He somehow had two knives in the end that kept switching colours. It was absolutely astounding!"
How It Went:
This is a classic of magic and rightfully so. I'm a bit surprised that I hadn't learned this sooner but, hey, better late than never. There's a ton of methods on Joe Mogar's DVDs so I ended up crafting my own routine using the methods he taught. He's got some great full-length routines but I generally prefer coming up with my own patter and I was pretty happy with my performances on Friday.
I would start off by saying, "Man, I really wanted to start sawing people in half so I went to the store to buy a knife and they sold me this thing! You can see what's wrong obviously..." To which everyone would always say, "Uh, it's a little small." And I would reply, "No that's okay, I have a really looooong show. No, the problem is that it's white..." and off we would go.
The thing that I really like about this effect is that it's so easy for the spectators to follow- there's no cards to remember or any, God forbid, math to calculate. They just get to sit back and watch. As a walk around performer, these kind of effects can be worth their weight in gold as I would say almost all of my working environments have the spectators clutching a martini in their hand like a life preserver.
Best lines:
"Wha' Hu' Bu' Ho'?"
-This lady just couldn't get a full word out. Toooo funny.
"Hahohahohahohahohahohaho!!"
-One of the greatest laughs I've ever heard.
Angry Bob Rating:
For those of you reading this article for the first time, Angry Bob is a co-worker who has an understanding of some magic because his uncle was a magician. Angry Bob knows that TT’s exist, for example, but he has no desire to become a magician himself. He also has an anger management problem that can be experienced first hand if he can’t figure out how a trick is done. A high rating means he has no idea.
"So, like, you've got what, four knives?"
-Hmmmm, not quite, so let's say 4/5. He knew something was up but he was a bit off the method.
My Rating:
This one's an 8.5/10 for me. I'm still not completely happy with my ending and I'm going to give it some more thought. Joe's DVD is the DVD to get if you're interested in learning the knives though, no doubt. He goes through so much and it's all very well explained. He also makes the best knives on the market so make sure you take a look at them while you're at it.
The JDG Tip:
I think the key to this effect is to not drag it out too long. I experimented all day and found that about five changes was the max before it just ran out. I think that a lot of great magic can be destroyed in a heartbeat by just taking things a bit too far. It's a really fine line, in my opinion, and you've got to really keep an eye on your audience to make sure their interest is at its peak. I have no problem busting out the finale early if I think I may be losing someone.
Closing Thoughts:
I originally wrote this about two years ago and, like the other effect I performed, it still holds strong. I carry one knife around with me all the time and it plays as a super quick intro. Just don't ask anyone if they've lost it...
Have a great week!
Jamie D. Grant
Vancouver Magician
www.jamiedgrant.com
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