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:
"Holy Smokes, this Friday was out of control! Jamie showed us a Toonie (one of those Canadian two dollar coins) and a Mexican Centavo (that he got from a recent vacation in Mexico) and put them both in his left hand. He then took out the Toonie, with his right hand, and put it into his pocket. I saw him do it! But when he opened his left hand, the Toonie and the Centavo were still there! Okay, so he took out the Centavo this time, with his right hand, and put the Centavo into his pocket. But when he opened his left hand, the Toonie and the Centavo were still there!! So he tried the Toonie again- BOOM!- still there. The Centavo- BOOM!- wait for it... his hand was empty! The Toonie f&$%&in disappeared entirely! It destroyed us!"
How It Went:
Nothing makes me happier than being able to add a routine to my professional repertoire. And I'm happy to say that this one will be added immediately. I actually had the pleasure off seeing Jeff, from the awesome Browser's Den in Toronto, perform this and he really sold me on the effect. I like to think that, I too, did it justice on Friday.
I try to avoid the "Guess which one I'm holding!" lines and instead approached (much like Jeff did) the effect with a "This happened to me the other day..." theme. I find that quizzing spectators rarely turns out the way we think it will and much prefer to let them jump in of their own volition as opposed to being asked.
I would say something like, "So I took the Toonie out of my hand and put it into my pocket leaving the..." and someone would say, "Centavo!", while I outstretched my left hand. Why ask a question when we can make people think they're speaking of their own accord? I would reply, "Exactly!" and then be equally surprised when I saw both coins in my hand.
Needless to say, it went over extremely well. When I opened my hand for the last time and there was nothing in it, you could actually hear the shock register.
Best Lines:
"Why are we working when we could just hang out with Jamie all day?"
-He was implying that I could actually make money appear at will.
"I am blown away, dude. Blown a m^^$&^#&^&&!^ away!"
-He was blown away, lol.
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.
"Yeah yeah. Seen it."
-And he walked away. We'll have to say 1/5. That said, I don't think anyone else had a clue on Friday. Angry Bob aside, I feel pretty confidant that this one's still a secret.
My Rating:
9/10. "Magic" coins aside, it's well worth the effort of carrying them around. Love it. And Roy did a great job with my set. I just need to make sure I don't spend them like I did my last Half & Half, $*%^! I still kick myself for that one. And now every time I spend a Toonie, I'm tapping it on the counter before I hand it over to the clerk. The coffee shop down the street probably thinks I'm nuts, "Dude, who's that guy that keeps tapping his coins on the counter before giving them over. Totally weird!"
The JDG Tip:
When I first show the two coins, I totally glaze over the Toonie. I show the two coins, one in each hand, and say, "You guys have obviously seen a Toonie before but do you know what this coin is?" and display the copper Centavo. I then immediately say that I picked it up in Mexico. I think it just helps cover the fact that I don't let anyone touch the coins. Sometimes these little nuances help a great deal.
Closing Thoughts:
Well, I wrote this about two years ago and I feel it still hold strong. I started performing this regularly and absolutely love it. But, and you'll laugh, sure enough, I spent one of the coins. #%$%! Don't ask me how...
Have a great week!
Jamie D. Grant
Vancouver Magician
www.jamiedgrant.com
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2 comments:
Jamie,
I'm a long time follower and fan of Magic Friday. I recently picked up a HH set because I wanted the gimmicks for other tricks. But the HH routine itself is really strong, as you describe. In performing it so many times during the day, how did you handle the reset? Also, one of my concerns, being a bit forgetful, would be leaving the shells in my pocket un-nested for too long. I'd be afraid of dinging them up.
Thanks.
Tim
Hiya Tim!
Thanks for the kind words! They mean alot! As for your questions:
a) The reset isn't "instant" as you mention but it is, what we'll call, a 'Spin Reset'; meaning that you should be able to spin around and reset while your back is turned, lol, as opposed to having to run to the bathroom to rearrange everything. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to go by the time you hit your next group, while walking over.
b) As for the frailty of the shells, I didn't have a problem, to be honest. Just maybe keep one pocket solely devoted to the set so they're not banging against your chop cup.
Hope that helps and thanks for reading,
jamie
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