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I just finished up the last of my gigs on Friday so I'll be back on track working the day gig, and trying out new material for all of you, in the New Year. I hope everyone has a great holiday and feel free to reply to this post with some effects you'd like to see reviewed in the future.
Magically,
jamie
www.jamiedgrant.com
P.S. And thanks for reading!
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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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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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What The Audience Sees:
"Jamie said he was feeling pretty low-key today as he was playing poker last night but that he wanted to show us something with a poker chip he took home from the game. First of all, however, he did this crazy elastic band and pen trick and then he showed us the poker trick. He had a Poker Chip and a silver American coin that he said he won off one of the guys. He put both of them on his openly flat palm and then lifted the silver coin up in front of his face. He then asked us if we knew how the guy had lost his coin last night? And he said, Like This! And it *&^&!'n disappeared! Angry Bob started screaming that it was under the Poker Chip in Jamie's hand and that he was going to make Jamie eat the silver coin with his nose, but Jamie flipped the Poker Chip over in his hand and there was nothing else there! He simply pointed at Big Ted's pocket. Big Ted almost started to cry but slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver coin! I went nuts, Big Ted had to lay down, and Angry Bob stormed out of the room and punched a wall on the way out. It was awesome!
How It Went:
Wow, the ability to "put-pocket" is worth its weight in gold! I've been doing this trick for a while now and have been revealing the coin under something else, but if you're able to load the coin on a person- fuggedaboutit! Nothing's better. I'm also a huge poker fan (Daniel Negreanu has one of my bottles!) and love the whole poker chip premise. I was worried that a poker chip and an American coin might be too many uncommon objects at once but that didn't seem to be the case at all. Poker has been on the TV long enough now that a chip isn't an uncommon sight and Amercian silver coin is a possible thing to have picked up from a home game somewhere.
And it totally destroyed people over and over. As for the examineability (is that a word?) of the chip, it never came into question. The one everybody wanted to look at was the Half because that's the one that travels. Again and again, it went over really well.
Best Lines:
"Everybody hide your money! QUICK!!
-I wish I could make money travel to my own pocket, lol.
"OMG!!? HOW DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? WHERE AM I?
-I wish I knew, 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.
BOOM! 5/5. I thought for sure he was going to grab that poker chip but he didn't! He was so sure that the silver coin was under the chip that, when it wasn't, it was like he was hit with a stun grenade. A great day indeed. Someone's going to have fix that wall though...
My Rating:
I've started carrying this around with me all the time. I'm even thinking about picking up a case of American half's so that I can let people keep them after the reveal. So, for me, a 9.5/10.
The JDG Tip:
Just go the extra mile and load the coin on a body. If you do, however, make sure you do the trick for them, lol, before they have to leave!
Closing Thoughts:
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
Anything Is Possible,
Jamie D. Grant
Vancouver Magician
http://www.jamiedgrant.com
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What The Audience Sees:
"Jamie said he was feeling pretty low-key today as he was playing poker last night but that he wanted to show us something with a poker chip he took home from the game. He saw Big Ted's huge elastic ball on his desk, however, and got really excited. He asked us to give him an elastic and then he took my pen (which I'm not even sure he gave back! Oh well, he earned it!) and held the elastic stretched behind the pen. He told us about how Houdini used to have an act on stage where he could walk through a solid brick wall and that he thought he discovered how Houdini had done it! He said he had to practice on small objects first before he tried it himself and that he would demonstrate with the pen and elastic. Get this- he made the elastic pull through the pen! It was amazing! I mean, we saw it go through one strand at a time! Big Ted got so excited he started to doing jumping jacks! I can't wait for Jamie to bring a brick wall to the office- it's going to rock! Get it? Rock...Brick wall... Ha Ha...Okay, so maybe we should leave the comedy to Jamie...But this was seriously good!"
How It Went:
Great! I love elastic band tricks and this one is awesome! You know, I personally believe that, as a magician, I should be able to perform magic that isn't a massive production. Sure, I have a stage show and, if asked, I could bust out a set at any given time that, I like to think, would be really entertaining. But there's times where you need to establish yourself as someone who can simply perform miracles all the time and that I'm not just a "performer" per se. That I really am a magician. Sometimes you just need to make the coin disappear and leave them wondering at that.
As a result, I'm always on the lookout for little things that will constantly keep people reminded that I'm a magician all the time. And this penetration fits the bill wonderfully. It was totally spur of the moment and used things that people had on them. They really enjoyed it and they're left with the items so that you know they're going to try it when you're gone. And, of course, they won't be able to.
Best Lines:
"Who needs Houdini!"
-That was a great compliment!
"Make Angry Bob go through a brick wall but without the magic part!!!
-Toooooo funny.
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.
I'm just going to say 5/5. I mean, I barely know how it works, lol. I actually had to turn my portable DVD player upside down to learn it! At any rate, he didn't even bother trying to guess.
My Rating:
Some people might think I'm crazy for loving elastic band stuff as much as I do but I'm telling you, this can be some of the strongest magic around. Everybody on Earth has, at some time or another, played with an elastic band and some people deal with them on a day to day basis. This particular effect isn't as strong as a three phase Crazy Man's Handcuffs, however, but it's still great. 8.5/10.
The JDG Tip:
I think it's crucial that the band is at a 45 degree angle. When you're performing this you'll know what I mean. I think the illusion is better when you don't have the band go perfectly horizontal.
Closing Thoughts:
Thanks for taking time to visit the new Magic Café blog. I've started performing two effects every Friday and it's been going really well. Thanks for reading!
Jamie Grant
Vancouver Magician
www.jamiedgrant.com
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