Glenn Bishop - Bish The Magish

Talking About Pounding The Pavement

2009-07-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like it like getting out there and pounding the pavement looking for more work.

The reason I like getting out there and pounding the pavement is that for me - over time - it works.

After several visits of giving out my promo and meeting the managers - then doing a promo night to let them see me work for the audience (their customers).

And when they see me work for their customers they can see the benefits.

I landed another restaurant job for another night this week. In doing so making an opportunity for a win - win situation that can build good customer (public) relations and build good business for both of us.

That is the reason I love this business so much because it can and often does help to build good business in the way of re-Pete business and customer (public) relations for others as well as myself as a magician and as a performer as I “showcase” my magic art.

Just my opinion!

Glenn Bishop's Published Works!

2009-07-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of stuff that I put out on advanced artistic magic.

Glenn Bishop's First Lecture Notes - Notes on the shell game and many card routines that I was doing in my restaurant work at the time

Early Bishop (The Comb Bound Book) This was a book on my first lecture notes including pictures of the complete routines.

Glenn Bishop's Shell Game For Table Side Tricksters (The Comb Bound Book)- This was my complete shell game routine including my original pea in the shot glass ending. An ending that fooled Eddie Fields, Ed Marlo and many other magicians in magic.

The Life and Magic of Billy Bishop "Bish The Magish" - My Dads life story in magic and some of his best tricks - Published by David Charvet!

Glenn Bishop's Tested Card Work For Card Shark Magician's DVD-1 - This DVD had many of my best card work including the gem poker deal and my cold cutting the aces routine Glenn Bishop Cuts The Aces - of cutting the aces from a shuffled deck!

Glenn Bishop's Tested Tricks For Tableside Tricksters DVD-2 - This DVD had many magic routines that were right out of my act including my shell game routine and my cups and balls routine and my coins to glass and my dynamic diamonds routine.

Glenn Bishop's A Different Look At Tested Card Work DVD-3 - This DVD had a lot of great stuff on it including some card control idea's. And my another look at Marlo's Miracle aces and my favorite way to do a sandwich transport.

Glenn Bishop Punch Deck Pro DVD-4 This was it my complete punch deck card control system and how I use it to control cards and deal poker hands.

Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting and Block Transfer Shuffle Triumph's (The Comb Bound Book) my complete system of how to use the Dai Vernon Triumph shuffle to control cards, stack poker hands, cull poker hands and cold cull stack the four aces from a shuffled deck of cards.

Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting and Block Transfer Shuffle Triumph's (The 7 e-books) my complete system of how to use the Dai Vernon Triumph shuffle to control cards, stack poker hands, cull poker hands and cold cull stack the four aces from a shuffled deck of cards.

Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting and Block Transfer Shuffle Triumph's (The 2 DVD set) my complete system of how to use the Dai Vernon Triumph shuffle to control cards, stack poker hands, cull poker hands, the triple duke triumph and cold cull stack the four aces from a shuffled deck of cards.

Including a marking system that was never before published and works with this riffle shuffle cull stack system. And a routine that uses the riffle shuffle cull stack with two hands and my scissor bottom deal.

Glenn Bishop's Jog Shuffle Stacking Ideas (The DVD) More ideas on Jog Shuffle work that I have had over the years. How to cull and stack two hands on the fly with the jog shuffle cull stack. How to jog shuffle up a winning hand for a Texas holdem demo.

Glenn Bishop's DVD on Three Card Monte and The Shell Game - The three card Monte routine I do for the lay audience. I teach the way I do the crimped corner - plus my three ten ending where the three bent cards change into three tens. On this DVD is my complete shell game routine plus some never published moves that feature a new shell steal that has never been published before.

That is about it - all the books and DVD's are now sold out and I have no idea when or if I would ever produce more product and sell any of this stuff again. Maybe after I retire from performing - but that doesn't look like it will be soon - you might say I just got my second wind.

Just my opinion.

Me Own A Magic Shop? (Part Two)

2009-07-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Pictured is my Dad in front of his magic shop (Now Closed).

I have to say that there are a few parts of the magic shop business that I do miss. This magic shop over the years became a meeting place for professional performers both young and old. Magicians like Eddie Fields, Jack Pyle, John Shirley, Jay Marshall, Bill Weimer, George Sands, Bob Brown, Marshall Brodien and many others came by the shop for a visit from time to time. And some came very often.

The opportunity to session with so many different professional magicians and to talk shop about the business side of magic was in my opinion the best part of this magic shop.

However the hard part of the business was that if you are in the magic shop business in order to stay in business you have to move product. And that is why I think my dads pro magic line of tricks did not sell that well. Magicians that were pro's - well they have an act that they do for a living and they were not looking for new material. And magicians that do magic for a hobby were only interested in my dads pro magic line from the collector's point of view - not from the performing magicians point of view. So the idea never got off the ground after the first two tricks were packaged and put out for sale.

This is one of the small reasons that I tend not to lecture for magicians. The reason is that my magic stuff in my lecture - my jog shuffle cull peg deck system - my shell game - my cups and balls routine - my stuff - is right out of my act.

I used my jog shuffle peg deck system at the magic castle and I don't think that any magician that watched me had any idea I was using it to control cards and deal poker hands with it. But it is of little use to a magician that doesn't want to deal poker hands. Like Jack Pyle's work with a deck - only a magician that wants to work in that style would be interested in that kind of magic and that makes the market for that kind of thing very limited.

On an audio tape Ken Brooke's (who was a great performing magicians in the UK and worked and owned a magic shop business) said something like - that there were two kind of magic tricks. Tricks for the magician and tricks for the performing magician. And in his magic shop he always tried to sell the performing magician a trick that he can do in his show and make the money back - like the sale of the performing trick was an investment in his act.

Just my opinion!

Me Own A Magic Shop?

2009-07-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

No thanks!!!

A lot of people ask me why I would not be interested in owning or running a magic shop.

Because if you own a magic shop at some point you have to sell to magicians.

There are magicians out there that make a living selling magic to magicians. Some magicians have a mail order business and sell all sorts of things to magicians.

Some magicians make a living doing lectures at magic clubs and at magic conventions. And at these social get together's they have all sorts of stuff that they sell in their lecture. Years ago I did lectures for the local magic clubs back when I lived in Chicago.

I have also written a few magic books and produced several DVD's on the advanced art of magic. Also the advanced art of culling and stacking card control systems for the magician that wants to look like a card shark. However in my opinion the market of magicians does not support performance magic - it only supports magicians magic.

In my opinion magic is less a performance art done by professionals and more of craft that is practiced by amateurs. And this kind of magician in my own opinion is not really interested in good quality performance material that is audience tested and honed for about a lifetime of performing shows - in front of audiences.

What a lot of them are interested in is just being able to fool the boys at the next magic social function with the latest trick or idea from a book or a DVD that comes on the magic market. For a lot of amateur magicians today - magic is a social hobby.

My dad owned a magic shop as a semi retirement activity and noticed that there were very few magic shops that were owned by professional magicians. So he decided to put out a line of magic tricks - and instructions that where how he performed magic. You would think that this would be a huge hit - magicians getting the opportunity to buy magic that was audience tested by a pro. Not just any pro a pro that made a living and performed on the Ed Sullivan show and the Palace Theater.

However the line of magic did not sell that well just because in my opinion the magicians that came into our shop were not interested in material that was tested by a pro. They wanted the shiny new toy - the latest new card book - or the new video tape.

One of the problems with magic in my opinion is when people that look at magic - from the outside looking in - they often confuse the social hobby - with the performance art. And they confuse the hobbyist that engages in the practice of the craft - with the seasoned professional performer - that is often out there in the trenches - performing and doing his best to grind out a living in this - non theater - variety stage-less world of ours.

And for me - I like being in the trenches and grinding out a living doing what I love doing. And that is entertaining audiences. To me that is Magic!

Just my opinion.

Onward and upward!

Even More Pounding The Pavement

2009-07-07T12:47:00.001-07:00

Just to let anyone reading this know. Pounding the pavement and looking for more contacts - places to work is part of the business.

As I grow older I find that this kind of work doesn't end. Because without looking for the new audience, new clients, new venues and new opportunities. The work that I happen to be doing at the moment seems to grind to a stop. Because in my opinion without the one you can't have the other.

As I continue on with a story about when I first moved to the St. Louis Midwest. I was told by the local magicians that there were no night clubs or restaurants that were interested in booking a close up magician. And I was also told by the local magicians that there were no night clubs that would be interested in booking a comedy stage hypnotic show at all in the city of St. Louis.

After hearing that I thought what a great opportunity. So I went out and booked a night club - to do my hypnotic show in - the night club that did a full window display that you see in this picture. Booked to do a comedy hypnotic show once a week for about 6 months. Then I also found work in two different restaurants to perform close up magic in - once a week.

Speaking of performing in restaurants - the thing I like about it is that I am in a business where I am helping the restaurant build customer relations - word of mouth advertising by making people happy with my close up magic show. This is done in an inexpensive and practical way as my little close up magic show entertains and helps to draw re-pete customers for the restaurant.

Just one of the little things that I love about my business!

As I continue to have success in pounding the pavement this week!

Onward and upward!

Book The Pro- Just My Opinion!

2009-07-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

Glenn Bishop "Bish The Magish" At WORK! Performing magic in front of an audience!

In my opinion. All magicians are not great entertainers as all magicians are not on the same skill level.

As said by many of the older professional magicians that I have known while growing up in show business. There is a big difference between an amateur magician and a professional magician.

At this time I would like to talk about what I think makes the difference when it comes to a magician from a show business point of view. Some might say that a professional - like a professional magician is a person that makes his or her full income off performing magic.

Having grown up in show business in my opinion there is a lot more to the business of being professional than just making money. My Dad (The late great Billy Bishop) used to say that the difference between an amateur magician and a professional magician was 200 shows. I have said this many times over the years because as I get older I find it to be true. It says in a way the more stage time - or time on stage a magician has over the years the better they get. And the better their show gets.

I have said many times that "working" makes a magician and the magic better and in my opinion that holds as true today as the day I first said it.

From a magicians point of view I would say that the difference between an amateur magician and a professional magician is that the amateur magician does tricks where the professional the real professional creates illusion.

Now many reading this may not understand that - however here is a hint. The "magic" isn't in the tricks it is in the magician.

I think that the big mistake that people can make when booking a magician is that they confuse how many years a magician might be into magic - with how many years they really perform magic in front of people doing shows. And in performing magic and doing shows in my opinion "experience matters"! And "experience is important"!

A magician can call themselves a magician and be into magic as a hobby and have been into magic for many years - however they may have only done two shows a year - amounting to very little stage time - or time on a stage - learning the real skill of entertaining people. They may charge less but in show business as in any other business you get what you pay for. The sad thing happens when one of these so called magicians charge a professional fee.

And what they get in my opinion is a person doing tricks instead of a magician doing magic!

Just my opinion!

Part Two of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumph's DVD Set

2009-07-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

As I said before in this blog I was at a show and I let a guy use my deck to do what I thought would be a card trick. He took my deck of cards and riffle shuffled it on the table several times and dealt out five poker hands and he had the three aces.

Because I was interested in this kind of card work - being a fan of many of the old TV western shows like Bat Masterson and Maverick. I wanted to be able to do this kind of card work on the fly so to speak. So it became a challenge for me.

Here was the "challenge".

To take the four aces - put them into different spots in the deck. Shuffle the deck - then by using a riffle shuffle cull and stack three aces "on the fly from the shuffled deck" - cull and stack three aces for a five hand game of draw poker.

The aces and the deck are not marked or tricked up in any way. After I worked that out I worked out being able to riffle shuffle up the four aces on the fly for a five handed game of poker from a shuffled deck.

I published a full book on how I do this and other cool things with this riffle shuffle technique. And as of today I have never seen another riffle shuffle technique that can do as much and is as easy and less top heavy - than the technique I use - and published in my book.

A few months ago I produced the 2 DVD set and included the book on the 2 DVD set in PDF format. I sold out of the first run of this 2 set called Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Shuffle Triumphs 2 DVD's. Besides the cool riffle shuffle work there are several great ace cutting routines and how to cut the aces on the fly from a shuffled deck.

It is interesting that I am not the only magician in the world that is interested in artistic card magic like this. In my opinion writing books and doing DVD's about this kind of work makes me an authority on this kind of card work. And in my opinion is why I am the "real deal" when it comes to this kind of card work.

And why I call myself the St. Louis Card Shark and the Man Called "Mr. Swindle!" As Jay Marshall used to say - that is my story and I am sticking by it!

Just my opinion!

Summer - Magic Shows!

2009-07-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Performing At Santa's Village Dundee IL.

Performing At Taste Of Chicago!

State Street Mall, Chicago - First Season!

State Street Mall, Chicago - Second Season!

Performing magic outside has it's own challenges. The sun, wind and rain can play unexpected surprises when performing outside at any outside event.

I hope you have a great summer and a great fourth of July Weekend!

Onward and upward!

Pounding the pavement

2009-07-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

With all this stuff going on I am still out there pounding the pavement trying to get more restaurant work.

With me feeling better with weight lifting and power walking and with the same energy that I had when I was a kid. I have been getting out there and pounding that pavement.

Making a living doing magic for me is not like it is in the movies. And the business is nothing like the kind of business my dad used to do when he was making a living in show business. Back in his day he had an agent and he booked him for banquets and night club work.

I don't have an agent and to book a restaurant I have to get out there and sell a restaurant on the benefits of having me as a magician entertain customers. What I do is visit the restaurants that I want to work and drop off some promo. Then I do a demo night so they can see me working and how what I do can make them money.

Since I have changed my business plan and my goals as far as doing magic and hypnotism - I plan to be working quite a few days a week - perhaps five days again like I did when I was a kid.
Well that is all I have to say today.

Onward!

More Pumping Iron

2009-07-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

I know that two posts in the same week on weight lifting might be more than what I post about weight lifting. I just had to post this because to me it is a very cool thing.

When I was weight lifting with my magician friend Al Bach - who is a top close up and stage magician by the way. I had just turned 30. I was way out of shape and what we did was lift for about a year doing just chest and arms. And when we stopped - I maxed on the bench press at 200 pounds. As I said this took me over a year to do because I was so out of shape. And that was when I was 30 years old lifting with a partner.

Today I am weight lifting alone. I do a full body work out. Waste, chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms. I also power walk to build up my heart. Today is a record day because I broke the 200 pound max that I did over 20 years ago. A max is a maximum weight for a single lift. That is pressing the bar once for one rep with the most weight that I can lift. Today I maxed at 210 pounds, 22 years after I maxed at 200 pounds when I was 30 years old.

That is about 6 months ahead of my goal. I got my new weight set last Christmas (2008) and added plate weights. I set a goal of one year to max at 200 pounds on the bench press by Christmas (2009). I just beat that goal by about 5-6 months.

The way that I look at that is - not only did I beat my best weight that I maxed at with the bench press when I was 30. But the way that I look at it is that - I just set my physical age clock back 20 years. I am stronger now and in better shape at age 52 than I was when I was 30!

It has taken me three years to get here and I still have a way to go - but I would call that progress!

Just my opinion!

A Blast From The Past

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

This picture from the old magic shop days is also a blast from the past!

Looking through one of my many old boxes of magic tricks I found a business card wallet that used to belong to my late father (Billy Bishop). Opening the wallet I found inside a packet card trick we used to sell at the old magic shop. The packet card trick is where 9 aces of spades are put onto the table and then they all turn to the wild card - the four of hearts. The trick is called wild card and it was a very popular packet card trick as I remember.

On the other side of this window business card wallet was a single card - a queen of diamonds. It is signed with a name on it. This was a leftover from a trick he did with a deck of cards called the travelers. Four signed cards leave the deck - three are found in different pockets and the last signed cards - in this case was the queen of diamonds and that ended up in this business card wallet that my dad pulled from his pocket.

So last night at my restaurant gig I did wild card at one of the tables - and that was a blast from the past.

Just my opinion!

Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs

2009-06-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

First there was the comb bound book!

Then there was the e-book in PDF Format!

Now there is the DVD set on 2 DVD's.

Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs the DVD's.

On it I teach this...

And this...

Like my jog shuffle work that is on my other DVD Glenn Bishop Punch Deck Pro! The only DVD about the punch deal and the punch cull.

As far as I know this is the only DVD set on riffle shuffle culling with the triumph shuffle.

And I think that it is my best work so far!

Onward!

What I did Yesterday

2009-06-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an interesting day - I packed up may bag of tricks and spent the afternoon at a local bar doing a benefit for a kid that had cancer.

The interesting thing about doing this kind of a gig is that there are adults and kids at the location. And it is a bar atmosphere - so there were some kids in an adult place.

What I do when I work this kind of a show situation is change my material. When working at the tables and with the kids at the tables I do - Chop dice cup - take a card tricks - ring on the stick - cups and balls. Basically I do what I do when performing my family restaurant gigs.

However when I move over to the bar where there are only grownups drinking. And they think that I am there for the kids. I change my material a bit. I still do the chop dice cup and the cups and balls - but I add to the card stuff - three card Monte and some poker demo routines.

For me - it is fun to watch their reaction and see them get blown away by a magician that they thought was there for the kids. It's almost like - they did not know that I was "THAT GOOD"!

I find it just as much fun as fooling the heck out of teenagers that do some card tricks and watch the masked magician and you tube and try to find out how magic tricks work. That often come into my restaurant gigs to try to give the magician a hard time. (Laughing).

And to me - it is all part of show business!

Just my opinion!

Pumping Iron

2009-06-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

In talking about all this magic stuff I also had a great week of working out. I have been power walking and doing Jack Knife Sit-ups three times a week. And lifting weights three times a week.

This plus changing my eating habits has gotten me into better shape. But I am still not where I want to be. But I am making progress - slowly. Last Monday when I was lifting weights I made a new Max with the bench press and added another rowing movement with the dumbbells to my back work out.

The work out runs like this.

Waist
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Legs
Arms

I do two different exercises for each body part. And the exercises are very basic. The workout lasts about 2 - 3 hours. I keep reminding myself that I started small and worked my way up into this work out. And I am happy to say - there has been progress!

Well - Onward!

The Art Of Magic?

2009-06-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

Another thing about doing magic in today's world is that we as magicians have to perform under very hard conditions.

The world that I perform magic in is not set up to have a magic show. I perform magic in living rooms, basements, backyards, restaurants, bars, night clubs, pool halls, banquet halls, club rooms, kitchens, bowling ally's and just about everywhere else.

I have even performed magic in the window of a department store! And in shopping malls and on the street doing street magic like I am doing in this picture.

I might call the picture the art of magic triumphs over most hard performing conditions.

The trick I am doing in the picture is the shell game!

Where one might find illusion one might find art!

Just my opinion!

Restaurant And Bar Magic!

2009-06-24T07:44:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of me doing bar magic at Mr. C's Magic Lounge in Berwyn IL.

Speaking of close up magic I was performing in one of the many restaurant gigs I perform at over the year. And it was a table with the parents and kids. And one of the kids said after I just did a happening of magic.

"Who are you Harry Potter's long lost Uncle?"

That is one of the things that I enjoy most about my work. It's what the audience says and how they react to the happenings of magic. Being a conversational performer and entertainer the audience is part of the show and that makes it a lot of fun.

Later!

Today's Magic Audience

2009-06-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

Today's audience for magic is a great audience for magic. People like and will pay to be amazed and entertained by magic.

The thing about my own experience and the amount of years that I have been performing magic is - that I make it look easy.

And you can take my word for it. There is nothing that I do that is easy when performing a magic show. And it is even harder to do it today than it was just a few years ago.

The thing about it is that audiences have been changing. And they have changed quite a lot over the years. With so much video and movie like entertainment that today's audience is used to watching in today's video world - It makes it harder for the live performer. People in general have lost the habit to clap and react to a live performer.

When performing I have a conversation with the audience. I talk and they respond and then I might say a gag line depending on what they say. That is one of the ways I connect with and pull the audience into the show and it helps keep the audience from getting distracted.

Because when performing in today's world I know that their are a lot of distractions. Cell phones - text messageing- mini television's. I have performed many shows where a group of dads are sitting in the back row and one of the pulls out a mini TV and starts to watch the game.

Or how about? Performing in a restaurant and one of the people has a cell phone jammed in their ear - or they get a text message right in the middle of the act?

I am not complaining but that is the way the world is today. People seem to want to talk through technology rather than just talk to each other. My answer to this performance problem is MAGIC!

That is that one of the cool things about my job and how I do my job is when I blow the audience away - and I am doing the show and I can see the guy in the audience turn off the TV and start to watch my show. Or the customer in the restaurant puts away that cell phone and watches my show. That to me is a very cool thing - the art of magic triumphs over technology!

And then often after the show is over - and I am at another table they pick the cell phone up and call someone and I hear them telling their friend how they were fooled by those big balls coming out of the cups - (see video of the cups and balls) and they have no idea how it was done.

To me that is magic!

How I like to work!

2009-06-22T09:37:00.001-07:00

While shuffling up poker hands with a table riffle shuffle is interesting. It is something that needs to be done while sitting down at a table.

When working for an audience I like to stand up so the audience can see what I am doing. So when working for an audience I like to use the jog shuffle.

I have several different demonstrations using the jog shuffle of how the old time river boat card sharks used to cheat at the card table.

Here is one of the demonstrations I might do in a show. I hand the deck out to be shuffled. After the deck is shuffled by an audience member I take the deck back and I spread the deck face up and look at the cards and show the audience that the cards are well mixed. Then I take the deck and jog shuffle it and shuffle up a hand like a full house - on the fly - as I do in this video.

Or I might remove the four Jacks and put them into different parts of the deck. Jog shuffle them up for a five handed game of draw poker. Then shuffle up a surprise ending as I do in this video.

For me this is the kind of demo that I may do in a formal close up show. Because when working I like to stand up so the whole room can see me. And that way more people can enjoy the show and the audience can enjoy the helpers - as they are amazed as the cut and shuffle the deck at different times during the demonstration of card cheating - as done by the old time river boat card sharks. And the kind of thing that an audience might get to see only in a movie when card cheating is part of the movie plot!

As I like to say - onward and upward!

How Did I Spend Fathers Day?

2009-06-21T09:48:00.001-07:00

I added video to my web site.

The first video is of me shuffling up the four aces on the fly from a shuffled deck for a five handed game of draw poker.

The point of the video demo is that I have no idea where the aces are in the deck. And I riffle shuffle them up for a five handed game of draw poker.

This is something that is very hard to do in the real world and the kind of card work that an audience might only get to see in a movie - that touches on the subject of card cheating as part of the movie plot.

The deck is not tricked up in any way. What I can do in a show if I am asked that is. I can take a borrowed deck of cards. Table riffle shuffle it on the table and then shuffle up - using the table riffle shuffle the four aces for a five handed game of poker.

Several years ago - back in the 70's I was doing a show and someone asked me if they could use my deck of cards. And they took my deck and shuffled up three aces for a five handed game of draw poker. I liked the idea and since I am a fan of the old TV western shows like Bat Masterson I wanted to be able to do this little stunt with a deck of cards.

The second video is me using the same riffle shuffle to shuffle up three different hands of four of a kind. This is a very hard and almost impossible thing to do with any riffle shuffle. Because as the cards are shuffled up they go deeper into the deck and there is a chance of blowing the stack as each card is shuffled up and stacked in turn.

It is so hard to do I don't think I have ever seen another magician able to do this little stunt with a deck of cards in the way that I have done it in my video. That is just one of the little things that in my opinion keeps me ahead of the pack - pun intended!

And why I call myself the St. Louis Card Shark Magician and the Man Called Mr. Swindle!

And if I may add - Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day!

2009-06-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's Fathers day!

Here is a picture of my dad doing his comedy rope tie escape on the WGN Bozo Circus Television Program.

A trick he invented and performed all his life. When he started to do this trick in Vaudeville he used to close with it. Because in those days the thinking was that you closed with your strongest trick.

As the years went on and the vaudeville theaters closed and he was performing in night clubs and then later on banquets. He used to open with this trick. Later on he liked grabbing the audience with his strongest trick and then he closed with his Houdini Triple Challenge Escape!

He was one of the best magicians that I ever saw that used audience members with almost every trick he did on the stage. Few magicians got the comedy and the laughs out of their audience members without insulting or embarrassing the audience helpers I might add.

Just remembering my Dad a past master magician on Fathers Day!

Remembering My Dad On Fathers Day Weekend - Part Two

2009-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

The kind of card tricks my dad would do used a lot of the audience. When doing stage magic he did a trick called the card sword. Three cards were selected and then mixed into the deck. The deck was tossed in the air and Dad would stab the sword at the falling cards. The three selections were found impaled on the sword.

When working close up in a night club after the stage show. Or when doing the smaller night clubs he did a card trick routine where four cards were selected and signed by the four members of the audience. Then they were put into different parts of the deck. The deck mixed and then my dad would produce three cards out of different pockets.

And the fourth signed card he pulled the last signed card out of a business card wallet and handed the un-gimmicked wallet for the spectator to open - and the power punch of this was that when the small wallet was opened the signed card was seen under the plastic of the business card wallet. And if I may add my Dads business cards were right there ready to be handed out in the second compartment of the wallet.

I do this trick the same way at may of the formal close up shows I do each year. And in an after show routine I may do after I do a stage show.

That is how my dad worked as I remember.

And to all the dads out there that may be reading this - I hope they have a Happy Fathers Day Weekend!

Remembering My Dad - On Fathers Day Weekend!

2009-06-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

At most shows I do and when I am performing in a restaurant. I get asked - how did I get started in magic? Or how did I become a magician?

Well when I was a kid I used to watch my Dad perform magic. We as kids (my brothers and sisters) got to go to many of his shows when he was performing at a fair or a festival or some other party like a Christmas party. And as kids we sat in the audience and watched my dad do shows.

As kids we also went to quite a lot of show business parties. My dad and mom had a lot of show business friends. These were agents and other acts. And the other acts had kids. When they had time off the families of several acts used to get together at one of the acts homes and have a show business party. I have memories of back yard cook outs at Wayne Rolland's home as well as parties at many other homes of many of the old acts in Chicago.

Wayne Rolland was a vent and he had a big family and a big yard. I remember several parties at several different acts homes over the years. And many of them had one party on the same day every year. At these parties my Dad and other magicians used to perform magic. Mostly card tricks. I got to see Don Alan, Jack Pyle, Tony Marks, Celeste Evens and many other magicians do magic with a deck of cards at many of these act parties.

It was at this kind of party that the magicians would do mostly close up magic and try to blow away the magicians and the other acts that were there. Understand that these were working acts that often did shows together. They have seen each other perform the act that made them money many times.

Often at these parties - wit replaced conversation. They were always trying to top each other with a gag line or if they could fool the heck out of the next guy - or magician at the party. One of the things that I notice was that someone always had a deck and the deck was not a set up or trick deck. And my Dad and Jack Pyle and others took this deck and did card magic.

It was these impromptu shows that impressed me the most. And that was what drove me into learning close up magic first. The other thing that impressed me was the class that these men had when they performed.

In watching them - those days of long ago made me want to be a magician.

More later!

Another Great Day

2009-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

I went out looking for more restaurants yesterday. More promo to drop off and more restaurant management to visit. It was a good day. I look at promoting myself in a way like taking a break shot on the pool table while blindfolded.

When the Q-ball hits the break shot the balls roll all around the table and you never know where the balls will end up. Well to me promoting myself is a lot like that.

The important thing is getting out there and doing it. Taking the action and having a lot of things going at one time. Action makes more action and the more leads and prospects I can visit the more sales. That is the way it seems to work for me in my day to day life of self promotion.

The other neat thing is that I have a really great thing to sell. What I am selling is not just the magic, it is "me" doing the magic. The most important thing about my magic show - close up - stage is me. And my many years of experience entertaining audiences.

This has value to a restaurant because I not only "know" how to entertain people by doing close up magic. I "know" how to use what I do to build a following for them and bring the customers back again and again.

That is one of the cool parts of what I do if I must say so myself. Is that customers not only like what I do. And they are entertained by what I do. But they also come back - and often bring friends and family - just to watch them get fooled and amazed - the same way they do.

That is want makes it fun for everyone!

Just my opinion!

Onward and upward!

More Suff In The Works

2009-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

I spent some time redoing this blog and adding some links. Last nights restaurant gig was packed with people. Had a great time doing magic. One of the things about doing close up magic in a restaurant situation is. In one night you may do 50 - 200 small shows a night. That is a lot of magic in just a 2 - 3 hour shift. Not at all like doing a stage show.

To break up the evening I change the show a bit from table to table. If I get a table of older kids and adults I may do more card tricks. A table of younger kids and adults - more tricks that are not card tricks like the ring and beads - or the ring on the stick.

It is nice to be able to rock with the audience depending on the table that you end up entertaining at. It makes the show stronger and then you also get to do different stuff for most of the evening - and the audience enjoys the show more - and that is what it is all about.

I also had a great time springing the cards again. This is a flourish where I spring the cards from hand to hand like I am doing in this picture. I do that a lot so the other tables in the restaurant will know that there is a magician performing in the restaurant that night. Well I sprained my thumb several months ago and it is just now coming back strong enough so I can spring the cards again.

Funny how I miss the little things.

Later...

As the days roll by

2009-06-16T08:42:00.001-07:00

Here I am trying to not only take my small one man show business into a different direction but also expand the business at the same time. I have been doing a lot of work updating my web site and also my business plan. And if I must say so myself things are going along quite nicely.

I am also very happy with my power walking and weight lifting. In my basement gym the work out has changed quite a lot over the last year. I am lifting weights about 2 - 3 hours two to three times a week. Also power walking on the days that I do not lift weights. But sometimes I warm up with power walking and then hit the weight room for a 2 hour work out.

Of course I started out doing a shorter work out and then added to it over a two year period.

My work out with weights runs like this.

Waist
legs
chest
shoulders
back
arms

I use both the barbell and the dumbbells. I use both a flat and incline bench with a leg extension attachment. I still find it amazing that I can get such a complete work out with my small collection of free weights. And it is great to see the progress.

Onward...