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Magic Roadshow April 18th, 2007 Issue# 69 Rick Carruth / editor (C)2007 All rights reserved worldwide Street Magic's #1 free newsletter for magicians, street performers, restaurant workers, close-up artists, and mentalists, with subscribers in over seventy countries worldwide. Learn free magic tricks online and via video. _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Hi All
Welcome to another issue of the Magic Roadshow. I have a few 'different' resources in store for you this issue, and I hope you find something that adds to your repertoire. A huge 'WELCOME' to all the new subscribers who have signed up since our last issue. If I can assist you with your magic, let me know. Well, I've spent two of the last three weeks in Philadelphia, and time has been a valuable commodity. If I have missed an email, I apologize. Please resend it. I hope things have smoothed out a little and I can get back into a somewhat normal routine, particularly when it comes to getting the Roadshow out on time. I've had to 'find' ten extra hours the past couple of days to get this issue on the web. Getting to bed a 5:30am has been the norm.. Questions, comments, rants, raves? EMAIL ME I'm going to end this issue with a reply to a column written by Jamy Ian Swiss. I could have written several thousands words, but I think I covered the gist of my thoughts with a couple of paragraphs. After you've enjoyed the articles and resources, take the POP QUIZ... GO HOKIES.. ---------------- IN THIS ISSUE ---------------- (01) A Conversation with Gazzo - Interview (02) Card Tricks 101 - resource site (03) 100 Ways to Win a Ten Spot - review & effect (04) David Copperfield TV videos - All those early specials free (05) Keepvids Beta 1.1 - save those YouTube vids to your computer (06) Snap Change - video tutorial (07) Color Change - video tutorial (08) Worlds Oldest Magic Book - news article (09) Magic Historian - resource site (10) Derren Brown Russian Scam Explained - video (11) Erdnase ' Expert at the Card Table ' - download (12) POP QUIZ - reply to Jamy Ian Swiss ---------------- "Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music". - George Carlin "For those who understand no explanation is needed, ...For those who don't none will do". - Jerry Lewis _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ A Conversation with Gazzo I had the opportunity recently to sit down with the guy who gets my vote as the #1 street magician in the world.. Gazzo. I wanted to find out what he had been doing the past year or so, particularly since the release of "Phantoms of the Card Table", his excellent book ( with David Britland ) about the life of perhaps the top cardman of all time.. Walter Scott. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Scott, well, welcome to the real world. Walter was probably one of those rare gamblers who had the talent and patience to hit a game, through a variety of maneuvers, for consistent amounts - without getting caught. Those who saw his second deal and bottom deal consider him second to none.. There are a few great cardmen out there who are so good, so skilled at winning, that they know the only way to survive is to remain totally anonymous and fly through life completely under the radar.. So, it's ironic that one of most visible performers of all time was the man who found, and befriended, one of the most invisible cardmen of all time.. Check out the book at Amazon.. http://www.301url.com/phantoms ----------------- (Q) Hello Gazzo.. and welcome to the Magic Roadshow (A) My Pleasure.. (Q) I read somewhere recently that you were born in London.. (A) No.. I was born in Oxford actually. (Q) How long have you been in the US? (A) 22 years. (Q) Are you a citizen? (A) No, I'm a green card holder. I don't think I would want to become a citizen - I'd have to think about that. The British passport is still a strong commodity - the US not as much. I can go anywhere I want on it, but right now I'm fond of America. (Q) Where do you live in the states? (A) I'm in Vegas.. (Q) Who were your influences - early influences.? (A) Good question. I'd have to say Ken Brook, Bob Reid, and Fred Kaps. (Q) Why street magic as opposed to other branches of magic? (A) There were a select group of performers in and around London. When I first went out I was intimidated. So, I got a job with a drainage company, just so I could pay the bills. Then I went back out after awhile and I eventually went to street magic as a career. (Q) Have you ever done stage magic? (A) I've done everything at one time or the other, but street magic was my forte. You can do it anywhere and the crowd is always changing, and you perform for all likes of people - rich, poor, and alike. (Q) What about comedy clubs? (A) Oh yeah. I did that for a couple of years. But it's a captive audience and comedians have a niche and it's a picky atmosphere. I enjoyed comedy clubs, but it just wasn't something I wanted to pursue as a career. (Q) I wondered about the clubs and the smoke and alcohol - and whether it was difficult to get and keep their attention.. (A) I think I'm a pretty good performer and I seem to get the same reaction to whatever venue I work in; conventions, corporate gigs, private parties, festivals, outdoor events.. I'm doing a lot of stand-up style of magic.. magic and comedy. That's why I've moved to Vegas. I love that style of magic. (Q) Have you performed at any of the casino's since you've moved to Vegas? (A) I haven't yet. I haven't performed much for three months, and I'm dying to get keyed up. It just hasn't happened yet. (Q) When I think of Gazzo, I think of Cups and Balls. I did an interview awhile back with Michael Finney... (A) I'm a big fan... (Q) And Michael said he could probably take his specialty, Professors Nightmare, and make a living.. (A) I'm sure.. He's probably the best working pro out there.. He's an entertainer. The cups and balls have been my ultimate trick, my favorite, for so long. I can do it with my eyes closed now. Cups and Balls is one of the classics for a reason. Just like the tossed-out deck and the egg bag, Chinese sticks, and linking rings. Kids need to learn to stick with some of the classics and learn to perform them well. (Q) I know many young performers are into extreme magic - but they can't make a living with it.. (A) A paying audience isn't so much interested in that stuff, that's why I'm sort of unique - I won't go into that stuff. I'm an entertainer, and I use magic to entertain. (Q) What about busking? Did you make real money busking? (A) I always made money busking. I made a living with it for maybe thirty years.. (Q) And what about cruise ships? You've done them in the past.. (A) I didn't like them - the audience is somewhat pretentious on cruise ships, you know, and they didn't like me and I didn't like them. So you have to be - I don't want to cut the industry down - but I just didn't fit in. I might even go back to it if I don't get the work I want in Vegas. It's a select group, and performers working cruise ships don't get work on land. You'll find yourself in Australia maybe, with no work. So you get buried in it basically.. (working cruise ships only) (Q) Everyone knows your status as an entertainer and a magician. So - what pushed you to take the time and make the effort to find Walter Scott, the rumored king of the second deal? (A) My life has gone in flows, and that's the way it worked out. That was the road, or the chapter, that I found myself on. I was big into cards, probably one of the best in the world in my day. (Q) I'm familiar with your second deal and Walter Scott's second deal - and your desire to compare.. (A) Oh yeah.. but I don't do that any more. I can't. I had a stroke about ten years ago and I can't perform that branch of manipulation. I miss it, playing with the big boys and all, you know, but I can't.. (Q) Your book, Phantoms of the Card Table, how long a process was it.. putting it all together? (A) It was a life-long process. Not my whole life, but a fifteen or twenty year process, trying to piece together the work. And I'm very proud of that.. Of course, I put the book together with my partner.. I didn't actually write it.. David Britland, a wonderful writer - always has been - put it into a flowing form, a flowing book. I got all the material together. We put everything together and then sold it to the publisher and they edited it. They also designed the cover and what not, and David and I didn't have a lot to say about it. But again, I'm very proud of it, and it's a great book. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I wasn't able to give Walter a copy of the book before he died. He would have been very pleased, and I really went to lengths to build him up. He was a tremendous man and I loved his work.. (Q) Well Gazzo, the world knows Walter because of you. He seemed content to live his life in solitude, without great recognition.. (A) Walter lived his life the way he wanted. Thankfully, I got the story. (Q) I understand you're now associated with Penguin Magic... (A) I am associated with Penguin. I think they're a great company, great guys. They've caught some flack in the past because they associated themselves with a couple of people who promoted knock-off's. Now, they've turned everything completely around. I see you've got a copy of 'Read Between the Lines'.. (Q) I do.. and I love it. So much comedy.. (A) Penguin has the rights to that now as well.. (Q) Are they going to repackage it? (A) I think they may combine a couple of my books into one and call it 'The Ringer'. That's their perogative to do that.. And I'm proud to be associated with Penguin and I hope they do well with my material.. (Q) I know some of your other works include 'The Overhand Shuffle', 'Top Palm', and ' Top Change'. (A) Penguin is going to re-shoot everything I've done. I think I'm a very good teacher, very knowledgable, and I think a lot of the kids out there today have overlooked the basics, and lean more toward the flashy stuff instead of the traditional, and I'm going to try to get them hooked on the traditional stuff again. There's nothing better than handling a deck of cards properly. (Q) I know many magician's who can perform magic, but can't entertain.. You're a rare breed.. (A) Thank you.. (Q) And 'Thank You', Gazzo, for sharing your thoughts with my readers.. --------------------- On a side note.. if you want to master the cups and balls, no one can entertain with this classic of magic like Gazzo. I watch with amazement recently as he performed an impromptu 40 minute cups and balls routine that had the audience in stitches.. Check out the video.. http://www.penguinmagic.com/gazzo.php ===================== Card Tricks 101 Gary McCaffrey has just opened the doors to a brand new online magic community. Unlike most magic 'communities', you're not required to buy anything or jump through hoops, other than providing your email address so you can receive you sign-in info. The 'basic' level gives you access to a number of levels within the site. By recommending a couple of your friends, you gain access to other levels and get download rights to several classic books of magic.. Anyone can download 'Expert at the Card Table', regardless of your level.. * Magic tutorial videos * Ever expanding library of tricks * Classic magic books & effects * In depth product reviews & recommendations * Exclusive articles & performance tips * Access to the private community & forums http://www.301url.com/cardtricks101 (Thanks to moderator Phillip Martin for the heads up..) ====================== 100 Ways to Win a Ten Spot The UK's Paul Zenon is one of Europe's most successful comedy magicians, having made hundreds of TV appearances and performed in over thirty countries. But, magic hasn't always been first and foremost on his mind. After years of hanging out with a rogues gallery of con men, shysters, petty crooks, and frauds, Paul decided to tip the rest of us to their sneaky ways. Thus, '100 Ways to Win a Ten Spot - Scams, Cons, and Games You Can't Lose' was born.. There are tricks and scams with matches, bottles, coins, cards, body parts, billiard balls, and ties - to cover a few. Most of these effects are so simple even yours truly found himself pulling a con or two on his unsuspecting wife. Yeah.. I know that's cheap, and I know she will probably never pay me twenty bucks she lost fair and square, but the laughter was priceless.. I can honestly say I found several gems in Paul's book, which is a rarety these days. I've been a student of the scam for many years, since I lost a precious fifteen dollars at the county fair when I was 18 years old. I've read many a book on bar bets and scams, and studied the 'con' both as a hobbyist and a professional. As I've mentioned before, it's the 'psychology' of the con that interest me, and 100 Ways to Win a Ten Spot is full of interesting 'psychology'. Don't simply take my word for it.. here's number 28, a nice little con called 'Match Point'. -------------------- The Hook - There's nothing like a friendly after-dinner game to sort out who should pay the check. And that's what this is; nothing like a friendly game. You take out a box of matches, which you just happen to have with you, and tip the contents into an ashtray. The game is simple. You and the fall guy each take a number of matches from the ashtray alternately. Whoever takes the last match is the winner. The loser buys lunch. There is only one rule: each time you reach into the ashtray ou can only take up to three matches. One, two, or three, that's it. But because the sucker hasn't played this game before, you give him the advantage of taking the first turn - you're a charitable kind of guy. He reaches in and takes some matches. You do the same. And you continue this until one of you wins the game by taking the last match from the ashtray. Naturally, it will be you. The Catch - The game is rigged from the start. You know exactly how many matches are in the matchbox. It doesn't have to be any precise number though, as long as it is divisible by four. I find that thirty-two or thirty-six matches makes for a good game. Let the sucker take the first turn and watch how many matches he takes. Then, when you take your turn, take enough matches to make his number up to four. For example, if he takes one match, you take three. If he takes two matches, you also take two. Every time he takes matches you take enough to make it up to the magical number of four. If you are mathematically minded, you can probably see where this is leading. At the end of the game there will be four matches left in the ashtray,but since he can only take up to three matches, it leaves you with the last one. And it leaves him with the lunch bill. Incidentially, there's an additional twist on this. Start by demonstrating the game, telling him that the object is for each of you to remove up to three matches at a time. Once he understands that, ask him whether he would like to take the first or second turn. If he chooses to go first, you announce that whoever takes the last match is the winner. If he chooses to go second, tell him whoever takes the last match is the loser. Either way, using the same principle as above, you can always maneuver him into a losing position... -------------------- You can get your own copy of Paul's entertaining book really cheap from: Laura Di Giovine , Publicist , Independent Publishers Group 814 N. Franklin Street Chicago, IL 60610 312.337.0747 ext. 282 http://www.ipgbook.com ====================== David Copperfield TV Specials No one can argue the importance of David Copperfield. Aside from being one of the richest performers in the world, in any genre, David is classic magic.. No David doesn't do 'Street Magic' - Thank goodness. No one needs to reinvent David Blaine's idea. David does stage magic.. big time. Illusions and Copperfield are linked like siamese twins, and his specials are a part of magic history. The once-a-year specials were anticipated with excitement by magicians of every level. Even his detractors had to watch, as much out of jealousy as anything else. If you didn't have the early shows recorded on your betamax, (doesn't that bring back fond memories) then you were out of luck... until now. Google video's has provided links to a number of the early shows, including The Magic of David Copperfield One, Two, Three, and Four, as well as several others.. Each of these are 48 minutes running time, the normal recorded length of a one hour show - minus commercials.. Thanks to Chad Sanborn for these links.. http://www.301url.com/copperfield2 ----------------------- Keepvid - beta 1.1 Speaking of Chad Sanborn.. he also turned our SAM (WNCSAM) onto the following site. Keepvid allows you to enter the url of a video you would like to save, a YouTube video for example, and it will download it to your computer and allow you to save it in a format you can play back with their downloadable player.. I'm not going into all the specifics, you can get that from the site, but video's such as those above can be saved and re-watched upon demand. We all know that video's on sites like YouTube and Meta Cafe are there one day.. and gone the next. I personally have had to go back through past issues of the Magic Roadshow and remove YouTube links because the vids are no longer there.. Save them -before- they disappear.. What a novel idea. A new feature is a button you can drag and drop onto your tool bar. When you're watching a video simply click the 'keep it' button and the vid you're watching will be saved on your computer. How easy is that? http://www.keepvid.com/ ====================== Snap Change Video So.. having trouble with the snap change are you? Here's a straight-forward little tutorial that will set you straight on the snap change and have you performing like me in no time.. Seriously, this is one of the easiest of all 'sudden changes' you can perform with a deck of cards. If you're new to card magic, or haven't used this effect in a while.. check it out. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/518785/the_snap_change_explanation/ ===================== Color Change Video OK.. you've mastered the snap change and you're ready for a little additional 'flash'. I've published a video tutorial on the blog you should have a look at.. I've seen a hundred different ways to perform a color change, and this is one of the easier - with practice. It has a little something in common with the pass, except easier to hide.. http://www.streetmagic.info/blogger.html While there.. check out Lucy McDonald's article on.. ----------------- The Worlds Oldest Magic Book "AFTER lying almost untouched in the vaults of an Italian university for 500 years, a book on the magic arts written by Leonardo da Vinci's best friend and teacher has been translated into English for the first time. The world's oldest magic text, De viribus quantitatis (On the Powers of Numbers), was penned by Luca Pacioli, a Franciscan monk who shared lodgings with da Vinci. It was written in Italian by Pacioli between 1496 and 1508 and contains the first ever reference to card tricks as well as guidance on how to juggle, eat fire and make coins dance. It is also the first work to note that da Vinci was left-handed..." Read the rest on the blog.. http://www.streetmagic.info/blogger.html ===================== What's the Fuss? Don't let ANYONE, myself included, tell you what you NEED to do to be a successful magician. Find out for yourself.. That said.. I am a firm believer in that old saying.." the proofs in the pudding..". What does that mean? Well, I think it means that you can TALK about your great pudding all you want, but the truth won't come out until you take a bite.. Take a bite.. ~ GetProMagic ~ ===================== The Magic Historian Designed much like Wikipedia, the Magic Historian may one day become the most important magic related site on the web. It has the potential. Now, all it needs is for people like us to go there, sign up, and contribute. Of course, you don't have to contribute to enjoy the content. I look forward to the day when I can go to this site and research an article or effect.. I've taken the liberty of taking several lines directly from the site to help explain it's purpose. They explain everything much better than my meager words.. "Magic Historian is a community based history reference. Based on the wiki framework, anyone can contribute or edit articles. Together, magicians from around the world are constructing a comprehensive internet-based history of magic that will allow students of the art to more easily research effects, find proper credits, and learn about the magic and magicians of the past and present. With your help we'll be able to create a site where magicians and historians can find useful and accurate information on any magic related name, word, trick, or effect. Please help us by contributing your knowledge. It's fun! " I'm going to begin publishing links to Magic Historian, au gratis, because I believe in it's intent. If it grows up, as I expect it will, it will surely benefit all of us.. http://www.magichistorian.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page ===================== Derren Brown Russian Scam Explaination I know many of you have seen the Derren Brown Russian Scam video in which he approaches a man on the street, stops him and asks for directions, and in the process asks the gentleman for his wallet - and gets it.. The NLP techniques that Derren uses have been discussed at lengths across the web. Some folks swear by it, and others only swear at it.. You can see the original video here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwthqRJ1Khg&mode=related&search= And, you can watch and listen to one viewers explaination and theory here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybmOlQRuaYM Interesting... ===================== Erdnases' Expert at the Card Table - Download You can download your free version of Erdnases' classic ebook at this link.. http://www.301url.com/erdnase If you have a problem, let me know and I will send you the ebook as an .. =============================== POP QUIZ - My reply to Mr. Swiss As my mother would say - "If you can't say something good about someone, then don't say anything at all" http://www.antinomymagic.com/swiss.htm Jamy Swiss recently launched into a diatribe condeming Street Magic and almost anyone associated with Street Magic - the one exception being David Blaine. Sort of like condeming the telephone and Ma Bell, but patting Alexander Graham Bell on the back.. I couldn't resist a reply..... In reply, Mr. Swiss, street magic HAS a venue. In the past, performers performed at indoor venues, and waited on the public to come to them. David Blaine didn't wait. He took his magic to them. The 'Street' is a very generic term for someplace 'outside', someplace beyond the typical indoor venue of the past. Street Magic is an attitude, and street magic will find it's way through the haze. Just as skateboarders, for example, monetized their sport, so will street magic find a way to monetize it's performance. The 'problem' with Mr. Swiss and his theories is that he assumes everyone who enjoys street magic is set on making a living with it's performance. How many golfers 'make a living' with their sport. 98% are content with the enjoyment they get from it, and actually have a life outside their sport. Magic is changing, and there's not a darn thing Jamy or I either one can do about it. What will it look like once it's morphed? Who knows.. All I do know is that, and I say this with all due respect, if Mr. Swiss had his way we would all be listening to classical music. And as wonderful as classical music can be, we would have deprived ourselves of the diversity of the Beatles, Eric Clapton, the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, Sugarhill Gang, Nirvana, Metallica, the Orb, Hank Williams, Robbie Williams, Buddy Guy, hair bands, garage bands, grunge bands, hip hop, glam rockers, electronica, and adult alternative, to name a few.. I love the classics of magic, just as I love jazz, electronica, and the blues. I don't listen to Garth Brooks, Elvis, Elvis Costello, Sir Elton, or Pink.. but you'll NOT find me insulting them, either as performers or individuals. I respect their abilities as performers and admire their desire to follow their own individual paths to success.. "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out." - Decca Records Rejecting the Beatles, in 1962 And regardless of what you think of Brad Christian as an individual or a performer.. please show him, and the many who buy his products, a little respect... Attacking Mr. Christian personally was an extremely classless act.. Everyone should keep in mind - The back you climb upon on your way to the top is connected to the ass you may have to kiss on your way down.. And as for whether or not 'Street Magic' existed before David Blaine, let me quote someone who actually knows something about Street Magic, Gazzo, in this issues interview... "When I first went out I was intimidated. So, I got a job with a drainage company, just so I could pay the bills. Then I went back out after awhile and I eventually went to street magic as a career. I've done everything at one time or the other, but street magic was my forte. You can do it anywhere and the crowd is always changing, and you perform for all likes of people - rich, poor, and alike." Now.. on to Wikipedia. R.Carruth ================ Thanks for being a friend of the Magic Roadshow! I'll see you in two weeks.. Questions, comments, rants or raves... EMAIL ME ----------------- To watch high quality sample video's from our favorite teaching web site CardTricks1.. http://www.301url.com/cardsleights ----------------- Remember to visit some of my other sites at: http://www.StreetMagic.info http://www.MagicRoadshow.com http://www.Mentalists.info http://www.StreetMagicSecrets.info http://www.StreetMagic.info/blogger.html ----------------------- "May my next issue find you well .". Rick Carruth / editor Professor of Conjuring - Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt ========================= |
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