Just a Few Performance Stories

[penguincdude]

Okay for the past few years I've been in magic, I would never perform for someone unless I seriously knew them for a long time so, this year I decided to change that, and I'm in High School and I'm performing for about everyone.

I remember once in Junior High, I was performing to the class, and I was so nervous, I was literally shaking. It was awful. I really feel like I've overcome this nervousness so I figured I'd just tell you guys about one or two performances.

Okay so I was on the the tennis team (the tennis season is over) and when you go to the matches you ended up dieing of boredom. It's not like a football match where you show up and play but there are lots of people playing and there isn't enough courts for everyone to play at once so you have to wait until you're called up. Well, everyone was bored, and I remembered I had a deck of cards in my pocket, so I took it out and was showing some magic to a friend or two. I was mainly doing flourishing but that really brought in the crowd. It wasn't much but it was a few people, maybe 6 or 7, all crowded in a circle. I didn't have anything setup so I went into any impromptu effect I knew I had down. I performed the Biddle Trick (WHICH KILLED,) a could vanishes, an acr, and some color changes. Needless to say they were all really entertained. I feel kind of proud of myself because I feel that I keep somewhat of my personality when I perform. I met another magician this year and he's really funny and energetic but whenever he performs, he just loses it all and he performs the tricks, but he doesn't really entertain.

Another time was during class, when the teacher gave us the last half hour of class just to goof off or study or do whatever we wanted really. Well, I brought out my cards again and I performed some tricks for a few friends. I performed the usual stuff. I also performed Hand To Mouth though which seriously killed. That's gotten one of my best reactions in a while. Well I managed to excuse myself for enough time to set up Angle Zero and when I performed that, it was seriously, amazing. I tore off his selected card's corner, vanished it, and it appeared in his back pocket, and then I told him to keep the card and corner as a souvenir. I actually sawing his show the card to some people and tell them about how cool it was later. It was really amazing. It got an INSANE reaction.

Anyway, sorry if that was a bit of a long read but I just wanted to share that with you guys a bit.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[Luka]

That is good you are out performing. This just happened to me yesterday, I have always done a card transposition but yesterday was my first time performing Wayne Houchin's French Kiss. I told the girl to put the card in her mouth and she was like, "all the way in? or sticking out a bit?", I said which ever she was more comfortable with and then i added "we can see what kind of girl you really are" she puts the entire thing in her mouth and i was like "whoa", she then winked at me. Now if I didn't have a girlfriend....

 

[mini magician]

That is good you are out performing. This just happened to me yesterday, I have always done a card transposition but yesterday was my first time performing Wayne Houchin's French Kiss. I told the girl to put the card in her mouth and she was like, "all the way in? or sticking out a bit?", I said which ever she was more comfortable with and then i added "we can see what kind of girl you really are" she puts the entire thing in her mouth and i was like "whoa", she then winked at me. Now if I didn't have a girlfriend....

I love taking advantages of things like that i remember doing Stigmata and asking a girl which hand is her "squeezing" hand. Good times

Tom

 

[MagicShadow9]

Its great to hear that you'll be performing for strangers. Dont worry about the nervousness, you'll get over it in time. Just keep on performing and performing, dont worry if you mess up. Eventually, you're not gonna shake at all, and you'll laugh at the fact you were ever nervous at all.

That confidence will ALSO help you're presentation skills. Now every time i have to do a powerpoint, or a speech for a class, i'm never nervous anymore. It's jsut the same. Now i get A's on every one of those presentations.

I'll share with you a performance story:

I was in the cafeteria during midterms. It was G period midterms. I had a study hall that period so i didnt have to do anything. So all the kids without an exam that period would be in the cafeteria hanging out. So some kid who knew i did magic called me to his tabel to show his friends. I did a couple card tricks to a crowd of like 5 people. By the end of my card routine, there were like 15 people, which still wasnt that much. So then i did 5 and 1 transpo, sponge balls, Extreme Burn, and Laced (4 of my best reputation makers). By the end of the last trick (laced) I thought i heard a bomb explode. I looked around and realized the ENTIRE cafeteria was watching me. Epic Win.

 

[penguincdude]

Its great to hear that you'll be performing for strangers. Dont worry about the nervousness, you'll get over it in time. Just keep on performing and performing, dont worry if you mess up. Eventually, you're not gonna shake at all, and you'll laugh at the fact you were ever nervous at all.

That confidence will ALSO help you're presentation skills. Now every time i have to do a powerpoint, or a speech for a class, i'm never nervous anymore. It's jsut the same. Now i get A's on every one of those presentations.

I'll share with you a performance story:

I was in the cafeteria during midterms. It was G period midterms. I had a study hall that period so i didnt have to do anything. So all the kids without an exam that period would be in the cafeteria hanging out. So some kid who knew i did magic called me to his tabel to show his friends. I did a couple card tricks to a crowd of like 5 people. By the end of my card routine, there were like 15 people, which still wasnt that much. So then i did 5 and 1 transpo, sponge balls, Extreme Burn, and Laced (4 of my best reputation makers). By the end of the last trick (laced) I thought i heard a bomb explode. I looked around and realized the ENTIRE cafeteria was watching me. Epic Win.

You keep all those gimmicks around with you all the time?

 

[MagicShadow9]

You keep all those gimmicks around with you all the time?

Well not really

I knew there was gonna be time to perform that day so i had the Laced gimmick with me and my sponge balls.

But EB and 5 and 1 transpo i carry with me everywhere. I'm not one of those magicians that only rely on sleight of hand. I do whatever impresses my audiences and if they like some tricks with gimmicks, then i will carry gimmicks with me.

 

[Cushing0]

This is an excellent thread can we have some more stories plaese the last poster is an ispiration if am like u in 2 years i'll be a happy bloke!!

i suffer badley with nerves even though i have done card magic for 3 years!!!



once upon a time i was doing a ambitious routine for one person and was ok i was wuite comfortable but once shes starting screaming etc her mates came up and by time i got the the last stahe there was about 20 people there then the nerves starting me heart was pounding sweat on etc lol

can we have mores stories pleasse?????

 

[penguincdude]

This is an excellent thread can we have some more stories plaese the last poster is an ispiration if am like u in 2 years i'll be a happy bloke!!

i suffer badley with nerves even though i have done card magic for 3 years!!!



once upon a time i was doing a ambitious routine for one person and was ok i was wuite comfortable but once shes starting screaming etc her mates came up and by time i got the the last stahe there was about 20 people there then the nerves starting me heart was pounding sweat on etc lol

can we have mores stories pleasse?????

You mean from specifically me or just from users in general?

 

[MagicShadow9]

Here are some stories.

Once i was doing a dollar bill prediction trick that involved a thumb tip. During a performance, some guy said "Lemme see your thumb!". So So i held the thumb tip in my fist and held out my thumb. He looked at it and said "Oh ok, i thought you had those numbers written on it". Phew.

Once at the end of a card routine, i handed a signed selection for them to keep. While they were examining the card, i put the deck in my pocket and brought my hands back out. They looked up and was like "WTF?! Where did the deck go?!"

One time we had a break in the middle of one of our classes. It just so happened that the principal of the school was in that class that day to observe the teacher. So during the break, i was doing some trick for my friends and the principal was watching behind me. He suddenly said "That's great" at the end of one the tricks. I then signaled to my friend which meant we were gonna do a special effect, just for the principal. I basically had him pick a card, palmed it off, and handed it to my friend who loaded it into his back pocket. I then pretended to make it vanish and he found it in his pocket. This was the talk of the teachers lounge for a whole month.

 

[Cushing0]

Here are some stories.

Once i was doing a dollar bill prediction trick that involved a thumb tip. During a performance, some guy said "Lemme see your thumb!". So So i held the thumb tip in my fist and held out my thumb. He looked at it and said "Oh ok, i thought you had those numbers written on it". Phew.

Once at the end of a card routine, i handed a signed selection for them to keep. While they were examining the card, i put the deck in my pocket and brought my hands back out. They looked up and was like "WTF?! Where did the deck go?!"

One time we had a break in the middle of one of our classes. It just so happened that the principal of the school was in that class that day to observe the teacher. So during the break, i was doing some trick for my friends and the principal was watching behind me. He suddenly said "That's great" at the end of one the tricks. I then signaled to my friend which meant we were gonna do a special effect, just for the principal. I basically had him pick a card, palmed it off, and handed it to my friend who loaded it into his back pocket. I then pretended to make it vanish and he found it in his pocket. This was the talk of the teachers lounge for a whole month.

HHAHA THE 1ST ONE WAS FUNNY!

the deck vanish is also quite a common reaction especially when i perform the aces by DM always gets a late response 'where did the deck go'

the principle one would be class bet you got some brownie points for that? Teachers pet etc lol

all good stuff i was thinking about just heading down the hight street one day and performing got to overcomes my nerves 1st though!!

 

[penguincdude]

HHAHA THE 1ST ONE WAS FUNNY!

the deck vanish is also quite a common reaction especially when i perform the aces by DM always gets a late response 'where did the deck go'

the principle one would be class bet you got some brownie points for that? Teachers pet etc lol

all good stuff i was thinking about just heading down the hight street one day and performing got to overcomes my nerves 1st though!!

Just think of it this way, over the years you're probably paid so much and put so much time and effort into magic, but why? The purpose of magic is not to have fun practicing and showing family members but to entertain. The purpose of magic is to be performed to others. That's like being the greatest guitar player in the world, but never having anyone in the world hear you play. Or it could be related being the best soccer player in the world, but you never play games. You just practice in you backyard.

Just get it over with and do a performance. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

 

[Luka]

I like this thread lets hear some more stories good or bad.

 

[MagicShadow9]

the deck vanish is also quite a common reaction especially when i perform the aces by DM always gets a late response 'where did the deck go'

No, the thing is this. I didnt even intend it to be a deck vanish. I was just simply putting the cards away. They took it was a vanish though, so i played it off as part of the trick.

@penguincdude:

Yes, the purpose of magic is to entertain. But you should also have fun practicing and have fun performing. Otherwise, why would you do it?

 

[Cushing0]

Just think of it this way, over the years you're probably paid so much and put so much time and effort into magic, but why? The purpose of magic is not to have fun practicing and showing family members but to entertain. The purpose of magic is to be performed to others. That's like being the greatest guitar player in the world, but never having anyone in the world hear you play. Or it could be related being the best soccer player in the world, but you never play games. You just practice in you backyard.

Just get it over with and do a performance. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

VERY GOOD examples i like your style i will take heed and will take to the streets shortly like the 1st poster said once you do so many performances the nerves will dissapear well heres hoping anyhow!!

also someone just told me chicargo is freezing in the winter eg -20 etc is this true? brrrrrrrrr im ahving 2nd thoughts hahaha

 

[penguincdude]

No, the thing is this. I didnt even intend it to be a deck vanish. I was just simply putting the cards away. They took it was a vanish though, so i played it off as part of the trick.

@penguincdude:

Yes, the purpose of magic is to entertain. But you should also have fun practicing and have fun performing. Otherwise, why would you do it?

I agree with you completely. I agree that magic is meant to be fun both practicing and performing but I just meant that the main purpose is to perform. You can't get reactions if you don't perform.

Also, I have another story:

So my Science class last year was my best class for magic. My teacher always had cards in his room so I would always perform. I remember one time, before class, I performed Panic, followed by Angle Zero (these were with my cards by the way) and he actually ran out of the room and didn't come back for 5 min. When he came back, he had a video camera with him and he asked me to do it again so he could take it home to show his wife.

Then in the same class on another day, after performing Pressure, he was so amazed, he got the other class from next door to come and watch me do it. I ended up doing Pressure for TWO whole classes. It had to of been my biggest crowd yet. There were about maybe 40-50 people trying to watch. Reactions were amazing.

And then again on the last week of school, we were just hanging around signing yearbooks and I decided to perform. I performed Angle Zero (yes again, this effect is amazing) but made the corner appear in one of the spectator's pockets in his sealed binder all the way across the room. Him and his friends STILL to this day ask me how I did it and whenever the conversation about me being a magician is brought up, I hear them telling all their friends about it. Right after Angle Zero I proceeded to do some other random tricks that just killed. At one point one of the kids was like "Wait a sec. Let me make sure he's not cheating." He asked to see the deck so I gave it to him. He shuffled the cards, and did a check to make sure it wasn't a stripper deck. It wasn't. After he handed the deck back he was even more amazed. It's amazing because I have a friends who had that same teacher, but at different periods and apparently he would talk about me in his other classes about how amazed he was by my magic. He still talks about me to his classes a year later about how amazing I was.

Needless to say, that class became a VERY easy A. I became one of his favorite students.

 

[Cushing0]

I agree with you completely. I agree that magic is meant to be fun both practicing and performing but I just meant that the main purpose is to perform. You can't get reactions if you don't perform.

Also, I have another story:

So my Science class last year was my best class for magic. My teacher always had cards in his room so I would always perform. I remember one time, before class, I performed Panic, followed by Angle Zero (these were with my cards by the way) and he actually ran out of the room and didn't come back for 5 min. When he came back, he had a video camera with him and he asked me to do it again so he could take it home to show his wife.

Then in the same class on another day, after performing Pressure, he was so amazed, he got the other class from next door to come and watch me do it. I ended up doing Pressure for TWO whole classes. It had to of been my biggest crowd yet. There were about maybe 40-50 people trying to watch. Reactions were amazing.

And then again on the last week of school, we were just hanging around signing yearbooks and I decided to perform. I performed Angle Zero (yes again, this effect is amazing) but made the corner appear in one of the spectator's pockets in his sealed binder all the way across the room. Him and his friends STILL to this day ask me how I did it and whenever the conversation about me being a magician is brought up, I hear them telling all their friends about it. Right after Angle Zero I proceeded to do some other random tricks that just killed. At one point one of the kids was like "Wait a sec. Let me make sure he's not cheating." He asked to see the deck so I gave it to him. He shuffled the cards, and did a check to make sure it wasn't a stripper deck. It wasn't. After he handed the deck back he was even more amazed. It's amazing because I have a friends who had that same teacher, but at different periods and apparently he would talk about me in his other classes about how amazed he was by my magic. He still talks about me to his classes a year later about how amazing I was.

Needless to say, that class became a VERY easy A. I became one of his favorite students.

THAT IS CLASS!!

ppressure seems a really cool effect i dont kow how its done but seems pretty good at getting reactions think this maybe my next purchase as loadsof peeps keep banging on about it!!

much love!!

 

[penguincdude]

THAT IS CLASS!!

ppressure seems a really cool effect i dont kow how its done but seems pretty good at getting reactions think this maybe my next purchase as loadsof peeps keep banging on about it!!

much love!!

It really is amazing. They're seeing they're own phone get pushed into a balloon. Now what would usually stump them is they'd expect for the magician to how to do some funny moves to get the phone in before but it's THEY'RE phone so there's no way that's possible. One second it's out and the next it's in. It will require a bit of practice though. The effect itself if reasonably easy but it will require some audience management. I'm getting the idea that it's starting to turn into one of those tricks you only see on YouTube all the time and half the kids flash with the performance or mess up but still post the video anyway.

 

[Cushing0]

It really is amazing. They're seeing they're own phone get pushed into a balloon. Now what would usually stump them is they'd expect for the magician to how to do some funny moves to get the phone in before but it's THEY'RE phone so there's no way that's possible. One second it's out and the next it's in. It will require a bit of practice though. The effect itself if reasonably easy but it will require some audience management. I'm getting the idea that it's starting to turn into one of those tricks you only see on YouTube all the time and half the kids flash with the performance or mess up but still post the video anyway.

THATS THE ONE THING I HATE IDIOTS WHO DO THAT!! WHATS THE POINT?

im defo getting this and it seems a killer of an effect mobile phone inside a balloon=genuis whoever made the idea deserves to be pope!

 

[MagicShadow9]

Oh here's a funny story, you can try it out sometime. I was performing for what seemed like a really smart ass guy. He would try to call me out on all of my tricks like my coin and rubber band tricks. So i decided to mess with him a little bit. After doing a few card tricks, i knew he would want to see the deck. So i handed it to him and said "No, but it's really simple. I do all this with a trick deck. Here take a look, see how they're not normal. They REALLY look real dont they? But they're actually all the same card. Convincing isnt it?" In reality, it was a regular deck but he fiddled with the deck for like 10 minutes trying to find some kind of gimmick. It was pretty funny.

 

[penguincdude]

mobile phone inside a balloon=genuis whoever made the idea deserves to be pope!

HAHAHAHAHA

The day Daniel Garcia becomes Pope is the day Criss Angel corrects the spelling of his first name. For god's sake, it's CHRIS NOT CRISS!!!!!