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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Just got word that my Monday Night gig wants to add me to Tuesday Nights as well. I was working 5 nights a week for several years and when my 2nd daughter was born, I ended my gig with a restaurant that I played on Tuesday Nights so I'd be home more often.
Almost a year passes and it looks like I'm back to 5 nights a week. Not complaining or anything, but got use to having 3 nights off. Whoo Hoo... Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
I think that's great news, Christopher. Congratulations! (At least you have options...)
Here's a question: how long do you perform in each night? And are tips a big percentage of your nightly income...or do you prefer to work for a nightly fee? Just curious...if the questions are off-base just ignore them. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
Ahhh to do only 5 nights...... Currently at 7 per week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday morning, Saturday Afternoon, Saturday late night, Sunday morning.
Each usually 3 hours per engagement. Most I have done was 11 engagements per week. Rock on.......
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Yeah I know...Mark is THE BOMB! 15 Years Ago, I could handle that schedule. Now it would kill me! I bow down to your awesomeness! YOU DA MAN!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-04 22:49, David Thiel wrote: My restaurant schedule between two different restaurants is: Friday Nights - 6pm to 10pm Saturday - 12pm to 10pm Sunday - 12pm to 9pm Monday Nights - 6pm to 8pm Tuesday Nights - 6pm to 8pm I am paid my hourly fee by the restaurants + tips...
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
Ten hours???
And nine the next day? Those are looooong shifts, fella. Congratulations! David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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derrick Inner circle I dug holes for 1044 Posts |
I've done 8 and 10 hour gigs for corporate bookings like car shows and the like becuase the money is very good. I'm curious, are you continuously performing to a crowd that is turning over, or is this a matter of performing a number of show throught the day? In situations like a car show I'm usually doing a mixture of twisting balloons and magic throughout the day with three or four, 15 minute breaks. When the day is over I'm spent. It would be tough for me to look forward to performing for this lengh of time every week. Good for you, your machine dude.
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-05 08:04, David Thiel wrote: Truth be told...it's actually longer as I arrive about an hour early to set up and I don't get out of there till well after we close. I got there at 4:30pm to load in and get set up and it's now 12am as I write this and I got home about 10 minutes ago. So even tho' it's advertised that I'm there from 6pm to 9pm, I'm really there from 4:30pm to 11:00pm (6.5 hours) on Friday Nights. Saturday's I normally arrive about 10am and won't leave till around 11pm (13 hours) and Sunday's I arrive at 10am and don't get out till about 10pm (12 hours). So for my weekend gig, I normally log in between 30 and 33 hours per week. Monday and Tuesday are my easy nights as I'm there for just 2 hours from 6pm to 8pm which usually turns into 6pm to 9pm. In and out...easy breezy!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-05 11:55, derrick wrote: My weekend gig is for a large entertainment style restaurant. There are multiple dining rooms that feed off of the main dining room, video game arcade, and a movie theater that plays all the old Loony Tunes cartoons. Right in the middle of the Main Dining Room is where my stage is. I perform Table Magic, Balloon Twisting, and my stage act at Crystals on the weekends... Crystals is a pizza buffet restaurant. People get their food and find a spot in one of the dining rooms. You can see the main stage from anywhere in the restaurant. My show schedule at Crystals is flexible, but I normally run it like this: Friday Nights - I begin strolling and balloon twisting at 6pm and stop about 7:20pm. My Stage Act begins at 7:30pm and runs till 8pm. Around 8:15pm, I begin strolling again doing table magic and balloons until the last person leaves. Saturday - My Stage Act is performed at 1pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 8pm with strolling and balloons before and after each show. Sunday, - My Stage Act is performed at 1pm, 3pm, and 7:30pm with strolling and balloons before and after each show. So it's like dinner theater. Folks come in and watch the show and then they'll get up and hit the arcade, movie theater, etc. Sometimes they leave...sometimes they'll stick around for another show. I always keep a few "stand buy" bits on hand in case I notice some of the same folks in the audience for the next show, I can change it up on the fly so they don't see the same show twice in a row. Did that answer your question?
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Daz Buckley Elite user Australia 469 Posts |
That's seriously crazy !!! You must love your days off.
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djurmann Inner circle thinks time to practice and stop writing 1481 Posts |
How many different effects would you perform in a week?! I am guessing there must be quite a lot of repeat business so you can't do the same 3 over and over?
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wizardpa Inner circle The New Orleans area 1011 Posts |
Christopher,
With your schedule it seems to me that you have no time for private kid shows on the weekend. Is that correct? I sure hope you are paid very, very well at the restaurant that you do all those stage shows for. Chris |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-13 01:02, Daz Buckley wrote: Indeed! Hey Mark...do you know what a day off is? Just curious...
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Aaron Smith Magic Inner circle Portland, OR 1447 Posts |
Way to go Christopher!!
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-13 02:51, djurmann wrote: Are you speaking about Cristina's (Monday and Tuesday) or Crystals (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)? I've been at Cristina's now for 2.5 years and it's not a problem at all. I have never had an issue presenting fresh new strolling magic week after week. I would say that 70% of the crowd at Cristina's is repeat. But as you'll hear me say over and over as you read this post...it's not about the magic. It's about Christopher Lyle. The magic is secondary. Over the last 2 1/2 years, I've built relationships with most of these people and some nights, my "table set" is nothing more than chatting about the going ons of the past week and then I'll earn my keep and perform a single trick. Maybe something they've seen me do before, maybe not. Usually, they ask me to do a certain bit of business that they've enjoyed in the past. So it's all gravy... Crystals is a different animal... When I was first booked at Crystals, I was only doing strolling magic and then as time went by, they added balloon twisting to my services. About 4 years ago (?), they added my stage act to the bill. When I first began doing my stage act at the restaurant it was a challenge. I kept thinking to myself, "how the heck am I going to keep it fresh so it's a new show every week?" Well since a big part of my show is interaction with the audience, it automatically was a different show every week...because no two audiences are the same which means it's anyone's guess what's going to take place between the audience and myself during the show. My act is my act! When I'm booked to perform, I have many different shows that my clients can choose from: Strolling Magic Up Close and Personal (A formal Close Up Show) The Crooked Gambling Demo (A formal Close Up Show) Sleight of Mind (Cabaret Mentalism Show) Whirlwind of Magic (Cabaret Family Show) Concentrated Insanity (Cabaret Corporate Show) Fire! (A full show dedicated to the art of Fire Manipulation) Each one of the above shows is a complete act, worked over from years of performing. The shows can be either 30 minutes or a full hour and each show has different material (a little overlap here and there) and has a completely different feel and atmosphere. My stage act at Crystals is a "hybrid" of all of my acts merged together. I have to entertain an audience between the ages of 3 years to 103 years and everyone in between in a single show. Not the easiest task. Sometimes we'll have a packed house and my show is for literally, 300 to 500 people. Sometimes, we're dead as a door nail and I'm doing a show for 10 people. (NOTE: I have done a full stage act for 2 people). Everyone get's a show... My Crystals Act changes every week. I'll do one show over and over Friday thru Sunday while keeping a few extra "side items" on hand just in case people stay for more than one show. The following week, I look at what I did the past week and I'll change it up. I may keep one or two bits that played well from the previous week, but beyond that, it's a new show. I would say that about 30% to 40% of our customers (maybe more) are repeat business. Another 20% are folks who come in every once in a while (maybe twice or three times a year) and the remaining are first timers. So yes, we have lots of regulars like any restaurant does, but it never seems to be an issue...mainly because people don't come to see "the magician"...they come to see Christopher Lyle (as I stated above). I do have my "hard core fans" that over the years have seen just about everything that I perform but they enjoy it and they enjoy me so they don't care (as far as I can tell). Plus, like I said above, they come to see me and the magic is secondary. I also have a great boss who fully supports my act at the restaurant and anytime I need or want something, he foots the bill for it (most of the time). It's great to have the full support of the owner. Performing at Crystals has made me a better performer hands down. It's given me a weekly home to perform and hone my act, making it bullet proof out in "the real world" outside of the restaurant, work out new material, and build great relationships with the guests who walk thru our doors time and time again. I'm very lucky! I only wish it would last forever... 9.5 years and counting! Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-13 16:39, wizardpa wrote: Not at all! When I book a restaurant, I give them 2 options for booking me at their venue... Option # 1 is at a highly reduced rate from my normal "fee." The restaurant understands at the time they book me that b/c I'm giving them such a great deal on my service that if another gig comes along (at my full fee), that I'll be taking it and WON'T be at the restaurant during that time. Option # 2 is at my FULL FEE but I'm guaranteed to be there 100% of the time (minus emergency's or illness) and will turn down other work should it arise. I have NEVER had any restaurant select Option #2 (hmmm...wonder why? ). The next question that I'm sure someone might ask is "do I have a replacement?" My answer...NO! My reason? There is only one Christopher Lyle and he cannot be replaced. Just like there is only one Wizzardpa and you cannot be replaced. Right? If people show up expecting to see you and they see me, they would be disappointed. Correct? All of my restaurants advertise when I'm there but they also list the following disclaimer: Please note, that due to his demanding Private and Corporate Booking Schedule, there may be dates and times when his show will be dark at these locations. To insure Christopher will be performing on the evening you and your party will attend, please call ahead to confirm Christopher's schedule. Now here's the rub... Let's say that a client wants me to do a 1 hour show for a bday party for their child on a Saturday at 2pm. For this example, we'll just say I'm doing the show only and I'm not doing balloon twisting after the show. This means I'll have to arrive at their home around 1:30pm to load in and set up. Then I'll do the show from 2pm to 3pm. After breaking down and loading up, it's now about 3:30pm(ish). Depending on where the gig was, I may be 30 minutes from Crystals so I won't get to the restaurant until 4pm(ish). Normally, I arrive at Crystals at 10am on a Saturday. If I'm now arriving at Crystals on Saturday at 4pm, that means that I've lost my hourly restaurant rate x 6 hours just to do a 1 hour show. This means that if the client wishes to book me for their private party, then my fee for their event will be my normal fee + 6 Hours of my restaurant hourly rate added to it. I would guess that 50% of the folks understand and it doesn't really bother them as their getting a great professional show in their home that their family and friends will remember forever. The other 50% can't afford that (it is a lot of money) so for those who can't afford it I ask if they're flexible with their date b/c if they book me during the daytime M-F, my fee is a fraction of that cost. If they're not able to alter the date, then I ask if they're flexible on WHERE they have their party. If they're flexible, then I invite them to come to Crystals to watch my show FOR FREE...tho' they have to pay for food and stuff. 50% of those who cannot afford to pay my fee + the extra come to Crystals to enjoy my show and (usually) I'm left a nice tip by them at the end of the show. It's a win/win for them! The other 1/2 just decline altogether and I refer them to some friends in the area for their event. Quote:
On 2011-08-13 16:39, wizardpa wrote: Yes, I'm very well compensated for my time at the restaurant. W/O getting into #s, figure out what you bill your restaurant per hour. Now multiply that by 30+ hours a week. Now add tips from customers. Bread and Gravy!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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MichaelDouglas Special user Portland, Oregon 766 Posts |
Awesome Christopher! This gives me hope that guys from Richmond can do well for themselves in magic.
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pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
The man is a machine. I'm battling back from almost 2 years off after an illness and hope to be back to performing 1-2 nights a week by next spring. Of course, I have a full time day job and am now playing music in 3 bands. But YOU are a machine! Way to go buddy.
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paymerich Special user Norwalk, CT 546 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-13 16:39, wizardpa wrote: I sure hope you are paid very, very well at the restaurant that you do all those stage shows for. Yes, I'm very well compensated for my time at the restaurant. W/O getting into #s, figure out what you bill your restaurant per hour. Now multiply that by 30+ hours a week. Now add tips from customers. Bread and Gravy! ------------------------------------------------------ Holy Crow, Christopher your are making $30 a week !!! Living the gravy life your are , living the gravy.
Have a Magical Day!
<BR> <BR>The Maniacal Mage <BR> <BR>Pablo Aymerich <BR>Norwalk, CT 06851 |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-08-17 22:41, paymerich wrote: LOL!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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