http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=8674

Anyone have this set? I have always been interested in "Bar Magic" because I love that type of close-up setting. I have the old Doc Eason videos, and Lake Tahoe Bar Magic already, and enjoyed them. I am liking much of the material on the Ultimate Card Sessions DVDS by Michael Maxwell, so am thinking about getting his sets. Just a question regarding bar magic, I know a few magicians who work bars that went to bartending school. I know this would be of great help, but is it a requirement?

If so, how does the magician manage to serve waiting customers while trying to perform his routine? Is there another guy behind the bar to take over? Or are you the primary bartender and performer at the same time?

Hmmm, As with all bar magic there is a tricky situation. With this DVD to be honest it really makes no sense. Almost all of these effects for a bartender are useless. Let me explain, If you are a bartender you need fast visual magic that can be done at a moments notice with little set up and with things you can walk away from. Remember the first thing priority is to sell drinks not magic. On the flip side of this, if you are just doing magic at a bar this might be a good dvd.

There is a great pdf book out from Mike Wild and Todd Diamond called Bar Magician, these guys are real bar magicians and explain the real work behind the bar as well as some really good effects. Do a Google search and I am sure you can find it, if not PM me and I will direct you.

Keep in mind when doing bar magic you have to have some rules because at a bar a lot of people get drunk. The best thing I think would be to contact someone who is a bartender that does magic and ask some questions.

Doc is great, however those videos and tricks are set up in a way that does not show him really working the bar. If I remember correctly he has a set every hour or something like that. In that environment that works, however in most bars there is not time to do that.

hope this helps!

Thanks, yeah I talked to Jamy Ian Swiss who worked as a magic bartender for about two years, 5 days a week at the Inn of Magic in Maryland, and has a vast array of knowledge regarding this venue; and I know it is very hard. I was just curious how "magic bartenders" juggle the obligations of trying to keep up with both jobs, and everything else for that matter. I have seen a lot of unruly and drunken idiots while working at restaurants, so I know what to expect.

Personally I think I will just use the material in my close-up show. But I do like the bar simply for the fact it is like having one BIG giant servante that runs the length of the bar. I know the job itself places a lot of demands that must be filled on all kinds of emotional and physical levels, but I guess I just like challenges. However I never really was a "bar person" as I cannot stand cigarette smoke, as most bar are not non-smoking...yet.

My tenure at the Tower covered over 27 years. My style of performing evolved over the years... it wasn't always like you see on the L&L set of tapes.

In the early days, I *did* tend bar AND do the magic. And I *was* busier than a one armed paper hanger... after a significant time it was obvious that I could make the bar more money by continuing to do the tricks and have help in pumping the drinks out. This evolved over several years. Eventually it settled into a step just below Mullica's magic bar *theater*. By that I mean, if the situation arose, I would step back and sling drinks just to get caught up. (That is the single most important job -GTFM)

The 'guerilla style' of doing small sets around the bar for smaller groups is what I call the "Heba Haba Al style'. that is the way that Heba worked. He did maximum 5 minute sets and then zoomed off to get some more drinks and take care of some other folks. I have seen people working this style and they are very effective, make a lot of money but they are working HARD. This type of style is tough to maintain over the long run. Hopefully, the management can recognize the value of this type of performing and send in some help to allow the magician to keep those butts in the seats.

Doc

To answer a specific question in sirbrad's post..

How do you juggle all the duties?

I would make sure that everyone at the bar had a drink... even if they were half full, I would tell the bar crowd that I am gonna do a trick, and I don't want to be interrupted so let's back up those cocktails... They would in turn figure out that I wasn't going to launch into a set of tricks unless they all had a drink. THis worked with small crowds... when they started to back up 2 and three deep... that's when management figured out that with a large room there to see magic, it makes sense to double up the bar staff...

The wild card there would be if I got a huge order from the dining room ...that could screw me up big time.

Hope this helps.

Doc

Doc made it almost look easy on his brilliant set of L&L tapes ( http://doceasonmagicshop.com/doc_eason/p......3a726b9f ). They are must have DVD's for anyone.

But, it is verrrry difficult to tend bar and perform magic.

I love Doc's videos, but it simply wouldn't work at the bar I currently tend. Include the fact that we don't share tips where I work at. If you work at a fast paced bar, you must really find a way to stand out and connect. This is probably the most difficult part of doing quick effects. I stay away from a lot of effects like extreme burn and such, because I live off of my patrons gratuity...and making hundreds out of ones or fives would be illogical. The first step in being a good bar magician is being a good bartender...and that might seem different for each person who tends. For me it is about efficiency. I'm talking about counting steps, being well organized, making sure everything is prepped and in a step and hand's reach. Once you are able to run 12 different drinks in under a minute and a half in YOUR bar (which can be logistically impossible at some places) The second part of being a good magician, managing people...drunk people...aka childish possible hecklers...is having a philosophy for your magic and if it works. You must filter your magic. And your magic must work together and work in modules.

Just as an example. I have a push to start car and I have my keys on a belt loop in my front hip. On it I have FOB, Departure, Ghost Key. I also have a nest of wallets in my back left pocket closest to my body, behind it I have a N2G coin purse with my coins Copper Silver Brass, and instead of a normal half, it's steel core, a copper silver TUC and an expanded sh***. Also in the SAME pocket I have a normal deck with rubber bands around it, and a shoe lace. In my right back pocket I have a Rouge's Wallet from Scam School, and in that a very strong disk magnet I slid in there with blank business cards. At the inner left I have a Thumb *** already loaded with a silk (and in my nest of wallets I have another color silk I replaced the hanky inside with). Right front pocket I have sponge balls, (I used to keep a tuning fork, but now I keep a bell that says "ring to make me smile", but it depends if I want to channel Roth or Mike Close that day) Front left pocket is my phone, but it is also for storing tips until I get to the register to change them out for 20's in which I put into the wallet on the underside.

Each effect or gimmick/not really gimmicks I carry work together. Lets say I borrow a ring from the spectator. Vanish it and it goes into the nest of wallets. First Module...I look around and see if anyone needs a drink. If no one needs a drink, that silk I replaced inside the nest, happily helps clean the ring but ring flights to my Departure. Look around again to see if anyone needs to be served. Now I have two choices, if I feel I have time...I'm going to grab the lace from my left back pocket and do a ring on the string routine...if I feel the bar getting busy I'm pulling out the Loops on my right wrist and doing a ring levitation...if have to leave and make a drink I leave the nest of wallets on the table with the hanky and by this time people are kept in the area out of curiosity and being entertained...as I come back the 12 inch silk blue hanky is right there, on my way back to them I ring in my Thumb ***. As I reset the nest of wallets right in front of them, you can vanish the hank or color change them. As a note, I got rid of red silks...it just says gimmick...and I dropped my thumb *** with a red silk in it and a woman who saw it on the floor freaked out...like really freaked out. But this is just an example on why pocket management and having a philosophy is soooo important. Know yourself, know your venue, know your crowd, know your value, and know your job.