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augiemagic Regular user Overland Park, KS 162 Posts |
Sounds like a good philosophy, Eddie.
Side note: I had my best day yet yesterday. Made more in an hour than I've made in 5 hours on some days. Location, location, location... Does it take anyone else a show or two to really warm up, and be playful and fun with the audience? |
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ray raymond Veteran user 329 Posts |
Yes it does me sometimes. Some times I get to the pitch and do not feel like working. I will have to force myself to get a show off. After I get in to the swing of it thought not a problem. Some times even one good show can totally change your mentality .
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augiemagic Regular user Overland Park, KS 162 Posts |
Of course, then there are days like today: Five hours, two bucks in the hole (after public transpo). See also: threatened with a baseball bat. By a guitar player. In a wheelchair.
But I made new friends, and had some fun. |
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
August, I've got to watch you work some time...
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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augiemagic Regular user Overland Park, KS 162 Posts |
I could use the protection. I am a magnet for crazies.
Ask me about Santa Cruz sometime. (I'm so excited: ten days out and I already have good stories!) |
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
OK, I'll ask- How was Santa Cruz? I've thought of busking there in the past, myself.
Beautiful town, great weather, liberal authorities who actually seem to appreciate the 1st Amendment (as much as any of those fascists do...) What's not to love?
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
Augiemagic
Don't hold out on good stories |
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augiemagic Regular user Overland Park, KS 162 Posts |
Well, Santa Cruz was on a Tuesday, so I didn't expect much in the way of traffic/crowds, and I was right. I was just out on a whim, didn't feel like going to the beach with my family.
Anyway, I set up and got started on Pacific, near one of the movie theaters. I got going for about an hour, and had actually managed to gather a crowd, when a homeless guy/guy that just happened to look homeless came up and asked for a cigarette. I don't smoke, so the answer was a no. He stuck around anyway, and watched the show. Afterward he wanted to stay and chat, but kept going on about all the improvised weapons he knew how to make: "Just take, like, one of those switchblade combs and some gum and..." and more in that same vein. He seemed to have all the volume control of Billy Mays (too soon?) so it came out: "...and you stick ONE OF THOSE REPLACEABLE BLADES FOR A BOXCUTTER on it, you can get MAYBE ONE SHOT, TWO IF YOU'RE LUCKY!" While this succeeded in attracting attention, I found that the passers-by were not compelled to stop and watch a magic trick. Further experimentation is required. Perhaps combining this approach with a TT silk will yield better results. He also happened to be a know-it-all: "Yeah, I've seen a lot more magic than most people. I see things they don't (two fingers pointing at the eyes gesture) and those squishy little balls? It's not a very good trick. I know how it works. I know the balls come apart. They like fit inside each other. I caught you man, I CAUGHT YOU!!!! But it's okay man, I won't tell anyone." Then it was twenty minutes of trying to get my money with bar bets. Keep in mind, this whole time I was all "Well, I'll see you later" and "Well, peace." which gradually escalated to "Hey, you know I'm trying to do a show here, right?." He answered all of this with some variation of "Yeah, that's cool and all. Five bucks says I can..." I gave him a buck to leave. He seemed to take it as encouragement. So anyway, after an excruciating 45 minutes, I finally let him in on my status as a member of "The Escondido Organization" and asked if he'd seen anything suspicious today. He hadn't. I tried to get him to join, but he just wasn't comfortable with the whole thing. So he left. FINALLY! So I get back to it, and build up a small crowd of kids (I seem to be a magnet for kids and crazies) and get almost to the end of the show, when a guy who had been watching says "Oh hey, I got one!" and grabs my cards. He proceeds to do a combination of the 21 card trick and the vanishing audience. Followed by a Backp*** vanish. Which he then explained to the entire remaining crowd. Guess who I used for the Flight of the Paper Balls?! (I let my ego get the better of me. Oh well. One of those days.) I finished the show to running commentary, which ended up playing to my advantage for my chop cup routine: "He's got two balls!" "Well, obviously. They're just really big balls." (first load reveal) "That's right: balls. Plural." (second load reveal). "And if you liked the balls, you'll love the nut. Coconut, that is." (Hat load reveal) Note that there was no tone of innuendo, and I played it straight. Kids were present. After that, the crowd dispersed, after giving me some pocket change. The kids who had initially stopped wanted to stick around, so I showed them some more card stuff to build up another crowd, and went back at it. I went on for a couple more hours, during which time the homeless guy reappeared. He set up a good thirty yards away from me. Finally, I got tired, and decided it was going to be my last show. It went off fine, no trouble, etc. At the very end, a lady came up to me and said "That was very good. I liked the show, but I don't carry cash." "Well, I'm never one to turn down a compliment. Glad you enjoyed it!" So she leaves, and I start packing up, and count the daily total. (It rhymes with "Enough to take a family of 4 out and have a nice dinner at McDonalds.") As I'm doing this, the homeless guy comes up to me and says "Hey, what did you say to that lady?" "Nothing really, why?" "Because she just gave me five bucks." |
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dcjames Special user 577 Posts |
Great story Augie!
You have quite an engaging writing style. Best wishes for your continued success, Doug
“Magic is very easy to do - poorly.”
Tommy Wonder The Books of Wonder Volume 2 |
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MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
Augie, I love your story! Life on the streets, eh? don'tcha just love it?
The presentation makes the magic.
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