After reviewing a number of DVDs, tricks and books, one or two per week for over a year, I have now seen and evaluated countless effects. As you would probably expect, there are many that I have worked up and added to my stand-up and close-up repertoires. Here’s a list of the effects that I now regularly perform, which I first learned about through reviews. I’m not saying that these are the best effects that I’ve seen, just those that work for me.
I have reviewed countless great effects, but those that I use are the ones that work in my performance situations and venues. As a bit of background, on the stand-up side, I perform different shows for adults, families and kids, and schools. While there are a few effects that are common to each stand-up show (with slightly different presentations), there are many that I only perform during specific shows.
Performance Venues
Strolling/close-up wise, I currently perform at three restaurants per week. Here, I often perform at tables after clients have ordered and are waiting for their food. As a result, I need routines where the magic occurs quickly and preferably, in multiple segments. This way, if I’m not finished with a routine and the food arrives, I can end it at almost any time, and the spectators have seen some magic, even if it’s not the routine’s ultimate climax. A close-up routine with a long setup usually won’t work for me in my restaurants.
I prefer close-up effects that happen in my hands and don’t require that I set objects down. In my restaurant work, I find that there’s little or no room to lay down a close-up pad, for example. Thus, Matrix style routines, while I’m interested in them, have little place in my strolling/close-up gigs.
Standing Room Only
I am always standing when I perform close-up, so any effects that require me to be seated won’t work for me. I love close-up effects that reset as I place them back into my pockets. For now, I only carry one effect that requires me to stop and reset in private.
One last consideration, there are effects that I’ve reviewed that I really liked, but were similar to something that I already performed. As an example, I was impressed with Lonnie Chevrie’s “Grandpa’s Dollar” bill switch, as described on his Outlaw Magic of Lonnie Chevrie Vol.II DVD. But I already performed a bill switch that I’m confident with and have been using for years. Had I known about Chevrie’s version first, I may have chosen to learn it.
The Effects
Looking back, there are quite a few routines that I’ve added this past year:
Bill Abbott’s “Sponge Snack,” as described in his Stand-Up Magic For Kids DVD, formed the basis of my opener for my stand-up shows. This is a fantastic routine.
I love Bob Sheet’s dice trick as described on his DVD, It’s the Rules. Since I already performed Dr. Sack’s, a similar effect, I simply adapted Sheet’s better dice handling and added his killer climax to my routine.
Daryl offers several routines that I now regularly perform, which include: 3 Fly III; Presto Printo, his stunning “wild card” effect where blanks are “printed” from a chosen card; Daryl’s Group Session, a bewildering “tossed out deck” style effect and Daryls Amazing Acrobatic Knot.
I had never been interested in “twisting aces,” but I recently added Andrew Normansell’s version, “Twisting Dai Vernon” as described on his 100% Commercial Volume 3 - Close-Up Magic DVD. The close-up effect is a good one that I can perform while people are standing in lines. I often find that at company events where there’s a buffet, I usually end-up entertaining people as they stand in line waiting for their food. And I often perform for them again at their tables after they’ve eaten. By performing “Twisting Aces” while people are in line, I can save my standard “table fare” for the same spectators and not have to worry if I’m repeating an effect.
