DVD Review: Scotty York Vol.1 - Professional Tricky Bartender

With two-hours of close-up performances and explanations, it’s worth spending time with veteran Scotty York on his Vol.1 - Professional Tricky Bartender. York has performed bar magic for some 15 years in Washington D.C. and the effects that he explains here are baffling, entertaining and commercial.

In particular, York has a particular commercial sense about him and talks about promotional giveaways, an aspect that I’ve rarely seen discussed on magic DVDS.

In the performance-only “Counterfeit,” York borrows a dollar and declares it to be counterfeit. He rubber stamps “counterfeit” in bold letters onto the bill and then says that he can remove the ink. At the end, he changes the bill into a blank piece of paper that still has the word “counterfeit” on it. It’s a hilarious gag.

After showing a spectator how to lick a nickel and stick it to his forehead, in “Spin the Nickle Top,” York then offers the nickel to a spectator to try and spins the nickel on the bar top. But when the nickel stops, it’s found to have a nail sticking out of it. This one is not hard to do and is visual and funny and York explains how to make the prop.

“My Lady's Teddy Bear” is York’s non-gimmicked “chop cup” style routine that uses an ordinary coffee mug. The routine ends up with a stuffed teddy bear that York gives away as a souvenir. This multi-phased routine is good.

In “Fast Eddie Smith,” York tells a story about a debt incurred by his mentor. The mentor, one “Fast Eddie Smith” keeps miscounting a series of dollar bills. Here, York offers a great presentation for a trick that is often tedious in the hands of lesser magicians. And he offers a kicker at the end where one bill changes denomination.

With origami as the theme, “Froggy Goes A'Courtin” has York folding a tiny frog out of a playing card and at the end, the frog turns into another card. This one is reminiscent of Robert Neale’s “The Frog Prince.”

Just as the name implies, “Marked Coin in Sugar Packet” makes a signed coin somehow appear in a freely selected sugar packet. In another coin effect that is performance only, “Coin in Wristwatch,” a spectator’s signed coin becomes the face of York’s watch. Still another coin effect, “The Numismatist” offers a routine with standard gaffed coins that continually change places.