15 and Wanting to Begin Restaurant Magic

Hey guys,

I have been practicing magic continuously for three years now. I'm sure you guys need to know my list of tricks before we can get started:

- Force a card and ''mind read''
- Shapeshifter
- Erdnase Classic Color Change
- Topsy - Turvy (effect where half the deck appears to be reversed and then rearranges itself)
- ACR
- Biddle Trick
- Gemini Count Routine (story where a pair of twins go on a double date and get into mischief with some redheads)
- Here Then There
- Two Card Monte
- Phoenix Effect
- Ace routine (spectator appears to have a complete free choice of cutting the cards etc. and end up having 4 aces on the top of four piles of cards.
- The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
- Invisible Deck
- Hollywood Coins Across
- Retention Vanish
- Ring Levitation w/ loops

So that's my entire list of tricks. Here's a bit of more detail about me. I'm 15 years old, but have been mistaken for 18, and live in Vancouver. I have performed all around the world (whenever I go traveling I do street magic), and during that time have learned an adequate amount of audience control and learned how to connect with the audience.

I would like to know some tips that are unique to restaurant magic and will give me something to expect from when I enter and ask for the job, until I am about to begin my job. I have read almost every thread I could find in here (and on E) on restaurant magic, including this one: http://forums.ellusionist.com/showt...ips-on-Restaurant-Gigs-.&highlight=restaurant


There are lots of restaurants in Vancouver that seem like they would like to have a magician around, and I would like some experience, and income! If you guys need any other info, please do ask.

Thanks,

Mehar
 
You seam to be very card oriented, dont be afraid to branch out to other types of magic.
If you're just getting into restaurant magic, I highly suggest getting 'The Real Secrets of Magic' by David Stone. Its a fantastic resource for this type of magic.
Don't go in asking for a job, go there and dine. Do some tricks, hopefully you get noticed by some of the staff, and in turn the manager. And take it from there.

J.
 

Jack

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2007
268
0
Decatur, GA
Here's how I got my first job. I went to a local bar that I frequent and asked to talk to the manager. I told him I do magic and would like to come in once a week and just walk around and perform. I would start just working for tips (and maybe a free beer or two) then if the patrons liked it enough and it seemed to help business and not take away from the servers we could work out an hourly rate or flat performance rate. There was no risk on the restaurants part because the first few times I went in it didn't cost them anything. After three nights of performing for tips and a free beer patrons started asking for me. Now I have a steady gig. My biggest piece of advice is make friends with the waiters. Remember this is their restaurant and you are a guest. Encourage your audience to tip their servers and they will sometimes share large tips with you.
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
In David stones dvd (at least the first one) all he uses is cards, coins, rope, sponge balls, silk, and a wine bottle. You probably wouldn't want to use the wine bottle production unless you were strolling and had a rather large group. Otherwise, with the stuff he uses, if you wear a nice jacket, it really isn't much to carry
 
Jun 6, 2010
796
0
Nashville, TN
I don't want to do lots of stuff including gimmicks or me having to carry lots of stuff. I want to have as little stuff as possible on me. That's why I love cards and coins.

That's good for just going out somewhere with no real magician-like purpose. But if you're going to do a paid gig, then you're gonna have to abandon that personal luxury of not having anything but some cards. Nobody likes a one-trick pony (pun intended) :)
You're 15 so you have even MORE to prove than any magician older than you. They're not gonna hire some teenager who just does card tricks.
 
Nov 19, 2010
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most people may not agree with wat i use in my restaurant gig but i use
cards
coins
money
sponge balls
rubberbands
rope
and my closer currently is changing into the restaurants shirt with dresscode

u will realize that some people r more into different types
for example some people love my card tricks and always want a new card trick when they come in n others just want to see the spongeball routine over and over
dont think theres a limit to wat u can carry because all the time i have numberous decks of cards alot of coins assortment of ropes matches spongballs a pool ball rubberbands gimmicked money gimmicked gum n i wear dresscode the entire time so theirs no limit do anything at a table because if they have seen david blaine on tv theyll most likely have seen cards n coins on do some of his effects to get it started but do something that they would think no one would attempt 5 feet from them
to wrap it up have fun n most of u guys might not agree with me on this but dont have a routine i dont. i wing it. i no to start with an ambitious card routine n going off their reactions to that i know wats gonna work on them
hope it hepls
 

Luis Vega

Elite Member
Mar 19, 2008
1,838
278
38
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
luisvega.com.mx
good luck man. i hope its easier to find a restaurant job in Vancouver than it is here.

I beg to differ..

Anyway...I think it would be difficult for a 15 years old to actually get a job in magic...not because you are young, but because GM won´t take you seriously...that´s the way it is...

BUT!!! there is a way that you can get a lot of experience...you can go to an area where there lots of restaurants (an area you are not afraid to "burn" with this I mean you can go there and practice and mess up, to think you will never are going to work there, so you are not bounded to a pay, I hope I made myself clear) and let the ones you want to actually work for later..

Go there and busk in the restaurants...offer to work for free...I would go to restaurants that you feel can´t pay or wouldn´t have a paid magician, so this way you are not ruining the road for others...go there and table-hopping in your free time, maybe even get some tips...this way you are getting experience...

Once you are done with this and you feel you can handle a paid job, ask the manager if they can make you a referal letter, so you will have some curriculum and then you can go to the other restaurants...

I would also check the Magic-Cafe in the Table hoppers and party strollers section...there is a sticky thread that says how can you get a job in a restaurant with detail...

good luck in the future, Mehar!!
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
OK first off, it's going to be hard for any GM or owner of a place to take you seriously, due to your age. They don't care how good you are, they care more about making money and if you will get in the way of their staff.

Which is the other problem. You have way too many things you trying to do. I'd limit what you do down to maybe 3-4 and that's. Because if you are still doing your whole story presentations when the food arrives. It's going to annoy the staff and the customers. Thus causing the place to lose money and you to lose a job.

So get rid of anything that has an overly long presentation and that doesn't get straight to the point. You can save the long story presentations for when you are booked for a sit down gig or hanging out with other magicians.

Also a bunch of the things you listed aren't things that are really going to entertain people. Shapeshifter and the Erdnase color change are just something flashy and essentially accomplish the exact same thing, unless you have those two things attached to a better routine.
 
Which is the other problem. You have way too many things you trying to do. I'd limit what you do down to maybe 3-4 and that's. Because if you are still doing your whole story presentations when the food arrives. It's going to annoy the staff and the customers. Thus causing the place to lose money and you to lose a job.

Randy, I think we have a small misunderstanding... I'm not going to try to do all these tricks at once, I was showing you guys what kind of stuff I can do so you guys can help me further.


As for the 'being young' thing, I really don't think that's a problem. I've done around 10 gigs since September and nobody has never thought of me as 15.. usually around 18. Not only that, I also think that people don't care about how old I am. As long as I have great tricks, showmanship, and a deep voice I think I should be fine.
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Go on Amazon.com and look up books on Marketing and Public Speaking. Because if you want to get a gig at a restaurant you have to know how to market yourself properly and also market the place you are trying to work at.
 

Luis Vega

Elite Member
Mar 19, 2008
1,838
278
38
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
luisvega.com.mx
I also have another question, what kind of tricks should I do? Should I learn something like dresscode, superman coin bend, stairway... etc? I have $100 right now for whatever I need.

I would say do tricks that:

Pack small
easy resetable
easy to do...I am not saying lazy to do...just that you can do with your eyes closed..
variety (lately I have been doing a thumbtip routine that ends with a appearing cane...basicaly kills people!!)
if you can afford it, tricks that leave souvenir
not so angle sensitive from a table...if you are standing...
visual and that the patter is minimal (the spoken patter) often you will have to deal with music and noise


I don´t know about Dresscode...if the setup is minimal then I would do it...but there is a catch with the tricks that are easy resetable...people that are next to the table you are doing magic, often can see some of the tricks, and if you do dresscode, people will know that your shirt is going to change so it ruins the magic and I don´t know if the setup can be done in the spot, because if not, then it´s not advisable, the people can see you doing it and also because you can´t just leave for 15 seconds and then return to the next table...it breaks the dinamic...also your patrons won´t like that...

Superman coin bend sound good...stairway also...
 
I disagree with those who say that using only cards is dull, especially in restaurant magic. Cards by themselves can keep an audience entertained for at least an hour, and you won't need anywhere near that long for some table hopping. My tricks are about 80% cards, and no one has ever asked me to do magic with anything else. :)
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
Luis hit it dead on. Anything that packs small. Also, if the restaurant will let you, then incorporate flash paper - it really amps up the magic (if used correctly). But save that for after you have gotten the job (they most likely won't give you the job if you come right out asking to light up fireballs lol).

I think variety is a must. I put together 3 sets of 3 based on one of Jamie's threads. The first set was ordinary objects. Started with Exit Strategy (ring thru straw) then went to Stairway, then finished with Dough. My next set of 3 was coins, and my last set was cards.

I'm not sure if I like it though. I still want MORE variety (I'm trying to get my card work down to LESS THAN 3 effects before I try to get a restaurant gig)
 
Something that just kinda came at me while reading your post on variety (^). Does anyone know what smoke can be used for other than as a 'portal' trick? For $50 it seems kind of like a waste. I'm looking forward to your comments!
 
Jun 6, 2010
796
0
Nashville, TN
Something that just kinda came at me while reading your post on variety (^). Does anyone know what smoke can be used for other than as a 'portal' trick? For $50 it seems kind of like a waste. I'm looking forward to your comments!

You can use it for a lot. But you need to have a reason to bring the smoke to your mouth. It's hard to explain without exposing. They give you a couple of ideas when you buy the gimmick and dvd. :)
 
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