Christopher. . . needless to say, I'm not a card or close-up guy and I'm certainly far from "current" when it comes to the new Who's Who on the scene. . . I've never heard of these guys and what my judgement was based on was first impression coming from the video in question. Secondly, I am known to emphasize performance/theater, yes! But, I also emphasize the action of NOT being overly reliant on gimmicks and devices; we get too caught up and focused on what such tools allow us to get away with and in so doing we loose our place and stop learning, trusting that special such and such to make the magic happen vs. raw talent.
I've watched Ricky Jay present Assembling Aces using 3 totally different methods in the one seating, including a gimmick! This is how such things should be incorporated; to help us accent/augment and otherwise enhance an effect we are presenting. When we learn to approach our magic, any aspect of magic, in this way THEN we are becoming actual magicians vs. someone that does tricks. THEN we are learning our craft rather than being someone that can't do their act because they don't know what to do when the thread breaks, the bird is dead, etc.
I know what you're getting at on this point; gimmicks allow us to focus on presentation rather than worrying about doing the trick properly. . . buddy, I've watched Vegas headliners screw up a dove pan and it don't get much simpler. I see this "logic" as being a myth we tell ourselves so as to justify the lack of effort on our part, to learn and find more on how to make a given piece happen. And yes, we will find many methods that aren't viable or practical to our cause, but when we find that one or two that work for us, we find the sort of gems that everyone else will extend adoration over. . . we do it all the time.
I hope I've cleared things up in your mind somewhat