Back from a Corporate Cocktail Party

Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
Just got back from a cocktail party for a holdings company (they own a number of McDonnalds in the region).

The event was at one of the more expensive hotels in the city, and when I got booked for the cocktail hour I looked online to see the type of room I would be performing in. I put together four sets (about 10-15 minutes each), and headed out early because of the weather. I arrived before anyone else, and checked out the room.
It was tiny.
The pictures made it look bigger than it was. So I was a bit worried that I would end up being the center of attention. I came well prepared, but I just wanted to work the room in segments.

So after people arrived and began mingling, I started with a couple at one side of the room. I finished two of the three effects in the set and realized that I had about eight people around me. I ended the set there and stepped away to let them continue talking. I moved toward another group and started to make small talk. They asked me what location I worked at, and I said I was the entertainment for the night and moved into another set.

But I discovered something interesting. After one or two effects, they seemed pleased and content, and I was able to move on to different crowds. And as I made a second round throughout the room the groups had all changed, so some had seen some tricks and others in the group had seen others and they wanted me to do this or that for the others who hadn't seen it. In the end it worked much better to forget about my sets and just work each group as it came. At one point an older gentleman was taking guesses at how I was doing different tricks (all totally wrong), so part way through the night I approached him and some of his colleagues and began chatting and found out that he was pick-pocketed by a magician in Paris (In 1992), and since then just loved magicians. I showed them a few of my favorite effects and finished with Liquid metal for them (By the way, there are a ton of jokes when doing liquid metal in a hotel/restaurant).

It was a great evening. I found it was great to mingle a bit between rounds, getting to know them a bit and what they do. It was good to get away from the sets a bit and let the group direct the show.

Best reactions came from twisted sisters. I only did it once, and just the way I introduced it, and I had about half the room crowded around. They erupted when I turned the queens over; and then just before they finished reacting, I delivered the last twist, and they started all over again. Great fun.

I gave away a ton of business cards and the people who hired me were talking about two other events they could bring me to. They even added a bit extra payment at the end of the night.

It was a great time. This is the crowd I love performing for the most, so I was right in my element.

Feelin pretty pumped with how it went, so thought I'd share.
 
Sounds like you had an awesome time! I love it when I come super prepared and I'm stressing out; and then everything just seems to figure itself out. That's cool that you got the extra tip and had a chance to hand out biz cards!
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Great Job Justin. I had a similar situation like that one time too. I abandoned the pre structured sets and just went with the flow. I normally don't recommend that to people but sometimes it works.

Also...I take Twisted Sisters with me to all of my gigs because when you are looking for that one last knock out punch...Bannon is sure to deliver. I love turning the queens over....letting everyone go nuts....wait another beat....and deliver the Jokers.

Nice work man.
 

Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
Thanks Rick. I've never played with twisted sisters much because I could never do the elmsley well. A while back someone suggested it would be just as strong without having to prove that there are only four cards in each packet. You lose the 'one card turning over' effect, but it was still very strong. For some reason, I just can't get the elmsley down well.

The effects I do are just my favorite and best effects. Ones that I really enjoy doing and have done over and over. I made four sets specifically for this gig (so I had a total of six sets (12 effects)). Then I ended up doing three effects that were unplanned because of the situation: one guy tried to call me out a bit -"Hey can you put the deck back in order" as he was shuffling it - so I got the deck back and did Jim Pace's version of oil and water where you mix the deck face up into face down and then the cards fix them selves and are separated into reds and blacks. Another guy said I must use trick cards because magicians always use trick decks - I then did the biddle trick for him, during which I stole his pen from his front jacket pocket, then at the end as he was standing there staring at the deck in his hands I told him to keep it. Then pulled his pen from my wallet and did recapped (Gregory Wilson).

As for my regular stuff, I did some pretty standard stuff Cards, coins, even a TT silk appearance and vanish . A bunch from On the Spot too.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
I'm probably the one that told you to do Twisted Sisters even without the Elmsley because that is how I used to do it 2 years ago. Now I do it with the Elmsley and it is killer.

Most of the time if someone says I have a trick deck, at the end of the set, if it is towards the end of the night and it isn't a brand new deck opened that night...I'll sign one of the aces and let them keep then entire deck as well, and walk away. This just blows them away. Another reason to just use the cheap bicycles. Ha Ha.
 
Sep 30, 2009
272
0
50
Elkhart, IN
That's just awesome man. I've not made it to doing big things like you but the first time I did 5speed for a small group of people (I didn't know) it was awesome to see the smiles and "confussion" of what just happened. It just makes you want to do it for more people. Now if I could just find those other people who want to watch...lol

Again great story and glade things went right for you.
 

Luis Vega

Elite Member
Mar 19, 2008
1,838
278
38
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
luisvega.com.mx
Just got back from a cocktail party for a holdings company (they own a number of McDonnalds in the region).

The event was at one of the more expensive hotels in the city, and when I got booked for the cocktail hour I looked online to see the type of room I would be performing in. I put together four sets (about 10-15 minutes each), and headed out early because of the weather. I arrived before anyone else, and checked out the room.
It was tiny.
The pictures made it look bigger than it was. So I was a bit worried that I would end up being the center of attention. I came well prepared, but I just wanted to work the room in segments.

So after people arrived and began mingling, I started with a couple at one side of the room. I finished two of the three effects in the set and realized that I had about eight people around me. I ended the set there and stepped away to let them continue talking. I moved toward another group and started to make small talk. They asked me what location I worked at, and I said I was the entertainment for the night and moved into another set.

But I discovered something interesting. After one or two effects, they seemed pleased and content, and I was able to move on to different crowds. And as I made a second round throughout the room the groups had all changed, so some had seen some tricks and others in the group had seen others and they wanted me to do this or that for the others who hadn't seen it. In the end it worked much better to forget about my sets and just work each group as it came. At one point an older gentleman was taking guesses at how I was doing different tricks (all totally wrong), so part way through the night I approached him and some of his colleagues and began chatting and found out that he was pick-pocketed by a magician in Paris (In 1992), and since then just loved magicians. I showed them a few of my favorite effects and finished with Liquid metal for them (By the way, there are a ton of jokes when doing liquid metal in a hotel/restaurant).

It was a great evening. I found it was great to mingle a bit between rounds, getting to know them a bit and what they do. It was good to get away from the sets a bit and let the group direct the show.

Best reactions came from twisted sisters. I only did it once, and just the way I introduced it, and I had about half the room crowded around. They erupted when I turned the queens over; and then just before they finished reacting, I delivered the last twist, and they started all over again. Great fun.

I gave away a ton of business cards and the people who hired me were talking about two other events they could bring me to. They even added a bit extra payment at the end of the night.

It was a great time. This is the crowd I love performing for the most, so I was right in my element.

Feelin pretty pumped with how it went, so thought I'd share.

Hello..

Great story!! I loved it!!

btw: I also do Liquid Metal a lot...would you care to share the jokes?
 

Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
I'm probably the one that told you to do Twisted Sisters even without the Elmsley because that is how I used to do it 2 years ago. Now I do it with the Elmsley and it is killer...

Ha ha, it probably was you actually.

...the first time I did 5speed for a small group of people (I didn't know) it was awesome to see the smiles and "confussion" of what just happened. It just makes you want to do it for more people. Now if I could just find those other people who want to watch...lol...

Before I got serious about it, I was at my wife's work party and saw a deck of cards and I did a bunch of really simple card tricks that I had learned as a kid. It was weeks after that party when I saw them and they all said how much they enjoyed it and were still talking about it - that is what made me want to learn more and better stuff, and I was introduced to a whole new world of magic. I totally agree about seeing people just enjoy it so much is what drives me to perform. I love it.

And one thing that took me by surprise is that most people really enjoy magic (when done at their level). Almost everyone likes to see great magic, especially close up. It took me a while to get over the stereotype of the kid in a cape who want's to be a magician.
But once I realized that people really do enjoy it, it let me get past that image and pursue better magic. Likely, everyone around you want's to see you do great magic for them - not just other magicians. Now the trick is taking effects and making them into great magic.
On a side note, I am finally going through Strong Magic. What a brilliant read. I'm only on chapter 2, but it is so great to read all these amazing principles articulated so well. I've got so much to learn!


Luis,

I was just referring to some silly jokes about using the restaurant cutlery (which was pretty funny because I was in such a nice hotel/restaurant), then after they are looking at the first fork (or after it twists in their hands), making a joke about telling on them because they are bending the cutlery, etc. Even though they know the forks are from Walmart (because I tell them), they still laugh quite a bit to that joke.
This particular gig, I tried playing it seriously that I stole these forks from the tables in the next room (we were in a cocktail room adjacent to the restaurant). After the first fork breaks, peoples reactions were a bit different. Perhaps because they felt I was being bad for stealing and wrecking cutlery, or because they felt they were part of something naughty. But when they are looking at the first broken fork and someone else is holding the other fork to examine it, when I delivered the "Excuse me waitress.." line, they all erupted. That's when I came clean that they were from Walmart (as they could now tell, as they were handling them).
 
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