Can You Help Me With Great List of Effects For an 18th year bday party (walk around) gig?

Hi Everyone,

I have a gig in a couple weeks for a young lady's birthday party who is turning 18 years old. It will be a lot of friends her age (about 15-20 of them) and the rest family and adults (another 15 people). It will be mostly walk around and small group performances over a 2 hour or 2.5 hour period. I may at some point do a 5-10 minute performance for the entire group at some point.

I have a pretty good list of stuff to mix with. I am not sure with this age group as to how many or how long I should spend at each group of young adults or the parents. 3-7 minutes I would imagine depending on how much each group is enjoying the stuff. There will also be a caterer and DJ at this large house (with back yard). And the only time they don't want me performing is during the time the hot meal is served because it must be eaten hot and obviously they want people to enjoy the food uninterrupted. So any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or anything at all would be appreciated.

Here are some of the effects I am planning to do (with a combo of magic and mentalism effects):

1. Blaine's Two Card Monte
2. A really cool Mind Reading Divination routine, combined with a unique ending where after spectator cutting deck as many times as they want, being able to divine what number down their card is from the top once they stop cutting deck (a 2-5 minute routine in total).
3. For large performance or small groups: Rising Card Effect - Where the card rises out of deck on its own. Followed by:
4. Rising card routine where card rises out of drawing of deck made on peice of paper. So it visually rises out of 2 dimensional deck on paper (incredibly visual and gets amazing reactions).
5. Chicago Opener
6. 5-7 minute Ring on A String Routine, with Nest of Wallets Ending and/or Ring Flight included as well.
7. ACAAN routine with tiny deck or extra jumbo-sized deck in mnemonica order for revelation.
8. 3 Phase Mind Reading Effect Using "Psypher"
9. Three or Four separate routines using Marked DMC Alpha Deck (Alphabet Deck of Cards; doing 3 or 4 different 4-7 minute mentalism routines utilizing letters and words made from random letters of alphabet chosen based on alphabet deck.)
10. Insurance policy card effect (where forced card is hugely printed on back of Magidian's Insurance Policy.
11. Joshua Zandman's Book Tests: I have 5 of them, including a limited release one that ties 4 of them together and the Alice in Wonderland addition as well. Really great 15-20 minute set I can do for small or huge groups, or can be 3-7 minutes for smaller groups. Often times smaller groups seem very well entertained by nothing more than a series of mind-reading effects with this group of book tests alone.

Well, that is a pretty decent list now that I have written it out and revised it. Helped just writing it out here. But I would love thoughts from those that have experience with this type of gig and this age group in particular. Also thoughts as to my material listed as well. Although when I perform this stuff (albeit never in one set as it would be a 2-day set lol) at the Magic Castle in the daily Magician Member performance rooms (like the Cellar and Hat N Hare), it gets great reactions from that audience. I do realize that is a unique and special audience because generally, you are performing for a pretty great audience that is dressed to impress in their best formal attire and at a place that 'usually' is filled with lovers or at least those who appreciate good magic and mentalism...

Thanks in advance so much for those that actually took the time to read this and especially those who take the time to provide any type of response. I really appreciate any input this amazing group has to offer (as always).

Sincerely,

Matthew Gordon
 
Dec 22, 2017
15
13
29
South West England
Hey man. Sorry if I'm too late, if I am I hope it went well! If I have made it in time I'd just like to ask how big are your pockets!? You have so much material I'm just curious as to how you are going to carry it all. Also the more "props" you have the less it will make sense. I love that you have a lot of passion and want to really fry some minds, but you have enough material there to last you a stand up show that would last 2 hours! With walk around you are looking at 3 effects max and preferably each effect should roll into the other without having to swap in props that dont go with the story.
For example for some groups do a 10 min card routine which consists of 3 effects. Make sure you engage with the audience and get them involved and you'll be running over your 10 minutes in no time! Then have 2 other routines so you can alter as you go round the groups. Once they have all seen something and if there is time left you can just swap to one if the other 2 routines you haven't done with that group yet. Off the top of my head ( I'm not saying this is what you should take)you could go with a stack of 100 blank business cards, sharpie, 2 decks of playing cards and a rubik's cube. Boom you are only taking 2 pockets worth of stuff really and you have enough material to perform for hours!

I'm sorry if I have came across like an ass, I'm really not trying to be, I just want to help. Instead of looking at it all as individual effects, see how you can blend certain things together to save space and allows you to engage with the spectators more!

I really hope this helps man. If it doesn't then I'll just shit my trap and move on
 
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Reactions: Mind_Over_Magic
Oct 23, 2019
68
10
Sorry I'm late to the party (No pun intended)
There are several things I do not recommend you do because of the age group. There are also several other key points I'd be happy to go over with you. I sent you a direct message.
 
Hey man. Sorry if I'm too late, if I am I hope it went well! If I have made it in time I'd just like to ask how big are your pockets!? You have so much material I'm just curious as to how you are going to carry it all. Also the more "props" you have the less it will make sense. I love that you have a lot of passion and want to really fry some minds, but you have enough material there to last you a stand up show that would last 2 hours! With walk around you are looking at 3 effects max and preferably each effect should roll into the other without having to swap in props that dont go with the story.
For example for some groups do a 10 min card routine which consists of 3 effects. Make sure you engage with the audience and get them involved and you'll be running over your 10 minutes in no time! Then have 2 other routines so you can alter as you go round the groups. Once they have all seen something and if there is time left you can just swap to one if the other 2 routines you haven't done with that group yet. Off the top of my head ( I'm not saying this is what you should take)you could go with a stack of 100 blank business cards, sharpie, 2 decks of playing cards and a rubik's cube. Boom you are only taking 2 pockets worth of stuff really and you have enough material to perform for hours!

I'm sorry if I have came across like an ass, I'm really not trying to be, I just want to help. Instead of looking at it all as individual effects, see how you can blend certain things together to save space and allows you to engage with the spectators more!

I really hope this helps man. If it doesn't then I'll just shit my trap and move on



DUDE!! Thank you so much. I thoroughly enjoyed everything you shared. Ironically, I had to cancel the gig because the mother who had hired me started getting a little weird and made me a little uncomfortable. I wound up referring it to a friend of mine that was just a much better fit for this particular job than I was (I can elaborate privately if that didn't make sense, but the point is, the job never happened).

However, I really love your advice and appreciate it. One of my biggest problems in performing magic and mentalism is without a doubt having too much stuff (particularly cards) on me and too much material on hand to potentially perform at any given moment. I am aware of this and am trying to take steps to address these issues. They really seem to be OCD based for me, and even though I am aware of that and how unnecessary it is to have 4 different marked decks at any given time... (wow I can barely even write that out it is so insane!), it is still hard for me not to fall into that obsessive routine. I have stopped carrying 4 packs of marked decks, but I carry at least two (different kinds), and still will realize I have 3 on me or with me at least... ugh.

I just performed for a great group at the Castle last night. I had a backpack of material and a separate little bag I carry that easily contains enough material for multiple shows on its own. I justify the backpack because I can then bring 5 books for this insane Zandman Booktest routine. But last night, even doing that, I only used two of those books, and I would never have time in that setting to use all 5. So you have helped me decide I am breaking my OCD cycle! For real. I could fit 2 and most certainly 1 of those books into my little bag. If I had the little bag, which I put my cell phone in and a bunch of personal items like a wallet I don't use at all for magic, keys, etc., and my pockets on my suit and pants, I would be able to carry enough stuff for hours and hours of material. I just needed to be reminded of this, and have this therapy session of admitting my insanity to the world to be able to make this commitment.

So thank you!

It was more helpful than I can express.

Cheers mates!

Sincerely,

Matthew Gordon
 
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