This is a newly uploaded video of a 2007 performance in the Close-Up Gallery at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. This is my own version of Coins Across/Winged Silver.
I like this routine for the false explanation of the method. The common explanation of magic is that it goes “up your sleeves.” Here, the spectator’s common explanatory concept of coins going up the sleeve becomes the effect itself.
I had not checked in a long time, but just noticed that my video of Professor Dave Bourne and the Medicine Show Band had hit over 25, 760 views.
This is great!
Dave Bourne is one of the finest Old Time musicians around, and his band has incredible players. They appear on our Post-Modern Medicine Show, of course, as well as in our Radio-Medicine Show, our Old Time Internet Hour, and at every Soapy Smith Night at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Dave was the piano player at the Gem Saloon in HBO’s Deadwood, and created a lot of the music for that show. Dave started out playing piano in 1958 at the Calico Saloon at Knott’s Berry Farm.
He played bass for the Wagonmasters, a cowboy band that played ar0und the campfire at the Wagon Camp at Knott’s from 1955-1968.
You can find out more about Professor Dave Bourne and the Medicine Show Band, and purchase CDs at www.Saloonpiano.com.
I found this video of one of my published routines, The Chicago Surprise, being performed by an Airforce Staff Sergeant.
I thought he did a great job, and I complimented him on it. Here is his reply:
“My name is Wilder Rua I’m 31 years old. I have been loving magic since I was 12 and started practicing when I was 17 and found a magic shop in my home town in New Jersey. I mainly enjoy close up to small parlour style of magic. I joined the air force in 2001 have been married twice and am still married.
“Plans are to start to do close up walkaround professionally while still on active orders and continue full time when I retire the military.
“I started off with simple color Monte and easy to do effects and then I moved on to more advance books and vhs tapes. Art of astonishment was a big influence early in my life them moved on to more performance style books like Eugene burger.
“Some influences have been Paul Harris, Derek Dingle, Larry Jennings, Pop Haydn, Doc Eason.
“Where a lot of magician tend to start with children magic, I have tried my best to avoid it. I find myself to be more of an adult performer kind of like Rich Morotta. I don’t have a character per se when I perform and find that it plays well for me to just be myself the magician. I have always gotten compliments for being that way. I have been told that it gives me better rapport with my audience. Ah, its a good thing in some ways and maybe hinder me in others cause I can’t do certain effects that rely a lot on being a specific type of person. Ie Ted Lesley or Rick Mauer where their bizzare magic and mentalism takes a specific style of performing.
“I have been in the Air Force since 2001 and have been stationed in Wyoming, Iceland, Montana and Texas.
“I reside in Texas as of right now and even though I am a military police officer by trade right now I work as a combat arms instructor.
“Magic has made of possible for me to speak to large crowds and has helped me relate to people. I use magic in my classes and pretty much any time I can.
“I hope to visit the Magic Castle one day just to see where many like yourself and other icons have performed.”
–Wilder Rua
Thanks for your service, Staff Sergeant Rua, and for doing such a nice job with my routine. Cheers!
Pop's Tarts
Lili VonSchtupp’s Monday Night Tease at 3Clubs is the longest running Burlesque show in Hollywood. Pop Haydn will be hosting the Monday Night Tease on October 24, 2011 at 10:00 pm.
Seating begins at 9:30 pm.
Scoundrels and Trollops, a Gold Rush Follies hosted by Pop Haydn
Burlesque by:
Anastasia Vonteaserhausen
Isabella Star
Miss Angie Cakes
Glama Sutra
Kate Fox
Venus Demille
with a special guest appearance by the unique banjo comedian and satirist Phil Van Tee
Phil Van Tee
$15 advance tickets:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/205781
I served on the Board of Directors at the Magic Castle with Neil Patrick Harris, and now he is the President of the Magic Castle. He is a really good person, and a very good, hard-working president for our club. Here he talks about his twins:
Old Time Fiddlers' Convention and Festival -- Goleta, CA
Magill and I had a great time in Goleta, California today at the Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention and Festival.
This was the 40th of these festivals, and the weather was perfect–sunny but not hot, and slightly breezy.
The Old Time and Bluegrass music was so wonderful. It made me feel like I was young, and back home in the hills of Tennessee and North Carolina–that is, except for all the giant Birds of Paradise and Palm trees…
It took me back to when I was young, just starting out in magic.
I studied poetry at East Carolina University in the late 60’s with professor Dave Lawson from New Mexico. He introduced me to Blue Grass music. He had a band called the Rocky Mountain Boys, and they were very good.
I was working with the Road Co., a traveling improvisational troupe out of Johnson City, Tennessee (this was around 1974-5). Through working with the Road Co., I became friends with Tom Bledsoe, John McCutcheon, Richard Blaustein, Bill Hicks and other local Old Time musicians, and performed doing magic in some fiddlers and blue grass conventions around North Carolina and Tennessee.
At one of these I worked with Janette Carter, and she invited me to perform at the Carter Family Store in Virginia. I did that a few weeks later, and I suspect I am the only magician to have worked there. I think it was my favorite show ever. I was so proud to have worked there.
It was during that time that I met “Peg Leg Sam” Jackson. Sam was an incredible singer, harmonica player, dancer, comedian and story teller from South Carolina. He had spent the early part of his career working in the medicine shows, and had a wealth of polished stories and jokes, and was an amazing blues and country harmonica player. I was first interested in the medicine shows from his stories. I will try to post more about Sam soon.
Later I opened for a lot of the Grand Ole Opry stars working at Tombstone Junction, a theme park in Cumberland Falls, Kentucky. I got to work with some really incredible performers, including Bill Monroe, Lester Flat, Bill Anderson, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Jerry Reed, Billy “Crash” Craddock, and Mickey Gilly.
I was so lucky to have this opportunity. It was quite a lesson in professionalism, showmanship and artistry.
Anyway, the beautiful surroundings of the Stow House, the perfect weather and the magnificent music took me back to some good times from when I was young.
It is a great convention, folks!
Make plans to go next year. You will have a great, great time!
Pop Haydn in the WC Fields Bar
I will be appearing in the W. C. Fields Bar at the Magic Castle in Hollywood on October 14th and 15th. Continuous shows from 8:00 pm until 12:00 am. I will be doing some new things. It should be a lot of fun!
2011 Old Time Fiddlers' Convention
I will be performing on the stage tomorrow at the 2011 Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention in Goleta, California.
Magill and I are looking forward to a wonderful time. It is a beautiful place and I think it is going to be a beautiful day. We will be hoping to see a lot of our friends out there.
For more information go to:
Rancho La Patera & Stow House
304 N. Los Carneros Road
Goleta, California 93117
Ticket prices
$25 General admission
$20 Seniors and Students with ID
Free 17 and under
Pop Haydn at Monday Night Tease
Pop Haydn with "AJ the Unusualist"
Had a great time Sunday night at the Magic Castle with my friend Ajit Badrinath, aka “AJ the Unusualist.” Ajit is joining the ship Paradise for Carnival Cruise Lines in Long Beach this week. He will be doing close-up circulating magic on the ship on a six-month contract. AJ is from Mysore, Karnataka, India, where the magnificent Mysore Palace is located, and now lives in Bangalore.
AJ does his magic with a theme of the American Old West and gambling.
It was a good week at the Magic Castle. AJ got to see shows in the Palace with Tom Burgoon, Joseph Tran, and Mystina, and David Sandy in the Parlor. We had some interesting discussions with Tony Picasso and Jay Leslie, and AJ did a close-up set to a large group at the Palace Bar Close-Up Table, and was very well-received.
We look forward to seeing AJ when he gets back into Los Angeles.
Click for Pop's Website
Sorry for your loss. They leave such a huge hole when they pass...
Thank you for this beautiful thought! I lost my Diamond Girl, black collie shepherd Lab, and feel he
Next week.
when are you performing at the Castle?
No, it was sold some years ago.
Reblogged this on Pop's Soapbox.
Happy Birthday Neil - We are planning on coming back April 17 to celebrate our Anniversary. My wife
Nancy Magill
Pop Haydn
Pop's Soapbox 