Our September meeting was light on announcements, which meant we were able to get right to the best part—sharing magic with each other. We had card magic, mentalism, predictions, some unusual props, and a few effects that generated plenty of conversation afterward.
A Quick Reminder About Club Dues
Kyle started the meeting with a quick reminder that club dues are due this month. If you’ve attended beyond your first two free meetings, please see Eric about getting your dues paid.
With that taken care of, we moved straight into performances!
September Member Performances
We had a great variety of magic this month, with several members sharing effects they’ve been working on.
Logan – Finding a Thought-of Card
Logan started us off with a really clever card effect using Kyle as his spectator. Rather than simply selecting a card, Kyle thought of one and then made seemingly all of the decisions himself.
Kyle repeatedly separated and shuffled portions of the deck, eventually managing to locate the very card he had only been thinking of. Giving the spectator so much control made the final revelation particularly impossible. Great job, Logan!
Kyle – Deck to Wallet
Kyle followed with a new acquisition: Deck to Wallet by Henry Harrius, an effect that had generated quite a bit of attention at the recent Magic LIVE convention.
At the beginning, a folded card was visibly clipped to Kyle’s wallet before the wallet was put away. A card was then selected and returned to the deck.
That’s when things got strange.
In an incredibly visual moment, the entire deck of cards transformed into the wallet. The card that had been clipped to it from the very beginning was then revealed as the selected card.
It absolutely fooled the room. The effect sold out quickly at Magic LIVE, so it was especially fun getting to see one performed in person.
Frank – A Night at the Bowling Alley
Frank brought something completely different and managed to involve almost everyone in the room.
Members wrote down bowling scores and selected team names from a bag. When everything was totaled, both the final score and the selected team name perfectly matched a bowling trophy that had been sitting in full view the entire time.
But Frank wasn’t finished.
He asked Kim to imagine the final frame and decide both how many pins she knocked down and what color bowling ball she used. Those choices corresponded to a playing card, and when Frank removed a deck that had been in his pocket throughout the performance, that was the only card turned over in the deck.
Beyond being a strong piece of magic, this was a great example of what can happen when we think beyond the most obvious use for a familiar magical tool. Many of us recognized the underlying idea, but Frank had taken it somewhere completely different. Sometimes spending a little more time asking “What else could I do with this?” can open up entirely new opportunities for creating a magical moment.
Ryan – Cutting, Restoring & Isolating the Deck
Ryan shared a couple of effects he’s been working on, beginning with his new deck protector.
A metal blade was apparently pushed straight through the middle of the card case and deck, visibly separating it into two halves. Moments later, the blade was removed and the entire deck was completely restored.
Ryan then used those same cards for a short Ambitious Card routine before taking things one step further. The entire deck was placed inside a whiskey glass and isolated beneath a glass dome.
Despite the deck being physically separated from Ryan, and everyone else, the selected card slowly rose out of the deck all by itself.
The two effects were Demi-Deck and Parlor Rising Card, and there seemed to be quite a bit of interest in both after the performance, so stay tuned for some new reviews coming soon.
Patrick – Magic Between the Magic
Patrick finished the structured portion of the evening by teaching us several techniques using both cards and coins.
These weren’t really intended to be complete routines on their own. Instead, Patrick presented them as interludes, short pieces of magic that can be worked between larger effects to keep something magical happening while transitioning from one routine to another.
That’s an interesting idea because sometimes the moments between our major effects can feel like dead time. Having a few quick, deceptive pieces available can keep spectators engaged while allowing one routine to flow naturally into the next.
Patrick explains the concept much better in the tutorial itself, so rather than attempt to reproduce his lesson here, we’ll let him show you!
[WATCH PATRICK’S TUTORIAL HERE →]
The tutorial will be available in the members-only Tutorial section once uploaded.
Time to Jam
After the performances and teaching were finished, everyone settled in to do some informal magic.
Members showed one another things they’d been practicing over the past month, talked through methods and ideas, and discussed some of the effects we’d just seen.
This continues to be one of the best parts of our meetings. The performances give everyone an opportunity to share something polished, but the jam afterward gives us a chance to experiment, ask questions, trade ideas, and learn from one another.
Sometimes that’s where the most useful learning happens.
October 30: A Magical Get-Together at Frank’s
Before we wrap up, don’t forget that Frank invited the club to his home on October 30, the night before Halloween, for an informal magical get-together.
Frank plans to provide tea and punch, and everyone is welcome to bring something they’d like to eat or drink and share. We’re keeping the evening family-friendly so everyone can feel welcome.
There may also be some magic for sale or trade, as Frank and others mentioned bringing along items they’re ready to part with. So if you have some magic gathering dust in a drawer, or you’re hoping to discover something new, you may want to bring it along!
It sounds like it’s going to be a great evening, and I’m certainly looking forward to being there.
[VIEW FRANK’S OCTOBER 30 EVENT ON THE CALENDAR →]
Have Something We Should Add to the Calendar?
Remember that our Events Calendar belongs to the whole club. If you’re performing in a show, know about a lecture or convention, are hosting a magic-related get-together, or hear about another event our members might enjoy, please let me know.
I’ll get it added as soon as possible so everyone has an opportunity to know what’s happening and, whenever possible, show up and support one another.
Thank you to everyone who performed, taught, participated, or simply came out and enjoyed the evening with us. It’s always exciting to see what everyone has been working on since the previous meeting.
We’re already looking forward to seeing everyone again next month, and finding out what new magic you bring with you!
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