Just wanted to know how you street entertainers pull in an audience and keep them there until your hat pitch.
What length is suitible for street work.
What routines do you guys use.
What sort of hat pitch, etc...

Any tips of the trade etc...

magical regards
Paul Dabek

my recommendation to you would be to buy "The Art of Street Performing" by Cellini

Volume #1....it will answer all of your questions

where can I get this

Allmost any magic shop should have it.. Try http://www.penguinmagic.com . I just checked and its on the first page of the video/dvd section.

This tape/dvd is the definitive work on "Street Performing" today.

You can read my review of it at http://www.DevicesOfMagic.com

ANYBODY performing on the street can learn something from this video. If you are new at the street, this is as necessary (maybe even more so...) as having a good act.

It answers the all the questions, that you don't even know you should be asking, as well as the more obvious ones; like how do I draw the audience, keep them, etc.

If you are at all serious about doing the street, pick this up.

I recently saw it discounted somewhere on the web,(about $45 instead of $60) so a little search may even save you a couple of dollars. But it is worth whatever you pay for it!

BroDavid

Know a useful trick to get the crowds gathered before you start, after that it is up to you! PM me if you would like more info

Just get about 4-5 people interested with a small trick, call them over if you have to. Once you have them the "Herd theory" takes over any large gathering of people, now its just up to you to keep their attention.

Mind you, you might only have that attention for about the five seconds it takes them to look at what your doing before moving on to the next distraction. So keep the patter coming and bring each and every person into the fold of your show. If you can keep them for a minute odds are they will stay for the whole show.

Best of luck

Mat

You could start off by just talking to some guy and do some really cool flourish. he'll definitely wanna c more. then he'll tell his fren bout it, and boom, soon you'll have a crowd

The specific strategy that you use, really depends on your performing goal, and your personality.

If you want a big crowd, talking to one or two people to start, and working them - just won't do it. You can gather a nice little audience of 8-10 or a few more that way on a good day. And if your style and desire is to work that sized crowd, then it will work for you.

But on the other hand if you want to draw 30-50 - starting with one or two and building one by one will take too long and folks will be in your way, so it will harder to draw more. And then,the first ones will be ready to leave by the time you begin getting more than 8-10.

So if your goal is drawing big groups, you need to get the bulk of them early. Then you can perform, fill the hat, and start again, or move on.

For the larger groups, it is sort of like sitting folks down to dinner, you wouldnt want people coming and going from the table while you are trying to serve food. So you need to get a lot of them, and get them in before you start, and then you can concentrate on performing.

This doesn't mean that you don't manage the crowd. But the first rule in crowd management is; before you can manage a crowd, you have to gather one!

Noise, motion, etc. all help in the draw.

I am not saying that a small (8-10) person crowd is bad. If that is what you decide to target.

But the biggest mistake is to simply fail to first decide up front, what you really want, and what you are capable of sustaining.

BroDavid

Hi Paul,
Its called " Building a Tip" A tip is a crowd of people.I used to work a "Jam Auction" in downtown Las Vegas years ago.I was a "TIP MAN" I went out on the sidewalk,and built a tip,than got them inside for the auction pitch.I now pitch svengail cards at flea markets and small fairs,and still have to "build a tip" before I go into my pitch.With the Svengali cards I just riffle them from one hand to the other and say: "Watch,I'm going to get these cards to walk,talk snort,jump though a hoop and do a tap dance right here on the table"
In Las Vegas I used to lay 10 one dallar bills in a line on a tray,and say "watch,magic".....and way too much more to type it all out here.The secret is to stall them with a lot of double talk until you think you have enough people to start your act.I have many lines for building a tip,if you PM me,we could set up something where you could give me a phone call,and you could record it all on a cassette.
Thats the best I can do,hope this helps,
Have a nice day,Don
P.S. I live in Nashville TN. U.S.A.

It's been a long time since I've heard from a Jammer. Jimmy O'Reilly used to regale me with stories of his Jamming days and other scams he used to work. Did you know a Diamond Jim from around San Antonio? I understand he was big time and all over.

Best to you Don.

Don, enlighten me if you could, what is a jam auction?

Thanks, Tom

Hey Tom,
Hmmm a Jam Auction,I heard many years ago the best words to describe one," you give them the donut,than sell them the hole" Bottom line here is you give out some free stuff,than sell some stuff,they "buy" the story,not the merchandise.
Eric, Seems like I did know a Diamond Jim,but can't put a face with the name.If I did know him it was for a short time.
Hope this helped guys,
Have a Good Day,
Don

Drawing a crowd is a big problem for me. I do a lot of small crowds and one or two large crowds. In my opinion, a trick isnt going to draw a crowd, however the big surprise mentioned elsewhere in sidewalk shuffle has a lot of promise. I have seen Gazzo, and he draws an audiance with jokes and one liners. People come to see his show because they are interested in discovering who this outrageous character is. Clothing is another draw, I intend to wear semi-formal although I have played with costumes and I think a magic theme costume from lord of the rings or Harry Potter would also be a good draw. Noise, especially something that no one else has, seems to work. One fire eater usesa bullwhip to attract attention from other fire eaters. Everybody has an uncle wilber who is as good a magician as I am. Hes the guy who pulls his thumb off and slides it along his hand or finds a chosen card after 37 deals and magicians choice questions. It takes a complete effect for people to see that Im a little better then Uncle Wilber, and I have to pique thier curiosity first. Great ideas from BroDavid and Don Driver, thanks guys.

I read this and just broke up laughing. If you want proof that even the hoariest of tricks can be done well by a brillant performer please read the post I wrote in another thread here on this very trick. Here is the link http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......7&15

My Uncle tootsie was a real old school Vaudevillian and burlesque man. He played with Martin and Lewis, Drank with Sammy Davis Jr., Played cards with Groucho, and knew the best of the best. He was a GREAT magic/commedian and if he didn't show me that stupid trick when I was a kid I probably wouldn't be here.

It's funny how stuff we all (myself included) think is junk can be great in the hands of the right magician.

My uncle Tootsie was probably a better magician than all of us wrapped up together Man, I loved that guy!

Even in my almost 40 year old head that is still a great bit. And it kills every other 'Uncle Wilber' in the room that thinks they know what's going on.

Best,

Dan-

use something quick and visual that gets the person into it whether by doing it in their hands like with the raven (but don't start with it or they'll want to see it for the rest of your routine)

I accidently gathered a crowd once without doing tricks. I challenged one of my friends to throw any a card as far as he could, it went about 2m. i walked over picked it up and threw it a further 12. People nearby just gasped and watched fly through the air. it was fun.