On 2004-11-13 01:27, Frank Starsini wrote:
A busker knows how to draw a crowd, keep a crowd, perform magic (or whatever) and gets tips (if they're good) at the end. Often they make a living from this.

To me a "street magician" is a new type of magician that doesn't really exist except on TV or in advertisements to sell more magic stuff.

Do you think David Blaine really wanders around the country in the streets doing tricks for people and all of a sudden a TV crew caught him "doing his thing"?

It's a great show but it's...a show.

Or are there really commando street magicians doing tricks all over in sunglasses for people and they're really cool, and all the girls nibble their lips and squeal becuase they can do a riffle pass? Or because they can tell everyone, "hey, everybody stand over here and I'll float... over there. Cool, eh? Oh, you saw? Oh, well, it's pretty cool though if you get your angles right."


Hmmmm, I'm not so sure.


But it makes for a good story and it sells product.

I also heard that "rounding the wagons" when the Indians attacked was a figment of Hollywood and nothing like that ever happened.

I cannot be sure but I've tried to think about this.
Could they really round wagons quickly? What would the radius be for a given number of wagons? How easy is it really to go in a circle. Did cowboys know what PI was?

Were you allowed to tell the Indians, "Go back and re-charge us in 5 minutes. We'll get an ellipse that time and there's quite a few gaps too."


I could be wrong about all of this. I just don't know.
I do wonder though.

On 2005-01-07 09:36, Danny Hustle wrote:

Quote:

On 2005-01-06 19:01, whithaydn wrote: Topology is "squaresville."

It's L7 daddieo.

Best,

Dan-

On 2010-03-01 15:07, HerbLarry wrote:
"And the magazine is no longer published."

A joyous thing indeed.

On 2010-03-12 13:05, gsidhe wrote:
Seriously Griffin?
A restaurant gig if you are serious about being a magician?
Shows what level you are really at. Foisting yourself on innocent diners who don't give a rats behind about your latest move monkey card trick. As a busker I do not foist myself on an unwilling public like an eatery magician. I do the show, they stop and watch. At the end I suggest that if they liked the show they drop a buck or two into the hat. A far cry from begging.

I do work street. I work big stages as well. I get a lot of the big stage work from my work on the street. However, busking by itself makes me a good amount.

Just because you are incapable of making money on the street don't put down those who can and are proud of what they do.
It is an extremely pure way to do things. You get paid what the public thinks you are worth. Turns out, a lot of the real buskers on here are worth quite a lot.

On 2010-03-12 15:58, HerbLarry wrote:
I've got enough great stuff and wouldn't let a dime go anywhere close to the ownership.

On 2010-03-13 11:11, griffindance wrote:

Quote:

On 2010-03-12 13:05, gsidhe wrote: Seriously Griffin? A restaurant gig if you are serious about being a magician? Shows what level you are really at. Foisting yourself on innocent diners who don't give a rats behind about your latest move monkey card trick. As a busker I do not foist myself on an unwilling public like an eatery magician. I do the show, they stop and watch. At the end I suggest that if they liked the show they drop a buck or two into the hat. A far cry from begging. I do work street. I work big stages as well. I get a lot of the big stage work from my work on the street. However, busking by itself makes me a good amount. Just because you are incapable of making money on the street don't put down those who can and are proud of what they do. It is an extremely pure way to do things. You get paid what the public thinks you are worth. Turns out, a lot of the real buskers on here are worth quite a lot.

Yes finding a restaurant 'that wants entertainers' is a good place to begin! Stressing on the word BEGIN. Theatre restaurants have a clientele that is interested in comedians, musicians, close up and platform magicians. For beginners its possibly a harsh baptism but a performer can find an audience that wants fresh performers.

P.S. While doing walk around gigs I get a good enough fee not to have to accept "tips."

You should probably take this old saw over to the table hoppers forum.

I'm glad you're so awesome you don't work for tips -but we do, and no one like to be made to feel like they're inferior, especially by someone who seems to be only trolling in the wrong section about how crappy busking is.

You don't think busking is worth wasting your time on? Then why are you wasting it here in the busking forum?

...My bottom line is - Do You Pay Your Way. I suppose, as a magician, I don't. I work in a variety of theatre related fields and magic isn't exclusively what I do to pay my landlord. If busking pays your food and board then you are a better performer than I. Good luck to you!

I promise you Griffin, busking & street-magic are not as well-paid as many other venues (restaraunts, stage, fairs, etc) but they are at the TOP of the 'magic-skills-food-chain'!!

eddierush,
Just like many others, I think you're confusing "busker" with "street magician".

Yes, there are buskers. They make a living (or a portion of it) out on the streets.
Street Magicians, as portrayed on TV, a la Blaine, etc. do not exist. It seems there was a brief fad in the past couple of years where teen-agers decided this is what they wanted to do (The Blaine thing). (There was even a magazine on the subject.) They spent their allowances on:
Ravens
Sunglasses
Black Tiger Decks
Fol***g Quarters

and told mom they were going downtown for a couple hours. The more intelligent of them realized it was:
1. pointless
2. bothered people
3. obnoxious

and stopped doing it a.s.a.p. And the magazine is no longer published.