|
|
Bird Brain Regular user 161 Posts |
Hey Y'all!
I saw Danny Hustle's story that he posted, and it pushed me to start this thread! What are some of y'all's stories from the streets? Here's my highlights: - Last week, I did magic for a guy who looked exactly like *gasp* DAVID BLAINE! Lol! I said "Are you David Blaine?" He had never heard of him. Anyway, I called him "David" for the rest of the show! It was cool. - I was doing magic for a buncha little kids....One of them shouts out "Hey, mister, there's a 100 dollar bill in your bucket!"...That got MY attention! So far, my biggest tip had been $2.50...I look in this spray painted chamber pot that I use to collect the tips and I see a TEN! It was very exciting! - I was doing magic for a group of teenagers about my age...I start my two ring linking ring routine. I link the rings, everyone's quiet (in shock, I hope!) except for some dude that goes "@#$@!" It was funny! - I had a big cigar in my hand, and I was joking around with the passerbys asking "Do I look like George Burns?" This one guy who was across the way hanging out with his HUGE mastif says "Actually, you look like Doug Henning". He then told me that the very ring he was wearing was one that Doug borrowed during a show and made appear baked inside a huge loaf of french bread. Alright...So I don't have any GREAT stories, but y'all must have some good ones, like Danny did! 5150, Bird Brain
Yes I know my enemies
They're the teachers who taught me to fight me Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite All of which are American Dreams, All of which are American Dreams |
Brian Proctor Inner circle Somewhere 2323 Posts |
My stories are not that great at all, but for me, they were a blast to be a part of.
The first time i ever performed anything for anyone in public (outside family, friends, classmates) was the same day I purchased my scotch and soda set. (quarter, gold dollar) This guy and I were sitting on a city bus and he was watching me out of the corner of his eye as i was "Practicing" my tricks. He eventually turend around and wanted me to show him something. I showed him a few effects off the top of my head just using the scotch and soda, he couldnt get his jaw off the bus floor. Eww, who would want their jaw down there? Anyway by the time I got off at my stop, i realized, i had 12 other people watching me from all around the bus. They clapped for me as I got off the bus. It was one of the greatest feelings ever. =================================== Last summer I was riding the Max train in Portland Oregon, portland magicians, let me tell you, a great place for public performing is always the transit systems. People are usually always in a mood for something to get their minds off being bored. So they usually get a smile on their face if they see magic being performed. But anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Last summer while on the Max train, A little boy was with his mom. They looked like they had been through a long tiring day. I sat next to him and pulled a sponge ball out of my mouth. Made a bunch of vanishes, appearances... did a bit of a routine for him. Many of the max riders were watching as well. People really enjoyed it and the best part of it for me was the kid's smile on his face after I was leaving. ===================================== For me, I don't care about tips, i have been asked about making money doing it before. I wont decline, if i am offered, but I mainly do magic just for the smile. I pure joy out of it. The feeling you made someone feel better, there is nothing like it. ========================================== Performing for people is so fun. Brian |
Eric Evans Special user Rio Grande 668 Posts |
Well here's a story for your thread, I've many others that I'd perhaps like to reserve for a book at some future time, but here's one that needn't be included in that category:
I was in Stutgart or Frankfurt Germany, can't remember which, ah Frankfurt I think...they have an incredibly wide walking/shopping street there. I set up in the middle of the street in a fairly shady spot if memory serves. My first show went well, lots of Germans donating good sums. I noticed after my first two shows that the back 3rd and 4th row of people would stick around to watch the next show as they hadn't arrived in time to see much of the first. For the 3rd show, I didn't move them forward as I would have usually done, I let them stay out where they had initially stood. As the inner rows came up to pay me and then leave they would remain. I did this for several shows in a row, each time the next audience would effectively be further out -- creating a larger radius/semi-circle of people. I kept this up for some time to see how big a crowd I could work. Eventually my voice gave out, but by then the audience was somewhere in the neighborhood of 250-300 people, all spread out before me in a big array. If my voice had prevailed, I might have been able to get bigger still if I'd been so inclined. Needless to say, I don't want to hear any tripe about personal sound systems, as some would recommend -- they're for jugglers and clowns and not this magician. Horribly impersonal those sound devices -- I've no use for them whatsoever. |
Eric Evans Special user Rio Grande 668 Posts |
-- Addendum (Observations of a personal nature in an impersonal forum.)
In an effort to supply additional information let me add a few notes to my previous post -- The larger my audiences, the smaller the tips became. An old friend of mine would've said "the bigger the Tip, the smaller my Take." Let me restate, evermindful of repetitiveness; per capita I was making less. The net result is that my hats were heavier, but the coins were smaller. Instead of the Deutsch Marks, Zwei and ever delightful Fünf's I'd been making, my hats contents degerated into an assortment of Pfennig's with the rare DMark. The Take remained about the same, but I had to project so much more -- working harder as a result. Perhaps if I'd had a sound system, I would've been able to connect with everyone to a better degree, affording a better chance to retain the same tips I'd been making. In this particular case, I wouldn't agree as I wasn't speaking much anyway. The final lesson for me was to continue working the smaller pitches, perform a more personal show and reap the benefits of not having to spend as much energy on that one show. Convoluted yes, but not altogether without merit. |
GothicBen Veteran user England 353 Posts |
Did the Twisting Arm illusion at a Gothic Clothes shop. The pretty assistant looked on aghast as I twisted it, and when I made it crunch, she ran out of the shop and threw up in the gutter!
I've a few other stories, but they're a lot ruder... |
Bird Brain Regular user 161 Posts |
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
THAT'S MY KINDA MAGIC!!! 5150, Bird Brain
Yes I know my enemies
They're the teachers who taught me to fight me Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite All of which are American Dreams, All of which are American Dreams |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The side walk shuffle » » Stories from the Streets... (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |