Hi Guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster.
Magic Café is a great site and I have learnt a lot from its pages. I am really a hobbyist when it comes to magic - although I do perform a number of effects in my role as a trainer/account manager.

I'm getting excited about the idea of performing on the street. A short approx 10 - 12 min sidewalk act. I have set a goal for April.
It will only be a short card act.

I'm thinking of utilising:

Jumping Gemini (from a deck)
Biddle Trick (allow them to shuffle, play with the cards)
Stand up Monte
ID

In time I will replace one of the effects with Sponge Balls to provide some variety.

I know it's the presentation that matters most, and the ability to interact with the audience. But that aside, what do you think of these effects as a line up for a short card act?

Rich

This will work. I see it lasting 10 min max for 10 pepoel and you will hat at the end and then go right in to the next show. You might finding have two sets is useful so you pull the first crowd finish the first routine. then hat the crowd and say next show start now and start second routine.

I think you need to think about how to get people to stop. I use endless bananas very visual. You could just flick and throw cards about. You migth also want small sign saying magic and a collection bowl for money to trickle in.

Hay hope this helps.

The tricks make no difference.

Yes tricks make no difference...just pull your thumb off and on and you will get your hat full!!!

Take out the "just" and you are correct! If you have a killer bit to go with it (presentation) then you are gold.
The most true and hardest to get across thing about busking to those who are green & wet behind the ears.

Yes people that carry heavy tables and lot of props like Gazzo just don't know what they are doing...they could just pull their thumb off and on and do same other body trick and make the same amount of money...oh maybe they are green and wet behind the ears and don't have enough personality and showmanship....

Have fun out there DeadMoney!

The voice of experience.

I'm already thinking I will have to eliminate one trick from my show. The show to consist of 3 tricks only.

I'll use Jumping Gemini once I have pulled the initial person aside.

Then when a few more people are on board - start the show.

Biddle Trick (dealing 8 cards from a deck)
Stand Up monte
ID

With by-play I'm thinking easy 10 mins with these 3 tricks. I don't want my show to go much longer than this. Once the show finishes, and I commence hatting, I will announce a new show and could rotate in a second set.

Color Monte
??? (effect from the deck)
Royal Scam

It can provide me variety. Plus I perform Color Monte in my sleep and with entertaining patter - I just can't use it in the same set as .... Stand Up Monte.

What are peoples thoughts on rotating shows like this.?

Rich

Props I plan on organising before kicking off...

Small table like an Instand.
Rope
Sign "World's Greatest Card Trick"
Bowl for trickles - with smaller sign (Tips Appreciated)
Business Cards

My first few performances will all be about gaining experience and having fun. If I can earn enough to pay for the Instand and the Business cards that would be a bonus.

Probably you have seen Gazzo 2 live and are following his advice...I wish I had too

Not yet.

I have lurked here for a while, so have read up a fair bit, and have watched Gazzo perform on You Tube.

I've certainly found that an odd number of routines works best for me. 1, or 3, never more than 5.

My coin routine has three phases, and can stand alone if they're in a hurry, as they sometimes are. It's enough to make them feel they've been entertained enough to pay me something, but not so much that it lags.

If they stick around, or indicate that they have the time for more, and I think I can make it into a real show, I perform two more routines, Doug Conn's Plastic Surgery, and my two-cup routine ending with three lemons, a-la David Williamson.

If they tip after the coin routine, I use whoever's stopped in the meantime (usually in the middle of the routine) to try and pull off the whole show. If nobody else has stopped during the routine, I start everything over and try to get a fresh audience going.

I've been doing the same three tricks for close to 20 years now, and they've served me well. All of them require a table pretty much, so I use a table. That's just how I learned. Cards, coins and cups might seem a bit hackneyed, but it's a good mix for me, and keeps it fun. Well, mostly fun.

When they see the whole show and still want more after the hat's been passed, I'll sometimes do something special, or something I've been wanting to show to people but haven't included in the main show. Sometimes this helps draw a fresh audience and I can go from there, cycling the whole thing again and not having to stop in between. Plastic Surgery is the only effect I do out there that requires a reset, but I keep two sets of the cards handy, just in case, so it's not a problem.

I went out yesterday and my right hand stopped working in the middle of trying to draw a crowd (I repeat one phase of the coin routine over and over until someone stops, and then show them from the beginning, as if they've interrupted me while practicing or something). I'm kind of glad nobody was stopping, as they'd have seen a horrifying exposure of a great effect. The cold combined with my arthritis really took the wind out of my sails, and I never even broke ice. 10 hours crippling myself out in the cold, all for nothing. I'm starting to feel like I'm getting too old for this stuff.

*sigh*

But anyway, yeah. I feel that odd numbers are good when it comes to planning out how many routines to include in a show. Always worked well for me, anyway.

Keep it simple.

1) Bally
2) 3 tricks
3) hat

I wouldn't use a trickle bucket, just hat and some pre-finale hat lines.

What you want to do is just go out and start working on the stuff that matters , which is everything else besides the tricks.

Agreed. Especially about that last bit.

I have seen the above poster at work, and he is a credit to the profession.

This man speaks the truth.