451: Chaney and West - Tales From Sin City

While attending a birthday party celebration for Fielding West in Las Vegas, Nevada, we spoke with several attendees, but recorded a chat with Fielding and Earl Chaney. Both have been featured in stand-alone podcasts, each talking about their lives plus stories of “old Las Vegas”. But we have not had these two Las Vegas legends together on the same microphone…until now. Each has their own story, but both have friends in common which leads one to tell another story when the other leaves off. This was a fun podcast where I didn’t have to ask questions but just listen to the history of Las Vegas as it unfolded before my ears. Enjoy!

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:38 - Earl Chaney and Fielding West share stories about their careers and “associates” in old Las Vegas

00:40:24 - Product Review - “PERPLEX” by Criss Smith is a DVD instruction of a card move and force including four routines. Recommended

00:43:40 - Product Review - “T.S’T. (Torn-Seal-Transform)” is a prediction effect with a torn corner of a blank card inside a clear zip-lock baggie visually transforms to a torn corner of a selected card. King of “finnicky” and cumbersome. Not recommended

00:46:30 - Product Review: - :Equilibrium” allows you to count off an equal number of cards that your volunteer secretly has removed from a deck of cards. Not particularly recommended.

00:50:11 - Product Review - “Launch” turns your wallet into a launch wallet. Essentially, your credit card, business card or folded cash can shoot out of your wallet for a couple feet. Recommended.

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365: Day One - IBM/SAM Combined Convention 2017

This is the first of a five day series of podcasts from Louisville featuring conversations with convention talent, organizers, dealers and registrants. The intent is to bring you the sounds (and sights through the embedded videos and attached photos) of what's happening almost in "real time" so you have the next best experience of actually being there. .

This is not the "official" first day of the convention, but nonetheless, there were several "pre-convention" activities that happened and are worth recording for this episode which I will call "Day One".

IBM-SAM 2017 COMBINED CONVENTION SCHEDULE

TUESDAY, JULY 11
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Lance Burton Teen Magic Seminar - Jones
Ed Thomas Memorial Jr Magic Workshop - Beckham
2:00 PM - S.A.M. Endowment Fund Meeting - Willis
3:00 PM - S.A.M. Magic Center Meeting - Willis
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Registration Opens - Registration Area
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM - S.A.M. Caucus Meeting - Willis
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Registration Opens - Registration Area
6:00 PM - Red Carpet Event - Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
7:00 PM - Louisville Premere: Billy Topit - Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
9:30 PM - Midnight - Dealers Grand Opening / Autograph Session - Exhibit Hall

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:20 - David Salwak and Fielding West talk about the talent at this convention, both on the shows and the competition.

00:12:09 - Michael Perovich, from Los Angeles and a member of the Magic Castle, tells why he comes to the combined convention which allows him to see acts that aren't seen at the Magic Castle.

00:25:46 - Oscar Munoz, International President of the I.B.M. tells us about what he has accomplished over the past year as President and some of his highlights of what he has seen and done.

00:28:19 - Dal Sanders, past National President of the S.A.M., tells us what's going on with the S.A.M. Council.

00:33:08 - Richard Turner calls in to remind us of his debut on Penn & Teller Fool Us on July 13, 2017

00:34:57 - Q&A Panel discussion following the debut showing of "Billy Topit"

00:52:03 - Jeff Sikola, National President of the S.A.M., talks about what he feels were the highlights of the past year.

00:57:55 - Jason Andrews talks about the competitions that brought him to where he is today as well as his cruise ship work.

00:02:31 - Tommy Ellison (a Friend of The Magic Word) shares a story as an update from the podcast posted Feb. 27, 2014 and available by Clicking Here.

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351: Wild, Wild Fielding West

Fielding West has been "wowing them" in Las Vegas for decades having worked and rubbed shoulders with some of those with glitz and glamor (like Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis among others) who made Sin City the entertainment mecca it has become today. Moreover, he was once roommates with another local magician, Lance Burton, and their friendship endures today. He and Johnny "The Great Tomsoni" Thompson continue to collaborate on the scripts for magicians performing on "the Strip" today as well as on television shows.

Winner of multiple awards from the magic community, Fielding West has been a guest on The Magic Word in the past but with all too brief of conversations as we caught each other in the hallways between magic convention activities. His conversations have spawned more comments and requests from listeners who would like to hear from from this icon of the Las Vegas magic community.

Today, Fielding focuses a lot of his time on coaching people to become better speakers and entertainers. He not only performs magic shows but also he is in demand as a keynote speaker these days.

Fielding West gives us a short tour of his magic memorabilia in his home.

Congratulations to Fielding West and to Luis Piedrahita who were the recipients of the "Performing Fellowship" presented at this year's Academy of Magical Arts awards show. Fielding talked about what a great honor this was and how he was excited for his buddy, Lance Burton, to be the one presenting it to him.

In addition to talking about his honor, Fielding tells some great stories about working in Las Vegas with some of the greats (both in and outside of magic), he gives some advice on performing. But most of all, this was just a fun chat with a good friend. Pour yourself a beverage of your choice and enjoy sitting in the corner and eavesdropping on our conversation. You'll love it!

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