353: Jarrett and Raja - New Kids on the Strip

Jarrett and Raja have been in Las Vegas since 2000 and have finally made it into their own showroom. They just opened at the Hooter's Casino Hotel on March 24, 2017 with their show, "Jarrett & Raja - Magician vs. Maestro Dinner Show" in their own Jarrett & Raja Showroom. They have appeared on "America's Got Talent (sic)" as have many other magicians and we have talked with those others about their experience. But Jarrett and Raja have also appeared on "Shark Tank" where they tried to get an investor to underwrite their Las Vegas show. Spoiler alert...they didn't get a shark, but there was an unexpected and pleasantly outstanding outcome.

This conversation took place in their Las Vegas warehouse during the second week of February, a full month before they opened at the Hooter's Casino Hotel, so they were still relaxed yet very excited about their upcoming show.

Jarrett & Raja appear in featured spot on the hit TV show "Shark Tank".

Jarrett and Raja opened their new Las Vegas show in Hooter's Casino Hotel on March 24, 2017. But before the curtains were first opened, they gave us a sneak peek at their warehouse and what is going on there. Be sure to hear our chat on the podcast on https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com

Jarrett and Raja have some great stories telling how they performed in Asia before they found their home in Las Vegas. Then they talked about their first showroom that had a quick opening and closing. They also talk about their experience with preparing to appear on "Shark Tank" plus all the problems they had right up to the last minutes of turning on the cameras.

They also talk about the new direction Hooter's is going to promote family entertainment and how their "family friendly" show fits with their new marketing strategy.

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For more information on this and the other Nick Trost books in this series, please visit Steve Bryant's Little Egypt Magic, March 2017 edition.

333: Todd Robbins - The Man Of Your Nightmares

Todd Robbins is a man of many talents with many "irons in the fire", so to speak. With a background in sideshow entertainment (eating glass, fire eating, driving a nail up his nose, walking on glass, etc.) he has found a niche in the larger public eye on the Discovery Network as the host of "True Nightmares". He is also the star of the theatrical show "Play Dead" co-written by his friend, Teller (of Penn & Teller fame).

Watch performance artist Todd Robbins Eat a Light Bulb for ART or something like it!

In this episode, Todd talks about "spiritualism" performing seances that led to his producing "Play Dead"; his work doing deshow entertainment (for example, how he eats glass); his work with the Big Apple Circus; producing and performing at "Monday Night Magic" in New York City; hosting the hit TV series, "True Nightmares", being one of the famous "Long Beach Mystics" as a young man, all interspersed with some pretty interesting stories along the way.

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330: Bob Schulien on "Schulien's" Bar Magic

Schulien's was one of the legendary magic bars in Chicago that thrived throughout most of the 20th century. At the soul of the restaurant was its owner, Matt Schulien. Chicago-style magic was born here where the magic came fast and furious as drinks were served and the motto was "GTFM" (Get The F'ing Money).

In this podcast, Robert "Bob" Schulien, the grandson of Matt Schulien worked at Schulien's under his father who was heir to the bar and who encouraged Bob to perform magic for the patrons. He was told that people came to the bar not only for food and drink but also for the magic. They expected magic and so Bob became the "designated magician by default". Other magicians later came to work and perform at Schulien's (like Al James and Chuck Morris) until it closed on January 27, 1999. There is an excellent article online that tells its history at The Chicago Bar Project.

Bob carries on the tradition of bar magic each week at The Chicago Magic Lounge along with a bevy of prestidigitators who entertain every Thursday and Saturday night. You can listen to a previous episode with the owners/managers that was broadcast #213: Chicago Magic Bars and Lounges

Chicago Magic Lounge quickly became 2015's speakeasy for many professional traveling magicians. Not only to perfom but also relax by enjoying the camaraderie of fellow Chicago magicians, as well as honing their craft. I've been collecting fun behind the scenes video and photos taken over the first year of shenanigans at the CML.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:36 - Bob Schulien talks about the early years of his grandfather Matt Schulien's Bar in Chicago from its earliest days until it finally closed. Bob regales us with many stories about his grandfather and the magic and pranks he used to perform for and on his customers.

00:56:45 - "Brother Paul" West invented a new product called the CellGrasp which makes it easier to hold you mobile phone while taking selfies. This is a product I keep on my cell phone all the time and I find indispensable. He also has a special offer to listeners of The Magic Word Podcast.

01:03:54 - "Flaming Coffee" by SansMinds is a visual stunner that takes the Fire Wallet to a new level. Recommended with reservations. Also, not available to those under 19.

01:07:49 - "The Deceased" by Jamie Daws is a creepy, dark and bizarre bit of magic that could have your audience feeling the goosebumps. This is a :Living or Dead" test that is well made and can be carried around in your wallet to creep out people at a moment's notice. Recommended.

Order a CellGrasp and receive your choice of any one of Brother Paul's five downloads from his website. Order two CellGraps and receive two free downloads. Oder three, and...well, you get the idea.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Order your copy of this book and help The Magic Word Podcast through your purchase.