564: Michael Close - UP* (Unique Powers)

Michael Close has been around long enough to have seen, learned, and taught some great magic. He is best known for his close-up magic (i.e. see his incredible works “The Workers” series), but he is also an accomplished (and professional) musician. When not performing, teaching, or consulting on magic, he is performing music. He was one of the earlier performers at Illusions magic restaurant in Indiana then he was the Trick Editor for MAGIC Magazine for a decade, followed by being the editor of the M.U.M. magazine for the S.A.M. He is currently the magic consultant on “Penn & Teller Fool Us” television show.

Magician Michael Close has a trick up his sleeve! Through some neat sleight-of-hand, Michael shows how people can start blindly following others without even realizing it's happening. If you're ready to leave the pack and live your own life, visit OpenlySecular.org today to find out how.

Perhaps the greatest card trick ever performed on television (around 1997).

Michael talks this week about a variety of subjects from over the years and shares some fun stories and a behind the scenes peek of the “Penn & Teller Fool Us” production. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of his book “That Reminds Me, Finding the Funny in a Serious World” or other products, then please Click Here to visit his Products Page.

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263: Shoot Yeah!

Shoot Ogawa is best known as a close-up magician and prime exponent of the "Ninja Rings" and also responsible for introducing the occidentals to the muscle pass. Shoot moved to the U.S. in 2003 and quickly won the hearts, minds and awards from U.S. magicians. He took top honors as "Close-Up Magician of the Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts in 2003 then again in 2006. He then won "Parlor Magician of the Year" in 2008.

Shoot Ogawa, presenting his Ninja Rings.

While passing through Houston, Texas on an abbreviated U.S. lecture tour, he spent the night in my home and we had a chance to sit down for a chat and a glass of scotch after his lecture. In our chat, he talks about his magic roots as a magic shop demonstrator in Japan, then moving to the U.S. and living near the Magic Castle. Shoot continues to travel the world performing in nearly every continent and country. Here he talks about some of the places he has been and where he plans to go from here.

Shoot Ogawa and Scott Wells say "Kanpai" as we enjoy a glass of single malt scotch and a nice chat on this podcast.

You can buy 100 postcards based on posters from the Taschen book for less than $20.00. Click on the link below for more info on the postcards. By ordering here, you can help support The Magic Word, too!

The third novel in the Eli Marks, magician, mystery series is now available. John Gaspard has done it again and penned another great book that will appeal to magicians and mystery lovers alike. Order your copy now and help support The Magic Word, too, by clicking and ordering through this link. Just click on the graphic to be taken to Amazon.com to learn more and order your copy.

"Magic" by Taschen is available at Barnes & Noble (B&N) Bookstore for less than $20.00! Not the original large edition, but it is 9" x 13" and 384 pages. Click on the image above for more information.

245: Day One - MAGIC LIve! 2015

For the first day of a four day event that had no scheduled activity until 7:30 p.m., there sure was a lot of meeting and greeting of old friends.

In this first day update, we have some time to chat with many of the friends we ran into. With nearly 1,800 registrants, it's hard to get around to have quality conversations with everyone. But it was great that some people gave me some great quality time albeit short due to the veritable whirlwind of magical luminaries swirling around the casino. Monday will bring us the first full day of activities so I probably should get a little rest. I;m still on Central Time so it is nearly dawn in Texas according to my body clock.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:25 - Charlie Randall of H&R Magic Books joins me at the airport for our flight from Houston to Las Vegas

00:07:17 - Chris Philppott and Steve Valentine, mates of mine from the Magic Castle are the first ones that I got to chat with after I checked into the hotel. Steve talks a bit about his presentation that he will give on Monday and Chris talks about his marketed effect, "French Postcards".

00:11:46 - R. Paul Wilson talks a bit about his movie, "Our Magic"

00:13:25 - "The Evil Twins", Dave Cox and Bruce Gold

00:15:20 - Steve Bryan talks about the Little Egypt Gazette and Randy Wakeman joins us to give us a health report on SIMON Lovell

00:22:44 - Kyle Knight and Mistie talks about their current and future schedule also about their performance on "Wizard Wars" and "Penn & Teller Fool Us".

00:31:35- Jeff and Tessa Evason are joined briefly by Gil Eagles and Ken Weber

00:39:26 - Justin Willman is getting married soon and he talks about that. He is also joined by Sean Popp and Shep Hyken.

00:44:38 - Dustin Stinett talks about the upcoming Genii convention

00:52:26 - Ray Anderson, star of Esther's Follies in Austin, Texas talks about the upcoming Texas Association of Magicians convention and his appearance there.

01:01:47 - Dennis Watkins talks about the return of the Houdini play in Chicago next summer for a 15 week run starting in June 2016.

01:06:52 - Steve Chezaday and Carol talk about Abbott's Get Together that just ended and he flew straight to Las Vegas

01:20:11 - Tom Mullica talks about his late night tales he told by his headstone in the graveyard at Colon, Michigan at Abbott's Get Together last week.