820: Ken Weber - the ANSWER man

Ken Weber is the President of Weber Asset Management and also a mentalist, magician, consultant and author. This week we chat with Ken about these latter job descriptions. Ken has performed aboard cruise ships and as a young man in the Catskills of New York. He was an early member of the Psychic Entertainers Association (P.E.A.) and frequent attendee at MINDvention and other mentalism conventions. He authored “Maximum Entertainment” that was updated and re-published as “Maximum Entertainment 2.0.” More than just a reprint of the original, there is much more material added to the new book.

We have had Ken on this podcast from time to time as part of the content from a few magic convention reports in the past. But in this episode, we finally get to sit down and have a proper conversation about his book, “Maximum Entertainment 2.0” as well as some tips that he suggests when he is consulting with some of the top pros in the business. He has some good advice that will benefit you whether you are a close-up or stage magician or mentalist.

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Click on the banner above to visit the website for more information on this convention. You don’t want to miss it. The talent line-up is incredible. Why travel thousands of miles to attend a “national” convention when you can see some of the same stars (and more) in the heart of the country?

548: Jamie Allan - the iMagician

Jamie Allen is known as the iMagician and the “High Tech Houdini” who brings magic into today’s age using modern technology. His stage show is unlike traditional magic shows and even some of the classics in magic (i.e. sawing in half, sub trunk, and the zig-zag) have all been updated with original twists and video introductions that give some entertaining and historical background on some of those effects. He also uses Augmented Reality (A/R) to perform some of his close-up effects that are projected on the big overhead screens.

Jamie talks about what it’s like performing magic in today’s age with interest in high-tech and how he develops magic for today’s world and today’s audiences. He also talks about the “stigma” associated with performing on cruise ships ,traveling with a stage show, the changes in venues and audience’s tastes in the U.K. He also talks about the changes in the cruise ship industry as it affects magicians.

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 or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

The Magic Book Shop - specializing in hard-to-find magic books, signed editions, and out-of-print books. If you are looking for a magic book but can't find it, then check out The Magic Book Shop. You will also receive a 15% discount this week only on all purchases by using this promo code on checkout: magicword

And if you are willing to sell a collection of magic books, then contact Eric Citron for an honest quote.

126: MINDvention 2013 - Day Two

What an amazing, full day of more activities and fun. The scheduled lecturer was canceled because of some passport problems, but was replaced with three outstanding performers: Chad Long, Patrick Redfern and Bill Abbott. After lunch we had a 30 minute lecture by Allison Campbell who talked about being a trade show mentalist followed by another mini-lecture by Paul Vigil who shared an excellent performance piece that he rarely presented but received the most response from his audiences. The brevity of their lectures was because of the extra time that was given to Jheff and Bob Cassidy for an another excellent lecture.

After a dinner break we were treated to a hilarious, R-rated show by Cashetta, a drag queen psychic, who held back nothing. In less than 60 seconds I knew we weren't in Kansas anymore. The fun continued into the evening after his/her show with the Bob Cassidy Roast featuring his good friends telling off-color jokes and stories from Bob's past. Jon Stetson was the host of the roast and included funny/rude stories by Lew Wymisner, Ken Weber, Cashetta, Michael Weber, Jheff, Ross Johnson, and Docc Hilford.

Time Stamps for this podcast:

00:00:11 - Chris Carter talks about working the college campus shows and his creation of the "Anniversary Waltz" card trick

00:11:28 - Eric Citron talks about his upcoming mentalism convention called the East Coast Mind Jam next March 28-30, 2014. This will be an honor for his lifetime of magic and as the owner of Tannen's Magic in New York. More information on this convention can be found at: http://eastcoastmindjam.com/

00:16:36 - Stan Allen gives us a little recap of his MAGIC Live! convention from this past summer and some feedback from the attendees plus maybe a look ahead at what he plans for the next one.

00:20:22 - Chad Long talks about the creation of his character and development of how his stage persona came into being.

00:33:03 - Docc Hilford advises us why and how we as entertainers should tip (provide gratuities) to others and the importance of doing it. He also tells us what he is up to for the next few months. you can order Docc's products by visiting http://DoccHilfordProducts.com

00:52:52 - Paul Draper carries on with the discussion begun in yesterday's panel regarding Magic and Mentalism and whether it can be mixed in the same program. Paul will be traveling on a lecture tour of northeastern U.S. He will be represented by Megan Tholen who will coordinate his trip. If you are interested in hosting his lecture, then please contact Megan at PaulDraperManagement@gmail.com

01:01:32 - In the Dealers' Room, Losander tells why he is a dealer at the MINDvention. When you think about it, the efects that he sells not only look like magic, but they can be presented as mental feats of power to bend physical nature. For more information on his prodcucts, visit http://www.Losander.com

01:04:15 - Lupe Nielsen just returned from the Los Angeles Conference of Magic History and she gives us an update of what happened there at that very exclusive event.

01:11:32 - Pete Poskiparta is a radio host in Finland where he performs mind reading over the radio. He also does voice overs for films in his country.

01:28:20 - Eric Dittelman gives us a follow-up of our conversation last year about America's Got Talent and what happened during the interim in his life including an appearance on the TV show, "Ellen" last April. You can follow Eric on Twitter at @EDittelman and on Facebook Fan Page at http://www.Facebook.com/EDittelman

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.

820: Ken Weber - the ANSWER man

548: Jamie Allan - the iMagician

126: MINDvention 2013 - Day Two

The Magic Word