634: 2021 Austin T.A.O.M. - Day One Report

Friday September 3, 2021

9.30am-11.30am - Collectors Meeting: Bill Winters presents “Walter Gibson, the Man Who Knew the Titans of Magic” and A virtual presentation of the Houdini collection by the Curator Eric Colleary.
Free for all!

12pm-5pm - Registration Desk Open

12pm-5pm - Dealers Room Open

1pm-2pm - Lecture: JD Stewart

2pm - Dealer Show 1

2.30pm-3.30pm - Lecture: Kent Cummins

3.30pm - Dealer Show 2

4pm-5pm - Lecture: Cody Fisher

4pm-5pm - TAOM Board Meeting

5pm-6pm - Dinner Break

6pm-8pm - Dealers Room Open

6pm-8pm - Cocktail Party

6.30pm - Dealer Show 3

7pm - Dealer Show 4

7.30pm - Dealer Show 5

8pm-9pm - Cocktail Gala Show: Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young

9.30pm-11pm - Lecture: Michael Ammar

11.30pm-12.30am - S. Ravencraft’s “TAOM after Dark” – Cabaret: Bizzaro & Carisa Hendrix

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 - a chat with the Secretary/Treasurer of the T.A.O.M. Mary Cay Gold. She is also the Guest of Honor at this year’s convention

00:12:28 - T.A.O.M. 2021 President, Bertil Fredstrom, chats with us before the convention begins. A rare moment of early contemplation.

00:23:09 - Kent Cummins talks about his monthly magic column and his lecture he delivered this afternoon

00:29:38 - Saul Ravencraft talks about the Bizzarre Midnight Magic Shows coming up for the next three nights

00:37:24 - Ken Dickensheets talks about why sound and light are all so important at magic conventions

00:41:32 - Justin Robert Young tells us about this evening’s show along with Brian Brushwood that replaced Nick Diffatte in the evening’s gala show

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621: Chris "Saul Ravencraft" Walden - A Bizzarist Comes Out

Chris Walden, from “Keep Austin Weird” Austin, Texas, is a professional entertainer who has won a comedy award from the Texas Association of Magicians; however, he soon realized that was not who he was. As he continued his journey of introspection, he came to the realization that his path was going to be as a “bizarre” entertainer. For those not familiar with this term, the internet defines a bizzarist as: “One who is a magician but uses storytelling and word play to a much greater degree, and less emphasis is placed on the manual dexterity of the performer or the complexity of his equipment.” As a result of his life’s journey, he is now known as “Saul Ravencraft.”

In this week’s episode, Saul Ravencraft talks about his journey to “find himself” that might prove inspirational to some listeners who are questioning their identity and character. Along the way, Saul talks about his short-lived live, online paranormal radio show, The Shadow Hour, and some of the interesting guests he had on the show. He also discusses the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, plus a little about his mentor and friend, the late Ed Solomon aka “Denomolos”.

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.

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.

634: 2021 Austin T.A.O.M. - Day One Report

621: Chris "Saul Ravencraft" Walden - A Bizzarist Comes Out

548: Jamie Allan - the iMagician

The Magic Word